Ragon Youth

What is it about New York City’s Cult of Youth that appeals so much to Lord Bassington-Bassington? After all, he is now a grumpy old Hound and is usually quite sceptical of anything with the word “youth” in it. Despite these reservations, the band’s releases, the self-titled 7 inch single and the LP A Stick To Bind, A Seed To Grow have been given many a spin on the turntable here at Bassington Manor.

On the surface, Cult of Youth is a pretty typical post-industrial/neofolk band. Frontman Sean Ragon wears his influences, such as Swans, Death in June and Throbbing Gristle, on his sleeve (which is often a good place to wear your influences). But there is something that sets Cult of Youth apart.

It could be the good taste Mr. Ragon shows when he releases his records on vinyl, but probably it has more to do with the youthful enthusiasm the band brings to its performances.

The small world known as post-industrial/neofolk is full of bands and projects that seem to exist just so that people can play some music and say they’re in a band. Cult of Youth feels like so much more, a band that really matters to the people involved in it, a band that wants something, a real band. Not only that, Cult of Youth makes Lord Bassington-Bassington remember why he became interested in this kind of music a couple of decades ago.

Lord Bassington-Bassington is happy to have supported these fine fellows by buying their records, and looks forward to continuing doing so.

Here are Cult of Youth at their most confrontational. You can tell that Mr. Ragon used to play in a hardcore band, can't you?



And this shows the more folky side of the band:




Sigh. It's almost enough to make an old Hound want to be young again.