Submitted: "In an unfortunate turn of events, Los Angeles based Confide have announced that they have cancelled their UK / European tour that was scheduled for the month of October due to failed contractual obligations on part of the promotion agency. "We were really disappointed and disheartened when we had to cancel the tour" singer Ross Kenyon said. "This would have been my first tour with the band back home to the UK and it was something we were greatly looking forward to. We're hoping to reschedule dates after the release of our next record."
In a classic good news/bad news situation, the band is now freed up to work on writing their sophomore album which is already scheduled to be recorded with Joey Sturgis (The Devil Wears Prada, Attack Attack, Asking Alexandria, etc.) in December."
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
News - Confide Cancel European Tour
News - Crazy Arm - Henry Fabian Flynn
Crazy Arm will release their second single "Henry Fabian Flynn" on the 2nd of November through Xtra Mile Recordings. Available on download-only format, the single comes with two new b-sides, "Roasting River" and "Poverty & Spit".
UK tour dates:
OCTOBER
11th - Prince Albert, Brighton (with Millions + Attack! Vipers!)
14th - The Junktion, Nottingham (with Wonk Unit + The Breadchasers)
15th - 3 Tuns, Whitehaven
23rd - The Irish Centre, Corby (with Tubelord)
24th - The Red Lion, Gravesend
26th - Firebug, Leicester (with Tubelord)
30th - Walk The Line festival, Cheltenham (with Tubelord + more)
NOVEMBER
Sun 1st - Junction, York (with Tubelord)
Tues 3rd - Rockhouse, Derby (with Tubelord)
Mon 16th - Weir Lounge, Bath (with Fighting Fiction) tbc
News - David Gray Announces 7-Date December Tour
David Gray has announced a 7-Date December tour:
December
Wed 9th LONDON HMV Hammersmith Apollo 0844 844 4748
Fri 11th GATESHEAD, Sage 0191 443 4661
Sat 12th EDINBURGH, Picture House 0844 499 9990
Sun 13th LEEDS, 02 Academy 0844 477 2000
Tue 15th BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall 0121 780 3333
Wed 16th BRISTOL, Colston Hall 0117 922 3686
Fri 18th MANCHESTER, Apollo 0844 477 7677
Tickets go on sale 9am Friday October 2nd
Priced at £29.50 except London at £32.50
Website Outlets: www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk
24hr Credit Card Hotline: 0871 2200 260
News - Enter Shikari New Dates Announced
Enter Shikari have added two new dates in the UK next February:
SATURDAY 6th FEB - BLACKPOOL - Empress Ballroom
FRIDAY 12th FEB - LONDON - Hammersmith Apollo
News - The Plight Debut Album "Winds Of Osiris"
The Plight will release their debut album "Winds Of Osiris" on the 26th of October through Visible Noise.
News - Nell Bryden: What Does It Take?
Nell Bryden will be releasing her new album "What Does It Take?" on the 12th of October.
Live dates:
Sun 11th Oct LONDON, The Bush Hall (w/Ben Taylor)
Tue 13th Oct SHEFFIELD, O2 Academy 2 (w/Ben Taylor)
Wed 14th Oct LIVERPOOL, O2 Academy 2 (w/Ben Taylor)
Fri 16th Oct ABERDEEN, Lemon Tree (w/Ben Taylor)
Sat 17th Oct EDINBURGH, Cabaret Voltaire(w/Ben Taylor)
Sun 18th Oct NEWCASTLE, Cluny (w/Ben Taylor)
Mon 19th Oct BELFAST, City Hall (Queens Festival Event)
Mon 9th Nov GLASGOW, Oran Mor
Tue 10th Nov SHEFFIELD, O2 Academy
Wed 11th Nov MANCHESTER, Ruby Lounge
Fri 13th Nov LONDON, The Borderline
Sat 14th Nov BRISTOL, QE School Theatre
Sun 15th Nov BIRMINGHAM, O2 Academy 3
Mon 16th Nov BRIGHTON, Komedia
News - blessthefall Album Stream & UK Headlining Tour
blessthefall’s upcoming album "Witness" is now streaming in it’s entirety on MySpace Music. It will be released on the 6th of October through Fearless Records.
The band has also announced a UK headlining tour for December:
2/12 - Birmingham Academy, UK
3/12 - Manchester Roadhouse, UK
4/12 - York Fibbers, UK
5/12 - Glasgow, King Tut’s, UK
7/12 - Northampton Roadmender 3, UK
8/12 - Cardiff Barfly, UK
9/12 - Southampton Joiners, UK
10/12 - London Barfly, UK
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
News - All Tomorrow’s Parties Screenings
Submitted: "Warp Films and ATP have programmed a unique UK cinematic/live tour of All Tomorrow’s Parties screening together with a live concert from Brooklyn based art-rockers Les Savy Fav plus a DJ set by ATP founder Barry Hogan, from 23 October 2009, prior to the DVD release on 2 November 2009.
The â?~one night onlyâ?T theatrical tour, with Les Savy Fav, will visit Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds and London from Oct 23 â?" 28, with special events also taking place in Brighton, Bristol and Hull.
UK LIVE/THEATRICAL TOUR:
Thu Oct 15 â?" Hull, Adelphi (with Gravenhurst)
Fri Oct 23 â?" Manchester Deaf Institute (with Les Savy Fav)
Sat Oct 24 â?" Glasgow ABC 2 (with Les Savy Fav)
Sat Oct 24 - Brighton Duke of York (midnight show as part of â?~White Nightsâ?T, with live bands tbc)
Mon Oct 26 â?" London Forum (with Les Savy Fav) www.seetickets.com
Tue Oct 27 â?" Leeds TJâ?Ts Woodhouse Club (with Les Savy Fav)
Wed Oct 28 â?" Bristol Watershed (with Team Brick)"
News - Chimaira Guitarist Replacement
Submitted: "Chimaira rhythm guitarist Matt DeVries is sitting out the remainder of the band’s European tour so that he can be home in time for the birth of his son. Filling in for him for the rest of the European dates is Emil Werstler of Daath.
DeVries will be back on stage with Chimaira for the band’s U.S. tour with Trivium, which kicks off on October 29.
Commented Matt: "This is going to be one of the happiest moments of my life and I want to thank the fans for understanding my absence. Emil is one of the most talented guitarists I have ever jammed with and I am fully confident he will do a fantastic job filling in. I’ll be back on stage riffing in a few weeks."
Chimaira will play its tenth annual Christmas show on December 27 at the House Of Blues in the band’s hometown Cleveland."
News - Mnemic Studio Update Continues...
Mnemic just issued another update from the studio. The band recently entered Antfarm Studios with producer Tue Madsen to record their new album entitled "Sons Of The System" which is scheduled for an early 2010 release.
"I can't believe that we actually started tracking drums this week! This time around three years ago, we were doing the same thing at the TrackRecordStudios, in Los Angeles with Warren Riker. Oh boy, time flies when you are having fun.or getting old. Why don't we just start from the beginning.At the end of 2007 I started composing the first Mnemic song, which I later trashed 'cause it simply sucked. It was uninspiring, regular metal, nothing new under the sun. Since then lots of songs have been trashed, haha.and the same goes for the other band members. We have had a hard time pinpointing where we wanted to go musically. We are 5 different individuals these days, with 5 different views on music. I listen to everything from the WU-TANG CLAN, CURTIS MAYFIELD to all sorts of drum'n’bass artists, to mostly the old metal records. The same goes for the others, we are not listening to the same metal albums that inspired us 6-7 years ago, we have different inspiration sources. This aspect did contribute to a lot of debate between us, and also helped shape the 15 songs we chose out of a big bulk of material. At the end of the day we are still a metal band, but with different inspiration sources. With this said, we are ready to fuck everyone up. So, before we started recording the drums, we also tryed to listen to some other productions that we liked. In fact we kind of came to an agreement of not having a superficial drum sound, where everything is cut, everything is edited, and in the end done by "Beat Detective" - we have actually never done that, for all of you non-believers, Brian knows how to play his stuff, its really that simple. Moving on to the sound, we want a simple sound, and first and for most a natural drum sound, wihtout sounding too dry, a la KYUSS or COROSSION OF CONFORMITY but more punchy and in your face. More like a Rick Rubin sound, where everything is more open, and unprocessed, think RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS or SLIPKNOT. We have simple groovy songs and we have complex songs, so Brian started of course warming up with some of the more simple songs, to get into the groove. At the moment we have tracked 6 songs out of 15, and the drumming sounds extremely solid! I can't wait till we move on to the guitars.well, actually I can't wait till we are done and have the final product in my hands!"
News - Trashcan Sinatras Tour
Trashcan Sinatras release their new single "People" on the 9th of November through Lo Five Records and tour on the following dates:
Thurs 12 November Glasgow Oran Mor
Fri 13 November Kelso Tait Hall
Sat 14 November Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire
Mon 16 November Aberdeen Warehouse
Wed 18 November Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Thurs 19 November London Bloomsbury Theatre
Review - Lethal Bizzle - Go Hard
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8 out of 10
After reviewing Lethal Bizzle's latest single release "Going Out Tonight" last week, I gave it a well respected 8 out of 10 for its efforts, and said that I was anticipating the release of his album released on October 5th, "Go Hard". I was then given the opportunity to review "Go Hard" and was curious to find out whether the rest of the album would be as commendable as "Going Out Tonight", which had set the bar high for the remainder of the album.
After listening to only the first three tracks, my first impression was "This is going to be a good album". After the intro the first song on the album "Money Power Respect Fame" had similar foundations to the latest single release and had set the course for a great Lethal Bizzle album.
The song I was looking most forward to hearing was "Go Hard", as it featured Donaeo, and was obviously the track taken for the album title. Donaeo's "Party Hard" was a big hit in the grime scene, and working with Bizzle could be a big success. "Go Hard" is very similar to "Party Hard", if you liked that then you will love this, it's very similar, just imagine Lethal Bizzle featuring on "Party Hard" and up the tempo a little, definitely the best track on the album.
