When you receive a press release telling you a band is made up of members of The Blockheads, Art Brut, The Specials and The Infidels you’d be right in thinking someone is being extremely creative in ways to grab your attention. This is the Buster Shuffle, made up of vintage ska and modern indie, and the result is like two worlds colliding but then finding they actually get on quite well in spite of their differences.
Second album Do Nothing is set for release on June 4th. It’s easy on first listen to flippantly disregard this album as sounding like The Madness have decided to reform. Of course the huge ska influence that is ever present on every track is the loudest influence to eke out (Micky Gallagher and Roddy Radiation being from that legendary, very British take on ska).
But ‘Do Nothing ‘also reflects a chirpy indie pop, like Squeeze has bonked Dick Van Dyke’s character in Mary Poppins (cheery cockney chap) on ‘Brothers & Sisters‘. Lyrically reminiscent of The Jam, it’s extremely British with equal tinges of sneer and patriotic love for good old blighty (listen to English Way). The Blockheads feel resurrected on 15 again, so much so that you feel they’ve channelled Ian Dury with tinges of Art Brut seeping through.
Those boys that still wear Fred Perry will adore this album, those that don’t should definitely seek them out as it’s bizarrely refreshing, feels old and new at the same time. Now we know what happens when you put diverse musicians from different eras into a cement mixer with their instruments.
For more info visit www.bustershuffle.co.uk