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My Awesome Compilation – Q & A I caught up the MAC guys at their gig in Leeds on 27th November and as always had a really good laugh! I managed to twist front man Chris Driver’s arm into following up with a few questions by email… 1. You guys have a very strong work ethic – you seem to be touring all the We had the odd day off and stuff, but it does feel like we’ve been touring 2. Are you planning to keep touring over the next year? Are you planning We’re going to take a couple of months off to concentrate on writing for the 3. The View Is Amazing was released last year, and Actions this year – The feedback from both releases was amazing, but we’ve definitely seen a 4. What has the feedback been so far for Actions? Everyone seems to be digging it! We’re all really proud of this album so 5. Are you hoping to play any of the festivals next year? Fingers crossed!! We’ve never played Reading or Leeds or anything so it’s 6. The majority of your tracks are very upbeat and cheery – yet I have It seems like the genre of emo changes every day! I don’t think anyone knows 7. What songs are on your IPOD/CD player at the moment? We’ve all been listening to a lot of Shots Fired, Hundred Reasons…and a lot 8. If you were deserted on a desert island and could only keep three A giant panda. A porno mag. Shark repellent! 9. Tell us your best joke! How do you confuse an idiot? Purple. 10. Describe MAC in three words Hot Sexy Rock! 11. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you on the road this This year is like on big blank. So much has happened, yet my mind is blank. 12. What was the best gig you have ever attended? For me it was Foo Fighters in Manchester about 2 years or so ago. Fucking 13. A genie grants you three wishes… YEH. A room of 62 naked hot chicks. The powers of spider-man. And….. a big 14. What do you miss most about home? My bed and dirty movies! 15. Were any of you in bands before MAC got together? We were all in bands around Leicester since we were all like 14 ish. 16. If you were a sweet…what sweet would you be? Pear Drop! 17. Beer or spirits? Beer with the occasional spirit! 18. If you could date any rock star/celebrity who would you choose and why? Jessica Alba, Kirsten Dunst or Sean Bean (the guy’s a legend!) 19. Is there anything else you would like people to know about you? (Like Please email your naked photos (girls only or Sean bean) to Emma |
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Author Archives: OI
Armor for Sleep
Armor for Sleep Interview
Armor For Sleep Interview – Leeds Cockpit – 13 December 2005
Armor For Sleep are a band that I have an awful lot of time and respect for, and have done for quite some time now, so it was an absolute pleasure to catch up with front man Ben Jorgensen before the show for a chat.
E. This is the sixth date of your UK tour. What has been the highlight of this tour so far?
B. I guess the Manchester show was awesome, that has probably been the highlight so far. All of the shows have been awesome, but there was just this crazy energy there. I felt like it was the most connected we have been to the British fan base.
E. What are your plans once the UK tour has ended? Are you touring elsewhere, or concentrating on writing?
B. We have been on tour for pretty much a year straight, so we’re going to take January off and start writing our next album, and then we go on tour again at the end of January for two months on our headline tour of the States.
E. Your debut album Dream To Make Believe was released in 2002, and the follow-up What To Do When You Are Dead this year. How have your lives changed over this period of time?
B. Um, I think our lives have changed like, just the obvious things like we’re on tour a lot more and there’s a lot more stuff to do with the band, a lot more press. I think it’s just kinda put us in this weird place where the band stuff is all we do, you know what I mean? Like at first we were all willing to make our lives the band, and now, we don’t have a choice! There’s no turning back at this point.
E. Have you seen a big increase in public interest over the last few years?
B. Yeah, since the new CD came out it’s like we have a whole new fan base and I think it upset a lot of people who liked our first record a lot. It wasn’t really publicised, so they were the people that went out and found out about it on their own. When our new CD came out it had a bit more press behind it, so a lot more people were coming to our shows that didn’t know us from the first album and I feel like some of the fans who were there from the beginning didn’t like that.
E. You have supported many other great bands over the years – how does it feel to be headlining now?
B. It feels cool, you know? Like after headlining a show it’s gonna be weird to go back to supporting a band again, because you kinda get used to playing at a certain time and everyone being there to see you. So to go back to supporting would seem like a step back.
E. What To Do When You Are Dead is a very mature and thought-provoking album
B. Thanks
E. Did you decide on a concept and write around that, or did your writing develop in that way more unintentionally?
B. Um, well I started writing our songs for this album, and for some reason the first few songs that I wrote lyrics for were from the perspective that I was dead and I was like well this is really weird, but it’s what’s on my mind right now so I’ll just leave it and once we get to the studio I’ll change things around. And so I started kinda like thinking about stuff like that and then I went to some book stores and I started reading up on people’s views on the paranormal and people’s thoughts on ghosts and everything, and I found it really interesting that people spend so much time thinking about and planning for what to do when you’re dead. So I kinda decided to stick with the idea and so a bunch of things happened at once that made me want to go with that idea.
E. How do you all get along together whilst touring? I imagine it can get pretty intense when you are together 24/7!
B. We actually get along a lot better than any band that I know, like, when we’re on tour we share the same hotel room together and we’ll stay up until like five in the morning just talking and laughing. I don’t know any other band that gets along as well as we do.
E. Have you all known each other a really long time?
B. Yeah, we’ve known each other since we were all like thirteen so you know its cool, we’re having fun.
E. How would you describe your sound?
B. It’s always a weird thing for me to think how other people perceive us because I know it just comes out of us, you know? Like we don’t think about it, so I wouldn’t know what to say.
E. Who are your own musical influences?
B. We all come from different backgrounds of music, like Nash and PJ used to listen to Silverchair, and I came from a more punk rock and hardcore kind of thing. I guess at the same time bands like Saves The Day were from New Jersey and so we listened to a combination of hard rock and the early emo stuff that was around New Jersey.
E. Are there any new bands that have caught your attention recently?
B. There’s a band called Backwards American Dream from Seattle that we just toured with a little bit
E. What is on your IPOD at the moment?
B. I downloaded a lot of Aphex Twin before I came here – it’s good for plane rides, you can just put it on and zone out. And bands like Air, I downloaded a lot of albums earlier, just like spacey relaxing music on that I can put on and not think about, you know?
E. What was the best gig you have ever been to see?
B. I guess one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to when I saw At The Drive In play the Firehouse in New Jersey. It was one of their last shows there a couple of months before they broke up, and it was like five dollars and there were just a few hundred people there.
E. If Armor For Sleep didn’t exist, what do you think you would be doing now? Have you or any of the other guys had any strange jobs before?
B. I don’t know, I mean everyone was still in school before this. I know that I would probably still be going to school, I was gonna be an English major and write a book. I know that for me, I could never have an office job, I would try to be a writer or something on my own terms. I have only had two jobs in my life. I worked at this Law Firm for a lawyer and his wife, and one summer they went on vacation, and so there was no-one in the office. I had to just stay there and answer the phones and if there was a client I would call him at his beach house. But I was the only person in there and I only had to do anything when the phone rang! So every day I came in there, I took off my jacket and I slept on the floor and put the phone next to my head. I slept all day and if somebody would call it would wake me up, and I would answer the phone, and then go back to sleep!
E. If you were granted three wishes, what would they be?
B. The first wish would be to have an infinite number of wishes! Probably, the first wish I would want to fly, the second wish, I would wanna be able to stop time and the third wish I guess would be for world peace or something like that.
E. What would you like the future to bring for Armor For Sleep?
B. I hope that our next record is really good, I have and idea of what kind of record we want to write.
E. Any idea roughly when we can expect that to come out?
B. Probably like, the fall – probably September/October time. The thing that makes me happy about the first album is that we knew what we wanted to do, and I feel that we went out and did that album that we were all talking about. So I hope that we go out and make the album that we all want to make again.
E. When you are writing do you find that some of you try to pull in different directions musically?
B. Everyone’s got their own little spin on things that they want to put on it, but it’s more about finding a middle ground that makes everyone happy. It’s like, I hope that we’ll all be able to see the same thing.
E. How do you write together? Do you all get together and thrash it out as a group, or do some of you bring your own ideas to the table and work from there?
B. I’ll pretty much get the ball rolling, like I’ll write a lot of stuff in my room and then I’ll come into practice and show it to them so we have something to work off of. But once it’s kind of on the table everyone takes their knife and starts hacking away! The only part that is really done exclusively is when I write the lyrics. I don’t tell anyone what I’m doing and I just show up to the studio and everyone’s cool with it. Everything else is pretty collaborative.
