Heavens have split up. A message from Josiah is as follows:
"Sorry, that’s just the way it’s going down. Matt will still be doing Trio stuff and last I heard he might be working on a wonderful solo record. I’m not really positive actually but I’m sure it will be great. MySpace wouldn’t let me delete this so over the next few weeks it will transform to a page focusing on production/writing/studio work for Cornbread and I. Probably not that interesting for most of you but stick around if you feel like it.
We had a busy 2008 - finished up our debut album with Simon Lord who was the vocalist for UK psych/synths group Simian, recorded a single with Tim Presley of Darker My Love, wrote/produced a bunch of tunes for the upcoming Har Mar Superstar album, teamed up with him and Adam Green for some X-Mas tunes and a secret jam for the new year, Cornbread finished up the new Cursive album, I worked with Dangermouse on a great acid folk record called Joker’s Daughter...and we did some other stuff but I can’t remember.
So that’s that. I expect the majority of you who read this to delete yourselves but this would be the place to check out future music oriented things. Thanks to everyone who had nice things to say...I don’t want to make a big deal about it though and it’s not really that much of a shocker. Just didn’t want to confuse a lot of people.
Maybe see you next time."
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
News - Gone To The Heavens
News - The Riverclub Split Up
The Riverclub have split up and left a rather bitter message about it on their MySpace page:
"The Riverclub is over.
After years of setbacks and numerous cunts, it’s finished.
Don’t comment, don’t message - we don’t care.
Don’t consume one moment of your precious time bitching about the demise of a band you didn’t like anyway.
There’s a million and one bands doing what we were doing, it’s just a shame for you that they aren’t as good as us.
Fuck your comments.
Fuck your top 8.
Fuck your photos.
Fuck your daily plays.
Fuck your shitty shows.
Fuck you all, and goodnight.
Nothing matters less than us, this or you, right here, right now."
Monday, 29 December 2008
News - The Wonder Years/All or Nothing Split 7"
Submitted: "The Wonder Years and All or Nothing will release a split 7" on March 10 on No Sleep Records."
News - The Fairytale Of Kris Roe
The Ataris have uploaded a cover of The Pogues "Fairytale of New York" to their MySpace page.
News - Set Your Festive Goals
Set Your Goals have added their festive song "Reset Holiday" to their MySpace page.
News - Reel Big Fish New Songs
Reel Big Fish have added some tracks from their new album "Fame, Fortune and Fornication" which is due out on the 20th of January to a specially made MySpace page. Check them out here: www.myspace.com/famefortuneandfornication
News - Houston Calls Are One Man Down...
Jarrett Seltzer recently left Houston Calls and here’s the band’s statement about the departure and their future:
"Hey everyone,
So as you may or may not know, Jarrett recently quit our band. He was a huge part of our band and we appreciate him a ton. As bad as this is, we are still going to continue as a band. We all love playing music together and nothing short of extreme tragedy is going to stop us. We are going on our first US tour with our new songs and we will be having a friend filling in on bass duties for now. We are also taking him to Australia with us, so don’t fret, we aren’t canceling any dates. Right now is a tough time in all our lives and honestly the only way we can press on is with the help of you guys. You are our support and without you we would never be where we are (as cliche as that sounds). So, I write this to ask you guys to please come out to the shows this tour, if even just to say hey outside the show and not come in, just so we know you’re still with us. We all deal with problems in different ways, but surrounding ourselves with great friends is the best way of getting through the tough, arduous times. We would love nothing more than to see you guys, crash at your houses, party, and just have a great time. So with that being said; if you plan on coming out to a show and want to hang out please let us know on this blog! If you want to hang and maybe have a place for us to stay and can’t afford to get in to the show say so! We’ll get you into the show for free! It’s the least we can do for you guys. Again, thanks for everything and we hope 2009 brings wonderful, exciting things for us AND for you guys. Happy holidays and have a wonderful new year.
xoxo
Houston Calls"
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
News - Destroy The Runner UK Tour
Destroy The Runner are touring the UK in January with Mainline and Evita in support. Dates as follows:
13. READING (UK) - FACEBAR
14. STOKE ON TRENT (UK) - SUGARMILL
15. BIRMINGHAM (UK) - EDDIE’S ROCK BAND
16. PETERBOROUGH (UK) - THE PARK
17. SWANSEA (UK) - SINCITY
18. BRIGHTON (UK) - ENGINE ROOM
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Review - The Gaslight Anthem - Old White Lincoln (Single)
View The Review
6 out of 10
I got quite scared when this song started with a sampled car engine starting (I would assume the eponymous Lincoln) and a bouncy drums and bass rhythm. For a second I thought I might have got a new Transplants CD by mistake. Fortunately, the unmistakable vocals of Brian Fallon then kicked in, and everything was alright. Actually, that's a blatant lie. Everything was alright, but as most people have already pointed out, you could quite easily think it was Bruce Springsteen at the microphone if he wasn't singing about "Your high-top sneakers and your sailor tattoos".
And to be honest, if you don't read the lyric sheet, those will probably be the only words you will actually remember, until the song comes back round on your playlist and you start half singing along to the occasional snippet without really thinking about it. The tune is quite catchy for your standard punk rock ditty (and I do mean standard, right down to the ABABCB structure, and the break before the predictably epic chord change), and the harmonised "Woah-ah-ohs" behind the chorus will help get it stuck in your head, but there's nothing here that raises it above a nice mid-set filler to plough through on autopilot.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thegaslightanthem
Tracklist:
1. Old White Lincoln
Review - Lodown - Black Horse
View The Review
4 out of 10
I'm confused. In the sleeve for this CD, there's a quick attempt at some highbrow literary stuff, which I think might be about an apocalyptic future and religion covering for persecution and totalitarianism (although I was a C-student in English, so what do I know), the bio for the band states that they've toured with the Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden and Mastodon, and have influences ranging from the Beatles, through the Misfits, to Clutch. But despite all that, pretty much all I hear when I play the CD is some occasionally interesting nu-grunge-metal that was still well on its way out five years ago.
The guitar sound is the best place to start. Remember the start of 'Break Stuff', with Wes Borland playing a chord then stopping it dead a few times? Well, these guys use that quite a lot throughout this album, with what should be a big, meaty tone, but that has been so over-polished it ends up actually quite sterile. The vocals don't help either. Imagine your average dark and brooding metalhead vocalist, being quite restrained but obviously seething, then occasionally exploding in self-righteous and over-emotive fury. Scott Stapp, that dude out of Soil, David Draiman... you get the picture.
I should qualify the 'occasionally interesting' comment from above though. 'Pucifer' starts with a decent QOTSA-like riff, and 'Century' has enough Southern swagger to excuse the big dumb fun shtick. Then there is the closing one-two punch of 'Black Horse' and 'Dirty Heshan', which if they had opened the album might have put me in a better frame of mind and actually got them a better score. The title track ups the southern doom quotient, slowing everything down below the mid-paced tedium of the rest of the album, so that it finally achieves a sense of heaviness. Meanwhile the album closer goes the other way, speeding up and throwing in some frankly excessive drumming, becoming worth it for just being so over the top compared to the rest of the album.
Probably just one for a few selective downloads on your favourite online MP3 store then.
Listen: www.myspace.com/lodown
Tracklist:
1. One in a Million
2. Pucifer
3. Rivet
4. Century
5. Thor
6. Redeemer
7. Mexican Fireplace
8. Seminal
9. Summer Set
10. Black Horse
11. Dirty Heshan
Review - Jet Pilot - Yeah, We Do Dance To Architecture!
View The Review
6 out of 10
"Yeah, We Do Dance To Architecture!"? Really? Fine, if you want to play the 'we're wacky, us!" card, I suppose it's only fair that I join in with this review. So, how about one non-stop listen through, with time-annotated first impressions? Does that sound madcap enough for you? Well tough. Go -
0:17 - Well, Jimmy Urine is probably going to be suing.
1:46 - Actually, scratch that. MSI are probably just going to sue en masse.
2:30 - 3:30 - Wow, that's a lot of feedback to go at the end of the first song. Wacky!
4:45 - Ooh, organ. It's like Rolo Tomassi, just without any balls.
5:30 - Hmm, so we're now on to the DFA1979 comparisons. Actually, looking at the bio, it's just bass, drums, keys & vocals, so that's not surprising, really.
6:28 - "We suck at this"? "We circumvent"? "With psycho verse"? "Recycle beats"? WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY SAYING? And why do they keep saying it?
11:42 - "I need to look good, when the flames reflect off my GUCCI GLASSES!" Nice.
15:03 - "My best friend's name is Tom! He's the master of the universe". Pure Mclusky. See when you can actually hear what the lyrics are, they turn out to be quite good.
16:44 - Actually this one's gone a bit boring. Shame, I liked Mclusky.
21:21 - I've decided I actually like the lack of guitar. Makes it sound grimy, but then the keyboards keeps it from being too doomy
27:47 - Ok, this has got a lot less bouncy as the record has gone on. The early bits were fun, but it's actually a bit depressing now.
29:07 - He's discovered the button on his vocoder for death metal vocals. It might be a bit late though.
31:14 - And now we're doing post-rock for a bit. Again, it might be too late.
32:45 - Hey, the production just got a lot better, what the hell? Oh, it's a remix. And it's the "we psycho piss' bit again. Joy.
Ok, so looking back, that's not as wacky a review as I first expected. Unfortunately, neither is this album. Pick a few electro-tinged, slightly 'spazzy' bands you know of, and there are probably a few sections that will match up. But you might just want to stick with those bands.
