When We Were Beautiful

New Artist Alert: Seasfire

2012-01-21T04:14:00.000-08:00

Introducing Seasfire, the Bristol-based quintet who bring an eclectic mix of pop and electronic vibes to the table with their debut offering 'Falling', for which you can see the video below.

Featuring ex-players from The Joe Public, this piano-led ballad tinged with slight unnerving electro outbursts easily ebbs about the shore, driven along by some nice guitar work towards the end of the track. It's a great pop-vocal that fronts the mix, as the track drifts pleasantly in and out of my consciousness, but I can't help feeling that although this is perfectly suited to some late-night easy listening, there's a certain substance lacking that fails to maintain my interest as a listener. There's no doubting it's a well-crafted and professionally-sounding song, I just wonder if the intensity peaked a little more, offering greater dynamic contours within the track, for which there is a lot of room to do so, it would serve itself as a great stand-alone song rather than something that might be better suited as background music. That said, there is clearly a market for what the guys are doing, which I'll be the first to admit I'm not one of, so my opinion may differ from yours and I urge to have a listen for yourself and make your own minds up.

You can check out Seasfire at their Facebook page and watch the video for Falling below.

The Ocean's Eyes - Rooms of Red

2012-01-21T03:47:00.000-08:00

The Ocean's Eyes' debut music video for Rooms of Red has been released, produced by Daniel Broadly who has worked with the likes of Futures and That Sunday Feeling. It's an exciting couple of months ahead for the guys, who also go out on tour in March with support from Room94. You can catch them live at the following shows:

15.03 OXFORD O2/Academy2
16.03 SOUTHAMPTON/Guava Bar
17.03 BRIGHTON/Hydrant
18.03 NORWICH/B2
19.03 BRISTOL/Thekla
20.03 CARDIFF/Clwb Ifor Bach
22.03 NOTTINGHAM/Rescue Rooms
23.03 BIRMINGHAM/HMV Institute
24.03 MANCHESTER/Roadhouse
25.03 SHEFFIELD/Corporation
26.03 LIVERPOOL/O2 Academy2
27.03 GLASGOW/Cathouse
28.03 NEWCASTLE/Riverside
29.03 LEEDS/Cockpit
31.03 LONDON/King's College (KCLSU)

Check out the video below and be sure to catch the guys on the road, tickets are available here.

Something For The Fans

2012-01-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Are you a budding singer who fancies themselves to be tipped for a BRIT-award nomination in the future? Now's your chance to kick-start your career into superstardom by winning the chance to sing with rising soul and urban songstress Emeli Sandé, chart-topping boyband JLS or singer-songwriter Labrinth!

Not only are Mastercard offering one lucky customer the chance to duet with one of their idols, it will be broadcast to millions watching the Brit awards on the night of the show! It's so easy to apply, all you need to do is visit the SomethingFor The Fans website, register your interest with your chosen artist and then you'll be contacted within 48 hours to upload a video audition. It couldn't be easier and you've nothing to lose; this is the perfect competition for all those budding singers out there!

This years BRIT awards is set to be bigger and better than ever, with the nominees set to be released on the 12th January. It's promising to be a massive year for British artists, with breakthrough acts like Ed Sheeran who have, in the past, worked so tirelessly for years finally reaping the rewards with great help from the likes of the prestigious BRIT awards. Emeli Sandé has already been tipped for great things in 2012 and is certainly an artist to look out for. The BRITs remind us that there are still some great talents out there waiting to be unearthed and shared with the world, and you can be part of their biggest show yet!

No prizes for guessing that, had it been an option, I'd have jumped at the chance to duet with Jon Bon Jovi, sharing the stage with my idol in front of millions of music fans worldwide. Your performance will be shared in an ad-break for Mastercard's Priceless London, for which you can check out their website here. Their service allows customers to enjoy incredible and unique experiences, such as meeting the cast of a West-End musical for after-show drinks, savouring a private dinner and tasting experience at the finest restaurants the capital has to offer or even an after-hours museum trip! Mastercard have really offered some fantastic opportunities for budding-singers and their customers alike, so why not take advantage of these incredible chances and get involved today.

Share your talents with the world and sign up now! Good luck!

MasterCard
Something For The Fans
BRIT Awards 2012
Ebuzzing Tracking Link
Sponsored Post

Vintage Trouble Live @ Moles, Bath

2011-12-20T05:06:00.000-08:00

My view of the 'stage'

I came home from Uni for Christmas on Sunday and was even more excited than in previous years for I had managed to obtain tickets to go and see Vintage Trouble with my girlfriend. I couldn't believe I had been so lucky, as it was a rescheduled show that had previously sold-out, not to mention the fact that it was in a tiny venue. It turned out to be one of the best shows I've ever seen and I just wanted to share with you the awesomeness that is a VT show.

The venue capacity is a mere 200 and we found ourselves right at the front which was perfect; the 'stage' is barely a foot off the ground so had we been a just a few rows back we wouldn't have seen much of the band. Moles is a real dirty, dingy basement venue, surely the most-suited environment to watch some dirty, rock 'n rollin' blues and no sooner had Vintage Trouble taken to stage after a much-anticipated wait were the 200-strong crowd dancing the night away. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who expected an explosive opener, but as the band took to the stage to be met by the rapturous applause and whooping of a a very-ready audience, the gentle, bluesy intro of 'Not Alright By Me' eased in, complete with the beautiful, soulful vocals of Ty whose usual manic stage-presence was surpassed by a sultry demeanour that was befitting of the style of the song. It caught everybody completely off-guard and no sooner had we been drawn in, the band kicked into their two-hour set and the walls were literally dripping wet by the end.

The entire show was a real pleasure to be a part of; although these American blues maestros had opened stadiums for Bon Jovi around Europe over the summer and featured on Jools Holland, the UK's primary live-music TV show, you could just tell they meant every heartfelt note and wanted to be there every second of the night. The tiny venue really did suit their style perfectly and the audience participation was fantastic. It felt so informal and that all anybody wanted to do was have a good time, the band included, who appeared humbled by such a small audience and rocked just as hard as they had done at Old Trafford in June to tens of thousands.

As we filed out of the sweaty dungeon two hours later, the band were already at the merch table and I was thankful I'd pulled a poster off of the wall as we went inside which was swiftly signed by all four members of the band. Not only were they eager to meet their audience without hesitation, going directly from the stage after the gig, their sincerity didn't stop there. As they passed posters and CDs along the line they didn't keep their heads down as if they had to be there, you got a sense that they really wanted to be there, with each member making conversation with me and really engaging on a personal level.

Not only was the show incredible, I was equally impressed and grateful for the level of interaction and effort from the band during and after the show to really connect with their audience and this is what made the show such a special and memorable evening, not to mention one of the greatest and most-rocking gigs I've experienced. A friend of mine introduced the band to me, and I then caught them on Jools Holland and have since been lucky enough to see them twice; if you're a fan of the blues, rock 'n roll or just love to see a live band I urge to catch Vintage Trouble whenever you get the opportunity, for if it's a sell-out stadium crowd or 200 people squashed like sardines underground I can assure you that you won't be disappointed. These guys really are the pioneers showcasing a true and raw love for the arts and of what they do so meet them halfway and experience music how it really should be.

New Artist Alert: Flatland Wolf

2011-11-24T02:12:00.000-08:00

Just when I was losing faith with all the pop-punk drivel that seems to still find its way out there, along came Flatland Wolf with all the howling promise and snarling intent of a new-folk quartet from Southampton, who take influence from The Band, Crosby Stills & Nash to the more recent sounds of Fleet Foxes. I'm sure they'll hate me for saying it, but they'll have to get used to the Mumford & Sons comparisons early-on; on this side of the pop-folk genre there aren't many artists to draw likeness with and, equally, a wholly different sound one can create that can set you far enough apart.

The limelight is shared between SJ Mortimer and Jack Birks, the male and female vocals that work so well together and supported so fantastically by a whole host of instruments including acoustic guitars, banjos, harmonicas, mandolin and piano courtesy of Joe Harrison and Kieran Morgan.

I urge you to catch this fresh folk fever while the wolves are still at the door; submerge yourself safely within the refuge of your four walls and the company of a bottle of wine (alright, maybe not an entire bottle) and devour the wonderful music of Flatland Wolf. It's a great, fresh sound that has come along just at the right time; as an antidote to all that is shit within music, allow me to prescribe Flatland Wolf to you (daily consumption advised) to remind you that there are still those out there with drive, passion and talent worthy of turning this industry around. Great sounds from great guys, enjoy.

To listen for youself, check out their demo online. For more information, be sure to check out the Flatland Wolf Facebook Page.

Stories Beats Stuff UK

2011-11-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

‘He who dies with the best stories, wins’. It’s the 21^st Century. Gone are the hoarders of yesteryear, it’s all about downsizing this and reshuffling that. It’s most definitely cool to be small. In an age where we’ve replaced all our CDs that took up a whole wall in our flat with a palm-sized digital music library, everyone’s looking for an excuse to take up the minimalist approach. And what better opportunity to do this whilst being in with the chance of winning a money-can’t-buy trip to New Zealand?!

I thought I might have your attention now. It’s so simple, just pick which of the two-week experiences you’d like to win; maybe you fancy the ‘Summer Rhythm’ music festival trip, where you’ll partake in a road-trip across the South-East of NZ before ending up at Rhythm & Vines music festival with a chance to catch Calvin Harris, Pendulum and Example. Or perhaps you might prefer the ‘Beaches & Boats’ option where, in the Bay Islands, you’ll get a chance to swim with dolphins, dive the Poor Knights Islands and sun yourself on glorious white sandy beaches. A tough decision I know, but once you’ve made your choice, film yourself picking out the material possessions you’re happy to trade in for the chance to win, upload the video to YouTube and share it all over Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to get your mates to share it about too, because the top-10 videos with the most views will be short-listed to help find the ultimate winner!

Want to check out my video...

This global competition opened on the 9^th November for anyone over the age of 18 but is only running until the 31^st November so get your entries in quick! It’s so easy and you’ve just got to get sharing. Need some more inspiration? Check out this video. Looks great, but I reckon you could do better. How about this one? Still very cool but remember this is a competition! So now you’ve seen some examples, get out there and make your own, but make it ten times better!

Be sure to Like the New Zealand Facebook page for your chance to keep up to date with all their latest offers and ensure you’re at the front of the queue for all their upcoming competitions. I did a bit of research on NZ as I must admit, it isn’t somewhere I’d considered as a holiday destination before. That’s all changed now though; New Zealand is a traditional country but with a great fresh, new party vibe that it’s bursting to share with all you guys! The country is oozing with culture, awash with white, sandy beaches and has a great night-life; the best of all worlds I’m sure you’ll agree! Oh, and there’s no need to cram in those last-minute language sessions because they speak English! What more could you want?!

So I think you’ve got the idea by now, for more information and to submit your video check out the official website, otherwise get filming, get sharing and get on that plane! Make yourself some memories with this amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You only live once and you can sleep when you’re dead!

GOOD LUCK!

The Ocean's Eyes TOUR!

2011-11-22T03:14:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I'm pleased to announce that, in association with Drop Stop Rock Clothing, The Ocean's Eyes are taking to the road very soon alongside The Return and Taking Hayley. Listings are as follows:

Sun 04 Dec/SHEFFIELD/O2 Academy 2
Mon 05 Dec/LEEDS/Cockpit3
Tue 06 Dec/NEWCASTLE/Riverside
Wed 07 Dec/NORWICH/B2
Thu 08 Dec/BIRMINGHAM/Ballroom2
Fri 09 Dec/LONDON /Islington O2 Academy 2

Tickets are available here so be sure to check them out in a city near you!

The Ocean's Eyes - Lost Along The Way EP Available Now

2011-10-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

You may recall my post at the beginning of the month highlighting the release of The Ocean's Eyes' EP 'Lost Along The Way'? No? Well, refresh your memory with the feature (including EP audio sampler) here.

Refreshed? Good. Well today's the day; the band kick off their release date with a launch party at King's Cross Scala tonight in London, followed by a supporting tour:

October 25/Norwich B2
October 26/Nottingham Rock City
October 27/Cambridge Cornerhouse
October 29/Basingstoke Bang Bar
October 30/Brighton Prince Albert
October 31/London Zenith Bar (Halloween party)
November 01/Bristol Croft

Grab your copy here and be sure to check ourt the guys on tour!

Birds In Flight: EP 'A Hand To Hold' Available Now!

2011-10-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

Birds In Flight's hotly-anticipated EP 'A Hand To Hold' is available now! After a fantastic launch party at Monto Water Rats, London UK, fans are now able to download a digital copy of the 4-track EP here.

Physical copies of the CDs are available from the band at their upcoming shows:

02 Nov/The Riflemans, Glastonbury
04 Nov/The Cellar, Southampton
17 Nov/Avondales, Southampton
03 Dec/Joiners, Southampton

Keep up to date with all goings-on with the band on their Facebook Page.

New Artist Alert: Anchors

2011-10-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

Introducing metal/posthardcore quintet Anchors! Admittedly not really my thing, but I can certainly appreciate the guys' awareness of their genre and the talent on show here.

Based in Bournemouth, UK, the band have been together for about a year and a half playing shows all over the South Coast, picking up fans along the way thanks to their tight and energetic live shows. The guys have a mini-album available as a FREE download which you can get your hands on here.

Upcoming Shows

Friday 21st October/The White Horse, Bognor w/ In Place of Hope and more TBC

Sunday 27th November/Facebar, Reading - Charity Half Dayer w/ Echoes, Death Of An Artist and more

Monday 5th December/Southampton Solent Uni Student Union w/ 5 Miles North of Nowhere and more TBC

Be sure to check out Anchors on Facebook for more gig dates, photos and music and make sure you catch them live soon!

New Artist Alert: The Ocean's Eyes

2011-10-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

The I Am Mighty army is growing stronger by the month, as latest newcomers The Ocean's Eyes signed with the label last month and have their latest EP 'Lost Along The Way' available for pre-order now. This alternative/pop-punk quintet hail from London and you can pre-order your copy now here.

All Pre-Orders will be signed by the band and come with some free stickers from I Am Mighty Records. Lost Along The Way is set for general release on October 24th. Talking of the band's latest offering, lead singer Luke McInroy said: "In each song we talk about being alone or being lost. With the title of our E.P. being 'Lost Along The Way' it means that sometimes you've got to lose yourself to make you realise what you have, or who you need to become to overcome the problems in your life and make yourself a stronger person".

Included below for your listening pleasure is a sample of the EP.

The Ocean's Eyes- Lost Along The Way Sampler by I Am Mighty Records

For more information on the band please visit I Am Mighty or check them out on Facebook.

New Artist Alert: These Days

2011-10-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

That this band share their name with my favourite Bon Jovi album has no bearing on my wanting to share them with you...honest. I don't think there's much more correlation to draw from anyway, so I'll lay that to rest now (on a bed of roses perhaps?) and get on with this feature. This quartet from Salisbury are set to launch their six-track mini album titled 'Hope and Glory' of which I've reviewed a few tracks from below. The guys 'take inspiration from the likes of Foo Fighters and Brand New; These Days have an exciting and different outlook on music'. I'm excited to hear what this rock/pop/punk outfit can bring to the table...

Glory/ A much calmer introduction to the CD than I expected considering the band's influences and pop-punk description. Glory starts life as a soothing, almost folk-tinged track, gaining momentum as the drums hope to pull it from its Mumford & Sons' clutches whilst melodic guitars and quintessential vocals stake their claim and dig in their heels. The track has a progressive feel to it as the mix is enriched with a growing musical spectrum and a really refreshing sound. Just past the one minute mark the track kicks in with a strong and epic-sounding chorus before dipping, showcasing the great-sounding vocals and imaginative backing harmonies. There's a fantastic guitar riff that kicks in, lifting the track many miles away from it's roots a mere two minutes ago but it's been such a progressive and cleverly crafted journey that nothing is out of place. A fabulous start.

Always/ Is it too much of a coincidence that the band share another Bon Jovi song title? I'm certain this won't be a cover (and for the sake of the review, will stop with the references now!). An edgier second track kicks in, the vocals reminding me of the All American Rejects before a short pre-chorus introudces a half-time feel that texturally allows the track to grow. The vocals take on a more Gerard Way sound here, or at least some of the melodies remind me of him, as frantic drums and guitar work take over as the second verse enters. The snare strokes on the drums are perhaps a little overkill every bar, it may have been more effective every two or perhaps even every four as it creates quite a busy sound., but the impact of the half-time second chorus is heightened by this. The subtle backing vocals add a lot to the track, and the breakdown section really allows for the rhythm section to step into the limelight as winding guitar works away in the background. More vocals enrich this section before the last double chorus kicks in, the latter making the leap to a double-time feel which is a great touch, before a very abrupt and unexpected end.

Misery/ I love the sound of this as the track starts off with everyone all-in; the drums really fight for centre stage against the dual-layered lead-vocals with a great tom-driven beat topped with uplifting hits on the bell of the ride. The vocals eventually stride on ahead in the final straight as an interesting and chunky chord progression highlights the changing section before the chorus comes around in almost two parts (unless I've misread the specific sections). I love the minor-sounding first-half of the chorus (or extended pre-chorus!) as the vocals stick close to the home key, always threatening to leap up into the next octave. It's a lovely interval, as they eventually leap a fifth above (tonic to dominant; a winning formula!) which creates a really uplifting section against the same interesting chord progression that was featured before; listen out for the ingenious second chord that adds a real alternative touch. I'm not sure how much thought has gone into the arrangement of the track but either way the effect on the listener is perfect. Suddenly a punky-section kicks in and I've realised that this band are the masters in really mixing up the theme of a track, dipping in and out of many different sub-genres whilst maintaining an over-riding feel. It's a great asset they hold and they pull it off perfectly.

I've genuinely enjoyed listening to a really refreshing sound that thinks outside the box and really pushes the pop-punk boundaries in a way that can keep the genre alive. To think this EP started off with a Mumford-esque feel, only to morph seemlessly into a MCR drive really pays a compliment to the song-writing abilities of this band and I hope they are the pioneering force to be reckoned with. As the 'same old' pop-punk genre threatens to die out a boring and drawn-out death, finally someone is taking it upon themselves to help give birth to its sister genre and, lest we forget, every genre of music we listen to once started life as something very different. I urge you to check out These Days on Facebook and either get yourselves a copy of the mini-album or catch them live. Brilliant stuff.

Boy Set Sail - We're Almost There EP Review

2011-09-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my introduction of Boy Set Sail with their EP sampler recently? Well the EP, entitled We're Almost There, is now available and I've had a little listen myself. Check out my review below and be sure to get yourself a copy to help support our struggling young music scene.

Track 1/Rewind/ A strong and anthemic start to the CD highlights a cool-sounding pop song with fantastic lead vocals and a great song-writing abilitiy. Backing vocals help to support the main vocals throughout as the lead guitar dabbles in cheeky lead-lines here and there adding a little more colour to the track. It's quite a short song coming in at just 2.30 mins but packs a strong and determined punch nonetheless.

Track 2/Believe/ Starts in a similar way to its predecessor with chugging, palm-muted guitar and introspective vocals before the rest of the band enter. The chorus is strong, once again led by the vocals and there's a lot of energy in the track but I'm not sure the production does the overall CD justice. The drums in particular sound a little deflated and the whole EP could perhaps do with some more brightness and texture to help it really jump out. This, of course, isn't to take away from the song-writing and arrangements; although Believe is even shorter than Rewind, all the tracks demonstrate a great interest and awareness of the genre and the band demonstrate this well with really tight performances.

