Well hello sailors! This blog has been so neglected recently that I figured why not give it a bit of a revamp lovin'.
I write most of my gig reviews now for a Birmingham-based music magazine called Counteract. So how about something just for fun? I thought I'd just share 5, old and new, of the songs swirling around on repeat in my mind at the moment.
Jagwar Ma are fast becoming one of my favourite bands. If you're a moon-eyed fan of psychedelic vibes you'll love their Aussie sixties tinged melodies.
Recently released album 'Howlin' was eagerly anticipated after the success of singles 'The Throw' and 'Man I need.' 'That Loneliness' is certainly one of the highlights of the album and has had me wearing out that repeat button...
If you like something that's catchy and easy on the ears then 'Move Along' by Brooklyn based band Salt Cathedral is a winner. 'I move along/to the beat of the drums' echoes throughout the single as it twinkles with foals-esque rhythms and a build up in pace that leaves you fighting the urge to dance. You can also get a free download of it here. Does it get any better?
Glashow's own Chvrches are taking off. Big time. They're electro-pop at its best and front girl Lauren Mayberry's light and acoustically pleasing vocals gel perfectly with the fast paced synth. They have far newer material out now but 'Lies' really shows them at their passionate best. (I did an interview with them that you can read here).
Now. These New Puritans. 'Field of Reeds' certainly shows a totally different side to the band, but it really is a corker of an album. 'Fragment Two' is delicate, deep and oddly haunting. The simple piano melodies reach right into the pit of your soul alongside the trumpet solo towards the end.
Finally it wouldn't be summer without The Beach Boys. This doesn't need any spiel from me. Perfect for long summer days, or for any day in fact.
Sunday 28 July 2013
Monday 10 December 2012
'Hey, this is great. I feel like I'm in South America'
Regrettably when that statement was uttered I wasn't in South America, or in fact anywhere near. I was driving through the bleak streets of a rainy Birmingham with 'Life is Elsewhere', the recently released album from northern trio 'Little Comets' making its dozenth repeat on the car stereo.
Little Comets are one exciting band. In a music industry that's currently so saturated with generic indie pop beats, coming across a band that are ineffably different makes you want to hold onto them tight and pray that they never ever become squeezed into the industry's mold.
Their debut album was a wonderful introduction into the world of undecipherable lyrics and quirky bass which left many Comets fans wondering whether they'd be able to top it. Well, they did. In fact they've absolutely excelled themselves with 'Life is Elsewhere.' The album is certainly not one one to be pigeonholed.
Their recently released single 'Jennifer' makes a repeat appearance. Quick paced riffs and quirky vocals make you give way to your inner dancer. You can't help it. It's infectious. As well as previously released material there are plenty of new gems. 'Bayonne' is clearly the highlight of the album and it appears to be Cole's favourite. He's written down the lyrics and given a brief explanation of its origin here - http://www.littlecomets.com/bayonne-bayonne-bayonne/ have a read, seeing the thought process behind the poetic lyrics adds a personal dimension to their already multifaceted music. There's a real variety on the album, none displayed better than in 'Semaphores on the lawn.' This is probably the catchiest song on the album, it starts off slow with that latin vibe that runs through the album, picking up in pace to then drop down to the best part of the whole album at 2.15 with stripped down strings and vocals then really packing a punch in the final seconds with an explosion of backing vocals and instrumentals.
The album is full of witty parodies, upbeat latin inspired vibes and sobering lyrics. Give it a listen, get a bit of sun in your life. They're also going on tour, check littlecomets.com for the details.
Little Comets are one exciting band. In a music industry that's currently so saturated with generic indie pop beats, coming across a band that are ineffably different makes you want to hold onto them tight and pray that they never ever become squeezed into the industry's mold.
Their debut album was a wonderful introduction into the world of undecipherable lyrics and quirky bass which left many Comets fans wondering whether they'd be able to top it. Well, they did. In fact they've absolutely excelled themselves with 'Life is Elsewhere.' The album is certainly not one one to be pigeonholed.
