Bipolar Sunshine - Love More Worry Less

Released September 18th 2013

2013 is really shaping up to be the year of the new artist, brilliant music coming from a vast assortment of different genres from all over the UK and showing that we truly are the leading power in the music scene, today’s artist is the alternative indie outfit, Bipolar Sunshine and really shows the creative melting pot is really throwing out some amazing stuff.

You may have seen my review of Rivers, taken from the debut EP ‘Aesthetics’ which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful and sublimely performed pieces of music released so far this year, today’s track, ‘Love More Worry Less’ walks in the very impressive footprints of its predecessor and delivers the goods. The song opens with the hard hitting line “another pregnant girl, underage” giving you a glimpse of how Britain works as a nation, people casting judgement on others on how they appear on the surface rather than digging a little deeper to find the facts. The message of the entire song is clear as soon as you read the title, Love More Worry Less, and it’s something as people we should really consider.

The song has an anthemic and atmospheric sound to it making you feel the sheer scope and size as you listen, the inclusion of others singing along to the hook adds to the amazingly. The song is one of an ultimately positive message, giving people basic advice that they probably forget in normal life and offering help to people should they need it.

At its simplest this track is a work of art, the lyricism has deep meaning and is truly believed by the singer Adio Marchant, the sound is well put together and works to beautiful effect with the vocals. The track will no doubt go down terrifically at live shows with plenty of opportunity for the crowd to get involved. The song is effective on so many levels and will leave the listener thinking about their own life afterwards, in my opinion what separates a good song from a great song is its power to resonate in the listeners thoughts for time after and this has that ability in massive amounts.

Swim Deep - King City

Released June 16th 2013

Another review, another band from Birmingham; the city to the north that seems to bleed out quality band after quality band making the rest of the country seem lazy by comparison. Today’s review is from alternative indie rock band Swim Deep with King City, taken from their debut album ‘Where in Heaven are we’ and re-released from 2012.

To begin with let’s state that before hearing this track I’d never listened to anything by the band, I’d heard about them but never their music; cue kicking one’s self for missing out on what could be one of the best finds of their year. The song has an otherworldly and dreamlike tone and sound; the inclusion of having the entire band as backing singers really adds to this and makes it something totally unique, building a haunting sound and delivering atmosphere to the music in heaps.

 The lyricism of the piece is another thing to be marvelled, the overall theme being pretending and living in your own ‘King City’, with the main vocalist, Austin Williams informing the listener he wants to pretend he’s in a relationship with Warpaint’s bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg.

“Fuck your romance, I wanna pretend that Jenny Lee Lindberg is my girlfriend”

With the sheer quality the band displays with this track you can see the massive amount of passion and enthusiasm the they have for the music they’re producing; couple this up with the massive interest surrounding them and you can safely assume they’re going to be around for a long time to come. This is a well-executed and gracefully performed piece from one of tomorrows biggest acts.

letthemusicplay feat Kate Tempest - Our Town

Released September 13th 2013

From time to time you’ll find an artist who totally changes your impression of the genre they’re performing, they'll inspire you and change how you see the world, for me there’s only ever been a couple; the now defunct ska-punk band The King Blues and Scroobius Pip. In my eyes they changed my life, they inspired me to ask question, read into their beliefs and make a more educated decision in regards to my view of the world. Back in December last year I saw Scroobius Pip during his spoken word tour, he was supported by comedy creation Brian Gittins and another spoken word artist, Kate Tempest of the band ‘Sound Of Rum’.

The track here is Our Town by letthemusicplay with vocals by the south London based poet/playwright and it’s something pretty amazing right from the start. Letthemusicplay consist of Rollo Armstrong and Sister Bliss, both highly successful DJ and producers in their own rights who've come together to form the new collective which is making some pretty amazing stuff, the quality is something to be truly marvelled at and shows other producers how things should be done.

The overall highlight for me here is however Tempest, having been the first under forty year old to win the Ted Hughes award for innovation in Poetry you can tell that she is going to go down in history as one of the greatest poets of our generation, everything she does she pours her heart into and this is no different.

“Let’s go staggering through alleyways laughing into kisses”

She does something that a million writers have done before so beautifully that it sound so new, the romanticism of London, the dreams of success in the big city, or town as its put here show her love and passion for the place that has moulded her as an artist. For me it resonates with me due to the dreams I had when I first moved to London, you think it’s going to be easy sailing, the world at your feet with opportunity at every corner yet you inevitably find yourself in bed with three bottles of wine. The magnitude of her love of hip hop and poetry is displayed clearly for the listener to hear, she puts her all into everything she does and comes out with pieces people will marvel at for years to come.

Little Big League - My Very Own You

Video released August 21st 2013

Sometimes you’ll hear a track that sounds so summery you can guarantee that it basically bleeds sunshine; the kind of song that takes you back to childhoods spent riding bikes for hours, achieving nothing and wasting a whole lot of time. Before you wonder if I'm having some kind of break down let me explain; this song brought me back there, in part due to the video which features a lot of skateboarding but also due to the actual sound of the track.

With one of the most delicate and hauntingly beautiful voices I've heard in a very long time, courtesy of lead singer and guitarist Michelle Zauner ‘Little Big League’ release their debut video for ‘My Very Own You’, a track taken from their debut LP ‘These Are Good People’.

Let’s get it underway by saying it’s comparable to a lot of 90’s alternate rock acts, notably The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth; But while saying that you can also see the influence of both The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed’s solo work, a lot of ways I’d say it’s a spectacular homage to ‘Satellite of Love’.

On to my judgement of the track itself, if you’ve got this far you’ll have already realized I love it with all the comparisons I have made. The graceful escalation from the initial opener of the song to the powerful and almost raucous piece towards the end come so organically you’re left feeling like someone has drove you to the top of the mountain only to abandon you and tell you to find your way back down, in a nice way obviously.

The Philadelphia are going to go far, from this track there’s such a vast collection of influences all brewing that you can tell they've got so much more creativity left to come and it’s a great future mapped out for them should they produce work equal to or above what I've heard here; a truly remarkable track from a band I'm sure will have a bright future ahead. 