E. If you could leave us with one thought about the band, what would that be?
B. I have been wondering what people look for in a band these days, I mean, there is so much emphasis on fashion and guyliner, you know what I mean? Like hair metal – it goes away after a while. I already see kids nowadays starting to just be annoyed and realising that none of that is real, you know what I mean? So I just can’t wait for the day when that’s completely gone and we can just get back to enjoying the music again.
Funeral For A Friend – Taste Of Chaos
Funeral For A Friend – Taste Of Chaos Interview
6 November 2005
Taste of Chaos was one of the biggest and most sought after tours that the UK has seen this year. I went to speak to Ryan Richards and Kris Roberts in their dressing room before their slot to find out the latest on what the guys have been up to and what we can look forward to in the future.
E. So how is the tour going so far?
R. Yeah, got a bit of jetlag and stuff. Australia and Japan were amazing you know, they are probably the furthest away you could play and it is very different. It was the first time we’ve played in Australia.
E. What was the reception like for you there – was it very different?
K. That was kinda weird actually…of all the places we’ve been the reception we had in Australia was probably closest to what we have in England. Which kind of surprised me, yeah. In Australia it feels like – it’s the furthest place you could possibly go away, and you’re so far away but you feel really close to home. It’s just so strange.
R. It’s probably because you’re underneath!
E. So how do you think that Taste Of Chaos is going to compare to Give It A Name? Although it’s a similar set up isn’t it.
R. It is kind of, yeah, there’s the fact that it’s touring around and Give It A Name was just a one off whereas this isn’t. It’s definitely had time to gel, and it would be wrong to say it’s been better organised, but it’s been tried and tested and its a bit of a smoother-running machine which I’m sure Give It A Name will grow to be in time, but there was a few teething problems. We still had fun though.
E. Will you be watching any of the other bands tonight, do you get time to do that?
K. Well I have pretty much watched every other band that we’ve been on tour with so far. I particularly enjoyed watching Killswitch. Considering they are playing with only one guitarist…it’s absolutely ridiculous. All the bands on this tour are great you know they are all different in their own unique and exciting way.
E. Yeah, Rise Against have just started playing and they are sounding really good tonight.
R. Yeah Rise Against are amazing…so are Story Of The Year.
E. What do you miss most about home when you are away touring?
K. Probably my family, and next to my family a toilet and shower.
E. The Kerrang Awards this year were a bit of a triumph for Welsh Bands?
R. Yeah definitely
E. Are you proud of that?
K. Yeah, we definitely didn’t expect to win, especially being up against Feeder and the Stereophonics which are both massive bands.
E. There are quite a few welsh bands that have crept up into the spotlight over the past 12-18 months.
R. People are starting to give them a chance.
E. Definitely, yeah. Are there any smaller welsh bands that you have heard lately that you think may be about to burst onto the scene anytime soon?
R. There are lots, there are so many, I mean Hondo McLean have been doing it for a while now and they are really cool and have got their own following and we’ll see what they do with their next record, that’ll be exciting.
At this point Kris started talking but was rudely interrupted by one of the other band members bursting in singing and jumping around the place – The Used’s Bert McCracken, calling in to say Hey!
K. What was I saying…oh yeah, it seems like a couple of years ago, Welsh bands had to constantly go to London to try and get discovered and this year people are actually willing to travel to Wales.
R. It always has been a good scene but now people are giving it a chance.
E. As a group, what is the writing process that you go through – do you all get together and thrash it through?
R. We rip each other’s ideas apart basically!
K. On the last record some of the songs we would sit down and come up with an initial idea together, and with Monsters and History, we wrote in the studio didn’t we?
R. We sat down and wrote those together, and just a couple of songs we did like that.
K. So it’s kinda different depending on the situation we’re in.
E. Matt has been involved in other projects…
K. Has he?!! Well, they have got names, but I think that’s as far as he has got! I am sure he’s probably sat down and he has collected some ideas, but this isn’t the right moment, it’s the same for the rest of us, he has no time to do anything!
E. That ‘s actually where I was leading…are any of the rest of you interested in doing anything aside from Funeral For A Friend?
K. Definitely, I mean, both of us are big metal fans and that would be something that I wouldn’t mind doing, but I don’t know, this is my first and foremost band.