Their recently released single 'Jennifer' makes a repeat appearance. Quick paced riffs and quirky vocals make you give way to your inner dancer. You can't help it. It's infectious. As well as previously released material there are plenty of new gems. 'Bayonne' is clearly the highlight of the album and it appears to be Cole's favourite. He's written down the lyrics and given a brief explanation of its origin here - http://www.littlecomets.com/bayonne-bayonne-bayonne/ have a read, seeing the thought process behind the poetic lyrics adds a personal dimension to their already multifaceted music. There's a real variety on the album, none displayed better than in 'Semaphores on the lawn.' This is probably the catchiest song on the album, it starts off slow with that latin vibe that runs through the album, picking up in pace to then drop down to the best part of the whole album at 2.15 with stripped down strings and vocals then really packing a punch in the final seconds with an explosion of backing vocals and instrumentals.
The album is full of witty parodies, upbeat latin inspired vibes and sobering lyrics. Give it a listen, get a bit of sun in your life. They're also going on tour, check littlecomets.com for the details.
Monday 14 May 2012
Butterfly Culture
2012 has seen a massive influx of gentle, acoustically soothing, stripped-down British music, and Bejamin Francis Leftwich is definitely no exception to the rule.
His debut album 'Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm' was released almost a year ago, and I've picked out two of my personal highlights.
'Pictures' is the first track on the album, and it is a strong contender for being one of Leftwich's best songs. It's typical of the tight-stringed, relaxed, and inoffensive music he produces, its quick pace teamed with his hauntingly beautiful voice and pensive lyrics make it a definite winner set to engage any listener.
'Butterfly Culture' takes a bit of a step back, it's slow and similarly objective...but the lyrics challenge the music's all encompassing nature. Praying to God that 'the girl in that dress will undress' seems like something you'd expect to hear from Alex Turner, but that's what stops him from being boring. The lull that his acoustic vibes send you into is disturbed by his lyrics, making him a bit of a cheeky paradox. How fun.
The rest of the album follows suit really, and regardless of your taste in music it's certainly not one to be missed.
As well as being possibly the cutest musician to inhabit the British Isles, he has a breathtaking talent, it's been a big year for the 22 year old singer-songwriter from York.
'Pictures' is the first track on the album, and it is a strong contender for being one of Leftwich's best songs. It's typical of the tight-stringed, relaxed, and inoffensive music he produces, its quick pace teamed with his hauntingly beautiful voice and pensive lyrics make it a definite winner set to engage any listener.
'Butterfly Culture' takes a bit of a step back, it's slow and similarly objective...but the lyrics challenge the music's all encompassing nature. Praying to God that 'the girl in that dress will undress' seems like something you'd expect to hear from Alex Turner, but that's what stops him from being boring. The lull that his acoustic vibes send you into is disturbed by his lyrics, making him a bit of a cheeky paradox. How fun.
The rest of the album follows suit really, and regardless of your taste in music it's certainly not one to be missed.
Friday 13 January 2012
TRIBES
Well well well, move over the Vaccines, there's a new brit indie band taking your place.
Where to start. TRIBES are brilliant, really brilliant. They make music with an experimental twist, and I promise that once you start listening to them you'll be taken in.
Their music has something for everyone, if you prefer your beats fast and your riffs raw take a listen to 'Girlfriend' it's rebellious and catchy, what more could you want?
For those of you that prefer music that's a bit softer to the ear, or lyrics that are a little deeper than 'my haircut doesn't suit me' try 'Coming of age.' It wraps up coming of age journey perfectly. (Shocking given the title, I know.)
It looks like 2012 is going to be their year, following a prestigious support slot with The Kooks and being announced for the NME awards tour... they're not going anywhere.
Saturday 3 December 2011
I did an interview in Brussels a few months ago and the guy interviewing me opened with "Hello Ian Curtis, how are you today?"
The Drums played the HMV institute in Birmingham on Monday, they received support from The History of Apple Pie and Cloud Control. The Drums are, in my opinion, one of the best live bands in existence. Jonny Pierce clearly loves being on stage, he has an infectious passion for the music that they produce which you can't help but become swept away with, especially in such a musically intimate setting.