Track 3/You Are/ A mix of double and half-time rhythms introduce the mid-way part of the EP with a more interesting track. There are some unexpected chord progressions which are welcomed and some progressive work as the track builds, introducing new guitar ideas in the second verse and a fluent breakdown section. The final chorus kicks in really well with loads of energy from the drums, again playing with the rhythms, before settling for a relentless double-time feel as the lead vocals step further into the limelight with some strong final notes.

Track 4/All These Things/ A confident start and some more cool-sounding chord progressions. The verses rock but the chorus is a little weak in comparison and doesn't stand out on its own as much as others on the EP have done so. This might be because the vocals lead the chorus sticking too close to the home key as in the verses and don't break up into the next octave until the end of the second line; the chorus needs to pack a punch all of it's own and not amble so politely in from the verse. It's a safe track; by all means sounds good and fits in perfectly with the rest of the EP but it's no highlight for me.

Track 5/ This Time Around/ Track 5 marks the end of the journey with Boy Set Sail and safely remains well within the pop-punk bordera showcasing strong lead vocals, supportive backing, frantic bursts of drum fills and confident lead-guitar lines. I'm glad the vocals remain with an unashamed English accent and haven't adopted a bad American twang; there's nothing worse with UK pop-punk than when bands feel the need to completely emulate our cousins across the pond in every which way. The breakdown here sounds cool, bravely sticking with just vocals and guitar for quite a length of time but it pays dividends when the rest of the band are re-introduced. The song, especially the ending, definitely has a finalising quality to it that rounds off the EP well. The band have definitely honed their sound and I'm sure are even better live, matched on a like-with-like bill and with a bit more volume and brightness behind them. They're brilliant at what they do but I'm not sure the sound of the EP in general has enough for them to stand out in a very crowded sea of pop-punk enthusiasts. The ideas and musicality are great and I wish the boys every success but I'm worried that the sound is a little too familiar in terms of what a pop-punk audience might expect and sometimes you've got to step outside the box to ensure your voice is heard.

You can purchase your copy of the EP from iTunes or from the label's website where you can keep up to date with the band.

New Artist Alert: Two Types of Clothing

2011-09-08T03:33:00.000-07:00

When We Were Beautiful is proud to introduce Two Types of Clothing, a hard-edged pop-punk trio who come bursting onto the scene already with loads of gigging experience. The guys hope to add to this soon when they become of driving age (17 in the UK) and have the freedom of the open road ahead of them. In the meantime, their current three-track EP 'It's Not Our Fault' fell into my proverbial lap and I was more than intrigued to have a listen...

Track 1/The Truth's Off The Bed/ A poetic title that sets the lyrical scene for the track, as a strong guitar riff builds, guiding us through the accompanying half-time feel then all-out double time massacre. I love the chords playing behind the main riff; it's a very genre-specific riff and feel. The vocals are all-out punk with a quintessential hint of English charm and, to be honest, it's refreshing to hear male vocals over a pop-punk track without a pretentious American tinge. The guitar threatens to burst in throughout the verses as the rhythm section drives along relentlessly, eventually parting for the half-time feel chorus. The breakdown goes exactly where it needs to, with a great intro to it and the solo is just what was called for; predictable perhaps but for all the right reasons. The band tease with the final chorus, letting big guitar chords ring and introducing a hi-fi vocal sound before everything falls back into place for one final flourish. A really explosive opener with great energy.

Track 2/Picks and Sticks/ A prickly guitar riff opens up to a more melodic and dynamic pattern as it introduces the second track that's just as ferocious as the first. This band's all about the riffs and I can really appreciate the song-writing abilities of the band; they're tight and all very capable musicians topped off with really raw and confident vocals and great musical ideas. The verses are imaginative and the chorus comes like a punch in the face, hitting you like a freight train and not leaving any prisoners but it's not so heavy that it wouldn't work on Radio 1 which is a great balance I think the band have struck. The guitar chords that ring out in the breakdown sound a little weak against the drums and could do with a little more volume and reverb on them. I think they just sound a tad dry but it's nothing to do with the arrangement, more about post-production work. The section it feeds into though sounds great and again the chord progression and the specific voicings really work well. It dips once more before gaining volume for the final chorus, adding to the impact that the punch of a final chorus should pack.

Track 3/Limitations/ A crackly, feeding-back intro filters through before the guitar riff welcomes us to the final track of the EP, I think the only criticism I would have is that all the intros are quite lengthy; it was almost a full minute before the vocals came in and I think listeners (and record execs alike) want to be grabbed as soon as possible to maintain their interest. The harmonies explored here work really well and are really nice to hear; the track itself isn't as strong as its predecessors but the addition of backing vocals helps it to stand its own. The drummer sounds great in this track, really showcasing himself well with loads of flashy fills and busy grooves; the breakdown is guitar-led and could easily lead to a solo but works equally well feeding back into the chorus. The song ends well and caps off the EP perfectly.

Two Types of Clothing are hitting the studio again soon to record a track that will be available on iTunes for a pocket-friendly 79p so be sure to check that out soon and keep up to date with the guys on their Facebook page where you'll also find a rocking version of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream!

EP Review: Four Weeks Inbetween - Chasing Wasted Time

2011-09-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

It's a Friday night at The Joiners, Southampton's premier small rock venue, and hoards of loyal teenage supporters are kitted out with the latest t-shirt from the pop-punk wonderkids Four Weeks Inbetween, emblazoned with their slogan 'You Hide Behind Your Tainted Smile'. They are eagerly awaiting the band's headline set at their EP launch show, and all the sweat and shoving that goes with it. The band had a great crowd for a local show that stuck around for the entire set and were eager for more. Even more impressive was that, the band's vocalist, Luu McGonagle, had them in the palm of her hand. If she said jump, they jumped. If she said singalong, they knew all the words. But it wasn't cringey like it could have been, far from it; it was admirable. Friends joined in for signature tracks, either on the floor or by crashing the stage and there was a lot of energy and fun in the room. These guys look the part, sound the part and most importantly, act the part, and I wish them all the luck in the world for the future.

And now onto the EP; Chasing Wasted Time. Physically it's a very professional product, in plastic case with printed CD, great artwork, and a small booklet which features photos of the band and lyrics for their two singles. But I know you're much more interested in the audio rather than the visual...

Track 1/Sit Tight/ An explosive opener to the CD with strong vocals from the outset shared between lead and backing. The guitar is afforded a sudden break showcasing imaginative writing before the really strong chorus drops which has a great vocal hook. The rhythm section is steady and pulsating throughout; a reliable engine driving this energetic track. The breakdown gradually builds to a strong section before the last chorus, led by lead solo vocals, which works really well. The culmination of the song is a huge final push from all members of the band before a very sudden cut; I wasn't sure it worked first-time around but when I re-listened it was quite a brave thing to do and does, in fact, work and work well. A great opener to the EP.

Track 2/Chinos/ The first of the band's singles from the EP features prominently, and is a great throw-back to fast and fun pop-punk bands ranging from Blink 182 to Avril Lavigne; the lyrics smack of teenage-heartache whilst the music reveals no let-up and drives along, pulled furiously by the crotchet snare strokes which are as relentless as the song itself. The breakdown section again showcases some great lead-guitar work before it bows out to allow the lead vocals to lead into the final chorus and a great tapping-guitar solo, mixes of half and double-time rhythms, huge cymbals, frantic bass lines and anything else they could think to throw into the mix. Huge, and another great pop-punk song worthy of it's single-status.

Track 3/Lost/ Discerning, winding guitar leads us into the mid-way point of the CD eventually making way for steady chugging, palm-muted guitars and dual-layered lead vocals. The chorus is equally as strong as its EP-counterparts and musically shows a great awareness of writing for the genre. The lead guitar definitely leads this track though, returning to its hook before the second verse; it's setting up for one hell of a solo. The breakdown is very much led by the vocals, with a great heavy beatdown section which unfortunately doesn't lead to the blistering guitar solo I expected which is the only thing the track is missing. The vocals bring the song home and it ends as it begins with the lead guitar line, although personally I'd have preferred it if the lingering note hadn't been resolved, creating a feeling of unease with the listener but this is a minor, and most importantly, personal opinion.

Track 4/Alaska/ A great and strong-sounding chord progression accompanied by huge drums provide a great intro, as the track drops dynamically in the first verse and progressively builds from there before it reaches the same energy apparent in the intro in the great sounding chorus. The band have defiintely honed their sound, tipping their hats to tried and tested writing techniques of pop-punk greats and pull it off really well. I love the breakdown sections with the held-back dual-vocals shared between the lead and backing before they become a little more desperate and push a little more as the music progresses further into a slick outro.

Track 5/Make Do, With You/ I've sung the praises of this track before, very much the leading song on the EP which not only stands out coming from my speakers, but holds it own in a live setting too with a great singalong chorus. This was proven by the droves of loyal supporters at the EP launch show as they sung 'I've got so much left to say, why won't you tell me anyway' at the tops of their voices. Back to the EP and a hi-fi guitar sound introduces arguably the band's strongest song. We're sucked out of the vortex and released among the huge full-band sound as the verse gathers speed (not literally, the drummer is holding down the groove and doing a great job!) before the chorus explodes onto the scene complete with well-supportive backing vocals and great vocal melodies. The obvious hook of the track makes up the breakdown section; they conflict slightly when the lead vocals come back in briefly but this might be more a case of levels in the mix rather than the actual idea. The band tease at an ending before we're dragged back around again one more time. The drum outro I feel could have been longer layered with loads of reverb to give it a huge sound but it's a cool idea.

Track 6/Chinos/ It's been a relentless ride with the Four Weeks Inbetween crew and much-needed rest is sought in the acoustic version of an earlier-featured track which is a great move. It really allows the lead vocals to showcase themselves in among so much more space and sheds the entire song in a whole new light. It works equally well as an acoustic ballad and I'm glad they included it at the end to round-off a really professional-sounding EP. They work around the guitar solo section well with a much calmer offering and I love that they revisit this at the end, leaving a really positive final thought with the listener. In all, a really strong sounding CD that I hope paves more of a path for this band who are well on their way to making a name for themselves as long as the pop-punk genre remains strong for a little bit longer, providing a leap-pad for them and their infectious tracks.

For more info, be sure to visit the band's website and keep up to date with them on Facebook.

New Artist Alert: Boy Set Sail

2011-09-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

Introducing Boy Set Sail, the latest pop-punkers to join the I Am Mighty Records roster and I bring news that their debut EP, We're Almost There, is available for pre-order now. All Pre-Orders will be signed by the band and come with some free stickers from I Am Mighty Records.

You can pre-order your copy here! Included below is an EP sampler to give you a flavour of what to expect from the Welsh quartet:

Boy Set Sail - We're Almost There Sampler by I Am Mighty Records

You can keep up to date with Boy Set Sail on their Facebook page .

New Artist Alert: Thomas Neptune

2011-08-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

When We Were Beautiful would like to introduce Thomas Neptune, a multi-instrumentalist who currently resides in Los Angeles and continues to 'carry the musical torch' as he follows in his talented family's footsteps. He may have been seen from time-to-time behind the drum-kit, but we all know that drummers are secretly envious of the attention deserved by the lead-singer and it's not long before we (and I use the term collectively!) crave more of the lime-light. Well, Neptune is one such soul, whose debut EP 'Down To Earth' features himself front and centre and I've been lucky enough to snatch a listen.

The prickly, picky and extremely-positive sounding 'Unbreakable' opens with a great uplifting feel and showcases Neptune's soulful, slightly rustic vocals early on. Wise move; this guy has a voice made for radio and his lyrical prowess and arrangements cry out for airplay. It's an almost boy-band sounding vocal but works fantastically against a less-contempary backdrop with swamping synths, bubbling electronics and syncopated rhythms. I'm not sure about the American market, but I'm thinking Neptune should definitely get his music heard by music mogul Simon Cowell as I think he's sitting on a goldmine in terms of an audience across the pond; UK pop fans would lap this up.

'The Good Times' features equally-feel-good acoustic guitar and I love the no-fuss attitude of Neptune's arrangements; no time-wasting in the intros, just get straight to it. The vocals are as confident and crisp as before and he picks fantastic melodies which are kind to the ear and lean towards his pop-friendly sound. The verses are minor and lift to more major-sounding choruses, reminiscent of artists as diverse as Nickelback to The Calling but the constant remains the same; the method works and sells records. The slight lead-guitar work in the second verse was a welcome addition and I love the vocal melody that leads into the choruses. The only thing the song feels it could do with after the short but complete breakdown is a key-change...cheesy perhaps but it just might work! Even without it though this track is great.

A brief listen to 'My Ohio' reveals a foot-stomping, hoe-downing, slide-guitaring party that could tap into an entirely new and different market in the American pop-Country charts that's becoming a little more accepted in the UK with similar artists such as Keith Urban and Taylor Swift. Neptune is certainly sitting on a goldmine, fingers crossed I'll be hearing him on UK Top 40 Radio before the year is out!

'Down To Earth' is available from iTunes here and Thomas Neptune is, of course, available to check out on Facebook.

Afterlife Parade, Reborn and Revisited

2011-08-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

You may recall my post of April 6th, 2011 introducing Afterlife Parafe and their debut EP, 'Death'. I'm pleased to announce that I have since had a listen to the second in the two-part album offering, Death's proceeding partner 'Rebirth'. As explained in the previous post, 'Death' sought celebration in the passing of life and explored the emotions connected with this, so naturally the second-part of the album focusses on rebirth.

As you might expect, Rebirth is the exact opposite to Death in every way, including the arrangment and musicality of the tracks. 'Black Woods, White Beach' features a wonderfully uplifting chord-progression and folk/dance/electronic feel. Quinn Erwin's airy vocals are as present and strong as before, whilst the track builds and falls often with a great groove behind it. Soaring vocals and light, ascending melodies are prominent and help to lift the song, reflecting the positive message that Rebirth hopes to bring.

Another track on the EP, Cincinnati, is as equally uplifting and feel-good. The entire concept behind the album is interesting and quite original, to reflect life and death in such a way musically and lyrically. Cincinnati has a great driving pop-rock groove and feel to it throughout, lifted with synth sounds and assuring vocals. The track is fairly average sounding, in that it might not stand out on the radio, but it definitely wouldn't be out of place either; a perfectly-suited radio-friendly pop-rock track. Strangely the hi-hats are high in the mix and hog a lot of the sound-output; I found their level a little distracting in the final chorus as it drew my focus away from the lead vocals but this might be more the opinion of a drummer rather than a music reviewer! Either way, a safe but confident track.

Creating a concept-album with such differing sounds and themes is an extremely brave move; if fans latch onto your retrospective sound and regard you as a dark and soulful artist, they might hate the very opposite of what they loved about you if you counter all of your ideas and overall sound. It's a matter of taste, but I think it's a great idea and works really well. Rebirth is available now on iTunes and Afterlife Parade are on Facebook.

'Drummers Are Natural Intellectuals'

2011-08-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

According to an article in The Telegraph, a study suggests that drummers are naturally intelligent people, thus dispelling the age-old myth that we're all idiots!

The full article is HERE.

The City Calls - A Spark To Ignite EP Review

2011-08-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

Fans of pop-punk's freshest hipsters The City Calls have a mere matter of days to wait now for the release of the anticipated 'A Spark To Ignite'. I was lucky enough to get an advance listen, and for fans of the band or simply the genre alike, I can tell you won't be disappointed.

1/Get Away/ An explosive start to the CD with loads of great guitar work going on parts for the fantastic and mature vocals that lead the way into the first verse. The space allowed by the rest of the band creates a great listening platform to really listen to the lyrics before the energetic chorus burts onto the scene, featuring key-lyric 'You'll never bring us down' teasing in the background. This becomes the feature of the track after a slightly-more relaxed breakdown and a sure-fire singalong at live shows.

2/Kings/ The band have definitely mastered the art of creating a hook, as the second tracks starts as explosively as the first, drawing us in with all guns blazing. The dual-vocals work great here, tipping their caps to their pop-punk knowledge knowing exactly what works and also, what people expect to hear. There's definite Panic! influences in the vocals as the imaginative pre-chorus parts way for another really strong sounding chorus. The track peaks and dips in all the right places; were it too relentless, the effect on the listener is that of being punched in the face by this constant wall of sound but TCC have got it just right. The outro is cool too!

3/Truth or Dare/ A key-sounding song placed strategically in the middle of the EP which maintains the listener's interest without having to stray too far from the overall sound of the CD. The song-writing is really showcased here with a great mix of original ideas and, again, the predictable parts which are equally important. The vocals in the chorus are fantastic; great lyrics and a melody that are once again sure to rouse a singalong and also stick in your head for the rest of the day. The progressive breakdown section builds steadily before leaving the listener dangling in the eye of the storm as one last chorus springs us back to life, setting the wheels in motion for one final go round. A truly great pop-punk track.

4/Kryptonite/ Surely only an exclusively-student band could release a track of this name, although I'm not sure whether it's more reflective of the radioactive element or the dodgy student-favoured cocktail. Either way, this train is showing no signs of slowing as it thunders along onto track 4 that still has my feet tapping and head nodding along approvingly. This track feels to be all about the vocals and it's a great performance which doesn't take away from the imaginative guitar work going on in the background. It's quite brave to feature such a long solo-drum breakdown that doesn't particularly build but it sets up the great-sounding call and response section between the vocals and their backing really well.

5/Lucky Start/ I love the sound of the guitar intro; quite different sounding to everything that's come previously before it, which can be said for the progression and overall sound of the full track that follows. It's evident that the band rely heavily on the use of huge-sounding backing-vocals which definitely pay their dues at live shows; the audience always feel an important part of the gig. I really like this track which stands out for all the right reasons and love the short drum burst before the final chorus.

6/Meet In The Middle/ Already the journey is ending; the station is in sight and I fear we're in for a sudden halt rather than a gradual slow and this sums up the EP as a whole. It's been an energetic ride which hasn't failed to showcase mature-song writing abilities and fantastic musicianship along the way. The final track doesn't disappoint, continuing the trend of the preceding tracks and drives along nicely. Another great mix of double-time and half-time feels to maintain interest in the track feature whilst lending their sound well to the genre and the drawn-out vocal note just before the end is fantastic. This is another great release from The City Calls who should definitely not be underestimated and are surely well on their way to greater things.

You can purchase a copy of the EP from I Am Mighty Records or via the band's BigCartel stores, or it will be available to download from 12th August from iTunes and other digital outlets. Happy listening!

Birds In Flight - Promo Shoot and Video!

2011-08-08T05:03:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I wanted to share with you the photo-shoot from my band Birds In Flight that we did last week. We had a lot of fun on the beach in Bournemouth and have also compiled a behind-the-scenes video with some footage we shot on the day that features our track 'Biggest Mistake'.

We are planning to record an EP mid-September and will be back gigging from the beginning of October.

Behind The Scenes Movie

Birds In Flight are available to check out on Facebook now.