Protest The Hero - Clarity

Released September 6th 2013

Canadian progressive metal is a collection of words you’d never really put together, Canadians tend to be calm and peaceful people, the music of ‘Protest the Hero’ can only be described as the antithesis to this. Back with the first track from their upcoming fourth album ‘Violation’, released October 29^th the band are bringing more of the same electrifying highs and in your face aggression seen on a lot of previous releases.

The line-up of the band has changed a little since the last album; drummer and founding member Moe Carlson is no longer part of the band after leaving to pursue an education in tool and die manufacturing with Chris Adler of ‘Lamb of God’ fame stepping in to fill the spot. Another change for the band being the band not funding the album through traditional record label funding methods instead going for crowd sourcing through fan funding site Indiegogo resulting in the band generating almost three times as much as they needed for the album.

The track itself holds on to the band’s trademark sound, crashing drums, powerful vocals and a shattering power not seen in many bands operating at the moment, they’re not mixing anything up with the new track but clearly maturing in their own sound and skills, something that is often overlooked by bands trying to reach a new audience and inadvertently losing their current one.

As a casual listener I was drawn into this track, while not to my usual taste they show how progressive music should be performed; if you’re not making the earth shake you’re doing it wrong.

Dumb - Retina

Released July 23rd 2013

Birmingham just doesn't seem to ease up with their music output recently; becoming a sort of creative melting pot with so many alternative bands destined for the big time the whole city is going to get a huge cultural boost within the next couple of years.

Today’s artist fits this recent explosion from the north, Dumb with their track Retina. From the off you’ve got a great exploratory sound coming from a group of guys with huge passion for what they’re doing, with great musicality and an unusual vocal style you’ve got something different while fitting a traditional rock n roll theme.

Something I noticed with the video was a member of the band wearing a Fugazi shirt, whether this is intentional or not this gave me a realisation of how much in the same vain this track follows, whether Fugazi were a creative influence on the production of the band’s music or they’re just fans of the band I don’t know but it’s kind of nice to think that it’s a little nod to someone they’re influenced by.

Overall this band has a sound that a lot of people will react extremely positively to, great lyricism paired with tight and effective music the band will find their feet in no time and be selling out shows and working their way up festival bills in the near future. As well as all that they seem like a likeable band which is often as important as the sheer talent they show.

Baby Strange - Friend

Video released July 11th 2013

Scotland seems to be awash with three piece rock and punk bands lately with their most successful export currently being Biffy Clyro. Following in their footsteps, albeit only in the Scottish and three piece aspect is Baby Strange; combining punk riffs with heavy drumming with moody vocals these boys are out for blood with their latest track, Friend.

In the spirit of punk forefathers The Clash the bands catchy hooks and heavy guitar will be a crowd pleaser with very little effort. With a relatively short run time of just over two minutes the song gets straight into it, no openers or faffing about. Lead singer and guitarist Johnny Madden’s vocal styling are comparable to the late garage rock artist Jay Reatard and the influence of this genre is apparent throughout the entire song.

To summarise, if you’re looking for something along the lines of The Vaccines with a bit more edge and attitude Baby strange are your guys, the whole song plays like a brick wall of music start to finish. With a truly unique mixture of lo-fi, punk rock and grunge the band are on to a winner, pair that up with the recent explosion in the call for bands like this their career is going to go far. 

Young Knives - Something Awful

Released September 3rd 2013



I'm back and ready to massage your ears with sweet and sexy tones of music for your filthy pleasure you naughty reader types you. Today's sounds come from Leicestershire indie rock trio Young Knives with Something Awful.

Right from the beginning you can tell this track is not your run of the mill indie tune, the tone is bleak and dreary, crashing drums and haunting vocals set an almost dystopian feel to it; but something changes at the one minute mark, the song gets a burst of life and seems upbeat even if the lyrics keep up the slightly depressing tone. These aren't faults I'm making, I happen to enjoy this tone with music and the mental pictures it creates.

With an effective arrangement of varying peaks and drops the song plays like it would feel at home on a game like Fallout, listening to the lyrics of a person changing to something they see as terrible you get a feel of a journey or the plot of a film. Fantastic work from a band I'll be paying a lot more attention to from now on.

Arctic Monkeys - Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You

Video released August 30th 2013

Remember when Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not came out? Every single person had that album, it was one of those phenomenons of music that get's the whole world to stop and say people have got to step up to match this now. They cemented their selves at the very forefront of the British music scene and have stayed on that mantel ever since. Sure, their efforts after that album haven't hit quite as hard, but how could they? It was something totally different to everyone else at the time and brought with it a flurry of copycats never achieving something as magnificent as that album.

As you will know the band are soon to release their fifth studio album "AM" on September 9th with hype surrounding the album as big as it has been for all their other releases and a collection of positive reviews it's easy to see this album will make a splash. This track Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You is actually not from the album, a standalone track that may be added on to a deluxe version of the album at this moment in time we've got nothing but the track here.

From listening to it you can see clearly that the band have come along an insane amount since their debut, with a classic Arctic Monkey's sound the band are still the same boys just sounding far tighter as a unit. There's the usual lovey doevy theme going on, Alex Turner has always been a hopeless romantic when song writing, one distinct difference now is the lack of identification with the common man, they've come to far to be able to write from the perspective of the average guy on the street, they're now something so much bigger than that and it's hard to fault them when they've worked hard for it.

I don't know if it's just the sheer duration of time that has passed since I've listened to them but I enjoyed this track a lot more than I thought I would have, it's such a sweet and well produced piece of music which has made me actually want to hear the new album, while I know already it won't surpass the early days if this is anything to go by it's going to be an amazing piece of work.

Brassick - Pelt

Video released August 31st 2013

I've never been one for metal/hard-core, sure I appreciate bands like Alexisonfire but the whole genre to me always seems like such a puzzle. I've given Brassick a look tonight on a pure whim, while browsing the BlankTV YouTube channel I came across their track and gave it a go, while I still don’t understand the appeal a lot of people have I'm slightly more clued up now in that I've found a band that could be considered to loosely fit this descriptive genre that I could actually see myself listening to more in the future.