Listen: www.myspace.com/jetpiloten
Tracklist:
1. Jingle Of The Protagonist
2. Eve, You'll Get Paid By The Viewers On The Internet!
3. Acid Stalks & Caffeine Blossoms
4. For The Dark In Happiness
5. Set Your Neighbours On Fire
6. Armageddon For The Kids
7. My Best Friend's Name Is Tom ("Friend Extensions")
8. Championship Clapping
9. Tons And Tons Of Concrete Air
10. Enemies..Alive
11. Ice Cream Summer Scheme
12. Yeah, We Do Dance To Architecture!
13. On Our Way To Dunghill City
14. Acid Stalks & Caffeine Blossoms (Leonard Las Vegas Haunted House Remix)
15. Set Your Neighbours On Fire (Leonard Las Vegas Tasty Pie Remix)
Bonus (Videos):
1. Set Your Neighbours On Fire (Video shot by Lenox)
2. Jingle Of The Protagonist (Video shot by Matthias "Kid" Passon)
Monday, 22 December 2008
News - The Ataris Start Recording
Kris Roe of The Ataris posted a blog recently saying that recording of the new album has begun and they will be on the Warped Tour in 2009. Read about it all here: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=13319826
News - Kaddisfly News - Early Winter 2008
An update from the Kaddisfly camp:
"Hello all, happy Hollandaise,
Kaddisfly News - Early Winter 2008,
There are winds of change in the Kaddisfly camp, and as with the nation, it's time we move forward. First off, we should apologize for not keeping you all updated properly over the last 5 months, but quite honestly there wasn't much to talk about until we knew exactly what we wanted to say. Some of you may or may not know that Kile Brewer has left Kaddisfly. His departure came late in the summer and was not all that unexpected. Kile moved to Denver with his wife and wanted to start a new chapter in his life. We are still very close with Kile and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors.
As Kaddisfly we may very well end up finishing horses galloping one day, but for now I suppose the popular thing to say would be we are on a small hiatus. There will always be our back catalog, and our internet presence will remain the same because Kaddisfly isn't dead, just hibernating. We also still have some unreleased material that may surface at some point.
Now to the moving forward part. Some of us have decided to start a new project called Water and Bodies. If you were a fan of Kaddisfly, we'd like you to check it out. We're very excited, its new, and fresh, and a four piece. With love.
Kfly"
News - A New Stage For The Appleseed Cast...
The Appleseed Cast have added a new track called "The New Stage" to their MySpace page. The song is taken from their new album "Sagarmatha" which is due out on the 17th of February through The Militia Group.
News - House Of Fools Need A New Drummer
House Of Fools are looking to record a new album, but they need a new drummer. Read an update from the band here:
"Hello, and Happy Holidays to all our beloved friends, family, and fans.
2008 has been a rough year for House of Fools. Honestly, after the Limbeck tour in April, our plan was to stay home and write for a little while. Our label, management, and publishers were all in agreement that was to be the plan, and we would go back into the studio to record another album. We kept working and will continue to work hard in 2009, but a lot of other parties in the House of Fools ’team’ disappeared on us and we’ve been in a weird stalemate period in a lot of ways. We’ve written and recorded close to 30 new songs over our time off the road and are still working towards putting out our next album in 2009. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for not giving up on us and for having our backs.
Unfortunately, speaking of backs, it is probably time to mention that our drummer Phil Bell has degenerative disc disease. He has had it for years now, and has always pulled through, but due to recent flare-ups and talks of surgery with a chance of possible paralysis, Phil is too young to continue long and strenuous drives in a van on tour, or be in that kind of pain due to playing drums every night. So, House of Fools will be looking for a new drummer. This is not an ugly divorce by any means. It’s deeply saddening for all of us, for Phil is a phenomenal musician and friend and his presence has always added something unique and steady to the often-times chaotic nature of the band. He’s been through the best and worst of it with us, and we will be sad to see him go, as well as happy to celebrate the 4 years of kick-ass drumming and dedication he has given us. ...2008 has been humbling, to say the least. Going to temp agencies and working odd jobs to make ends meet just to continue the life of this band has become tiresome for all of us.
BUT we assure you we will continue to play music as long as you guys continue to listen. We hope to be back on our feet, touring, have an awesome new record out, date supermodels, and take over the world in 2009! Okay, maybe not the last 2, but if they come our way so be it! We still believe in what we do, not just because it makes us happy, but because you guys believe in it.
With love and determination,
David
Josh
Jeff
Joel
Matt
Phil
-House of Fools"
News - It’s Like Love, Love Rock and Roll
It’s Like Love will release their new album called "You’re Too Sweet for Rock and Roll" through Tragic Hero Records on the 20th of January.
Track Listing:
1. It’s Not Me It’s You
2. Take Me to the Bed or Lose Me Forever
3. Minus the Music and the Bottle
4. Keep Your Eyes on Me
5. Devin, Don’t Give Up
6. Hey Lucy
7. Alcohol Brings Out the Bedroom Eyes
8. You Put the Whore in Sorority
9. So I Lied
10. I Didn’t Invent the Rainy Day, I Just Own the Best Umbrella
11. Without You
12. Untitled
News - Fight Fair In Van Accident
Fight Fair were involced in a van accident. Read about the incident here (taken from their MySpace blog):
"We were involved in a bad accident on tour driving to a string of shows in washington.(story is below) Thankfully there were no injuries but now we’re stranded in Northern Oregon awaiting repairs. Our van is badly damaged and our trailer is totalled. The damage is thousands of dollars that we don’t have and we’re not even sure if we’ll be able to make it home to California in time for christmas. We will still be coming out to the east coast. If anyone can help us out at all and donate any amount of money to our paypal fund(link is below) we would be very grateful, thanks so much and happy holidays.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2017267
"Yesterday we were driving on our way to Richland, Wa. We were on the icy highway 84 when suddenly we hit a hydroplane on ice and our van suddenly lost control. we did a few swerves and smashed into the center divide, followed by a 360, where at one point we see semi’s and many other vehicles coming straight at us, then we smash into the right guard rail where our vehicle comes to a stop. first thing first, we made sure everyone was alright. there was pretty bad damage to our van and our trailer was pretty much beaten the eff out of. luckily pretty much all of our equipment survived. we sat in the cold for 5 and a half hours waiting to get picked up. things could have ended ALOT worse so in a way im still thankful. now we are in a hotel getting ready to check out whats up with our van. hopefully we’ll be home soon but we’ll see. wish to see some of you soon.
<3""
Review - The Hold Steady - Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall - 15th December 2008
View The Review
7 out of 10
"Me and my friends are like the drums on "Lust for Life" we pound it out on floor toms, our psalms are sing-a-long songs."
A perfect introduction after lead-singer Craig Finn bounds on stage with his guitar and the cheekiest smile across his face. The band head straight into 'Constructive Summer', a new track from their fourth studio album and the crowd instantly turns electric. Tonight the crowd is rearing for some fun songs that they can jump about to and sing-a-long with and the Brooklyn-based 5-piece does not fail to provide this tonight.
Arguably it is usually the lead singer who is the main focus of attention at a gig, but don't be fooled remember to look out for Keyboard and Accordion player Franz Nicolay. As the band shift into their second song of the evening, 'Hold Soft Light', Franz Nicolay uses nifty leg-work whilst playing to impress the already over-excited crowd.
Although most people in the crowd become more fixated on Franz Nicolay's crafty moves, Craig Finn provides some geeky yet impressive dance moves, as he appears excited when he sees the crowd bounding up and down.
But now it is time for their more popular songs; including possibly one of the best songs that they have produced, 'Party Pit'. The crowd cheers with excitement when they realise what song it is and a mad pit of thirty-something's appears in the middle of the crowd. After a second look into the pit of bodies it confirms that it isn't just the usual rowdy bunch of teenagers who love a bit of a push at a gig.
It is quite unusual to go to a gig and there be such a mixture of people watching; young people, people over thirty and also people who had bought their kids to join in the fun. Tonight, they play a mixture of new and old songs including 'Chips Ahoy!', 'Sequestered in Memphis', 'Lord I'm Discouraged' and they end off a great night by playing the classic 'Slapped Actress'.
Whether you are just getting into them, a massive fan, middle-aged, young or whatever you want to be these guys are exciting and fun. Yeah, you might not be their biggest fan but these could be the most fun band that you will ever see.
Listen: www.myspace.com/theholdsteady
Tracklist:
Review - The James Warner Prophecies - Sing (Single)
View The Review
7 out of 10
The James Warner Prophecies have confused me - first of all, there's no one called James Warner in the band, and secondly, instruments like the flute and mandolin really shouldn't fit in to this hard rock folk music, but they do, and they do it well.
The three track EP, named Sing is full of quirky instrumentation, impressive vocals and powerful folk tunes.
Sing has a catchy side to it, with a possessive flute line, and a rousing sing-along chorus at the end. I was settling in for a cosy listening experience, when all of a sudden, my ears were filled with what can only be described as Crosby, Stills and Nash doing Metallica in 'Mandolin Song'. this is brilliant! Everything considered, this really shouldn't work, but The James Warner Prophecies pull it off with ease and grace.
'Have Yourself a Good night' crosses more in to the hard folk side of things, which is a genre that I assume is rarely exploited.
The band have mixed synths, violins, mandolins, flutes and standard band instruments to provide something fun, tongue in cheek, and yet, still equally as impressive.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thejameswarnerprophecies
Tracklist:
1. Sing
2. Mandolin Song
3. Have Yourself a Good Night
Review - Grand Duchy - Petits Fours
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8 out of 10
Grand Duchy is made up of Violet Clark and Black Francis. The collaboration came about after a day in the studio provided them with some promising ideas, which were then built on.
The album is full of driving bass lines, soft synths, lead synths, rough and ready guitars and distinctive vocals. Highlights on the album include opener 'Come On Over To My House', which incorporates pounding drums and guitars, and sounds something like The White Stripes mixing up some classic 80s electro and delta blues, 'Fort Wayne' which is the first song the duo came up with on their adventure, and the guitar drenched 'The Long Song' which squeals with feedback!
Mixing rock, garage, blues and electro in to a winning combination, Grand Duchy should have something for everyone on their great debut album 'Petits Fours'.
Listen: www.myspace.com/officialblackfrancis
Tracklist:
1. Come On Over To My House
2. Lovesick
3. Fort Wayne
4. Seeing Stars
5. Black Suit
6. The Long Song
7. Break The Angels
8. Ermesinde
9. Volcano!
Review - Laura Izibor - Album Sampler
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9 out of 10
Laura Izibor is a new singing sensation from Dublin, who has an amazing voice and catchy pop songs that will dominate the radio waves in times to come. Izibor clearly has some talent, with an incredible pop voice. She will clearly be dubbed as a modern Aretha Franklin, and will draw comparisons to Alicia Keys, but she is offering something a little different.