New Artist Alert - Senit

2011-07-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I've delved into sharing some dance music with you all to hopefully widen my outreach and connect with new readers who might otherwise not have been drawn in, but find themselves discovering all sorts of new artists when they get here. Today it's all about Senit and, although this article comes ahead of her fourth studio album, she's still a new artist here!
Senit's latest album isn't available until the end of the year, however her first single ahead of its release is available now on iTunes and from other digital download platforms. Senit is a credited artist in her own right, performing at the Eurovision song contest this year with her previous, and slightly less frantic single, Stand By.
Through The Rain explodes right from the very beginning with its infectious dance hook and Senit's strong, assuring vocals. There's no worry that the chorus won't immediately be stuck in your head, and I love the string part that lifts the verses, adding texture and a lot of colour to the track. There's a danger in dance music (though I'm no expert) of artists layering and layering, thickening the texture of the song so much that it turns out to be a muddy wall of sound but Through The Rain has enough components to sound like a busy dance track and everything cuts through the mix perfectly. It's a relentless dance piece that drops only to allow you to catch your breath but holds no prisoners and steadily kicks back in with its signature hook and drive. It's a real 'floor-filler' as I believe they say in the dance world, and one to keep a listen out for.
As an artist, Senit has a history of musical theatre and performing arts that has seen her career blossom into that of an international pop star. Her first album hit the shelves in May 2006 and and she has since been churning out albums whilst finding time for charity concerts and also working in television. Her latest album has seen a collaboration with some huge American producers who cite Pink, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera as previous clients and promises to be a great spectacle when it's released at the end of the year.
So what are you waiting for?! Go check her out! You can find out more information about Senit here: http://www.believedigital.it/artists/104974,senit.html or by checking out her official website: http://www.senit.it/. For a more personal touch, head over to her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/senitmusic and engage with her army of loyal supporters. Here's a hint of Through The Rain:
<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j2GSY6i9mCA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you like what you hear or have been swayed by reading my article, be sure to download your own copy of the track from iTunes here: http://itunes.apple.com/it/album/through-the-rain-single/id445599204 and if you do go for it, let me know by leaving a comment below and hopefully you can engage with some other new Senit fans!

music

iTunes

Through the rain

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Pre-Order 'A Spark To Ignite' - The City Calls

2011-07-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

At last the wait is over; you can now pre-order your copy of The City Calls' A Spark To Ignite right here! All pre-ordered copies of the EP come with some free TCC and I Am Mighty Records stickers plus will be signed by all members of the band.

Still undecided? Check out the EP sampler:

The City Calls - A Spark To Ignite Sampler by I Am Mighty Records

Be sure to grab yourselves a copy of the EP, released on August 12th and if you're close to Southampton make sure you're in attendance of the EP release show at The Joiners a few days after on August 19th.

Francophonik!

2011-07-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to say that the French music scene isn't the UK's biggest, but how many of you have dreamt of visiting, or have perhaps even already visited, the beautiful country that is France for a holiday? Francophonik provides you with the opportunity to combine our two favourite past-times; holidaying in France and attending a massive music festival! Francophonik allows you to join its Facebook community and win tickets to French gigs in the UK and music festivals in France, and it's so easy to do! Just LIKE the Francophonik Facebook Page: https ://www.facebook.com/francophonik, and then apply for tickets by simply clicking a box! It's a fantastic opportunity to visit the Country and experience some of the biggest touring artists in the world today.

If you're interested to learn more about the festival itself, be sure to check out the official webpage here: http://www.rockenseine.com/en/. It's a newly expanding festival that has grown from strength-to-strength since 2003 and now boasts a 4th stage in its 9th year whilst still sticking close to its ethical and environmental morals. Ok, you're waiting for the important bit... the artists! Expect to see Foo Fighters, Deftones, Arctic Monkeys, Interpol, Tinie Tempah and many more; what a great line-up!

This is an opportunity I'm not willing to let pass me by; it's so simple and I can't think of anything better than spending my summer holiday in beautiful France whilst listening to some massive bands in a safe and friendly festival environment with thousands of like-minded people. Maybe you're a festival veteran, so why not try the experience in another country?! Perhaps you've yet to book your sumer holiday yet, well this is the perfect opportunity! A huge fan of loads of the artists on the bill?! It couldn't be easier! Head over to the Facebook page and get yourself signed up NOW!

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New Artist Alert: Xander & The Peace Pirates

2011-07-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to sharing with you all the breath of fresh air that is Xander & The Peace Pirates after they opened for Bon Jovi in Manchester a couple of weeks ago. As I said at the time, it doesn't really matter who's supporting when you go and see your favourite band, at the end of the day they're the only thing standing between you and Bon Jovi. It's even harder for the first act, because they're normally a lucky College band who won a radio contest and no one is really that interested. However, when Xander & The Peace Pirates strolled confidently onto Bon Jovi's daunting stage and fired up their set, it was instantly apparent that these guys definitely had something. Whether the experience opened doors for the band or was simply an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience I don't know, but I am sure that these guys are definitely worth checking out and were certainly worthy winners of the opening act competition. Their passion for their music matched with their stage presence and song-writing abilities certainly won over a very large and impatient Manchester crowd on a rather wet Friday 24th June, and I'm delighted to be able to share the guys with you now.

Xander & The Peace Pirates are definitely pioneering the campaign to bring rock music back to the masses and are very ready and willing to derail any R&B or dance acts that get in their way. Their music bio isn't full of pretentious self-evaluative comments or 'John met Gary in 2006 and they looked for a drummer' but instead rhetorically yearns with the reader to ask where the great and real energetic rock bands of the past few decades have gone. Who stole all the good music, the real music?! This Liverpudlian quintet have certainly got what it takes to lead good rock music back into the charts but they certainly can't do it alone. So have a listen for yourself, and help to support what is real and sorely missed in music today.

I had a listen to a couple of the band's tracks, the first being 'Fire' with throwbacks to classic Hendrix-esque style vocals and guitar lines sharing the lead melody and the driving rhythms of Cream brought up to date with funky drums. The lead vocals really carry the track with a wonderful whirring keyboard backdrop and if the solo sections don't have you tapping your feet then maybe music just isn't for you.

'This Life' showcases a slightly different side to the band; we know they can rock but can they pull of a ballad? When the vocals come in, I find myself questioning the originality of the song; I've only heard it once yet it is instantly recognisable. As the song develops and the soaring vocal harmonies carry us through I'm reminded of how perfect the band pulled these off live in a huge stadium setting. The low-key nature of the track allows much-needed space for the vocals to lead, allowing us to really listen to the lyrics and the extended solo-section sounds fantastic as it dribbles out into cascading piano runs and almost-tribal drums before the track builds for its final curtain call. All in all, a great sounding song.

Debut album '11' is available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify now; be sure to check them out and keep up to date on their Facebook page.

New Artist Alert: Fools For Rowan

2011-07-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Fools For Rowan are the latest artist to rise from the Nashville flames, a female-fronted rock quintet who have been around for just over a year now. Debut single 'Burnt Around The Edges' drives with down-n-dirty guitars and soaring vocals. I was a little unmoved with the lo-fi sounding drums in the first verse but the impact of the first chorus when they dive crystal clear smack bang in the middle of the mix certainly told me; it turned out to be a great production technique and a great way to help develop a simple-sounding rock song. The backing vocals in the latter parts of the verses really add depth and the lead guitar work showcases some interesting ideas throughout. The solo section is a little flat, especially at the beginning but lifts towards the end;, I think overall the track has potential as a good rock song but lacks that real and raw impact to help it stand out although this could be down to post-production work rather than the band's song-writing abilities. Hearing it live would definitely cast the deciding vote.

The band's latest single, Dead, is a slighty more sinister and calmer affair, showcasing the band's rock-ballad side and highlighting a more-matured writing style. Soaring strings really lift the choruses and the solo section is a lot stronger in this song. It drops and builds in all the right places and really holds its own as a great-sounding rock ballad, with the passion and feeling I felt was lacking in Burnt Around The Edges a lot more evident here. Check out the video for Dead, where the visuals help to aid the lyrical meaning; amateur videos can be really difficult to get looking professional but Fools For Rowan have definitely pulled it off here:

The band continue to tour across the US, so if you live across the pond be sure to try and catch them soon. For everyone else, head over to the band's Facebook page to keep up to date with everything that's new with Fools For Rowan.

New Artist Alert: The Reserve

2011-06-28T04:16:00.000-07:00

The latest recruits added to the I Am Mighty Records family alongside labelmates The City Calls are The Reserve, another energetic pop-punk outfit from Newport, South Wales. The guys cite their influences to include Four Years Strong and New Found Glory and will be releasing their forthcoming EP in the summer with a subsequent tour certain to follow.

Check out the video for their debut single 'Rewind' here:

The Reserve - Rewind from iammightyrecords on Vimeo.

Lots of fast and furious fun I'm sure you'll agree, with strong vocals and catchy hooks. The pop-punk train is showing no signs of slowing as yet and these boys are sure to do well. Be sure to check them out on Facebook and catch them live soon!

New Artist Alert: Vintage Trouble

2011-06-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine introduced me to these guys a month or two ago but I've been holding off posting about them since I found out they were to be supporting Bon Jovi at my Manchester show 2 days ago. I have seen them on Jools Holland, had a good listen to their album but figured it would be cool to hear them live too before I passed comment.

Vintage Trouble are a soul/blues/funk quartet from LA, who happen to be managed by Bon Jovi's ex-manager Doc Mcghee which is how they got the support slots for some of Bon Jovi's UK summer shows. They were definitely a breath of fresh air to hear; obviously not an original-sounding band, they wouldn't have really stood out in the 70s but now it's refreshing to hear something a little retro that not many other people are reviving. The thing I love about these guys is firstly their song-writing capabilities, the harmonies and everything going on is really quite simple but it's so effective. As a band, they draw you in live, cramped together on a large stage, each great musicians in their own rights. But also, to watch them live, whether on TV or in the flesh, they put on such a fun and enjoyable show. Front-man Ty is so much fun to watch as a front-man because he's so charismatic; not in a 'running about the stage' kind of way but his dance moves really add another dimension to the music whether he's swaying or spining or using the mic stand as a dance-partner. He has a real natural soulful quality to his vocal which really soothes the listener, which is evident in the slower Nobody Told Me:

Also great is the more upbeat 'Pelvis Pusher', recorded live here in Edinburgh:

Another track worth checking out is Nancy Lee, written about Ty's Mother and Father when they first met at a barn dance, written from his Father's perspective.

I definitely urge you to check these guys out if you're a fan of any sort of blues, funk or soul music as they're bound not to disappoint. Also, they're back performing at tiny venues in the UK later in the year even though they're currently opening stadiums for Bon Jovi; I can't help but think this will be your last chance to see them in such intimate settings!

Bon Jovi - Manchester L.C.C.C. 24th June 2011

2011-06-25T06:01:00.000-07:00

Today is not a good day. The day after a Bon Jovi show never is, because I've no idea when they'll be touring again next and I've got withdrawal symptons already. But last night in Manchester was the best time I've seen them yet. I'll get the negatives out the way first; unfortunately I still didn't get to hear Something To Believe In live. I even made a small banner, which Jon and Richie both read and that was quite special in itself, but my hopes to influence the encore were in vain. Richie pointed at it and smiled and Jon took ages to try and read it frowning then just smiled, so that in itself was very cool. The other slight negative (I'm picking at straws here) was the sheer height of the stage! I was right on the barrier, right in front of Richie which was perfect but I could only see Richie, from the knees up of Jon and Hugh on his riser! Tico, David and Bobby might as well have not been there, as I only saw them either on the screens or when they took their bow at the end unfortunately. I'm sure it improved the view for people nearer the back but I've got neck-ache this morning and only saw half of the band!

Anyway, slight negatives over I just wanted to share a bit of my experience and a couple of highlights for anyone who might be interested. Firstly, I only took two photos because it started to rain when the second support act were on and it just got heavier from then! I don't take a lot of photos at concerts but would have loved a couple of Richie posing just feet from me, although I don't think my phone would have agreed with the driving rain! So the snap at the top of this post was one of them, the other of the white mic stand after it had been placed in its usual spot. We were queueing since 8am and luckily it stayed dry all day; the experience was fine and, as we were numbered, were able to use the loos etc without losing our place in line. We went in at 3pm and I couldn't believe there was a big gap at the barrier on Richie's side, so we sat there until the first act went on. I was expecting some got-lucky, average College band but in fact 'Xander & the Peace Pirates' were fantastic; passionate, talented and grateful. Vintage Trouble, the main support were brilliant live, they're a funk/soul/blues quartet with a very dancey frontman and great songs. Bon Jovi came on at 7.30 (I was expecting it to be 8) and played an awesome 2 1/2ish hour show. Here's the set:

Blood on Blood
Bad Name
Born To Be My Baby
We Weren't Born To Follow
In These Arms
Lost Highway
It's My Life
Runaway
Raise Your Hands
We Got It Goin' On
Captain Crash
Bad Medicine/Roadhouse Blues/Shout
When We Were Beautiful
Bed of Roses
I'll Be There For You
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Sleep When I'm Dead
Work For The Working Man
Have A Nice Day
Keep The Faith

Encore
Dry County
Wanted
Prayer

Dry County was fabulous and very epic in the driving rain and heavy clouds. Jon had a little angry rant about being in the band that really plays, without tape-recorders and fancy prancy backing dancers and DJs and 50 other mother-fuckers up on the stage with him which was amusing. I'll Be There For You was very special; one of the night's highlights was singing along with 45,000 like-minded people as Jon and Richie just smiled. They were really enjoying themselves, Jon talked of how he couldn't remember a colder, wetter show in Manchester where the crowd didn't want to go home (it's late June, it should be beautiful weather here!). Him and Richie did their joint-stance at the end of IBTFY and it felt like a lifetime as they stood their and absorbed the reaction, surveying the crowd and smiling at each other. And there were definitely a couple of 'oh my god he looked at me' moments with Jon and Richie too :)

Sure you get used to the staple quotes Jon throws in and, if you follow all the set-lists, could probably write the skeleton for the show but last night's gig was the best yet. I was cold, wet, tired, had a 4 1/2 hour drive home ahead of me in the middle of the night but I can honestly say it was my favourite Bon Jovi show yet. And if they place Something To Believe In at one of the other UK shows I think I'll scream!

Towers by The Joe Public out on iTunes Today!

2011-06-20T02:55:00.000-07:00

Today's the day, head over to iTunes now to purchase your copy of The Joe Public's latest single Towers or click HERE.

I recently featured the track with its accompanying video which you can check out here to get a preview of the song but if you like it, be sure to support our rising talents and aspiring young musicians and download your own copy. Enjoy!

New Video Alert! The Joe Public - Towers

2011-05-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is amazing! You have to see this; the very first video from The Joe Public to promote their latest single Towers which you can buy from iTunes here from the 20th June. The song is amazing; it showcases real Incubus flavours with subtle hints of all of the guys' influences, ranging from the grit and feel of Queens of the Stone Age to the song-writing ability and commerciality of Kings of Leon. Their latest offering is, in my humble opinion, the best song they've written to date and if it's a sign of things to come then these boys are on the brink of something huge. Enjoy.

For more on The Joe Public, check out their Facebook Page.

New Artist Alert: League

2011-05-26T01:41:00.000-07:00

Inspired by their story of 'two students having dropped out of college to live in a tent on the beach', I was most definitely intrigued by League and interested to hear what such an experience might do to affect the music one produces. League claim that their music was inspired by their move, calling it "a primal experience that was a huge influence, that we managed to mix with a modern/urban sonority, to make a connection between two distinct worlds" and the very obvious originality in their music is testament to their lifestyle change. 'Golden Maps' relies heavily on the fusion of two worlds and, more importantly, two quite differing styles of new wave-dance which features, in my opinion, heavy influences from indie in the synth melodies, drum sounds and vocal styles. It sounds like a synthed-up indie track, but equally a rocked-up dance track so I'm unsure which pigeon hole to place it in...either way it's got a great sound that takes on an almost tribal and psychadelic route at times.

'Take My Hand' starts with an interesting synth riff that could either settle into a slow, reggae-feel, Manu Chao groove or, equally as comfortably, break into a faster-paced rock beat. The latter has been chosen upon and works well, again with the indie-rock drum sounds prominent and sounding great against the dancy-backdrop of synth and bass-sounds. The track breaks into synth-led sections, staying true to the duo's dance-roots whilst always maintaing that rock under-current, once again with the tribal influences in the chorus.

League are definitely onto something here; a really great marriage of styles brought together by a dramatic personal lifestyle-change; the next step is to hear them pull it off live. And yes, the pair are based in London and gigging. If you want to hear for yourself the psychadelic sounds featured, make sure you check out their Myspace page for music, photos and to keep up to date. Enjoy :)

New Artist Alert: 4 Weeks Inbetween

2011-05-23T04:12:00.000-07:00

4 Weeks Inbetween are a female-fronted upbeat pop punk quintet from Southampton but, be warned, do not be deceived by their tender years...these guys rock! With their debut EP 'Tearing At The Seams' available on iTunes, the band are really making a name for themselves on the Southern UK music scene and you can catch them live at The Croft in Bristol on 23rd June.

'Scream, Live, Lie' showcases great guitar work and a really tight rhythm section; I've listened to a load of bands a lot older than these guys who definitely aren't as together as this band are which is great to hear considering that things can only get better. The track is energetic and typically pop-punk but written well; the vocals suit the style of the music and carry the track well.

'These Rumours' is a down-n-dirty punk song, full of frantic guitar, thrashing drums and strong vocals. The drums really drive this track along and I love the high-guitar riff in the chorus. The vocals are definitely the crowing moment of the track though; they carry long, drawn-out notes confidentally and sound wicked in the bridge section. This is a great break-down with chugging bass that builds as the vocals intensify; the rest of the band slowly ease their way back into the fray before a climatic pause is reached followed by an explosive guitar-led break before the last choruses. This is just a great track!

Without You is a lot calmer which is a great move, I definitely need a sit-down after the previous tracks but it still manages to maintain the bands rockier sound in the choruses. The guitar work is inventive whilst the rhythm section hold down the groove well. The vocals are allowed a lot of space in the verses and they sound great, really showcasing lead-singer Luu McGonagle's talent. The track is well-written and the pace change was definitely what was needed.

4 Weeks Inbetween have got a lot going for them and, as they grow as individuals and musicians, can only hope to get tighter and write even better songs. I definitely urge you to check the guys out on their Facebook page to keep up to date and have a listen to their songs for yourselves. Enjoy!

New Artist Alert: Ellie Walker

2011-05-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

Photo by Paul Capewell

Does the name sound familiar? Well it should do, just last month Ellie Walker cropped up in my review for Saturday Night Gym Club after her track 'I Know' was remixed by the band. But today is all about her, and where better to start than with the original version of the song. Ellie's sound fuses folk and acoustic styles with a pop-edge that is clearly evident in 'I Know' with its simple arrangement and structure. The vocals are easy and soothing with a whole load of space, the piano ostinato is always at the foreground of the track whilst the drums are totally minimal but with great lifting-snare fills every so often. There's a real treat towards the end of the track where the vocals harmonise wonderfully; just so you know that I still need you around; the gradual crescendo as the rest of the instruments slip away unnoticed is a fantastic end to a brilliantly simple song.

'Tonight' features a catchy, picky acoustic guitar part that compliments Ellie's dreamy voice which is really exposed here but stands its ground well. The track is really nice but could maybe do with another dimension, perhaps a simple cello part just to maintain the listener's interest and help progress the song. I really enjoyed the cover of 'Call The Shots', adding a slightly sinister and retrospective downbeat feel in great contrast to the Girls Aloud original. Definitely an interesting choice of cover and arrangement.

You can listen to all of Ellie's music on her Myspace page so be sure to keep up to date with her!

Gemma Mewse - First glimpse of 'Neverland'

2011-05-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

Check out this first glimpse of 'Neverland', the title track taken from the fabulous Gemma Mewse's album due out July 2011!

Be sure to check Gemma out on her Facebook page or follow her on Twitter!

