Rock At Night (April 2023)
“WEIMAR’s music has always been cerebral in lyricism and rich in criticism of culture and society–but in the form of music, making it palatable to the ear and a feast for the brain. In addition, their music and videos educate the masses.”
Full article here
Rock At Night (March 2023)
“The video captures the mental picture of the underworld and decadence of New York City–yet the music is upbeat and, dare I say, “danceable.” Give it a whirl and see for yourself!”
Full article here
The Smelly Flowerpot (January 2023)
“Witty noir vignettes,
Distinctive Wildean words –
Cabaret/lounge/punk?”
Full article here
New York Music Daily (October 2022)
“You could describe them as gothic circus rock with tinges of psychedelic folk and a loose-limbed rhythm section… And much as there are innumerable familiar tropes here, these half-sung, half-spoken songs resonate in the here and now.”
Full article here
Darker Side of Music (September 2022)
“The style of music and the clever lyrics seem at times satirical yet often have a serious side. It is an exciting album that deserves listening to several times to appreciate the talent behind it.”
Full article here
Smorg Magazine (September 2022)
“This album really has been an unexpected delight… the song writing is simply brilliant.”
Full article here
Amplify Music Magazine (September 2022)
“Diverse, quirky and always enjoyable, Weimar always delivers the goods.”
Full article here
Kulturní magazín UNI (September 2022)
“The band cares for the legacy of the post-punk bands of the 70s and 80s, so when listening to Dancing On A Volcano, a fan cannot help but remember the half-forgotten Marc and the Mambas, where Marc Almond presented himself after the breakup of Soft Cell in a more civil rock position, or Magazine… Weimar operate in a wide field, inflecting the post-punk basis of their work with cabaret motifs… jazz ideas… or oriental/word music… This pop rock volcano definitely has the power to spit hot musical lava.”
Full article here
The Ringmaster Review (September 2022)
“…Dancing On A Volcano, a release we went into maybe slightly unsure of our reactions and came out greedy for its compelling and addictively enjoyable exploits.”
Full article here
Sound Read Six (August 2022)
“A spooky bass and guitar unison breaks into a funky driving sound as blues rises from the dashboard stereo. The groove and rhythm elevates with artistic drum-fills and poetic lyrics. Spoken word vocal with melodic elocution revels in the fun and lively musicianship that keeps the flow moving at energetic speed.”
Full article here
Different Noises (August 2022)
“We love it when our artists work together and this is a perfect example of the magic that happens when these talented folk interact.”
Full article here
Blitzed Magazine (August 2022)
“Dancing On A Volcano breathes new life into a longstanding genre, its polished sound taking nothing away from the raw power of the songs themselves.”
Order issue here
Turn Up The Volume (August 2022)
“…a bass-pushed, sickly catchy, and punky-ending highlight of the full length”
Full article here
Amplify Music Magazine (August 2022)
“I think it’s fair to say that this track is a great melange of sounds we discovered earlier – mostly in the 80s by bands like Dire Straits, The B-52s and Hoodoo Gurus – but brought together in a way that neither of the aforementioned bands had done so. Well done on that Weimar.”
Full article here
Static Memories (August 2022)
“In Dancing On A Volcano Weimar have delivered a record of true depth, sharp imagination and shot through with innovation. Here they put forward their own, sometimes bizarre, sometimes cutting but always clearly drawn world for the listener to explore and do so with a musical dexterity that is enviable. Dancing On A Volcano, in short, offers you a real experience that is both rare and precious.”
Full article here
Record Collector Magazine (September 2022)
“…experimental and arty yet an engagingly guitar-led collection of often tuneful numbers”
Order issue here
The Big Takeover (July 2022)
“Weimar has clearly thrown away the rulebook if they ever had one, to begin with, and they make music without any acknowledgement of fad or fashion. Nothing could be further from their mind and Dancing On A Volcano is as cool and crafty a collection of songs as you could hope to find in the modern age.”
Full article here
Off the Hook Music Reviews (July 2022)
“…this strong hard hitting track has a artful flair with impactful lyrics and a great way to build excitement around the new album.”
Full article here
Sound & Vision (July 2022)
“Their style hits for eighties but there is something in their echo that makes them sound as fresh as they are jovial; and although their style is dark they still sound fun. Excellent combination, don’t you think?”