Immediately after this I was just hoping the rest of the album would be of such a high standard. Most of it was, I could put the album on, press play, and listen all the way up to (Track 9) "So Addictive". Every track previous to "So Addictive", I would say is worthy of a single release, a lot of work has gone in to these and Lethal Bizzle deserves a lot of credit for what he has produced here. "Rockstar" (Track 11) is another great song, you can see that Bizzle is accommodating to other genres and furthering his fan base. With this album I can see Bizzle becoming more popular, and hopefully before too long he will receive more airplay, and is embraced by the audience, he deserves it.
As good as I think the first half of the album is, I'm sorry to have to say that the second half of it is not as good. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying it is poor; it's just not as good as the first half. "So Addictive", "Flap Your Wings", "Push It", Don't Run It Up", "Who The Fuck Are U?" and "Jump" are average, where as "Money Power Respect Fame", "Go Hard", Can You See Me", "Crazy Nightmare", "Going Out Tonight", "Lost My Mind", "Skullz On My Hoodie", "Rockstar", are all very good. After individually naming the songs that were average, I feel it was only fair to name the good ones, as there are a lot more of these than there are average ones.
Available on the "Go Hard" download version is the bonus track "Jump", which samples House of Pain's "Jump Around". In my opinion I don't think Lethal Bizzle should have used this beat. "Jump Around" (House of Pain) is a classic hip-hop track and is always held in high regard, and to be honest Lethal Bizzle hasn't done it justice here. It is below par, and is not a patch on the original.
I would recommend this album to any Lethal Bizzle fan, or any fan of UK hip-hop, grime, it is worth a good listen at least.
Overall I think this is a very well produced album, which includes work with producers Donaeo, Mark Ronson, Dexplicit, Youngstar and Gallows. Bizzle's lyrics are better than ever, and as I predicted in the review for "Going Out Tonight", "Go Hard" is Lethal Bizzle's best album to date.
Overall this is a good album, but I am now at the point where after "Rockstar", I go back to the start of the album, skipping the last four tracks (not including the Outro).
I am struggling with what rating to give this album, based on the first half of the album and the brilliant "Go Hard" I would give it a 9 out of 10 but its not just about the first half unfortunately.
Anyway, the rating is still well deserved; with a few adjustments it would have been higher though!
Listen: www.myspace.com/lethalbizzlemusic
Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Money Power Respect Fame
3. Go Hard
4. Can You See Me
5. Crazy Nightmare
6. Going Out Tonight
7. Lost My Mind
8. Skullz on My Hoodie
9. So Addictive
10. Flap Your Wings
11. Rockstar
12. Push It
13. Don't Run It Up
14. Who The Fuck Are U?
15. Outro
16. **bonus track - available only on download version** Jump
Monday, 28 September 2009
News - 1997: Notes From Underground Album Stream
The new 1997 album "Notes From Underground" which is released on the 13th of October through Victory Records by going here: www.victorme.com/victorstream_1997_fourletterlie.php
News - Data.Select.Party Split Up
Data.Select.Party are splitting up, a statement on their MySpace reads as follows:
"Hello Everybody,
I am sorry to inform you all that after a short stint of dates later in the year DSP will be no more. A shift in priorities of various members has meant that we won't be able to commit ourselves fully and feel this would be doing the band, the team around us and most importantly you all a disservice.
We would like to say a huge thanks to all the people that have helped us along the way, anybody that has come see us play and all the bands we've partied hard with. For working hard on the band with us we would like to thank Al and Peter, Mark Ngui, Matt Hughes, Steph Seager, Nick Harnett and Dirty Alex. Special thanks to Judge, Steve and Cheska for helping us lug our shit around day after day, sharing sleeping bags and generally putting up with us on tour without the utterance of a single complaint. There's almost certainly loads of people we've overlooked, if so we're sorry and we love you.
Some of us have a new project in the pipeline that we're very excited about so watch this space for more on that very soon.
In the meantime, here are a couple of brand new DSP tracks to get you in the mood for the upcoming shows, you can also download them for free at drop.io!
Thanks again to you all, its been an amazing few years that we will cherish for the rest of our lives."
News - Chiodos Kicks Out Craig Owens!
Chiodos seem to have kicked out Craig Owens, a statement on their MySpace is as follows:
"To all of our friends, family, and fans: We would like to let you know that we have let Craig Owens go as the singer of Chiodos. This decision was a necessary one. Out of respect for all of the hard work that we have put in together for all of these years we will not be discussing the specific reasons that this needed to happen. We wish Craig well . We will absolutely be continuing on as a band and we will keep you informed as this next chapter unfolds. Chiodos fans are the best fans in the world and all we can ask of you, after everything you have already given us, is to share in our
excitement for this next album. We promise you will not be disappointed............Brad, Jason, Pat, and Matt"
Review - Various - Holy Roars On The Block
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8 out of 10
The humble split single - a mainstay of DIY, it provides a way for bands to split costs between themselves, a way of giving the listener twice the music for the same price. The only problem with the split release is that, more often than not, one band is far superior to the other which results in one band being forgotten about, or at worst, remembered as being the awful band on the other side of the record (I'm looking at you Spitboy). Holy Roar's latest offering, 'New Roars On The Block' gives us four bands for the price of one. With Holy Roar records you can always be sure of an interesting listening experience, by which I mean some dude yelling a lot, and this latest offering doesn't disappoint.
With a cry of "WATCH OUT", Easy Hips open proceedings with a blast of sassy hardcore. Mixing choppy guitars and big riffs, Easy Hips sound like they've devoured the entire Three One G back catalogue and spewed up a great big spazzy mess. It's the kind of thing that only the exuberance of youth can excuse, all flailing limbs and high pitched screams; at some point in the next year or so, the boys in Easy Hips will become wary of sounding like The Blood Brothers, will try and grow beards and become a noise band. Not everyone can get away with this kind of thing. But for the time being they should enjoy being a white-belt wearing, spazzing out, sassy bunch of boys. As an aside, I think one of the riffs in 'White Ace' is from a Racebannon song. Watch out for that.
Two-piece Run, Walk! Close the first side with '3, 5, 10'. That they're a two-piece should give some indication of what they sound like; bass and drum combo that sounds like Lightning Bolt with less big riffs and more a of a Fugazi influence. Every city has one and if Run, Walk! don't want to go the way of Crom or Breezus they need to make sure they bring their A-game to their next split release.
Dreamboats and Le Swing take up the second side. The former provide a kind of slowed down, sludgey take on hardcore, with some classic rock and roll riffs thrown in for good measure. The latter deliver yet more sass, this time with a slight angular feel. They also share members with Easy Hips and by the sound of it it's unclear where one band starts and the other ends. The best description for Le Swing would be Le Shok + Swing Kids = Le Swing, which coincidentally must have been how they came up with their band name. It's funny how these things work out.
The bands on 'New Roars On The Block' possess that which is often the most loaded of comments, being 'potential'. Often used as a by word for suck, here it applies unequivocally. These four bands could easily develop and serve up some real punk rock treats, most notably sass-mongers Easy Hips. At the moment some of them seem a tad under nourished, but with a little time these bands could serve up something far more satisfying than the wares on display here.
Listen: www.myspace.com/easyhips, www.myspace.com/runwalk, www.myspace.com/dreamboats666, www.myspace.com/leswingleswingleswing
Tracklist:
1. Easy Hips - leopard print catsuit party with old man watts
2. Easy Hips - White Ace
3. Run, Walk! - 3,5,10
4. Dreamboats - Fallen Rose(s)
5. Le Swing - Ross Kemp on Bands
6. Le Swing - Deaf Pens
News - Har Mar Superstar UK Tour
Har Mar Superstar will tour the UK through November / December:
November 09
Sunday 29th Oxford Academy 3 - tickets £9
Monday 30th London Garage - tickets £10
December 09
Tuesday 1st Bristol Thekla - tickets £9
Wednesday 2nd Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms - tickets £8.50
Friday 4th Nottingham Bodega - tickets £8.50
Saturday 5th Carlisle Brickyard - tickets £9
Sunday 6th Glasgow King Tuts - tickets £9
Monday 7th Manchester Ruby Lounge - tickets £9
Review - Black Gold - Rush
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7 out of 10
After a shaky start, this album from a bunch of Noo Yawkers (Brooklyn, apparently) rapidly gains some rather affecting focus; a little bit indie, a little bit glam, a little bit torch-song, all covered in a manner evoking the very best of pop. They also sound more UK than USA, especially in the vocal department. I sense a plethora of snorters waiting to damn them with faint comparisons but Black Gold should have the last laugh, if there's any justice in this world. Forget your Coldplays and your Athletes and, yes, even your Franz Ferdinands. The Klondike's moving.
Listen: www.myspace.com/blackgold
Tracklist:
1. Detroit
2. Plans & Reveries
3. Breakdown
4. What You Did
5. Silver
6. Shine
7. Idols
8. The Comedown
9. Run
10. Canyon
11. After the Flood
Review - InMe - Herald Moth
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5 out of 10
Warning - This review was written in two stints. The first took this album on face value and instantly dismissed it as a regression to a musical movement seven years past. The second time round I must have been in a far more nostalgic/sympathetic mood as it became apparent that Herald Moth was an irate/disheartened final siege on, what InMe might view as, fortified battlements around the metaphysical concept of musical success. A place where they previously stood and helped to build up said barricades until they realised they were left posturing on the wrong side of those fickle uprights.
In creating this album InMe have tried their damnedest to sound like Sikth (minus the pills) flirting with Iron Maiden (minus Eddie) which only results in labyrinthitis. Throw in lyrics as worn as Jordan's snatch and you have the steaming dik-dik excretion that this Essex lot felt they should bless their baying public with.
It's not all bad though as some of the musicianship is pretty damn good, it's just a shame the songs they pen are scrapings from the barrels of bands whose arses are regularly snuffled by Kerrang. Unfortunately for InMe they missed their fifteen minutes and making the same trite myxomatosis as years before (they waned live then also) is in no way going to help their cause.
