Chrysalis Schallplatten & CDs

Review: BODEGA's debut album under Chrysalis Records, Our Brand Could Be YR Life, arrives as a culmination of their indie-rock musings on the encroachment of corporate influence into youth culture. Initially conceived eight years ago, guitarist and vocalist Ben Hozie has described it as a project they have long wanted to undertake. With 15 fantastic tracks, the album delves into various indie-rock subgenres, from dance-punk to shoegaze and psychedelic rock. Reflecting on themes of self-critique and cultural commentary, it offers a diverse sonic landscape, with hints of influences like R.E.M. This vital new collection shows BODEGA's musical evolution and retains their keen observations on contemporary societal shifts.

Review: Probably mainly due to the latter day punk rock caricature antics of Billy Idol, Generation X's role in the revolution that overtook music in the late 70s is often overlooked. As members of The Bromley Contingent - a group of early adopters of the Sex Pistols - they rubbed shoulders with Siouxsie Sioux, Sid Vicious and others, but by 1978 they'd released this breathtakingly exciting debut album packed with three minute wonders like 'Kleenex' and 'One Hundred Punks', big on distorted power chords and velocity and low on musical showing off. Ironically, given their roots, this owes much more to the Pistols' northern rivals Buzzcocks than Rotten and co themselves, but that's no bad thing.