When _____ Reigned Supreme: When Ikara Colt Reigned Supreme

Who the fuck were they?:
Ikara Colt had the typical starting point of every British punk or semi punk band ever. Basically, 4 art students got bored and wanted to smash shit up. Luckily for us, they did. In a period of absolutely stagnant rock and roll,aka 2001-2002, only a few bands remembered how to rock out. Of course the Strokes, Hives, BRMC were some of the others and we all know how pussy/played out they became over the next year or so. But, one of those bands stood tall and didn't sell out. They walked with a swagger that flat out said we're better than you. They said once you get old you should stop being in bands, because you have nothing else to say. They were loud, sloppy, and snotty, just like the classic punks that were actually good. They were Ikara Colt. It was Ikara Colt that was left standing after their compatriots became "wankers", and you know what they really didn't give a fuck about them anyway. It may have ended up a short Wire influenced reign, but at least they released one of the finest/most unappreciated records of the early millenium, Chat and Business.

The lineup:
Claire Ingram (guitar/vocals)
Paul Resende (vocals)
Dominic Young (drums)
Jon Ball (bass) 1999-2003.
Tracy Bellaries (bass) 2003-2005.

When and How they Took Over?:
As soon as you put on the first song on Chat and Business, you knew something was happening. "One Note" was the song and the only word you could use to describe it, was messy. And this was far before the Libertines made "messy rock and roll" cool again. It was a frenzied one and half minute burst of heavily accented snotty lyrics, angular guitar playing, and brilliant rhythm. I swear that as soon as I heard it, I not only had to hear the song again, but I could tell that this band was somebody. I dug how Paul Resende and Claire Ingram (who was way hot with her guitar) traded vocals like a meaner Sonic Youth and how frenzied all of the playing was. And as a former shitty drummer, I know when somebody is really fucking good and Dominic Young, my friends is a fucking genius. There was such urgency in their playing, and since they sounded like Wire and The Fall, it was now official. This band not only reigned supreme, they were a juggernaut. They were fucking unstoppable.
Oh and on a side note. Lets not forget that not only did the band look like fucking art stars(pre Karen O, of course) the packaging of the CD was absolutely brilliant. It was like a photo album with weird photo stickers that you could apply to the cover or trade with peeps to get the whole set. Not that anyone really gave a fuck here in the States. Meanwhile in the UK...
Sink Venice became the first frenzied/gigantic single, and they were all the rage with the kids and the NME. Of course in the Oasis tradition they followed it up with loads of brash quotes basically proclaiming their status as the best band in the world.(A more modern example is what Kasabian does in the media.) And frankly when they went to town, it was tough to stop.
Ruud, which followed One Note so perfectly on the album, became the second single and added to the fire and the carnage of this rising band.(see the video below)
UK Tours were sold out and a small US tour happened with fellow shoulda beens Sahara Hotnights(yet another all girl band from Sweden) and then just like that it seemed to be over.

So, what the fuck happened?:
Well that's a tough one. Ikara Colt was on Epitaph records in the States, while all of their compatriots were on majors, so maybe it was a marketing question.(I still remember how the Strokes became a dirty code word for indie and The Hives became THE band for 10 year olds who knew nothing about the Stooges or rock and roll, so maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.)
I guess we could blame the 2nd album Modern Apprentice, which certainly didn't have the frenzy of the first record. But, it certainly resembled Chairs Missing by Wire, with its liberal use of synths and experimentation and less snottiness.
Some have blamed the loss of bassist Jon Ball, and while he was missed on the second albu it should not have killed the band.
What really got Ikara Colt was their own words. They said being in one band for more than 5 years is a waste. And sure enough Modern Apprentice came out pretty close to the five year mark, leaving not only the album buried, but the band is well. It was a waste, but at least they were true to what they believe.

But,ultimately what did it mean?:
The closest band in terms of sloppy brilliance is easily another wasted/way more famous band the Libertines. But, really if you think about it, Ikara Colt happened TOO soon. Their impact came before the rise of all the new post-post punk bands(i.e. Franz Ferdinand, Rapture), perhaps a third album would've made a big impact. If nothing else my beloved Art Brut TOTALLY sounds like them, musically and thematically. There may or may not be any lasting effects of their existance, because if you nobody really gave a fuck that Wire or Gang Of Four put out great albums until many years after they were gone. So that could end up being the case with this band.

The Verdict/Can I actually get these records?:
I swear Chat and Business by Ikara Colt is worth having if you are a real rock and roll fan. If you like Pink Flag era Wire or The Fall, you should like Ikara Colt.(Which u can find out now, by watching the vids, I posted.) Online there are some WAY CHEAP used copies, but it looks like the album itself is actually out of print now in the states. Their second album is still out in Import pressing, but it's like 30 bucks. And no it isn't really worth that.(I paid 18 when it first came out for the import)
Of course there's always the torrent school of grabbing albums/acquisition/ze limewire.

Ruud by Ikara Colt from the album Chat and Business