Thieves Asylum - Transparent (Single Review)

Having already supported The Pigeon Detectives, Cast and Dexters this four piece Stoke-On-Trent based alternative rock band, have made a great impression on their local music scene, and have already developed a firm local fan base in their hometown. New single ‘Transparent’ is to be released on the December 1st however, on the 13th of November, the track will be aired on Moorland FM on The Quiet Revolution, 103.4fm at 7pm.

Transparent opens with a collision of instruments that soon goes into a melodic beat with a hypnotising guitar riff. The vocals are held out at the end of each odd line on the chorus which creates a catchy hook.

“You block out all conversation, to stop you falling under without warning. And the constant look that you keep giving us, it holds no satisfaction. Do you want to discuss?”

The song is sugarcoated in a distracting sense, away from the lyrics. It’s as though someone is mysterious and they hide their thoughts because they do not want to talk about whatever it is that is going on in their head. The song then notes that the person they’re talking about has transparent/ achromatic eyes. Therefore you can’t even read their eyes to be able to tell how they are feeling, they’ve become soulless.

“We get nowhere when we feel closer”

This person is nigh on impossible to read and as soon as you think you’re getting somewhere, you’re straight back to square one. They are a complete enigma.

Energetic track with influences of The People in there, a definite indie dance track.

Marquee - Realise (EP Review)

New to the scene Stoke-On-Trent based alternative band, Marquee experiment with a whole new world of genres in their debut EP 'Realise'. Opening the EP is 'Worth it', it has hints of The Smiths with their upbeat background music accompanied by drowsily sung lyrics. The energetic guitars brings in an indie and alternative ambience with a similar sound of The Libertines to the track. A short song with a catchy chorus and upbeat guitars makes for the perfect indie track.

"And I've only got one question but was he really worth it? You're unresponsive but I know, that you've heard it, and I've only got one question but was he really worth it?"

'Dreams' has a heavy bass rock n roll guitar intro which soon gets accompanied by the drums and there is a gradual increase in crescendo and tempo, creating a grunge sound once the drowsy vocals enter. It's quite a haunting song, but again that just adds to the grunge sound, "and the dreams we had as children they will haunt you when you're old." 

Alternative track 'Do What You Need' is somewhat darker in comparison to the opening track on the EP, you can hear hints of the The Cure and splashes of The Verve, "so take what you need and be on your way, and don't say goodbye as though you're needing to stay." Last of all is the self-titled rock n roll track 'Realise', to seal the EP. This track evokes feelings of nostalgia from Arctic Monkeys fifth studio album - AM; because of the heavy guitar riffs, guitar solos and rhyming lyrics. "She's my codeine queen and she's made of plasticine."

'Realise' is most definitely a standout track on the EP. As a whole, the EP  is a concoction of different sounds and genres including a mix of; grunge, indie, alternative, and rock n roll. Lyrically, every song is well written, well structured and has a slight repetitiveness to it which makes for a catchy chorus. Influences are also clear within the tracks which gives them a stern direction of genre which is why each track is so solid.

To be released on November first.

Human Industrial Wake - Hekate (EP Review)

This undefined band are from Stoke-On-Trent, and believe their band is a genre within itself, they have self-titled the genre as 'Human Industrial Wake', however the distinctive sound of Goth Rock/ Industrial Metal band 'Evanescence' breathes in and out of the EP through the vocals of lead singer, Sara, with her hauntingly gentle but dark voice. When listening to the songs, the band could be defined as Dark Alternative Rock/ Gothic Rock; as the deep guitar riffs, hard hitting drums and the high flimsy voice over the top with the odd synth indulgence, it is like a metal band has collaborated with Stevie Nicks (making it difficult to stick a label on).

Human Industrial Wake are releasing their five-track EP 'Hekate' on the 27th of October 2017, and to follow on they also have an EP release at the 'Pilgrims Pit' in, Stoke-on-Trent on the 28th of October. The opening track 'Witness On The Shore' sounds heavily like 'Evanescence' and its feels like something almost ritual. 'Another' has incurring tension at the beginning of the track and it is becoming a recurring factor within their songs; the music is very dark and I would say Human Industrial Wake are quite a niche and acquired taste.

'Dark Waters' is peculiarly vocally similar to Florence Welch's voice with the powerful belting of the vocal chords increasing in crescendo along with the tempo and intensity of the music. The country-twang of her voice is ever so indiscreetly seeping out through the tracks but it creates a distinctive sound about the band. 'Wonderland' is softer at first yet soon goes back into that slow, dark beat.  Finalising the EP is 'Strangers' - it is more uplifting with the backing vocals over the top of the song, it appears more Country Rock and less Gothic and reminds me somewhat of an eighties pop ballad, this is one of the shorter tracks on the EP,  and it is just under four minutes.

The EP reflects a Christian Rock feel whilst simultaneously creating quite a Dark and Gothic feel, you can hear the Industrial Metal sound also. Though an acquired taste, they have a strong voice in the band and strong musicians, they're also a distinctive niche and they know their sound. The addition of a softer song at the end of the EP was rather soothing and something of an anomaly in comparison to the rest of the tracks. 'Strangers' was very vocally powerful, and most of the songs are more on the five minute side of things so they allow themselves a lot of time to build tension and for you to focus on the bands side of things before the voice enters. Just to re-iterate the EP will be released on Friday the 27th of October, keep your eyes peeled and your ears open.

ALMA - Plug In Plug Out (Single Review)

In comparison to their previous release in January - 'Help Me' was a very psychedelic groove indie-rock piece, and it heavily reminded me of a band that got me into the genre a few years ago called 'Peace', they have died down a bit now, and have floated into the deep musical abyss most probably to never be seen again. Irregardless of this factor I still like Peace and I thought this musical venture stearing away from the grungey undertones and heavy drums and sticking towards their original more psychedelic indie rock roots was a great move.

