I have tried, in the past, to express my love for
Cissy. I fear that I have failed. I have waved my symbolic arms in the metaphorical air and claimed similarities to
Goblin. Goblin aficionados have shouted me down. I have proclaimed them the most danceable band on our island. But seriously? Try dancing to Cissy. Just try. You need built-in jazz feet with propellor plug-ins.
So, I can’t describe, but I can factualise (it is a verb, I swear): Cissy is a band from Leeds with some fantastic pedigree. One of the city’s finest drummers, Matt Woodward, has played with the US band
Origami, as well as
The Dragon Rapide. Their super-guitarist Dicko is something of a local band whore (it’s a compliment, I swear) and is clearly harbouring the key to the 32 hour day, playing in the similarly-supreme
Beards,
Tigers!and formerly Eiger. Katie (synths) and Gavin (bass)’s history eludes me but frankly, the music walks the walk. Biographies are rendered useless once Cissy hit the boards.
There’s a slew of bands out there that can fly the ‘Proficiency’ flag but are BORING, with a capital ZZZZZZZZZZ. Cissy, on the other hand, have the flag in one hand and a party popper in the other. They are fun as fuck. Funky as fuck. They are tropical, adventurous and spiky. And you know what, if you lock into the bass drum, you can kinda dance. At the very least, you can get some serious head-nodding in.
Later this year, they’re releasing a split LP with
Das Boton featuring Billy Dolan (ex of
Sub Pop bands
Heroic Doses. and
Five Style.). The album’s coming out on
Six Gun Lover and having heard the Cissy half of it, I’m getting a little impatient for a slab of vinyl.
Hayley Avron
