Contemplating.

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I am currently sat with my feet up on a stack of Disney related books, a pile of DVD cases spilling across the floor, proof that yesterday was a research day–having watched all (yes, ALL) of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in a row, only broken my slipper-clad trips across the road for a customary caramel hot chocolate or two from Costa.  My iPad is neglected besides me and several tattered notepads full of scrawled notes are on the floor like oversized confetti. I hate working in chaos, but apparently this is when I’m most productive. I’ve neglected my music writing recently, but it’s kind of been necessary. A lot has happened over the past six months. I had the pleasure of working at the infamous NME which was an incredible experience, one I hope to repeat in the not so distant future. (An experience that I sincerely blame for getting me hooked on The Stone Roses, my musical choice at this current moment in time). I also got to work on the official press team for Redfest, Katherine and I made up team one of two and it was great fun attempting to identify band members for interviews through their profile pictures on Facebook; interviewing in a tiny, humid teepee that picked up every minuscule noise; recording stripped acoustic sessions by some of the most talented, incredible British musicians around; and generally immersing myself in music. I even forgave the torrential rain which made me look like a drowned rat in all my interviews, because the festival ended with KP and I dancing, taking it in turns to hold the Go Pro in the pit for Bastille, watching everyone so absorbed and enjoying the music.

Around about this time life started getting ultra busy as I started job number two and moved into my new flat, and I’ve been too hectic to have five minutes to curl up with a book let alone pretend to be creative. I started back at uni in October and I’m currently researching for my dissertation and writing an investigative feature, legal essay and deciding on my FMP. All I can say is that May can hurry the hell up so I can hopefully find some time to just ‘be’ and a job that I will actually enjoy..?  October obviously meant the “Farewell” Madina Lake tour which was pretty much heart wrenching in every which way. I am hugely grateful that I managed to rejig my schedule though, I went from doing no dates, to potentially two dates to nine (I think), I went to Scotland for a ML show which was the date that had always escaped me in the past, and I think I will allow it to pass me by in the future, Glaswegians are somewhat terrifying when you’re on your own at 4.30am, yep. There are not really any words to explain how amazing those three weeks were to me, or how much they were needed. There’s something special about a Madina gig, the guys, and everyone surrounding the band. It was fun, as was hunting down a costa in every town. Haha.

I’ve been to quite a number of gigs in the last couple of weeks too, I went to my first ever seated gig which was an experience, and witnessed Deaf Havana supported by the absolutely wonderful and hugely talented Charlie Simpson (swoon at his voice), got to see To Kill A King headline KoKo which was a massive night for them and brilliant to be a part of, it was the perfect venue for them, the atmosphere was great and their performance was emotive and awe inspiring. I’m also hoping to catch up with the lads from Brother and Bones, Imagine Dragons, and we are going to get our dance out for Broco.

In the meantime, I’ve got a tonne of writing and not a whole lot of time, too many questions about my future I can’t even begin to contemplate, and a huge amount of people that I miss but can’t see thanks to so many commitments. Back to the grind, I guess. It’ll all be worth it in the end.

Bo Bruce – Alive.

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Having followed Bo Bruce’s journey from her tentative first performance on Orange Unsigned Act in 2009, I was left absolutely in awe of her beautiful performance of Fighting Arizona. As someone who point-blank refuses to watch programs such as X Factor and The Voice, I made an exception when hearing Bo’s name mentioned in the papers for The Voice 2012.

The singer-songwriter decided to give talent programs one last shot, and managed to come second in the competition. Her second single taken from debut album Before I Sleep is entitled Alive. The song is mellow yet still holding a pop-undertone; the vocal focused song is heartfelt and evocative. However, a lot of Bo Bruce’s charm and vulnerability has been stripped away in favour of a more ‘radio friendly’ song which is a little too polished and slightly too auto-tuned. As such a talented performer it is a real shame to see such an extensive list of album credits from various producers and co-writers.   There is a lot of signature sparkle absent from the song, yet it is still listenable, just missing that individuality much needed in the music industry at the moment.

 

Passenger In The Charts!

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Mike Rosenberg, folk singer under the name Passenger is currently at number 11 in the UK singles charts with song Let Her Go.

The singer has supported the likes of Ed Sheeran on tour, and it is set to be a busy year with a whole host of European dates and festivals, and a North America tour kicking off in July.

His current album, All The Little Lights can be purchased from the iTunes store, or his webstore if you are from the UK.

http://www.passengermusic.com

To Kill A King

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W/ SHIELDS & THE EDMONSONS – SCALA, LONDON.

10TH APRIL, 2013.

The night we’ve been waiting for, To Kill A King. As doors crawl ever closer, a queue of very excitable people begin to form, eagerly anticipating how tonight will unfold.

The Edmonsons’ are first to play; they create a funky blues vibe different to the generic singer songwriter ‘and band’ build up.  The three sisters have a very Corrs sound, with velvety harmonies sung over soft guitars, yet when the drums kick in it merges into an upbeat pop song. Although the crowd is sparse, they do a good job of kicking off proceedings with an enthusiastic set.

Next taking to the stage are Geordie lads Shields, who have had a video premiere on The Guardian website and been labeled ‘the ones to watch’ in 2013, so there’s very high expectations for this band to deliver. To the point, they storm through each song with an abundance of energy with infectious hooks and complimentary keys creating the perfect dose of summer inspired sounds.

Ralph & Ian

The electric atmosphere is almost intoxicating, as the lights plummet and excitement rockets, the glowing lights around the drum kit remind the crowd that To Kill A King finally have arrived.