'Shine' is a great pop tune, with catchy choruses, hooks and melodies, all fronted by an incredible vocal. The single, 'From My Heart To Yours' manages to successfully combine all manner of genres, including some nice soul style horns, and big beats, yet in my opinion, isn't a patch on 'Shine' (which has me hoping it will be a 'soft single' to pave the way for Shine!).
'If Tonight Is My Last' and 'Don't Stay' are both good songs with lovely vocals, and nice instrumentation, and even though they are not a patch on the previous two songs, they are still insanely catchy and chart ready.
Laura Izibor could well be the face of pop music in 2009, and is definitely worth watching out for.
Listen: www.myspace.com/lauraizibor
Tracklist:
1. Shine
2. From My Heart To Yours
3. If Tonight Is My Last
4. Don't Stay
Review - Ivan Campo - Super 7
View The Review
8 out of 10
Ivan Campo seems like modern veterans of the music scene, with an impressive nine EP's. Their most recent one, Super 7 brings an eclectic mix of songs, instruments and lulling northern vocals.
The influences of the band are obviously far flung; there are elements of The Coral here, notably in 'Lotus Eater', Arcade Fire and classic harmony drenched music like Beach Boys and Beatles.
'The Great Procrastinator' which opens the EP contains some lovely vocals and some nice instrumentation, which would be a good hit with acoustic indie lovers. 'The Curse' contains some interesting instrumentation, and nice harmonies, offering a positive slice of summer pop. 'Rat Race' and 'Darling Diva' both have factors that are very reminiscent of the 50s and 60s, and would be a welcome addition to fans of bands such as The Beatles and The La's. The EP seems to be drenched in a 60s vibe, and it's more evident in 'The Girl I Think I Thought I Saw'. 'The B&B', which is the last track on the album is a wonderful way to sum up the album, as a breezy piece of summer love.
This band would probably be welcomed with open arms by fans of bands such as The Beatles, The Coral, Simon and Garfunkel and even Noah and the Whale. They should probably look a bit more at the way they arrange their tracks, the inclusion of all the acoustic guitars and shakers could probably prove too much for some people as they travel through the seven tracks.
Listen: www.myspace.com/ivancampo
Tracklist:
1. The Great Procrastinator
2. Lotus Eater
3. The Curse
4. Rat Race
5. Darling Diva
6. The Girl I Think I Thought I Saw
7. The B&B
Review - Moriarty - Gee Whiz But This Is A Lonesome Town
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8 out of 10
Moriarty are a new folk outfit, with members descending from a variety of places, such as France, America, Vietnam and Switzerland. The music is wonderfully ramshackle and rooted in traditional folk, country and blues, with a dash of cabaret and tongue in cheek.
The band, who play all manner of instruments, such as thumb piano, scotch- tape trumpet, music box and jews harp, are fronted by the beautiful voice of Rosemary Moriarty.
Tracks such as 'Jimmy' and 'Private Lily' are steeped in traditional folk, with lyrical story telling to match, and an odds and ends assortment of instruments. 'Lovelinesse' contains some lovely, light-hearted lyrics about anchovies and pizzas.
'Motel' has some great blues like harmonica and a softly driven guitar, which adds another dimension to this band, who clearly accomplish the hard task of mixing genres very well.
Other standout tracks include 'Cottonflower' and the slightly more mainstream 'Fireday'/'Oskosh Bend' (the tracks are different on iTunes and the back of the CD case)...
Moriarty are steeped in traditional roots music with an impressive array of instruments to go with it. All of this is wrapped up and tied with a bow by the wonderfully distinctive vocals of Rosemary.
Fingers crossed, Moriarty should be set to make a big impact on the folk world with their new release 'Gee Whiz But This Is A Lonesome Town'.
Listen: www.myspace.com/moriartylands
Tracklist:
1. Jimmy
2. Lovelinesse
3. Private Lily
4. Motel
5. Animals Can't Laugh
6. (.)
7. Cottonflower
8. Whiteman's Ballad
9. Tangono*Ura
10. Oshkosh Bend
11. Fireday
12. JayWalker (Song for Beryl)
Review - The Race - I Get It Wrong (Single)
View The Review
8 out of 10
The Race have been turning heads with their anthemic indie since the release of their debut album, 'Be Your Alibi'. The band produces music of a similar ilk to Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, and The Killers, writing anthemic stadium fillers with huge walls of sound and undeniably catch hooks.
I Get It Wrong is the new single from The Race, and it's nothing short of brilliant. Offering a dynamic sonic experience with catchy riffs and lines, this could be the British Arcade Fire.
Maisie and Here I Lay make up the three track CD, and are of a similar ilk, with powerful drums, walls of guitars and reverb drenched vocals.
This band are definitely one to watch out for, and could well top countless festival bills, with their unique brand of anthemic, orchestrated indie.
Listen: www.myspace.com/raceuk
Tracklist:
1. I Get It Wrong
2. Maisie
3. Here I Lay
Review - The Gentlemen - A Candid History of Faith Hope Love (Album Sampler)
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7 out of 10
The Gentlemen are a four-piece Sheffield based indie band. A Candid History. is their second album, recorded after two years of heavy touring. The band claim to have an unmissable live show, with punchy indie tunes to accompany it.
'Push Back' bursts in to life with the driven bass line and solid drums, with lead singer Nick Noble jumping all over the vocal range. 'I'm Not Leaving' is a guitar driven track; with an accompanying pushing bass line and drum track, and the chorus is a full on synth assault.
'Sending Cards' builds up a classic pop song, with its stop start vocals and instruments. 'For Better Or For Worse?' is laden with guitar riffage, sing-along choruses and nice thick arrangements. The song builds to an anthemic climax, which would go down well at any sold-out stadium! The closing track 'Done Me Wrong' pushes us in to a heavy climax, from the monologue of a young child it builds and builds, until it is a wall of noise at the end.
The band would certainly be worth checking out if you like your anthems and your indie, and as a well gigged band, they should offer a brilliant live experience.
Listen: www.myspace.com/gentlemusic
Tracklist:
1. Push Back
2. I'm Not Leaving
3. Sending Cards
4. For Better Or For Worse?
5. Done Me Wrong
Review - Mason Jennings - I Love You And Buddha Too (w/ Jack Johnson) (Single)
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8 out of 10
I've been following Mason Jennings for a while, ever since I found his 2006 album Boneclouds in a little obscure shop in South Africa. Because of this, I was excited to hear his latest offering, which has become a staple song in Jack Johnson's live shows, 'I Love You And Buddha Too'.
The song explores the oneness of religions and the connections of people to religion. For a topic which could be covered in such depth, Jennings puts quite a light hearted spin on it, with handclaps, fast paced lyrics, and all manner of background vocals.
This is definitely a positive release to promote Jennings new album 'In the Ever' which was recorded in a log cabin with two microphones (hello Bon Iver?). If you have yet to hear of this song writing gem, this could be the ideal time to get involved.
Listen: www.masonjennings.com
Tracklist:
1. I Love You And Buddha Too
Review - Neil Halstead - Paint A Face (Single)
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8 out of 10
Neil Halstead is something of a cult figure, having had a career in the music industry that spans two decades. His latest offering comes direct from his second solo album, 'Oh! Mighty Engine'. The track, 'Paint A Face' is steeped in soft vocals and catchy hooks. The track is full of life and the chorus line will stay in your head for days! After hearing 'Paint A Face', I will definitely be exploring what Halstead has to offer.
Listen: www.myspace.com/neilhalsteadofficial
Tracklist:
1. Paint A Face
Review - Various - This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 1
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8 out of 10
Let's face it, Christmas is a bloody cold season, where half the population seem to dissolve in to flu based wrecks, everyone brings out stupid looking hats, and everyone drinks themselves in to oblivion, simply to survive the annual office party.
So what better way to add a bit of Christmas cheer to your life than with the Brushfire Christmas CD? 'This Warm December' features songs from artists such as Jack Johnson, Mason Jennings, Matt Costa and Rogue Wave.
Kicking off the album is Jack Johnson, with 'Someday at Christmas', followed by Mason Jennings great version of 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town'. Jennings and Johnson recently collaborated on a great song called 'I Love You And Buddha Too' which is well worth checking out.
Highlights from the album include Matt Costa performing 'All I Want for Christmas', 'Stuck At The Airport' by Money Mark and Jack Johnsons warm hearted version of 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer'.
The album is well worth a listen if you're tired of the generic Christmas songs that are constantly pumped in to our heads and fancy moving away to something a little warmer and more alternative. For festive bonuses, listen to it with a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine.
Listen: www.brushfirerecords.com
Tracklist:
1. Someday at Christmas - Jack Johnson
2. Santa Claus is coming to town - Mason Jennings
3. All I want for Christmas - Matt Costa
4. No Christmas for me - Zee Avi
5. Stuck at the Airport - Money Mark
6. Christmas Baby - G. Love
7. Christmas Time - ALO
8. The man in the Santa Suit - Neil Halstead
9. Christmas - Rogue Wave
10. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Jack Johnson
11. Silent Night - Zach Gill
Sunday, 21 December 2008
News - The Audition Album Due In March
The Audition will release their new album on the 31st of March through Victory Records.
Review - The Eyes Of A Traitor - A Clear Perception
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9 out of 10
Hertfordshire lads TEOAT are going to knock some people square on the backsides with this their first full length proper. A Clear Perception is the next release by the band is an extremely logical progression from their By Sunset EP that was released on TDON Records back in 2007. Numerous tours under their belts with a wide variety of different sounding bands from the metal genre have most definitely had a noticeable influence on their song writing. Opener Under Siege kicks things off with a polyrhythmic chug that brings memories of early Messhugah flooding back. Frontman Jack has now got a full grip of his vocals and utilises them adeptly throughout the album with urgency and clarity.