Let’s start by stating the obvious, I had no clue who they were and was fairly surprised when I heard lead singer Nicola Hardy vocals, aggressive confrontational being the two adjectives diving to the forefront of my mind when describing the overall sound. That being said the song is a lot more than shouting at someone to grab their attention, it’s melodic and has meaning, and these were the qualities which grabbed my interest. The lyricism of the band seems to rest on their firmly held beliefs in the pro peace message as well as anti-bullying, sexism and racism.

While I may have said at the beginning of this article that they’re a metal/hardcore band I now see the band’s firmly held punk beliefs, think of them as a female lead Sick Of It All, you can tell by the style that a pit at one of their gigs would destroy those less schooled giggers in the crowd.

To say they’re a hardcore punk band would be unfairly dismissive, while I see them as that before much else they’re musicality is spread far wider and includes a diverse set of influences, these are people with a message and they really don’t care if they have to scream that message directly into your face in order for you to hear it, passion and dedication will be the qualities that will propel this band in the future.

Sonic Boom Six - The High Cost Of Living

Video released September 1st 2013

Boom return with the video to “The High Cost of Living” taken from their fourth album, Sonic Boom Six. The message of the song is clear; the price tag is not the only thing that raises the cost of what you’re being sold. Slave labour in third world countries is used by numerous companies for the manufacture of the goods you’re sold, by buying into this you’re continuing the mistreatment of people. Laila has her trademark high pitch vocals while Barney shines with his parts over the electronic beat that was present throughout the album this is taken from.

With new material being worked on by the band I'm hoping for a return to their ska-punk roots after the more dance oriented theme we saw on the last album but new material from this band is always reason for celebration for me. Another great track and video from one of my favourite bands who never seem to stop working, it’s been nice seeing your faces again.

Wolf Alice - She

Released 14th August 2013

Prior to this evening I’d never heard of Wolf Alice at all, after a quick Soundcloud browse I stumbled upon this track. A kind of new grunge sound combined with angst ridden lyrics and sophisticated instrumentals make something quite unique.

I mentioned them before when reviewing Waxahatchee’s track ‘Coast to Coast’ but again there’s a Japanese Voyeurs sound here, I'm glad to see the style is continuing even since their split. Grunge may have had its day in the nineties this is following in its footsteps and ensuring a new form will be breaking through over the next couple of years, if the quality stays on par with this and some of the other stuff I've heard it’s definitely a good thing.

Bipolar Sunshine - Rivers

Video released June 13th 2013

Before I begin the review I'd like to take you on the journey of how I discovered Bipolar Sunshine and like most of my stories it begins with me scrolling through the 14,000+ tracks on my iPod looking for something to listen to until finally reaching a track I hadn't heard in a while, the track I stumbled upon this time happened to be Kid British with "Our House is Dadless". Back in 2010 this track was on a constant loop for me and featuring in almost every playlist I created, I'd recently discovered The King Blues and my ska punk hunger was forcing me to devour anything with fast lyrics and catchy instrumentals. After listening to "Our House Is Dadless" again I wondered what had happened with the band, I'd heard they'd broke up in late 2012 but nothing else, giving lead singer Adio Marchants's name a Google lead me to his new project, Bipolar Sunshine and their debut EP Aesthetics.

Now you know the origins of me finding this track I'm going to move on to airing my views of it as best I can.

The good news is that it's absolutely fantastic, the bad news is as of yet you've got minimal material to listen to as Bipolar Sunshine have barely been going any time at all. The song has a quality to it that makes it seem like a classic even if you've never listened to it before, I'm not saying in it's sheer quality and it is brilliant, it's more in the sound and tone making it sound far more mature.

The brilliance of the track in my opinion is down to how much different it is to the previous material released by Marchant, to change your sound so drastically and still produce something of such worth is a difficult feat for most artists, even established musicians can find it a struggle but this seems somehow natural, it just works fantastically.

There's just something so charming and interesting about this new project that I'm just too excited for future releases, Marchant has struck gold with this project, he's proving that he can be upbeat and poppy with Kid British while making something experimental but still accessible.

Glass Giants - Runaway Feat Danni Lafrombe

Video released August 14th 2013

Next up tonight I've got a band you will probably have never heard of, Glass Giants with their debut track Runaway featuring Danni Lafrombe of Peasant's King who also co wrote the track with the band.

The Welsh five piece are out to entertain, this track makes that abundantly clear, with lingering vocals and an all out punky sound the group are going to find fans easily within the pop punk/alternative rock world. The whole thing works very well, with an attractive and extremely well shot video they're already leaps and bounds ahead of any competition around their level, throw in some well played instrumental pieces and a nice breakdown with an inspirational set of vocals you've got something a lot of the kids will be loving.

A$AP Ferg - Shabba Featuring A$AP Rocky

Video released July 15th 2013

Okay, so to begin with I want to apologise for being a little quiet on the old blogging front in the last couple of days. While I try to update daily as it's the only way a tiny blog like this can gain a readership, the problem has been I've not really had anything to write about. Anyway today I've hit the internet hard to find a couple of tracks to write about to make up for the days missed, A$AP Ferg with Shabba being my first of today.

I've missed the whole A$AP Mob thing a little, my attention to the hip hop world is restricted to Odd Future and less known spoken word artists. The guns, bitches and bling just seems to be a little hollow and empty to me, sure it's polished and sparkly on the outside but do they really have a message in what they're singing? Do they inspire me to see the world differently? The simple answer to this is no, it's something that's always gone way over my head and I've never really given it a second thought.

Back to the actual track in question, A$AP Ferg is the latest member of Harlem hip hop collective A$AP Mob to be given his chance to have the spotlight, following in A$AP Rocky's footsteps was never going to be an easy task with his billboard 100 topping album Long. Live. A$AP realeased January this year.

Shabba is catchy, the hook is superb and I expect a crowd pleaser at gigs. Unfortunately that's one of the only plus points of this track I can see, the rest is merely Ferg stating how ninety per cent of the American female population would like to perform oral sex on him and the size of his penis, although these are themes expected in most US hip hop tracks I think I was expecting something more. Ferg has drafted in Rocky as a feature on this track and to say it's underwhelming would be an understatement. Remember when Big Sean had Kendrick Lamar as a feature on "Control"? Imagine the opposite of that. When Big Sean and Kendrick dropped that track the world turned and looked, he'd totally upstaged the main artist on the track and propelled himself even further forward with his career, Rocky doesn't do that here, it's forgettable and disposable to the track.

