1000 views!

In just 5 months this blog has received 1000 views! Thank you whoever you are.
It means a lot that people are taking the time to read what i'm putting up here!

To celebrate, here's a song that i've been listening to 24/7 x x x x x

The I.D: Feedback

It makes me feel so great when I get feedback from bands.

Dear Lauren,

What a wonderful review. Thank you very much for your kind words and all. 

We're glad to see some people get what we're about. We'll be sure to spread the word.. and keep you updated with any new material. 

We're working on an EP with Steve Lyon (Depeche Mode, The Cure) and that should hopefully come out in March.

Have a great weekend.

Best,

Leo & the boys

x

My first interview!

I had such a great night last night. If you remember, a couple of posts ago, I said that I was going to see The Ghosts? Well I did, and they were fantastic. It was in a teeny tiny room which made it even more special.

Remember Chazzstock? Well, the organiser of Chazzstock contacted me to say that I could interview Alex (lead singer of The Ghosts) after the gig and gave me his phone number! I have a famous person's name in my phone book ... (okay so he's not an A list celebrity but still). 

Jack (organiser of Chazzstock) ended with this comment: "make sure you ask Alex how he got done by me with a supersoaker and a Krispy Kreme donut x" This made for a very amusing conversation with Alex and a hilarious conversation via twitter after the gig ... look here.

I didn't need to be as nervous as I was! I ended up in the band's dressing room with almost the whole band! I'm really happy with how it went. Alex was so so friendly which really helped. I can't wait to get it published and hopefully I won't ruin Alex's career in the meantime.

Gig season has started!!

So the infamous gig season has started. I've already been to three and i'm worn out! I've got so many more which means MANY reviews will be coming your way.

Bastille were absolutely amazing last week. I'd been looking forward to their gig for ages and I was definitely not left disapointed; especially as I got to meet half of the amazing Swiss Lips (fantastic support act) and Dan from Bastille himself.

Remember The Carpels? Well, they supported Reverend at the Makers at the o2 academy last week. I was looking forward more to The Carpels than I was for Reverend and the Makers, but I was pleasantly surprised; I enjoyed The Revs way more than I thought I would, despite the fact I looked completely out of place in a sea of 'proper' men (they all looked like they were members in Bikers groups - tattoos, the hair, the piercings, the leather jackets etc).
Ian McClure did an impromptu gig outside the academy once the main show was over. It was such a special moment, and he didn't get nicked (major bonus seeing as though we were surrounded by riot vans). Watch this video (it's not mine - all credit to 'I am Birmingham').

On Wednesday, I saw Dog is Dead - great band with loads of energy! I'm not as in to their music as a lot of the people there were, but it was still a great gig nonetheless. A highlight was one of their support acts, Beans on Toast (yes, the act is really called Beans on Toast). Beans on Toast is made up on one witty, talented, amazing man (or should I say MDMAmazing)...

NB - It's always the same two faces in these pictures, so just to let you know, I'm the Brunette.

Thanks for reading to the end! That was a long one

Stay tuned as reviews of ALL these gigs will be uploaded and published asap x

Picture Book EP - Songs About Aimee

Picture Book has got to be one of the most exciting yet desperately underrated bands around at the moment. New York born brothers, Dario Darnell and Lorne Ashley, have had a whirlwind of a year. After their debut EP release in January earlier this year, they caught the attention of the masses, including Coca Cola, as they played a show remixing and reworking songs on the fly. After showcasing their true talents as they cleverly re-interpreted Mark Ronson’s and Katy B’s song, ‘Anywhere in the world’ they were handpicked to play shows in conjunction with the Olympics along with other big names such as Dizzee Rascal and Katy B.

Their second EP, ‘Songs About Aimee’ was released on 15^th October, produced by the band themselves and remixed by House legend, Tony Senghore. I don’t know about you, but I find that House music typically has hollow and generic lyrics that don’t really mean anything at all. Picture Book on the other hand, don’t just write music that’s easy to dance too, but their songs are works of lyrical genius’.

The tunes on ‘Songs About Aimee’ are cleverly written and structured; The EP takes you on a journey with the band, travelling through the cycle of familiar feelings during a relationship. The first track ‘Being in Love (For the First Time)’ discusses those infamous butterflies that you get in the pit of your stomach when you fall in love and the stage in the relationship where their annoying little habits are for now, what makes them perfect. The brother’s atmospheric harmonies over a driving techno beat makes for a perfect pop hit.