Amy Heffernan - Friggin Little Know It All

2011-05-17T03:36:00.000-07:00

Remember my introduction to the fab Amy Heffernan back in September 2010? Well she's back with a less self-indulgent yet rather more angry-sounding album entitled 'Friggin Little Know It All'. Track names such as the title track of the album, 'Ignorant Pig' and 'Crap' hint that Amy might have been bottling up some rage since we last heard from her yet her likeable teenage punk-rock image remains the same and I'm confident her latest offering will be as energetic as her last.

'Ignorant Pig' hints at an angsty-rock number with the chugging palm-muted guitar in the intro until the waves of synth throw us off the scent until the chorus. Heffernan's voice is strong and the chorus is definitely what I expected for all the right reasons; rocky, poppy, energetic and the overall sound of the track leans back to the Pink and Avril Lavigne sounds of yesteryear but with a fresh, electro take which is great and equally important. In an industry so reliant on originality, it seems like Heffernan is definitely moving in the right direction.

'Perfect' follows suit as does title track 'Friggin Little Know It All' with its slightly obscure vocal style that might not be to everyone's tastes. 'Dance Ourselves Sober' stood out to be as a track that might afford a drop in tempo for the listener; although the key and overall feel of the song is slightly more minor, I would have liked to have heard something a little slower, gentler, perhaps just a simple acoustic guitar or piano-led ballad for the sake of the dynamics of the album overall. Heffernan's definitely got herself a signature sound in the making here but not everybody wants to dance all night, sometimes we need a slow one to pick us up and recharge for the rest of the album.

It is though, overall, an uplifting, in your face, runaway-train kind of record that I'm sure people will enjoy hearing. For an exclusive listen to 'Ignorant Pig' and 'Perfect' plus teasers of the rest of the album, check out her LaFamos Digital Press Kit because this girl isn't going to come quietly!

New Artist Alert: Dom Liberati

2011-05-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

"Liberati’s sound pays homage to his influences, blending The Police with Jimmy Eat World and Kings of Leon". Quite the interesting tag line, and one I think you'll agree left me wanting to hear what this sexless male-marriage of music might sound like combined with Dom Liberati's own personal touch. I had a listen to 'We Own The Night' taken from Liberati's forthcoming album 'The Good Hurt' and I wonder if he might be thinking of adding Bon Jovi to his list of influences anytime soon. It's a long shot, but the track title appealed to me as I thought back to Bon Jovi's 'We Rule The Night' and it also showcases the lyric 'You can't stop what you can't see' reminding me also of Bon Jovi's 'You can't cage what you can't tame' from the similar-sounding acoustic guitar-driven 'The Fire Inside'. But maybe that's just the hardcore fan inside me with my Bon Jovi blinkers on and really it's just a massive coincidence; these are both quite rare tracks... Back to Liberati as an artist in his own right; I love the energy afforded in quite a minor-sounding track thanks to the melodic synth and poppy, hard-hitting drums. His vocals have a great sound to them; a soulful radio-friendly tone with a grittier rock-edge demonstrated in the chorus which lyrically is simple yet effective, perfect for live sing-a-longs. If one track sums up Liberati's three listed influences it's this one without a doubt, the Kings of Leon, The Police and Jimmy Eat World are all definitely in there, showcasing an original and very clever amalgamation of the differing sounds of the bands. The track itself is great, leading the album well and really setting the bench-mark high.

If you're a fan of any of the artists mentioned or like the sound of Dom Liberati, make sure you check him out on his Facebook page. The Good Hurt is out on the 21st June, so be sure to pick up a copy from iTunes.

I Need Your Help!

2011-05-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hi all, a rather self-indulgent post but I really need your help. As you may have read, my band Birds In Flight are making inroads in UK Battle of the Bands competition Live and Unsigned. I need two seconds of your time...if you are on Facebook, please click here and 'LIKE' the post on their wall titled 'Hampshire Live Music - blogged by Birds In Flight'. If we have gained the most 'likes' by this time next week, we'll win £500 towards recording time which is huge for us!

Thanks so much in advance, I really appreciate your support.

The City Calls - New EP Video Update

2011-05-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last month, The City Calls spent a week at the Ranch Production House working on their as yet untitled new EP. The guys documented their time in the studio to give fans a taster of the CD, due out in the Summer on I Am Mighty Records, so check it out below!

Keep up to date with The City Calls on Facebook!

The Live & Unsigned Journey of Birds In Flight: Road to the O2

2011-04-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Birds In Flight are a Southampton-based alternative rock band who are enjoying their journey along the Live & Unsigned road to the O2 Arena in London. It's a national competition that sees thousands of acts audition to perform at the legendary venue in July and this blog post will highlight the band's journey up until now, from the perspective of their drummer (that's me)...

Let's rewind a few weeks; 8 in fact, to a sunny Sunday morning on the 27th February, 2011. I'm not sure the band had seen this side of 9am on a Sunday for a long time, but bleary-eyed and buzzing with nervous energy we left Southampton to begin our journey to the O2. After a few wrong-turns here and there we found our way to a car-park close to the Portsmouth Guildhall and wandered across the square and in through the entrance to the theatre to a room full of bands and solo artists, all of various ages, brimming excitedly with confidence and anticipation at the start of their very own journeys.

Once we'd signed ourselves in, it was just the matter of playing the waiting game. Luckily we fell in the first round of auditions so didn't have long to tune-up and talk over our audition piece before our name was called and we were summoned to the audition room. Nervously we waited beside a three-piece act who were to perform after us, whilst a solo artist laid his soul on the line for the expectant judges sat at a long table, scribbling notes and not giving much away. They thanked the guy and called us forward; the next minute or so was a blur but we launched into our audition piece, a medley of two of our tracks, and before we knew it we were sitting in yet another room without any idea of how we had been perceived. The feeling among us was that nothing had gone wrong, so it was all down to the judges. After another thumb-twiddling wait that saw acts all around us get called to hear their fate, we were asked to step into the corridor where we were told we had progressed to the Regional Finals of the competition! A well-rehearsed barrage of information sailed over our heads as we all turned our attentions to the first of the live shows and, indeed, our next step on the road to the O2.

The time inbetween our audition and Regional Final on the 23rd April was spent pestering friends and family to buy tickets, hounding our local press for exposure and preparing our next performance piece. It certainly flew by though, and it wasn't long before we found ourselves back on the road, driving in the early morning sun, making the same wrong-turns on our way back to the Portsmouth Guildhall.

With the feeling of deja-vu in the air, once more we crossed the sunny Guildhall square and signed-in, before being called shortly afterwards for our sound check. This was our first and only chance to get a glimpse of the other acts performing, and of those that we saw sound-check before us one thing was clear; the standard was high and we'd need to be at our best to stand a chance in progressing further in the competition. The stage was huge, the drum riser was high, the sound was fantastic and everything felt great as we excitedly wandered back out into the sunshine with a spare twenty minutes, directing nervous parents stuck in traffic, observing the pockets of bands with their families already here, some sporting t-shirts and others waving banners; there was a real party atmosphere and it was soon ready to begin.

We once again found ourselves holed-up in a room full of equally-anxious acts, the nervous energy clearly evident in the form of awkward chatter and the harsh, frantic strum of an unamplified electric guitar. Sat in a circle, we chatted amongst ourselves, the nerves slowly growing as more and more acts were called to await their 3-and-a-half minutes in front of the judging panel and excited audience. Finally we were summoned, and nervously made our way through the labyrinth that is the interioir of the Porstmouth Guidhall before we found ourselves waiting in the wings, catching a glimpse of the flashing lights and cheering audience merely metres away. It was time. Confidently we strode onto the empty stage, I couldn't make out the introduction of the compere as I ensured everything was in the right place, altering the heights of cymbals and the angle of the snare as quickly as I could. The applause died down and I looked across to the rest of the band; everyone was ready...I counted off...1, 2,3 4...

Barely seconds in and Jess, the singer shoots me a concerned glare and I'm wondering what I've done wrong. Moments later, Theo, the bass player to my left does the same thing and I wonder if everything's sounding great in my head but in actual fact, the pressure of the expectant judges, the eager crowd with family who have travelled for hours to be here, and the building nervous energy inside me has caused some catastrophic error; am I playing the wrong song? Is everything twice as fast as it should be? I could have sworn there were two crash cymbals earlier...And then I realise, as the kick drum slowly but surely makes its bid for freedom, the legs of the cymbal stand lying on the stage, with the kick drum mic stand also sprawled behind Jess, both having escaped from the drum riser after our explosive intro. I spend the remaining three minues and 20 seconds running over the situation in my head, as I am powerless to stop the kick-drum slowly sliding away, heading for the edge of the drum riser where the mic stand and crash cymbal have already leapt. I can see the whole thing going over, it's going to happen, there's no question, I'm on auto-pilot and luckily can feel where the changes are in the song, remembering still to perform, whilst accepting that in about thirty seconds I'm going to be sitting on the drum riser with just a snare and hi-hat stand and Jess' legs sticking out from beneath a mountain of drums. We make the change from our original song to Ellie Goulding's Starry Eyed, there isn't long left now. The music feels great, I can hear everything perfectly, but still I'm worrying, still the kick-drum is escaping, I can barely reach the toms now and my leg won't stretch out much further. We are reaching the climax of the song, it's a miracle I've made it through this far before finally the technician has noticed what's gone wrong, and rushes onstage. With a forceful push that nearly sends me off the other side of the drum-riser, the kick drum is lodged firmly back into position and held for the last twenty seconds of the song. I've made it through unscathed! The crowd cheer as we rush off, buzzing and relieved and ecstatic as we make our way back up to the holding area, chattering non-stop, as we spend the next forty-five minutes counting down the time, the adrenaline slowly wearing down, before we are finally called for the final time. This is it. The result.

In what felt like a lifetime's wait, three acts had already been called to the stage, confirming their achievement at having progressed to the next round of the competition. Spaces were limited and anxiously we waited in silence for the compere to announce the next act to go through... "BIRDS IN FLIGHT!" He called our name, we rushed onto the stage to be greeted by gracious nods of approval from the other acts already through and screaming family and friends in the audience, all as happy as we were to have made it through to the Area Finals of the competition. The event ended, we had our photo taken and received our tickets for the next show, barely under a month away back at the Guildhall, the final step before performing at the O2. It's only going to get tougher, but we couldn't be more ready for it. We've come all this way and aren't ready to falter at the final hurdle. This is our time, and the O2 is calling...

Birds In Flight will be performing in the Area Finals of Live & Unsigned at the Portsmouth Guildhall on Saturday 21st May. Tickets are priced at £7.50 for a 12.15pm start, and are available from the author of the blog.

Video Alert! Alice Avenue - Let It Go

2011-04-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

Sultry blues trio Alice Avenue have released a brand new video for their upcoming single Let It Go. The student band have released the single independently on iTunes and it's definitely one for fans of John Mayer. Check out the video below, and be sure to keep up to date with the guys on Twitter!

New Artist Alert: Saturday Night Gym Club

2011-04-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different; it's all been a bit pop-punk friendly recently so here is a refreshing hit of some pop/dance ambience. Saturday Night Gym Club have popped up on Zane Lowe's radio show, been featured a few times by BBC Introducing and are set to play the BBC's Big Weekend in May. Oh did I mention, that's their first gig!

I had a listen to a couple of songs; EP title track How To Build A Life Raft is an eclectic electronic dance mix that features a whole life raft of sounds and synths and a really nice vocal performance; it washes over you and has a really relaxing quality. The band's debut single, set to be released in May features Ellie Walker and is called I Know. With it's long, discerning intro that features an accordian, it sets the reader on edge with a confusing and broken wave of sound before breaking into a cool, washy pulse. Considering the genre, of which admittedly I'm not a huge follower, it's a great dance/pop song that will I'm sure go down perfectly in the lead-up to the summer. Ellie Walker's vocals really compliment the sound of the track which gently builds as it progresses.

Saturday Night Gym Club describe themselves as "an Anglo-Irish grouping of dance floor storytellers" with "organic textures against dance floor friendly bass weight" and, fun fact for the day, I Know's analogue synth parts written on the Northwest tip of Ireland, with drums engineered on a flight into Edinburgh. Cool!

For more info on the band and to check out the tracks featured here, head over to their Soundcloud page. How To Build A Life Raft is out in June.

New Artist Alert: Afterlife Parade

2011-04-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to the fantastic Afterlife Parade. Personified, the outfit is Quinn Erwin, whose debut offering 'Death' reflects the celebration of many passing lives with his thought-provoking and often harrowing EP. After having recently relocated to Nashville, the musical mecca for many a-fan and artist alike, Erwin found himself surrounded by loss and channeled his emotions, turning his grief into celebration, and came up with a mature-sounding debut introduction whose title track, although upbeat, carries a sinister underlying feel. A one Jeff Buckley is, ironically, resurrected; his influence on the music and sound of the vocals very apparent throughout the EP. The haunting offering of 'Nothing But Love Can Stay' is a definite stand-out track, its ghostly piano and solemn vocals laying the foundation of the sinister love song.

The entire EP tells a story, taking the listener on a journey, beginning with the concise Fate: An Introduction, aptly named at the head of the album which meanders among death's path, hot on the heels of the Grim Reaper, before concluding with Afterlife Parade, completing the journey from a fateful death to the preceeding accepatance.

Death doesn't make for the happiest of listenings contrary to its ambition to celebarate and not mourn the passing of souls, but it definitely attempts to maintain an upbeat outlook on death which can't be the easiest pitch. I really like the sound of the artist and indeed the EP itself, and hope you'll be intrigued to delve yourself into the mind of Quinn Erwin and explore the EP for yourself.

Take a step into the unknown; more on Afterlife Parade can be found on Myspace where you can hear Death for yourself and keep up-to-date with the artist.

Video Alert! Mimi Soya - I Told You So

2011-03-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing... burrrrrrrrrr (drum roll) MIMI SOYA! I love these guys at the moment; the fresh female-fronted pop-rock quartet from Brighton are ready to 'take on the world with their huge pop anthems, sunny, addictive melodies and stirring guitar riffs' and I hope the world is ready for them!

Mimi Soya are just good fun to listen to, plain and simple. It's infectious and happy with a whole load of energy and if you don't believe me, just check out their brand new video for 'I Told You So':

Cool song right?! Mimi Soya are touring throughout April here in the UK with Kids Can't Fly so make sure you catch them:

Apr 10/The Furnace/Swindon
Apr 11/The Boiler Room/Guildford
Apr 12/Sound Bar/Birmingham
Apr 13/Fern and Fallow/Cannock
Apr 14/Soundhouse/Leicester
Apr 15/Lincoln IMP/Scunthorpe
Apr 16/The Dollhouse/Gwent
Apr 17/Six Feet Under/Newport
Apr 18/Champions/Bournemouth

And for more on Mimi Soya, check out their Facebook page. Enjoy!

Video Alert! The City Calls - Truth or Dare

2011-03-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Rememer my City Calls post sometime last year, the fabulous energetic pop-punk ensemble from Southampton? Well, guess who's got a great new video just out?! Well, The City Calls of course. That'd be ridiculous if it was anyone else.

Enough blabbering, go check it out. The City Calls, Truth or Dare. The video is here! The song is great with real Panic! At The Disco flavours and the performance aspect really captures the energy of a live City Calls' show.

The City Calls are embarking on a relentless tour right through April, so be sure to catch them on the road:

Apr 15/The Marquee/Norwich
Apr 16/The Rose and Crown/Hemel Hempstead
Apr 17/TBC
Apr 18/Sin City/Swansea
Apr 19/Ibar/Bournemouth
Apr 21/TBC
Apr 22/The Shed/Leicester
Apr 23/The Asylum 2/Birmingham

For more info, check out The City Calls on Myspace.

Introducing: WeCaughtTheCastle!

2011-03-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Last week my band (Birds In Flight) played with the very cool WeCaughtTheCastle. I know it's been a really long time since I last posted, and I do want to get back into introducing new music again, so what better way to start than with these hard-rocking guys (and gal!) from Reading.

With a wicked mix of post-hardcore and pop-punk flavours, this hard-rocking quintet really do hit hard with a massive, charismatic set. Their live shows certainly don't pull any punches; it's too easy to label them as a younger Paramore, these guys are definitely developing their own sound and their song-writing ability reaches far beyond their tender years. Their creativity and expressive qualities are clearly evident and they're definitely a band to look out for; I urge you to catch them live the next time they're playing near you.

Featured below is their video for the fabulous song 'Lips' and you can check out the band's Myspace page for all their latest shows, pics and more.

Birds In Flight Press Stuffs

2010-12-20T01:47:00.000-08:00

I'm ashamed to be apologising for the lack of posting. I'm sorry! I'm sorrrrry! It's been a mad last few weeks, and until I'm back at home with my Uni routine back on track it's only going to get worse, so there won't be much more from me until the New Year. I'm back home in Glastonbury for Christmas, and the snow is causing havoc all over the place. Plans are going out the window; it's such a pain and the Country simply cannot cope even though it happens every year. But, a quick post now because I'm snowed in and need your help! Below are some links to various sites linked with my band, Birds In Flight. Please take some time to check them out and give us a hand! Thanks for your time, and here's wishing all my readers a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Stay safe, eat well and love lots.

Check out our ReverbNation page! Hint: Check out the press page with some quotes and please 'become a fan'.

There's a great Track Review here of Biggest Mistake taken from our EP, from Amanda Blide of LaFamous; well worth a read!

The Tunebreaker countdown has begun, so please please visit our Artist Page to vote for us and/or purchase a single.

Don't forget you can listen before you buy at our Myspace page! And please let us know what you think!

Excuse the shameless plugging but we need your help! Happy Holidays and see you in the New Year!

Birds In Flight

2010-12-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hi all, please check out my band's EP which is online now on our Myspace page and our Reverbnation page.

Share it with all your friends and let us know what you think!

Thanks :)

Bon Jovi: Youtube Salutes You!

2010-11-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

There's a million Bon Jovi covers on Youtube; some bands, some soloists, and the rest just drunken Prayer karaoke. A lot aren't great, but some really are, I've picked out a couple of my favourites to share which are all soloists with accompaniments; you're a lot more exposed which is, I feel, much better. And of course, I wasn't going to miss the chance for a shameless plug so I've stuck mine on at the end ;)

Mudslideslim - New Tracks

2010-11-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

Check out the new tracks available at Mudslideslim's Myspace page now! Featured are Memory and Nightmare; Memory is a moody-acoustic driven affair, sombre yet passionate with a definitive progressive feel as the track grows and grows. It dips in all the right places when it reaches a peak, and I completely get the Radiohead and Tom Waits influences.

Nightmare is thick in texture with chunky acoustic guitar but still reflects the sombre atmosphere of Memory. I love the vocal harmonies here, in fact overall the track in general I really like; the vocal melodies really compliment the simple yet effective chord progression and the song has an almost haunting-Johnny Cash inspired feel. I'd love to experience this live with a band, perhaps some cello and more harmonies and even a harmonica to really pack the final punch.

These tracks are well worth a listen, and the album is out now. For more info, check out his Reverb Nation page and enjoy.

(You Want To) Make A Memory - Bon Jovi cover

2010-11-20T06:37:00.001-08:00

Here's my second attempt at uploading a Bon Jovi cover into the cyber abyss, please excuse the over-excited Budgie in the background...

New Artist Alert: The Spies

2010-11-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Both terms 'indie' and 'college rock' as ways of definining a genre hardly jump out at me as one worth much of a listen, however The Spies from Los Angeles have definitely got the sound down to a tee. Liquer from white-rimmed party cups is definitely flowing and the garage door is up, the band staring out at the teens falling about on the driveway of their suburban lives as they pound through National Pastime, an energetic track driven hard by the constant guitar riff and lyric-laden verses. I can almost see the slow-mo scenes in the video where the girls have got the hosepipe out. Anyway, I'm digressing. The music is taking me on a journey in my mind; painting a picture of what the media would have us believe downtown LA must be like. I love the bridge section as the feroicty subsides allowing some much-needed room for the vocals and guitar to breathe before it builds for one last chorus.

