New Artist Alert: Fans of Faye

Alternative-rockers Fans of Faye are the latest band to feature as my New Artist Alert, putting Birmingham on the musical map after 10 years performing under the name around the Midlands, UK. The 4-piece's debut album, Designed to Be, was released in November 2012 which saw the release of lead-single Paint the Sun taking the band into their next chapter.

The album opens timidly and delicately, not as I was expecting from an alternative rock band however it's not long before a Foo Fighter's sounding guitar sound opens up alongside lead vocals and, almost two minutes into the album, is backed by the whole band. The second verse returns to the much more relaxed affair, showcasing the range of lead-singer and founding-member Zachary Hart's vocals.

Lead-single Paint the Sun builds steadily; a lyrical showcase that explodes with passion at the first sniff of a first chorus. The sound is great and very strong and definitely one I'm sure is even better suited to a live venue.

The band's sound is well-established by Are You Finished sitting almost mid-way, with the lead vocals and guitar leading the line in powerful choruses. Interlude Breathe allows us to, well do just that, providing a momentary respite before Ghost re-establishes the band's full-flow and sound with a great sounding groove in the verses and typically-powerful choruses.

The relentless charge to the finish is halted by Hunting Season Begins with it's Incubus-sounding lead-guitar line but it's not long before it's clear this is yet another momentary lapse in energy. The band's sound is consistent yet not predictable and the songwriting is excellent.

You can download Designed to Be for free from the band's Bandcamp page but be sure to keep up to date with them on Facebook to support them at a live venue near you.

Observing the Ghost: Burn the Tsunami

Back on British shores, Observing the Ghost are flying the flag for the South Coast here in the UK. You may remember their feature on the blog back in September last year; founded in early 2011, the quartet have been busy making a name for themselves touring and releasing, and 4th April saw the release of 'Burn the Tsunami', the band's first album since debut EP 'We Will Find The Sun'. The band have since performed at the O2 Academy Islington, supported Placebo drummer Steve Forrest's new side project, and signed to Coffee Jingle Records.

'Fragile' is the first track from 'Burn the Tsunami', kicking off the album with a definite nod to a string of great influences including Incubus, The Mars Volta, and Placebo. Technically it's a great track; really tight with its odd pushes in the extended intro but the vocals may not be to everyone's tastes, they feel a little strained in the higher register at times. Musically its a little disorientating but of course in a good way with an informed choice of dissonant chords as the listener is pulled from left to right in time with the ebbs and flows of the feels and genres explored. Halfway through, there's a great extended musical section akin to Incubus' 'Sick Sad Little World' as the guitar twists and winds, leading confidently whilst the rhythm section hold everything down and leads us back to some slight familiarity. It's quite a lengthy track, owed to the solo section in the middle, but sounds great and is a strong opener which sets the scene well for the rest of the album.

You can keep up to date with Observing the Ghost on Facebook, whilst 'Burn the Tsunami' is available now on iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon.

New Video Alert! The Joe Public - Towers

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.

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

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!

EP Review: The Joe Public - Skin

Before I begin, I have to admit a slight biased towards this particular EP. I grew up with the Joe Public lads, having played in a band with one of them for a few years. That aside, I was very pleased to finally get my hands on Skin, their debut release. Having moved from Somerset, their central hub, I haven't seen them live for months and months but had lots of fun listening to their EP. The guys are young, talented and, most importantly, keen as hell, and their live shows are packed with more venom and energy than...well a place with lots of venom and energy. I guess an angry snake pit. Alas, I digress.

Skin - It's a busy intro; the guitars are killer and sending me into a bit of a warp but the equally-quick rhythm section tie everything down as the vocals drop in. They are excited, almost rushed but in a good way, it's almost blink-and-you'll-miss it with all the ferocity and bustle of a busy highstreet somewhere in downtown NY, and it sounds like Incubus are playing somewhere close by, or at least Brandon Boyd. Beneath all this however, it's grooving really nicely, and chilling wonderfully into a teasing pre-chorus (nice backing vocals), before dropping the chorus-bomb. And boy, does it drop. With all of the ferocity of the verse times ten, it's a hook you'll be humming long after the CD is finished playing. The vocals are strong yet different, unlike anything really out there at the moment, I sense there's something special here. The bridge establishes slightly calmer ground but not for long; this song's all about the chorus.

Take What's Yours - A piano driven ballad not in compound time? Already it's different, it's interesting, it's something new once more. The track is gentle, far gentler than it's predecessor, almost soothing with warm, floaty keyboard sounds but the guitar stays true; I can sense the slight John Mayer influences if you dig really deep, but Mike Einziger and John Fruiscante are closer to the surface. The track's almost a musical interlude; the vocals are sparse but heavily layered which fit the style perfectly and the drums are brilliantly tight; each fill a quick snatch and always there back into the groove deliciously. It's a short song, but there's nothing I would change.

Stumbling - Another piano intro, this time with the edition of strings. It's like wandering into a dream, stumbling into someone else's fantasy. This fantasy belongs to Jake Meeking, but I don't feel like I'm intruding. The vocal performance is sublime, and it's just perfect when the acoustic guitar picks it's way delicately alongside the keys. I feel the urge they've resisted in delaying the drums' big introduction; it would have been too easy to sidle in at the beginning of verse two but, through holding back, this just makes the track. And when the drums do come in, the groove is a hand-picked delight. If I close my eyes I can picture this as a soundtrack to a crucial farewell/self-realisation type scene in a movie. Wonderful.

Solution - This is the last roll of the dice for the Joe Public guys, the final track on the EP, the lasting memory as the CD stops spinning. I love the delay on the lead guitar, with the obscure tones of the second guitar sliding easily in the background. With all the angst of Skin, I'm surprised that the other three tracks have lacked in such bite, but this isn't at all to take anything away from the rest of the EP; it's a work of art that everyone in The Joe Public camp should be very proud of. This is almost a power-ballad, the rhythm section this time more driving in the choruses with the guitars divulging in some really cool and funky guitar licks pre-verse. The track has come alive now and I realise it's a perfect ending to the EP, there must have been a lot of thought into the track order but I think they've got it right. Coming out of the second chorus, the lead guitar picks us and takes us round the riff, branching out further and further into a solo almost in desperation, I get the feeling it's tied down slightly, with just a little less space to really go for it than is required. The track has a cool ending too; the chorus fades away as the piano is left to seal off a great track and a really great CD.

If you enjoyed my review and would like to hear more from The Joe Public, please visit their Myspace page or, alternatively, catch them live:

18 Feb 2010 -  Moles Club, Bath
4 Mar 2010 - Hope & Anchor, Islington, London
5 Mar 2010 - The Patriot, Newport
11 Mar 2010 - Fleece, Bristol
12 Mar 2010 - Corn Exchange, Devizes
13 Mar 2010 - Guildhall, Gloucester
15 Mar 2010 - Cavern (TBC) Exeter
18 Mar 2010 - Perfect 5th, Taunton
19 Mar 2010 -  Champions, Bournemouth
24 Mar 2010 - Rifleman’s Arms, Glastonbury
25 Mar 2010 - The Lock Up, Frome
26 Mar 2010 - Teenage Kicks @ The Furnace, Swindon
22 Apr 2010 - Powers, Kilburn, London
11 May 2010 - Perfect 5th, Taunton
14 May 2010 - Avenue, Newbury