Compared to the EP, the guitar work has been given an injection of jaw drop syndrome which will keep you filled with booster shots all the way through the record, the tracks With Different Eyes and Echoes showcasing just how good these kids are with their respective instruments. Fans of Swedish metal, off timed chuggy breakdowns and beautifully epic melodies will no doubt find this record to be in their top ten of 2009 for sure. UK metal seems to be going from strength to strength at the moment and The Eyes Of A Traitor currently stand shoulder to shoulder with Architects as the leading lights. The only difference being that TEOAT is a good 5 years younger and this album is a whole lot better than Architects debut.
Listen: www.myspace.com/theeyesofatraitor
Tracklist:
1. Under Siege
2. Like Clockwork
3. With Different Eyes
4. Escape These Walls
5. Decorus
6. Misconceptions
7. Echoes
8. Hands of Time
9. The Impact of Two Hearts
10. A Clear Perception
Review - Emergency Gate - Rewake
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7 out of 10
Every now and again I get the urge to listen to something wholesome and melodic. Not the sort of "emo" guff that everyone raves about these days, but some good solid European melodic death metal. Well, despite the absolutely ridiculous name, Emergency Gate hit the spot quite well indeed. Rewake is a storming maelstrom of every possible Euro metal cliché, but it works.
There are enough Gothenburg riffs on this disc to keep At The Gates in royalties for years to come and more than enough gargled glass vocals to make Tomas Lindberg proud. This is the sort of metal that should be required listening for long journeys, head banging your way around the M25 whilst flipping everyone off and screaming from lane to lane narrowly avoiding death. That said, it is still pretty generic and it still gets boring after a few repeat listens.
b>Listen: www.myspace.com/emergencygateonline
Tracklist:
1. Double Suicide
2. Slave
3. Of Stars And The Drifting
4. Next In Line
5. Unbeing
6. Gold And Glass
7. The Purpose
8. Trust In Me
9. Remains
10. Elementor
11. Life V2.0
12. Lullaby
Review - Cy Parry - Songs From A Previous Existence
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0 out of 10
Thirty years in the making? Guns N Roses didn't take that long to release Chinese Democracy and even that is infinitely better than this glorified introspective coffee coaster. This is the soundtrack to every middle aged romantic comedy movie ever released, the soundtrack to scratching your eyeballs out through pure boredom. There is nothing original, inspiring or remotely interesting about this EP. Please, avoid at all costs, you'll fall asleep half way through like I nearly did.
Listen: www.myspace.com/cyparrycd
Tracklist:
1. I Know Who I Am (Radio Edit)
2. Old Flames
3. Easy To Be Good
4. If I Could Take Your Pain Away
Friday, 19 December 2008
News - God Forbid Support Ill Nino
God Forbid will support Ill Nino next year. The full UK dates are as follows:
Tue, Mar 17, Newcastle (UK) - Academy 2
Wed, Mar 18, Liverpool (UK) - Academy 2
Thu, Mar 19, Sheffield (UK) - Academy 2
Fri, Mar 20, London (UK) - Islington Academy
Sat, Mar 21, Birmingham (UK) - Academy 2
Sun, Mar 22, Bristol (UK) - Academy 2
Their new album "Earthsblood" will be released via Century Media Records on February 16th, 2009 in Europe and February 24th, 2009 in the US.
News - Metro Boys
Metro Station return to the UK in 2009 with Boys Like Girls:
Saturday 24-Jan-09 Glasgow Garage
Sunday 25-Jan-09 Manchester Club Academy 2
Monday 26-Jan-09 Birmingham Academy 2
Tuesday 27-Jan-09 Leeds Cockpit
Thursday 29-Jan- London Astoria 2
Friday 30-Jan-09 Oxford Academy
Saturday 31-Jan-09 Southampton University
News - New Rhodes - New Single & Album
New Rhodes will release new single called "The Joys of Finding and Losing That Girl" on the 16th of February and their second album "Everybody Loves A Scene" on the 23rd of February through Salty Cat Records.
Track Listing:
1. Everybody Loves A Scene
2. Come Into The Room
3. The Joys Of Finding And Losing That Girl
4. Let's Talk
5. So Alone
6. The Bells of St. John
7. I'll Wait For You by the Coast
8. A & E
9. Is This the Life You Want?
10. 254
11. You Can Have it All
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
News - Cut The Blue Wire, 2006 - 2008
Cut The Blue Wire are splitting up. Here’s their MySpace blog:
"It is with great sadness to tell you all that our last gig will be on the 30th December at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth.
We have decided not to continue as a band for no other reason than musical differences and felt it was best to head our separate ways. Everyone remains good friends and be sure to keep your eyes out for new projects involving us!
Thank you so much to everyone that has put us on, come to a show, bought a CD or T-shirt or generally taken the time to listen to us.
DD xxx"
Review - Various - Viking Skull, Vains of Jenna & General - The Queen’s Hall - 10.12.2008
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8 out of 10
First on were General who started whilst we were still downstairs in Nuneaton rock bar The Crew. And it wasn't so much that we could hear them, as feel them. Bluesy Rock in the same vein as Kyuss and Soundgarden, General also at times reminded me of Sabbath and Life of Agony. Their heavy bass driven songs had us nodding like demented dogs, whilst the vocalist treated us all to John Garcia/Chris Cornell esque power. And all this they did without their lead guitarist.
Next up were Vains of Jenna who kicked off in big sleaze rock style that got all the photographers excited and clicking away. The vocalist gave us his best screeching 'Axl' Like vocals and seemed to have a penchant for spitting everywhere and giving the crowd the finger? Their Gn'R/80s big hair style did seem to get old quick. Not to say they were formulaic but I noticed in almost every song the singer would take a step back for the lead guitarist to show us what he could do. Also, I've always been told that wearing your own bands t-shirt onstage was uncool, but not so any more as the VofJ drummer appears to advocate the practice.
Last on and touring their Fourth album was Viking Skull. Having not experienced this band before, it only took a few songs for me to perfect a few words to sum them up - Rock n' Roll Behemoths! With gravely vocals, the chunkiest riffs and driving beats, these guys epitomise British Rock at its best. Especially with riffs that alluded to Sabbath and The Who. This band really capped off what was an enjoyable night of music and they are really a cool bunch of lads too.
Listen: www.myspace.com/vikingskull, www.myspace.com/vainsofjenna
Tracklist:
Review - Guns N’ Roses - Chinese Democracy
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8 out of 10
OK, so as you probably know by now, this is the first release of original music by Guns n' Roses for 17 years. And having listened to the album now quite a few times through, I still don't know what to make of it? It seems that Axl, and let's face it, it is just Axl now (I don't think Dizzy Reed counts), anyway as I was saying it seems that Axl has listened to a lot of styles of music in those years and tried to cram as much into this album as possible. There's hip hop beats, smooth Santana-esque ballads, Nu-Metal! and of course the ballsy classic rock which made Gn'R famous in the first place.
One thing that can be said for the songs is that they are all very memorable, whilst listening to it with my Wife she picked up on the words and melodies extremely quickly. She also said that if she were 16 again that this would be great to listen to in her room. But she's not 16 anymore and maybe this is who this album will actually appeal to, those late twenty-something's wanting to relive their teen years. And speaking of 16 year olds, some of the lyrics sound as they that's who they were written by.
I think one of the things about this album is that, and this really is an understatement, Axl took too long and worked on it too much. Looking at the album inlay, each song had about Five guitarists working on them, and why is a sub-bass necessary exactly? The amount of time Guns n' Roses spent on this album it should have been so much more. Finally, I don't think I ever really got to grips with Axl's vocal style and it positively grates on some of the songs, but you can almost hear when his vocal style had to change to be able to sing. None so much more prevalent than on title track and single Chinese Democracy where he backs himself in the old style but lets the new one take centre stage,
Even though I seemed to have panned the album in this review and can't believe the amount of over production that has gone into it. I still can't help but admire what has been produced, which is some down right catchy songs with great melodies.
Listen: www.myspace.com/gunsnroses
Tracklist:
1. Chinese Democracy
2. Shackler's Revenge
3. Better
4. Street if Dreams
5. If the World
6. There Was a Time
7. Catcher in the Rye
8. Scraped
9. Riad n' the Bedouins
10. Sorry
11. I.R.S.
12. Madagascar
13. This I Love
14. Prostitute
News - Whatever Happened To The Blackout Pact?
Eyeball Records will be releasing "Wolves In The Lazarette", The Blackout Pact’s follow-up EP to 2005’s "Hello Sailor" in spring of 2009. In addition Tired Owl Records will be issuing an extremely limited special edition vinyl.
News - Five Finger Death Punch Start Their UK Assault
Five Finger Death Punch will be playing headline dates in London and Oxford. The details are as follows:
FEBRUARY 6th - Islington Academy (London) w/ EXIT TEN, RISE TO REMAIN
FEBRUARY 17th - Academy 2 (Oxford) w/ EXIT TEN, RISE TO REMAIN
Tickets are on sale and can be bought here: www.livenation.co.uk/fivefingerdeathpunch
Spinefarm Records UK will be releasing 'The Way Of The Fist' on January 19th 2009. The UK version comes with a bonus live track plus a cover of Faith No More's 'From Out of Nowhere'. The album will be available for streaming through the band's UK Myspace page on January 7th - www.myspace.com/ffdpukfans.
Tracklisting
1. Ashes
2. The Way Of The Fist
3. Salvation
4. The Bleeding
5. A Place To Die
6. The Devil's Own
7. White Knuckles
8. Never Enough
9. Stranger Than Fiction
10. Can't Heal You
11. Death Before Dishonour
12. Meet The Monster
Bonus Tracks
13. The Devil's Own - Live
14. From Out of Nowhere (Faith No More Cover)
6th February - Islington Academy (London) - HEADLINE SHOW w/ Exit Ten, Rise To Remain
9th February - Mandela Hall (Belfast) w/ Lamb of God
10th February - Academy (Dublin) w/ Lamb of God
11th February - Academy (Bristol) w/ Dimmu Borgir, Lamb of God & Unearth *
12th February - Academy (Birmingham) w/ Dimmu Borgir, Lamb of God & Unearth *
13th February - Academy (Manchester) w/ Dimmu Borgir, Lamb of God & Unearth *
14th February - Brixton Academy (London) w/ Dimmu Borgir, Lamb of God & Unearth *
15th February - Academy (Glasgow) w/ Dimmu Borgir, Lamb of God & Unearth *
17th February - Academy 2 (Oxford) - HEADLINE SHOW w/ Exit Ten, Rise To Remain
*Metal Hammer sponsored DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH tour
News - They’re No Fakers...