E. Plus I guess it’s difficult anyway when you have been on the road for two and a half months!
K. It’s the last thing that you want, you don’t think ‘what am I gonna do with my spare time, oh I know, I’ll start another band’!
R. We’ll see what happens over Christmas.
K. And hopefully we might get some presents! You’ve been a good boy this year!
R. Yeah, you got my list!
E. The video for History has been released…did that concept come from any family history or personal background?
R. Yeah, various members of the band as a matter of fact. It was something that was very close to us and very personal to us and I think most of us have had family members who have worked in the mines and who were involved in that. I live in the village where the tower colliery is based, which is the last open-cast mine in Europe. That was a big part of the village, so it’s very close to the communities we grew up in and our families. And it’s come out great, you know, just the way we wanted it.
E. If you were given the choice, would you rather play a small indoor venue, or a huge capacity arena or festival?
K. I think that they all have their pro’s and cons if you know what I mean, you know the small shows are always really cool and they are always really lively, they feel quite special. At the same time there’s a lot of fucking horrible things you have to deal with when you do small shows, like usually small stage space and terrible sound. It’s enjoyable to play to the audience, but the actual enjoyment of playing is probably a lot less. Big shows are less personal, but everything tends to sound better.
R. I think I’d quite like seeing a couple of thousand people jumping up and down, and to hear a couple of thousand people singing back at you is amazing.
K Probably one of my favourite shows actually, saying that, it when we did an acoustic session at Reading this year, and that was like, a hundred and twenty people, and that’s possibly one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done.
E. What was the best gig that you have ever been to see?
R. Certainly one of them is from the first year we played Donnington, and Metallica did a secret set that ended up being not that secret, and I basically, Metallica had been my favourite band, growing up they got me into metal and I started losing all faith in Metallica, and then St Anger came out and I was just totally done with them. And then they came out and did all of their classic songs that I always loved and it was just amazing.
K. And I didn’t get to see that because I was in hospital with my wife at the time, so they got to meet like, fucking, Metallica, and the guys in Iron Maiden (who I met after luckily), and Chris Cornell. Of course I would rather have been with my wife, but they (looking at Ryan accusingly) weren’t very nice!
R. She could have picked another day!
K. I don’t know, for me, probably the best show, the show I have most enjoyed going to watch would possibly be when I saw Pantera at the Ozzfest, it was the first time I saw them and I had been waiting for about six years to go watch them, so that was probably my favourite show ever.
E. How would you describe your music to someone who had never heard it before?
R. Oh fucking hell…that you would probably have to listen to at least five songs to get it, because there isn’t any one song that sums us up really.
K. What do we sound like? It’s kinda weird ‘cos we sound like Funeral For A Friend, so to describe to someone how you sound is quite difficult, you know?
R. I would call it five different personalities worshipping our heroes.
K. I like that one! We’ll have to use that more!
E. Of all the songs that you have written, which is your own favourite?
K. It’s like trying to pick a favourite child! Probably for me personally I would have History as the song that I am particularly proud of. It was something of an idea which I initially had probably about eight years ago, but I could never get it right. Then we sat down and pulled it apart and suddenly it worked, and probably to me that is the most satisfying, because I haven’t got to fucking think about it ever again!
R. I think I’m kinda the same way about that, History, probably because of the way it came together. it was one of the most natural things we have ever done.
E. If you could record any song at all, what song would you choose?
K. I wouldn’t pick anything, because we wouldn’t do it the same as what they done it…
R. We have already done enough covers, to be honest!
K. We did The Boys Are Back in Town – that’s a classic
R. Yeah and we did Sunday Bloody Sunday. We did a Bryan Adams cover once upon a time.
K. Yeah…Summer of 69, which no-one will ever hear! Everybody can search the fucking web all they want but they will never find that!
E. This will be my last question…what is going to happen with you guys in 2006?
K. World domination!
R. We are hoping to do another tour to wrap up the album early next year and hopefully bring some really cool bands with us as we always like to do. Then we’ll probably be doing the same in the other places we have been, like the States, Japan. We can think about the new record then over the summer!
E. And hopefully get a bit of time out between, this time!
K. I don’t know, it didn’t happen last time!
R. Yeah, we’ll see about that!
On that note we thanked the guys for their time and wished them a good show and went back out into the venue to enjoy an excellent show, impressed by Reggie & The Full Effect, Story of The Year, Rise Against, Killswitch Engage, The Used and of course Funeral For A Friend were on fantastic form, as always.
