The Arteries - Restless

Last weekend marked the return of The Arteries after a number of years without playing any shows. They played the Deadpunk all-dayer in Bristol which I've been going to every year for a few years now. It's always a good day, but the presence of The Arteries was reason alone to make the trip. There were loads of bands I love on the bill, but I was most excited to see The Arteries. I used to see them all the time when I lived in Cardiff and they seemed to be on a fast rise.

Three years ago in March, only a few days apart, I saw them for the last time (before last Saturday) and they released their last-so-far record Restless, a 6-song EP. I've been listening to The Arteries since the Sweat EP and I've been excited for every release since. Their style of punk is fast, energetic and quite unlike most of the other punk bands from South Wales. Restless does everything I want from an Arteries record and my only complaint is that six songs is too few, especially if they were planning to tide me over for three years.

It was fantastic seeing them play live again and I'd totally forgotten just how much I love them. It might have been a particular treat given their long-hiatus, but the set hit all of the classics from Blood, Sweat and Beers and everybody seemed very pleased to hear them; I know I wasn't the only one for whom they were the highlight of the day. I've spent most of the last week playing their records and it has been a very good week indeed.

All of this begs the question: are The Arteries back or was this just a one-off treat? I really hope the former. I imagine they might not have decided themselves yet (and I hope the warm reception on Saturday was enough to convince them). I really hope they're planning to play and release more - my main conclusion after last Saturday is that the world is definitely much more enjoyable with The Arteries in it.

Format: One-sided 12", etched
Tracks: 6
Cost: £9.80 new
Bought: Specialist Subject Records
When: 18/03/13
Colour: Black
Etching: etched image on b-side
mp3s: no

Static Radio NJ + The Arteries - Banana Split

I picked this one up at Fest last year after seeing The Arteries. It was nice seeing them play in another country and they seemed to go down really well. I hadn't listened to Static Radio NJ at the time so didn't see them, but their two songs here are pretty enjoyable. Both bands offer one song of their own, and a cover. In both cases I don't know the cover (and I imagine The Gallows are different to Gallows). The Arteries song is on their second album, but the cover makes it worth buying.

Anyway, a nice record and I'm pleased I checked out Static Radio NJ eventually. Another run of this record has just appeared on pink and white vinyl, which is good because 40 copies was probably not quite enough.


Format: 7", numbered
Tracks: 4
Cost: £3.10 new
Bought: Fest
When: 29/10/11
Colour: Red
Etching: Side A: "A team yemom production", Side B: "Down with mothman"
mp3s: no

Kelly Kemp + Bangers + El Morgan + The Arteries - Split

I have a tendency to overly praise records on here, but I say this genuinely: this is my favourite 7" of all time. I saw it in Banquet one day and hadn't heard about it at that point. I was a big fan of The Arteries and Bangers already, but hadn't heard of Kelly or El. I thought it looked interesting and bought it along with a couple of other records. I was amazed when I took it home and played it.

It's not a normal arrangement for a split, but a great one nonetheless: four new recordings of two Kelly Kemp and two El Morgan songs with Bangers and The Arteries playing the music. Both singers have great voices and the times I've seen them live since have been really good. Given that they were written as acoustic songs (or so I assume) they all work incredibly well with a band behind them.

Bridges Over Broken Hearts is my favourite on the Kelly Kemp and Bangers side, but Still Our Dream is really good too. I've been told she used to play in No Comply, who are a name I recognise but little more. Either way, side A is great on it's own. However, its side B that I really love. The Arteries lend backing vocals to the mix, which works brilliantly. Miles only sings a few bits on Blah Blah Blah but it sounds great.

But I forget about all of this when Ballroom hits, a song I just can't get enough of. It starts off so slowly and nicely, but then builds into this incredible punk song and keeps going after that. The layered vocals at the end are perfect. I've listened to El's album on bandcamp a bunch of times (it's a go-to when I'm after streaming music on the internet) and the version there is great too. It's a great song done in an awesome way. It's become a staple of my mixtapes since I heard it.

I think the surprise added a lot to it as well. I had no idea what to expect when I took this record home, so had no idea how much I'd enjoy it. I realise I'm gushing praise once again, but the whole record is brilliant and has one of my favourite songs of last year on. I really can't recommend it enough. Banquet still have it in stock and I'm often tempted to get another copy in case I wear this one out.


Format: 7"
Tracks: 4
Cost: £4 new
Bought: Banquet
When: 17/01/11
Colour: Black
Etching: no
mp3s: no

The Arteries + The Cut Ups - Split

I only got round to buying this one a few weeks ago when The Arteries played El Paso before heading off on another US tour. I'd meant to buy it for a while; I think the fact it was always a fiver put me off a bit, but then it is five songs so you're not exactly getting screwed. I wish I had bought it sooner to be honest.

The Arteries songs both made it onto their second album (another reason I should have bought it sooner), but Mutual Friends is one of my favourites from Dead Sea so I don't mind. They're from a different recording session to the album, but sound pretty similar.

The Cut Ups side is where this record really shines though in my opinion. I'm a big fan of The Cut Ups and this is the only bit of their music I have on vinyl. I became friends with Rez when I was living in Cardiff and the Cut Ups played a bunch of times whilst I was there. Both their albums are incredible and, needless to say, I'm pretty excited for the third. All three of their songs here are great. They often get compared to Billy Bragg, and that comes across on Torches and Sainte Tomass (my favourite of the lot, a really brilliant song). Billy Ocean Blue is a lot more punk-rock and works well too.