Fake Problems’ new single "The Dream Team Rumble In The Jungle" will be released on the 19th of January, with their album "It's Great To Be Alive" following on the 16th of February through SideOneDummy.
News - Paradise Lost, Working On New Album
Paradise Lost are currently preparing the recordings for their next album. Vocalist Nick Holmes comments as follows:
"The album as yet untitled will feature around 10 tracks, among the titles are "First Light", "As Horizons End", "Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us", "Frailty" & "My Last Regret" - these are subject to change without notice!
We are very happy with Rhys Fulbers work on the last album ["In Requiem"], but after working on 3 albums together we decided it was time to go for a different approach. After hearing the work he did with our "Anatomy Of Melancholy" Live DVD we decided that Jens Bogren was the man for the job. In February we will venture to Sweden to begin recording the album in Fascination Street Studios, Örebro, Sweden.
There is no full time replacement for Jeff as yet, but as far as the album is concerned, the drum stool will be occupied by another Swede - Peter Damin. Sweden hails some of the best metal musicians in the world and Peter is no exception, we really look forward to working with him and his input on the album.
Our approach this time has leaned even more towards the heavier side of things, even more so than the last. It is vital not to loose touch with our musical trip over the last 20 years. Our music may have had different facelifts, but it has always been "dark" and the new album will be no exception. Musically and lyrically.
Writing a new album is always exciting, we never get bored of writing music, and for me, it is the best part of being in a band. Each album is like a challenge to better ourselves, or at the very least, do something that’s different to everyone else. We strive to make the ultimate modern Gothic Metal album, and for me that has nothing to do with the common trend of "romance" & "roses". It should be music to be murdered by."
News - Bear Hands Limited Edition 7"
Bear Hands will be releasing a limited edition 7" single on Too Pure records, out 2nd March 2009.
Track Listing:
1. What A Drag
2. Can’t Stick Em
The single will be available for download on iTunes and the limited Edition 7" from the Too Pure singles club subscription and in selected indie stores.
They will be returning to the UK for a tour prior to the single release with Hockey and Passion Pit in late February 2009.
Tue 17 Feb Brighton Audio 0844 477 1000
Thu 19 Feb Oxford Bullingdon Arms 0871 230 5595
Fri 20 Feb Bristol Cooler 0871 310 0000
Mon 23 Feb London Cargo(Hockey/Bear Hands only) 0844 576 5483
Tue 24 Feb Birmingham 02 Academy 3 0844 477 2000
Wed 25 Feb Manchester Ruby Lounge 0161 8321111
Thu 26 Feb Glasgow The Captains Rest 0844 8472487
Fri 27 Feb Leeds Brudenell Social club 0113 2454650
Doors 7pm. Buy online at WWW.LIVENATION.CO.UK / CREDIT CARDS TEL: 0844 576 5483 24HRS. Ticket £7 regionally and £8.50 London.
News - Random Hand: Inhale/Exhale
Random Hand will release their 2nd album called "Inhale/Exhale" throughout Europe in February through Rebel Alliance Recordings, and then a U.S.A release will follow in late Spring.
The band then supports Reel Big Fish on their UK tour. Dates as follows:
FEBRUARY
09th CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION
10th SHEFFIELD CORPORATION
11th NORWICH UEA
12th PETERBOROUGH CRESSET
13th BIRMINGHAM CARLING ACADEMY
14th MANCHESTER ACADEMY
15th LIVERPOOL CARLING ACADEMY
16th NEWCASTLE CARLING ACADEMY
17th LEEDS CARLING ACADEMY
18th EDINBURGH PICTURE HOUSE
19th NOTTINGHAM ROCK CITY
20th BRISTOL CARLING ACADEMY
21st OXFORD CARLING ACADEMY
22nd FALMOUTH PRINCESS PAVILLIONS
23rd EXETER LEMON GRIVE
24th CARDIFF SOLUS
25th SOUTHAMPTON GUILDHALL
26th NORTHAMPTON ROADMENDER
27th LONDON FORUM
News - London Venue Changed On Architects Tour
The venue for the Architects' London show on the 30th January has been changed, so the full tour plans are now as follows:
Architects w/ Misery Signals & A Textbook Tragedy
The Hollow Crown UK Tour 2009
10.01.2009 Yeovil The Orange Box
11.01.2009 Plymouth White Rabbit
12.01.2009 Exeter Cavern
13.01.2009 Newport TJs
14.01.2009 Birmingham Academy
15.01.2009 Colchester The Twist
16.01.2009 Liverpool Barfly
17.01.2009 Manchester Academy 3
18.01.2009 Leeds Rios
19.01.2009 Glasgow Cathouse
21.01.2009 Edinburgh Studio 24
22.01.2009 Newcastle upon Tyne Academy 2
23.01.2009 Sheffield Corporation
24.01.2009 Stoke On Trent Sugarmill
25.01.2009 Peterborough The Park
26.01.2009 Norwich Waterfront
27.01.2009 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
29.01.2009 Oxford Academy
30.01.2009 London - Islington Academy w/ Your Demise + Special Guest ** Change of venue**
31.01.2009 Brighton Concorde 2 w/ Your Demise + Special Guest
News - Coheed And Cambria 9-Disc Boxset!!!
Columbia Records will be releasing a 9-disc boxset from Coheed And Cambria called "Neverender, The Children of the Fence boxset" on the 17th of March 2009.
Here’s the press release about the release:
"Neverender marked the triumphant culmination of the band’s four-album album cycle. The historic four-night event featured the band performing each of their four albums in their entirety on four consecutive nights, October 22-25 2008 at New York's Terminal 5 and was the first time that Coheed had performed the saga that connects the albums in order. The band performed in front of nearly 11,000 of their most passionate fans, who flew in from all over the world, organized for months in advance to carpool and share hotel rooms, lined up all day in the rain to get the best spots on the floor. Selling out in three hours, Neverender's New York dates prompted a tide of demand that spawned three other sold-out Neverender stands, in LA, Chicago, and London.
The box set documents the New York stand (as well as clips from all 3 other cities) in one massive package that will include four live DVDs, four live audio CDs, one documentary DVD, a 10x10 hardcover 48-page photo book and a 7-1/2" custom metal dragonfly. A condensed two-disc DVD will also be made available. Pre-sales for the box began on Friday, Dec 12. Fans who pre-order it will get their names included on a "Children of the Fence" page inside the book. The first 3,000 copies will be signed by the band."
News - Children Of Bodom Announce First Ever UK Headline Tour
Children of Bodom will play their first ever headline tour of the UK in February 2009; they will be joined on this run of shows by Cannibal Corpse and Diablo.
14th February - ABC (Glasgow)
15th February - UEA (Norwich)
16th February - Academy 2 (Manchester)
17th February - Rock City (Nottingham)
19th February - Forum (London)
News - Sworn Enemy New Album On The Way...
Sworn Enemy have announced UK shows & are preparing to enter the studio with Tim Lambesis. The new album should be released in Spring 2009.
Lorenzo Antonucci (guitars, vocals) further comments: "I’m very excited about this album because our writing process has been better then ever. I’ve been a part of all the writing for every record and I feel this is our best foundation yet. We took it back to "As Real As It Gets" with a little of "Beginning Of The End" and "Maniacal" in it. The sound is way faster and more pissed off than ever, harder than ever and a lot more ignorant. It's going to be fun working with Tim again. This will be the third album he’s been apart of. This also marks our first recording with Sid (bass) and JRad (drums), so we are all very excited about that. This record will be a great one!"
"TRENDKILLA TOUR 2009"
SWORN ENEMY
Freya
Waking The Cadaver
CDC
08.03. Sheffield - Cooperation
09.03. Leeds - Rios
10.03. Edinburgh - Studio 24
11.03. Glasgow - Ivory Blacks
12.03. Middlesbrough - Crown
13.03. London - Underworld
News - Nell Bryden Live In The UK
Submitted: "Nell Bryden returns to the UK in Feb 09 to promote her album Live in Iraq and play the following UK dates :
Sun 8 Feb Oxford Bar Academy
Mon 9 Feb London Monto Water Rats
Tue 10 Feb Newcastle Bar Academy
wed 11 Feb Birmingham Bar Academy
Thu 12 Feb Glasgow ABC2"
News - Attack! Attack! Announce Co-Headline Tour
Submitted: "Attack! Attack! have just announced details of a co-headline tour alongside their friends in Tonight Is Goodbye.
The South Wales based band who release 'You and Me', the second single from their self-titled debut album on Monday 16th February, hit the following towns:
FEB 21: NEWCASTLE Academy 2
FEB 22: LEEDS Cockpit
FEB 23: NORWICH Waterfront
FEB 24: LIVERPOOL Academy 2
FEB 25: MANCHESTER Academy 3
FEB 26: LONDON Islington Bar Academy
FEB 27: BRISTOL Academy 2
FEB 28: SOUTHAMPTON Talking Heads"
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
News - Vote for The Fall, The Rise
Birmingham’s The Fall, The Rise have a their song ’By the Skin of Our Teeth’ up on the Pepsi Maxcast Radar Myspace page.
Head on over to:
www.myspace.com/pepsimaxcast#radar
scroll to the bottom of the page and click the the thumbs up icon to vote!
Monday, 15 December 2008
News - Callejon Complete Their First Video
Submitted: "Callejon have finished the recording of the new video for "Phantomschmerz". The song comes off their new album "zombieactionhauptquartier" which was released on November 28th via Nuclear Blast Records.
Callejon’s singer Bastian Sobtzik wrote:
"We definitely wanted something special that matches the topic of the songs just well. A sophisticated script, lights, concept, clothes and a high level of standards were necessary to achieve the vision we had about it. It was great to see the video itself evolving on and on working with people having good ideas with lots of dedication and devotion. We´re pretty exicted about to see how the fans will respond to our very first video! Thanks to all the people who made it possible!""
News - S.W.W.A.A.T.S Update...
Success Will Write Apocalypse Across The Sky who’s new album is due in March 2009 have written an update on their progress:
"Well everyone, the recording of the album has been completed and we in the SWWAATS camp couldn’t be more excited! It has been a dream of mine and ours for many years to get to work on something as special as this, and now that the process has been completed, mixing and mastering started. Myself and the rest of the band are hungry for more!! So the next step is extensive touring in 2009 for this album and we can not wait, we have a strong feeling that the message we send out with this album is going to be heard loud and clear all over the world. It is a plea to humanity, so take that in to consideration when you open the booklet and read our lyrics. We do this for you, and our own sanity hahah
see you on the road friends!
- John / S.W.W.A.A.T.S."
News - Hundred Reasons 2009 Tour
Submitted: "Hundred Reasons have announced new tour dates that coincide with the re-release of their fourth album ’Quick The Word, Sharp The Action’ through the band’s own label / PIAS. The reissue will feature brand new packaging and will also include four previously unreleased songs, ’Stalemate’, ’Punctuality’s Greatest Enemy’, ’A Little Way Back’ and ’The Prance’.
Full dates are:
MARCH/APRIL 09
28 Bristol Academy II
29 Birmingham Academy II
30 Sheffield Corporation
31 Derby Rockhouse
01 Manchester Moho Live
03 Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
04 Newcastle Academy II
05 Oxford Academy II
06 London Islington Academy
The band are currently writing and demo-ing new material for their fifth studio album."
News - Young Guns Cancel Shows Due To Illness
Submitted: "Buckinghamshire based quintet Young Guns have been forced to cancel shows in London, Luton and Amersham this week, due to singer Gustav Wood falling ill with a virus. The singer who has been ruled out of action, has been told not to sing on doctor’s instructions, adds, "Words cannot describe how much it sucks to have to cancel the shows this week, even more so that it’s so last minute. However, we’ll be back on track in the new year and can’t wait to play the new songs from the forthcoming EP."
The cancelled dates are:
DEC 18: LONDON, Borderline (w/ The Ghost of a Thousand + Rolo Tomassi)
DEC 19: LUTON, Hat Factory (w/ None The Less)
DEC 20: AMERSHAM, Jubilee Hall (w/ Tonight Is Goodbye)
The band who release their debut single ’In The Night’ on February 2nd, embark on a UK trek with We Are The Ocean in January. The dates are listed below:
(w/ We Are The Ocean)
JAN 10: OXFORD, Academy
JAN 11: BRISTOL, Academy 2
JAN 12: EBBW VALE, The EVI
JAN 14: PLYMOUTH, White Rabbit
JAN 15: EXETER, Cavern
JAN 16: BIRMINGHAM, Academy 2
JAN 17: HIGH WYCOMBE, Blues Lost
JAN 18: MILTON KEYNES, The Pitz
JAN 19: STOKE, Sugarmill
JAN 20: LEEDS, Cockpit
JAN 31: LONDON, Notting Hill Rota Club
FEB 05: LONDON, South Of The Border"
News - Guns On The Roof: Shattered Feeling
Guns On The Roof will release new single "Shattered Feeling" on March the 2nd 2009. The track is taken from their album "New Frustration".
Saturday, 13 December 2008
News - Agraceful New Track Online
Agraceful has released another song on their MySpace, this time it is their track "The Servants Are Tongues of Fire Part 2".
Review - Penelope Sulla Luna - My Little Empire
View The Review
9 out of 10
There's something very universal about instrumental post-rock, and indeed instrumental music in general. There are no awkward accents or singing in second languages, no unfortunate lyrics, just the international language of music. Penelope Sulla Luna from Italy is a perfect example of how great music transcends borders and countries.
There's a danger in writing an album of this genre that it can seem staid and clichéd, and it's a trap many bands fall into, or try to avoid with gimmicks or (shudder) singing. It's all too easy to just be Explosions in the Sky light, no matter how good your ideas are. And whilst Penelope Sulla Luna do lift some ideas from Explosions (the guitar work is very similar in particular) there is a difference in atmosphere that sets it apart more than any instrumentation ever will. Explosions songs are on the whole gentle pieces, veering from sadness to great joy. Penelope Sulla Luna have the same soaring climaxes, it's true, but whilst the peaks are similar the troughs are much darker and more sinister, with hints of Mogwai as well as heavier bands like Neurosis and Keelhaul.
My only real criticism is that in a couple of songs there are some slightly odd scratchy noises, that actually sound a bit like corrupt MP3s, and I can't quite work out whether they're part of the music or a defect in the CD. Either way, it's not enough to detract from my enjoyment of what is otherwise a fantastic record, and one that grows with every listen.
Listen: www.myspace.com/penelopesullaluna
Tracklist:
1. Last Show on the Radio
2. Back to the Teenage
3. Space Donut
4. Butterfly Drama #1
5. Third Brain Drain
6. Butterfly Drama #2
7. Big Whoop
8. Melodia (per teste rotte sugli scogli)
9. Fortunadrago
Review - Flobots - Rise (Single)
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8 out of 10
Not quite as catchy as 'Handlebars', 'Rise' offers a slightly different perspective on a very exciting new band.Flobots. This is a darker sound, less poppy all round, but an altogether better musical approach. I love this band at the moment. They have a lot to say - in the same way Rage Against The Machine did 15 years ago. I just hope that today's youth, as musically fickle as they are, realise that what Flobots are doing is important and take notice.
Listen: www.myspace.com/flobots
Tracklist:
1. Rise
Review - Loci - Medic
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8 out of 10
Loci have a decent sound - kind of like Queens of the Stone Age on steroids. Trouble is, after a couple of tunes, they start to sound a little similar. I don't think that is their fault though, in fact I imagine on stage they probably sound awesome, full of big chunks of rock and right in your face, but on CD I'm not sure their brutal honesty shines through enough to do them justice.
Here are my favourite things about Loci
. They have a cool name - Loci (something to do with remembering things)
. They serve up rock in big chunks
. They have cool matrix style random graphics on their CD and website
. The sound a bit like Nine Inch Nails
. They have a hot bass player
. They have a hot bass player
. They use the word "haemorrhaging" in the press release and spell it right
And finally:
. They have a hot bass player (did I mention that?)
Listen: www.myspace.com/locionline
Tracklist:
1. Crash
2. Negatives
3. Quoits
4. Z?
5. Sucker punch
6. DEDovshchina
Review - Thyrd Eye - Say Something (Single)
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4 out of 10
Despite the arrival of this debut single signalling another demo band to wade through, Thyrd Eye, despite the terrible spelling, have written a catchy enough song that reminds of a bratty, QOTSA crossed with something akin to Placebo. Driving riffs, and skippy drumming, dual male/female vocals. It's all good. Despite...and this is a big despite.....whoever proofed this for release must have been Death, as this horrible, bitty, digital feedback comes in and sucks the life out of every chorus. If its intentional then it's one of the worst ideas off all time, right up there with invading Iraq and that brown bread that is sliced and painted to look like white bread.
The other tracks lack the song writing suss of "Say Something" and come across as, pretty much what they are...B-sides.
Not bad, not impressive, not really that engaging, but it shows some promise. Get rid of the feedback next time.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thyrdeye
Tracklist:
1. Say Something
2. After Death
3. My Last Time
Review - Screaming Mimi - Electric Thighs (Single)
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7 out of 10
Oozing her way through 9 minutes of sultry pop stylings, uber glamorous Loretta Chantry is nothing short of a 21st century sex siren. Joyfully tugging at the sleeves of a country and western slant, 'Thighs' is a cracking single that, if there is any justice in the world, should open the (backstage) doors to some of the biggest festival stages of 2009. It's the kind of tune that would have nestled well on a John Peel playlist and has all the trappings of something very special indeed.
Listen: www.myspace.com/screamingmimiband
Tracklist:
1. Electric Thighs
2. My Favourite Objects
3. A New Cure For The Heartache
Review - Tracy Chapman - Our Bright Future
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6 out of 10
You do know who Tracy Chapman is, right? I’m assuming you do, so if not you should probably go find out. Go on.
Everybody back? Excellent. Now, it’s a given that Ms Chapman has an amazing voice, and it’s pretty fair to say that musically this album is very pleasant indeed. Lush stings, genteel piano and plucked guitar are backed by warm double bass and jazz drums, and it all compliments Tracy’s voice very nicely. The trouble is...it’s a bit too nice. It’s the kind of album that you could listen to with your family around the fire on Christmas day, and I suppose that’s not a bad thing exactly. I just always think of Tracy Chapman as being a bit more political, more edgy for want of a better word.
I’m also not overly keen on the very Christian stance of some of the songs (Save us All in particular) but I guess everyone’s entitled to their opinion. For some reason Johnny Cash’s religious songs never bothered me, but this does.
Our Bright Future is an extremely polished, well written album, which will probably appeal to all sorts of people, and I can pretty much guarantee you won’t hate it. You probably won’t love it either, though. Oh, the website is pretty cool though - it has colouring in!
Listen: www.myspace.com/tracychapman
Tracklist:
1.Sing for You
2.I Did it All
3.Save us All
4.Our Bright Future
5. For a Dream
6.Thinking of You
7. A Theory
8. Conditional
9. Something to See
10. The First Person on Earth
11. Spring
Review - Celebrity Love Crisis - Demo
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7 out of 10
You know those records you listen to where just as you have the band pinned down they change tact and send you spinning? Well York based Celebrity Love Crisis are one of those bands.
