Whilst the cohorts of London racketmaking trio Male bonding aren’t restricted to the male gender, there is a definite sense of bro’hood between them and the bands they hang out with. Part of a (kinda) fresh-faced family of primarily London bands that includes (but is not by any means restricted to) halloween spook-jokers Graffiti Island, the ramshackle Pens and Crocodiles (USA), these bands have formed some solid allegiance to each other, opening for each other at shows, releasing combined 7″s, and probably taking ‘zany’ tour photos and giving each other high fives too. Male Bonding probably have the most snarl of any of these bands, their Husker Du-bastardising riffs keeping it simple while the vocals conjure up the zombie hordes from Resident Evil II. Throw in murky grunge basslines that aim for the house party around the corner as fast as they can, and I think we have a formula. It’s cripplingly simple and catchy, which is why they’ve risen to what probably qualifies as ‘poster boy’ status for the extended family of London DIY bands. By that I don’t mean that they’re some sort of figurehead of amazingness (although they are fucking good), but their recent signing to Sub Pop shines a definite light on them as relative successes. Sub Pop doesn’t isn’t exactly throwing itself back into the days of old in terms of the grungyness of its roster, but with Pissed Jeans, Wolf Eyes (kiiinda), No Age and now Male Bonding kicking ass all over the label, there’s definitely a room somewhere in their head offices where a fucked-off booking agent is nailing it.
Also, just to reinforce the family love // confirm the existence of bro-fi:
