Black Hats

Witney, UK Alternative / Post Punk / Power Pop

About

Members: Nick Breakspear - Vocals/Lead Guitar, Ian Budd - Bass Guitar, Mark Franklin - Drums

Sounds Like: Gang of Four (UK), Young Knives, Elvis Costello, Maximo Park Official, Supergrass

Bio: “A tack-sharp collection of quintessentially 21st century alt-rock, drawing complimentary comparisons to Blood Red Shoes, Interpol and The Young Knives.” – Truck Festival (July 2012)

More Info

Status

: Added a new video: "Button Down Shirt (acoustic)" http://t.co/ljMiZRvHKs #video

Recent Blogs

Press

“Punchy, atmospheric and able to throw amazing hooks, grooves and powerchordery (that is a word honest) in equal measure.”

— Dave Franklin, Green Man Music Blog

“A perfectly produced cohesion of energetic vocals, upbeat drums, and reverb laden guitars.”

— Oxford Music Scene Magazine

“The world really is a better place with this band in it.”

— Ed Dyer, Ocelot Magazine

“Black Hats are moving from strength to strength.”

— Taisie Tsikas , Oxford Music Blog

“Black Hats seemed to have confirmed their place among Oxford’s most promising new bands.”

— Dale Kattack, Nightshift, December 2012

“Tighter and punchier than ever - Nick Breakspear's intense vocals accompanied by furious guitar riffs, melodic interludes and a relentless beat rolling out balls of tense energy.”

— Tim Hughes, Oxford Mail

“No-nonsense, brusque new wave-tinged pop punk, terrace chant-alongs composed by a lagered-up and lairy Futureheads. ”

— Dale Kattack, Nightshift Music Magazine

“...they pull off a powerful show, demonstrating that at the core of music, a good song will always win out. ”

— Simon Minter, MusicinOxford.co.uk

“...the kind of music that’s perfect for a sunny afternoon setting like this one; charming and perky songs that recall the Jam and which eschew the more annoying elements of poppy punk.”

— Simon Minter, MusicInOxford.co.uk

“A tack-sharp collection of quintessentially 21st century alt-rock, drawing complimentary comparisons to Blood Red Shoes, Interpol and The Young Knives.”

— Truck Festival, Truck Festival

“These Oxford power pop/ indie rockers combine all that is great about live music - oozing Mod-style swagger, with ferocious guitar riffs and edgy post punk energy. ”

— TIm Hughes, Oxford Mail

“This record does exactly what you’d expect from The Black Hats. It has noise and catchy riffs which some say is all you need in the world of Pop Punk and, it has to be said, these guys do it well.”

— Charles Graham, Oxford Music Blog

“In the year that everything is covered in the Union Jack, Black Hats fit in completely, flying the flag high for all that is good about British music.”

— Gets Louder, Gets Louder

“The talent of this band is crystal clear; guitar riffs are sharp like razors and the choirs by Ian, Nick, and Mark highly infectious.”

— Lorenzo Coretti, AAAMusic.co.uk

“As far as singles go this is as perfect as it gets.”

— Steve Tay, A Musical Priority

“Catch them live now and witness a local band at the top of their game.”

— Leo Bowder, Oxford Music Scene

“With the help of some great hooks, interesting Futureheads-inspired vocal interplay and a radio-friendly chorus Black Hats new single is a catchy solid feel-good indie record that you’ll be humming along to all afternoon.”

— Hugh Fitz-Gibbon, OxfordMusicBlog.co.uk

“Effortless beats and intricate bass grooves allow the guitar to weave high end riffs or drop out all together without there being a hole in the music.”

— Dave Franklin, The Ocelot

“Buckle up, lacquer down the hair and generally brace yourself. 7/10”

— Tasty Fanzine, Tasty Fanzine

“There are only two types of person in the world. Those who believe that Black Hats are the next big thing and those who haven’t seen them play live... this is one band that are going to find themselves hot property as the year progresses. ”

— Dave Franklin, Groovers on Manoeuvres

“Clever lyrics, addictive riffs and rhythms which drive harder than an ice road trucker.”