Also worth a listen is the short You Got Some Nerve. Slower-paced than its predecessor, the vocals here sound really cool with the underlying whistly, winding keys. It's a cool and boppy-funk kind of track in the verses before exploding into mirage of various half-time/double-time measures. It's short and sweet; perhaps a little too short, not enough seems to be explored musically in the near-three minute offering. Title-track Televolution harbours an obvious message behind a funky, chunky riff-driven backdrop and sticks well to the 'college rock' instruction on the side of the tin, whilst hinting at an older rock 'n roll feel at times. If you're a fan of this kind of music, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

For a sample listen to the album, Televolution, check out the band's Digital Press Kit or if you prefer it the old fashioned way, head over to their Myspace page. Enjoy!

New Artist Alert: French Crops

2010-11-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

Hailing from London, this post-punk/ska/funk outfit appeared in my inbox yesterday (not literally, that would be mental) and I wanted to share with you their infectious noise. Citing such prestigious influences that diversely range from The Specials to The Clash, this 5-piece showcase "hard hitting tunes with melodic move-your-feet guitar riffs".

A couple of tracks stuck out for me, Burden with it's dingy, progressive opening riff and rockney-heavy vocals; these guys give a flavour of The Cure/Specials/Chilis throughout with a slightly heavier edge. The Avery sounds like something straight off of the FIFA series soundtrack, with it's vocal-led melody and energetic hook; the driving semi-quavers on the hi-hats relentlessly pushing and threatening to leave everyone else behind as the lead guitar attempts to steal the limelight. This is a furiously fast track packed full to the brim. Roll of the Dice is another foot-stomper, I can't keep still listening to the rootsy-sound of new London funkpunk (you heard it here first) and am really enjoying the capability and indeed awareness displayed within their song-writing. If I could sum up our capital city in a band, I think it might be the ironically named French Crops. I see neither Parisian architecture nor fields full of vegetables ready for harvest, but the band have definitely captured the energy and bustle of London and turned it into a hard-hitting bunch of songs.

As per, check out the band's Myspace page and have a listen for yourself. And if you like what you hear, make sure you let them know!

His Name Is Tico!

2010-11-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

Something now for not just the Bon Jovi fans, but DRUMMERS as well! Here, Tico Torres of Bon Jovi talks about the Remo heads he uses live and in the studio, and gives a mini demo at the end of the interview. For a man of very few solos and a totally underrated drummer it's quite a rare glimpse of something besides the regimented 2 and 4 of his Bon Jovi offerings.

Ellie Goulding - Your Song

2010-11-12T05:25:00.000-08:00

Check out the video for Ellie's cover of Elton John's Your Song. It's simple but effective; the video has a real homely feel to it, and seems to show a real personal side to her, almost as if expressing how she's still human and normal since having been rocketed into fame. None of the passion is lost with her much gentler vocals, a really nice cover in all.

On the Jovi front, it's been a busy couple of weeks! I was at the cinema last night with about 20 other people to watch the New Meadowlands show; I guess there aren't many Bon Jovi fans in Southampton! It felt a bit weird clapping and singing along in a cinema, but by the end it was all good fun. A really cool show too, really showed off the band well, even though it was only ever going to be seen my diehards. The sound wasn't actually too bad in the cinema, a totally new way of watching a concert which I really enjoyed.

In the UK, Bon Jovi are the cover story for the Big Issue, priced at £1.70, with 85p going to the vendor; something I'm sure Jon is all the happier for. There's an a4 sized headshot of him inside sporting a greying beard, but of course he pulls it off.

And on the personal front, I've (Birds In Flight) got a busy next couple of weeks with gigs in Southampton that I'm of course looking forward to. We recorded last week so once it's all mixed and mastered we'll be setting up a Myspace page and I'll be able to share it with you then. For now, have a great weekend :)

'Bizarre' Editor slates JBJ once again

2010-11-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share this with you all, I know I'm probably giving the editor what he wants by causing a fuss and should ignore people like this but it really makes me angry. In The Sun, UK newspaper today, Gordon Smart who is the editor of the entertainment page Bizarre printed this, another pointless snipe:

"Jon Bon Jovi asked me to help promote his band's new greatest hits album. I was tempted - until I saw him high-five Belle Amie [contestants] on Sunday's X Factor. It was more embarassing than One Direction's pink eye a day earlier [boy band who were made-up a little strange]. He's still Jon Nob Jovi."

In a previous edition, he printed this which I highlighted on this blog:

"Jon Bon Jovi wins a new gong - Nob of the Year. There's no physical award for this, the leather-clad gimp is not worth £12.50 for the frame. Jon Nob Jovi told the Bizarre team that his five nights at London's O2 in 2010 should always be referred to as a residency, not a five-night run. I won't be going to any of his five-night run because he is yesterday's man, his music is dull and he stole his haircut from Lassie."

It's totally pointless and childish; what annoys me is that Gordon Smart is the editor of a page where he pretentiously claims everything in new music or fashion was his idea, or he predicted certain trends would happen. In these pages where he is forever licking the boots of Z-list manufactured popstars, many in fact spawned from the X Factor, he has the audacity to slate such a fine and respectable rockstar who has been in this industry for 27 years, and has since ploughed so much time, effort and money into charity. He is deserved of his time spent in the music industry, yet doesn't sit at home counting his millions but actually gets his hands dirty, helps people in need. Gordon Smart picked on him for literally no reason, it wasn't a provoked attack, and I just basically wanted to share this with Jovination and all fans of this great band. You can disregard it or you can join with me on Twitter asking why he continues to lay into Jon like this. His tag is @goagsieman and his column is a waste of printed space, full of pretentious opinions and not nearly enough 'real music'. As someone who has already attacked him on Twitter said, is he going to be remembered in 25 years? I think not.

Bon Jovi LIVE - One Night Only

2010-11-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

I'm still buzzing. I'm still buzzing. Still in shock and awe. Tonight I went to the ITV studios in London along with my girlfriend, as I was lucky enough to win tickets to the intimate filming of this show for ITV. It airs on Saturday night here in the UK at 10.30, and includes a tour of Jon's home and his pub along with interviewing slots. There can't have been more than 200 people in the audience, and I was within arms reach of Jon and Richie when they came down the short catwalk on the stage and did an acoustic section. This included an Elvis cover of That's Alright Mama, When We Were Beautiful (harrowingly wonderful) and Prayer acoustic, which included Jon messing up the second line and starting again. But this summed up the whole mood of the gig; it was so laid back with Jon making jokes and silly faces inbetween songs, but the band were totally on the money when performing, as you'd expect. I feel so privelaged to have been part of something so intimate and to have been so close to Jon and Richie, and I urge to watch the show live or online when it airs, because it was a great gig. When We Were Beautiful and new single What Do You Got had both never been played in the UK either so this made it extra special. When I was walking into the studio, you could hear the band sound-checking What Do You Got, and, on leaving at the end, Obie O' Brien was walking down the corridor, so I jumped at the chance to shake his hand and tell him how great the show was! The set was short, maybe 8-10 songs but it was a fantastic night and, if I'm lucky, I'll spot myself on TV on Saturday :) Just wanted to share with you such an incredible experience.

Bon Jovi's stint on the X Factor on Saturday night was cool, if a little odd. They performed Livin on a Prayer, although the contestants joined them for the choruses which turned the classic anthem into a bit of a drunken karaoke singalong, although was still good fun. Next Thursday I'll be at my local cinema along with Jovination across the globe to watch the screening of The Circle Tour show which I can't wait for; it's a great month to be a Bon Jovi fan!

No Apologies - Best of the Newbies

2010-10-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

It's official, all four new Jovi tracks have been released and, in my humble opinion, No Apologies is the best of the lot and should definitely be the lead single promoting the Greatest Hits. You can check it out here. Here's hoping they'll perform this for X Factor show in the UK on Sunday night after promising 'something special and not to be missed' in their email...we'll see. I'm also eagerly awaiting ticket prices for the UK shows that go on sale tomorrow morning, I really hope it's not another case of the band ripping off their fans. I'm not going to take any kind of stand because I obviously want to see the show, and will begrudgingly spend a lot for tickets, but I just want the best seats and hate that they're suddenly so expensive when two years back I was in the Gold Circle for £35! We're not all on the rockstar salary so here's hoping they don't punish the poor again. I'm a little disappointed at the 'stadium tour' that was seemingly on the cards and we're stuck with a Festival slot, a cricket ground and one stadium in Scotland but apparentely Take That have got all the big stadiums booked for the same period. Stupid boy bands. I can't complain, this tour has seen them play countries that haven't seen the band for decades! Either way, I'm excited but anxious, I hate refreshing ticket sites at 8 in the morning, it's always so stressful, only once they're ordered can I enjoy the thought of another live Bon Jovi show next summer.

This Week in the Music World

2010-10-20T04:36:00.000-07:00

So, it's shaping up to be quite the exciting week in the music world. On Monday, the latest offering from the Kings of Leon titled Come Around Sundown was released. I'm a massive fan of their previous Only By The Night, it's one of my favourite albums and I was intrigued to see the kind of stance they might take. As with quite a lot of bands, I'm not a huge fan of their early stuff but was swept along with the wave of new fans when this came out. Although Come Around Sundown has only had a few listens through it's certainly sounding better each time round. I love having new albums, when you've got so much time to listen out for new things that you didn't hear before and when you're just waiting to be taken on a journey, no idea where the band are planning to take you next. There don't seem to be any massive stand-out Sex on Fire-esque tracks (although the single, Radioactive is pretty catchy) but it's definitely a lot more chilled out and, at the same time, feels a lot more soulful and passionate. Their Nashville roots are clearly identified with such song titles as Pickup Truck and Back Down South, with a slight return to their Countrified compositions but it's definitely standing out to me as a great album for fans and non-fans alike.

Diana Vickers was one of the featured artists on the X Factor this week, which is once more causing a stir between itself and the 'real' music industry and it's fans of 'real' music. Her new single, My Wicked Heart, has come under fire for its chorus being a complete rip-off of the Chili Pepper's Under The Bridge. Although she is qouted to have admitted listening to Under The Bridge before having written the song and being worried about it sounding similar, she then decided not to bother to changing it afterall. Have a listen for yourself, but the melody for the first four lines of the chorus is uncannily similar. The Chili Peppers certainly have a case that would surely stand-up in court, and I believe they are pursuing this root. I actually quite liked her when she appeared on the X Factor as a naive 17 year old daring to be different, with her quirky stage presence and vocal style but she has obviously sold herself to fame and allowed her record company to mould her into something a lot more generic and accepted in order to sell records. The auto-tuning of her single is also far too obvious. Disappointing stuff Miss Vickers.

Diana Vickers - My Wicked Heart

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge

And finally, Bon Jovi are to be presented with the Global Icons Award at next month's MTV Europe Music Awards and I believe they're performing at the ceremony too. Just another one for the trophy cabinet for the band maybe, but it's still great news that they continued to be recognised and celebrated today.

So there's my two-pence for what it's worth, enjoy the rest of your week.

Tunebreaker

2010-10-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

This is for both fans of music and upcoming independent UK bands/solo artists! Check out Tunebreaker for your chance to enter their competition or to support emerging unsigned UK talent. Here's a brief snippet from the bands section of the site:

TuneBreaker™ is a (global) new music award aimed at emerging and truly independent artists. The TuneBreaker™ Music Award is both unique and innovative in its process (a process we cannot divulge just yet). We are not a corporate funded site looking for quick returns - we are a small team of experienced music industry people and mainly avid young music fans wanting to see a new industry of music. This award is as real and authentic as it comes.

The inaugural TuneBreaker™ Music Award commences in mid-November 2010 with the winner announced before New Year. This first award is only open to Artists and Bands that are resident in Great Britain and Ireland and is limited to a set number of entrants. Artists remember! Whilst you have to be from Great Britain and Ireland, fans can vote for you from anywhere in the world.

The actual 'competition' itself is all being kept quiet at the moment, but is soon to be revealed. In the meantime, if you're an artist then get your band signed up and if you're a lover of music make sure you do to!

Beatitudes, Live @ Soul Cellar, Southampton

2010-10-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

I don't often feel the need to blog about a band I've seen live the night before, but I woke up this morning harbouring a desire to share with you my experience last night, and the music of a band that the world needs to just stop what they're doing and listen to. You may remember the New Artist Alert I featured on the guys back in July? That band is Beatitudes. Pronounced Bee-at-itudes, this slick and professional five piece had every foot tapping in Soul Cellar last night. Oh, and did I mention, they could probably give The Beatles a run for their money. A bold statement I'm sure you'll agree, but in a live music scene that continues to churn out the same old acts at the moment, Beatitudes were a breath of fresh air, complete with four-part vocal harmonies, fantastic rock 'n roll guitar licks and just brilliant songs. I can't urge you enough to check the guys out or, even better, catch them live, because I can't help but wonder if the right person gets wind of what these guys are doing, they're going to be huge. In an age where we look to the past when writing songs or buying clothes, Beatitudes skipped the 80's synth-revival train and waited a few more decades at the station for the classic rock 'n roll sound, whilst adding just a little sprinkle of the here and now to give their super-tight sound a real classy shimmer. Suited and booted, they are NOT a band to miss, so have a listen on their Myspace page or check them out on Facebook.
Excuse the personal plug, but they'll be supported at their next gig by my band Birds in Flight and The Sharps at The Joiners in Southampton on Friday 12th November :)

These Days: A Personal Reflection To My Favourite Album

2010-10-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

Inspiration has been a little thin on the ground recently, so I apologise for the lack of posting although I'll blame it for now on having started back at uni this week. However, in the meantime, I wanted to do a little feature on my favourite Bon Jovi album, and probably the fans' favourite too: These Days. This album had always been my favourite, even before discovering it was generally considered the band's best offering by casual fans and die-hards alike. It's now 15 years old which is quite unbelievable, but I guess all classic albums stand the test of time, whether they were written to or not. It was always a special one for Bon Jovi, as it reflected the real maturing of the band as song-writers, and also signficantly was their final studio release until they all got their hair cut and burst into the new millenium five years later with chart-friendly It's My Life from Crush, sparking a whole new generation of fans (including this one). It was also the first album since the departure of Alec John Such, the band's original bass player, to be replaced by 'session player' Hugh 'Huge' McDonald, although I don't know anyone that doesn't consider him an actual member of the band. There's a really nice moment in the 1995 Live in London tour DVD where Jon excitedly announces that the album has 'knocked Michael Jackson off the top spot' of the album charts, and did particularly well in the UK with 4 top-ten singles. I wanted to feature a few highlights for me from the album, so here goes...

Track 1, Hey God, is definitely an attention-grabber. You might expect the title-track to be the crowning feature, but the sultry piano intro doesn't catch your ears as much as Jon's spoken "OK we ready?" with a snap of Tico's drumsticks followed by his reply, "Just about" and Jon's final "Let's go" before Richie's huge opening riff kicks off the album. Before I'd grasped the concept of 'characters within songwriting' I always wondered, when I was a lot younger I'm hasten to add, how Jon could really be asking "Hey God, do you ever think about me?", considering the band's global success. Shedding my naive thoughts along with my tender years, I later understood the grasp of creating characters rather than Jon singing from a first-person perspective.

Track 2, Something For The Pain has been making a comeback recently which is nice to see; I think anything performed from These Days is appreciated by Jovi fans and the winding, lyric-heavy breakdown is perfect, whilst track 3, This Ain't A Love Song, broke the boundaries of the usual Jovi love-songs, although still managed to make its mark as a ballad.

At Track 4 we reach the title track, and it's definitely a highlight on the album. The heartfelt verses mixed with the uplifting choruses find the perfect balance of emotions; whilst it still maintains itself as a piano-based ballad, it's definitely got the foundation of a classic rock stadium song. For the Lost Highway tour, Richie took to singing lead vocals for These Days (as featured below) and I just remember being totally blown away hearing his soulful voice gracing such a fantastic song. The intricate differences in phrasing and the slight nuances as compared to Jon's vocals gave the song a whole new feel, and I'm still undecided as to which I actually prefer.

And how about an acoustic version?

My favourite part in track 5, Lie To Me, is as the second verse comes in, and Richie sings two lines of backing vocals in response to Jon: "I don't wanna die no more". It's always stood out as a highlight of the album and I'm not sure why really as it seems quite insignificant, maybe it's just the beautiful tone of Richie's vocals. Track 6, Damned, is a real funky dirty groovy number, and includes one of my favourite ever Richie solos which has really got to be felt to be appreciated.

Track 7, My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms, is another interesting lyric almost in the same vain as This Ain't A Love Song; "I can't write a love song/The way I feel today/And I can't sing no song of hope/I got nothing to say". It's always one of very few live videos I've found where there are more than one obvious mistake, as you'll see in the video below. Whether it's problems with sound onstage I don't know, or maybe it was just a bad omen Richie brought when putting his hair in a ponytail, either way they deal with it well and get through the song unscathed, except for a few definite 'stink-eyes' shot about the stage!

Track 8 sees Jon's first solo writing contribution on the album, (It's Hard) Letting You Go which I love to sing and play myself. It fits so perfectly within the darkened feeling of the album, and is also nice to hear a Jovi song not in 4/4. Hearts Breaking Even at track 9 has always been in the shadows for me, but possibly because I know that the next track is my favourite ever Bon Jovi song. Something To Believe In was my favourite song from the first time I heard Richie's "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!", which set off the feeling for the track that I can't quite explain; a somewhat misty, brazen feel. It's again so dark and moody but has this great funky bridge section which almost sounds out of place but isn't, and also showcases a fantastic note held by Jon for what seems like forever before a raspy, yelpy scream ends it which has never been recreated live with the same effect. And the solo, especially the extended live version, is amazing.

The last few tracks of the album wind it up wonderfully; If That's What It Takes filling the last thumping spot whilst Diamond Ring is dripping with romanticism, conjuring images of dark, smokey rooms lit only by candlelight. And finally, Bitter Wine caps off Bon Jovi's greatest, darkest and most heartfelt creation to date. It's, of course, a classic album to be left off of all 'classic album' lists and snubbed by Rolling Stone or Q Magazine, but it'll always be mine, and the fan's, favourite ever offering, and that's got to be worth more to the band than any countdown or opinion poll.

Amelie: The Soundtrack

2010-09-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

I feel inspired to write a short piece just sharing the most beautiful soundtrack to a wonderful film. Amelie is a fantastic piece of French cinema, possibly the most popular and accepted of my generation, and I've included a couple of tracks below that really hold their own without playing second fiddle to the scenary you're supposed to be concentrating on, or the characters you're supposed to be watching. I hope you enjoy them, and if you haven't seen the film I urge you to do so. The fact that it's in French with subtitles puts a lot of people off, but you get used to it and besides, it's so well shot and indeed crafted you find youself often not taking notice of the words at all but instead getting lost among the alien tongue.

EP Review: The Sharps - Midnight State

2010-09-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Drawing inspiration as far between Bruce Springsteen and Jimi Hendrix and described by Norwich Playhouse as "One of Norfolk's most exciting bands", The Sharps are an energetic 4-piece pop-rock outfit who describe their music as "combining solid driving rhythms and riffs with catchy and melodic tunes and harmonies". Fresh out of the studio after having recorded their latest EP, Midnight State, the boys last night officially released the CD in Norwich with an EP launch show. I've had a listen to the 3-track offering, and include my usual track-by-track guide below.