Opener "Loud Like Star Trek" comes across as Botch, Pelican and King Crimson all condensed into a tiny space and forced to compromise. Angular time changes, topsy turvy riffs and chunky production. "Blowjob Soliloquy" introduces some roared vocals near the end after it's felt you up with its spidery, climbing riff patterns and grooves that slink into the rolling rhythm of the ending.
"Fat And Glamorous" adds clean, chiming guitars contrasted against hectic scale runs and acoustic sections that remind of Shadows Fall minus the thrash with added prog.
Unless you hear it it's always hard to put into words a release that encompasses so many ideas and dynamics, so get hold of a copy and listen for yourselves.
Listen: www.myspace.com/celebritylovecrisiss
Tracklist:
1. Make It Loud Like Star Trek
2. Blowjob Soliloquy
3. Fat And Glamorous
Review - Only Thunder - Lower Bounds
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9 out of 10
There's a certain sound that's often associated with Gainesville, Florida. A sound popularised by Hot Water Music and No Idea Records. A sound that is raw, punk rock fury coupled with classic New Jersey rock and roll influences and just a hint of pop sensibility. Well, Only Thunder - from Denver, no less - have come up with what may be the best Gainesville record since Hot Water Music went a bit rubbish.
If you're reading this in the UK you might remember a band that was around a few years ago called Hitechjet. They released an album called 600 Miles From. in around 2005, I think. It was almost a masterpiece, it was great and it lived in my car for about a year. This album sounds kind of like a cross between what Hitechjet might have sounded like if they'd released another album, and how you really, really wanted the last Hot Water Music album to sound.
The main standout on this album is the guitars - there are three of them, Iron Maiden style. This allows for some wonderfully complex (but never overly so) songwriting, with the interplay between the three creating some great instrumental moments as well as intertwining with the obligatory gruff, throaty but well sung vocals. It also fills the album with some appropriately thunderous riffs.
If you like your punk rock complex and layered, this is one for you. There are hints of Small Brown Bike, Hot Water Music, Shai Hulud, Sleeping by the Riverside, Glass and Ashes, so if any of those bands appeal to you then you really ought to look up Only Thunder.
Listen: www.myspace.com/onlythethunderrock
Tracklist:
1. Tapestries, Candles, Zima?
2. Back and Forth
3. Fucking Your Way to the Middle
4. Computer Says No
5. Splatterhouse
6. I'm a Witch, Burn Me
7. Her vs the Triceramom
8. Airwolf
9. Fence Fight
10. There is no Peace on Colfax
11. Icebullets
Friday, 12 December 2008
News - Xtra Mile Recordings Xmas Sale
Submitted: "Xtra Mile Recordings webstore - http://www.xtramilerecordings.com is having a 20% off Christmas sale on selected items for the next few days! Artists included in the sale are Million Dead, Lights Action, Reuben, Jonah Matranga and Frank Turner to name a few."
News - The Damned Add A Final Date...
The Damned have announced a second Brighton date which will be the last of their tour this month, full dates as follows:
Fri 12th Corporation, Sheffield
Sat 13th The Forum, London
Sun 14th Academy, Bristol
Tue 16th The Point, Cardiff
Wed 17th Guild Gall, Gloucester
Thu 18th Robin II, Bilston
Fri19th Academy, Oxford
Sat 20th Roadmender, Northampton
Sun 21st Komedia, Brighton
Mon 22nd Komedia, Brighton
News - Breathe Slow, It’s Alesha Dixon!
Alesha Dixon is returning with the second track from her new album "The Alesha Show" in the form of her track "Breathe Slow", which is due for release on the 9th of February 2009.
News - Forever The Sickest Kids Support Is...
Forever The Sickest Kids tour the UK in February and their support will be Furthest Drive Home and Danger Radio.
News - Cobra Starship UK Tour Cancelled (Again)
Cobra Starship have had to cancel their UK tour and try to re-oganise the dates.
Here’s a statement:
"Hi UK Cobras,
Just to clear up any confusion from our earlier message - the UK tour dates are in the process of being re-organised as we speak and will be announce really soon.
Plus, ALL tickets purchased originally for the tour will remain valid for the new dates.
Look out for the new tour dates coming soon!
Thank you for your continued support and patience."
Thursday, 11 December 2008
News - Keep Seething Into 2009
Seether will be youring with Staind next month:
January 2009
Wednesday 21 Glasgow, Garage w/Staind
Thursday 22 Manchester, Academy w/Staind
Friday 23 Sheffield, Academy w/Staind
Sunday 25 Birmingham, Academy w/Staind
Monday 26 London, Astoria w/Staind
The band will be releasing their single ’Breakdown’, taken from their latest album ’Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces’, on January the 12th.
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
News - SaidMike: The Christmas Single
Submitted: "SaidMike release festive download single 'It'll Be Fine At Christmas Time' through Xtra Mile Recordings on 22nd December.
You can catch the band on tour with Funeral for a Friend, Cancer Bats and The Blackout. Dates are as follows:
December 2008
12th - Llantwit Fardre Rugby Club Christmas Show with Tiger Please, Will It Fly? & The Other Guys
14th - Arts Centre, Aberystwyth with Funeral for a Friend, Cancer Bats & Attack! Attack!
16th - Barfly, Cardiff - Xmas Show with Kick Box Riot & Tiger Please
17th - Le Pub, Newport
20th - The Windsor , Neath
27th - Cockpit, Leeds with The Blackout
28th - Academy, Liverpool with The Blackout
29th - Sugarmill, Stoke-On-Trent with The Blackout
30th - Academy, Oxford with The Blackout
March 2009
11th - Barfly, Cardiff with Lights Action"
Review - Anberlin - New Surrender
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9 out of 10
Having let Anberlin's last album "Cities" pass me by somewhat, I was hoping the sheer tenacity and force of 2003's "Blueprints." and 2005's equally fabulous "Never Take Friendship Personal" would still be present three years later on their first major label outing. After a single listen to album opener "The Resistance", I'm far from disappointed. The musicality and musicianship on show here, and indeed throughout the following 12 tracks) is little short of epic, with sharp lyrical delivery as only Stephen Christian does best.
"Breaking" is equally as sharp and hard hitting, but with a far more subtle approach; the yells of "you make breaking hearts look so easy//it seems like you've done this before.." aren't screamed, or even forced, but the raw feeling that Christian evokes here is fantastic and truly reminiscent of all of Anberlin's finest moments from their previous albums.
This high standard seems to continue for the remaining tracks on this album - if I'm not dancing and singing along to the pacier tracks, I'm pondering life and love during some of the slowed down, calmer numbers, "Retrace" probably being the finer of this small number of tracks. Although, hands-down, I'm a much bigger fan of the up-tempo, forceful and passionate songs that Christian and Co. deliver with exceptional talent, the slower and more laid back tracks don't take anything away from the great collection of tracks that 'New Surrender' provides. In a traffic jam this afternoon I was quite easily air-drumming and nodding away to "Disappear" and when low/mid-tempo tracks "Breathe" and "Burn Out Brighter." appeared immediately after, there was no hint of disappointment, only appreciation for the sheer diversity that's on offer here, and also, what true audible delights I've been treated to. This notion is only enhanced when the final two tracks roll around, where things are slowed down quite dramatically, and the whole tone changes somewhat. Whilst these are perhaps not as immediately enticing or engaging as their predecessors, they're still well-crafted songs, and Stephen Christian's vocals are shown-off here at their best.
If I wanted to bore you all, I'd sit and go through each and every track on "New Surrender" and tell you how great they all are in very different ways, but I won't. All I will urge you to do is go listen to this album and hear it for yourself!
Listen: www.myspace.com/anberlin
Tracklist:
1. The Resistance
2. Breaking
3. Blame Me! Blame Me!
4. Retrace
5. Feel Good Drag
6. Disappear
7. Breathe
8. Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights)
9. Younglife
10. Haight Street
11. Soft Skeletons
12. Miserable Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)
13. Heavier Things Remain (Graviora Manent)
News - You Me At Six Headline UK Tour
You Me At Six have announced their biggest headline tour to date:
06.03.2009 Bristol Academy
07.03.2009 Birmingham Academy
08.03.2009 Manchester Academy
09.03.2009 Glasgow Barrowlands
10.03.2009 Newcastle Academy
12.03.2009 Portsmouth Pyramid Centre
13.03.2008 London Roundhouse
Tickets are on sale from the usual outlets now.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Review - Tracy Chapman - Sing For You (Single)
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5 out of 10
This unlikely new single (or one-track album sampler) is a gentle lo-octane folk-jazz shuffle featuring some sweet higher-pitched vocals from Tracy, and a wordless 'dood 'n' doot-doo' chorus that scans like a simple lullaby melody sung to a tired toddler. It's a perfectly lovely song but doesn't exactly render you breathless. Also, it somehow reminds me of a folky take on Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' as it seems to share the same underlying chord sequence. Whitney it ain't though, thank God. Hearing this, and having heard no Tracy Chapman albums other than her fine 20-year old debut, I'll have to assume the music she's made since has been reliably efficient and inoffensive, like this track. I wouldn't say no to seeing Tracy live but this taster doesn't have me desperately hankering for a quiet night in with her new album, 'Our Bright Future', although I wouldn't be offended if something as unequivocally nice as this was put on during a night in round at someone else's. They'd be pretty sappy people I'd be hanging around with, though.
Listen: www.myspace.com/tracychapman
Tracklist:
1. Sing For You
Review - Enrique Iglesias - Away (Single)
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3 out of 10
This is one of two brand new tracks that are lazily tagged onto the end, sorry. feature on and greatly enhance Senor Iglesias Jr.'s just-released 'Greatest Hits' album. It starts promisingly with some dreamy Vangelis synth but then droops its weary shoulders and hunches into a clumsy, lurching attempt at a Latino-tinged R'n'B ballad in which, during the inane chorus, it sounds like he's speaking in tongues or practising vocal exercises: 'Why you wanna throw me away? Oh Why? No way, no way. Away! Oh! Why?!'
He perhaps should've fit 'Hawaii' into the lyrics somewhere and completed the set.