While it's not terrible it's not brilliant, it'd be ideal for a party or as part of a playlist but as a standalone it's flimsy and poorly constructed, the hook's good, there's just not a lot else.

Decade - Brainfreeze

Video released August 2013

Let's begin this little review with me stating that I have no idea who this band is, I saw they were playing the Lock Up stage at Reading and Leeds and thought I'd give them a listen, while they wouldn't normally be my thing I did enjoy this track and you can see they're really working at what they're doing with a passion. With a sound a lot like A Day To Remember you can see that there's an audience ready for them, with a new album currently being recorded, Reading and Leeds festivals at the weekend and a support slot on Tonight Alive coming up in October you'll be seeing a lot more of them.

Palma Violets - Best Of Friends

Video released May 19th 2013

After missing out on the initial hype surrounding Palma Violets I recently gave their debut album '180' and was impressed by what I heard. Up until this point I hadn't heard anything from them, no singles, no nothing. While listening to the album one track stood out to me, this one which I have now discovered to be their debut single. Heavy guitars, passionate vocals and great overall sound have cemented them as one of the UK's favourite up and coming rock n roll bands. Fantastic track from a band I'll be listening to a lot more of.

Carl Barat - Victory Gin Demo

Released 3rd April 2013

Carl Barat is one of those artists who can do no wrong in my opinion, I loved The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things and his solo material, I'm always fairly upset when it seems a bit quiet on the releases front with him. You may have noticed this is the second track I've done tonight with a Soundcloud link, I will now admit that I've only just learnt to integrate it into my blog, I've had Soundcloud stuff I've wanted to do in the past but been completely baffled as to how I put it on here, anyway I've now figured it out so I'll quiet down on the progress of my competence with a computer.

Anyway I've gone off topic and I'm here to talk about something in particular, Victory Gin, Barat's new demo and it's exactly what you'd expect; poetic lyricism, lingering guitar work and a minimalist sound working perfectly with the vocals. It's less Libertines and more Dirty Pretty Things with a clear heavy influence from his solo material, this for me being a brilliant direction as I loved his solo album and have listened to at least one track from it a week since it's release. Brilliant track hopefully to see light on a new album sometime soon.

Breaking 2Bad - Buddy Peace remix Epic Beard Men

Released 19th August 2013



If you've read this blog before you'll already be aware of my borderline obsession with Strange Famous Records, you may have also read my review of Buddy Peace and Prolyphic's track Creative Differences, my excitement of such a brilliant track from two artists I'd never really heard anything past them being SFR alumni. Tonight while browsing Facebook I saw Sage Francis share a link to the new Buddy Peace remix, I was intrigued and jumped straight on, oh how I am glad I did. Not only does this track contain the brilliance of both B. Dolan and Sage Francis with a remix by Buddy Peace there's something else, Breaking Bad audio snippets. It's just an amazing piece of work that I can't really describe, it works in such a strange and creative way I was left open mouthed.

V V Brown - The Apple

Video released August 14th 2013

V V Brown is one of those singers you can mention to someone and have nothing in response but a blank stare and further questioning about whom you’re talking about, however name her debut track 'Crying Blood' and you’ll have a reaction of how they love that song. This to me is a shame, she’s a fantastic talent and one the UK should be extremely proud of, while she’s got her fan base it baffles me why it’s not considerably larger. Her new single and music video was released August 14^th with very little publicity, and it shows exactly why I feel she should be huge because the track is a fantastic piece of work. Taken from the new album 'Samson and Delilah' we've got something that sounds genuinely beautiful, the beat and music works in to a perfect combination, Brown's voice displays both grace and power while almost blending into the music. Another fantastic track from a singer who I believe really deserves more recognition. 

Hyro Da Hero - Beam Me Up Scotty

Video released August 8th 2013

Back in 2011 I attended my first Slam Dunk festival at Hatfield, Hertfordshire University. The main reasons I went were Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and The King Blues, so after buying my ticket I decided to give the line up a once through and see if there were any other artists I'd be interested in seeing, one of them happened to be a heavy metal rapper by the name of Hyro Da Hero, after listening to some of his stuff I was very impressed and made sure I saw him there. The day was a drunken blur but I'd remember what fun Hyro's set had been, later that year/early 2012 I saw him again at Borderline in London. The reason I'm  mentioning this is because the new video for 'Beam Me Up Scotty' has just recently been released, it's created using footage from Hyro's live show's and shows the infectious energy and sheer ferocity of one of his gigs. This guy does not stay still when on stage, as this video shows. The track itself is great, it tells the story of an alien landing on earth and describing what they see, and they're not impressed with how people are, it works as a social commentary of people's behaviour. Wonderfully energetic video footage, great writing and from an artist who's very dedicated to what they're doing and clearly having fun while doing it.

Leopards - Have a Heart

Video released July 8th 2013

The UK has an exciting music scene at the moment, there's alternative rock, blues rock, hip hop, rap and punk amongst others, there's a lot of good stuff coming out. Pop punk/pop rock band Leopards are by far one of the best of this recent influx of bands, with a very Paramore sound they will easily discover a fan base, as well as their attractive lead singer Jenna Clare not hurting their chances.

The track I'm reviewing here, 'Have a Heart' is a perfect example of what's to come from this band, great vocals working perfectly with brilliant musicality, the tracks main message is to have a heart and work at things you want. The vocals are powerful and strong, the music is tight and it works together perfectly. This is a great start to what should be a long and successful career, keep it up.

