Don Elektron Release 'Go Go Getter' for New 2019 Charlie's Angels Film ft. Macha Kiddo, Sam Bruno, and AFSHEEN (Single Review)

Don Elektron clash a variety of cultures and music genres within their new project, creating a market for artists all across the globe. Jeff Antebi, the founder of Waxploitation Records, best known for developing and managing the careers of artists like Gnarls Barkley, and Danger Mouse has collaborated with ten time Latin Grammy nominated artist, Ulises Lozano to release track 'Go Go Getter' on 15th November from their new artist project called Don Elektron. The song is due to feature on the 2019 Charlie's Angels film, which is out the end of this month.

Uli is a part of the critically acclaimed Latin alternative/electronic band Kinky, who have reached a level of commercial success in their own right, starring on different films and TV shows such as Gossip Girl, The Rocker, Man on Fire and many more amongst also featuring on adverts, and video games like Little Big Planet and Fifa 06. Kinky have also played Coachella and toured with Cake and De La Soul in the US amongst other artists for the Unlimited Sunshine Tour back in 2002.

The track begins with a bit jungle edge before the electro and Hispanic aspect kicks in on the lyrics, "I'm a winner, my own bread winner, girl in the mirror, a go go getter." The track features artists, Macha Kiddo, Sam Bruno, and AFSHEEN, and the Latina twist adds a sexy kink to the track and creates an independent woman/bad bitch vibe which is perfect for a film like Charlie's Angels. If you would like to check out anymore of Don Elektrons collabs, their social media links are attached below,

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Giving You a Plethora of Genres, Thirsty Curses Release Self-Titled Debut (Album Review)

Thirsty Curses are a garage rock band that originate from North Carolina, comprising of singer/songwriter Wilson Getchell who also plays guitar and piano, Kelley Otwell on lead guitar, Phillip Harrington on the drums, and Clayton Herring on bass. The band cover a vast array of rock sub genres within their self-titled debut album, which is out on November 8th.

The opening track 'VHS Release' is very pop punk, with sounds akin to Blink 182 and Greenday, it proves to be very different to the rest of the tracks on the album. There's a few indie/ alternative tracks on the ten track debut, like 'Smash Hit', 'Racing Through the Daze', 'You Don't Have to Tell Me' and 'I Want to Wreck Your Car' and there is also some tracks with a country rock twang like, 'Bruises on Your Shoulder' and 'Slice of Paradise'. However the stand off on the album has to be 'Cold Black Ink' an old school blues track, Getchell's vocals compliment the blues genre wonderfully, the only fault about the track, (which isn't really) is that I think what would really give this track that extra edge would be a brass instrument.

'Bruises on Your Shoulders' is a rather raw track, with piano accompanying Getchell's voice which allows you to hear the vocals more clearly, exposing Getchell's wide vocal range as he hits the high notes. Country track, 'Slice of Paradise' talks about life on the road, and not wanting to return back to the reality of a manual day job. "I'm feeling blue, got in an existential mood saying every day is ordinary I can't find the will to to tie my shoes. It was a good week on the road, but now it's back to digging holes." Meanwhile 'You Don't Have to Tell Me' is a fun, upbeat song with an indie jive to it, but with a more somber meaning, "I don't know how to explain it, there's not much I can say yeah, I'm a total mess and I'm all over the place."

There is a few songs on the album that do stand out like, 'Smash Hit', 'You Don't Have to Tell Me', 'Slice of Paradise' and 'Cold Black Ink' and the vast array of genres do show off different skills, however I think Thirsty Curses sound needs to be more cemented. Instead of recording a plethora of genres, find a few that really work for the band and stick with it. The blues track 'Cold Black Ink' is by far the best on the album, and I would like to hear more music that sounds like that - it sounds strong, and that is what should be aimed for every song.

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OUT NOVEMBER 8TH

Face to Face with Rex Orange County (Single Review)

Alexander O'Connor, or Rex Orange County as you may know him, has been announcing songs ahead of the release of his third album, Pony, out October 25th. The most recent released track is his third track, 'Face to Face' which he announced yesterday on October 23rd via Twitter describing the track as, "This song is about being away from home, feeling trapped in an undesirable situation and finding it difficult to trust people."

After releasing his breakthrough album Apricot Princess in 2017, Rex began to receive attention from the likes of  American artists, such as Frank Ocean and Tyler the Creator. So much so, he featured on Tyler the Creator's album Flower Boy; and co-wrote and contributed vocals to the songs 'Boredom' and 'Foreword' off the album, just three months after the release of Apricot Princess, and he also had the privilege to play for Frank Ocean on tour.

The first song off the album that Rex released was '10/10' on September 12th, a song about feeling unsuccessful and depleted with his accomplishments, but pulling himself back together despite it all. The other release is 'Pluto Projector' which was released on October 17th, another track based on self-reflection, reflecting on relationships, romances and emotions.

