Band To Watch: The Takeover UK

Hailing from Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and adopting the UK when they discovered 'The Takeover' part of their name was already snagged, this pack of four young, eager musicians pride themselves on producing infectious pop hooks and punk undertones, and quite rightly so.

With echoes of both old school punk and the more recent British alternative scene in their music, The Takeover UK are relevant without the impression that they've had to necessitate towards current trends in order to attract listeners. The band rattle furiously through guitar riffs and lead singer Nic Snyder snarls his way through the vocals; both are so tightly wound together that you wouldn't even know where to begin in prising them apart. Whereas a lot of bands find a tempo they're good at and stick with it, The Takeover UK aren't afraid to switch between edgier and softer melodies. The distinctly punk 'Never Been So Sick Before' sits on a rather different end of the scale in comparison to the more pop-based and melodic 'Golden Age'. 'Ah La La' has a ridiculously catchy chorus and as Snyder sings 'ah la la la la la la la/over and over til you get my point' and this then ticks over in your head for the following few days, you know they have certainly succeeded in putting it across.

The fact they have only been together for five years and sound as in-sync and established as they currently do makes the fact that they are still unsigned even more surprising. Unfortunately, unsigned bands are the ones that often have the most charm and The Takeover UK is certainly doing a great job in proving this. Money and backing from a record company may equal copious amounts of promotion and fancy studio production, but this can sometimes cause even some of the rawest bands to sound too manufactured and polished. The Takeover UK successfully sustain their tangible edge in the studio whilst producing tracks that don't sound at all unaccomplished; a problem many of their peers often face.
I for one cannot wait until these guys head over to the shores in which their name is embodied. If their live shows are anywhere near as impressive as their debut album, then we are definitely in for a treat and it won't be long until they veritably become the prevalant force that their name insinuates them to be.
 
www.myspace.com/thetakeoveruk