‘In my head’ is the lead single on the EP. With a noticeably darker tone, but still in keep with the familiar techno beats and infectious melody, the track goes through the stage where their annoying habits are making you ‘despise’ them. Although you’d rather say it to them, it’s best to keep them ‘In your head.’

‘Why Are We Wasting Our Time’ discusses how the ‘summer romance has died’ and, as the press release perfectly puts, ‘articulates the inner strength that is needed to acknowledge the end of a relationship.’ This track hits you with a sudden burst of heavier beats that instantly makes you want to get up and dance.

 At the End of the EP, we’re back to the butterfly feelings of hope for a future relationship after we’ve established that there’s ‘Nothing Wrong With Saying Goodbye’ despite how painful it might be at the time. This track is much softer, slower and delicate, complete again with beautifully atmospheric harmonies.

I hope to and inevitably expect to hear much more from these talented brothers in the near future. Their cleverly written songs are easy to relate to and easy to dance to; I’m struggling to think of a more perfect combination. 

http://www.picturebookmusic.com/
http://www.soundcloud.com/picture_book 
http://www.facebook.com/PictureBookMusic
http://www.twitter.com/picture_book
http://www.picturebookmusic.tumblr.com/

You can also read an edited review of this article in this week's Tellin Tunes Issue here (skip to the review section).

The I.D

There really has been a huge bout of new music recently, with new bands emerging left right and centre. Admittedly, most of these bands belong to the ever growing ‘hipster’ movement. However, The I.D are a refreshing post-punk four piece based in London. Their sound is raw and unrefined good old fashioned guitar rock complete with typically ‘punky’ heavy riffs.

The heavy and distorted guitar along with the alluringly deep vocals in ‘Age Anti Age’ is Joy Division-esque and reminds me somewhat of their song ‘Shadowplay.’ ‘Age Anti Age’ moves into a horrendously catchy chorus with a more upbeat melody that you will, without doubt, be singing all day long. Ian Curtis-esque vocals and catchy choruses seem to be a theme throughout all of their available tracks. There’s even a really cool and extremely arty video to accompany ‘Age Anti Age’ – this band have got everything sorted.

‘Bloodsweat and Honour’ and ‘Own Designed Love’ fall into the category of songs that just need to be blasted through your bedroom walls at full volume, and when your parents come and tell you to turn that racket down, you’ll be there with your ‘teen angst’ face on, air guitar-ing and fist pumping to the infectious punk anthems. Both will be available on iTunes on October 29^th.

The band introduced themselves to me as "a Swiss born, two Welsh cakes and a good lad from Reading who sometimes plays chess"; so a witty personality to add to their well written music – what could be better?

Keep an ear out for this band; they’ve got real potential!

You can see an edited version of this review in this weeks issue of Tellin Tunes
You'll need to skip to the reviews section

http://soundcloud.com/the-i-d/age-anti-age
http://www.facebook.com/theidmusic
 http://www.theidmusic.com

Emails

I absolutely love getting contacted by bands and PR companies!
A new band called The I.D contacted me after finding Lazy Ukulele and told me about themselves.
I had an email from a PR guy who found my review of The Ghosts and told me how much he liked it! I'm off to see The Ghosts in Birmingham tonight because of it - super excited! He's also told me about some pretty cool Birmingham bands that are around at the minute. The Traps are playing at a really cool pub in Birmingham called the Flapper next week - looking forward to that too! Big up B-town
Gig season has started so expect to see lots of reviews and the like!

x

Wilderness Festival In Photos

THE best festival I have ever been to.

Photo credit to the Heggie family.

Wilderness Festival 2012 review

Now that the festival season’s over for another year, it’s time to reminisce about the fantastic summer of music that has just flown by. What are some of your memories? I’m going to assume they’re something along the lines of loud music on multiple stages surrounded by large crowds with ‘Topshop inspired’ outfits and neon paint. Oh, and not forgetting plenty of mud and a surplus amount of fast food stalls. That’s the standard set up of a British festival, right? Well, Wilderness Festival breaks all the festival stereotypes.