However, new track 'Face to Face' is more focused on the bittersweet reality of having shot to stardom so fast, and the sacrifices you have to make that come with it, the stresses and loneliness of being away from home, in a brand new world, and away from comfort and familiarity. The effervescent R&B/ pop song begins with some melodic harmonies before he starts to tell his story, opening with "I grew up, you grew down, we found out everything matters now. We grew up while you let yourself down - I want out."

Underlying the track is Rex expressing how stardom can take its toll on your emotions, and how difficult it is being isolated from loved ones, and the doubt as to whether the sacrifices are ultimately 'worth it' as he states "I want out" and “I wish I could be with her instead” coming to the terms with the heartbreaking nature of having little time to talk to his partner whilst on tour due to the eight hour time difference and poor connection on video call, as well as the busy schedule that comes with the life of fame.

TRACKLIST

01. 10/10
02. Always
03. Laser Lights
04. Face to Face
05. Stressed Out
06. Never Had the Balls
07. Pluto Projector
08. Every Way
09. It Gets Better
10. It’s Not the Same Anymore

Let's Talk About How Post Grad Depression Is REAL

You've used up all of your student loan, you have probably maxed out your overdraft; whether you're paying for a place to rent or living back at home, you're practically clutching at straws just to get by. Now if you're an adult reading this who hasn't been to university, you might be relating right now - or even thinking you're in a 'worse' position. But, the difference between you and us is that having stuck with education and not got ourselves into an industry or trade, where we can earn money, we had to invest our time into education and other activities surrounding it. So not having that stable foreground financially and in job security, especially in the creative industries, makes it all the more that bit terrifying having come out of education. Yes, some people have a job lined up once they have got their degree, but it's not quite that simple for other graduates.

When you finish university you usually go back home (if you lived away) and if you haven't already got a job set in stone, you start to worry because at what point am I going to start my life? I have been at school since I was four years old, I've stuck with education right the way through to twenty-one, I've had about eight jobs I've worked since I was sixteen, to earn my own money to be able to buy new clothes, go out, or to save up for a holiday. Now it's time to get in to the real world and I'm running out of money, I'm struggling to get a job, ANY kind of job, living away from home, and struggling to make ends meet.

University was a great experience, it showed and taught me things I didn't even think were possible. Like how to write a 2500 word assignment on a question I don't even understand in under twelve hours and actually pass it, how to go out and not spend a penny, and how pesto apparently sticks to the ceiling. You make amazing friends out of people you never in a million years thought you would be friends with, you go to the most insane house parties with literally hundreds of people there, and because its usually the prime time in your life (18-24) you experience all of your heartbreaks and tragedies, as well as some of your best times, with the people that you live with, and that you are friends with at university.

You're so used to constantly being around people and always having something to do, so when you come out of that reality it's quite mind-boggling. All of a sudden you're just in like a grey space, where you're not really doing anything with your life and you don't know when you will. You're trying, but your efforts just aren't paying off, resilience in the mind is weakening and you just don't.know.what.to.do.

University forces you to make decisions, forces you to work with people you might not like and most of all it forces you to grow up. It gives you a new found sense of independence, and going from that free to being thrown in to the deep end with a brick tied to your ankle is a big change, and not a nice one as you can imagine.

 Some courses, more than others are more difficult to be employed in after graduation, like Journalism, and especially Music Journalism (like me). But regardless, if you haven't got a job lined up by the time you have graduated, no matter what your field, the consistent rejection from job applications and interviews can take a serious toll on one’s self esteem.

According to The Independent, "Statistics state that one in four students suffers from depression during their studies, but no official figures exist for graduates in the post-university transition." This is quite scary because its evidently shows that there's no welfare or help available for post graduates struggling with their mental health since leaving university.

The point of this article was to make those other graduates out there realise that they're not alone in feeling a discombobulated way since leaving university, and to reach out for help if needs be. If you can't talk to family or friends about how you are feeling, these helplines are fantastic and will listen to every word. Things will get better.

Anxiety UK - Phone: 03444 775 774 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm)
CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15 to 35.
- Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight)
Men's Health Forum: 24/7 stress support for men by text, chat and email.
Mental Health Foundation
Mind - Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)
No Panic - Support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia or OCD.
- Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am to 10pm)
OCD Action - Phone: 0845 390 6232 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm)
OCD UK - Phone: 0845 120 3778 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
PAPYRUS - Young suicide prevention society. Phone: HOPElineUK 0800 068 4141 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm and 7pm to 10pm, and 2pm to 5pm on weekends)
Rethink Mental Illness - Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)
Samaritans - Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
SANE - SANEline: 0300 304 7000 (daily, 4.30pm to 10.30pm). Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: www.sane.org.uk/textcare

The Howlers Bring to You, 'Matador', A Tarantino Wild West Love Affair

Instantaneously the Tarantino-styled intro amalgamates the Howler's sound to their appearance with its Wild West twang, and the East London Desert Rockers create a visual element with their new track, 'Matador', to be released on November 1st.

