Let's Wrestle were an
English indie rock band based in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. The band consisted of Wesley Patrick Gonzalez (vocals and guitar), Mike Lightning (bass) and Louis Scase A.K.A Darkus Bishop (drums).
History
Gonzalez, bassist Mike Hankin (also known as Mike Lightning)
and drummer Darkus Bishop formed the band in 2005. Their debut 7" single "Song for ABBA Tribute Band" was released only two years later on Marquis Cha Cha Records. According to
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, "it gained them fans in the British music scene, including
Art Brut
Art Brut is an English indie rock band. Their debut album, '' Bang Bang Rock & Roll'', was released on 30 May 2005, with its follow up, ''It's a Bit Complicated'', released on 25 June 2007. Named after French painter Jean Dubuffet's definition ...
's Eddie Argos, to whom Gonzalez (whose stepfather is musician
Pete Astor) was often compared".
In 2008 the band signed to
Stolen Recordings which released their EP ''In Loving Memory Of'', followed by the full-length ''
In the Court of the Wrestling Let's'' (2009), recorded in a basement. It was warmly received by critics and earned them comparisons to
The Fall and early
Wedding Present among others. "They do a first-rate job blending humor, emotion, and energy on ''In the Court''; it's a tricky routine to master but they've done it impressively right out of the gate",
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
's Tim Sendra wrote.
The second album, ''
Nursing Home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...
'', was produced by
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini (; July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (band), ...
and released on 1 June 2011 by
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as an outlet for music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expand ...
.
In May 2015, after taking a hiatus, the band announced they would be splitting up following a farewell show in London in July.
Wesley Patrick Gonzalez released his first solo single, ''Come Through and See Me'', in November 2015. To promote the new material, Gonzalez appeared the same month on
Marc Riley
Marc Riley (born 10 July 1961) is an English radio DJ, alternative rock critic, musician, and former music businessman. He currently presents on BBC Radio 6 Music.
Formerly a member of The Fall, he co-owned a record label, In-Tape, and also w ...
's show on
BBC 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It primarily plays a wide range of alternative music, from established and emerging artists and bands. In 2002 it was the first national music radio station t ...
, with a backing band consisting of
Rose Elinor Dougall and members of Younghusband.
Musical style
The band claims that their musical influences include
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
,
Pavement,
Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
,
Swell Maps,
Pixies Pixies may refer to:
* Plural of Pixie
* Pixies (band)
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986 by Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim ...
,
The Raincoats
The Raincoats are a British post-punk band formed in 1977. They were founded by Ana da Silva (vocals, guitar) and Gina Birch (vocals, bass) while the two were students at Hornsey College of Art in London. Other prominent members have included ...
,
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
,
Dinosaur Jr.,
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...
,
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
,
Denim
Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more Warp (weaving), warp threads. This twill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. Denim, as it is recognized today, was f ...
,
Grandaddy
Grandaddy is an American indie rock band from Modesto, California, Modesto, California. The group was formed in 1992, and featured Jason Lytle, Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Kevin Garcia and Tim Dryden, until Garcia's death in 2017 following a ...
,
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardc ...
,
Wire
file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
,
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo (Spanish language, Spanish for "I've got it"; also abbreviated as YLT) is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley ...
and
Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...
.
They have also said that they are "ultimately trying to be as raw as possible and they try to write songs that make your soul crumble as well as making you smile, sing along and clap your hands".
Critical reception
The band was described by the ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' as "a charming, funny and utterly real trio". ''
Drowned in Sound'' gave their track "Song For Abba Tribute Record" an 8/10 describing it as a "downtrodden plea from a self-absorbed man with issues" by a "captivating and cutting band" of "ham-fisted gentlemen". The song was also described by the BBC's ''
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an e ...
'' as "the accidental 4am lovechild of eight bottles of £2.99
Merlot
Merlot ( ) is a dark-blue-colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of , the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color ...
and a wheelbarrow full of
Cutter’s Choice". ''
Clash'' described their album ''Nursing Home'' as "brittle scuzzed-up
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
guitars...around a chirpy
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
recital".
Discography
Singles
* "Song For Abba Tribute Record" (2007)
* "I Wont Lie To You" (2007)
* "Let's Wrestle/I'm in Fighting Mode" (2008)
* "We Are The Men You'll Grow to Love Soon" (2009)
* "In Dreams Part II" (2011)
* "If I Keep On Loving You" (2011)
EPs
* ''In Loving Memory Of...'' (2008)
* ''Let's Wrestle Stolen Cover's CDR'' (2008)
Albums
* ''
In the Court of the Wrestling Let's'' (2009)
* ''
Nursing Home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...
'' (2011)
* ''Let's Wrestle'' (2014)
References
External links
Official websiteat Stolen Recordings
{{Authority control
Indie rock groups from London
Merge Records artists
Musical groups established in 2005
Musical groups disestablished in 2015