Panic at the Disco - This is Gospel

Video released August 11th 2013

Panic at the Disco were always one of those bands I thought of as mine, when I was a lot younger I saw how everyone was getting into Fall Out Boy and decided the mainstream option was too boring so found what seemed like Fall Out Boys younger brother band then immediately hated everyone who liked them too because I thought it would make me less different. Yes, I was a weird kid as you can get a gist of with that last statement but Panic were always a great band, catchy hooks, good vocals and imaginative videos, their new track 'This is gospel', taken from the upcoming album 'Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die' is no different. The video opens with Brendon Urie on a hospital bed, he then fights with some doctors, then gets buried, then swims out and breaks through some walls then ends up dying on a hospital table, there's some rope fighting along the way too. It's got a lot going on through it's three minute run. They've not lost any of their charm with age, it's still catchy and it's a sure fire hit in the right circles.

Babyshambles - Nothing Comes To Nothing video release

Video released August 11th 2013

I recently reviewed the new Babyshambles track 'Nothing Comes To Nothing' with just an audio video, and very impressed was an understatement. We've now got a video *waits for applause to die down*, it's added something more to the track, improved it and showed that Babyshambles are back and better than ever. The video is pretty down to earth affair, no storyline gimmicks or dramatic acting scenes just the band fucking around and performing, we've got footage of Pete fighting basically everyone, including a fellow band member and a mannequin. Another addition which I find particularly welcome is the inclusion of audio from the video over the top of the music, there's gig goers declaring their love of a live show and the band having a laugh. It shows the band are getting along and everyone is happy which, even if not completely true is nice to see. Great track and a fantastic video thrown in, welcome back Babyshambles.

Max Raptor - Breakers

Video released 26th June 2013

Unique vocals, fantastic instrumentals and copious amounts of creativity, Max Raptor are making a mark on the British punk scene and from this video you can see why. The video is filmed in black and white and breaking into colour throughout the video's run time, it features clip after clip of politicians and political journalists from BBC, Sky and other news sites as well as footage of Wil Ray and the rest of the band performing. Fantastic track from one of my favourite bands around at the moment.

Natives - Stand for Something

Video released April 3rd 2013

Natives are one of those bands I've heard of but never really listened to, my girlfriend has mentioned them a few times but I've never really gave them a chance. The New Hampshire four piece alternative rock and pop group's new track Stand for Something, taken from the new EP of the same is not quite what I was expecting. It's an upbeat and rather inspiring piece of music, it's message is to find something in your life that is worth living for and working towards it to give yourself focus, and it's a great basis. The video follows the songs message, it features people holding cards with signs on about what they're reason is, it's very similar to All American Rejects video for Dirty Little Secret, I imagine this is was a big influence on them when making the video. Great track from a band with a great future ahead of them.

A Grave With No Name - Aurora

Video released 17th July 2013

Until hearing this track I'd never hear of A Grave With No Name, after listening to this track I'm now totally on board and have a great interest in obsessing over everything they've done for a while. Taken from their album 'Whirlpool', Aurora is one of the most gorgeous sounding tracks I've heard all year, the vocals are soft and delicate, working beautifully with the music to create an exquisite sounding piece of music. To be honest it's been a long time since I've really fell in love with an artists work like this, you can draw comparisons to other artists such as Trailer Trash Tracys but it wouldn't be fair because what has been created here is extremely different.

Lightning Dust - Loaded Gun

Video released July 16th 2013

Lightning Dust are one of those bands I always feel are unfairly overlooked in the UK, while I'm sure they have their fair share of fans here I don’t really know anyone who knows them which is a real shame. Loaded Gun is their new track taken from their new album, Fantasy, the first new release in four years and as usual it’s a beautiful. Amber Webber’s voice is spot on; she delivers such delicate vocals which gives the song a distinctive mark while working in perfect harmony with the music. The band have taken a slightly different direction with their new material, it’s slightly more spacey, not to the extreme Tom DeLonge went to after putting Blink 182 on hiatus but a definite sound has been created. Overall I like the change of direction, I consider this band to be one of the only bands out there making something a lot different, it’s indie at its finest.

Johnny Borrell - Pan European Supermodel Song (Oh! Gina)

Video released June 23rd 2013

Remember when Razorlight were massive, everywhere you went you'd hear 'America' or 'In The Morning'? What happened is the real question. Slipway Fires was released in 2008, that's madness. Borrell returns but he's lost the band, he's going it alone, he's toned down the arrogance and dealt with his god complex to a point and is back making music, and it's a lot different. I'm not entirely sure what happened during his 5 years off but he seems to have been on an adventure, he's a changed man and has a changed sound. The video, involving Borrell and a group of others pushing a piano through the streets while one of the group plays as they walk, it's a small production and works great with this new incarnation. Regardless of sales of his debut album I'm glad he's back, Razorlight had a massive effect on my music taste while growing up and it's good to seem someone I've got so much love for giving it another go.

Willy Moon - Get Up (What You Need)

Video released July 31st 2013

New Zealand born alternative indie singer and producer Willy Moon, real name William George Sinclair releases the video to Get Up (What You Need) and for an artist I have very little knowledge of I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this track. Moon's career took off somewhat with his track 'Yeah Yeah' when it featured on Apples 2012 advertising campaign for it's newest incarnation of their iPod, and it's no surprise, Moon's sound is very radio and TV friendly which will be of huge benefit when gaining new fans. The song, Get Up (What You Need) is the next single to be taken from Moon's debut album 'Here's Willy Moon' and it's very catchy, the hook "you got to get up on your feet to get what you need" show's what the song is all about, it's about life, it's about doing everything you can to get what you want and to where you want to be, the beat and music work in perfect harmony with the gravelly vocals. Overall this is just the next step on the road to great success for Moon, it show's he's got great music writing abilities as well as the charm to gain a big following.

Tinie Tempah featuring 2 Chainz - Trampoline

Video released July 2nd 2013

Oh Tinie, if only you'd stopped after Earthquake, if only you'd had a better back story, if only you didn't go for mass appeal but went for musical integrity instead, unfortunately Tinie did none of these things, he instead released this track. With repetitive words such as 'jump, jump, jump trampoline' and naming random capital cities, he has no innovation, he has not vision all he seems to do is bend over and wait for Radio One to fuck him, it's a shame because there's been flashes of brilliance in previous songs. 2 Chainz also features on this little ditty, I have no idea who he is, he has a way better flow than ol' Tinie but it doesn't save a very weak track and a particular low point in a persons career.