Full article here
Boston Bastard Bridage (July 2022)
“Even in a foggy gaze, Weimar just wants to cut the floor. On their debut album Dancing On A Volcano, the grooves they create transcend between B-52’s-like new wave and Spanish tango. It results in a record that itches to boogie, despite the land covered in deadly lava!”
Full article here
Punk Rock Beat (July 2022)
“While there are wonderful guitar performances, the tones are less distorted in favor of melodic support rather than an aggressive wall of sound. The effect is one of simmering tension, as the stories unfold. There’s plenty of space between the four instruments, allowing the literary lyrics the clarity they deserve.”
Full article here
Post-Punk.com (July 2022)
“… a roller coaster ride through the socio-political and personal challenges of modern times… We hear shades of Magazine, Pylon, and Wall of Voodoo stylistically, with the wry lyrics of The Divine Comedy.”
Full article here
Whisperin and Hollerin (June 2022)
“a very intriguing album that you should spend some time with”
Full article here
The Ringmaster Review (June 2022)
“Rising under a shower of water and intimation, Soho Rain makes a gentle entrance and never really stamps down fiercer authority, instead relishing a saunter through a bright and evocative landscape whilst sharing its equally expressive narrative through the words and tone of Aidan Cross”
Full article here
Vive Le Rock Issue #93 (June 2022)
“A exciting new band with a clear vision and sound, their sophomore effort is going to be a killer.”
Order Issue here
Rock At Night (June 2022)
“…a very intriguing and stylish collection of material … that should be warmly embraced by those looking for something different from their rock music. “
Full article here
The Big Takeover (June 2022)
“…it bursts open into a more epic but no less moody break and the ushering in of the sassy sax just seems to add to the wistfulness and reflection of the story”
Full article here
Different Noises (June 2022)
“Far too many albums these days are just a by-the-numbers set list. “Dancing On A Volcano” is a complex collection of stories – the group explore moods, emotions and locations – the vibe is noir, sultry and sexy, a Cabaret show for the 21st Century. I recommend it to you without reservation.”
Full article here
The Manc Review (June 2022)
“Along with the smoky saxophone, Soho Rain trails under a vaporous mist of suspense, whilst creating a noir ambience. It’s a great track, that flashes in the subway of art-rock and illuminates under the red-lights of jangly rock.”
Full article here
Turn Up The Volume (June 2022)
“Rain has a nostalgic effect, ain’t it? And that’s what this musing pipe dream exactly feels like, certainly when that Taxi Driver movie saxophone comes up in the end. A bluesy beauty.”
Full article here
Amplify Music Magazine (June 2022)
“With a markedly slower tempo than the previous post-punk offering… this is nearly as slow as a ballad and no less alluring than the [previous] single”
Full article here
God Is In The TV (May 2022)
“Stylistically fluid and expansive, ‘The Girls of LA’ is a visceral driving bass driven garage punk tune shot through Weimar’s 70s avant-garde influences and traces of anthemic 90s college rock. Speeding through the interstate, rattling somewhere between early Talking Heads and Sugar.”
Full article here
Sound Read Six (Apr 2022)
“It grows from a humming distortion into a vibrant and catchy chug on guitar and drums as the bassline plunks a steady march. Vocals begin with a loose and evocative melody, punk and grunge seep from the woodwork as the vessel creaks under its own power. Harmonic layers of lyric effervesce on streams of growling guitar and stapled drums stitching everything firmly together. Invigorating and energetic, Weimar show the best sides of their genre with fun and lively, relatable music.”
Full article here
The Record Stache (Apr 2022)
“Gear yer’ ears for a super fab base line that is going to propel you all the way from England’s northern capital of Manchester to Sin City (I mean The City of Angels)… Fab, fun and whimsical”
Full article here
Whisperin and Hollerin (Apr 2022)
“The Girls Of LA sounds like the sort of spiky indie college rock that Trouser Press magazine would have been frothing over, it’s super catchy, a little droll and in some ways is influenced by Frank Zappa’s Valley Girls, as this tale of the bottle girls working the bars on Sunset Strip flies by without all the comedy in the Zappa song.”
Full article here
The Big Takeover (Apr 2022)
“…the sound seems to come from the same place as the likes Violent Femmes, The Fall, The B-52s, Wall of Voodoo and even their hometown’s very own Magazine. It is quirky, angular, post-punk, agitated and …well, awesome, especially if you have a hankering for a side order of alternative artifice, artistry and Avant Garde with your pop-rock.”