They played a mixture of songs from their recently released album Portamento and their debut self titled album, The Drums. The magic is that you not only get the mixture of 'new and old' but it helps to show the two sides that The Drums have. On the one hand, they're a light-hearted, catchy, indie pop band who advertise clean morals in a post war America but on the other hand, they're a band that have experienced heartbreak, religious oppression and being broke in New York.
Hearing, and seeing, them play songs that have stomach knotting emotional roots within them (In the Cold, especially) adds that indescribable yet captivating special 'something' that takes them up and beyond any other Smiths-esque band that have made it across the pond. The only disappointment was that they didn't play Let's Go Surfing, but with the amount of gigs that they've played since its release it's no wonder that they may have tired of it.
If you've never seen The Drums before I strongly recommend it, they're even better the third time round.
Thursday 11 August 2011
river, dried.
I stumbled across Dry the River a few weeks ago when looking at the watchlistentell playlist, you've probably already heard of them...because you're just that indie, but they really are brilliant.
No album has as of yet been released (that I know of) but take a listen to some of their singles. Their most recently released 'New Ceremony' does take a few listens to appreciate but it's a song that is haunting!! yes, a song that draws emotion!! praise. the. lord. (to see why I'm so ecstatic to find a band that are actually halfway to being deep take a look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiEEJds8JFE). It sounds like a panic at the disco song, from when they were good (a fever you can't sweat out) and still had the exclamation mark, but they are, and sound, British! Yay!
Now I know what you're thinking oh it's easy to put a few riffs together and sing in an accent with some violins in the background to add to the all round effect, but have a look at their acoustic version of Bible Belt. This is going down as one of my all time favourite songs as of, well, now. The music is so simple yet so d e e p! The vocalist changes to being a little more like Jack Steadman from Bombay Bicycle Club, but it isn't a poor imitation, it still has something new and refreshing to it. The lyrics also have, wait for it, word of the week, DEPTH. With lyrics such as 'when the ice caps melt and the devils in the bible belt' it's sure to set the brain ticking, then followed up with the British cherry on the top of 'I'll be on the 545 you can meet me at the railway line, and don't look so scared' it's lovely.
So yeah check them out if you haven't already...with more sides to them than a shape with loads of sides, they're playing in Birmingham soon but it's an 18+ show, so if you're lucky enough to be of that age then go!!!!!!!
Friday 25 March 2011
Burberry Acoustic
Sorry I haven't written one of these in so long (not that anyone reads them anyway, haha). I've been so busy balancing coursework, school and an attempted social life! However, as the sun is, and has been, out in bloom for the past few days it got me thinking about songs that you can really just lay out in the sun, listen to, and relax.
Since the release of Burberry's acoustic playlist a few months ago I've been attempting to get through the mountains of musical, 'gold' (sorry, it's such a cliché) they've collected as there are literally so many videos it could keep you occupied for hours. They're visually captivating, too because the scenes in some of the recordings are beautiful. The quintessentially British, laid back covers are perfect for sunny days and so I thought I'd pick out and share with you a few of my favourites.
If you know me you'll know that I absolutely adore Sam Beeton and to me, this man can do no wrong. What he has done, though, that is extremely 'right' on so many levels, is produce some new material for us to listen to. One of his new projects is called 'My Doll' and he covered this for Burberry acoustic. This song literally sends chills down my spine it is absolutely perfect. It's slow, and not too musically intense, it allows you to focus on the lyrics which have so much meaning. He's often referred to as being similar to Paolo Nutini, but he's a bit more, raw.
The second song which I feel is more than suitably apt for the English summer is 'Alleyway' by Life in Film. This four piece 'top button fastened' group do fit all of the tragically indie stereotypes that we all get so bored of, but they have something new. This song seems pretty effortless, it's catchy, typically British, and aesthetically pleasing.
The last song that I've picked out for you to listen to is 'Remember' by Misty Miller. She's an angelically beautiful 16 year old, and her age makes her talent even more remarkable. Her voice is fitting of her beauty and the uke that she uses adds another sweet, and innocent tone to her music, which takes you back to her childhood days. Everything about it is pretty, blissful.
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