On to the new track which is to be released on September 4th 2017, with the new and reformed four-piece from Stoke-On-Trent - 'Plug in, Plug out' sounds very similar to 'Help Me' at the beginning, and has an intriguing opening which soon crescendos into a collaboration of the drums and guitar riffs, and then it descends when the vocals enter. In thought that the band may have re-kindled and gone back to their old indie roots, the phantom of grunge is still seeping through the track like it never went away from their 'Last Orders' EP. Under the influence that 'Plug in, Plug out' would perhaps  be another psychedelic track due to the title sounding similar to Tim Learys quote 'Tune in, Drop out' - boy was I wrong.

With Kennedy's sulky vocals and I don't give a fuck attitude the grunge style that they've aimed for really reflects well - "Plug me in, plug me out, do what you want to." The guitar riffs are exhilarating, revitalising and a lot more heavy rock in comparison to their release of 'Help Me' prior to this, and this track is a lot more grunge when compared to any of their previous work.

Having liked the fact they had steered away from grunge and may have re-kindled their psychedelic indie rock ways with 'Help Me' which was more of a groovy indie track, they have summoned the ghost that was grunge and brought it back to life.  The eclecticism of this band is very surprising flicking to and from indie, psychedelic, grunge, and even hard rock - this band aren't trying to mislead you by finding their sound because they've found it, they are versatile and can pull anything off. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for their release this Monday.

Most Influential Artists Of The 1960's

Just over a year ago I did a blog-post on my top five albums from the 1950's, so I thought I would do a continuation of this except do it in artists instead of albums - as it would just be way too hard. Therefore within this post I am going to write about the top five most influential artists of the 1960's according to myself, and the reasons why - if you're intrigued about the 1950's post feel free to give it a read. - http://6townsmusicreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/top-5-albums-from-50s.html

The sixties was a decade absorbed by culture, politics and music on a global scale - and it was most probably the most important decade ever. The Vietnam War, China attempting to re-store capitalism, Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement, The Stonewall riots in New York, The 1968 student uprisings in Paris (which inspired the Stone Roses to write the song 'Bye Bye Badman'), Decolonisation of Africa, Martin Luther King Jnr's  'I have a dream speech' and assassination, the construction of the Berlin Wall separating the East from the West, and the first man and woman going into out of space are just a few of the events that happened in the sixties.

"Turn on Tune in and Drop Out"- the decade which introduced psychedelia and the recreational use of drugs such as LSD, speed, marijuana, and even heroin. The 1960's was lavished with incredible artists and genres including the sensational Supremes, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, Dusty Springfield, Pink Floyd and Johnny Cash are a few influential icons that emerged from the 1960's to say the least.

I'm going to begin my top five starting from the bottom, so at number five we have - Jimi Hendrix.  Part of the '27 Club' Hendrix had a short-lived career, passing away sadly at the age of 27 due to a barbiturate overdose. Hendrix was known for his sensational, distinctive and mesmerising ability to play the guitar - it all really started for Hendrix in 1966 when the girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards saw him play and wanted the world to be blessed with his sound - then came 'The Jimi Hendrix Experience'. Later on that year the band then got signed by The Who's manager to Track Records. Hendrix labelled his sound  in an interview with journalist Bill Harry as 'free feeling' - a concoction of rock, freak-out, rave and blues. Hendrix changed the future of guitar music with; 'Voodoo Child' (1968), 'Along The Watchtower' (1968), 'Red House' (1966), his 1968 cover of the 'Wild Thing' originally by The Troggs, and 'Foxy Lady' being amongst some of his best pieces of work in the 1960's.

At number four is The Kinks, the London rock band that stole my heart. Their career really kicked off in 1964 with 'You Really Got Me' which ended up in the Ireland, Canadian, US and UK top 10 charts at the time - this  rock'n'roll track with it's repetitive, deep, iconic guitar riff is one of The Kinks most famous singles. Their sound altered the following year from catchy bluesy rock tracks to more observant and peculiar tracks like 'A Well Respected Man' (1965), 'Death of a Clown' (1967), 'Set Me Free' (1965),  'Dead End Street' (1966), ''Sunny Afternoon' (1966) and 'Waterloo Sunset' (1966). These tracks had a very British feel to them, The Kinks to me are just an underrated version of The Beatles; their distinctive sound, idiosyncratic song lyrics and joyful British feel are just a few reasons why I love this band so much. The Kinks are one of the most influential artists of the sixties because they brought something new to the table, they brought authenticity and they succumbed a new sound and image because that's what worked for them... As long as I gaze on Waterloo Sunset I am in paradise.

In third place is The Rolling Stones, who still remain one of the most influential artists of the 1960's and even now. The names Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are two of the most iconic names in rock'n'roll, and their signature logo of the tongue still remains an endless affiliation to The Rolling Stones. All alive 50 years on and still performing, whilst consuming copious amounts of drugs, alcohol and smoking cigarettes - just how do they do it? (excluding a few of the band members who have left and been replaced). The height of their success was in 1965-1967 by this time the British rock band had built a strong following and had hit a number one album in the UK called 'The Rolling Stones No.2' by 1965. The Rolling Stones may have looked to have been glamorising the life of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll however in 1966 they released a track called 'Mothers Little Helper' which reached number eight in the US due it being the first pop song ever to address the realisation and issue of addiction to prescription drugs. 'Mothers Little Helpers' is a pseudonym for Diazepam the drug used to treat anxiety and insomnia amongst various other things.