Full article here
El Santo del Rock (Mar 2022)
(Translated from Spanish) “The Girls of LA is the acknowledgment of the sacrifice of an apparently easy life in order to meet the expenses of objectives and goals that are difficult to meet in order to achieve a dream that, although it may not be achieved, between its curves and bifurcations, could lead these women to a life of glamor completely different from what they expected.”
Full article here
The Ringmaster Review (Mar 2022)
“…the single immediately sidles up to the listener with devilment in its breath. Then once in full presence it springs a web of angular guitar and a prickly toned bassline as Cross heads to bars and clubs and the ladies working to fund dreams and hopes of stardom. As mentioned, there is a riveting nostalgic air to the song but equally an instant surge of fresh endeavour and tempting which got under the skin.”
Full article here
The Manc Review (Mar 2022)
“As a track, The Girls of LA throbs from the lifelines of punk, and whose jaunty riffs pogo-jump down the converse corridors of post-Brit-pop. Through the striking bass, The Girls Of LA shoots from the family album of JJ Burnel, that rattles and rumbles down the predatory pathways of post-punk. Along with intriguing lyrics, The Girls Of LA is a great reminder of music that isn’t afraid to walk on the wild-side and revisit the hedonistic indulgence of the late 60s, reminiscent of The Doors, Iggy Pop and The Velvet Underground. It’s a tantalising taboo breaker that explores the darker side of human nature, that peers through the smokescreen of sunny LA.”
Full article here
No New Wave No Fun (Mar 2022)
“Traditionally, the band have been dark and brooding in their approach to subject matter and lyrical content, yet ‘The Girls of L.A‘ has a much more upbeat approach. The song is an ode to the hard working spirit of the bottle-service girls of L.A’s bars and clubs, often themselves looking for their big break in the shadow of Hollywood’s alluring pull. It’s written as an ode to their acumen and headstrong approach to following their dreams when it may be easier to give up; the band will no doubt be able to relate.”
Full article here
A&R Factory (Mar 2022)
“With a shift from their usual baroque post-punk style, The Girls of LA is a departure from what the airwaves acquiesced to before but Weimar knew exactly what they were doing by bringing this riotous bop-worthy track to the aural table in turbulent times. Sonic escapism doesn’t come much sweeter than when its off the back of the sunset strip.”
Full article here
RGM (Reyt Good Magazine) (Mar 2022)
“The winding vocals of the track transport you straight to Hollywood whether you like it or not. You’re forced through by a thundering rhythm section, giving a nod to 1970s punk rock all the way.”
Full article here
Rock At Night (Mar 2022)
“Hinging itself on some of the best elements of Brit pop ‘Girls of LA’ glides on with some excellent guitar riffs… Great touch to a slice of some great, sophisticated pop.”
Full article here
Turn Up The Volume (Mar 2022)
“Imagine the fervid fuzz of punchy guitar pop legends Buzzcocks, with The Stranglers’ Jean-Jacques Burnel on bass, combined with the cutting edginess of today’s post-Brexit-punk rebirth and you know an effervescent ripper is coming your way. Add some American-dream girls of the City of Angles on your imaginary mind-screen and you’re about to start a champagne party in your head.”
Full article here
Amplify Music Magazine (Mar 2022)
“High-tempo and fun, this music sits perfectly in no-man’s land between such genres as college indie rock, post-punk and rock n’ roll – pure adrenaline with a pulsating rhythm and vocal line that adds further drive.”
Full article here
Bliss Aquamarine (Feb 2020)
“Both tracks here are rooted in the post-punk era, though the eclectic influences give each song a distinct sound. Marvel to the State is spiky art-rock which combines funky rhythms and soul touches with an angular punk spirit. Undesirable Master is my favourite song of the two, in which a catchy tune, indiepop jangle, and airy backing vocals co-exist with a sense of the surreal.”
Full article here
Vanadian Avenue (Nov 2019)
“This is a real mixture of genres – from the classical French chanson, to pop to rock and alternative. There is a lot of Divine Comedy, a lot of the Smiths, The Fall and a bit of a cabaret. To complicate the matters even further – we can swear that “Marvel to the State” has been ispired by 1920’s and 1930’d european jazz. And if we throw trip hop and pop into the cauldron, then we have a real bomb ready to go off …. We have to admit that Weimar is one of the most unusual bands we have discovered this year and it will be a pleasure to watch them grow.”
