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The Howling Bells

added 04 January 2007 at 12.21

As the set opens, lead vocalist Juanita Stein’s extraordinary voice curls around a haunting guitar melody like lingering smoke.  The mood is matched by guitarist Joel Stein’s inventive riffs as they attempt to forge a bridge between tunesmithery and sentiment.

United in their vision, The Howling Bells have no wish to revive the corpse of Britpop or post-punk and have instead created a fresh sound all of their own. This is evident not only in standout tracks such as Setting Sun, when Stein’s voice transforms from a sultry whisper to a roar, but is also testament in the unmistakably electric atmosphere in The Cathouse tonight.

But is is debut single 'Wishing Stone' that truly showcases The Howling Bells' strengths.  With an insistent riff and crystalline arpeggios accelerating towards an erupting chorus, Juanita's vocals dive with a precipitous and wailing guitar line; "And I'm walking faster/Losing my breath/But it takes me further from here". 

Breaking down to a rhythm of drifting guitars and syncopated handclaps, this captivating performance draws to a close and leaves the crowd in no doubt of The Howling Bells prestige.

Exclusive Track
Click here to listen to an exclusive track recorded live at The Cathouse in Glasgow.

Click here to listen again to our on air chat with the band.


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The JD set is a series of intimate gigs held at one-off locations throughout the UK and have become widely anticipated in the music calendar. See more photos and exclusive tracks at thejdset.co.uk.

Click here to return to the JD Set sectionpage.

Tagged as Howling Bells, archive

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