The Rolling Stones are still one of the most influential and well-known rock bands to this day with songs like; 'Paint It Black' (1966), 'Sympathy For The Devil' (1968), 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' (1969), 'Satisfaction' (1965) and 'Under My Thumb' (1966). They are a band that are inescapable to not listen to at least once in your life time (unless you're Amish) - they have made a stamp on rock n roll forever. The sixties was their best decade because they had the genius input of Brian Jones, although he was sadly asked to leave the band in 1969 and just under a month later he passed away due to drowning in his swimming pool at the age of just 27 - another genius that is also labelled as apart of the '27 Club'.

Runner up is British rock band - The Who. During the mid sixties, The Who were starting to make a big influence on the mod scene alongside The Small Faces and they had written an album, created a film and even an opera was written about the mods vs rockers sub-cultural rivalry - this was called 'Quadrophenia'. However this was all produced after the sixties, due to The Who altering their sound towards the end of the decade from tracks like 'My Generation' (1965) , 'The Kids Are Alright' (1965), and 'Pinball Wizard'(1969) to more developed songs like 'Love Reign O'er Me' (1973), 'Who Are You' (1978), and 'You Better You Bet' (1981). The following that was built in the sixties lead to a strong and stable future and career, even fifty two years on they are still performing live and I had the privilege of watching them in Glasgow, April 2017 - they were incredible. Daltry's voice is one of a kind, and both his and Townshend's song writing is just unbelievable, everything is played and sung with such passion and meaning, you feel their talent and love for music radiate when listening to them. 'My Generation' is their most mainstream song however you can't be surprised as it is just the ultimate rebellious feel good song fighting for your age group "I hope I die before I get old", and this song was also later on covered in 2002 by the notorious rock band Oasis - a global phenomenon who were heavily influenced by The Who.

In first place, yes you guessed it - The Beatles. The rock band that stole all of the teenage girls hearts and swooned them with their lovey lyrics and dashing looks, Beatlemania was the intense fan crazy phase where fans were literally screaming that loud you couldn't even hear the band - people were mentally insane for The Beatles, and this wasn't a few hundred people - it was millions. How Charles Manson would have loved to have had the amount of power, fame and idolisation The Beatles had within their career... The Beatles were forever changing fashion, music and even perceptions throughout their career and this is why they are the most influential band of the sixties. 'Love Me Do' (1962) was their first hit to really kick off in the UK then came Beatlemania in '63. 'Yesterday' (1965),  'Yellow Submarine' (1966),'All You Need Is Love' (1967), 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' (1967) and 'Hey Jude' (1968), are just a few of The Beatles most well-known and famous tracks that were released in the sixties.

The 'Fab Four' are the best-selling band in history selling over 800 million physical and digital sales worldwide. Before their career together came to an end in 1970 the fab four released twelve studio albums - the most renowned ones being; Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The White Album (1968), and Abbey Road (1969). Now not every Beatles song was great, however that didn't matter when they could have recorded them burping and their fans would rave about how amazing it sounded, but The Beatles are the most influential band of the sixties without a shadow of a doubt - purely because they showed how four young lads from Liverpool could hit the big time, and just how quick it could all happen. Some of the biggest bands/artists in the world like: Nirvana, The Beach Boys, The Bee Gees, U2, ACDC, Oasis and Bruce Springstein are heavily influenced by The Beatles and they have all gone on to be huge successes - if The Beatles had never happened would these artists/bands ever existed?

Who do you think are the top five most influential bands/artists from the sixties?

- Twitter: lw-mj89
- Facebook: Lucy's Music Blog
- Email : lucywynne89@gmail.com

Let me know!

Dustlight - Dustlight (EP Review)

The alternative grunge rock trio, Dustlight from Bournemouth are due to release their self-titled 6 track EP this Saturday on the 8^th of July. Dustlight have been together since 2013 and their first EP was a lot more upbeat in comparison to this one, the vocals and songs in general are a lot more indie however this EP is a huge step forward in comparison to their debut; the vocals have improved and they’ve figured out which sound fits with them best as a band.

The opening track 'Conjecture' is a pre-track to 'Vicarious', the definition of conjecture goes as followed:  “form an opinion or supposition about (something) on the basis of incomplete information”. Vicarious is a more edgy grunge track, and the definition of vicarious is: “experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.” Both tracks are about meeting someone you love online then the feelings that follow when you finally meet in person; the meaning behind the song titles are really sentimental and they reflect the story behind the music.

‘Rapture’ opens like a screamo track and it almost feels like you’re just about to hear Bring Me The Horizon, it’s also a bit pop punk and emo. The instrumental has some riveting riffs and the repetitive drums create a strong platform for the track. Contradictory to how the song is sung, due to the lyrics you would think it would be performed more passionately whereas the song is sung rather passive aggressive and careless.

"I just don't know what I did to fall in love with you like this, I only wish that you could stay. Nothing seems to go my way, my rapture gone within a day, I am so uninspiring."

‘As an Alloy’ soon goes into a rather metal/grunge opening, the drums particularly standing out within this track, along with a deep bass line. Very Nirvana inspired, and a passion reflects more throughout this track, lyrics are very deep and stereotypical grunge. Although the vocals need to be more perfected on the chorus as sometimes it sounds as though the voice is being strained

“Rearrange your insides carve a little room, overwhelming beauty - I belong to you.”

 After the second chorus, a high pitched revitalizing guitar riff takes control of the track, accompanied by the drums in the background followed by a bass line. ‘Catherine Wheel’ is the best track on the EP, very alt rock/ grunge. I think a female backing vocalist would sound incredible with this track and it would be a great addition.

"You say you're a Catherine Wheel but I'm not so sure. You say you give everything to me, but I'm in need of more."