Emma
SixSister go to London
(no camping, and no Timmy the dog)
We don’t get out much, but when we do, it’s for something that fucking rocks. Top Secret ‘fan’s playback’ of the new Darkness album (don’t get out of bed for anything less). Only 9 lucky winners, folks – darklings who’ve worked hard in the Village of Upper Darkling to provide entertainment, news, views, commonsense and a lot of arsing about on forum. (this latter does not apply soley to 6S) My gog, when I got that email, I couldn’t breath for aaaaaaaaaaaggggeeeeeeeees. I might leave Rob something in my will… I went away for the weekend not knowing when this thing was going to be, who else was going, where it was.. aaaghhh. On Monday it was confirmed as being Wednesday. Thank the rock gods, I’m not working.. cancel all appointments with the Dyson. Buy cheapest train ticket, notify 6S, get in a panic, run round screaming.. well, no. the cats and Mr 3 are not of the darkling persuaion so I behaved myself. At the last minute another 6 was invited, so, due to her complete unluckiness with all other Darkness events, our Davey was pressganged in, with similar hyperventilation problems. Blimey, the most exciting thing that’s happened to SixSister.. Thanks to Rob for inviting us.. who cares that the band aren’t going to be there, if Rob is? Bless him.. he’ll be a Star Wars advent calendar and two packets of pickled onion monster munch richer when I see him. Lmao.. it’s not much, but the thought was there!
I wrote most of this on the train.. I was happily worrying about getting across London on the Circle Line by 1 o’clock when the train stops and a huge signal failure at Liverpool Street is announced. Bundled off this train at Shenfield, chucked off at Stratford… luckily the Central line runs from there so it wasn’t too difficult a journey. Just panicking cos I was going to be so late.. hurried calls, texts and tube journeys later, I made it at 1.40.. they’d not started without me, for which I am profoundly grateful. I paid my respects to Sue at the door while waiting for Rob, rushed to the loo, and finally entered a room full of people on the edge of their seats. This was because the sofa eats unwary people, I found. All those missing bands you wondered about? They’re in that sofa. Right. Hush. Time for the first listen. Awed silence, shivering in anti.. ci…pation..
We rocked along as best we could to the ones we knew, but it’s difficult not to get up and dance.. that would have terribly embarrassing. The room had a plate glass wall out on to the offices! So good to hear them again, all polished up and sounding GREAT.
The ones we didn’t know.. they’re so damn catchy, so we were singing along pretty soon. They are soooooooo good! There’s only one that won’t make you get up and boogie, but that’s cos it’s slower and more thought provoking. I think you’re all in for a very pleasant surprise or two. Not that we can tell you much yet, but we will, when Rob gives the green light. You WILL love it. Several massive tracks of glorious rocking gak.. It’s going round and round and round my head, touching the parts of me that make me want to sing… (sorry, Sade)
We stopped to discuss our favourites and various aspects of the tracks, along with some other gumpf. ‘Bald’ was put on again, on request. Huge smiles and a fair amount of laughing for favourite bits of songs, and lyrics, and pure rock pleasure..
It was much easier to pick out bits and enjoy on the second listen, finding all those things we’d discussed and the lyrics that were in Kerrang! today. Hee… dirty litle tykes.. People’s favourites were changed and changed back again. To be honest, it was so difficult to pick one.. it was easier to say which ones people didn’t like as much… and that wasn’t easy either. No one really disliked anything, just liked it less, and no one was disappointed by the album as a whole. The Darkness have achieved so much with this! Lord above, you can’t forget those songs. They worm their way into your head, No one will be able to stop singing them, and I can guarantee that the album will annoy people far more than PTL currently does / has done.. cool!
The discussion carried on for a while until it was time to go. We have promo copies of the single and nice b/w pics to take home.. yum.
Many many thanks to Rob for organizing this. He was his charming, affable, sharp self. Arse to his meeting.. we wanted to take him for beer, but we finished so late, thanks to my train.. apologies to everyone for that. Anyway, he’s a little strawberry blond angel, and long may he continue to watch over us, dispensing wisdom and.. umm… whatever else he dispenses. Sarcasm?
I say thank you to The Darkness, for the songs we’re singing.
