Get Hooked.

Leeds is a good city.  A really good city.  I've been here (with some brief interludes elsewhere) for just under six years now.  I've seen the scene around here change.  When I first arrived The Futureheads were making way for The Cribs, whom we all stood in the pouring rain to see play upstairs at The Library.  We got drunk on fizzy larger, and overheated, and then staggered home via Pitza Cano.

The Pigeon Detectives were momentarily cool in the eyes of the nation, but not of Leeds, and I've yet to meet anyone who didn't at some point have to resist the urge to call Ricky Wilson names.

When I first arrived we spent all our time, and beer money, in the Hyde Park Social Club, and occasionally, just occasionally ventured to the Brudenell.  

In the last couple of years, the scene has changed again, and in the last year, the city has spawned a Mercury Music Prize winning band, and overseen a paradigm shift, towards a multi tonal, multi layered, Phil Spector influenced dense sound with echo's of psychedelia.  A guitar generated wah wah wall of sound, a post punk drum beat and a delivery with swagger.  This is what Leeds is doing at the moment.  And, at the forefront, are Hookworms.  

Hookworms are a band about whom it is virtually impossible to find anything about.  They don't go by names, only initials, they don't have a biography readily available on any website, and in fact, the website they link to from their twitter account only shows their upcoming tour dates.  However, having caught them live at the Brudenell earlier this year, I can say, you don't need to read about the people behind the music, to know that the music is good.  There are times where it would be easy to draw comparisons to a post 'Good Vibrarions' Beach Boys, Brian Wilson with a bit less California, or the Yeah Yeah Yeah's with a bit more early 90's Manchester.  Theres something in it that feels like its what The Stone Roses could have been.  The delivery is not without its punk roots, and the beat makes the entire crowd in a room start to slowly bob.  Its not quite dance music (in the Dutch Uncles, go and have a boogie down the front kind of way) but there's no way you couldn't move whilst this band are playing.  There'll be no standing and staring into your pint glass whilst this is happening.  Its hypnotic, it will really put a smile on your face, you can feel the music resonating through you and its ACE.  

Hookworms are playing on Thursday 4th July with Pissed Jeans at the Brudenell Social Club.  It promises to be a good night.  

Hookworms can also be found on Sound Cloud, and Radio Tokyo is currently making me very happy.