Rat Attack - A Bird in The Hand

Video released May 8th 2013

Rat Attack seem to have come from nowhere fairly fast, their debut EP 'Rat Attack' received a lot of extremely positive reviews from various music magazines including a four K rating from Kerrang! And by listening to this track you can see why. The band show a lot of passion for the music they're polaying, there's powerful vocals, a lot of energy and stage presence and heavy guitars and drums. With a sound a lot like older Kids In Glass Houses material the band will find a fan base extremely easily, and it's well deserved. If they keep churning out tracks like this they've got a very bright future ahead of them add that with appearances in festivals such as Reading and Leeds and Y Not they're on to a winner.

Hacktivist - Niggas in Paris [Jay Z and Kanye West cover]

Video released August 6th 2013

London based rock/metal/rap/grime collision Hacktivist are just constantly giving, if you look at their touring schedule for the next couple of months you'll see they don't plan on stopping. Throughout their relatively short career their cover of Jay Z and Kanye's 'Niggas in Paris' has become a firm fan favourite so the band have decided to record it , throw together a video promo with a lot of live footage and give it away as a free download to their fans. Honestly this is a master stroke, throughout the song they've thrown in little jokes and altered lyrics, my personal favourite being the change of fish fillet to six inch Subway. Great track which has definitely piqued my interest in the band.

Sarah Williams White - Close To The Equator

Video released March 11th 2013

South London’s self-confessed warped pop artist Sarah Williams White has barley stopped working in the last year, she’s released music herself, she’s featured on Dan Le Sac’s album ‘Space Between The Words’ on the track Play Along as well as touring extensively.  It was through her work with Dan Le Sac that I first started listening and have enjoyed everything so far. Close to the Equator is her most recent video released and it’s fantastic. The songs beat comes courtesy of drummer and producer Timmy Rickford and works perfectly with White’s voice, the hook almost blends into the music. Offered as a free download on White’s website it’s well worth a look.

B. Dolan - Which Side Are You On

Video released August 30th 2012

Master of the theatrical stage show and all round nice guy B. Dolan was very vocal in the case of the African American transgender fashion student CeCe McDonald, I missed this track on it's initial release and I'm not entirely sure how as Strange Famous Records are a particular love of mine. I don't know much of the case but this song really shows Dolan's passion for the case, and to be honest without even knowing about the case you'll side with Dolan due to the lyrical content. B. Dolan always shows massive amounts of passion for what he's doing and this song is no exception, the flow he has is smooth, the song sounds absolutely fantastic and the overall message is so important that the song should never be ignored.

Action Bronson - Strictly For My Jeeps

Video released May 20th 2013

I feel as if I've missed out on the Action Bronson hype so far, I gave him a listen a couple of months ago and didn't really get it, I think my main problem was I was expecting something similar to Sage Francis but what I got was something a lot different. Recently I've seen this track, Strictly for my Jeeps doing the rounds on my Twitter and Facebook feeds and decided to give it a listen, and I'm a lot more on board now, I’m slowly starting to get it more. The track, taken from the EP ‘Saaab Stories’ has a great flow, the hook is catchy and Bronson shows he’s actually worth the hype surrounding him. Now on to the video, there’s a lot of large woman footage, most memorably is a very large woman in a bikini dancing while Bronson jiggles her arse, it’s memorable for all the wrong reasons. The video has links to Bronson’s past as a chef, there’s a nice cooking scene which looks like something from Masterchef followed by a sit down meal with friends and a cake of his face, and it’s a lovely scene. Overall I think this track shows a very unique rapper, he’s not conventional by any stretch of the imagination but he’s got something about him that’s highly appealing and I think that’s going to help his career considerably.

MGMT - Your Life is a Lie

Video released August 5th 2013

Everyone’s favourite New York rock n roll duo MGMT return from their 3 year gap with Your Life is a Lie, and they’re still catchy as hell. The kicks in after a brief drum solo and a pot being hit by a hippie looking kind of guy, from there the video gets more and more strange. Henry Winkler shows up talking to a girl on a bed, there’s an old man eating a banana in time with the music, a baby with a balloon in space and other nightmarish scenes making a unique promo video for the track. It’s a strangely catchy and unusual song from a band famed for their strange and catchy songs and videos, a welcome return to them, they've been missed.

Itch - Best Shot

Video released June 14th 2013

If you've read my blog in the past you'll know about my love and borderline obsession with both The King Blues and Itch as a solo artist, it's taken a while for me to write about this track and I honestly have no idea why because it's great. The song is about being knocked down in anything in life and just getting back up and saying go for it, give me your best shot, something you can see Itch has had a lot of in his life. He raps with passion, the lyrics are tight and he goes hard through the whole track. The video features Itch wandering through an American suburban neighbourhood and encountering people along the way, a highlight for me is the shirt being worn here, how he finds clothing covered in hot dogs is beyond me, it also makes my clothing feel ridiculously bland in comparison. Great track in what's already shaping up to be a fantastic solo career.

Losers And So We Shall Never Part

Video released June 7th 2013

Paul Mullen must be the busiest person in the music industry, he's currently a member of The Automatic, Bleach Blood and Young Legonaire among others, and now he's taken on another project, Losers. Taking pledges towards their debut album the band have already played Proud Camden to rave reviews, this little promo shows there's a brand new and unique sound to this band, and it sounds fantastic. This four and a half minute promo shows a bits and pieces from what we can expect from the album, it's heavy, it's aggressive in places, it's electric and it could prove highly successful. This has piqued my interest and I can't wait to hear more.

Creative Differences – Prolyphic and Buddy Peace

Video released June 3rd 2013

Strange famous are one of those labels that in my opinion can do no wrong, Sage Francis is one of my favourite human beings in the history of the world, his Vine videos are hilarious, his music is thought provoking and beautiful, B. Dolan is one of the most innovative performers I've ever seen, his Church of Love and Ruin is one of the most amazing spectacles you could ever hope to see. Now on to Buddy Peace, he’s been on the Strange Famous rooster for quite a while yet I've never really listened to anything he’s done, that’s all about to change since listening to this track. Featuring London beat man Buddy Peace this track is quite something, it tackles the commercialisation and consumerism now attached to music, Prolyphic has a great flow and Buddy Peace’s beats perfectly complements him. The most unique thing I've found about this track however is the way that the two artists are hundreds of miles apart, Buddy Peace is in London, England while Prolyphic is in Providence. The video features a delightful old man wandering along behind Prolyphic, there’s also a cameo from Sage Francis towelling off Prolyphic after an incident with a cup of water. From what I can tell these two are the perfect combination, they remind me of a sort of transatlantic Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. All in all this is another fantastic track from one of the best small labels around at the moment and has really enticed me into buying the album.