'Away' could actually be a farewell song to his slowly diminishing facial mole, as I recall that had a Geordie accent on Bo! Selecta. 'Away the lads'. 'Away, Enrique, let's gan doon tha toon'. Overall, it's a fine reminder of just how bally well seductive Enrique can sound, even when he's simply imparting random vowel sounds. A tea-spluttering 41 million worldwide album sales say he's doing something right.
Listen: www.myspace.com/enriqueiglesias
Tracklist:
1. Away
Review - Pussy Cat Dolls - I Hate This Part (Single)
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2 out of 10
It would appear Doll Domination, as it's now become known, is set to continue. Domination of what, though, I'm not so sure. I can relate to the sentiment in the song's title as I hate the part where I get asked to review the mawkish mid-tempo ballad, instead of its predecessor, the fantastically stupid 'When I Grow Up' ('I wanna have boobies!'). I'm left wondering who this 'break-up anthem' might appeal to and I reckon it was released in time to ensnare sensitive souls who'll be spending Christmas alone but still intend to get tarted up and have a right good dance at the office do. It does absolutely nothing for me, sounding lifeless and over-glossy- like a big wodge of dough glazed with varnish- but I imagine it might tick a few boxes for people who like emotionally overwrought Eurovision-standard pop sung by American models. I'm sure the video will be worth a watch, too.
Listen: www.myspace.com/pussycatdolls
Tracklist:
1. I Hate This Part
Monday, 8 December 2008
Review - The Bigger Lights - Fiction Fever
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8 out of 10
Tortilla
Honoured
Economics
Bachelor
Is
Getting
Gastronomically
Excited
Repeatedly
Lounging
In
Green
Half-shell
Thunderbird
Sneakers
My supervisor at my day job told me that what I have just demonstrated (taking a word and finding another word for each letter in that word) is her only hobby. I remember being made to do this when I was eight years old at elementary school; I didn't like it much then and I don't find it particularly enthralling now. On the other hand The Bigger Light's "Fiction Fever" is quite unlike my boss's only hobby in that it is better than I expected it to be. Instead of being generic post Blink 182 Pop Punk their debut EP actually features an eclectic range of sounds. Some are a bit hit and miss but they never the less quite separate the group from their contemporaries.
"Closer (Time Stops Breathing)" begins with an unnecessarily happy riff that jumps into upbeat Pop Punk jubilation, complete with lyrics about secrets on cell phones. The choruses are floaty and super happy, while there is a brief break, allowing some space to open up in the song before it resumes its grinning onslaught. "Reved and Ready" is however a more interesting track, being brooding yet energetic and holding the same kind of dark quality of old school Offspring or Social Distortion, most prominently reminiscent me of Victory Record's Bayside. "Apocalypse" is another upbeat and largely forgettable tune that skirts just a bit too close to Sum 41's brand of bubble gum Pop Punk, complete with cheesy Metal solos that are almost embarrassing to listen to. This combined with the production techniques utilised makes it actually sound like The Darkness's "I Believe In A Thing Called Love", which is stylistically comparable to having incestuous relations with your own children who you have held captive in a cellar beneath your house for over a decade.
"Romance in a Slow Dance" is a gentler affair, starting out like a more spacey version of Fall Out Boy before breaking into power strummed choruses which contrast nicely with the cool and watery Stone Roses style lead riffs. "Goldmine Valentine" is a few letters away from a David Bowie song, yet begins as a haunting gypsy ballad reminiscent of Gogol Bordello, kicking into more familiar Pop Punk territory about a sinister femme fatale. "When Did We Lose Ourselves" has a more Indie feel, but ends the EP much how it begun in the familiar waters of Pop Punk, steering clear of the less well known depths that the others tracks slip a tentative toe into.
The Brighter Lights manage to steer clear of being too Emo (or 'Dawnson's Creek') Core and while not all of what they attempt on this record works out they deserve a listen if only for the fact they have been brave enough to make a Punk record that steps away from the well beaten track.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thebiggerlights
Tracklist:
1. Closer (Time Stops Breathing)
2. Reved and Ready
3. Apocalypse
4. Romance in a Slow Dance
5. Goldmine Valentine
6. When Did We Lose Ourselves
Review - The Shortwave Set - Glitches n' Bugs (Single)
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7 out of 10
With the recent surge of US bands and their psychedelic indie-pop anthems that are busying the present music scene, it's reassuring that the UK have our own examples like this London trio, to add to the contest.
Two albums and half a dozen singles on, The Shortwave Set are less present on the scene than their colourful contemporaries (step forth, MGMT, Chairlift, Iglu and Hartly.etc) who've received deserved but heavy-handed pushes from the music press- however the emergence of Glitches n' Bugs could change that.
This song is modest and subtly infectious, with vocals from Andrew Pettit and Ulrika Bjorsne providing the sheen to its electro-funk shimmer. It's an unobtrusive grower by all accounts as it blossoms with each play.
The three-piece even lend their laid-back treatment to 'label mate' Grace Jones', making light of her 80s hit, Slave To The Rhythm with an uplifting and flouncing makeover.
The contest is now on.
Listen: www.myspace.com/theshortwaveset
Tracklist:
1. Glitches n' Bugs
2. Glitches n' Bugs (Marshmellow Mike Remix)
3. Glitches n' Bugs (Mongolian Jet Set Remix)
4. Homesick
5. Slave To The Rhythm
Review - New Vinyl - Makin It Easy (Single)
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6 out of 10
Hailing from the same place that delivered The Cribs to the world, earnest Wakefield boys, New Vinyl already have giant shoes to fill before the release of this debut single - far from easy! The associations with the aforementioned trio stop at the postcode as soon as the music starts.
In this upbeat song the daily grind and gripes of life are shrugged off and whitewashed with cheerful Who-influenced melodies, amongst Brit-pop bravado.
Singer Danny Allison motivates the downtrodden, with lyrics like, "Come on and get a job.it's alright.drink until the sun shines". There's little room for depth or ambiguity in this care-free anthem, the light-hearted message is crystal, find a job, find a partner, get drunk = get happy, but what happens when the sun goes down and sobriety takes hold?
Listen: www.myspace.com/newvinyl1
Tracklist:
1. Makin It Easy
News - Look Who’s Back. Do You Remember Jem?!
Jem (Welsh singer-songwriter) is back with her new album called "Down To Earth" and her single "It's Amazing", which are both being released on the 2nd of February through Dramatico Records.
News - Graham Nash Gets Reflective...
Rhino are releasing a collection of Graham Nash’s various works in the form of a CD called "Reflections" on the 2nd of February.
Here’s how the press release describes the project: "a three-CD boxed set that encompasses 40 years of memorable music with 64 songs; half of which are unreleased mixes, alternate versions and unissued tracks. This deluxe package features a 150-page booklet with 75 classic and unseen photos and track notes by Graham Nash."
Track Listing
DISC ONE
1. "On A Carousel" - The Hollies (mono)
2. "Carrie Anne" - The Hollies (mono)
3. "King Midas In Reverse" - The Hollies (mono)
4. "Marrakesh Express" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
5. "Pre-Road Downs" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
6. "Lady Of The Island" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
7. "Our House" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
8. "Teach Your Children" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young *
9. "Right Between The Eyes" - Graham Nash **
10. "I Used To Be A King" - Graham Nash *
11. "Simple Man" - Graham Nash *
12. "Man In The Mirror" - Graham Nash *
13. "Better Days" - Graham Nash *
14. "Military Madness" - Graham Nash *
15. "Sleep Song" - Graham Nash *
16. "Chicago"/"We Can Change The World" - Graham Nash *
17. "Southbound Train" - Crosby/Nash
18. "Immigration Man" - Crosby/Nash
19. "Wild Tales" - Graham Nash *
20. "Prison Song" - Graham Nash *
21. "Oh! Camil (The Winter Soldier)" - Graham Nash *
22. "On The Line" - Graham Nash *
23. "You’ll Never Be The Same" - Graham Nash *
24. "Another Sleep Song" - Graham Nash *
DISC TWO
1. "To The Last Whale" - Crosby/Nash
A. "Critical Mass"
B. "Wind On The Water"
2. "Fieldworker" - Crosby/Nash
3. "Cowboy Of Dreams" - Crosby/Nash
4. "Love Work Out" - Crosby/Nash
5. "Marguerita" - Crosby/Nash
6. "Taken At All" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young *
7. "Mutiny" - Crosby & Nash
8. "Just A Song Before I Go" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
9. "Cold Rain" - Graham Nash *
10. "Cathedral" - Crosby, Stills & Nash *
11. "Barrel Of Pain (Half-Life)" - Graham Nash
12. "Magical Child" - Graham Nash *
13. "Song For Susan" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
14. "Wasted On The Way" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
15. "Love Is The Reason" - Graham Nash *
16. "Raise A Voice" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
17. "Clear Blue Skies" - Crosby, Stills & Nash **
18. "Lonely Man" - Crosby, Stills & Nash ***
19. "Sad Eyes" - Graham Nash *
20. "Water From The Moon" - Graham Nash ***
21. "Soldiers Of Peace" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
DISC THREE
1. "If Anybody Had A Heart" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
2. "Chippin' Away" - Graham Nash
3. "After The Dolphin" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
4. "House Of Broken Dreams" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
5. "Unequal Love" - Graham Nash **
6. "Liar’s Nightmare" - Graham Nash **
7. "Heartland" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young *
8. "These Empty Days" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
9. "Try To Find Me" - Graham Nash ***
10. "Two Hearts" - Carole King & Graham Nash **
11. "Behind The Shades" - Graham Nash ***
12. "Michael (Hedges Here)" - Graham Nash **
13. "I Surrender" - Crosby/Nash
14. "Live On (The Wall)" - Crosby/Nash
15. "Dirty Little Secret" - Graham Nash
16. "We Breathe The Same Air" - Graham Nash ***
17. "Grace" - Crosby/Nash
18. "Jesus Of Rio" - Crosby/Nash
19. "In Your Name" - Graham Nash ***
* Previously unreleased mix
** Previously unreleased version
*** Previously unreleased song