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?

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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