Beatitudes, Live @ Soul Cellar, Southampton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.