— Tim Hughes, Oxford Mail

"Brilliant!"

— Charlie Ashcroft, DIY Radio

“If you like high energy pop/indie/punk, check these bad boys out.”

— Muzu.tv, Muzu.tv

“If you like your rock with a tinge of pop, and a pogo not too far away from early Future Heads, Kick in the Doors will be right up your street. Accompanied by a music video of the band down the local, this is good shit from the young Oxford band.”

— Jan Van Riebek, Rhythm Circus

“Certainly ones to look out for.”

— Love Music Love Life, LoveMusicLoveLife.com

“From clarion call intro to atmospheric fade, this all attitude post punk/power pop debut single sets a hectic pace and makes a statement of intent from a guitar driven trio who are determined to be anything other than members of a lost generation.”

— Lights Go Out

“Black Hats are creating a snowball effect gaining more fans minute by minute. ”

— KatBayly, Rockin'Republic

“If the rest of the album is like this we are going to love it, and so are You. (Kick in The Doors single review)”

— Beast-with-Wings, Fetch the Nets

“All high energy swagger, big hooks and skittish rhythms – the sort of thing you’ve pogoed to a thousand times at an indie disco.”

— Aaron Rogan, VenueOne

“ Kick in the Doors sets a hectic pace and makes a statement that is all post punk/power pop attitude and clarion call hooks and rhythms.”

— AltSounds, AltSounds.com

“Black Hats are in the game for keeps.”

— Simon Outroversion, MusicInOxford.co.uk

“...They are the real deal… highlight of the set easily being the forthcoming (…5 months away) single Kick In The Doors which was powerful “intellepunktual” and, to quote Prof. Brian Cox, just… amazing.”

— Michael Rowland, This Is A PopScene

"Criminally underrated"

— Tim Hughes, Oxford Mail

“...their songs and intelligent musicianship elevates them to a higher level. Yes, they may be a bunch of amoral, discontented antisocial misfits – wearing ‘Two Ronnies’ glasses - but they are also talented, effervescent with energy and almost academic in their production.”

— Neil Mach, Staines Weblog

“Black Hats are a post punk powerhouse. They’re unremitting and unstoppable with ideas jumping out of their lyrics and lighting the synapses with more animation than Pixar.”

— Joy Hanley, Green Man Music

"...a slick new wave canter with an anthemic culture-yob chorus and the hint of some amphetamine ska lurking just below the surface."

— David Murphy, Music in Oxford

"Coming at you like a Dr Peppers shot, with their post-punk, dub-beat ska-riff belting live show."

— Coo Promotions, Coo Promotions

"In a city shrouded by a cloud of intelligentsia, math rock and deliberately innaccesible thinking man’s music it takes a smarter and braver band to break the mould and thrust post-punk shoutalong anthems more in the vein of Future of the Left or The Young Knives than Radiohead or Foals."

— Outroversion, Outroversion music blog

"This brilliant Oxford band mix up driving pop punk with wonderfully elegant, big chorus rock and spiky off-kilter modishness. Miss them at your peril."

— Dave Franklin, Swindon Evening Advertiser

"Packed with energy and full of post-punk goodness."

— Oxford Music Review

“They’re solid, supremely talented and capable of banging out no end of excellently-crafted songs. ”

— Simon Minter, MusicinOxford.co.uk

“Black Hats are a three-piece prone to concise, uptight stabs of new wave-inflected mod-rock. ‘Just Fall’, was the stand-out number from their consistently excellent ‘Magnets’ EP released at the start of the year, a more spacious rock anthem, guitar shapes nabbed from U2’s ‘Bullet The Blue Sky’, bullish sky-touching melody filleted in part from Yourcodenameis:milo’s ‘Rapt.Dept’, three-part power harmonies carrying the whole thing aloft like a trophy of war."”

