De Staat

De Staat - Sweatshop

Reading that De Staat, have been described as Holland's number 1 Alt Rock band, filled me with dread! Would I be listening to a bad Rammstien sounding band (I am aware they are German and these are Dutch)? Or something I could liken to Lordi (The 2006 Finnish Eurovision rockers) but luckily they were none of those things.

De Staat have a long string of accolades, of which they have acquired quickly, 'Holland's No 1 alt Rock band', their record being named as being one of the best of 2010 and on top of all of that they are critically acclaimed.

Like a lot of songs that increasingly are emerging in 2011, De Staat's stand out, not bowing to the idea that rock/indie/alt is a dying genre, but bringing something interesting back to music.

With guitar riffs, radio interference and a range of vocals this band are a lot of fun. To me this band are camp music , 'Carry On Rocking'. A song that is so full of different sounds, bizarrely deep voices and cow bells, is hard to take seriously. When you listen you aren't too sure whether it is brilliant or just very different.

The band are similar to Eagles of Death metal and particularly similar to Electric Six, in their songs subjects, band line-up and arrangements of music in the songs.

The song 'Sweatshop' opens with a riff similar to the Girls Aloud's debut single 'Sound of the Underground', before slipping into a tight drum beat and a strange cackling sound from one of the band hinting that it's a sinister song.

Although this is quite a messy sound the music is well constructed the movement of guitar notes within verses, reflect the tone of the singing, and create the sound of a struggle, adhering to the song theme.

The variety of vocals, drum up a story-telling effect, from the lead singer "I've been working all damn day in the sweatshop, It'll feel like i'm dying but I won't stop", to the member of the band with the extremely deep voice, "I've been going all the way in my tank top, I don't mind cos I be looking fine!" and then finally to the female voice ,"I've been burning in the window of the sweatshop, I've been running for some hours but I won't stop". The song moves you along with it, using each verse and a small simple story. A song with the lyrics, " Doing hard labour going to grow a lot of wheat, wheat". Shouldn't be catchy but it is.

Not only is there a quirky song and sound but a strange video that runs along side it. It opens with a thick bead of sweat running down someone's forehead, to workers in Victorian clothing excercising in a gym being watched in a big brother environment, to a muscle bound gent exploding at the end.

They can be compared to: Electric Six, Eagles of Death Metal, Queens of the Stone Age and Even Dee-Lite

The song is out on March 7th on Cool Green Recordings/ Mascot Label.