Deep in the wilderness of Oxfordshire’s Cornbury park, an array of eccentricities enjoyed the uniqueness of this small festival; ‘a celebration of the Arts and Outdoors in the wilds of England.’ Individuals dressed as Bugsy Malone extras and wild animals could be seen partying to the sounds of tribal beats and circling around a band stand; just a few insights into what happened on one sunny weekend in mid-August. Wilderness is only two years old, but the running of the entire festival was completely smooth and without flaw. With the help of the Old Vic Tunnels, The Secret Garden Party and Michelin star chefs, the best organised festival, although a ‘party in the woods’ may be a more fitting title, graced the UK with its presence.

Over the course of three days, the main stage saw performances from up and coming superstars. King Charles, Lianne La Havas and Crystal Fighters are a few of Friday’s acts that really stood out with their confident, energetic and enthusiastic performances. Jake Bugg, 18-year-old musical genius, surprised everyone with his unassuming and humble character. Jake shared the stage on Saturday with The Temper Trap; a band that you can never get tired of. The entire crowd chorusing ‘sweet disposition’ in the festival sunshine is a moment to be remembered. Sunday saw singer/songwriter Benjamin Frances Leftwich take to the stage with his beautifully written songs, performed equally beautifully with his soft and charming voice.

The Bandstand and the Folk Guild stages saw many more performances from up and coming bands. The Folk Guild stage was any folk lover’s dream; a marquee complete with hay barrels and bunting that hosted incredible bands throughout the day and night. A band that caught mine and many others’ attention was We Were Evergreen. The band, originally from France, played all three stages throughout the festival. They were completely overwhelmed as the crowd danced in true hippie style to their unbelievably catchy tunes; so much so that they even joined in at one point and performed within the crowd!

The natural setting of Wilderness is one of the many things that made it such a special festival. You could be mistaken for believing that you had fallen down the rabbit whole and ended up in one of Florence Welch’s dreams. After a walk in the wilderness, a skinny dipping session or a ride in one of the boats on the beautiful lake, the festival goers could take a walk up to the campfire at the busking stage, hosted by friends of the earth who, while dressed as cute bees, were raising awareness of the importance of bumble bees. If you didn’t think it could get anymore ‘hippie,’ think again. There were various tents hosting talks and debates from naturists, scientists, actors, artists, and even Made in Chelsea’s Frances Boulle. If you didn’t fancy any of that, then you could have taken a stroll into ‘vintage village,’ tried your hand at arts and crafts or taken a visit to the onsite spa. Forget greasy chips and burgers, wilderness festival goers treated themselves to ‘Annie Mac and cheese’ and various types of food from campervan stalls and cups of tea from a double decker bus. If that wasn’t enough, long table banquets were held by Michelin star chefs.

The festival certainly didn’t end after the headline act on the main stage! Late night parties were held each night in conjunction with various other organisers. Future Cinema hosted a live performance of Bugsy Malone on the first night. The actors stayed in character all day and the night ended in a huge splurge fight as part of Fat Sam’s Grand Slam. Old Vic Tunnels hosted a masquerade ball and the Secret Garden party hosted a tribal party. Both nights were surreal as the décor of the festival surroundings and the outlandish costumes came together with alternative live music to create unforgettable evenings.

So much was packed into one weekend that I could easily go on writing forever. Wilderness festival 2013 is an absolute must! Sebastian Pringle, lead singer of Crystal Fighters summed it up perfectly; “you guys are lucky, because this shit is gonna get massive.”

Published version on DYC here; give it a like!

Published

Check out the published versions and give them a cheeky like on facebook;

Jake Bugg

The Ghosts 

Jake Bugg | Jake Bugg album review

There’s nothing more refreshing than the sound of simple, pure, unrefined guitar folk-pop that can act as your saviour whilst you inevitably begin to drown in a sea of dance music and become lost in the overpowering waves of electronics that are now taking over the music scene. 18 year old rising star, Jake Bugg, has gone back to basics with his beautifully written songs accompanied by his much loved guitar. While his music is somewhat traditional, it still holds an invigorating essence of ‘new.’  Bugg has taken the media world by storm and is constantly being likened to Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Don Mclean, Donovan and the like. It’s clear who Jake’s influences are, but I’m conscious of the fact that all these comparisons are masking his obvious individuality and raw talent as an original artist.

High expectations have been placed upon the release of Jake’s self titled debut album after the huge success of his singles ‘Lightening Bolt,’ ‘Troubled Town,’ ‘Taste it’ and ‘Two fingers.’ Jake has been a feature on Radio 1 many times, including rightfully taking the title of Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record which has increased his fan base and inevitably the anticipation for the album.

