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Dog Bowling EP Review by Rockpulse.co.uk
Wiltshire three piece The Porn Issue dip their toes into a broad spectrum of musical styles on debut EP ‘Dog Bowling’; with a multitude of seventies style classic rock riffs, bass driven funk sections and a prog influenced grasp on dynamic song structure, this is anything but trendy, and all the more notable for it. Distilling the essence of an especially prolific jam session onto these six tracks, the band retain the raw, unpretentious immediacy of a group of musicians playing together for the sheer joy of it, ‘Safe’ and the lengthy ‘Brink of Destruction’ showcasing their eccentric slant and rather infectious enthusiasm. There’s little doubt that said qualities would make for an enjoyable live show, and ‘Dog Bowling’ serves as an interesting introduction, the hor‘d oeuvres before this ultimately satisfying main course. Announcing yourselves to the world is rarely a simple feat, the fine line between demonstrating potential and prematurely revealing all that you have to offer often proving frustratingly difficult for bands to discern, so this release is a small victory for The Porn Issue, providing enough to get prospective fans on side yet keeping much in reserve for future releases. Just take care when you’re googling the band-name, yeah?
Reviewer: Robert Sayce
Dog Bowling EP Review by Live Music Scene
This is a band who have the confidence in their music to let it speak for itself, and rightly so. They have the faith in their music that every musician should have – the faith that they know if they keep plugging away they’ll grab the attention of someone, even if it’s just to sell another EP.
 The Porn Issue possess what can only be described as a raw charm. Yes the music is recorded to a high quality, but you get the original feel of the music when listening to it, especially when you listen to opener ‘The Ghost Room’, you could almost be there when they recorded it. In fact, when it comes to ‘The Ghost Room’, you’ll find the riff from the chorus stuck in your head for hours, unable to dislodge it, no matter what else you listen to. Annoying yes, but it shows they can write one hell of a catchy riff for it to be around for that long after you listen to it.
This is a rock band who likes to push their limits – bringing themselves to the edge and sharply pulling themselves back in. They each go off on their own little tangents before they reel themselves back in and continue with the song. As strange as this may sound, it works, and it works well. The Porn Issue are making a little niche for themselves, they aren’t trying to sound like another band, they’re trying to mix it up. The EP is full of effects on guitars, looping riffs, breakdowns and vocals which at times seem to float off into the distance, kind of like some of the old prog rock songs.
You won’t get mind-blowing lyrics or complex riffs that make you question for hours how they do it with this band, but you’ll get a band that is fun, with a real funky edge. This is a band who seem like they’re enjoying what they’re doing, that they can take it seriously, but they can also laugh at themselves if something doesn’t work out quite the way it was planned. This EP is full of what sounds like experiments for this band as they try out different styles within the rock genre. The EP may be filled with what can only be described as a mish-mash of songs as the pace quickens and slows, but you know what, it works.
The Porn Issue have earned themselves a well deserved home on my MP4 player amongst other local bands like Left Side Brain, Cars On Fire and Medallist. For one, how could you not love an EP that’s got a track on it simply called ‘Pow!’ I’ll be trying to catch this band live, so I hope you do the same thing.
Reviewer: Jodie Humphries
Myspace Demos review by Green Man Music/Swindon Advertiser
Oil and Water, business and pleasure, reality and television, funk and rock, all things that, under normal circumstances, should never be mixed. Except occasionally a band comes along that prove the last pairing don’t always have to belong to that list. In my experience the local circuit has offered up a few acts who have tried to inject a bit of funk into the rock genre and whilst the sound in their heads might be the Red Hot Chilli Peppers the result seems to have all the bite of a deflated capsicum well past it’s sell by date. Actually, mentioning Anthony Kiedis’ band of Californucators is just a go to reference for lazy journalism, it won’t happen again. So to recap, I am yet to see a good funk rock fusion treading the boards locally. But then, I haven’t seen The Porn Issue, and if their myspace musical waxings are anything to go by, I have been missing a treat.
They may have their feet grounded largely in a rock idiom, but the extra detail and the quality of the song writing is what makes this transcend lesser efforts. Some of the songs, Hit the Ground being a good example, are really built around the bass line, coming at you like Defunkt in a foul mood. Pow! Takes this vibe, tips not just a hat, but pretty much a full tuxedo to the likes of Parliament Funkadelic and the result is an infectious, groove tsunami of epic proportions.
But those songs showcase only one side of the bands capability. Other songs to be found there are created more from heavy acid rock components and Brink of Destruction pushes their personal musical boundaries even further, starting with a worryingly country rock ballad state of affairs but quickly redeeming itself by undergoing a dramatic mutation and blooming into a heavy progressive workout.
It’s a strange brew, although all of their references points seem to be from scenes at least thirty years past, there is nothing retro about the music this trio make. And they make it so well. Every aspect seems to be considered and crafted into the best tool for the job, guitars skank or grind as required, bass lines groove or growl and the drums punch or para-diddle to make the necessary point. Is there nothing they can’t do well? I bet if you asked them nicely they would re-tile the bathroom and make a damned fine job of it too.
Reviewer: Dave Franklin
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