Malicia and Rita Dabrowicz
Full article here
RGM (Reyt Good Music) (Nov 2019)
“The addition of vocals from Rose Niland (Rose & The Diamond Hand) and collaboration with frontman Aidan Cross make for a tasteful and upbeat three minutes. Everything is catchy and does have moments that remind me of the art rock/new wave beats they displayed in earlier numbers …. It’s about time we got a full album from Weimar demonstrating their talent”
Travis Ward
Full article here
AnR Factory (Nov 2019)
“Soul and Post Punk don’t often go hand in hand, but Weimar’s sound is an eclectic smorgasbord of elements weaved together in an un-assimilative refreshing feat of ingenuity.”
Amelia Vandergast
Full article here
Rock At Night (Mar 2019)
Weimar: a meeting of seasoned creative minds, release their first music together
Full interview above
Bliss Aquamarine (Mar 2019)
“The two tracks here are spiky, angular art rock; John Doe is an effective mix of choppy punky sounds, slightly psychedelic retro rock, and tinges of dark cabaret, while Curse the Songs begins with a bleak post-punk feel before gradually building up into an intense slice of jittery, rattly experimental rock with forceful punky yelps and roars, fierce slicing guitar noise, and a chorus that’s as catchy as it is raucous. Great to know that Weimar are currently working on an album.”
– Bliss Aquamarine
Full article here
Reyt Good Music (Feb 2019)
“Whilst John Doe displays smooth rhythms, deep somber vocals and clean cut guitars, it is then challenged by Curse The Songs which delivers roaring fuzzy guitars midway through the song and don’t give up its galloping intensity… you are really hearing the Manchester post-punk influences burst through with modern crystal clear recording to give the impression if Joy Division had just started as a band.”
– Travis Ward
Full article here
The Salford Star (Feb 2019)
“John Doe is a shimmering guitar-pop tune. It has a moody vocal worthy of Nick Cave and an upbeat backing track reminiscent of classic Northern Soul. Curse the Songs is very much the other side of the coin. It highlights another aspect of Weimar and sounds wonderfully spontaneous, like it could come off the rails at any moment. “
– Ian Leslie
Full article here
Louder Than War (Feb 2019)
“Guitars jangle, jolt and drive emotion in equal measure, matched with point-hitting drums… with enigmatic singer and musician Aidan Cross captivating the crowd. “
– Emily Oldfield
Full article here
My Vinyl Dreams (Jan 2019)
““Curse The Songs” has elements of Nick Cave and a bit of The Fall amongst the frantic strumming as it literally explodes into life with the lyrics being spat out like bullets from an Uzi.
“John Doe” is a more calmer, moodier track with Cross’s vocals coming across like Bauhaus’s Pete Murphy. Some excellent guitar interplay between bass and lead can be heard. A detective story put to music.”
– Jonathan Garrett
Full article here
The Sound of the Crowd (Jan 2019)
“Though the lyrics tell one story, however, the instrumentation tells another, and yet both mould together perfectly to create a sound that is genuinely interesting to listen to, but that also retains an air of excited nostalgia.”
– Imogen Bebb
Full article here
Even the Stars (Jan 2019)
“…the single is an amalgam of the band’s influences but with their own personalities writ large across it. “
– David Brown
Full article here
Louder Than War (Jan 2019)
“…the band demonstrated a refined deftness to their style and sound, crafting shimmering art rock underpinned by artful guitar – all the time the sound swirling with experimental edges, every little trill and flair adding felt bursts of intensity.”
– Emily Oldfield
Full article here
Louder Than War (Nov 2018)
“Weimar enchant audiences with their blend of art rock and post-punk, well worth a listen.”
– Emily Oldfield
Full article here
Analogue Trash (Jul 2018)
“Manchester quartet Weimar stand out from the current wave of Manchester guitar bands by creating an ambiance that harks back to a time before alternative music or even rock and roll itself existed. Mining a time period in Europe’s history that saw great sociological, cultural and artistic turmoil and innovation for their musical inspiration, the band fuses and Art Rock sensibility with the raw passion of an accessible yet spiky indie-infused sound.”
– Mark Buckley
Full interview here