Jake has fulfilled and exceeded the expectations. There’s so much more to him than the ‘teen-angst’ we hear on the singles. Tracks on the album are more delicate and beautiful than you could have imagined. Accompanied by his acoustic guitar alone, the pure vocals riddled with raw emotion on ‘Slide’ are sure to pull on your heartstrings. The equally emotionally raw build up to the beautiful harmonies in ‘Broken’ are sure to make to the hairs on your neck stand on end.

Bugg shows his versatility as all the well-written songs vary from theme to theme. On an album, it’s more than likely that you’ll have the odd song or two that you can happily skip past when you've got in on shuffle. On this album, there aren’t any of those. From the heart wrenching love song of ‘Someplace’ to the 50’s influenced sound effects in ‘Fire’ to the upbeat country style of ‘Simple As This,’ there isn’t one song that you won’t instantly fall in love with.

His shockingly good talent in his song writing shows that a wise and knowledgeable head sits on his young shoulders. For an 18 year old lad, it’s astonishing how honest his lyrics are and I can’t help but feel that he must have been through more than his fair share of shit; he’s definitely ‘Seen It All!’ ‘Seen it All’ is seemingly influenced by Clifton; the council estate that he’s grown up in, in Nottingham. He talks about stabbings at a house party that he crashed after he’d taken a pill ‘or maybe two.’

‘Two fingers’ tells us of his memories with his friends in Clifton like skinning up a ‘fat one’ and hiding from the ‘feds’ while he expresses his general ‘fuck it’ attitude.

Jake says himself in Troubled Town, ‘If I talk of getting out, I only hear the laughter loud. It's got an ugly echo.’ I wonder who’s laughing now, now that Bugg has escaped ‘speed bump city’ and broken free into the big wide world! If this is what he can produce at the age of 18, I look forward to whatever this talented Nottingham teen produces next.

Best songs: Broken, Seen it All

Album rating: 9/10

The album will be available for purchase and download on 15^th October

Everything has just got a bit more real ...

Okay, so I definitely need to do an update.

I have been accepted as a contributory writer for another online magazine; Counteract  It's based in Birmingham and it's super super cool.

It doesn't stop there. I have also been accepted for an online AND PRINT magazine called Brumnotes. I honestly didn't think they'd even reply. I was so unbelievably excited when the editor told me he liked my writing style and that I obviously know my stuff! The magazine is published every month and free copies are distributed all around Birmingham. I've been asked to go to the Oxjam festival in Birmingham today to review some of the unsigned, up and coming artists in our area; mega excited!

It still doesn't end there! A friend of a friend has set up his own publication called Tellin Tunes, so now I contribute to that too! All in all, I now write for 5 magazines - it's so hard to decided what to write for which magazine (i'm definitely not complaining though).

Also, an interview with Swim Deep is up in the air, omg! Watch this space for more on that.

The Ghosts | Underrated single review

The third single to be taken from the band’s superb debut album, The End, is Underrated; ironically both by title and status! Indie pop five piece fronted by Alex Starling, former member of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, have created a masterpiece of synth pop. Underrated’s simple structure along with Alex’s unique vocals over atmospheric tones and the occasional chiming bell, complete with a driving dance beat and a generous helping of electronics is the perfect concoction. I'm under no illusion that you’ll be humming the catchy yet mildly downbeat chorus for days.

The single, co-produced by electro pop experts Andres Kallmark and Tim Bran has an equally captivating accompanying video, produced by Tim Burton collaborator Alex Kyrou. This great piece of black and white cinematography sees a surreal mix-up of worlds between a 1920s style Alex Starling and the rest of the band in modern day. The truly engaging and deeply clever concept video compliments the song well.

After a summer of festivals, including the infamous Chazzstock where they shared a stage with the likes of The Vaccines and The Horrors, the band are back to writing   and their first nationwide tour is set to begin in autumn. Underrated will be available to purchase or download on 15^th October.

www.facebook.com/wearetheghosts

Jake Bugg - Album pre-release

I am officially the luckiest girl in the world.

After a few chats with Jake Bugg's press, I was asked if I wanted to review his album; of course, I said yes! I got this bundle in the post today and just couldn't stop smiling. I feel like a proper journalist!

I can honestly say that this is one of the best albums I have ever listened to; the mere fact that it's been on repeat all day is enough to prove that. I can't wait to get something written and published!

I'm even more excited for the gig in November now! All hail Jake Bugg.