— Nightshift music magazine

"Coming on like a traction engine driven by a cider-swigging speed-freak with a grudge, surely Black Hats are Oxford's next big thing."

— Tim Hughes, Oxford Mail

"The band have clearly honed their sound over the past couple of years, and with ‘Tunnels’ it feels like they’re a band completely comfortable with their own abilities – nothing is overdone, but each part is impressive nonetheless. They swerve from Interpol-based hugeness to Blood Red Shoes style riffery without it sounding contrived – a massive feat."

— Sam King, Oxford Music Blog

"‘Tunnels’ - an alternately frenetic and self-contemplating mix of rock fury, squiggling electronics and big, bold spacious power-pop... ‘Blood & Space’ - bolshier, funkier, a pop song fuelled up for a fight, its mood edgy, always on the edge of going off on one."

— Nightshift music magazine

"In true 'Hats style', both tracks display punk energy in spades, bags of melody, shouty bits (of course) and highly impressive production work." - Tunnels single review.

— Oxfordshire Music Magazine

"Punchy, thrilling, dancy and urgent, Nick Breakspear, Ian Budd and Mark Franklin are exponents of high level musicianship - and throw out grin-laden tunes as if they were penny chews. A band who demand to be seen live, the represent everything that makes us love Oxford bands."

— Tim Hughes, Oxford Mail

"Magnets is all spiky New Wave guitars, strident drums and hyper bass, running all around the notes like an army of red ants. It's edgy yet accessible, in true Hats flavour."

— Oxfordshire Music Scene

“Moddish urchins in the mould of The Jam and The Who, they’re strident enough to fit in at a punk party, but with songs like ‘Just Fall’ and ‘We Write Things Down’, they’re anthemic yob-savants of pop’s highest order.”

— Nightshift Music Magazine

“They’ve produced an EP of such consistency and melodic strength, while retaining all that on-stage vigour … they may well be on course to be one of the most exciting bands around in 2010.”

— Nightshift Music Magazine

All Press

Songs

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Gang of One

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Button Down Shirt (…

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Magnets

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Kick in the Doors

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Impossible View

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All Songs

Videos

Black Hats - Gang Of One (live at the Wheatsheaf, Oxford 23.3.13)

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Shows

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Thu
Jul 4

The Victoria
Swindon, UK | 8:00pm
The Victoria
Swindon, UK
Thu Jul 04 8:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Sat
Jul 6

Cornbury Music Festival
Oxfordshire, UK | 1:00pm
Cornbury Music Festival
Oxfordshire, UK
Sat Jul 06 1:00pm
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- Tickets
Thu
Jul 11

Cellar Bar
Oxford, UK | 8:00pm
Cellar Bar
Oxford, UK
Thu Jul 11 8:00pm
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- Tickets
Sun
Sep 29

Gostrey Meadows
Farnham, UK | 2:00pm
Gostrey Meadows
Farnham, UK
Sun Sep 29 2:00pm
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- Tickets
Thu
Nov 21

The Victoria
Swindon, UK | 8:00pm
The Victoria
Swindon, UK
Thu Nov 21 8:00pm
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- Tickets

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Store

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Comments

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Ryo Utasato
Dear Black Hats, Hello, amazing talented wonderful friends, So refreshing and exhilarating! Your music, light up my day! Absolutely brilliant! I'm a fan. With lots of love...
Meridian 65
You guys are awesome, the integrity of true Brit Alternative Pop is alive and well here - the energy, fun, and excitement is all in place, a pleasure to listen to...
David Howlett
An authentic English alternative band. You guys rock. Peace from Atlanta, GA Nik Howlett
FAUST
Thanks for the support! Aleister / FAUST www.deathmetal.it
IceChrystalls
Love your sound. Bit 2 Door crossed with Don Broco. Really enjoyed Kicking in the Doors :)
The Parlophonics
Good!