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“There
aren’t enough decent girl-fronted
guitar bands around at the moment!”
Jo Whiley, Radio 1
joHaRi
live at The Garage, London – June
2003)
Oh Yeah…?
joHaRi are a new five-piece
combo emerging from the disparate myre
that is the South West music scene. This
unique brand of alternative, post-punk
pop/rock (referred to by some as ‘post-punk
bitch pop’) combines hypnotic vocal
harmonies, soaring melodies, and pounding
guitar riffs with cowbells, mandolas and
Arabic grooves, to create an altogether
darker space, reminiscent at times of
Siouxsie Sioux, PJ Harvey, and Patti Smith,
and at other times, of some sort of terrifying
cross between Martha & the Muffins,
Chumbawamba, and The Rezillos.
Since forming
in 2002, the band have worked hard at
developing their own inimitable sound,
writing material and rehearsing and gigging
a 17-song live set. Their live performances
are all about having a really good time
playing music they have a passion for.
To give potential fans some musical reference
points, the band add the joHaRi touch
to some CD-collection favourites, and
their live set currently includes a handful
of covers (ie. 5) from artists such as
Hole, Elastica, PJ Harvey, Belly and Green
Day.
joHaRi’s lyrical content
has been described by some as “incensed”;
some of the lyrics may certainly touch
a raw nerve for those whose relationships
with the opposite sex and even life itself
haven’t always been a bed of geraniums…proving
that there’s nothing more pleasingly
entertaining than a woman scorned!
joHaRi
are now ready to move onto phase 2 of
their musical development, and are currently
back in the straw shed (see Photos page
on website) working up more new material.
There are plans to record a second EP
at Martin Barre’s Presshouse Studios
during March 2004, and one of the tracks
from this recording will be released as
a single in the Spring on a small, independent
label (further details to follow when
details of this deal have been finalised).
The band also plan to record their entire
back catalogue to date during February
2004, although these will be raw, live
performances rather than studio recordings.
For further information, demo
CDs, gig reviews, photos etc. please contact
Marie on
01392 668824 or e-mail joharigirl@blueyonder.co.uk
or visit the website at: www.johari.co.uk
Postal address:
21 Redhills
Close
Exeter
Devon EX4 1SD
joHaRi are:
miss fortune (vocals,
percussion)
kimi X (guitar,
vocals, keyboard)
Andy Manson (guitar,
harmonica)
Chris Legg (bass
guitar, vocals, electric mandola)
Simon Shakespeare (drums,
vocals)
Here
is what the critics have to say about
joHaRi:
joHaRi
are a fab female-fronted punk-pop-rock
hybrid…marinated with a dark lyrical
content; bitch-pop, but with its tongue
firmly in its cheek!
(South West Gig Guide, April/May
2003)
Attempting
to redress the balance in their own inimitable
way are Johari, from Exeter. Mean and
lean, etc, their lyrics have been described
as 'incensed'…'Candy Compromise'
is pretty cool and apparently they're
good live.
(Radio 2XS, April 2003)
This
is bouncy indie: even though I don’t
know the words, the chorus is catchy enough
for a car advert. The most likely comparison
I can think of is the female comedy team
‘Smack the Pony’, where the
girls would parody the videos of the latest
hits in an indie form... bits of tune
remind me of Kula Shaker. A late 60s influence
maybe in an 80s Darling Buds vein. This
song has some attitude in an indie way,
even to the point of serious chords.
(Unsigned Central, May 2003)
This
band is a female fronted affair from the
West Country, and the packaging of this
CD gives off crazed, faintly mystical
and gothic folk images.
‘Tryst’
is a joyous little bursting bubble of
a song. Wild samples and soundbites lead
us into a electric hip-hoppy flavoured
pop tune with a brightly layered and exquisitely
mixed female vocal assault full of effects
and rich tunefulness. Instrumentally,
you don’t hear a lot apart from
the occasional guitar strum and drum fill
because the voices and their diverse gymnastics
take you away with them. Excellent.
‘Sweet
Revenge’…it’s jittery
and skittish and the voice is actually
un-nerving in places: a sort of Siouxsie
meets Voice of The Beehive.
‘Candy
Compromise’ is a straight up indie
pop tune which comes straight out of the
post-punk era. The guitar playing is basic
and fairly lo-fi but that gives it an
interesting griminess against the sweetness
of the vocal. It has a rawness which is
sort of anti-style and is quite an annoying
little gem, really.
‘Erstwhile
Companion’…mixes that post
punk guitar style again with a dangerously
melodic vocal pattern. It has hints of
The Rezillos in there, but with an added
twang of darkness and paranoia.
I like
this CD mainly because it has an encompassing
style and identity both lyrically, musically
and in the sound...this lot would appear
to have worked at developing an identity
and it shows. The songwriting shows depth
and experience and they use their poppiness
and their vocal strengths to knock out
an individual piece of work. Top hole
PLAY WITH jOHaRi -
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