Actually they do earn themselves a split second grin for writing my current favourite crap lyric "You pissed in your own swimming pool this time". Yup, they went there.
This aforementioned disdain for the industry that spurned them is all too apparent in song titles such as You Won't Hear from Me Again, The Art of Moderation and Happy to Disappoint You. Now typically these would all be associated with the crumbling stronghold of a dying romantic relationship, however coupled with lyrics such as "We're never going to make it" from All Terrain Vehicle and the bitter "What's that shit on the radio" from Single of the Weak (complete with 130 BPM and sweeping phasers) and it can certainly be viewed as documenting the end of a relationship, just not a 'gazing into each others eyes through candle light' kind of relationship. Lamentably, like a large portion of jilted ex's, InMe make the mistake of trying to feign an air of indifference whilst bitching vehemently about their situation.
Throughout Herald Moth certain chubby fingers can be heard attempting to be tucked into various musical pies, pies currently inhabited by the aforementioned Sikth & Iron Maiden, as well as these troubadours InMe also try their hands at some poppy post-hardcore a la Hundred Reasons or Funeral For a Friend, another band baiter is the daft chug on Ferocity in Desire which comes off as a bunch of skinny white guys posing in Tap Out t-shirts but not daring to enter the octagon.
All in all and none of that InMe.
Listen: www.myspace.com/inmeofficial
Tracklist:
1. You Won't Hear From Me Again
2. Belief Revival
3. Nova Armada
4. All Terrain Vehicle
5. Captain Killjoy
6. The Art of Moderation
7. Single of the Weak
8. Ferocity in Desire
9. Happy to Disappoint You
10. I Will Honour You
11. A Mouthful of Loose Teeth
12. Master Storm
Review - This City - We Were Like Sharks
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8 out of 10
I saw This City supporting Rival Schools a while back and I spent the entire set trying to work out if I liked them or not so when this album popped up on the review list I thought I would give them another shot to impress this cynical twenty something.
First of all this has been released via Epitaph which was a smidge shocking on first look, once the home to acts like Bad Religion, NOFX, Pennywise, Lagwagon and the like now seems to be a breeding ground for average English metal and identikit post rock bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Gallows, The Blackout and You Me At Six. So Brett if you are reading this, sort it out sunshine.
So I would imagine at this point you are expecting me to hate it and rip it apart? Well you would be wrong, I don't hate it but at the same time I don't love any of it enough for it to grab me and make me a fan. It has all the right ingredients, the pop element of The Automatic, the indie bits straight from Forward Russia! jerkiness from Blood Brothers and the emo sensibilities of Braid which as a list seems awesome to me at least but somehow it doesn't mix into something exciting. It starts off well enough, like you would expect but I spent the next 34.4 minutes waiting for it to step up a gear, it avoids a few clichés quite well, no pointless out of place shouting by the member of the band they have allowed to grow a beard (all of the bands that shoe horn themselves into this genre have one, check it out) and at times dips into some ska-esque riffs which were nice. The vocals are sometimes quite whiny and annoying but at the same time somehow appealing and have a nice homely English twinge about them. There is no great deviation in the sound throughout the album, seemingly sticking with something they view as tried and tested rather than taking a risk with any of it which will keep the skinny jean fan base happy but won't make them any new friends.
I have listened to this album three times now and I am still clueless as to whether I like them or at least see them as a guilty pleasure or if they are just going to get filed in my iTunes under ZZZZZZZZZZ, nothing is jumping out at me to latch onto but I doubt I'm the cliental they are being pushed toward since I'm allowed out past 9:00 and don't have to sneak cider in the park.
OK I'm going to get off the fence, in the words of Paul Daniels "I like this band, but not a lot" but I'm sure they will make the next step, they deserve it just based on the amount of massive tours they are advertised on I would like to see them take some risks at some point as they are all talented musicians and could do so much more with their sound.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thiscity
Tracklist:
1. We Move
2. Black and Blue
3. With Loaded Guns
4. Romantic
5. Picture This
6. No Hero
7. Moving parts
8. Colours
9. Kids With Fireworks
10. Middleground
Review - Breed 77 - Wake Up (Single)
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2 out of 10
The envelope was in my hands, staring passively back at me as I began to flip it over. Absentmindedly I picked at the fold, gingerly at first and then firmer and more precise as it came away from the sealant...A piece of white A4 slid out from inside and with it a CDR fell to the floor. I unfolded the note slowly, half recognising a logo I'd not seen in what felt like decades but in reality was probably only a matter of a few years. Then it hit me. My mouth went dry and my brain tumbled in different directions as I tried to comprehend what I was reading. It was a shock akin to discovering Michael Jackson wasn't dead after all, but was also able to fly, made entirely of gold and my father. I had nearly processed the words but still questioned their authenticity. "This can't be true", my brain screamed, "BREED 77 ARE STILL GOING?!"
But it is true. Everyone's favourite (read: The only) Anglo-Gibraltarian nu-metal survivors have returned to grace our ears with Wake Up, the precursor to their new album Insects, an ironic title given how they're basically the cockroaches of the UK metal scene. Laugh at them all you want, they'll probably survive a nuclear winter. Surely through longevity alone they must have learnt a whole bunch of songwriting tricks, providing a veritable treat for alternative music fans everywhere? The short answer is no. The long answer is noooooooooooooooooo.
After a stop/start intro which briefly threatens to be interesting they revert to type; bland ineffective riffing and growled vocals mixed with a sub-System Of a Down melodic vocal in the verse. Even the solo's dull, whichever guitarist played it clearly closed his eyes and pictured himself with one foot perched atop a monitor in front of thousands of screaming fans but it's nothing Herman Li couldn't do with his feet while eating a sandwich. The only surprise in the song was the lack of any tacky faux-Latin percussion but I guess if Il Nino is still going too then maybe it was their turn with the bongos that week.
Listen: www.myspace.com/breed77
Tracklist:
1. Wake Up
Review - Madness - Total Madness
View The Review
10 out of 10
Now, come on. Surely every house has a copy of these tracks in one compilation or another, even if they don't want to. They may even have the original vinyl singles (due for re-release soon, no doubt, perhaps in a boxed set shaped like a Routemaster bus). I can see ownership of this collection (or one of the zillions like it) being used by some lunatic political party as a sign of genuine 'Englishness'. Anyway, the music is timeless and it's a testament to the Nutty Boys' talents that the sole new track on here (NW5) stands up effortlessly alongside the established classics. Boring family get-together coming up? Set up the camcorder and stick this on. You'll have enough YouTube moments to keep you and your mates in stitches for years.
Listen: www.madness.co.uk
Tracklist:
1. One Step Beyond
2. Baggy Trousers
3. House of Fun
4. Our House
5. Embarrassment
6. My Girl
7. It Must Be Love
8. Wings Of A Dove
9. The Sun And The Rain
10. Grey Day
11. NW5
12. Cardiac Arrest
13. Tomorrow's Just Another Day
14. Driving In My Car
15. Bed and Breakfast Man
16. Lovestruck
17. One Better Day
18. Michael Caine
19. The Return of the Los Palmas 7
20. The Prince
21. Shut Up
22. Madness
23. Night Boat to Cairo
Review - People In Planes - Beyond The Horizon
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5 out of 10
As a group, People In Planes have been around for about ten years now (although not as this band specifically, having previously been known as Robots In the Sky, then Tetra Splendour), and also have the (nowadays pretty ubiquitous) music business qualification of being formerly signed to a major label. This experience, combined with the efforts of four separate producers across this release, means that on a technical level, the sound is pretty faultless. I specify that 'technical' bit because on a personal level, it does nothing for me. Yes, it's polished - big and ballsy when it needs to be, melodious and delicate at other points, but just about every other mainstream rock band these days has the (Pro-)tools required to get the same effect, so there also needs to be some tunes to back up the studio wizardry. Tracklist:
Unfortunately in this instance, there aren't tunes, but a seemingly never-ending succession of reference points. 'Last Man Standing' begins as a Beck/Moby dance-rock number with a quick diversion into Biffy Clyro wig-out territory, before 'Mayday (M'aidez)' has a go at mixing Muse's stadium-prog with Linkin Park's downtuned beats. Then we have 'Get on the Flaw' which sounds like Justin Timberlake and Timbaland deciding to rock out. Or, to put it more simply - very Maroon 5. And that's just the opening three tracks. Over the other nine, I'd probably have to mention Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Chris Cornell fronting Incubus, Pearl Jam, Ash, Coldplay channelling Massive Attack, Lostprophets and Newton Faulkner.
I suppose if you're the sort of person who says "I'll listen to anything really" when asked about your favourite music (although we all know you mean to say "Virgin radio"), you could do worse than to pick this up. If you're after something more niche, you'll have to look elsewhere.
1. Last Man Standing
2. Mayday (M'aidez)
3. Get on the Flaw
4. Pretty Buildings
5. Better Than Life
6. Flesh and Blood
7. Beyond the Horizon
8. Know By Now
9. Tonight The Sun Will Rise
10. I Wish You'd Fall Apart
11. Vampire
12. Evil With You
Review - Shane Meadows - Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee
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8 out of 10
Who can help but unwittingly fall under Le Donk's spell, rough charms n' all, as you tail the cameras following the rock roadie's quest for stardom via rapping, 'protégée' and sidekick, Scor-zay-zee.
Indirectly revealing too much about himself, Le Donk is unstoppable as film heroes go through his wavering optimism. Whether he's spouting expletives, sharing less-than-flattering sexual anecdotes, embracing rock and roll clichés or insulting all around him, it's all too 'real' and comical.
Shane Meadows' rockumentary is the first from a series of Five Day Features, a movement created by the film's director, and Mark Herbert to be released by Warp Films. Set in Northern England, the film features Paddy Considine as Le Donk aka Nicholas, and Olivia Colman of Peep Show fame as Le Donk's long suffering and heavily pregnant now ex-partner, while Scor-zay-zee aka Dean, Director, Shane Meadows and The Arctic Monkeys all play themselves, of course.
Music, film and bleak humour, a sure-fire combination!