On the closing track – ‘DTF’ - you hear some punk and metal influences, this is another favourite and it completely differentiates itself from Catherine Wheel. There’s a lot going on within the track, the drums and guitars are both insane - what a song to finish on live this would be.

Due to the EP being 6 tracks (practically half an album) I think it would’ve been a better idea to have either split it in to two EP’s or stick it out and add two or more songs and release an album. However, even though the vocals were a bit off on ‘As an Alloy’, they have greatly improved since their debut EP. With musicians as talented as they are in the band I would like to hear more examples as to the extent of their musical abilities, as you can hear the potential within the tracks. A band can still be grunge and include some insane guitar solos, just think of Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and his incredible guitar solo for ‘Alive’ or Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains’ insane solo on ‘Grind'.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DustlightBand
Bandcamp: https://dustlight.bandcamp.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dustlightband

The Rising – Kaleidoscope Eyes (Single Review)

The Rising are back with a second album and they are releasing ‘Kaleidoscope Eyes’ as a psychedelic teaser for the tension builder of the release. If you aren’t already aware, The Rising are an alternative rock band from Southampton and due to their eclectic range and bewildering talents they’re a band which are rather difficult to dislike. Liam Gallagher, all things Britpop, and 60’s psychedelia are what this 7-piece are about.

Kaleidoscope Eyes is a catchy, five minutes and nineteen seconds of pure psychedelia bliss; a simple yet effective track which creates imagery of riding down the highway at dawn in your Cadillac, getting lost in the beautiful eyes of the one you love.

The opening line flows very smoothly as lead vocalist Tommy Overington sings…

“Your love is like a drug, don’t wanna come down and I cant get around. I trip out on your smile, I need to rest my head for a while.”

Then when the chorus comes in, almost immediately you can get the rhythm of both the lyrics and the track itself, the best part of the track is when the synth really takes lead of the instrumental and the track endures into a psychedelic acid house takeover.

“Euphoric waves that fall like rain, start a psychedelic hurricane in my brain. One look at you and I’m hypnotised. I’m in love with you and your kaleidoscope eyes.”  

Although, lyrically the chorus is repetitive throughout the track, it works because the instrumental has a gradual crescendo along with an increase in tempo on the synth which alternates the track to make it still remain interesting and appealing to listen to. On the other hand, lyrically this track is outstanding and it almost takes you into a psychedelic wonderland, then when the tempo and tension increases and the track divulges into a bit of acid house you’re just like YESSS!  

The Rising are releasing this track on Friday the 7^th of July, but is ready to pre-order on iTunes now. No doubt the gig will be a sell-out success, if you’re out and about in Southampton on the 15^th of September don’t hesitate to drop in at their gig at the new music venue – The Loft – it will be ace. Or if you’re going Bestival they are also performing there.

Keep your eyes peeled for the release of their new album.

ITUNES PRE-ORDER LINK 

• https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/kaleidoscope-eyes-single/id1247989421

Life Hacks For University

I worked hard enough to do well in my GCSE's and receive all five of my offers for university due to the dedication of my blog, and generally doing well in academia. However, I evacuated from my hometown of Stoke-On-Trent and relocated all the way to Southampton to do what I love most - Music Journalism. This blog post will provide some advice and life hacks for university regardless of what subject you may be studying and whether you are a first, second or third year - one of these carefully thought-out points will hopefully help you.

1. Before you go to/back to university make sure you aren't going empty handed. You won't get your student loan in time for your move, therefore make sure you go to university with a few hundred pounds to last you the first few weeks and to prevent you from being in your overdraft in your first term. (Unless living at home)

2. Don't spend £70 on getting a 'freshers wristband' that lets you enter any club for two weeks (for free as you've paid for the wristband) because unless you're planning on going out every day for 14 days, there is no point - just pay as you go.




3. Try to get a part-time job at the start of the year as this will help you out a lot more than you think.                                                                                                                                              
4. Start on your assignments at least one month before they're due, this will give you time to make a plan and understand what you're supposed to be doing.




5. Try to prepare for your course before hand especially if it's a creative course. My blog has helped me so much because it got me both reading and writing more and I gained a huge understanding before I started - resulting in me doing well in my first year at university.

6. If you live down south - don't go out on a Friday or Saturday unless there's good drink deals on.  (Wednesdays are usually the best days to go out in Southampton anyways).

7. If entry is free before 12 - go before 12.

                                                                                       
8. PRE-DRINK IN YOUR FLAT!! PRE-DRINK IN YOUR FLAT!! PRE-DRINK IN YOUR FLAT!! This will save you so much money compared to going to the pub, or just drinking in the clubs. - Lambrini and Frosty Jacks with blackcurrant juice are cheap favourites of mine when I'm broke - (embarrassing I know).

9. Make sure your year group and subject have a groupchat (it will help more than you think).      

10. Homemade soup! Feeds you for days, it's tasty and if you want to lose some weight - then it's perfect. Credit to my flatmate for teaching me.

• Make sure you have onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes and LOADS of seasoning - then add as many vegetables as you want - it will taste amazing regardless.
• Chop all of your vegetables up, put some butter in a big saucepan, add the garlic and onions, fry them and then add the rest of the vegetables.
• Fill the pan with boiling water so all of the vegetables are covered then add LOADS of seasoning to make it taste amazing.
• Leave to simmer, for half an hour, then check on it every 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
• Then simply put it into a blender and voila!
• Melt a bit of butter, toast some bread and there you go - carton it up and put it into the fridge and/or freezer.
• Cheap, tasty, good and easy to do.