Jay Z - Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film

Video released August 2nd 2013

Since the release of Magna Carta Holy Grail Jay Z has been very in demand, the media circus is never calm around him and his family and he seems to thrive from this attention. In this performance piece for album track Picasso Baby he's taken control of The New York Pace Gallery and performed for six straight hours, he's made himself the exhibition which in itself is a good idea, however he's not finished there, the crowd are brought in on the act taking it from a good idea into something brilliant. Ever the forward thinker this is just the next step in a long line of art based ideas coming from Shawn Carter of recent times, the entirety of Magna Carta played out like a piece of art to me, some of it hit and other bits missed but overall the album is something of a concept and one which has seemingly paid off better than anyone could have ever expected.

The View - Standard

Video released June 12th 2013

The View were one of those bands whose debut album was played repeatedly on my iPod when it was first released, I then kinda missed their second album and didn't even know they'd done a third or fourth until today. I was on Facebook earlier when someone uploaded 'Same Jeans' which compelled me to see what they were doing now. What I found was this track, Standard. It's got the same catchy lyrics and upbeat melody of the old material yet now I'm older I can see the darker themes of the music, this track in particular seems to be about an abused mother who isn't allowed to see her children. The video isn't much brighter either, we see the protagonist of the story steal a packet of stickers from a shop, refused to see her child, get beaten by her husband/boyfriend and just seem to have a massively miserable life. The video ends with the mother stabbing her partner in the chest while he's asleep and leaving his body while she goes to the pub, where she is ultimately arrested in front of the daughter she'd just reconciled with. The track itself is a well executed poppy, punky and overall upbeat sounding piece of music, unfortunately this band will be relegated to only ever being known for Same Jeans which really is a shame as there is always has been more to them than just that one track. This was taken from their new compilation album Seven Year Setlist.

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Stunner

Video released August 3rd 2013

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip are back and they've got harder beats, angrier lyrics and a far more confrontational delivery than that of any other album by the pair. The track follows the fallout of a broken relationship and the depression and inspiration that follows. With a video featuring people and themes of almost every Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip video to date you get the feeling that you're taking a journey through the tunnels of Pips mind, incidentally the video is filmed throughout the Camden Roundhouse which itself is quite tunnelly. There's reused lyrics, Scroobius Pip merch, Pip's lookalike Ricki Hall and numerous things to spot throughout the video. Great new track from two of the UK's most innovative and versatile performers.

Dan Le Sac - Space Between the Words

I'm not one to go out and buy a physical release of an album, I hate shopping, I hate shop keepers and I hate having to carry anything. Petty reasons I know but I just don’t have the patience to do it, this being said there will occasionally an album will come along that piques my interest, in these very rare cases I’ll make a point of going out to get a CD, it adds something to the experience when you’ve actually got something you can hold. Dan Le Sac’s album Space Between the Words was one of these albums, so I set out to find a copy, a decision I now see was a challenge as it took me three days to find one in central London, however when I found one I can safely say I was not disappointed in the slightest. From this album I've been introduced to several new artists, in particular Josh Idehen and his current project Benin City, and Sarah Williams White, both of which have now had heavy rotation on my iPod. Ahead of the release of the new Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip album I've spent a lot of time revisiting previous albums from them both, this album particularly stood out.

The albums opening track, Long Night of Life was a perfect beginning to the album, the gentle clapping to start with leads into a beautiful vocal piece from folk artist Merz, who features again on Zephyr later on in the album. The track leads into one of four particularly high points of a brilliant album, Play Along. Featuring South London R&B artist Sarah Williams White the track has fantastic vocals from a real up and coming talent working perfectly with the beats and the electronic additions, perfectly displaying both the talent of the vocalist and the producer. 

Memorials featuring anti-folk artist Emmy the Great follows, since listening to this album I've gained a great interest in her as a solo artist, the song has a haunting quality to it, and her lingering voice gives the track atmosphere while working perfectly alongside Dan Le Sac’s production.

The album now enters into a Le Sac solo piece, more aggressive than anything heard until this point it perfectly breaks the theme the album has gained so far and leads perfectly into Tuning, the best track on the album in my opinion. Featuring Benin City rapper and spoken word artist Josh Idehen the track is essentially Idehen talking about everything and absolutely nothing over the beat. Since listening to this track I've spent endless hours listening to spoken pieces by Idehen on YouTube and buying ‘Fires in the Park’ by Benin City.  

The next track is the first of two featuring Strange Famous rapper and activist B. Dolan, Good Time Gang War, another of the four tracks I was particularly impressed with. This is followed by the second solo piece by Le Sac, Hold Yourself Lightly.

This album shows an impressive assembly of indie artists with amazing talent over its 50 minute run time, Le Sac even gets to sing himself on the albums cover of Rhythm on the Loose’s  1992 house track Break of Dawn, which features HowAboutBeth, which is another highlight of the album. The instrumental solo pieces from Le Sac throughout the album work perfectly to break up tracks and change the tone of the album which is constantly shifting in style, from hip hop and rap to alternative folk. The albums final track is a cover of Arab Strap's Cherubs featuring Pete Hefferan of Pete and the Pirates, it's a slow and refectory sounding song which perfectly brings the album to a close. 

Overall the album is a massive achievement; it’s perfectly produced and performed by a group of people who show extraordinary amounts of passion throughout every track on the album. The whole album has more ideas flying around then the entire top 40 of last year yet never received the credit it should have. Le Sac’s charm shines through on every track, something a lot of producers lose when trying new ideas; it shows his growth as a producer and gives a huge amount of promise to the new Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip album.