1/Midnight State - This honed and polished song sits proudly as the title track to the EP, and rightfully deserves its crowning spot. The driving rhythm section push alongside occasional funky stabs of guitar whilst the vocals are confident and strong throughout the verse. When pushed, and I'm not sure they'll particularly like the comparison, the vocals remind me of Danny Jones from McFly but that's not necessarily a bad thing! The chorus is fantastic; sloshing hi-hats and a great riff as the vocals keep everything grounded and really get my foot tapping. A definite highlight of the song for me is syncopated alternate-panning guitars after the first chorus, leading into a slight solo break before dropping into the second verse, where backing vocals are explored and help to build the song further still. This band sound brilliant; really tight and totally aware of how to construct a song and I'm sure their live show reflects this. The solo is cool although short-lived and the break-down section has a great relaxed feel to it whilst the energetic tempo is maintained well throughout. If there's one song that sums up the band this is it, definitely worth a listen.

2/Pull Me Out - The bass takes centre stage as it begins the song alone, before being joined by a great funky wah-wah guitar. The verse is equally as strong and energetic as its predecessor and a chorus that I can't really compare to any other sound. I love the feel when the guitar drops out leaving the drums and vocals to primarily carry the groove and the syncopated rhythm explored after this is sure to get the crowd moving. If the band are to be credited for anything, it's surely got to be their song-writing. Another great solo, this time with a little help from a Cry Baby, wails out before we're back around for another final chorus, where you can't fail to notice the driving distorted guitar and soaing ooh's in the backing vocals before finishing up on a vocal note that's sitting right at the top of the tree; this guy's range is great and again only adds to the band's sound.

3/Is He A Fool - This band is all about the lead guitar; the lead lines are ingenious and add years onto the tender age of the musician, displaying a talent that sounds so professional. I get a bit of a Chili Pepper's feel with this final track, with a great sounding chord progression used in the verses and a driving yet ballad-feel in the choruses. The solo break before the second verse made me smile, it just sounds that good! The falsetto vocals and supportive backing vocals really strengthen the minimal choruses and I love the sweeping cuts after the second chorus in the following section. It's been threatening to burst out since the first few seconds and this song definitely needs to release the lead guitar along a long, winding road which, to round off the song and indeed the EP, it does. My only criticism is of the very last note that the guitar slides to at the end of the solo as it sounds slightly brash and was seemingly already resolved but nonetheless this EP is a great showcase to a brilliantly tight and imaginative young band.

I urge to have a listen for yourself to the Midnight State EP, either by visiting the band's Facebook page or their Myspace page where you can also check out their latest gigs. Although hailing from Norfolk, they are in fact situated all-over the Country so are sure to be playing near you soon!

New Artist Alert: All About Flux

2010-09-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

All About Flux are a great young pop-punk band from the South West, with loads of gigging and recording experience all over the UK. Check out their awesome video of their first release, On That Night; catchy and lots of fun I'm sure you'll agree!

For more info on the band, check out their website here!

Greatest Hits Sleeve

2010-09-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Bon Jovi released the sleeve for their Greatest Hits CD via Facebook today, plus an interesting picture of Jon and model Michelle Alves sporting the design on her top. Tonight promises the release of the double-CD track-listing. It's a cool cover and definitely suits the 'greatest hits' feel; a real classic colour scheme although I've always been a fan of the more complicated heart and dagger graphic over the simplified, cartoony one used below.

New Artist Alert: Amy Heffernan

2010-09-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

Currently living in Alberta, Canada, Amy Heffernan started out her musical life as a drummer. She has since switched the sticks for her great sounding vocals; one that I've recently been indulging myself with. Her self-titled debut EP was written whilst living in South LA, whilst her latest offering - a full album titled 'Being Awesome' - was written in sunny California. Heffernan cites Robyn, Juliet and the Romantiques and Lady Gaga as inspirations to her; the latter offered an honorary nod to the tune of a Just Dance cover on the album. The vocals displayed here are confident, with hints of both a raw-folkish feel and a strong pop influence; it's definitely well worth a listen.

The title track, Being Awesome, is a punchy, upbeat pop/rock number and leads the album well. The vocals sound quite different which I like, not your stereotypical sound but something that really needs to be heard first hand to be appreciated. The chorus maintains the song's overall punch with a radio-friendly undertone and a well built structure. The song doesn't allow much chance to subside; its relentless drive is infectious and powerful, constantly maintaining the listener's interest. Even the breakdown/bridge section holds onto the 'four-to-the-floor' foot-tapping groove before bursting into an uplifting modulation (that's a key change to any non-musos!) for a final go round the chorus. It's got quite a Pink feel to it but I get the Lady Gaga reference in there too. Overall a really strong pop/rock tune.

Another stand-out track on the album is 'Used To Be A Light'. With a cool palm-muted guitar pattern and driving hi-hat groove, Heffernan's vocals sound fantastic over the first verse. The chorus is once more full-on and catchy, but it's definitely in the verses that the vocals stand out for what they really are; it's a slightly more intimate side Heffernan is letting us see. The breakdown is also great for this; her band sound fab and the vocal performances on the album really set this off as an overall great listen for fans of anything from the female pop and rock acts of today. She's definitely a versatile and widely-appealling artist.

To check out Amy Heffernan's digital press kit, and to have a sample listen to the album and her debut EP, click here or, alternatively, check out her Myspace page for a tour date near you.

My Bon Jovi Cover

2010-08-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

I decided to do a cover and post it on Youtube. It's of Bon Jovi's (It's Hard) Letting You Go. It's not something I've done before; although I often enjoy singing and playing a bit of guitar I've never thrown it into the cyber abyss, as it were. Nevertheless, your thoughts and comments are welcome :)

Am I A Music Snob?!

2010-08-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

I feel a little worried. A little weird, and slightly strange. I just don't seem to get it like everyone else apparentely totally is. Let me explain. Last night, I watched the Reading and Leeds highlights. This seems to be an annual thing, because I remember exhibiting the same feelings almost exactly one year ago when I saw the footage of the Arctic Monkeys and just remember thinking 'what the hell has happened to these guys?!'

The highlights that were aired last night was of bands that are obviously popular right now, but want I don't understand is, well exactly that; what is popular right now. Bands like The Drums; they just seem to be all about the image, of the band as a whole and of the musicians individually but, and this is just my opinion, the music sounds awful. Just like it was an after-thought; 'well we've got the image, now maybe we could try writing a song?'

Disappointment was also on the cards, for of the 'comeback' acts that were performing at the festivals (2 out of the 3 headliners infact) I was gutted at the overall performances. I used to love Guns n Roses but, and to be fair, Axl Rose has still got an alright-sounding voice, he could barely finish a single line without losing the last few syllables to general out-of-breathness. And obviously the rest of the line-up was made up of session players; the drummer seeming to be more of an R&B performer rather than a heavy metal tyrant. And of Blink 182, I was dumbfounded at the sheer state of Tom Delonge's voice; I mean, he never was the world's greatest singer, and I only heard 'I miss you', but his vocals were absolutely awful, just so broken and screechy and all over the place, generally out of key. Why did these bands feel the need to cash-in on a comeback? Why not quit while you're at the top of your game, leaving the lasting memories of your legacies of when you were at your best. If Bon Jovi came back in ten years time, as Jon Bon Jovi and session players, him out of breath and having put on weight, squeezing into a leather shirt and cowboy hat, I wouldn't go anywhere near it. In fact, I'd be gutted.

In short, I am worried I am becoming a music snob. I saw a great performance from Paramore, and have only heard good things of Mumford & Sons. I like to think I have a diverse taste in music; there are very few styles or even sub-genres that I dislike, but the point is, I know what I like, and it just doesn't seem to be what everyone else likes. I don't claim to be a fan of the purely avant-garde and obscure, and obviously the bands I do like have decent enough fanbases, but I don't know many of the artists that are in the charts because it's all the same regurgitated dance crap and I just can't stand the new-wave of 80s inspired synth bands and the image-mongrels cluttering up the festival circuits. Again, this is just my opinion (and, upon re-reading, a seemingly angry one at that!) and I don't want to offend fans of all the new stuff that's going on. At the end of the day at least they're out there making a living and I can only dream of one day following in their footsteps. I can only hope that, when I do, I make enough of an impact as bands such as Green Day, Bon Jovi, The Stones, etc; enabling me to span across generations, and through the changing tides, remaining strong and constant and still apparent when everything else around me is changing. One can only hope.

Album Review: Good Morning Milo - Through The Chaos & Clatter (Part Two)

2010-08-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

Glad to see you're back for more, I knew you couldn't get enough of California's hottest six-piece right now! Here's part two of Good Morning Milo's album review, Through The Chaos Clatter.

9/Safe - I love the guitar work at the beginning of the song, it's a really nice progression with a great chilled-out feel as the drums drop in. As the vocals enter, so too does a gentle piano-arpeggio slightly behind the mix in a really suited place. It's a really passionate feeling song, as believable vocals perform alongisde a strong guitar part and you can't help but taking notice of the lyrics. The chorus is obvious and simple, but this is why it's perfect. The commerical-sound is one a lot of bands try to get away from but, at the end of the day, radio stations aren't going to play your music if their listeners won't like it. The guitar solo sounded a little wimpy; the idea was great but the execution not so, the sound just needed to be a lot fuller. The acoustic guitar section really highlights the talent in the vocals before we're back around for one last chorus, although the outro sounded a little unecessary again; ending on either just the chorus or returning to the original guitar part from the beginning would have worked, but I wasn't sure about the drums and electric guitar dropping in for just one bar. However, a really nice song overall.

10/Loving Without Argument - The drums hint at a shuffle feel to track ten, although fall in with a straight beat as the song starts up. It's a really grooving track and I love the feel of the chorus; the driving rhythm section alongside the high-pitched guitar riff really pushes it along. The shuffle feel is revisited in the latter half of the song; whilst the structure of this song is a little unorthodox but that's by no means a negative observation. It feels as if a lot of musical ideas have been bunched together and, although they don't necessarily sound out of place, it might have sounded slightly more convincing had they taken a leaf out of Green Day's book and bore in mind Jesus of Suburbia; making the song longer to accommodate the sections better, and perhaps revisiting more of them to add a feeling a continuity.

11/Waiting - This song takes a little while to kick in, with the drums and guitar parts sounding a little sparse for the first minute and counting, before the chorus comes around. At this point, it turns into a good song; a riff-driven number that exploits a lot of the band's usual trends; high energy, strong vocals and a believeable performance. I like the piano arpeggio section as the song breaks down before coming back in with a great-sounding guitar solo; it just sounds a lot fuller than it has done previously. The songs are definitely very imaginative and well thought-out by Good Morning Milo; they're well crafted and it shows.

12/Battle For The Nice Guy - From the very first second my feet and head are tapping along in unison; it's a great opening gambit. The verses are built with acoustic guitar and a moderate pace, and I like the electric guitar's outbursts. It's another big sing-along chorus and, therefore, another sure crowd pleaser. The breakdown is simply vocals with a hi-hat keeping time and it's all that's needed; it's a simple song with an effective hook and cool ideals.

13/Mr Robot Man - I love the synth intro, it's someting different again from the band that don't like to get too comfortable with one particular sound or idea and that's great. This song sounds really strong and something I could completely imagine on the radio or flicking through the rock video-channels. The electro hints with the synths and seldom with the vocal effects give it that little something extra and lift it up above your average rock song. In fact I think it almost sounds like a movie sound-track; I really like this song. The drums and indeed entire structure of the song are imaginative and the vocal performance is flawless. It feels like it's a lot longer than four minutes long, perhaps because so many ideas are packed in, and this song acts really well in picking up the very slight lull 3/4 of the way through the album.

14/Sunshine - I'm parcticularly keen to listen out for this track, not least of all because it's the very final track, the last offering, the final goodbye, but because it's been flagged as a 'suggested' song to listen to. So, is it going to sum up the band's sound as a whole and capture all of the many positives I've discovered along my journey with Good Morning Milo? At first, the characteristic energy isn't apparent but there's always room for that later. When the vocals come in I realise it's a clever and heart-felt part-cover of the lullaby 'You Are My Sunshine'. The vocals are, once more, perfect here; if there's been a constant throughout this album it's definitely the talent that the vocals produce. I feel that, when the full-band come in, I'd have preferred a surprise sudden impact rather than a little hint as the drums build up. It's grown into a really strong little song that encapsulates the album wonderfully; it's displayed the band's subtlety, passion, energy and reservedness in one fell swoop whilst showcasing the distinguishing vocals for what they are. It is actually the perfect end to a fantastic album that isn't necessarily without opinonated flaws, but is generally a great showcase for a fantastic sounding band with a bright future ahead of them. I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open for sure.

Although there are no published tour dates yet, and seemingly no plans to come to England in the near future, the band are working on getting back out on the road. I really get the feeling that this band are all about their fans, and that they really are the reason they're doing this.

You can have a preview of all the songs featured in both posts here and be sure to check out the band's Myspace page for the latest info on tour dates. Go forth and enjoy!

Album Review: Good Morning Milo - Through The Chaos & Clatter (Part One)

2010-08-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Milo are a fresh and exciting new band from San Diego, CA. They are an "an upbeat group of musicians that write songs about combating the obstacles in our lives that prevent our happiness" and I've recently been wrapping my ears around their infectious tunes. Their latest album, Through The Chaos Clatter has found its way into my playlist and below, as per, you can check out my track-by-track review. Be sure to stay tuned for Part two where I'll delve into the latter half of the album.

1/Pickup Lines - I love the first track of an album. The anticipation is mounting as iTunes figures everything out in 0s and 1s; my fingers poised at the keyboard and waiting. I think every album should start with drums, as Pickup Lines does here. It's energetic, it grabs you and really makes me want to listen. The guitar intro plays around a progressive riff-based kick with long changes in between the chords, before the initial hook of the song drops in on the lead guitar line. I feel this is shaping up to be a musical introduction, before the real album begins. It's a cool trend to follow and could be 'their thing'; starting each album and even live show with a musical opener.

2/Win Her - The segue is flawless as Win Her comes in unnoticed. On top of the band now stabbing away with the same chord progression - held in check with a punchy snare - the lead vocals burst in and the album is really underway. I like the confident feel that the vocals produce; an assured style that boasts hints of Country when it really lets loose. The song has really grown since the chorus hit; each musician straying away from their regimented intros and off exploring their own musical paths. It was great to pick out the synth in the second verse and hear it sticking around for the second chorus; the song is still building and the chorus has a great hook, whilst the overall feel of the song captures a great enthusiasm for music in general. I don't often like dual-layered guitar lines but it works in the breakdown section, as the drums and bass furiously build behind them. The solo feels short lived but this song is definitely about the chorus. As the breakdown builds before the final chorus the drums sound a little sloppy, just trailing behind the rest of the band but once the last chorus does come back around they catch up no problem. At exactly three and a half minutes, I love the ending, rounding off my first real encounter with the band.

3/Settling - This a really upbeat, frenzied and full-on pop/rock number. The dual-layered vocals idea is used again here and continues to work perfectly, as the verses build on top of great-sounding guitar parts that really showcase the song-writing capabilities of this band. It's a really commercial sounding song and the chorus has a great laid-back feel with the vocal melodies whilst maintaining the energy of the verses. The falsetto vocals sound just as strong as the initial range which is important; often a falsetto vocal can sound noticeably weaker. The bridge section isn't the strongest part of the song but works well as a link before the last chorus, which is bigger than its predecessors with the noticable inclusion of the synth in the mix. The fade-out definitely adds to the 'radio-friendly' feel of the track and is the perfect ending.

4/To Kill A Songbird - I love the funky solo groove at the beginning of this track and the acoustic guitar part works really well alongside as the track builds to the first verse. The disco-feel pre-chorus has a cool feel and although musically the song is quite busy with quick funky drums, picky guitar and fast-paced vocals it all seems to gel together well. The vocals themselves have a slight Brandon Boyd feel and the bridge section feels a lot more thought-out; once more the harmonies in the vocals are obviously well-considered. The sparse glockenspiel part sounds slighty atonal; I'm sure it's written with the home key in mind but I'm not keen on its placement in this particular song, it sounds like more of an after-thought. The choruses are really strong and I can imagine this being a real crowd-rousing number. I wasn't so sure of the outro section, the guitar-riff sounded a little amateurish and generally unnecessary whilst I thought it would have been better just ending on the final chorus.

5/Number One Killer - I like the feel the drums go for in this song, but feel they needed to be boosted a little more in the mix to stand up on their own, to make up for the lack of a sloshing hi-hat and the snare itself sounded a little dry. The groove though lends itself to the song well and it's nice to hear a drummer exploring and daring to be a little different rather than settling with the same feel for every song. The guitar work is simple but effective, and the choruses build well in two seperate parts and my head is definitely nodding along with the more metal-inspired guitar work. This song carries on the Incubus feel in my opinion, although I didn't like the melisma in the elongated vocal line halfway though the track; it would have sounded stronger had the vocalist just held the note without wavering. The piano really stands its ground after the solo section and is a welcome inclusion, once more displaying the song-writing abilities of the group and their understanding of song structures. The outro is really nice, as everything falls away leaving the drums easing off as the vocals and piano round off the song. A really nice touch and I've really enjoyed this song.

6/Feel The Crash - I think the piano player has staked a big claim for his place in the band, as he kicks off Feel The Crash, accompanying a really nice, heart-felt vocal. The cello is the perfect addition as the second verse comes around, the vocals now displaying more a Plain White Tees tone. It's really nice to take a step back from the full-on energetic numbers this band writes so well with a beautiful piano ballad.

7/The Proposal - An interesting intro greets me at the half-way point of the album. It blends into chugging electric guitar and a real electro drone before kicking into a great big riff laden, open hi-hat explosion complete with dual-guitars leading into...

8/Engaged - ...another cool segue as track 8 bursts in. The energy of the band are certainly back from the bar, joining the singer who's been here since the start and they're ready to go again. The sections of songs are often fast-paced, and so the subtle hints of the half-time feels every so often work really well to neutralise this and give the respective tracks a well-rounded feel. I like the syncopated disco grooves used; the song is a bit of a mix of styles which is great, it certainly doesn't feel odd or over the top. There's a lot of angst and passion in the solo section which really comes across strongly to the listener and I love the synth role as it comes in just after, once more building the final stages of the song. The best way to describe the song is, I think, organised chaos.

Be sure to stay tuned and check back soon for Part 2 of the review!

Dear Mr President

2010-08-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

Don't quite know why I felt the need to do an anti-Bush post. It might not be your thing and that's cool, but individually these are all great songs with great messages.

Pink/Dear Mr President

Bon Jovi/Have A Nice Day

Green Day/American Idiot

Sheryl Crow/God Bless This Mess

EP Review: The City Calls - Dirty Tricks

2010-08-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

The City Calls are a cool, fresh pop-punk band from Southampton. I caught them supporting Army of Freshman recently and have to say their set was brilliant; extremely tight and professional stuff. I got in touch and got my hands on their latest EP entitled Dirty Tricks, for which you can read a track-by-track review of below.