Tracklist:
Review - Animal Kingdom - Tin Man (Single)
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7 out of 10
I suppose it would only be right to stick this at the poppier end of 'landfill' indie, if only because it's on Warner Brothers so they'll inevitably piss thousands away producing too many CDs, then blame it all on Internet piracy. In an ideal world, those CDs would get sold, since it's a decent enough tune. The music could easily have come from Coldplay, Doves, Elbow, or dozens of other white boys with guitars, but the vocals add a level of melancholy, with echoes of Neil Tennant sounding even more delicate and quite effeminate on the choruses.
A worthy addition to a summer evening mix.
Listen: www.myspace.com/weareanimalkingdom
Tracklist:
1. Tin Man
Review - Airpeople - The Golden City
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7 out of 10
In the absence of a new release from Tortoise (well, OK, Beacons of Ancestorship arrived in June but that was. . .well, in June), you could do a lot worse than pick up this debut from a quartet of merry Germans. They distil the venerable Chicago collective's more bouncy moments into an entire album. There are more relaxed and subtle times (San Juan, for example, but even that has some driving thumps) but, for the most part, it's a bit of a rollercoaster. Mogwai on speed is another image which may spring to mind. Excellent sounds abound - if you're going to sound like someone, you might as well sound like the best.
Listen: www.myspace.com/airpeopleairpeople
Tracklist:
1. Golden City
2. Amsterdam
3. Denver
4. San Juan
5. Mombasa
6. Le Mans
7. Saigon
8. Glasgow
9. Stockholm
Review - The Medullary Paralysis - We Don’t Drink, We Don’t Take Drugs, We Don’t Have Sex, We Feel Compassion
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4 out of 10
The Medullary Paralysis seems to realise and relish that they are somewhat difficult to pigeon hole. They also seem to be aware of the tension this position creates between discovering ’the new sound’ and actually finding an audience who want to listen to it.
By way of a cryptic clue they present us with the following manifesto; "You have an out-of-body experience when we mix The Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn Manson. And Tears for Fears too. Indie industrial glam on the dance floor." (The Medullary Paralysis: 2009 http://themedullaryparalysis.com)
If you can possibly picture in your minds ears this cocktail, then play over the top of it Placebo, Aphex Twin, My Bloody Valentine and The Prodigy then you can start to find a way into The Medullary Paralysis. There are no quiet/loud contrasts or tension building progressions here; in fact there are no choruses, verses or other structural elements either just an unrelenting blitz of sound.
It is surprising then that this record starts to come together in places into a listenable whole, moments of Heaven Forbid in particular are quite beautiful (when the Tears for Fears comes through). In this way We Don’t Drink, We Don’t Take Drugs, We Don’t Have Sex, We Feel Compassion has the distinct vibe of a first E.P, the band's sound is developing but still needs refinements to distinguish it from being a noisy, 90’s industrial rehash.
If the purple latex clad love child of the above bands sounds like your ideal dance partner then The Medullary Paralysis should be on your radar. For this reviewer however they are slightly too much substance and not enough style.
Listen: www.myspace.com/medullaryparalysis
Tracklist:
1. Compassion On The Dance Floor
2. Fashion Slave
3. Heaven Forbid
Review - Vegas Nights - Touch And Feel (Single)
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4 out of 10
I don't know about you, but when a band kicks off their PR with how big they are in Japan, alarm bells sound in my head. Well, I say 'big' but Vegas Nights don't even say that, really - they 'have the Japanese music market watching their moves'. Whatever that means. They do sound like a band that would be popular there, though, what with their breezy melodies and ba-ba-ba harmonies. If a real Japanese band covers either tune on here, I can see them ending up on the soundtrack of the next Katamari game. As for the original (Scottish) band, they're pleasant enough, if a bit turgid in places. Watch this space - if it's not already on a plane to Tokyo.
Listen: www.myspace.com/vegasnights06
Tracklist:
1. Touch And Feel
2. It Came As No Surprise
Review - Humanzi - Bass Balls (Single)
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8 out of 10
After a few years away, these Dublin rockers have finally returned with new material, after moving their base of operations to Berlin. I don't really know why - I suppose they wanted to help give us reviewers an opening sentence.
Bass Balls kicks us off with a rumbling guitar and frantic drums, like BRMC or a darker QOTSA, but with a nod to Ministry and other industrial fare. It's all over in under three minutes, but the rhythm instantly gets under your skin, so you'll have to go back for another listen soon enough.
As if to point out the bands' versatility, the B-side is considerably more epic, stretching to over seven minutes long. The 'neu' should give you a hint that it's a bit more of a krautrock number, with an ever-present synth line running through it as it strolls along, or (more appropriately I suppose) swaggers like Kasabian, instead of racing to the finish.
Listen: www.myspace.com/humanzi
Tracklist:
1. Bass Balls
2. Neu Tune
Review - Falcongate - Disappear Here
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7 out of 10
Breaking with my usual review format, I'm going to have my moan first, rather than later. The vocals on the last track of this album are autotuned. Why? Why subject me to that god-awful, electronic, Cher-warble? It shits all over an otherwise decent pop-punk tune that your Fall Out Boys and All Time Lows would give their back teeth for. And it's not even subtle; the notes are all over the place, so I can only assume it's meant to be a joke. But, since it's just one track, tacked on to the end of an album, it's a piss poor joke, so just leave it to the guys who do the internet news thing next time. Or Kanye.
So, now I've got that out of my system- yeah, aside from that one track, I can't really complain. Most of the tunes reside at the pop-punk end of the spectrum - 'When You Leave' even has a bit of a New Found Glory nasal delivery, but it does occasionally veer into more hardcore/streetpunk territory, mostly through the backing vocals of Andris and new addition Sosa. 'Eyes like Bullets' could be Anti-Flag if it was more politically minded, and the breakdown opening and screams on the choruses of 'Dig Out My Grave' made me think of A Wilhelm Scream.
It's not so bad, but whether they can get the coverage they deserve in such an over-saturated genre is unfortunately debatable. Good luck though.
Listen: www.myspace.com/falcongate
Tracklist:
1. Where's The Beat
2. The Pledge And The Turn
3. The Worst Time For Me To Speak
4. Eyes Like Bullets
5. Jump The Border
6. Die For Roosevelt
7. Alone Tonight
8. Dig Out My Grave
9. Fanatics And Saints
10. When You Leave
11. Credits
Review - The Scratch - You Want The World (Single)
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4 out of 10
This band wants to be the Buzzcocks so hard it hurts. Trouble is, they sound just a bit too cool for their own good - if this song is anything to go by, anyway. There's a nice ironic touch, as they sing about how ungrateful and selfish and derivative we all are, wanting everything and moaning when we don't ever get it. They say the right things in their PR, too, about being DIY and punk and all that. I can only hope they have a bit more fire playing live - recorded, it all sounds too staid, stompy and slow. Pete Shelley and co. were never that.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thescratch
Tracklist:
1. You Want The World
Review - Stop Eject - The Retirement of Intelsat 3R / I Am A Social Network (Single)
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8 out of 10
Stop Eject plough the same fertile bass driven land as Joy Division and Pavement before them, fusing dark rhythms with splashes of 6 string explosions to create unpredictable and jarring thigh twitchers.
This double A side accomplishes the often sought yet rarely wrought combination of emotionally thoughtful whilst still being danceable Indie rock. The almost Ian Curtis-esque vocals of Robert Enola (I wonder how the Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark would describe him?) help to raise Stop Eject into the atmospheric realm just out of reach of their prole-like listeners.
Compelling and threatening - Stop Eject, hold above head and worship.
Listen: www.myspace.com/stopejectmusic
Tracklist:
1. The Retirement of Intelsat 3R
2. I Am A Social Network
Review - The Brothers Movement - Standing Still (Single)
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5 out of 10
This band are 'ushering in a new era of Brit-pop', apparently. One from Dublin, in fact. And one which sounds suspiciously like all the other 'Brit-Pop' eras, i.e. slightly psychedelic tuneage (leaning quite heavily towards the Black Rebel boys, if this single's anything to go by - top 'Brit-Pop', there) with Ashcroft / Power vocals. It's alright (good grief, I'm going 'Brit-Pop', now) but not so long ago there was a band like this in every pub in England. I blame the resurgence of My Bloody Valentine, et. al. And Doctor Who. Him and his blue box.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thebrothersmovement
Tracklist:
1. Standing Still
2. Lay Alone
Review - Various - My Friend Eject - Digital Love EP/ No Hope Astronaut - Exits Fade EP
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7 out of 10
My Friend Eject<./b> - Digital Love EP
It all started so well. OK not well but alright; combining Iron Maiden style riffs with the less punky elements of The Rise, unfortunately that is where it all goes downhill with the introduction of Chad Kroeger or that bloke from Creed opening their lungs and defecating some truly awful lyrics into that musical melting pot.
I can only assume that the "you" that Carlo Rinaldi (yes the culprit has been identified) warbles about in More Ice is himself because "Sometimes your wrong, you don't know nothing" is surely the musings of someone who don't done English proper. It is always impressively shambolic when the realisation creeps in that at no point in the creative process did someone take the perpetrator to one side and calmly inform them that what they are doing is just a bit shit.
The unfortunate thing in this scenario is that it leaves a sour taste in the ears which can only reflect on the band as a whole. Come one, come all is also true antithetically.
In attempting to deliberately combine the different elements of the bands that they love, they have managed to create something not quite as good as any of them (a remarkable task considering Enter Shikari appear on their list of influences). Surely they should have realised that any music they make would naturally take on aspects of any culture they have sponged up, without deliberately choosing to pick individual tools to chuck in their toy box.
Now I'll use my friend eject.
Score = 4/10 (My Friend Eject)
No Hope Astronaut - Exits Fade EP
NHA have forged a sound that definitely reeks of those Scots with a penchant for Cliff Richard biros, although this is certainly more There's No Such Thing as a Jagged Snake than Machines. Glassjaw main man Daryl Palumbo has quite distinctly had a smidgen of an effect on vocalist Joe Dowling, which is in no way a bad thing - in fact it adds a sense of urgency to the frankly fulsome sound of this three piece.
