The Cribs
From LoveToKnow Music
| The Cribs | |
| Genre | Post-punk |
| Origin | Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK |
| Active | 2004-present |
| Albums | The Cribs (2004) The New Fellas (2005) |
| Songs | Hey Scenesters Mirror Kisses Martell Your're Gonna Lose Us The Wrong Way To Be |
| Website | The Official Cribs website |
Kings of New Yorkshire
The Cribs comprise of three strapping young lads from Wakefield, West Yorkshire: Ryan Jarman on guitar/vocals, with brothers Gary and Ross on bass/vocals and drums, respectively. They released their self-titled debut LP in March 2004, though it wasn’t until 2005’s The New Fellas that the music press began to sit up and listen. Their post-punk minimalist sound, coupling Northern sensibilities with catchy pop melodies has made them kings of New Yorkshire, a term coined by tabloid music magazine New Musical Express (NME) to describe the sudden sweep of post-Britpop indie bands across West Yorkshire in the last couple of years. These include the likes of the Arctic Monkeys, ¡Forward Russia!, Black Wire and The Ivories. Abandoning London as the cultural epicentre of the UK, northern cities like Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester have adopted a 'do it yourself' attitude to creating and producing music. Leeds especially has spawned new record label Dance to the Radio, which is partly run by Whiskas from ¡Forward Russia! and is home to Leeds favourites iLiKETRAiNS, This Et Al and The Pigeon Detectives, amongst others. The Cribs' first single was released on Squirrel Records, another independent Leeds record label which endeavours to be the mediator for Yorkshire's finest musical talent.
The Cribs’ sold out NME tour in autumn 2005 with Leeds favourites The Kaiser Chiefs and Sheffield born and bred Maximo Park proved the band have cemented their status as one of the new indie scene’s most important bands. The band also ride alongside the likes of The Libertines and The Others for being one of the first ‘guerilla gig’ bands: playing intimate gigs for free, and often in outdoor settings. From this perspective The Cribs may seem to operate under a double standard – their music scorns the new school of uber cool new wave indie kids, yet their sound adheres to exactly that. They are inveterately part of a scene they consciously strive to deviate from, though this self-conflict has glorious results.
The Cribs' Second Album
None other than Edwyn Collins produced the Cribs’ second album, a man who most will remember for 1994 smash ‘A Girl Like You’. And Collins’ swashbuckling song writing and producing abilities seems to have paid off: ‘Hey Scenesters’ and ‘Mirror Kisses’ both reached number 27 in the official UK top 40 Singles Chart, and third single ‘Martell’ got to 39. The band’s double A side single release ‘You’re Gonna Lose Us/ The Wrong Way To Be’ in December 2005 saw a collaboration with the now disbanded Suede’s guitarist Bernard Butler. Butler produced the utterly catchy ‘You’re Gonna Lose Us’, featured on the single.
The Cribs’ commercial success is characteristic of what British broadsheet newspaper The Guardian termed in April 2005 the ‘firework career’: a recent trend for newly formed bands to gain a press fuelled reputation at rocket speed, enjoy big fame for a short period of time, and then fade into insignificance. The Cribs have a very loyal fan base, and sold out tour dates show this band are determined to hog the limelight for as long as possible. However, the release of their third album will indicate just how triumphant their mainstay will be.
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