Jo
Xx
People’s favourites.. except for ‘halfnakeded’ from the darklings site, who had to go.
Darren Bald
Dave Is it just me?
Jacqui Bald
Jayne Bald and English Country Garden
Jack Seemed Like a Good Idea
Graham Seemed Like a Good Idea
Jo Girlfriend
Rob Is it just me?
No doubt these will change… once we get our hands on the album again…
Sevendust – Next – Album Review
Get ready to rawk! Thrashing guitar, heavy pounding drums and a vocalist with a menacing growl – quality!
First track Hero is a great opener, although the following tune and current single Ugly is a little softer and not as good. Sevendust are at their best whilst screaming on vocals, drilling on drums and scratching heavily on guitar. Fortunately for us there is plenty of this on Next. Pieces is a great example of this and shows off the bands best qualities.
I feel that This Life is a little mis-placed on this album, however other than this track – a very solid and worthy album with some delicious tracks.
Magnet – The Tourniquet – Album Review
The Tourniquet is the second album released by highly acclaimed Norwegian artist Magnet, aka Even Johansen.
Bathed in dreamy melodies, The Tourniquet features some truly moving and beautiful tracks, such as Duracellia and Fall At Your Feet. Johansen writes with an openness and a truth that shines right through these tracks and stirs the old heart strings. This has the kind of gentleness and quiet grace that is rarely seen in today’s music. It has a kind of Jeff Buckley quality that is quite frankly priceless.
You must listen to Magnet. It will shake you to the core.
Tracy & The Plastics – Culture for Pigeon – Album Review
This album, out to buy now, is an electro lover’s dream. ‘Tracy’ has created her own alter egos, Cola and Nikki on drums and keyboard, who together form an eerie and imaginative sound, complemented by Tracy’s super-sleek purring vocals.
Tracy & The Plastics is the brainchild of artist Wynne Greenwood who fuses art and music to become one. The result is really quite brilliant, and the disjointed tracks are pretty intriguing even for those like myself who aren’t the greatest fans of electro.
My favourite track on the album has to be the opener, Big Stereo with it’s crisp and cool feel.
Simple Plan – MTV Hard Rock Live – Album review
October 3rd was the release date for this live album from the Simple Plan boys.
Opening with much loved pop-rock anthem Shut Up, Simple Plan are quite clearly rocking the hell out of the Orlando Hard Rock Café! The sound quality is very good and this is the perfect opportunity for the boys to prove their worth and capability of delivering a high standard of live performance and knock the doubters out of the way!
Yeah, the tracks are mostly quite light-hearted and easy, but this is their sound and it has a fun bouncy quality that makes it enjoyable to listen to. Simple Plan have a good rapport going with the crowd, and highlights include the catchy Addicted, God Must Hate Me, and Thank You.
A very good live album sure to be on many Christmas lists!
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Jacksonville City Nights – Album Review
Jacksonville City Nights is the second album Ryan Adams has released this year on the Lost Highway label.
Ryan Adams is an acquired taste, a sweet and soulful collection of smooth country style songs, touching stories told in a sleepy-town fashion. There’s no denying that Ryan Adams is a suberb artist, vocals are filled to the brim with emotion and meaning and the guitar is mellow and shy. The album features Norah Jones guesting on vocals for Dear John, which works extremely well. The more upbeat tracks are the likes of Trains and Don’t Fail Me Now, although a party album this is not!
Think relaxing in the tub with a glass of wine, or laying on a beach somewhere…this is chill out music. At it’s finest.
Bloodhound Gang – Hefty Fine – Album Review
Funny from the very first line, Bloodhound gang effervesce right through the album Hefty Fine.
The album opens with a fantastically grinding bass line and tongue in cheek lines galore. This is an exceptionally good collection of songs with a couple of skits thrown in for good measure. From the excellent and powerful Balls Out and Ralph Wiggum to the softer and smooth tones of Farting With A Walkman On, Bloodhound Gang do not fail to please. Back to the familiar sound is Pennsylvania, a clever song with really nice vocals and clear loud drums.
Jokes and rudeness aside, this album is technically very good and provides forty-odd minutes of excellent music. Hefty Fine is out now, so go buy it…then hide it where your mum/kids/gran/sister won’t find it (delete as appropriate)!