The Cut Ups are finally playing London again soon (it has been ages since I last saw them now), so whilst I should've bought this record a while back, it has now whet my appetite for their return even more.


Format: 7", insert
Tracks: 5
Cost: £5 new
Bought: Gig
When: 15/05/12
Colour: Green
Etching: no
mp3s: download

The Arteries + OK Pilot + Brothers + Bangers - Brits Abroad

Brits Abroad was a four-way split that Specialist Subject put out when the four bands went over to Gainesville for Fest in 2009. I'm a fan of all four bands, although I'm not sure Brothers put out much other than this. All I really know about them is that Reza from the Cut Ups plays drums and I saw them once supporting Fucked Up in the Peel.

I think the OK Pilot song is my favourite of the four. Their 10" Nerves is very good too. The Arteries song still sounds like them, but comes across a lot more wild than anything else they've done. Bangers get quite a hook going in their few minutes and close it with a catchy chorus.

I downloaded this at the time with the intention of buying it sooner, but ended up putting it off until a while later when I did a huge order with Specialist Subject (a lot more of those records will appear on here today).


Format: 7"
Tracks: 4
Cost: £3.80 new
Bought: Specialist Subject Records
When: 31/08/11
Colour: black
Etching: no
mp3s: no

The Arteries - Beers

The final release show for Beers was a bitch to get to; a Sunday night, rail replacement buses, losing people on the way, rain, and not quite knowing where in Swansea Monkey bar was. Still we made it and had a great time again.

In my mind, this is the heaviest of the three. Somehow everything just seems turned up. The songs are still catchy as fuck, as all Arteries songs have been before and after this record. Three Cats is my favourite here. There was some sort of mess up with the order so they ended up with all the records the night before the show without any outer sleeves. A full night of folding brown paper results in the sleeve in the pictures. I like it personally. I can see its a shame they don't all match, but what's more DIY than sitting up all night folding sleeves? They went to town on the packages: Jamie's artwork, lyric sheets and coloured vinyl. The records were all coloured to match the titles, although I'm not sure I've ever seen beer this colour (but what do I know with my colour-blind eyes).

In the end, the three EPs were put together to make their debut album Blood, Sweat and Beers (minus one song from each, with a new one added in). It's a cracking album, but having seen the EPs come out it felt like we were more involved in the process somehow, seeing the album take shape. I like a good project and this one was a fantastic one. I'm excited to see them again tonight because I have such fond memories. But also because they're ace.


Format: 10", brown paper sleeve, insert, release show ticket, numbered
Tracks: 5
Cost: free (with the ticket), new
Bought: release show
When: 26/10/08
Colour: yellow?
Etching: none
mp3s: no

The Arteries - Sweat

I will cautiously say that Sweat is my favourite of the EPs. Divergence is certainly my favourite of the songs and Shortcuts is pretty awesome too. I made it to the release show for this one (pretty sure The Slowdance and The Cut Ups were supporting, but I could be mistaken). Cardiff to Swansea always felt like more of a trek than it actually was, but it was certainly worth it. I'm also reasonably sure that they played a cover of Turbonegro's All My Friends Are Dead (it seems covers at the release shows were a thing, and I might be right in remembering that they played Bon Jovi at the Beers show).

The sleeve has "Sweat Party" printed on it, which couldn't be more true: it was sweaty and it was a party. They're a party band and there was a great atmosphere at the shows. I think everyone in South Wales was so fond of them it was great to see them releasing these awesome records (DIY through and through) and doing so well for themselves. (In the pictures for Sweat and Beers I still have the nice screenprinted tickets for the shows telling you which number record was yours. I have numbers 31, 187 and 61, respectively. I think some people managed to get all three the same, which is pretty cool.)


Format: 10", die cut sleeve, insert, release show ticket, numbered
Tracks: 5
Cost: free (with the ticket), new
Bought: release show
When: 20/07/08
Colour: clear
Etching: none
mp3s: no

The Arteries - Blood

I'm going to see The Arteries tonight for the first time in ages. I've never seen them play a bad show, so I'm looking forward to it. With that in mind, I thought I'd write about their first three 10" EPs.

I can't remember the first time I saw The Arteries. It was certainly whilst I was living in Wales but we saw a lot of bands over those two years. I definitely didn't make to the release show for Blood (I was away, a perfectly good excuse) so this one was picked up eventually from Damaged in Cardiff (it contains a press release from Jamie for Welly, who ran the shop, which I guess he accidentally left inside the sleeve). I'm pretty glad he had a copy in because I'd have been gutted to be missing one of the trilogy.

There's an urgency to the start of No Guts No Glory that doesn't stop at any point over the three EPs. "Tell the world we're here, this now is our time" couldn't be more appropriate. The four songs that follow don't disappoint either. With just five short songs you're left wanting more, which makes it very convenient that there are two more to come.


Format: 10", die cut sleeve, insert, press release, number 31/300
Tracks: 5
Cost: £6 new
Bought: Damaged Records, Cardiff
When: 27/09/08
Colour: Red
Etching: none
mp3s: no