Rock Sound's claim of transformation "into true British emo pioneers" is something I do have to disagree with though, as it is a tag that has been bandied around far too much; I mean calling My Chemical Romance emo is like saying Pink Floyd invented reggae. The term emo should have this thick scummy growth brushed off it and be reserved for bands such as Pavement or Jimmy Eat World with whom it was first used describing their emotional rock. No Hope Astronaut's sound is more akin to that of Hell is for Heroes or Funeral for a Friend (post-hardcore or post-Refused for all you genre junkies).
Thankfully these London upstarts come as a breath of fresh air after the faintly smug, stale pong of the first three tracks from city and studio mates My Friend Eject
Score = 7/10 (No Hope Astronaut)
Listen: www.myspace.com/myfriendeject / http://www.myspace.com/nohopeastronaut
Tracklist:
1. Digital Love
2. More Ice
3. Army of One
4. Split The Sky
5. Harpoon Tragedy
6. Into The Fire
Review - Meretto - Devotion (Single)
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4 out of 10
Hailing from the home of the infamous Reading Festival, which is strangely devoid of books - a point which becomes all too apparent once Meretto have trudged their enervating new single against your auricle.
Essentially a two-piece, although the skin bothering services of Steve Hughes are enlisted for session services, Meretto encapsulate the commercial strand of Indie rock that has been made worryingly wonted by the likes of Hard Fi and Snow Patrol.
Guitarist Stu Bell has previously had experience as a weatherman, which is likely to stand him in good stead for to recognise the impending overcast, grey musical skyline that Meretto are adding to. In a time where the saturation of sound-a-like bands (coupled with the ongoing illegal downloading saga) means that characterless derivative music is unlikely to last longer than a Warhol quarter of an hour, one would assume that a desire to elevate their music above the clan would be inherent. Unfortunately for Meretto (as good intentioned and honest as they may be) their music only manages to heighten my blood pressure as an overly familiar clang of jangly chords echo for the millionth time this decade through an already agitated mind.
In addendum before I click send - whoever wrote "Meretto mix the verbose vitriol of early 'Manics', the taut energy of 'At The Drive-In'." should have their ears besieged by bayonets, as none of this is evident on the three track single that has left my insides feeling like a trip to the clinic may well be necessary.
Listen: www.myspace.com/meretto
Tracklist:
1. Devotion
2. Caesium Baby
3. A Kiss
Review - Hreda - Minnows (Single)
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9 out of 10
So rare is it to find a sound as full as that displayed by Hreda, then take into account that this is only a 3 pronged attack, a trio of members and well, the awe meter fills right up.
Musically and, I suppose, ideologically Hreda stomp in the same ground as Explosions in the Sky, Grails and Mountains. Their oneiric blend of stratified guitar and pummelling rhythm transcend all these post-rock stalwarts and carve a new gulley the likes of Mogwai (in their more blissful moments) and Red Sparowes would shed skin for.
Highly commended, dazzling and reposeful - ignore Hreda at your own peril.
Listen: www.myspace.com/hreda
Tracklist:
1. Minnows
2. Dead Horses
Review - Fabio Orsi & Seaworthy - Near and Faraway
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9 out of 10
A split album as split albums should be - a collaboration of thoughts and emotions bound together in a river of notes and sounds. Split is quite clearly the wrong word as Near and Faraway is about bridging the gap of time and space (something that we have never lived in a better era to do).
Ambience as ambient should be; soft, gentle, swaying, pierced by breathing peaks and sighs. Evening by Evening comes from Fabio Orsi (the northern hemispheres representative) and is a forlornly uplifting mesh of guitars, keyboards and samples that blend and weave together forming a dense yet therapeutic sound that blows into your ear like the fresh salty sea air on a glitteringly golden day. Precious and permissive.
The title track is perfectly sandwiched between each acts 'solo' (so to speak) effort and is an amalgamation of rushing guitars and soaring drones - an instrumental Jesu sans beats. This does not so much attack the senses as glide along them, flirtatiously flicking its hair and beckoning with the slow motion curling of a glistening finger. Birds chirruping at the ten minute mark announce the arrival of Explosions in the Sky type reverb drenched guitar work that threatens to spill its murky waters on this glacier like canvas. Embracing an aesthetic that is as much about patience as it is the journey; each modulation becomes a pair of ankle-wings lifting you at every step. They have successfully created music to fill the gulf between their respective nations and in doing so a sound as enveloping as Sunn0))) has been born, in fact you could argue this is the Yang to Sunn0)))'s Yin, which of course suggests that they both contain small elements of each other (Alice per example).
Branch and Stone - the third track on this album is certainly a darker affair as heavy feedback oscillates, playing around at the lower ends of the scale, occasionally heading to brown note territory but never without due care and always leaning to invite the listener on.
Thoughtful and tribadistic.
Listen: www.myspace.com/orisfabio & www.myspace.com/backgroundfrequencies
Tracklist:
1. Evening by Evening
2. Near and Faraway
3. Branch and Stone
Review - Bleech - The Worthing Song (Single)
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3 out of 10
I am intrigued by the naming of this second single from Bleech (a misspelled homage to Nirvana? Actually that would be a fitting review in itself) mostly because the titular sea-side retirement town is the place I call home and I'm struggling to find any similarities between 'Gods waiting room' and the formulaic, risk free pule that Bleech flog. Scratch that, I can definitely see the similarities now between that which is depressingly generic, brimming with clichés, a faux middle class pikey's wet dream and Worthing.
Bleech write edgeless rock that sits somewhere between Nirvana, The Vines and the cutting room floor of Cave In's Antennas album. How fitting then that the have been hailed as Lauren Laverne's 'new favourite band' which, I've been told, is an accolade. B side Mondays displays the typically empty false discernment that has been a cornerstone of the mill that is modern British Indie for far too long. "I'm happy when I'm sad" a lyric flecked with self worth, that a certain Mr Wilde (former inhabitant of side A's weed town) would no doubt balk at. Although another Worthing bred band (The Ordinary Boys) would probably lap it up like the fame hungry whores they are.
A little incendiary? Perhaps. Jealous? It sounds like it. Tired of this musical Groundhog Day? Certainly. Hopefully Bleech's "gutsy live performances" will drag their heads above the waterline, for their sake.
Listen: http://www.myspace.com/bleech
Tracklist:
1. The Worthing Song
2. Mondays
Review - Mimes Of Wine - Apocalypse Sets In
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6 out of 10
Comparisons to Tori Amos are expected when listening to Mimes of Wine, but after repeat listens to the haunting "Apocalypse Sets In" it becomes apparent that unlike the cornflake girl there is a more of a twisted beauty to her vocals that could compared to Joanna Newsome or Diamandas Galas; who personally scares the bejebus out of me!
The main thing the listener will notice is the ambient scratching and tinkering that fills any gap in the music. Add to this a wide range of instruments (which if I listed here, would take up most of the review) that envelop Laura's vocals which drift in and out of the foreground like the tide on a moonlit beach. Her voice is stunning and at times has a touch of Jeff Buckley to it (especially the track "Long Listing Road") and a touch of "psycho ex" to it.
"Vernal" is a highlight, maybe because its one of the only tracks with a recognisable melody and actual beat, apart from "Oberkampf" which has an odd ragtime skiffle interlude. The final track "Fishes" builds up to a climax of clanging metal, her voice intertwined with clarinet and kept in place with a fast beat.
I imagine Mime of Wine would be very good live, stumbled upon in a basement bar after too much Absinthe, becoming completely engrossed by her tales of loss and despair.
Finishing the album the listener is left thinking "Oh, ok. Was that it?!" as the lack of cohesion in songs does let the album down in places, as each song meanders to its conclusion.
Mimes of Wine are very much a late night, music to drift off to, kind of band. You will probably have uneasy dreams, but you can always wake up... unlike Laura who sounds like she's trapped in limbo and quite enjoying it.
Listen: www.myspace.com/mimesofwine
Tracklist:
1. Julius
2. K
3. Bolivar
4. Gozo
5. Vernal
6. Long Lifting Road
7. Oberkampf
8. From a forsaken bow
9. Moth
10. Fishes
Review - Trail - Prism (Single)
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5 out of 10
Alt-Indie rockers Trail bring you "Prism", the first single from their Matt Wallace-produced debut album. Very reminiscent of 90's alt-rockers Live, Trail is an indie band with big ideas and "Prism" shows their Coldplay-with-balls credentials off perfectly. As to why Matt "Faith No More" Wallace chose to work with them, I'm not quite sure. This is guy who produced the demented "Angel Dust"! Oh and "Songs About Jane" by Maroon 5.....Cha-ching!!
See you on MTV boys!
Listen: www.myspace.com/trailmusic
Tracklist:
1. Prism
Review - The Hush Now - Hoping & Waiting (Single)
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6 out of 10
"Hoping & Waiting" by The Hush Now sounds like the mid-90's British indie scene all wrapped into one Boo Radley's b-side. I like the bass and the chorus is catchy I just missed the boat that was sailing to twee Teenage Twatclub/Belle and Bullshit land, probably why this isn't doing it for me. The opera singing that appears at the end along with a Beatles-y parping trumpet is a nice touch and the song probably sounds better as part of the album; and I hope someone somewhere likes it.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thehushnow
Tracklist:
1. Hoping & Waiting
News - Propagandhi / Protest The Hero / Strike Anywhere Tour!
Propagandhi, Protest The Hero and Strike Anywhere will be touring the UK in November/December on the following dates:
30.11.09 UK London Koko
01.12.09 UK Leeds Rios
02.12.09 UK Cardiff Coal Exchange
03.12.09 Ireland Dublin Village
05.12.09 Ireland Belfast Limelight - TBC
06.12.09 UK Edinburgh Studio 24 (HMV Picture House)
07.12.09 UK Bournemouth Academy
08.12.09 UK Nottingham Rock City
News - Get Your Milk and Honey From The Chemists...