Maximo Park – Apply Some Pressure – Single Review
Apply Some Pressure is a re-release as Maximo Park are high in demand!
Taken from the debut album A Certain Trigger, this track is one of three top twenty singles earning the band a damn good reputation and an army of fans. Apply Some Pressure is fast-paced and confident, the music is tight and precise and the vocals are strong and honest. This band deserves every inch of the credit received.
Five O’Clock Heroes – White Girls – Single Review
White Girls is the disco-tastic single from Five O’Clock Heroes, released on 31st October.
White Girls is a funky disco melody with snappy vocals and an easy-going jangly riff. It seems to almost belong to a different time, but is nevertheless a good old dance tune worthy of an ass-shake or three! B track Skin Deep is a more up to date track – kooky, light hearted and catchy.
Millionaire – I’m On A High – Single Review
Millionaire sweep through the cobwebs like a hurricane with new single I’m On A High.
This track is a nice guitar-thick tune with slick vocals sliding from high pitched to low without effort. This is nice and steadily paced, with a dirty striptease inducing and floaty-head sound.
This is probably best suited to a more mature audience, dark and thick with mood.
Bloodhound Gang – F,U,C,K – Single Review
The boys are back in town and it’s time to cover the kids’ ears! Bloodhound Gang never hold back and will say exactly what they want, and that’s why we like them.
Foxtrot, Uniform, Charlie, Kilo is a good catchy tune with lyrics to make you laugh and they are perfectly delivered and supported by a damn good tune! This is quite tame for Bloodhound Gang and is an excellent new single which will project them back into the ranks. Hurrah!
The Glitterati – Back In Power – Single Review
24th October was the release date for Back In Power, taken from the band’s debut Glitterati that has seen them rise up to the MTV ranks and begin to get themselves heard.
The Glitterati sound sleazy and self-assured for this track and it seems this was the exact intention. The attitude took Guns N Roses to the top and it may just work albeit on a smaller scale for these guys. Back In Power is a slightly lazy sounding track, with a slow sounding riff and drawling vocals. These guys have the image, they have their sound and their ever-growing fanbase. Join the bandwagon and enjoy the ride that is The Glitterati.
The Automatic – Recover – Single Review
Welsh quartet The Automatic are here to demand your attention with their debut single Recover released on 24th October.
Recover is a funky and quick track with edgy vocals and some nice guitar which leans ever so slightly towards the twangs of Franz Ferdinand and then knocks them right over with a big fact injection of fearlessness. The Automatic are onto a good sound and have no necessity to conform to the standards of any genre. They are refreshing, entertaining and bring much more energy to their performance than many bands on the scene at the moment.
The Kills – No Wow – Single Review
Just another ‘The’ band? Nah! The Kills bring something original to the table with their eclectic mix of electro beats and funky rythms.
The single is released with various remixes by the likes of Death From Above 1979’s Jesse and Chicken Lips. I can’t help feeling that there is something missing from this track though – it is kinda catchy and definitely different, however it’s almost like I am waiting for some amazing hard riff or thumping beat that never happens.
The Fallout Trust – Before The Light Goes – Single Review
Before The Light Goes was released on 31st October on At Large. This is their second single and is quite a mellow and intelligent track.
The Fallout Trust are a band for the thinking person. Vocals reminiscent of Bowie and a solid backing of quite straight-forward guitar and the inclusion of keyboard are clearly a formula to a mature and off-beat sound. The other tracks on the single are actually very different and show that this band is by no means a one trick pony. Worth a good listen for sure.
Goldie Lookin Chain – R ‘n’ B – Single Review
Oh dear, we’re in for trouble! GLC are back with the second single from album Safe As Fuck and they are certainly on top form.
R ‘n’ B is a hilarious song about boy band love and urban music, a soft East 17 stylee song which even features a little tribute to New Kids On The Block taking me back 16 years! This track is great for a laugh and actually quite easy on the lobes! The rapping is pretty well executed so I am definitely liking this track.
Alkaline Trio – Mercy Me
Due for release on 21 November, Mercy Me is the second single from the album Crimson.
Mercy Me is a great easy-going track, upbeat and with lovely clean melodic vocals and nice toe-tapping guitars and drums. It’s quite a sunny and soft sounding track and I think it will hit the charts with gusto! A dance floor packer if I ever heard one!