Vamps 'N' Gypsies-Wine stains and smashed glass

Self-produced
2008


Sometimes the best bands are the ones that are difficult to define. Normally if it's difficult to come up with a description then a band is either drawing on numerous different influences at the same time or they are doing something new. UK based Vamps 'N' Gypsies fall more into that first category, but they are not entirely removed from that second category either. This band has been around for about five years and their latest EP had me searching for a way to describe to you what I think of their music. Not an easy task and they seem be getting the glam label put to them and that's not off, but they combine glam, pop, punk and hard rock together. Yet that's still too limiting of a description on what they are creating here. Vocalist Nikki Jones has a voice that would be equally fantastic doing hard rock, punk or pop and she easily brings all of that and far more to the five tracks on this EP. Every musician in the band is certainly pulling his weight and the results are that each song here has it's own identity. Those thoughts only begin to scrape the surface because that's just the basic mechanics of this band, but the real talent is the way they carry out their skills and ideas. The presentation comes close to be rather astounding as the band's knack of cranking out hard rock licks and pop hooks has me thinking that this band could and should be huge. The ability to convey genuine heart and emotion is a skill that most hard rock bands struggle mightily with yet this band are making it look a little easy. Back to the hard to put a label on issue, the sound here isn't purely locked into just one decade and I think that's great. This EP draws on music from the 80's through to today so it has a sound that's both familiar and fresh at the same time. The music world is seldom a fair arena, but in a fair world you will be hearing more from this band in the years to come and they will get their due.


www.myspace.com/vampsngypsies