The Chemists will release their new single "Milk and Honey" on the 26th of October through Distiller Records on 7" vinyl and digital download.
The single is taken from their debut album "The Theories of Dr. Lovelock", which will be released on the 2nd of November through Distiller Records also.
News - 30 Seconds To Mars One-Off London Show
30 Seconds To Mars have announced a one-off show in the UK at London’s Koko on the 16th of November.
Tickets, priced at £17.50, will go on sale on the 2nd of October and will be available from:
London Koko - 0870 0600 100
24hr cc hotline: 0871 2200 260 / www.gigsandtours.com
http://www.gigsandtours.com/?a=thirty+seconds+to+mars&site=thirtysecondstomars
Their new album "This Is War" will be released on the 23rd of November.
News - The Ghost Of A Thousand: Knees, Toes, Teeth
The Ghost Of A Thousand will release their new single "Knees, Toes, Teeth" on the 2nd of November through Epitaph Records.
Eastpak Antidote live dates (with Alexisonfire, Anti-Flag and Four Years Strong):
7 Oct 2009 JUNCTION: Cambridge
8 Oct 2009 UEA: Norwich
9 Oct 2009 ACADEMY: Oxford
10 Oct 2009 ROCK CITY: Nottingham
11 Oct 2009 ANSON ROOMS: Bristol
13 Oct 2009 CONCORDE 2 Brighton
14 Oct 2009 HMV FORUM: London
16 Oct 2009 ABC: Glasgow
17 Oct 2009 UNIVERSITY: Leeds
18 Oct 2009 ACADEMY: Manchester
20 Oct 2009 ACADEMY: Birmingham
21 Oct 2009 PYRAMID CENTRE: Portsmouth
23 Oct 2009 DEN ATELIER Luxembourg
24 Oct 2009 POSTBAHNHOF: Berlin
25 Oct 2009 ROXY: Prague
27 Oct 2009 WERK 2: Leipzig
28 Oct 2009 LONGHORN: Stuttgart
29 Oct 2009 BACKSTAGE WERK: Munich
30 Oct 2009 Z7: Pratteln
1 Nov 2009 GASOMETER: Vienna
2 Nov 2009 Musicdrome: Milan
4 Nov 2009 L'ESPACE JULIEN: Marseille
5 Nov 2009 APOLO: Barcelona
6 Nov 2009 JOY ESALVA: Madrid
7 Nov 2009 KAFE ANTZOKI Bilbao
9 Nov 2009 ELYSEE MONMARTE: Paris
10 Nov 2009 SCHLACHTHOF Wiesbaden
12 Nov 2009 HOF TER LO Antwerp
13 Nov 2009 E WERK: Koln
14 Nov 2009 MELKWEG: Amsterdam
15 Nov 2009 DOCKS: Hamburg
17 Nov 2009 BREW HOUSE: Gothenburg
18 Nov 2009 KLUBBEN: Stockholm
20 Nov 2009 RYTMIKORJAAMO: Seinajoki
21 Nov 2009 NOSTURI: Helsinki
News - Sound Of Guns - Elementary Of Youth EP
Sound Of Guns will release their new EP "Elementary Of Youth" on the 26th of October through Distiller Records as 7" vinyl and digital download.
Track Listing:
1. Elementary of Youth
2. Lightspeed
3. Dead Sea Scrolls
4. Gallantry
Live dates:
September
Mon 28th Stoke Sugarmill
Tues 29th Nottingham Social
Wed 30th London Borderline w/People In Planes
October
Fri 2nd Cambridge Junction
Sun 4th Brighton Engine Rooms
Mon 5th Norwich Arts Centre
Wed 7th Southampton Joiners w/Little Comets
Thur 8th Cardiff Barfly
Fri 9th London Barfly w/ Doll & The Kicks
Sat 10th Birmingham Flapper
Sun 11th York Fibbers
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Review - Take It Back! - Rumors Of Revolt
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7 out of 10
Politically charged music can come in a few packages. The artistes can either express their words in song - coming straight to the point. Or pepper their songs with bland anti-statements about nothing - preferring to stand on stages and witter on aimlessly about the plight of the hamster. I’m mentioning no names here... and it has nothing to do with Irish rockstars.
Thankfully Take it Back! Have decided to wear their heart on their lyrical sleeves and say what they actually think. Destined to be compared to Rise Against and Anti-Flag by lazy reviewers, TIB take their ideas in a slightly different direction.
The messages are simple - backed up with simplicity - not wanting to cloud a message with wasted rhetoric. In places the delivery feels off - and the Black Flag cover verges on parody in places but mostly it’s a decent release.
Listen: http://www.myspace.com/takeitbackar
Tracklist:
1. New Empires
2. What Are We Fighting For?
3. American Fantasy
4. Rise Above
5. To Burn Again
News - La Circa New EP
La Circa released their debut EP a few weeks ago entitled "Whisper Your Fate" and are in the studio now putting the finishing touches on another EP. This next EP will be released exclusively to the digital world later in the year through Negative Progression Records.
News - The Subtle Way: Thus Far, The Channels Speak
The Subtle Way have finished recording their new album with producer Casey Bates and it will be called "Thus Far, The Channels Speak" and released through Negative Progression Records.
Track Listing:
1. Intro/Hard Wired And Inspired
2. You And What Army?
3. The Breath And The Breathing
4. The Getaway
5. Clockwork
6. This Ain’t No Fashion Show
7. The Archer And The Allibi
8. Delayed Reflections
9. The Pride In The Print
10. Bolder Than Boulders
11. Interlude/Where Cowards Hide
News - Down For The Count Update
Down For The Count have sadly split up and here’s an update from the group:
"Hey, everyone! Hope you’re doing well - more importantly, hope you enjoyed your summer!! Just wanted to get in touch with you all and let you know that we are still alive and loving every one of you. We’re definitely taking a break from playing music to get our personal lives in order, but we haven’t forgotten you or the love!! A few things: 1. We have posted our debut album "Broken Record Tactics" up on iTunes, so PLEASE help us out and pick that up if you haven’t already. It’s got 3 BONUS TRACKS of unreleased songs from our old OLD stash of songs. Hope you guys enjoy :) 2. We’re selling our VAN AND TRAILER, so if you’re in a band, definitely read our blog about it. All the info is there, and you can email us at down4thecount@hotmail.com for more info/details. Keep in touch, everyone!! <3, Nate"
News - Hellogoodbye Video + Free EP
Hellogoodbye has a brand new music video for their new song "When We First Met" up here: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63495018
The band will be releasing a Free EP for "When We First Met" which includes, the MP3, an iPod-sized version of the video, plus the b-side "Not Ever Coming Home." The EP will be sent out via the band’s newsletter on Tuesday, September 29. To receive the EP, fans can simply sign-up for the band’s newsletter before Tuesday, here: www.hellogoodbye.net
News - Dead By April UK Tour + Digital Single
Dead By April will tour with Skindred on the following dates:
30/09 - Norwich, Waterfront
1/10 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
2/10 - Manchester, Club Academy
3/10 - Leeds, Cockpit
4/10 - Newcastle, Academy 2
5/10 - Glasgow, ABC 2
7/10 - Stoke, Sugarmill
8/10 - Sheffield, The Corporation
9/10 - Northampton, Roadmender
10/10 - Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
11/10 - Cardiff, University Solus
12/10 - Oxford, Academy 2
13/10 - Bristol, Academy 2
15/10 - Falmouth, Pavillions
19/10 - Brighton, Concorde 2
20/10 - London, Electric Ballroom
21/10 - London, Monto Water Rats
The band have also scheduled an in-store appearance at Avalanche Records in Glasgow on October 5th at 4:30 pm. The store is situated at 34 Dundas Street, Glasgow G1 2AQ, 150 yards from Queen St. Station and Buchanan St. Underground Station.
They will be releasing a digital single "Angels of Clarity" on the 28th of September through Spinefarm Records UK.
News - Hassle & Vagrant Free Sampler
Hassle and Vagrant records have teamed up to giveaway a free sampler from artists on their rosters:
Track Listing:
Thrice - ’All The World Is Mad’
Spinnerette - ’Rebellious Palpatations’
Tubelord - ’He Awoke On A Bench In Abergavenny’
August Burns Red - ’Meddler’
HORSE The Band - ’Arrive’
Four Year Strong - ’Semi-Charmed Life’
Sparks The Rescue - ’Autumn’
Blakfish - ’Economics’
FACT - ’Reborn’
A Skylit Drive - ’Those Cannons Could Sink A Ship’
Trash Talk - ’Dead End Road’
The sampler can be downloaded from www.hasslerecords.com
All the bands releases can be found at http://hasslerecords.sandbag.uk.com and http://vagrant.sandbag.uk.com
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Review - HORSE the band - Desperate Living
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8 out of 10
HORSE the Band is band that has many misconceptions surrounding them. The term 'nintendo-core' and frequent comparisons to Enter Shikari are often used to describe the Southern California quartet. Despite being pigeon-holed in this way by some, HTB remain cult favourites with their quirky, intelligent and yet ever so brutal sound. And four albums in, and Desperate Living shows no sign of them letting up.
The static-charged spazz of opening track Cloudwalker shows HORSE the Band are still one of the nuttiest around. Between the jarring synth and sample interludes and almost angular guitarwork are gang vocals and beatdowns a-plenty. At times the album sounds like a sordid affair between Mike Patton and John Williams with the Dillinger Escape Plan looking on waiting to cause more havoc.
This is chaos contained displayed in 8-bit without being too over the top and cheesy with electronics. If Kirby was ever recorded whilst under the influence of crack this would be the outcome. An album that sucks you in and sends you on a mini-head trip. Punishing, yet forward thinking.
Listen: www.myspace.com/horsetheband
Tracklist:
1. Cloudwalker
2. Desperate Living
3. The Failure Of All Things
4. HORSE the song
5. Science Police
6. Shapeshift
7. Between The Trees
8. Golden Mummy Golden Bird
9. Lord Gold Wand of Unyielding
10. Big Business
11. Rape Escape
12. Arrive
Review - Arch Enemy - The Root Of All Evil
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6 out of 10
Arch Enemy - You probably know who they are by now. They’ve been poking sharp sticks at the mainstream for a while, getting good exposure with some very good singles and some decent albums, which for an extreme metal band is a damn good achievement.