Their previous work like debut 'La Dolce Vita' and 'My Apologies' flaunt off their capabilities as a band, and how they can be adaptable when it comes to playing an eclectic range of genres and creating different moods. 'My Apologies' is a slow, mourning track where lead singer Adam Young expresses his vulnerabilities, meanwhile 'La Dolce Vita' is a real gritty rock n roll tune. 'La Dolce Vita' received a great reception from the press, and was aired on Radio X, BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 1, as well as featuring in Clash Magazine.

'Matador's' instrumental creates a visual of The Wild West, a sheriff walking in after a gun fight with the wooden doors creaking, being open by the wind, along with a ball of straw rolling into the middle of chaos. The clash of the symbols almost sounding like bullets.

"I don't know where I'm going to go, but I’ll try to sell my soul to the only one I know"

 Lead singer, Young has an Alex Turner-esque flair to his voice, with his relaxed husky vocals, bold accent, and perfect elocution. This track really shows that the band have nurtured, and now perfected their sound. An upbeat, chaotic, Wild West affair -  'Matador' is a song that will keep you on your toes.


NEXT TOUR DATES

19 October / Nambucca, London
24 October / Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth
06 November / Old Blue Last, London
16 November / The Waiting Room, London

THE HOWLER'S SOCIAL MEDIA

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Paper Castles - Forest Road (Single Review)

After having labelled themselves as 'probably the worst band in the West Midlands' Paper Castles prove they most definitely are not, with new track 'Forest Road' to be released on Saturday, August 31st.

With lead singer, Ellis Adderley’s Mike Skinner-esque flair to his voice, it's obvious that their work harbors some influences from Birmingham hip-hop group - The Streets, so with 'Forest Road' Paper Castles brings about a mildly heavy track with a punk and rap edge.

'Forest Road' is a track about the grueling realities of university life, living in a run down area, and the strange characters you meet along the way. The 'view' from his bedroom window overlooks a cemetery, he's being approached by a man in the park who's crying and needs someone to spill his life story out on to, and he also lives on the street where the working girls look for business. Alongside those unwanted attributes he's also running low on money from drinking, to which the only benefit he receives is a black eye, low bank balance and a scorching hangover.

"There's working girls outside my house and 'nah I haven't got any change, sorry.' Everybody wants trouble round here, go out with your mates and get more than you bargained for. Find myself spending all my money on black eyes and beer."

Along with the release of the track on  August 31st, Paper Castles are also hosting a launch party at The Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham on the same date. Tickets are available to purchase here. 

To keep updated with any further updates/gigs or announcements you can also follow their social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram and Spotify.

Y!KES Strike Back at Dementia with New Track 'Shadow Gallery' (Single Review)

Starring in Y!KES' new music video, to be released on Friday July 19th, is 'Amarillo' singer Tony Christie, playing an older version of lead singer, Joby Fitzgerald. 'Shadow Gallery' is a heart wrenching track about the realities of dementia, and the music video reflects the trauma surrounding loved ones and those suffering with this awful disease.

At first, the Birmingham alt-rock four-piece create a collision of noise, soon mellowed with the vocals reminiscing an old time in youth. The track begins rather optimistic, talking through memories and the lights still shining in your eyes, reflecting the fact that they're somewhat still there, and how death (at first) is a far-fetched reality. The track talks of the journey loved ones often go through by the side of somebody suffering with dementia, there is always hope they will get better and when they remember moments and objects, that faith gets re-in stored, but towards the end of their dementia path, they (near enough) always get consumed by this terrible disease and even though they're still alive, sadly their memories have faded and died and they, as a person, are no longer with you.

"So you best embrace it 'cus we're gonna make it out alive. So you better face it, no one ever makes it out alive."

Throughout the track Fitzgerald flaunts his vocal range, giving the song a sort of pop-punk edge, alongside his rocky vocals as he transitions from a low pitch to high. The track itself has an immense impact lyrically, and the music video really compliments the message that Y!KES are aiming to convey.

Y!KES will be putting on a headline show at the Asylum 2 in Birmingham on August 16th which will be filmed for their next single ‘Halcyon’. Their other tour dates are below:

August 11th - Statfold Barn Festival, Tamworth
August 16th - The Asylum 2, Birmingham (Headline show/Video shoot)
September 7th - Macmillan Festival, Nottingham
November 7th - Hard Rock Hell Festival, Great Yarmouth

You can keep up to date with Y!KES' new releases and info on their social media pages: Facebook/ Twitter/ YouTube