11. If you're a smoker and you prefer straight cigarettes, then you better get used to roll-ups.

12. Don't feel pressured to get a house in the first few months when you move into halls. The people you meet in the first few months, whether that's on your course, or they're you're flatmates - might not turn out to be who you think they are in 6 months time. Get to know people and then find a house on your last term - it's never too late.

13. If you've decided to move away for uni, use this as your opportunity to visit new places and meet new people! I've been to Bournemouth, Central London and Camden (on my own), Portsmouth, Brighton, Liverpool, Wales, Glasgow, as well as Southampton - obviously.

14. Love what you do and try not to stress too much, you'll fly with passing colours!

Do Touts Even Have A Heart?

Do touts even have a heart? After the devastating attack in Manchester in which a suicide bomber killed 22 people and targeted American pop singer's - Ariana Grande's concert last week on the 23rd of May 2017, she bravely decided to do a charity gig back in Manchester in honour of those people and families affected. Tickets were being held back for those who went to the original gig, and the rest of the tickets cost as little as £40 each for people who wanted to attend the charity event. All proceeds go towards the families and people who have been affected by the attack.

However, touts have, and still are, pretending to be people who attended the gig in order to claim their 'free ticket' and re-sell them for an extortionate price. Alongside Ariana - Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Pharell Williams, Miley Cyrus, Usher, Katy Perry, Niall Horan, Take That, Robbie Williams, Black Eyed Peas and Little Mix will also be playing at the televised charity gig. All of these acts are worth more than £40 to see live, but due to it being a charity gig the prices have been kept at an affordable rate as it isn't about profit it is about being able to give back something to those families who are never going to get their child, friend or family member back. Clearly 'opportunists' have taken advantage of the low price tickets, and unfortunately they are re-selling them for as much as £300 a ticket on Ebay - disgusting.

According to The Telegraph, in a statement, Ticketmaster said: “We have set aside tickets for the 14,200 people who were at the Ariana Grande concert to attend 'One Love Manchester' for free. More than 25,000 people applied for them."

In what world does anyone think that profiting off a charity event is ok? If that was your child, friend or family member who was amongst the 22 people that died at the horrendous event would you be wanting people to make a profit off it? No. It is damn right disrespectful, crude, despicable and shameless that anybody in the right mind would do this. Imagine pretending to be a victim who attended a gig in which a terror attack took place, just to get a free ticket and sell them off for a profit.

I am ashamed and distraught at what this world has turned into.

Kasabian - For Crying Out Loud (Album Review)

Written in just six weeks, Leicester born-and-bred rock band Kasabian are back with their sixth studio album called ‘For Crying out Loud’. This is an album full of variety, including hints of acid house, rock, Britpop, and dance music - and it all surprisingly works well together. With four albums that have previously reached number 1 on the UK charts, perhaps their new twelve-track album could make it five?

‘Ill Ray (The King)’ is a perfect opener for the album, it builds up a very energetic vibe and gets you pumped up for the rest of the album. This track creates an atmosphere whereby you would want to see how amazing it would be to watch this tune live, in a sold-out arena, with colourful, flashing spotlights synchronizing to the beats as everyone is dancing in unison. One of their most popular singles off ‘For Crying Out Loud’ is ‘You’re in Love With a Psycho’ - comedian Noel Fielding and actor from This is England and Snatch, Stephen Graham star in the music video in which a mental health nurse falls in love with one of her patients (a psycho). With its repetitive chorus’ of “You're in love with a psycho, and there's nothing you can do about it” the urge to sing-along is unbearable.

‘Twentyfourseven’ is a favourite amongst the rest, it holds the original and authentic Kasabian sound that creeps through on every album. Out of nowhere comes an insane guitar solo from Serge Pizzorno on lead, and afterwards lead singer, Tom Meighan creates a tension-filled build-up; repeating the title-line, then the track drops back into the lively chorus.

‘Wasted’ is a slow, and relaxed love song, and more of an indie-track in general. Meighan’s vocals take a stronger focus in the song so listeners will listen more attentively due to the lyrics discussing an intimate experience of falling in love, getting drunk together and listening to music that never dies.

Lead guitarist and songwriter Serge Pizzorno has discussed to NME that ‘For Crying Out Loud’ features ‘one of the best tunes he’s ever written’ and that tune is ‘Bless This Acid House’. This uplifting summer song is by far the standout-song on the album with its catchy lyrics and hedonistic preaching to acid house, a smile is bound to creep upon your face.

Closing track ‘Put Your Life On It’, sounds very 60’s Beatles with splashes of Britpop, it was a great track to close the album off with because it’s slow and calm so it rounds off the album very well. Another similar song on the album is called ‘The Party Never Ends’ - both are slow tracks that include hints of Britpop.

In conclusion Kasabian have still kept their distinctive and statement Kasabian sound throughout the album, ‘Comeback Kid’ and ‘Are You Looking For Action’ are perfect examples. Releasing the album in May is the perfect time to release a fantastic summer album like this, and although Kasabian usually has a couple of timeless tunes on each album, this album is FULL of them. ‘Are You Looking for Action?’ reflects some of the traits from ‘Treat’ off their 2014 album, '48:13'. Repetitive, upbeat, and a fucking tune. This is a dance tune with splashes of acid house influences, and speaking of acid house, ‘Bless This Acid House’ is the best single off the album, but a few tracks do come close. Even though this isn’t the best Kasabian album in comparison to their debut and 'Velociraptor', it is a good, strong, industrious album jam-packed with a variety of different songs for a variety of audiences.

10/10

Lucid Rising + Supports @ The Frog & Frigate (Gig Review)

Opening the gig at the 120 capacity venue was a grunge rock wannabe-Nirvana four-piece called Radlouse, from Portsmouth. The band were wearing knitted sweats, band tees and checked shirts - immediately a judgement of their genre was predicted – grunge - and that's what they are. Amongst very simplistic guitar riffs, repetitive chords and dull drums were lyrics that screamed the romanticism of a toxic and hedonistic lifestyle - "Let’s go do some meds, let’s get out of our heads."