So in time honoured tradition they’ve grabbed an idea off Anthrax (and possibly a few other bands who escape my addled brains), taken a load of old tracks off their first albums and re-recorded them with new vocals, some new basslines and generally smartened up the production a bit in places.
Though I do understand the idea behind this, getting old tracks out to a new audience, reworking them so they can be played live etc.. It just doesn’t quite translate. The change in vocals from the old songs are evident (having listened to both) but the other aspects seem a bit superfluous - the bass is pretty much the same and I really prefer the older feel of the songs.
Really, a decent idea (though a little bit pointless), executed OK, but not really doing anything amazing.
Listen: www.myspace.com/archenemy
Tracklist:
1. The Root of All Evil (Intro)
2. Beast Of Man
2. The Immortal
3. Diva Satanica
4. Demonic Silence
5. Bury Me An Angel
6. Dead Inside
7. Dark Insanity
8. Pilgrim
9. Demoniality
10. Transmigration Macabre
11. Silverwing
12. Bridge Of Destiny
Review - Bat For Lashes - Sleep Alone / Moon and Moon (Single)
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6 out of 10
Beauty and the Beast seems to be the best analogy for this Bat for Lashes double A side.
Both tracks return the listener to Natasha Khan’s mystical faerie land, her ethereal vocals weaving images of gothic romance. Contrast the pounding sea shanty of Sleep Alone with the vulnerable ballad of Moon and Moon and this effect is further heightened, the tracks start to feel less like Pop music and more like Folk campfire story telling. Here lies the problem.
Sleep Alone/Moon and Moon feel, even on first listen, unfinished, like reading only chapter 2 of a novel. Pulled from Khan’s second Album Two Suns, Sleep Alone and Moon and Moon are just a section of a much larger story, taking the tracks out of the context feels almost brutal. This leaves the highlight moments of the tracks feeling isolated; Sleep Alone in particular falls just shy of being a highly danceable, if unusual, Pop song as it fails to progress anywhere.
If Melodramatic, Electronica infused Folk storytelling is your thing then delve into Khan's new album Two Suns and leave Sleep Alone and Moon and Moon where they should be; in the album.
Listen: www.myspace.com/batforlashes
Tracklist:
1. Sleep Alone
2. Moon and Moon
Review - Lethal Bizzle - Going Out Tonight (Single)
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8 out of 10
The first time I heard of Lethal Bizzle was in 2002 when he broke onto the music scene with "Oi" with the More Fire Crew. There was no doubt that the free flowing rapper from Walthamstow, East London had bags of talent.
Within that seven-year period Lethal Bizzle has emerged as a solo artist and is now making a huge impact being respected as one of the best in the Grime scene.
Lethal Bizzle is set to release the second single to be taken from his forthcoming third album. "Going Out Tonight" will be released on September 21st on the Search and Destroy label, on CD, as well as a download bundle.
I have always been a fan of Lethal Bizzle, so when I had the chance to review this single which I had not heard previously, I was eager to hear the musical approach that he would be taking for the foreseeable future.
I had high hopes for the new single and if I am totally honest my expectations were exceeded. Lethal Bizzle already has a large fan base but I believe that "Going Out Tonight" will appeal to a wider audience, and could even open up a direction towards the dance scene for him. As I mentioned earlier, Lethal Bizzle has plenty of talent, which seems to be growing by the years, and mixed with the beat from this single everything fits together perfectly. I would even call the collaboration between the producer and artist a masterpiece. With a deep bass-line that would get anybody in the party mood I can see this taking off especially in the club scene around the UK. With the title of the track being "Going Out Tonight" I can only assume that Lethal Bizzle has hit his targets in targeting the dance scene as noted earlier. If this single takes off, fans will be awaiting his next release, hoping it will be as big and catchy as this one.
One thing I would like to say is if you get the chance to have a listen to "Going Out Tonight", get hold of a copy and give it a chance. Although the Grime scene is not to everybody's taste, Lethal Bizzle has taken a different approach, and may well bring grime to the top rather than underground. You just might like it!
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do this review as am now anticipating the release of his awaited album "Go Hard" which will be released on October 5th, and includes work with producers Donaeo, Mark Ronson, Dexplicit, Youngstar and Gallows.
If "Going Out Tonight" is anything to go by then this will be Lethal Bizzle's biggest and best album to date.
Listen: www.myspace.com/lethalbizzlemusic
Tracklist:
1. Going Out Tonight (Original Radio Edit)
2. Going Out Tonight (The Real Funk Remix)
3. Going Out Tonight (RobotSonics Remix)
4. Going Out Tonight (DJ Raph Remix)
Review - Phonat - Phonat
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4 out of 10
Full-on Florentine Phonat has the jerk cognoscenti flocking to him, it would seem ('jerk' referring to that certain kind of night club dancer, you understand - I'm not in the habit of using American insults). They are attracted by his ability to stitch up 'every vein of dance music' into 'a panoply of chopped up riffs swirled around murky basslines.' Yes, I am quoting verbatim form the press release - what of it? It speaks the truth, here - Phonat does like taking his chopper to his beats, so to speak. Perhaps a bit too much. Indeed there is so much chopper beating off this album that the effect isn't startling (as it should be) but rather more like a toddler fiddling with a digital radio inside a washing machine.
This reaches its apotheosis (or nadir, depending on your viewpoint) with Learn to Recycle, which manages to compress an entire all-dayer into five and a half minutes. Ever had one of those days at work where you never want to see another Powerpoint presentation? Well this is the same, only with music. The final track is, at least, a fair approximation of London; loud, abrasive, generally obnoxious and full of itself.
Listen: www.phonat.net
Tracklist:
1. A Warm Welcome
2. Get Down My Dirty Street
3. Set Me Free
4. Ghetto Burning
5. Love Hits The Fan
6. Ho Visto Un Quadro Verde
7. It's For You
8. Learn to Recycle
9. Big Deal
10. Zombie Army
11. Bad Boy
12. London
Review - Coldplay - Strawberry Swing (Single)
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3 out of 10
I would love to have been a fly on the wall when it was decided to release Strawberry Swing as a single. I imagine it went something like this:
Proposer "Lets release Strawberry Swing as the 5th single from Viva La Vida."
Guy in meeting "Really?"
Proposer "Ya, why not if we chuck it out at the end of summer when the charts are dead it will sell a couple of copies and make a wedge of cash."
Guy in meeting 2 "But it's an album track that most people will skip because it is really slow and the lyrics are like candy-floss!"
Guy in meeting "But, it does have that sort of world music vibe that goes down well at the end of the summer when everyone wants to be nostalgic about the summer."
Proposer "Now you're talking and we can flog it with a nice animated, trippy music video."
Guy in meeting 2 "Well it really isn’t that bad it does have really nice production."
Proposer "It’s agreed then. Thank you very much gentlemen I will go and tell the band."
There is nothing really wrong with Strawberry Swing and Brian Eno’s production gives the song an interesting texture but this song drifts along like a late summer breeze and will be gone again just as quickly. The only reason to sit through this none event of a single is to watch the remarkable video that has been created to promote it, but for that just visit YouTube.
Listen: www.myspace.com/coldplay
Tracklist:
1. Strawberry Swing
Review - Gunner Sgt - ...Forever Is A Lie
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5 out of 10
I have a confession to make; I got so bored listening to the first track of this EP that I paused it and went for a dump.
Bowels voided I returned to three tracks taking-in undertones from most areas of grunge and metal without ever making anything truly surprising or compelling. ...Forever Is a Lie functions as a greatest bits tour of these genres with Gunner SGT failing to find a sound of their own. Taking in shades of A Perfect Circle, Incubus and Stone Sour, strained 100 Reason-esque vocals segue into Layne Staley territory, shot through with sub-Alice in Chains riffage and watered-down Zakk Wylde guitar squeals.
I'm not saying they're terrible; it's all competently played and neatly put together, but if you've got anything else pressing at your attention Gunner SGT won't keep you away from it and they certainly won't make your anal sphincter tighten the way great metal should.
A bit like: Enter Shikari getting slowly fisted by Down after they've all taken way too much ketamine.
Listen: www.myspace.com/gunnersgtband
Tracklist:
1. Why Are We Turning Back
2. Disorder
3. Eye
Review - Jack Butler - Surgery 1984 (Single)
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8 out of 10
Sounding like The Killers have snuck into a Dredg recording session to funk it up a bit, Jack Butler's latest single Surgery 1984 continues the infectious, foot-stomping drive of their previous effort; Hit it out the Park, Son with more subdued vocals.
Minus the shouty chorus of Hit it out... and bass dialled down a little, Surgery 1984 is a subtler, more melancholic track showing the Scottish four-piece have more strings to their guitar than many of their contemporaries.
Are they catchy enough for pop-rock, or quirky enough for alternative success? Biffy Clyro have managed to tread the line between the two and I hope Jack Butler can manage the same as they're one of the more interesting new bands I've heard this year.
For: People who find Minus the Bear too low-key or Arctic Monkeys emotionally bereft.
Not for: People who are easily genre-confused.
Listen: www.myspace.com/jackbutlerpresents
Tracklist:
1. Surgery 1984
2. This Soul Accelerates
News - Green Day: East Jesus Nowhere
Green Day will release their new single "East Jesus Nowhere" on the 19th of October. The track is lifted from their latest album "21st Century Breakdown" which is out now.
Live dates:
October
19th - Glasgow, SECC
23rd - London, O2
24th - London, O2
26th - Sheffield, Arena
27th - Birmingham, LG Arena
28th - Birmingham, LG Arena
30th - Manchester, MEN Arena
31st - Manchester, MEN Arena
November
1st - London, Wembley Arena (EXTRA DATE)
News - Erasure - Phantom Bride
Erasure release their new EP "Phantom Bride" on CD and download on the 12th of October.
