Saturday, 27 March 2010
EP Review: Julian Shah-Tayler - Blah Blah Blahnik
The month of May marks the release of Julian Shah-Tayler's latest EP entitled 'Blah Blah Blahnik'. Julian has had a busy first year, as the official press release below documents:
It has been a good 2010 so far for Julian, he has been featured in the Huffington Post, and interviewed by E! about working with Joaquin Phoenix.
He has signed a publishing deal with Music Sales for the first album by his duo “Adamandevil” and seen “Wrap It Up” his co-write with “Whitey” featured in the Hollywood feature “Whip It”
He has also had many of his songs used in the indie features: “Prudence” and “Youthful Journeys Of The World” as well as an Australian Television show - “West Coast Diaries – Almost Famous.”
His debut performance with his new live band was for Angie Bowie, and their second show was an online TV broadcast on Bandome.com. He also performed with Macy Gray and Rolan Bolan for the Hallowe’en special at Superhip LA nightspot Bardot
His debut EP: “Un Ange Passe” was released on 1st January to universal acclaim:
“Wetter is Massive, It will make (Julian) a star” – Alan McGee (Creation Records)
“Very Impressed” – David J (Bauhaus/Love and Rockets)
“Massive talent” – Boom Boom Chik
“A breathtaking talent” – Mojophenia
“Songwriting and performance is quite stunning” – Beehive Candy
“Wonderful Vocals…Production is superior” – Mark Fisher
“A superb ep” – Yorkie – aiiradio.net
“Julian is seriously talented” – I Am The Programmer
“Extremely catchy” - Bomarrblog
“It’s like a magic carpet ride” – Mark Walbaum
“London new wave at its danceable best” – Dabelly.com
“The brilliant Julian Shah-Tayler…..Stupidly good” – Liberty London Girl
“I was astounded to see the amount of energy he brought” - Geekweek.com
You can download your copy of Blah Blah Blahnik for FREE right here (or offer a donation) in advance of its 1st May release date on iTunes. Below I've included a track-by-track guide.
Show Me Your Soul - A great hooky electro/rock number that sounds really fresh and now. The vocals sound wicked against the grooving drums and great sounding guitars, this song sounds like a hit. There's a cool synth journey in the second verse and the backing vocals in the chorus add a real depth to the track.
Force of Habit - The guitar work on this EP really shines through; the overall sound of the music has a far grittier edge than what I've heard from Julian before. This song is packed with great guitar-riff work; his voice is deep and sensual which reminds me of Ville Valo (HIM) against a cool upbeat background.
Butterfly - This is a real pub-rock anthem; chugging electric guitars, poppy drums and a real singalong chorus. The Lo-Fi feel after the first chorus is cool and I like the synth/guitar notes pushing against the straight grooves throughout the second verse. The guitar break after the second chorus is cool but I'd love for it to really push for centre stage with a huge solo on top of the mix; it just sits equal to everything else, show it off and take the song home!
Electricity - A virtuoso piano part sets the scene, differing itself from the dance-rock feel that the track's predecessors showcased. A calmer piano-driven ballad was exactly what the doctor ordered for track four and Julian's vocals sound great on this track. A really nice song.
Blood Destiny - We're sticking with the calmer feel again with this track which is nice; I'm in that mood thanks to the previous track. When the track gets going I love the drums with the acoustic guitar and Julian's deep vocals really top it off nicely. It's not a real stand-out track but is great in its own right; the track builds cleverly and the acoustic guitar work is top class.
Say What You Want (Jason Air remix) - A real grooving dance track to cap off the EP in style; it's a perfect ending. The track is a real foot-tapper featuring great samples and some wicked beats. It's eclectic and odd and this is what makes it perfect; it's a real cooking pot of ideas.
Overall it's a great display of Julian's talents and of his variety in music making. The EP is a real musical journey; taking us from grooving pop rock, chilling out with some more mellow tracks and finishing with a real rave of a tune. I urge you to download the EP now!
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Thanks for taking the time to write :)