The second support was alternative rock band Posh Ellen, and considering they did their set without a bassist it was a well-executed two-piece performance. They opened with a bluesy rock n roll track, but most of their songs appeared highly influenced by the British rock two-piece 'Royal Blood'. Meanwhile they also had a grunge vibe going on within their set-list too. The drummer was excellent and so was the lead singer with his raw-edge vocals but they just need to find their own sound.

Headline act Lucid Rising came onto the stage very arrogantly, with a mismatch of people in the band. The rhythm guitarist was in a suit and cravat, the lead singer was in a striped shirt with his hair in a bun and chelsea boots, and the drummer was wearing a trilby hat with a moustache.

Immediately Paolo Nutini came to mind when lead singer, Ben Parker opened up the set with 'White Light' it sounded like Nutini’s earlier work in his ‘Sunny-Side Up’- album. Bassist, Louis Curtist played very simple chords, and it all seemed very safe. Parker saved the performance with his distinctive vocals, although for a blues band they didn’t want to make you get up and dance because their stage presence was very rigid.  When performing in an intimate venue it is much easier to get a crowd going and get them up and dancing,because there’s less people to entertain. Lucid Rising should have taken advantage of the intimate venue, but they just didn't create a vibe in which you felt comfortable dancing to because the band just weren't that into it.

A few covers were also sung, and for a headline act the set-list should consist of your own songs that you have written, with the exception of perhaps a cover song for the encore. It just seemed like they weren’t fully prepared to be a headline band, their cover of Led Zeppelin’s - ‘You Shook Me’ just proved that the singer could do without the band. He excelled in both guitar and his vocals within this performance – the bassist and drummer did not do anything that stood out at all, they just played their whole set incredibly safe. All of their song choices were very long in time, and covering a Led Zeppelin song at the start of your set isn’t the brightest of ideas - but it did attract most of your attention to Parker, as the rest of the band weren’t really doing much.

'Yer Blues’ by The Beatles was not a well-executed performance at all. The guitars were out of time with each-other on multiple occasions, and they also missed out a really vital chord. Covering a Beatles song is a brave move for any band as you have to do their songs justice because after all, they were the biggest band in the world. A headline band are expected to perform their own songs down to a T; and have them perfected, therefore a cover song should be a breeze. Every song they played sounded the same, resulting in a lot of people walking in-and-out for a fag as the performance was rather dull. The band as a whole just were not eye-capturing to watch, and I would rather watch the lead singer perform on his own; there was barely any on-stage connection either.

The closing track of their set was an original track called ‘I Get By’ and due to the audience all getting up to dance (and perhaps celebrating that their set was over) they started to feed off the vibe of the audience which resulted in this song being their best performance of the night. On the other hand if the audience had not have shown their support towards the end of the set, on their last song - would this have just been a dull performance like the rest?

In conclusion Lucid Rising have an incredibly long way to come in terms of development to reach the level of which their lead singer is on. The headline slot, was not for a band as underdeveloped as Lucid Rising, and I think in order to get their feet on the ground they need to start taking more support slots, take some time out to perfect their own songs, write some new ones and improve on their stage presence and look as a whole. For a band that aren’t particularly excelling in the musician department, there was a lot of playing instruments and not enough singing – lead singer Ben Parker needs to get some new band members or go solo because the rest of the band really need to improve in order to match his level of musicianship. 

An Interview with The Blue Collars

After having “more comebacks than The Sugarbabes” the indie rock 5-piece from Stoke-On-Trent are back again! I walked into the Dingy Bad Apple Studios in Stoke-on-Trent on Chell Street, which consists of toilet doors that don’t’ lock, old fashioned sofas that are edging on 60 years old, with peculiar sheets draped on the ceilings - perhaps hiding the fact that it has no roof? Who knows? Anyhow after they rehearsed a few of their new tracks we got down to business.

First of all Adam and Simon are brothers, they met Rob at school and then shortly Jake joined the band – Jamie was a later addition. After being rather successful with their single ‘Happy Pills’ that has reached over 250,000 views and once beat The Smiths on iTunes, I’m glad they’re giving it another shot. At one point in 2015 they were also up against big acts such as The 1975, at an award event of the ‘Next Best Upcoming Band’ due to ‘Happy Pills’ being such a success. But even though they didn’t win that, they managed to win best band at the 'Staffordshire and South Cheshire Music Awards' back in 2013.

Amongst other crazy things that have happened to the band like being a part of a gig for Cass Pennant, receiving free ‘Peaceful Hooligan’ clothes, going to clubs with swimming pools, and being on Belgium radio; they have also had some global fans attempting to cover their songs and if that doesn’t prove that a name is going around about them, I don’t know what would. The Blue Collars have also had the opportunity to perform at bigger venues such as Britannia Stadium, and have performed almost sell-out gigs in Swansea and Manchester due to their earlier success.

Anyhow moving on to the more exciting stuff... the new EP. The band seem as though they have progressed in comparison to their old EP, and have matured a lot more. The new EP was described as "more rockier, faster and mature with more of a punk edge / punk bass-lines.” The new EP consists of three tracks; ‘Sex Drive’, ‘Miss Muck’, and ‘E.T.A’. In comparison to their old stuff like ‘Happy Pills’, and ‘Warning Sign’, which usually have a melodic lead, their sound has been altered a bit in comparison to their older songs like mentioned previously. The release should be expected within the next few weeks, but regardless it will be getting released before their comeback gig at The Sugarmill on the 2^nd of June 2017, which is 30 tickets close to being sold out - so get your tickets now if you haven’t already.