"Phantom Bride" EP track listings:
CD
Phantom Bride - 2009 Re-master
Hallowed Ground - Vincent Clarke's Big-Mix
Chains Of Love - Almighty 12" Essential Mix
Phantom Bride - Ghostly Groom Dub by FrankMusik
A Little Respect - Wayne G & Alan Allder Hurdy Gurdy Club Mix
Heart Of Stone - Joebot's 'Ounce Of Bounce' Remix
Phantom Bride - Dogmatix's 12" Tearless Mix
Chains Of Love - Plastic Operator Remix
DOWNLOAD BUNDLE
Phantom Bride - 2009 Re-master
Hallowed Ground - Vincent Clarke's Big-Mix
Chains Of Love - Almighty 12" Definitive Mix
Phantom Bride - Ghostly Groom Dub by FrankMusik
A Little Respect - Wayne G & Alan Allder Hurdy Gurdy Club Mix
Heart Of Stone - Joebot's 'Ounce Of Bounce' Remix
Phantom Bride - Dogmatix's 12" Tearless Mix
Chains Of Love - Plastic Operator Remix
News - Scar Symmetry Full Album Stream
Scar Symmetry have just made their entire new album "Dark Matter Dimensions" available for streaming online at the bands MySpace profile. The album is due on the 5th of October through Nuclear Blast Records.
News - Mnemic Enter Studio
Mnemic have entered the studio to being recording their new album entitled "Sons Of The System" for a January 2010 release via Nuclear Blast Records.
The band states: "After a minor 2 year break from touring, we have returned to the studio, to record 15 brand new tracks. Our batteries are re-charged and we are extremely excited to let you all hear the new stuff. The material it self is a mixture of grind, rock, polyrhytmics, electronics and represents the sound of a more mature MNEMIC, at least in our humble opinion. Compared to the last album, the recordings will be kept completely on Danish soil. This time we are more within our own comfort zone, and will be working with the same dude that made us 2 great sounding albums in the past, which is none other than Tue Madsen, who is a really good friend and a great producer. The drums will be tracked at the Antfarm Studio, while guitars, bass and vocals will be immortalized at the bands own studio, under Tue's supervision. At the end of the recording process, electronics, mix and mastering will then again be handled at the Antfarm Studios. During the recording process we will try to keep you all updated on the progress via www.sonsofthesystem.com"
News - P.O.S. Support The King Blues
P.O.S. are supporting the King Blues on their upcoming tour:
1 Oct - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
2 Oct - Fiddlers, Bristol
3 Oct - Manchester Academy 2, Manchester
4 Oct - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
5 Oct - King Tuts, Glasgow
6 Oct - The Corporation, Sheffield
7 Oct - Academy 2, Birmingham
8 Oct - Academy 2, Oxford
News - blessthefall Album Medley
Submitted: "Listen to clips of every song off blessthefall’s upcoming album "Witness" on their MySpace. The album is released on the 6th of October through Fearless Records."
News - Every Avenue Pre-Order & New Song
Submitted: "Every Avenue is excited to announce their upcoming album Picture Perfect is now available for pre-order. There are a total of 6 unique pre-order packages including t-shirts, posters, limited edition custom film cameras and more! Special packages include the limited edition custom film camera filled with exclusive pictures of the band unique to each individual camera. Check out all the pre-order packages here (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=1190466&blogId=511430972) and pick the perfect one for you.
If you want to get a taste of their upcoming album, check out their newly released song "For Always, Forever" on their MySpace."
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
News - Spectrum 7 - Release Debut Album
Spectrum 7 will release their debut mini-album "So Silent The Night" digitally on iTunes and other major DSPs on the 26th of October through Xtra Mile Recordings.
Track Listing:
1. Blue Wray
2. Frozen
3. So Silent The Night
4. September
5. Everything I Learnt at School was a Lie
6. Glass Houses
7. Serafin
Live dates:
SEPTEMBER
26th - The Maze, Nottingham, Midlands
30th - Borderline, London supporting People In Planes
OCTOBER
5th - Subside Bar, Birmingham
7th - Black Market, Warsop
8th - Club Vertigo, Tamworth
9th - The Fishtank, Durham
10th - The Varsity, Wolverhampton
11th - Moles, Bath
14th - The Shed, Leicester
15th - Jilly's Rockworld, Manchester
17th - Alton Community Center , Alton
21st - 229, London
25th - The Cellar Bar, Bracknell
27th October - Jam, Brighton
News - W.A.S.P. Go Crazy!
W.A.S.P. will release their new single "Crazy" as a download on the 28th of September. The track is from their new album "Babylon" that will be available in the UK & Europe from the 12th of October.
Their scheduled UK shows are as follows:
27 Nov JB’s, Dudley, UK
28 Nov Rock City, Nottingham, UK
29 Nov Club Academy, Manchester, UK
30 Nov O2 Academy, Leeds, UK
01 Dec The Waterfront, Norwich, UK
02 Dec Shepherds Bush Empire, London, UK
03 Dec The Vice, Swansea, South Wales
04 Dec The Button Factory, Dublin, Ireland
05 Dec Hard Rock Hell Festival III, Prestatyn, North Wales
06 Dec The Garage, Glasgow, Scotland
News - The Beginning: The Used Music Video Collection
Submitted: "The Used have announced the release of The Beginning: The Used Music Video Collection. The limited edition DVD contains the complete archives of The Used's professional music videos, in chronological order. The Beginning will be available only at www.theused.net starting September 22nd.
Track listing for The Beginning: The Used Music Video Collection is as follows:
A Box Full of Sharp Objects
The Taste of Ink
Buried Myself Alive
Take It Away
All That I’ve Got
I Caught Fire
The Bird & The Worm
Pretty Handsome Awkward
Blood On MY Hands"
News - The Maine: In Person" Now On iTunes Movie Store
Submitted: "The Maine’s "In Person" documentary is FINALLY available for purchase on it’s own at the iTunes Movie store for $4.99. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/TXJBF"
News - White Belt Yellow Tag EP + Tour
White Belt Yellow Tag release their new EP "Remains" on the 19th of October through Distiller Records.
Live dates:
SEPTEMBER
27th Belfast Speakeasy
OCTOBER
6th Cardiff Barfly
7th London Roundhouse Studio
8th Manchester Ruby Lounge
9th Leeds Cockpit
11th York Fibbers
12th Glasgow King Tuts
13th Derby Royal
News - Alice In Chains Add Extra UK Dates
Submitted: "Alice In Chains are delighted to announce that due to overwhelming demand they will return to the UK at the end of their European tour and play their fourth London show of the year, with an additional date added at Nottingham Rock City. Tickets for these extra shows go on sale on Thursday 24th September at 9am, and are available from www.kililive.com, www.seetickets.com, 0871 230 5576 and usual outlets.
The full UK dates are as follows:
NOVEMBER:
11th UK, Glasgow - Barrowland
13th UK, Birmingham - Academy
14th UK, Manchester - Academy
16th UK, London - The Forum
17th UK, London - The Forum
DECEMBER:
6th UK, Nottingham - Rock City
7th UK, London - Brixton Academy"
News - The Glitterati Sign To DR2 Records
The Glitterati have signed to DR2 Records. The band commented on their latest move to DR2: "After meeting the team at Global Music, DR2 we knew it was the right label for us. Their work ethic, passion and commitment to their artist roster is second to none and we are very excited to be working with them."
News on their second album coming soon.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
News - Saving Grace Sign To Strike First Records
Saving Grace have signed to Strike First Records. Their new album "Unbreakable" will be released by the label in January 2010.
News - November’s A Busy Touring Month It Seems!
Filthy Dukes have just announced a UK tour for November:
16-Nov-09-Edinburgh-Cabaret Voltaire
17-Nov-09-Glasgow-King Tuts
19-Nov-09-Nottingham-Bodega
20-Nov-09-Bristol-Thekla
21-Nov-09-Brighton-Audio
23-Nov-09-Coventry-Kasbah
25-Nov-09-London-Dingwalls
26-Nov-09-Preston-53 Degrees
27-Nov-09-Oxford-Academy
28-Nov-09-Leeds-Nation of Shopkeepers
29-Nov-09-Manchester-Moho Live
Their single "Tupac Robot Club Rock" will be out on the 28th of September.
News - Attack! Attack! Add Further Dates...
Attack! Attack! have announced details of further touring plans, in addition to their previously announced run supporting Go:Audio. The band now continue their time on the road with supports slots with Juliette Lewis and Kids In Glass Houses:
OCT 03: OXFORD, Academy *
OCT 04: LIVERPOOL, Academy *
OCT 05: NEWCASTLE, Academy *
OCT 06: GLASGOW, ABC *
OCT 07: LEEDS, Academy *
OCT 09: SHEFFIELD, Academy *
OCT 10: MANCHESTER, Academy *
OCT 11: NORWICH, UEA *
OCT 12: BIRMINGHAM, Academy *
OCT 14: NOTTINGHAM, Rock City *
OCT 15: BRISTOL, Academy *
OCT 16: YEOVIL, Westlands *
OCT 17: LONDON, Shepherds Bush Empire *
OCT 21: GLASGOW, Garage **
OCT 22: MANCHESTER, Academy 2 **
OCT 23: LONDON, Shepherds Bush Empire
OCT 30: BIRMINGHAM, Academy (Vans Off The Wall night) ***
OCT 31: COVENTRY, Kasbah ***
NOV 02: MIDDLESBOROUGH, Empire ***
NOV 03: ABERDEEN, Moshulu ***
NOV 04: EDINBURGH, Studio 24 ***
NOV 05: BLACKWOOD, Miners Institute ***
NOV 07: YEOVIL, Orange Box ***
NOV 08: PORTSMOUTH, Wedgewood Rooms ***
NOV 09: NORTHAMPTON, Roadmenders ***
NOV 10: PRESTON, 59 Degrees ***
* w/ Go Audio | ** w/ Juliette Lewis | *** w/ Kids In Glass Houses