The Ace's Riot Of Sound Reviewed On The Modernist Society Blog

The Ace's new album Riot Of Sound has been reviewed on The Modernist Society Blog, by Paul Hooper-Keeley. The full review is below. If you like the sound of the review, please drop us an email if you'd like to buy the CD, or visit http://icecreammanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-ace-riot-of-sound to download the album (if you'd like to donate, the currency is in Swedish Krona for the download)

Here is the full review!

It’s always great to get the latest release from excellent Leeds band, The Ace, so when their new album, ‘Riot Of Sound’, dropped through my letter box there was certainly an air of excitement.

You’ll be pleased to know that I wasn’t disappointed and this truly under-rated band have delivered the goods yet again.

I’m always loath to compare songs and bands to artists or genres from the past, but unless I give some reference points then I can’t really give you the review that The Ace and yourselves deserve.

‘Riot Of Sound’ it most certainly is, and The Ace have developed a fantastic mid/late 60s Garage sound that I really like. The album opens with ‘Somewhere In The Back Of My Mind’ which consolidates their garage credentials and is a great opener. Then comes the magnificent ‘Man Out Of Time’ that had the hairs on my neck standing up – starting with wonderful bass-line that combines The Zombies ‘She’s Not There’ with The Jam’s ‘Monday’, the songs builds, then stops, then builds again with Nige’s vocal style working really well (with more reflections of The Zombies as the song moves on). Superb.

‘I Dream Love’ is built around a very nice Rubber Soul/Revolver era riff whilst ‘The Loser’s Game’ has a West Coast, almost Byrds-like feel about it. ‘Take My Love’ is another super track, as is ‘Into The Action’ with it’s Liam Gallagher ‘Act-shun’ enunciation. A short instrumental (except for vocal oohs and ahs) sounds like very early Syd Barrett Pink Floyd.

I really like ‘Misunderstood’, which builds on subject matter previously visited on earlier recordings by The Ace. Jonny hits the microphone more towards the later stages of the album and we are treated to the harder sound of ‘Food Of The Gods’ and ‘Eating Excitement’. ‘Daddy Don’t Worry is another great track whilst the album’s anthemic finale, ‘Another Teenage Life Is Wasted’, has a driving bass-line that brought The Untouchables’ ‘Free Yourself’ to my mind.

In summary, this is another ace album in both name and description – if you like your music in the ’65-’67 garage-esque styling, but with so much more, then this is the album for you.

The Ace deserve more UK radio exposure (although they are big on the US College radio scene), more gigs, and more releases – perhaps their inclusion in scene related compilation releases would help to get their music out to more of you. In the meantime, buy this album (available on CD and download) via: -

www.wedigthistheace.blogspot.co.uk

Visit the blog here http://modernistsociety.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/the-ace-riot-of-sound-we-dig-this-new.html?showComment=1455748199845#c2657938094189612250

Next Time Around Album Review From The Modernist Society Blog

Here's a review of our album Next Time Around from The Modernist Society Blog.

http://modernistsociety.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-ace-next-time-around-cd-album-we.html

Featuring Nige Spencer (The Lost 45s), Jonny Magus (Freebooting Profiteers) and Daz Lee (The Lies), The Ace describe themselves as ‘Yorkshire’s most dynamic group’ – and on this showing, they may not be far wrong!

‘Next Time Around’, released on the We Dig This label, contains 12 slabs of fantastic Mod pop that will have you singing along and looking out for their next ‘live’ date (they have recently played Leeds, London, Birmingham and Liverpool, where they have been a regular feature at the International Pop Overthrow Festival at The Cavern Club).

The album opener, ‘Love Looks Good’, is a powerful, up-tempo, number that conjures up memories of The Moment in full flight back in the mid-eighties. ‘Go Go Girl’, as you may deduce from the title, is a bit of a beat mover & groover and the thing that is instantly noticeable about The Ace is that they are great songwriters, very proficient musicians, have a wonderful vocal delivery and probably have dozens more songs written waiting for them to book more studio time. Some of the tracks on here, such as ‘Waiting For My Baby’ and ‘Sgt. Major Neighbour’ (which is very reminiscent of The Direct Hits) are instant ‘sing along’ classics, whilst other songs have a slower burn but really get into your head – in fact a great combination for any album.

Already The Ace are getting radio/podcast play in Europe and the USA on shows such as Glory Boy Radio, Curiosity Shoppe, Stoned Circus, Primitive Show, Teenage Wasteland and Whole Lotta Shakin’ (where the album reached number 4 on the shows Boss 20 chart in December).

The Ace are one of the hottest purveyors of garage beat and bubblegum pop pysch in Yorkshire – with your help, they could reach the rest of the UK too.

Another Top Pop Review - Modernist Society Blog

Here's a review of our EP Another Top Pop from The Modernist Society Blog.

http://modernistsociety.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-ace-another-top-pop-cd-ep-we-dig.html

Released at the same time as their ‘Next Time Around’ album (also on the We Dig This label), The Ace bring us the 3-song ‘Another Top Pop’ EP that doesn’t feature any of the songs already released on their long player.

The three songs on the EP are ‘Oh Yeah!’, ‘Get Me Home On Time’ and ‘Strung Out Love Strung’ – all three composed by messrs. Magus, Lee and Spencer (as is the album).

Starting at the beginning (which is always a good place), ‘Oh Yeah!’ is a fantastic pop/bubblegum/garage beat number that is just so radio friendly it’s untrue. This is one of the best A-sides I have heard in a long while, which is high praise indeed.

‘Get Me Home On Time’ is another really instant number that has you singing along with it straight away. It’s a very mid-sixties, power pop sounding song that is just so infectious.

The final song on the EP, ‘Strung Out Love Strung’, is a more brooding, moody track, much in the same way that the slow version of ‘Honey’ was to Makin’ Time – but still powerful and it still in-beds itself into your brain.

Overall then, this is a really good EP that I know many of you will enjoy. And what’s even better is that if you buy The Ace’s album from them directly on the web (www.wedigthistheace.blogspot.co.uk ), they’ll send you a copy of this EP for free. 

Now that is ‘Ace’!!!

 

 

The Ace 'Yorkshire's Most 'Dynamic' Group!' on Modernist Society Blog

Hi Folks

I've been in the process of moving house, so I'll be updating all news about The Ace soon. In the meantime, here's a recent article about The Ace from the Modernist Society Blog, check out the link for the article and hear about The Ace, 'Yorkshire's Most 'Dynamic' Group!'!

http://modernistsociety.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/meet-ace-yorkshires-most-dynamic-group.html

Cheers Jonny Magus