Every so often BM gets a bit nostalgic and takes a look at the NME website. This orifice of the previously massively influential publication which effectively made and broke many musicians’ fortunes over decades is now but a shadow of its former self, now a strange combination of K-pop stories, occasionally amusing “Does Rock n Rock Kill Braincells?” interviews with ageing popstars, and sometimes some form of “exclusive” – in fact at times BM wonders if the whole thing is run by bots and algos because nary a human ever seems to emerge with an opinion, the precise opposite of the bitchy and often vindictive approach of its so-called “hacks” in the golden era.
Anyway – NME is putting their full weight(!) behind a “new, exciting” band call Picture Parlour, so BM decided to investigate. Their current single ‘Norwegian Wood’ doesn’t seem to be on Youtube or Bandcamp (probably on Spotify but screw that, BM has cut her subscription, hard times man and it just wasn’t being used…) but there is a live performance from The Social, London, back in March 2023.
The footage shows what looks like a four-piece (2 guitars, a bass, drums) comprising three girls (of course the drummer is obscured!) – the track starts a bit unsteadily but soon picks up, a chugging strumathon with a nice plangent guitar riff coming in and out. The vocals are really quite raw, fairly Amercanised/country with even a Dylanish lift at one point (“you wouldn’t stick around…!). There’s also quite a rockist guitar solo… At least it sounds nothing like The Beatles, despite the title!
So it is pleasant enough – why the big interest from NME then? Is it nepo – some IPC exec’s daughter (actually no idea if IPC is even involved now…) – do they think they have “discovered” the next Wet Leg?
So good luck girls, with this kind of help….