These New Puritans

Infobox musical artist
Name = These New Puritans


Background = group_or_band
Origin = Southend-on-Sea, England
Genre = Alternative rock
Electronica
Progressive rock
Experimental rock
Post-punk revival
New Wave
Years_active = 2007 - Present
Label = Angular Recording Corporation Domino Records
URL = [http://www.thesenewpuritans.com/ official website]
Current_members = Jack Barnett
George Barnett
Thomas Hein
Sophie Sleigh-Johnson

These New Puritans (sometimes abbreviated to TNPS) are a four-piece band from the Southend-on-Sea area. The band consists of Jack Barnett (song writer, co-producer, instrumentalist and vocalist), his twin brother George Barnett (drums, tapes, he is also in charge of designing the bands artwork with Jack), Thomas Hein (bass guitar, sampler, backing vocals, percussion) and Sophie Sleigh-Johnson (keyboards).

ound

In a 2007 interview with The Cuckoo Press Magazine [ [http://www.thecuckoopress.co.uk/site/?page_id=22 The Cuckoo Press Magazine - March 2007] ] , Jack said that "Wu-Tang Clan are massively influential. "'Spitting the code', as Roots Manuva puts it, is what I do". While The Guardian said that "These New Puritans make stern threatening punk inspired by The Fall, Franz Kafka and Elizabethan magician John Dee". Artrocker Magazine has described TNPS as sounding like "Sheffield and Berlin synths, '90s alt rock Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo drones; Underworld beats, and all in the most contemporary of contexts," while in a review of Beat Pyramid, Vice Magazine said "Sharp, strange and enchanting, there aren't many bands around like These New Puritans. Initially the NME attacked the band but upon the release of Beat Pyramid they stated "Truly, this band is leagues ahead of the competition" and the album received an 8/10 rating.

Projects

TNPS have been involved with Hedi Slimane making music ("Navigate, Navigate") for the "Dior Homme Show 2007". Both the music and the clothes received positive reviews [cite web |url= http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/F2007MEN/review/CDMEN|title= Dior Homme Fall 2007|accessdate=2008-02-09 |format= |work= men.style.com] . Interestingly, the band uses the chorus of "Navigate, Navigate" in the single "Colours" from their album "Beat Pyramid". A similar approach is apparent in live versions of "Swords of Truth," in which the band integrates a section of their song "C16" from the "Now Pluvial" EP.They were also involved with the Junk Club in Southend, where their friends, The Horrors, also frequently played. He has also produced music for south London-based group Sunni-Geini in June 2007. More recently, they were involved in an art/dance performance at Palais de Tokyo for the after show of Stage of the Art. In an early 2008 interview with Plan B magazine, Barnett revealed that "right now, I'm writing music that's like dancehall meets Steve Reich ... I've just been recording B-sides, and a song that's all drums and trains, but it's more or less pop music. I don't know if we'll change our minds, but I've been writing a lot of music for bassoon." So far the band has toured in support of, amongst others, Crystal Castles, British Sea Power, The Kills, Blood Red Shoes and Klaxons.

Discography

Albums

*"Beat Pyramid" (UK: 28 January 2008, US:18 March 2008) #188 UK

ingles/EPs

* "Now Pluvial" (30 October 2006) – 7" EP [ [http://arc018.com/?m=20061030 Angular website – "Rest In Peace, These N-w Puritans…"] ]
* "Navigate, Navigate" (21 May 2007) – 12"/Digital download [ [http://arc018.com/?page_id=2 Angular website – catalogue] ]
* "Numbers"/"Colours" (5 November 2007) – 7" [ [http://arc018.com/?m=20071030 Angular website – "THESE NEW!S! PURITANS"] ]
* "Elvis E.P." (21 January 2008) – 7"/CD [ [http://www.banquetrecords.com/index.jsp?item=8678 Banquet Records] ]
* "Swords of Truth" (5 May 2008) 7"/12"/Digital download [ [http://www.myspace.com/angularrecords Angular Records' Official MySpace page] ]

Compilations

These New Puritans have contributed songs to the following CD compilations:
* "Chamber" – "Digital Penetration" (Alt Delete Records, September 2006)
* "I Want to Be Tracey Emin" – "Future Love Songs" (Angular Records, December 2006)
* "Elvis" - "Dance Floor Distortion" , December 2006)
* "Colours" - "2000 Trees - Cider Smiles" , (Hide & Seek Records, June 2008)

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/thesenewpuritans MySpace page]
* [http://www.thesenewpuritans.com Official website]

References