Unfortunately I can assure you that we can’t be expecting an album anytime soon, but after having a preview of their new tunes when they were rehearsing, you’re in for a treat. Lead singer Rob Morris said “sometimes in an hour you’ve got a fucking song” and that is exactly what happened with ‘Miss Muck’ off their new EP. The Blue Collars all agreed that it is vital to have good chemistry within the band and it is undeniable that it has worked for them, since they’ve stuck together over the past 10 years; regardless of the breaks they may have had – a lot happens in people’s lives within a decade, going to University being one of them for guitarist Simon Taylor.

Their favourite songs that they have written, amongst the band consist of: ‘Warning Sign’, ‘Agree To Disagree’, ‘Change is going to Come’, ‘This Old Town’, ‘Happy Pills’, and ‘Cheater’. With Moz’s (Rob’s) creative mind, the bands careful ear and their sheer love for music and each-other, this five-piece have always been one to watch out for. Follow their social media accounts for updates on their EP release and gigs.

Facebook – The Blue Collars

Instagram - @thebluecollars

Twitter - @thebluecollars

Bellman - Morphology (Album Review)

Norwegian electro dream-pop artist 'Bellman' is back with a new 8-track album and a tour! He currently has some dates in Norway coming up, and a small tour in Russia in May; as well as working on some Japan/Korea and China dates as well in the Autumn.  Bellman made his debut album in 2009, amongst the album were the songs "Spaceship, Move Slow" and "Celestine", the first of which, originally released in 2008, proved especially popular and reached Number 6 on the Norwegian albums chart the first week.

Curiosity comes into question as soon as you hear his opening track 'Coloured By You' - it is nothing like I have ever heard before, and it is rather indescribable. I feel like if a DJ remixed this song it would be a brilliant house tune, and would fit right in the clubs. The songs within the album are all very peculiar, although it is refreshing listening to something that isn't the mainstream. 'Bellman' or otherwise known as Arne-Johan Rauan has a very versatile vocal range within his dream-pop voice. Although, classified as 'pop' music I beg to differ as the album has a darker atmosphere and sound to it whilst simultaneously sounding uplifting... This is why the album is completely indescribable. You just have to listen to it.

The repetitive chorus' work well within the album as there is only 8-tracks so you learn to catch on to the lyrics very quickly, which I'm sure is great for fans! The title of  'Morphology' is a rather abstract name to call an album or song, as it means the study or the structure of something. The correlation between the actual album and the title is unclear; although perhaps the album title is self-explanatory, and it could just be to do with the structure of the album?

'We Are The Guns' particularly stood out for me, as did 'Golden Drain'. The intro to 'We Are Guns' captivates you the whole way through and Bellman also gets your attention with the opening verse and chorus combo of...

"She is burning in the way that we are, chasing pavements, hoping to get far. See the people trading dreamers for dreams, painting sidewalks, at least that's what it seems. We are the guns that's blowing holes in what you see. We are the drugs that somehow alters you and me, we are the ones that slowly fades into the other side, we are the guns..."

All in all, the album is very easy-listening, however simultaneously it is very peculiar. You wouldn't necessarily have to have an acquired music taste to listen to this album, but you would have to have an open-mind. This will be very different to most things that you have listened to before and if I have intrigued you enough with my review to listen to it, then do it; because I do not want to give too much away. The closest thing I can describe it to, is imagine The XX came about in the 80's.

You can listen to the album here:
Spotify: http://bit.do/spotify_morph
Tidal: http://bit.do/tidal_morph
iTunes: http://bit.do/itunes_morph
Google Play: http://bit.do/gp_morph
Amazon: http://bit.do/amazon_morph

2 Year Blog Anniversary!

So for my two year blog anniversary I have decided to pick 100 of my favourite songs from 100 different artists! Each song reminisces me back to a certain nostalgic time, whether it reminds me of a friend, a family member or even just a fucking good time. There is a reason as to why I have picked each, and every one of these songs. The songs are in no particular order, they are just all absolute bangers and if you think otherwise then in my opinion, you are wrong and deluded. Enjoy!

1. Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody
2. Candi Staton - You Got The Love
3. Shirley Ellis - Soul Time
4. The Salvadors - Stick By Me Baby
5. The Marvelettes - Please Mr.Postman
6. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
7. Adele - Hometown Glory
8. James Morrison - Slave To The Music
9. Oasis - Talk Tonight
10. The Stone Roses - One Love
11. Richard Ashcroft - Music Is Power
12. The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up
13. Faithless - Insomnia
14. Shed Seven - Chasing Rainbows
15. Friend Within - The Renegade
16. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
17. Leon Bridges - Smooth Sailin'
18.  James Blunt - 1973 (Acoustic)
19. Frankie Vali - Grease
20. Wham - Club Tropicana
21. The Who - Pinball Wizard
22. The Beatles - 8 Days A Week
23. Paul Weller - Broken Stones
24. Matisyahu - King Without A Crown
25. The Temptations - Papa Was A Rolling Stone
26. The Rolling Stones - I Can't Get No Satisfaction (Kinks Cover)
27. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
28. Kula Shaker - Start All Over
29. Tiggs Da Author - Swear Down
30. Gloria Jones - Tainted Love
31. Anthony Hamilton - Soul On Fire
32. ACDC - Thunderstruck
33. Guns 'N' Roses - Sweet Child 'O' Mine
34. Bon Jovi - It's My Life
35. Happy Monday's - Hallelujah
36. The Smiths - Ask
37. The Cure - Close To Me
38. The Coral - Dreaming Of You
39. Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine
40. Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own
41. Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
42. The Clash - Rock The Casbah
43. New Order - Blue Monday
44. Kate Bush - This Woman's Work
45. Maverick Sabre - I Need
46. Childish Gambino - Redbone
47. Tupac - Ghetto Gospel
48. Notorious BIG - Juicy
49. Human League - Don't You Want Me
50. Arctic Monkeys - Black Treacle
51. Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
52. Whitney Houston - I Have Nothing
53. Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69
54. The Stranglers - Golden Brown
55. Kasabian - Treat
56. Stevie Nicks - Edge Of Seventeen
57. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
58. Elvis - Hound Dog
59. Catfish & The Bottlemen - Hourglass
60. Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
61. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
62. Don McLean - American Pie
63. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
64. Frank Sinatra - Mrs Robinson
65. Blur - Song 2
66. The La's - There She Goes
67. The Specials - Too Much, Too Young
68. Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman
69. Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion - The Prayer
70. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
71. The Black Keys - Lonely Boy
72. Pulp - Common People
73. Kings Of Leon - Supersoaker
74. Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer
75. Justin Bieber - Yellow Raincoat (Acoustic)
76. Sister Act - Oh Happy Days
77. Jamie T - Love Is Only A Heartbeat Away
78. Ne-Yo - So Sick
79. Rihanna - Unfaithful
80. Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten
81. Taylor Swift - Back To December
82. UB40 - Red Red Wine
83. David Bowie - Heroes
84. Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
85. Elton John - Tiny Dancer
86. Duffy - Syrup & Honey
87. Toploader - Dancing In The Moonlight
88. Dusty Springfield - Son Of A Preacher Man
89. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
90. Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
91. The Drifters - Kissin In The Back Row Of The Movies
92. Ray Charles - Hit The Road Jack
93. Stevie Wonder - Superstition
94. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge
95. Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walking
96. Lady Gaga - Sexxx Dreams
97. Rusted Roots - Send Me On My Way
98. The Music - The People
99. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
100. Toto - Africa

So there it is ! You have just read an incredibly large insight to my life; the friends I have had and friends I have now, my family, my relationship and most of all you have learnt about me! Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, and thanks to you lot I am now living the dream studying Music Journalism at university! Without my blog I would not be where I am at now, I advise anyone to start a blog as it is a fantastic hobby and career starter. My music taste is ridiculously eclectic, so in all honesty you probably aren't going to agree with all one hundred of them; but if you do then that is fantastic! Thank you again, and I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post and you all get absolutely baggaged (drunk) tonight! It is a Saturday after all!

Jean Rouch - Racketeer (Single Review)

Formerly known as Toby Simcock, but otherwise known as Jean Rouch, caught my eye with a rather political animated music video that he released on his Facebook page last night. The music and the story has all been written by the solo artist himself.

The video opens up with slow and intricate repetitive guitar riff, shortly followed by a tiring hit on the symbol of his drums. The music is correlated to the video as the guitar riff is repetitive to show the working class doing the same thing day in, day out. The drums are showing that the hard-work is tiring and progressively, throughout the video you see how they can't get out of the working class poverty-stricken trap that they are in.

Visually you see a builder in his overalls and hard cap at the beginning, going home to his upset wife; clearly they don't spend enough time with each-other, as he is too busy at work. As the video progresses you see the income of one man amounts to the income of many men who only ever fall in his pocket. The builders never make it to the top to meet the man either.

The animation makes you think about the distinction between social class in society and the unequal distribution of income all across the UK, as Richard Ashcroft once said - "You're a slave to money then you die."

The instrumental really builds tension to the animation; and it allows you to intensively watch the animation whilst simultaneously hear the music in sync with the video, as you're eagerly sitting there awaiting to see what is going to happen next. This is a short, yet effective two minute instrumental animated video showing you the life of a working class person just trying to earn a living, and I am so pleased that this has been created by someone from Stoke-On-Trent.

Please watch it on the link below, many thanks and enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ievNrC7I5E

Stormzy - Big For Your Boots (Single Review)

It's been a good few years for the grime scene, and particularly for Michael Omari (Stormzy). Stormzy has done incredibly well for himself as a DIY artist from South London, he announced last week on Twitter that his brand '#MERKY' is now officially an independent record label. Hopefully the underground grime talent comes out of it's shell, and Stormzy manages to give some of the hard-working grime/hip-hop artists the chance they've all been waiting for. He won Best Grime Act at the 2014 and 2015 MOBO Awards, and quite rightly so. After nine months of radio silence and deleted social media accounts, Stormzy has released the albums lead single called 'Big For Your Boots' from his debut album GSAP: (Gang Signs And Prayer), which will be released tomorrow on the 24th of February 2017.

Commonly known for creating a campaign to get his track called 'Shut Up' as the UK's Christmas number 1, Stormzy is creating a name for himself all over the UK and overseas, but not in a bad way. Even though the track didn't quite reach number 1 over the Christmas period, Stormzy's track managed to climb it's way to number 8.

The repetitive chorus of the track 'Big For Your Boots' constantly refers to somebody being 'too big for their boots' and Stormzy belittles them by saying "I've got the big size twelves on my feet, your face ain't too big for my boot". Then throughout the track he constantly rips this person another arsehole, re-assuring them they they aren't hard or tough, they're just all talk - "Never had a MAC-10 or a try pound you were never bad then, you ain't bad now."

However this track isn't just about cussing people out it's also reminding you to stay humble and say true to who you are.

"I was in the O2 singing my lungs out, rudeboy, you're never too big for Adele. Leave my yard, blow a kiss to my girl, salute to my sister as well. Gotta keep trophies down at my mum's bit, man, I'm getting way too big for my shelf."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFOErVWlsxg 

8/10