Track 1/Heroics - An explosion of noise grabs me like the start of any EP should do and makes way for a cool guitar/pulsating-kick drum intro. The arrangement and overall feel reminds me of the All American Rejects, whilst the vocals have a Patrick Stump tinge to them. I like the feel of the distant lead vocal lines hiding at the back of the mix giving the verse a little more as it's otherwise quite sparse with minimal guitars and grooving drums. Already the tightness of the band's song-writing and overall musicality is striking; the chorus is precise and punchy and the presence of the bass in the second verse is definitely welcomed. It's a cleverly built arrangement and the introductions of new parts layered within each new section is cool. The drum sound is great in the breakdown section; often big cymbal parts can sound washy and overpowering but the mix is spot on. I thought my iTunes had skipped on after a sudden end to the song, but was caught out when the chorus came back in, after the sound of a radio tuning! A cool and fun pop-punk song.

Track 2/It's Your Fault - The instant hook of the backing vocals in this song takes me back to the live show; it's a great thing when the whole band are singing and really filling out a song and it works perfectly here. Straight into the verse and the backing vocals are further explored, harmonising with single phrases which support the lead vocals well. It's a great singalong chorus and perfect for new and old fans alike. The rhythm section holds the verses down as the guitar builds throughout but I wasn't keen on the solo harmonic guitar lines before the second chorus; they downplayed the song a little for my liking. The breakdown/middle 8 section is really grooving though; it showcases the drums well and has a great feel to it. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Track 3/Flaunt It - The All American Rejects feel is still apparent, now with a touch of Panic! At The Disco, although I never got into pop-punk massively so my knowledge is quite general. Having said that, I can certainly appreciate a hard-working band who know exactly where they're going in terms of the sound they create and The City Calls are definitely that band. Flaunt It is another great example of that, with big energetic drums, great vocal harmonies and cool guitar work. Within the context of an EP, the track blends in a bit but it's certainly nice to hear a guitar solo, especially one that dares to last longer than four bars. The chorus is strong and the ending surprising yet clever.

Track 4/Those Eyes - With a name as such and this position on the EP, I'm almost expecting more of a ballad here before the final song packs the knock-out punch. This is the anticipation I feel as the song is loading up anyway, but the opening riff doesn't set the scene I had in mind. I really like the feel of the pre-choruses though and I think it's as close as I'm going to get to a 'ballad' from a pop-punk band. The chorus sounds great; definitely a compromising mix of pop-punk punch with the calmer feel I felt I needed and the vocals sound great here. The breakdown is another great vocal showcase as the bass and kick-drum tie the song down; a song that's threatening to break free into an explosive solo...which is exactly what it does so there's a big tick from me in the listener's point of view. The half-time final chorus is once again expected but that's not a bad thing; it's important to give the listener what they want and sometimes an obvious twist is the best bet.

Track 5/Get Away(acoustic) - Aside step the walls of noise and crashing cymbals, the big riffs and pumping bass. This is a side I didn't experience at the live show and it's a welcome feel at the end of the EP. The acoustic guitar work is really nice and although it's still feels as if written as a pop-punk song, it works great as an acoustic number. Once again the backing vocals really take the song into new territory, they provide that little something extra that really make the song. I find myself listening, I mean really listening, not just part-listening, part-thinking, part-typing and realise that a good chunk of the song has passed without me thinking much apart from just enjoying the composition. It's unexpected yet welcomed and, in my opinion, the perfect end to a fantastic EP that showcases a band brimming with talent and energy. Definitely a name to watch!

The City Calls have, of course, got a Myspace page which I urge you to visit to check out their upcoming shows and have a listen to them yourself. You can check out Heroics, plus an acoustic version of It's Your Fault and a preview of the entire Dirty Tricks EP. Enjoy, and try and catch a live show soon :)

EP Review: The Joe Public - This Army

2010-08-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Joe Public's latest release comes in the form of 5-track EP This Army. A swanky little cardboard case with some cool graphics adds to their growing professional image and reputation, and the EP certainly doesn't disappoint on the audio side either. And let's face it, that's the most important part. Hopefully you've already got yourself a copy, but if not, here's hoping my track by track review below will ensure your next few clicks are along to the iTunes store to order it for yourself!

Track 1/This Army - It's the title track, so I want to be shaken up and made to listen. I'm a drummer; it's a drum fill that introduces the EP. Cool, I'm already interested. It's an easy-going riff-driven intro that leads nicely into the first verse. I get the feeling that the track is better live, as the vocals sound a little distant from the rest of the band almost, but as soon as the chorus kicks in Jake Meeking's vocal talent is displayed in all its glory. The bass and drums really drive the verses which are cleverly layered; dropping in hints of guitar before the chorus kicks in once more and I love the little drop into the bridge section/solo. It's incredibly minimal before the chorus is back once more; I'm not sure if, as the listener, it was perfect or if I was really crying out for something bigger, longer, just a bit more mental. A few more listens will, I'm sure, satisfy my hunch, and the half-time outro is cool.

Track 2/Elements - Layers is the key theme here at the moment as far as I'm concerned; the intro is once more built up as the verse strips back but it's definitely a tried and tested method and certainly works well. The vocals here are beautiful, almost haunting, and the guitar work in general is superb; really nice picky riffs, one behind the other with a mixture of acute sliding notes and volume sweeps which really set the mood for the track. The chorus doesn't hit me as hard as others have done but this is perfect; sometimes easing into the chorus is just what the song calls for and that's definitely the case with Elements. I had to listen through to the solo twice; once more it's short and although it starts off as you might expect there's an almost atonal movement in the latter part which, although musically-speaking doesn't clash, somehow feels like it does to me as a listener. But then again, I'm just a listener and not a guitar player. Feeding back into the next part is a nice little showcase of the band's song-writing abilities and the final chorus is equally pleasant and transporting. I really like this song and again, can't wait to hear the live version.

Track 3/Riffola - With a name like this, I'm not sure whether to expect a stagnent opening riff that is very much the basis of the song or...not perhaps. In actual fact twenty seconds of dark, flangy guitar work parts to a broken snare fill into a huge opening section; the cymbals are really washy and dull, in fact the entire sound of the kit is as if a lo-fi compressor has been dropped from a great height, giving the effect of hearing the drummer play along in the next room which happens to be made of very thick glass. It's a great feel and really compliments the sound that the band are attempting to establish. Anyway, back to the song, the drums are now back in the room and the bright hi-hats married with the swampy bass create a really nice rhythmic-atmosphere. It's an interesting choice to put an instrumental on an album, let alone a five-track EP and I can feel it's place seems most at home leading into a track onstage. That's not to say, however, it isn't suited for the EP because I think it definitely works. As a piece of music it's dark yet clever and I like it.

Track 4/Heightened - A contrasting fun and funky riff opens up after a little sampled something (an unidentifiable female voice?) which pulls up the whole mood of the EP and I feel myself sitting up and really listening again. The melody of the riff is almost Indian and wouldn't sound out of place if played on a sitar, exploring some strange fusion of Eastern and Western musical cultures. The drums are driving along in the verse with short stabs of low bass and strong vocals. They're short and re-visit the main riff often...but I'm fooled, second time round they take a left turn and lead me down a winding guitar-laden path...and then the riff's back in. It's clever and interesting, provably not predictable which is important. The bass then takes a more prominent position, the stabbing notes a lot higher up the neck and, therefore, more sonically audible which again adds to the layering affect the band seem to have perfected. I love the backing vocals feeding the lead vocals towards the end and the big finish; it's a great and masterminded ending.

Track 5/Take It Back (Bonus Track) - The final track kicks a great Muse-feeling verse with driving bass/guitar riff before the lead guitar hints back to the original riff leaving the bass chugging along on its own. The vocals are once more strong and believeable and my head's nodding more to this one than it has done previously. The track just sounds great, there's no other way to describe it really. The riffs pack a great rhythmic punch along with the drums throughout and the vocals really do sound special. Midway through the momentum momentarily drops but I'm not left lost for long; the chorus is back and is as big as ever. I wasn't expecting the winding, half-time solo section but I love the level of the guitar in the mix, it's perfect. The double-chorus at the end and the final hints of the great riff really top the track and indeed the EP as a whole off brilliantly; it's a cool ending and I want to go straight back to track one.

Don't forget to check out The Joe Public for yourself on their Myspace page or have a listen to the EP for yourself at their ReverbNation page. But please make sure if you do go and have a free listen that you support new and upcoming music and buy yourself a copy from the iTunes store and even get along to a show near you! Enjoy :)

New Tracks from The Joe Public

2010-08-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Joe Public's latest EP This Army has been released on iTunes, and you can listen to the tracks on their Reverb Nation page.

I'll of course feature a review of the EP in its entirety soon :)

The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse?

2010-08-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

I've felt inspired recently to write an article about the one thing us bloggers would be lost without: The Internet. Without this medium, we'd have no means with which to express ourselves and post our thoughts and opinions into the unknown, counting on strangers to read and, hopefully, agree with us. People are now able to make a living based just on maintaing a successful blog, with the help of advertising revenue and many others gain free tickets/clothes/event invites in exchange for posting their opinions about said freebies. But the internet is often regarded as a bit of blessing in disguise for musicians and music fans. Or is it?

It is documented now that CD sales have been overtaken by the sales of digital downloads, sparking fears that the death of the CD is nigh. For me, this would be tragic. I'm all about holding the physical representation in my hand, reading the lyrics and looking at photos in the booklet, putting my sound system on and enjoying the music as it's meant to be heard; not through tiny headphones that cut all the top and bottom end of the mix out or aloud on my mobile so it's just a tinny, poppy mess. Artist revenue is also taking a bashing; such readily available music means the pirates strike and steal, because illegally downloading an album somehow doesn't seem as serious as walking into HMV and nicking one from there. But it's exactly the same. I know music fans and even musicians who still illegally download music which really angers me; you're literally depriving like-minded people of their musical income, and I'm sure if you were famous you'd hate to have your music stolen. On the flip side to this of course is the promotion that sites like Myspace allow upcoming bands who would otherwise never be able to get their music heard, and the giving away of music (think Prince or Radiohead for instance) whose careers rely solely on the income from ticket sales and merchandise.

It's a tricky one. Some people follow the philosophy that if they're stealing from an established artist, in their head it's OK but if they're unsigned then they will happily pay for their music. Bon Jovi have certainly had a hell of a lot of my money over the years, and are still re-releasing albums with a few bonus tracks and new artwork to make us hardcore fans feel the need to buy their entire back catalogue over again. But at the same time, I'd still feel bad for stealing from them. As a musician myself, without Myspace I'd have to rely solely on word of mouth when my new band starts gigging in the coming months; building a fanbase and creating a following in my city and this is of course how it used to be. Seemingly it has come full circle and the way to now get noticed is to once more gig the hell out of London and other large cities before being spotted by an A&R rep. Well that's the idea anyway.

There's certainly a lot of downsides for the musicians themselves, but how about the fans? All of a sudden, there is an encyclopedia of music at our fingertips. We can listen to hundreds of new bands everyday, we can have our browsing habits monitored so that next time we care to shop at Amazon, they've reccommended some artists we might like based on what we were looking at last time. And most importantly, musicians are no longer untouchable anymore. You can follow Ellie Goulding on Twitter, tag her in an update and she might reply. You've made a connection, and Hayley Williams from Paramore and John Mayer and even Bon Jovi are at it too; artists are now more accessible than ever thanks to the internet. For fans, being even one tiny step closer to your favourite artists is great, but actually socialising with them? Unheard of! Suddenly it's not just the upcoming artists interacting with their fans, it's those at the top of the food chain as well and whether it's day-to-day chat or opinons saught on new material or even promoting gigs directly to the consumer, it's perfect for musicians and fans alike.

Without the internet, our world would be a very different place. If the internet died an irriversible death today, the world would be doomed. We rely on it individually, companies and businesses rely on it, everything and everyone relies on the internet in one way or another. For music, it's easy for artists to knock it and claim it has destroyed the music industry as we know it, but nothing's been destroyed; it's merely changed. As a musician, I know generating an income is harder than ever, let alone getting a record company to notice me; but the fact that I can network with potential fans and throw my music into the abyss, enabling hundreds or thousands of people to stumble across it and listen to me; amazing. As a fan, to think that artists I love are reading what I have to say and even sometimes responding, connecting with me as a person; amazing. So all in all, in my opinion, this technological revolution ain't all that bad.

What do you think? Has the internet helped the music industry or left it floundering for life and unable to compete? Leave me a comment and share your thoughts with the cyber world!

New Artist Alert: SJ

2010-07-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

For the second installment of my 'Uni Friends Specials' of my New Artist features, meet SJ; a singer/song-writer from Cambridge who's first offering, 'Lost in the Dark', is ready for you to hear. It's a cool electro-pop tune which display's SJ's great vocals and song-writing skills. It's rich with samples mixed with cool electric guitar riffs sitting just below the mix in the choruses and it's here that SJ's vocal talent is really exercised as she opens up. The modulation towards the end is the icing on the cake; lifting the song into it's final phase with a sudden abrupt end that catches you off guard and still leaves your feet tapping.

You can also hear the acoustic version for this song which, for me personally, showcases SJ's talents even more; her vocals are sublime here and it really gives the lyrics a new meaning. This is definitely my favourite version.

SJ is from Cambridge but is also at University in Southampton currently. You can listen to her songs for yourself on her Myspace page, where she cites her influences as The Eagles, Beyonce, Norah Jones, Coldplay and Queen.

This Army The Joe Public Summer Tour!

2010-07-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Here's the poster for the 'This Army' summer tour of the fantastic The Joe Public. Be sure to check out a show!

New Artist Alert: Beatitudes

2010-07-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

With just one track online currently, I'm hoping this is the sign of things to come from the young band 'Beatitudes'. It's a cheeky yet infectious acoustic guitar intro supplemented nicely by the cool vocals; I like the melodies explored here and there's hints of Paolo Nutini and James Morrison. I was expecting a few snare stabs before the full band came in so I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more tracks because this must just be an acoustic song. It's nothing short of great though; really nice chord progressions matched with strong vocals do enough to set the song apart from every other singer/songwriter act; this sounds fresh and professional, definitely sure of itself and confident which is why it stands out.
Beatitudes hail from Southampton and describe themselves as "A fusion of Soul, Dance, R'n'B, Rock and all that Jazz...Music for people that LOVE music" and have a few shows lined up for the future:

30th July/Drift in the City Bar/Portsmouth
31st July/Joiners/Southampton
29th Aug/The Brook/Southampton
15th Sept/Soul Cellar/Southampton

You can have a listen to 'Danielle' for yourself and check out their upcoming shows on the band's Myspace page.

I'm back!

2010-07-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's so good to be home. I had a fantastic and very relaxing two weeks away on the Norfolk Broads, but am certainly looking forward to settling back into familiarities; not least of all the comfort of my own bed!

So just a quick post to say that I'm back and will very soon be back into the swing of launching some new music your way!

If you've got Twitter, you can follow me @samborakid

:)

Off on my holidays...

2010-07-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

When you read this, I will be en-route to Norfolk (incidentally where I lived between the ages of 3 and 8) heading towards the Norfolk Broads for a 2-week canal boat holiday! I can't wait to just chill out without responsibilities and thinking about work, although I obviously now won't be able to post for a couple of weeks.

I'll be back soon!

'Live Before You Die' Bon Jovi Blog Contest

2010-07-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

To my readers: Bon Jovi are holding a fantastic competition which enables one lucky blogger the chance to win 2 tickets to the final show of the US leg of the tour in Chicago. All you have to do is blog about your ideal show...this is my entry!

Jet-lagged and bleary-eyed, I step off the plane in Chicago. It was a long flight from but I'm buzzing because in less than twelve hours I'll be taken to the soaring heights of Jovi heaven once more. I've never been to Chicago, I muse to myself as I scour the luggage carousel for my Heart and Dagger suitcase. Outside the airport, I'm waiting with my girlfriend but I won't get a chance to 'flag down a cab' like they do in the movies; I've just spotted our private car which takes us to our fancy hotel. I'd never be able to afford this kind of luxury. It's OK; Jon's paying tonight.

Fast forward a few hours. Bags have been strewn on the bed, I've wolfed down my complimentary dinner and am eager to get to Soldier Field to be at one with the Jovi nation; feel welcomed and safe amongst those like me, virgins seeking their first Bon Jovi highs and veterans expecting great things since the O2 set-lists were published online, hoping tonight will be as special as it always is. Or maybe even just a bit more.

Everyone's smiling. Happy faces queueing, I catch tinny drones of Bad Name playing from a mobile phone and a distant singalong of Prayer is attracting a lot of attention. The merchandise tent is being set-up nearby and it's really starting to sink in. I'm actually here! I see the sleeping bags and throwaway pillows; I've been there before. But tonight I'm in the pit, escorted to the front by Obie himself just before showtime. The crowds will part for Sir Obie so it won't be a problem getting to the barrier.

This crowd is well and truly pumped, the atmosphere is fantastic and the weather couldn't be better. We're upstairs now, watching through a large window as the drones of fans pour into the venue; excitedly patient and trying not to push as we're sat comfortably in the VIP suite with other eager competition winners. I feel as nervous as Jon must have done back in Sayreville at his first ever show. I know what's coming next; I can't contain my nervous energy as I swig over and over again from the cold bottle of beer before my girlfriend assures me it's empty and has been for a while now. But I didn't quite hear what she said. Tico just strolled in. My mind has gone blank. Do I talk about rudiments and paradiddles? Ask him about his swing? I don't even play golf. Here is the physical representation of why I took up playing drums all those years ago and I feel like a starstruck teenager. Well, I guess that's what I am. Coolly he saunters over, shaking hands and signing autographs and I somehow manage to string a few words together. Decidely humiliated yet too grateful to care as he moves on to someone else, I spot Richie, Hugh, Dave and Jon. It's like some kind of mad dream. Richie looks taller than in pictures, his eyes so warm and friendly; Dave's hands look weathered and I imagine them spanning his keys or penning a symphony; Hugh looks just like one of them, so comfortable with his brothers, maybe they'll let him do some PR for the next album; and Jon tops it all off, his million-dollar smile lighting up the room as the ardent fans flock towards him. I'll play it cool, let him come to me. I can't. I feel like a teenage-girl. Who cares. I just want to shake his hand. But they don't stay long, it's nearly show-time.

Cheers Obie! I call, what a legend! We couldn't be closer; Jon's famous white mic-stand is stood waiting as patiently as the thousands of fans in the arena right in front of me. Suddenly the PA system trails off and the lights go down. I join in with the screams, fighting back the tears as the band come onto the stage, Jon swaggering on slightly behind as he lights up the room once more with a huge grin before launching into the opening song; Dave's blistering keyboard intro. I wasn't even alive when they wrote this song.

Runaway
We Weren't Born To Follow
Born To Be My Baby
Something For The Pain
Superman Tonight
Edge of a Broken Heart
Save a Prayer
It's My Life
Story of My Life
I Believe
Work For The Working Man
In These Arms
Harlem Rain (Richie vox)
Any Other Day
Silent Night
Wild is the Wind
Bad Name
I'd Die For You
Have A Nice Day
I'll Be There For You (Dave vox)
Damned
The Fire Inside (Acoustic)
Nobody's Hero (Acoustic)
Edge of a Broken Heart
Shot Through The Heart
We Got It Going On
Love's The Only Rule

The segues between the songs are flawless; the musicianship representing the honed art of nearly thirty years' hard graft. Each subtle nod and telling glance; Tico, Richie, Dave, Hugh and Bobby hanging on to Jon's every slight movement; a tell-tale sign of where this runaway train is going next. The crowd are stomping their feet, cheering, screaming, chanting. The lights are still down but once again Dave leads the way; his piano intro once more lifting the screams to a near-deafening level, having crept onstage unseen.