Opening with a deceptively mellow Gasp, they soon delve into a flurry of guitars and zealous keys, before Ralph’s voice ties everything together, a song full of the unexpected; a perfect hint of what’s to come this evening.  Transitioning into a bewitching Cold Skin with awe-inspiring harmonies and majestic drums. Howling allows the band to take a step back and see just how far they have come–selling out Scala–rewarded with every person in the room singing back their lyrics, almost as heartfelt as the band themselves.  Fans are treated to a full, uncensored performance of Cannibals with Cutlery, and brutally honest Family, followed shortly after by a dynamic Funeral, their latest release, with its dark musings yet buoyant beats.

The customary encore sees singer Ralph nervously take to the keys “It’s only three chords”, he jokes, as the folky melody bewitches the fans. Finally finishing with a climactic Fictional State where Ian daringly climbs the speaker stack to play to the applauding crowd, ending on a breathlessly impressive high.

It is an evening of contrasts; soft, soulful lyrics that still convey so much emotion, and huge brass inspired numbers all executed to sheer perfection, so eloquently.   That’s just the thing about To Kill A King, they give the performance everything, the sound is spot on and they enjoy every moment of being onstage sharing their passion: what a performance.

 

You can catch To Kill A King on the Main Stage at Redfest!

Follow the band on Twitter: @ToKillAKingUK

Guilty Pleasures

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I am proud to say that I am a music lover of diverse taste.  If I brushed off the metaphorical dust from my CD rack the music nestled there would be no surprise: from the husky vocals of The Gaslight Anthem, to the repetitive beat of indie rock band Spector, transitioning into the whirl of positive energy woven through Madina Lake’s tracks, and the sarcastic scorn of Max Bemis’ band Say Anything, not forgetting the comforting sounds of all 8 Counting Crows’ albums.

However, what lurks within the confines of my iTunes library is somewhat more startling/horrifying (delete as appropriate).

Maybe an obvious ‘guilty pleasure’ but two full albums of Adele’s whingeing and I still can’t get enough. Sometimes all you want to do is get into your PJs, buy as much chocolate as you can physically carry and crawl into bed with Adele helping soothe your sorry excuse for a life.  Another one that I can get away with—I’m not trying to justify it, honest—is Robbie. The Robbie. You know, gorilla-faced-yet-still-attractive-to-most-of-the-female-population Robbie.  I appreciate everything from his swing covers, classic ‘Let Me Entertain You’, and ‘Rock DJ’ to his newest endeavor ‘Candy’, you could say there’s a Robbie for every mood. Unfortunately, my housemates disagree.

A band I am rightly ashamed of is newly split My Passion. The arrogance of frontman Laurence Renee entwined with the drummers boring beats and laughable lyrics combined with their ridiculously OTT image is far from endearing, their hairstyles alone contain enough hairspray to gas out an entire room; yet several songs are so bad they are almost good.

 

 

Top 5 Guilty Pleasures (as chosen by my friends)

 

Grease – Grease Is The Word

What can I say? I love the movie so much that I own the soundtrack. In my defense I don’t actively listen to it, but if it crops up on shuffle I won’t skip it.

James Taylor – Shower The People

It’s a dad song. Literally.  I used to be kept awake at 3am by my father deciding to go on a singing rampage, I grew up loathing James Taylor, his name was mud, his voice made me want to scream. Now I willingly listen to him, but it’s not something to be repeated, shh.

 

Hanson – Penny and Me

Once a Hanson song gets in your head it is there to stay… I think I’ve been singing this song repeatedly since the age of 10.

 

Ashlee Simpson – Pieces of Me

This song makes me cringe. It reminds me of incredibly painful moments having listening to people sing,  (or attempting to sing myself) this song on Singstar, I feel deeply scarred by these moments in my life, yet I still manage to sing along each time I play it…

 

Kids In Glass Houses – Undercover Lover

I like Kids In Glass Houses in all their Welshness, add a ‘Saturday’ into the mix and it doesn’t quite gel. However, this hasn’t stopped it racking up an impressive 60 plays on my iTunes library since January.

Songs of the week.

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Saviour

Canterbury

Energetic pop rock, Saviour is the first single taken from 2nd album Heavy In The Day. Wildly illustrious, dripping with memorable hooks and a repetitive drumbeat the lyrics explode through the speakers, showcasing singer Luke Prebble’s jarring vocals in a completely different way, creating a sense of urgency in the delivery—it works.

 

True Romance

Motion City Soundtrack

Introducing True Romance, an upbeat pop-tastic track crammed full of barbed hooks and killer riffs: maybe not one of Justin Pierre’s greatest lyrical achievements, but still a song that compels you to dance. The highlight is in the final verse, as he sings to hauntingly beautiful melodies, “humming a slightly varied tune, opposite angles of the moon, buried in layers of ourselves, leaves room for no one else”.

Write It On Your Skin

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Can I just say, Newton Faulkner’s new record is incredible. Diverse, unique, captivating. Lullabyesque ‘Pick Up Your Broken Heart’ & monuments ‘Write It On Your Skin. It’s great to have an artist dominating the forefront of the British music scene who truly does his own thing. His signature guitar tapping in ‘Clouds’ and ‘Brick by Brick’ shows what he’s all about, helping the songs to soar above the ordinary. ‘Sugar In The Snow’ is reflective of first album ‘Hand Build By Robots’ which is a lovely way to close the record.