Encore 1:
These Days
Wanted
Prayer

The anthem has been played; Jon swiped Richie's cowboy hat as the crowd sang the first verse and chorus to Wanted. Waving goodbye, the band bows graciously at the edge of the stage. I'm within arms reach of the entire band's feet. Tico passes me a stick with a wink, I'll never let this go. The most amazing night of my life. The emotion took me somewhere I've never been before; this band that taught me how to love and feel have taken me on a near-3 hour rollercoaster and I can't believe it's over. As Jon's tight denim jacket disappears from view, I can't help thinking the house-lights should be up by now. People have already started filtering towards the exits. But there are tribal drums. The deep resonating toms sweep the floor and pound hard into the chest of every single person in this room, as it erupts with deafening screams once more. I can't believe they're playing my favourite song. Richie's Hey Hey Hey Hey! chants fill the arena and I'm fighting back the lump in my throat once more.

Encore 2:
Something To Believe In
Dry County

As I'm escorted back to my hotel, I wonder if I'll ever get that high again. Still grasping Tico's stick and the fireworks ringing in my ears, I think back to how close to Jon I was, how I could see the whites of his eyes, every nuance of passion in his face, looking across to Richie's timeless expressions as his fingers graced the fretboard of his beautiful guitars, Tico's mouth-playing as he pounds along relentlessly, the world's most underestimated drummer, Dave's stolen waves to people in the pit and Hughie's collected, content smile as he sits back on his effortless bass-lines. I didn't sleep at all that night. On the plane home the next day, I relived the concert again and again in my head, oblivious to the flight attendants offering peanuts and my girlfriend sleeping soundly as she rested on my shoulder. The greatest band in history just played the greatest show of their careers, and I was front and centre.

New EP: Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and Dharohar Project Recordings

2010-07-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

iTunes UK-only EP release featuring Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling performing FOUR brand new tracks alongside traditional Rajasthani folk collection Dharohar Project.

Tracklist
1. Devil's Spoke / Sneh Ko Marg
2. To Darkness / Kripa
3. Anmol Rishtey
4. Mehendi Rachi

You can also watch a preview video, featuring footage from the India tour, here:

There's a really lovely preview of the EP's second track here. The marriage of the two styles and songs and indeed cultures is a great testiment to music's universal language.

1 Year Anniversary!

2010-07-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

The beginning of July marks the one year birthday of When We Were Beautiful! I'm glad I've kept this blog going; there was a slight lull at the beginning when moving house and starting uni but now that it's really found it's groove I'm really enjoying sharing everything with you.

Looking back on my very first post, when I was kind of unsure really what I was going to write about, I said:
"So I've decided to join the blogging ranks and talk about my musical musings. I haven't really thought this one through yet...maybe nobody will follow it. Maybe I'll talk about music I like or describe songs I've written or get excited about Bon Jovi's new album or review drum kits, I guess I'll just see what happens as I go along, it's probably best." July 2009.

Well I think it's been pretty close to predicted; OK I haven't reviewed drum kits, but I have instead reviewed upcoming artists with the hope of providing some much-needed publicity for them, and I certainly got excited about Bon Jovi's new album and everything else Bon Jovi for that matter! I would say it's probably been 50% Bon Jovi-related, 25% new artist-related and 25% of my own opinions on things, but that's just what has come out.

Of course, I'm always open to criticism and suggestions, so if you've anything you'd like to share then please do get in touch, either by email (address in the sidebar) or by commenting on my posts!

Finally I'd just like to say a huge thank you to YOU, my fantastic readers. Whether you've casually swanned in and out or followed my every post, you are the reason I'm sharing my thoughts and opinons and my status as a finalist for a Bloggie previously in the year was incredible and proves that there are some people interested with and enjoying what I've got to say! So thank you for reading and I hope you continue to do so. I plan to continue to discover and share with you new artists, review them and other, more established artists, as well as sharing my thoughts on Bon Jovi and all other things music-related. So I hope you'll be along for the ride :)

Richie Sambora hints at European Stadium Tour next Summer!

2010-06-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

The news I have finally been waiting for!! Richie Sambora dropped the strongest hint yet that Bon Jovi would return to the UK and the rest of Europe next year with a full stadium tour. Tickets are surely likely to be a lot cheaper than the O2!

Richie told BANG Showbiz: "This thing is not stopping. We're having so much fun. We're going to come and do a proper stadium tour of the European continent next summer and we're going to release our greatest hits around fall with some new tracks on it."

So whether Jovi fans want an 'updated Crossroad with a couple of new songs' rather than a whole new album, at least it's a step in the right direction!

The full article can be found here.

New EP from Julian Shah-Tayler available for free‏

2010-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Julian Shah-Tayler's latest EP is available now, once more for free. Please see below his press release and a link to the free download.

Julian is always busy recording and playing, already releasing 2 EPs this year to unanimous and humbling critical acclaim.

He has also seen his music used extensively this year in film and television, performing at the premiere (at the Frank Lloyd Wright built “Barnsdall House” in Hollywood) for “Prudence” in which he provided the voiceover and main theme song: “World Inside Your Mind” and placing songs in 2 new Australian TV shows.
He is currently on holiday from solo recording to produce a couple of albums, one with vintage Korean opera/pop star “Rainboe Wave” and one with ex Spindrift Keyboardist and conceptual artist “Native Fauna”.
He is also finishing the “Adamandevil” album for Music Sales publishing.
Another reason for the hiatus is that his solo release schedule is now full up to the end of 2010.
The forthcoming EP “Fill Your Joys With Love” is released on the 5th of July and is informed by Julian’s conscious decision to concentrate on his more “organic and songwriter” sides prompted by a “Hunky Dory” referencing review of his previous EP “Blah Blah Blahnik”.
It also contains 2 songs from the upcoming album “Coito Ergo Sum”.
The title “Fill Your Joys With Love” is a deliberately misquoting tribute to the Zefirelli film of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”.

You can listen to a preview of the EP or download it for free here.

Free song from Ellis Paul / New Album, co-written with Kristian Bush of Sugarland‏

2010-06-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Ralph Jaccodine Management
"I’ve been singer-songwriter Ellis Paul's friend and manager since 1992 and his music, words and friendship are jewels in my life. Upon examining the state of the music industry, Ellis and I have realized that far and away the most important connections that we have are not at all on the business side of the equation – it’s the people that love Ellis' music, and music in general. They’re more important than the biggest retailer or the most powerful radio station - so we’re starting a campaign to empower the people.

"Ellis' new album, “The Day After Everything Changed”, has 5 songs on the album co-written by Kristian Bush from the Grammy Award winning country duo Sugarland. Additionally, this album was completely funded by his fans, and is truly one of the finest Ellis has ever recorded. Many of Ellis' fans and folks passionate about great songwriting don’t even know that it’s been released. So if you’d like to help support a truly independent artist – here’s how. The lead single track on TDAEC is “Annalee”, and if visit you can download “Annalee” for free. Unlike so many other free song offers – you don’t have to give us your email, sign up or register for anything at all. It’s free for the taking. The small favor we would ask? Please share it with any and all of your friends that would enjoy Ellis’ music. This would help our efforts and help spread the music. This truly is a campaign about the power of the people in the support of independent music and artists."

Green Day live @ Wembley Stadium/Jovi rant

2010-06-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last night I went along to watch Green Day at the prestigious Wembley Stadium, with support from Frank Turner who was cool, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts whose outfit left a lot to be desired but her vocals were good for her age...wasn't so keen on the outdated music though.

Green Day however, are a band I probably wouldn't have got into had it not been for my partner who is as big-a fan of them as I am of Bon Jovi. I've got to be honest and say that it's far too easy for people to dislike Green Day; they just seem to be one of those bands that people knock without any real reason but until you've seen the kind of show they put on at Wembley, say nothing! I think a few mouths would be promptly shut and a lot more converted; it was a huge concert, a massive spectacle and almost 3 hours (long set!) of a lot of fun and good time rock n roll. I can only hope Bon Jovi are planning a date or two in 2011...I guess we'll see.

In other news (I promise to stop moaning about it after this) I'm so so disappointed Bon Jovi played my favourite song Something To Believe In last night at the o2. I asked for weeks before the show on Twitter and Bonjovi.com over and over again to have it played on the 13th, but I guess it's just the luck of the draw what gets read and listened to. I wonder if it had anything to do with Dave's absence, but Jeff Kazee would have had new songs from The Circle to learn anyway. Anyway that's the last I'll say on the matter, I'm just gutted not to have heard it, especially after having seen video's on Blame It On The Love where people with great seats right behind the stage are just sat down and seemingly not bothered at all. I hate it when people are only there for the greatest hits yet have the best seats in the house. Ok, no more moaning now. I promise. Have a good week!

Livin' On A Prayer - Rock's Greatest Anthem Through The Ages!

2010-06-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

As Kid Rock mused in Bon Jovi's recent rockumentary: "...put livin on a prayer on [in a club] the crowd's singing it word for word; you cut the mixer off and woahh we're halfway there...". The 1986 superhit that rocketed Bon Jovi to superstardom (ironically, the very same hit that Jon originally wanted to leave off of Slippery When Wet) is still, as Kid Rock says, 24 years on, being played in clubs all over the world and still rousing fans and haters alike into drunken singalongs. The song itself, arguably an anthem for 80's hair metal that has stood the test of time, has had its fair share of 'fiddling' and re-releasing on Bon Jovi's part, and I'm going to briefly explore the different creations in this post.

The Demo. 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong - Boxset
If you step back in time to circa 1985, this is the oldest offering of Prayer although probably the most recent to have been released. The core of the song is clearly there, but Richie's iconic talkbox and guitar solo are but a distant dream at this stage.

The original. Slippery When Wet.
Prayer's most popular version. Whether you're 'Living' or 'Livin' on a prayer, even the most ardent of critics couldn't fail to pull their cowboy hats low over the brows and join in with the world's greatest singalong chorus.

The alternative. Prayer '94 - Crossroad.
This version of the song really captures the passion and similar melodies Jon and Richie explore when singing the song acoustically (remember a barefoot stripped down performance of Prayer and Wanted started the whole MTV Unplugged program). In my opinion it's a semi-favourite, although many diehard Jovi fans would I'm sure disagree. I just love the alternative drum part, different solo, Richie's presence in the vocal department and the overall feel and emotion that the song evokes.

The hated one. This Left Feels Right.
'Don't mess with our hits and our memories'; the horrified cries of Bon Jovi fans alike on listening to the band's sideways step of re-writng all their classic songs. And although the song still has a nice feel, the emphasis of the lyrics and the entire feel of the song switches and falters. And Oliva D'Abo's shared lead-vocals aren't totally my cup of tea; her style of singing is very much a 'marmite vocal'. Suffice to say, most disliked this one a lot.

The Crowd's Favourite. Live.
Nowadays, Prayer features in every show the band play, sitting in the final encore spot on their current Circle tour. As he did on the Lost Highway tour, the song starts with Jon singing the pre-chorus a cappella, stomping his foot in time as the entire audience join in with a soaring, and quite moving, unified vocal on the chorus before David brings in the breezy synth and the band starts the song as it should be, as it was intended to be. My favourite. Alonside tens of thousands of fans, the high notes suddenly not that high anymore as you're singing on autopilot and it just sounds incredible.

So there you have it! If you're a fan of the band or the song, I hope you've enjoyed my collection of different versions :)

Q&A with Gemma Mewse

2010-06-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

I recently featured a New Artist Alert on the lovely Gemma Mewse back in May. I've secured a great interview with the South-London songstress which you can enjoy below.

Where did making-music begin for you; when was it you knew that this was your ideal career?

I started out as a dancer, when I was about 7 I got involved with an amatuer musical theatre group and I knew from then I loved to perform and I wanted to be a singer.

Has living in London helped or hindered your aspirations? On the one hand, as an outsider, it seems great for contacts and the amount of gig venues, but on the other perhaps too much competition?

Just take 'Empire State of Mind Part 2' [Alicia Keys' hit] and replace any lyric to do with New York with London and that's what it means to me. I consider myself lucky to be brought up here, I love it! So many opportunities and different people. If I lived anywhere else in the world I would move here to achieve my goal. Just like so many artists have and I'm sure will still keep doing!

Where do you take inspiration from when writing your music? How did ‘Numpty’ begin life and where was the inspiration to write it?
I take inspiration from how I feel at that particular moment in time. Other times I'll take it from what I see going on around me, whether it's friends and family and sometimes even from T.V programmes, mainly soaps/dramas. After watching I interpret the story into a song and that's how Numpty came about; not from personal experience (lucky for me) haha!

Tell me about how performing on the Royal Variety Show came about.

When I was at primary school our Ex-Head Teacher (Harvey Norton) had persued a career within the music industry and was after a group of children to use for any future work he had lined up, so I auditioned and became one of the 'Red Hill Kids' Fun times!

What has been the key to getting to where you are now?
Determination, passion, patience, drive and learning from experiences.

You name many great artists on your Myspace page as influences including Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash and Bob Marley. Who would you say has had the biggest influence on you personally and as an artist?
I wouldn't say I was influenced by anyone, I'd say inspired by them as performers. I remember 3 moments from when I was a kid that really inspired me and want to be a singer: 1) Queen @ Live Aid 2) Britney's snake performance at MTV VMA's 3) Tina Arena @ Royal Albert Hall.

You claim, also on your Myspace page, “I am a movement, get involved!”. What sets you apart from other singer-songwriters?

I think modern artists think too much and are all about aesthetics and I'm all for 'putting on a show' but sometimes it's all a bit too much and can be distracting from the main purpose: the music. To me it's a bit of a cover up, a shield and I think people are waking up to it and want a break, natural instead of artificial.

How do you feel about the music industry in general at the moment? Are you excited or anxious for its current state and future?

I'm very excited!!! THE INTERNET!!! Yay for it :) It's such a powerful tool and unsigned acts such as me are using it to our advantage we can get music to millions of ears all over the world without a major label's budget!

What's new for you right now, and what does the future hold?

Again, I'm really excited with how things are going for me! One of the songs 'Grounded' from my album has been remixed and signed and getting played at clubs all around the UK! It got realeased on the 21st May and on the same night got played on Radio 1, also been played on RTE radio station in Ireland which reminds me of some excting shows I've got lined up: heading off over there for a charity concert for Autism which I'm really pleased to be involved with! You can grab my remixes off itunes and check out future shows on Myspace.

Will you be playing in Southampton soon?!
I don't see why not!? Planning to travel outwards in the near future so stay tuned! :)

Finally, can you tell us a secret?
A secret?!.......erm haha not really a secret more of a 'thing' is that I'm tongue tied and I can't roll my R's or poke my tongue out very far haha never stopped me singing tho ;) haha!

As Gemma states in the interview, her music is available to download on itunes, and you can have a listen to her stuff and check out where she is playing on her Myspace page.

Bon Jovi videos Live @ The O2 (13/06/10)

2010-06-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a cool video of We Weren't Born To Follow live from last night's show at the O2. Great view of the stage from these seats (thought they weren't mine) and also a great panoramic sweep of the venue right at the end.

Here's Born To Be My Baby

And the cool Pretty Woman cover, selected by Bobby "The Jukebox" Bandiera!

These are fan videos as taken from different parts of the arena, unfortunately my iPhone only records 15 secs of video, but I personally prefer to just enjoy the show for what it is rather than concetrate on taking millions of pictures and videos anyway :)

Bon Jovi @ The o2 Arena - 13/06/10

2010-06-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

Visually and technologically, this concert was stunning. The hi-tech visual equipment married with the fantastic sound inside the o2 set this up to be one helluva show. And boy, was it. Throughout the two and a half hour set, Bon Jovi had everyone inside the huge venue wrapped round each of their little fingers; whether they were singing along to the choruses of the greatest hits or screaming every single word, knowing every single nuance and expression in Jon's melodies; whether they were up high in the dizzying heights of the rafters or comfortably cramped in the floor section, I can't imagine one person who came away less than having had an incredible evening. The energy and passion from the band and the perfect condition of Jon's great-sounding voice really made this a special night for me; it's hard not to get so caught up in the emotion when your favourite band is playing a fantastic set when it feels like it's just you and them in the room; alone amongst 20,000 people.

The band were on absolute top form, and highlights for me personally include:

- The a capella vocals leading into the final chorus of opening song Last Man Standing
- Superman Tonight; my favourite off of The Circle and just sounded great
- Jon ad-libbing at the end of We Got It Going On, rousing the crowd into a singalong
- Oh, Pretty Woman! A shock cover but sounded cool!
- Jon's really special speech before When We Were Beautiful; it didn't sound arrogant or cliche, just wise chosen words and quite moving
- The acoustic section, particularly Saturday Night which was sung slightly unlike the electric version before Jon led into the final chorus singing as on the record and really lifting the song
- Work For The Working Man; this song just sounded fantastic and really passionate, and the graphics on the big screens and all the way round the arena were really cool
- Jon chucking his maracas into the pit, before taking a mini pair from a fan and performing Keep The Faith with them instead before quipping "size doesn't matter!"
- Jon leaving the first verse and chorus of Wanted for the fans to sing

I suppose it's not really surprising that I don't have a bad word to say about the show, (apart from maybe Dave's absence, although Jeff Kazee did a great job) but it really was truly superb and the best I've seen the band. Something To Believe In, Runaway and Have A Nice Day were missed, but it doesn't matter when you're at the show and I'm certainly not disappointed. Although I've been closer to the stage before (don't want to open up the o2 ticket prices can of worms again) it didn't matter; I still can't get over how good I felt last night between 8 and 10.30pm and am left wondering when I might reach that high again.

Below are a couple of my pics from the day!

At the train station

With Jon and Richie...almost

Empty O2 floor seating

Jon and Richie big screen

And again

Great light show

Livin on a Prayer

Bon Jovi top off the o2 Dome!

2010-06-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

A very cold looking Jon Bon Jovi grimaced as the chilly June breeze tousled through his hair. With sunglasses to see through the thick London clouds and down at the hundreds of fans waiting below, he smiled as he divulged that whilst in London, he'd be "supporting the home team" when England kick off their World Cup campaign against the States in Africa this Sunday.

The band looked amazing at the very central top spot of the dome, and as Sky News' exclusive coverage cut short halfway through the opener We Weren't Born To Follow, they continued on through Superman, You Give Love a Bad Name and It's My Life.

The correspondent mused how many other bands might put posters up or take out ads in the local papers to announce the start of their London residency. Not Bon Jovi however; "we'll play anywhere" he beamed, "if you don't have electricity, we'll bring our own!"

Jon Bon Jovi in UK Newspaper The Mirror/Playing the roof of the o2

2010-06-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

As featured in The Mirror's online celebs section, Jon has given a cool interview that touches on marriage, touring and the touchy subject once more of the o2 ticket prices. You can read the interview here.

Snippets

No plans for child number 5:
"Dorothea has worked over the years but not now we have four kids. It's a full-time job. No more children for me, no thanks. I got plenty."

On drinking:
"I drink too much every day but it has never been a problem. I don't have a problem. If you drink anything, you drink too much. If you drink a few coffees you are drinking too much coffee."

o2 Ticket Prices:
"One supporter posted on the band's official website: "The prices of the tickets are ludicrous. You really let us down this time, guys."

Although Jon is concerned at the level of criticism, he is quick to defend the pricing strategy.
He says. "Those tickets are a couple of special package tickets.
"I don't really know what they are, they could be anything. It may be that you get everything and it may be 20 tickets."

Surely the CEO of a major corporation would know exactly how its tickets are priced?

As featured on many news sites, the band will be kicking off their o2 residency which begins tonight by performing on the ROOF of the o2 arena at 3.30pm BST. The short concert will be screened outside the venue at Peninsular Square for fans to see. How I wish I lived in London!