We Are Scientists - Something About You

Released 11th of June 2013

With their first new material since 2010’s Barbara, We are Scientists are back with Something About You, a retro feeling rock track very much in the spirit of their previous material. It’s got a real nostalgic feel about it; I particularly liked the opening drumming. Overall it’s great to have the band back, I've loved them for years and if their new material lives up to this track we've got a fantastic album to look forward to.

Dingus Khan - Knifey Spoony

Video released March 9th 2013

With a name like Dingus Khan and a song called Knifey Spoony they had my interest,with an opening line 'you nearly killed a lady at the zebra crossing' they got my attention, by the end of the song I was now looking at upcoming tour dates. The video is very DIY-esque which I also liked, what they look like surprised me too, the first couple of times I listened to the track I didn't really watch the video so didn't really know what the band looked like, I was surprised to say the least when seeing them yet their look just further added to their charm. A fantastic fun track from a band I can see myself falling into a deep obsession with them, I'm just now gutted I didn't get Y Not tickets.

The Struts - I Just Know

Video released July 30th 2013

Ahead of their Y Not Festival appearance headlining the Allotment stage on Friday I've given The Struts’ track I just Know a little listen. The song kicks in with an instrumental intro followed by the lead singer Luke Struts piercing vocals, there’s classic rock n roll repetitive beats and vocals proving extremely catchy all the way. The video, directed by Rhys Frampton shows the band performing in a single coloured room which changes throughout the video. The band has a kind of Primal Scream vibe which I really liked, with their headline slot at the weekend it looks like this band is on the up. 

Jack Shaw - Snowprints

Video released December 8th 2012

Ahead of his appearance at Y Not Festival this weekend I thought I'd cast my eye over a few of Jack Shaw's tracks, what I found was a singer who sounds a little like a hybrid of Take That (new Take That, not the old dance around in your boxers Take That) and Newton Faulkner, a combination which should find him an audience with great ease. The track is easy to listen to, it has powerful and passionate vocals and lyrics and even has a good cause behind it, all proceeds going to Barnardos. This guy will get a lot bigger in the future judging by this track, he's got the image and sound that's very appealing to a lot of people and rightly so.

Jake Bugg - Broken

Video released June 20th 2013

I've never listened to Jake Bugg, unfortunately after hearing this track that’s not about to change. The video to Broken begins with Jake wandering out to a stage in a bar somewhere with a guitar in his hand and an extremely gormless look on his face, then comes the twanging. We get some lyrics about the end of a relationship and how he’s sad, all in a voice that sounds like he’s singing into a fan. A comparison which I find to be fairly accurate of this young man is if you have Liam Gallagher singing about how he’s currently feeling following the love child fiasco. The song drones along to a disappointing climax, throughout we have false hope that something might happen, we’re left unfulfilled and feeling like the last 5 minutes and 13 seconds have been stolen from our lives. In defence of this song I will say that it is well produced and the instrumentals are appealing, however it will never be my cup of tea.

Waxahatchee - Coast To Coast

Video released June 5th 2013

Katie Crutchfield’s Waxhatchee returns with the first track from “Cerulean Salt” the follow up to 2012’s “American Weekend” and it’s fantastic. At a relatively short running time of 1 minute 51 seconds the track crams a lot in, with engaging and interesting vocals and a minimalist sound it reminded me of the now defunct British band Japanese voyeurs, the video continues with the minimalist feel which works great. Great summer track from a band I now plan to listen to endlessly on Spotify for the next couple of days.

Gnarwolves - Melody has Big Plans

Video released May 22nd 2013

Heavy pop punk is something the British have never been able to do that well, it's always come across slightly teen pop punky and never hit a broad appeal, Gnarwolves so far have avoided this trap and seem to be gaining a huge following through their extensive festival touring schedule over the past couple of years. Their latest YouTube video 'Melody has Big Plans' show's just how good these guys are at what they're doing, it's aggressive, it's edgy, it's energetic and it's clearly a great crowd pleaser. The guys have a great stage presence, I caught their set at Slam Dunk South earlier in the year and was blown away by their Green Day 'Basket Case' cover, as well as their own material which got the whole crowd eating out of the palm of their hand. This band have a great future ahead of them and there's going to be a whole lot more of them seen over the next couple of years.  

The Virginmarys - Just a Ride

Video released February 21st 2013 

Macclesfield rockers The Virginmarys seem to have been working nonstop for the last couple of years, I remember first hearing about them a couple of years back but have never really kept up with them, after listening to this I’m pretty disappointed in myself because they’ve just gone from strength to strength. Taken from their debut album King of Conflict, Just a Ride is an energetic alternative rock track showing just what the three piece are capable of. To draw a comparison with other bands I’d compare them to Biffy Clyro if Simon Neil was to be replaced by a very pissed off Alex Turner, it may sound like a weird combination but it really works. The band is touring a lot of festivals this year so be sure to catch them if you’re at one they’re playing.

Weatherbird - Johnny Strange

Video released April 29th 2013

Telford alternate rockers Weatherbird’s track ‘Johnny Strange’ is a perfect example of the exciting new indie scene currently appearing throughout the UK. The band has swagger, attitude and a lot of creativity which is creating a lot of buzz with indie music blogs recently, as well as causing a stir on the British festival scene. I’d seen a lot of very positive reviews about this track before actually listening and decided I couldn't be swayed by what I’d read, that being said I loved the track, the band have a great heavy indie sound. The lead singer, Jacob Bell has the perfect attitude to front the band, moody and focussed while performing in the video, instrumentals provided by the rest of the band are tight and work perfectly with the vocals. This is a great track by a band who seem to be falling from one positive review to the next, and rightly so.

Sonic Boom Six - Karma is a Bitch

Video released June 13th 2013

I, like many Boom fans heard this track last year during one of the many performances I saw in and around London, if you look carefully in the original live footage video for this track you'll see me sporting a wolf hat and being rammed into the barrier at the Underworld show. So it'll be no surprise for you to discover that I love the song, it's classic Sonic Boom Six, this isn't about the track, it's about the new promo video in which Barney gets his shit kicked in by a group of monks, and it's as good as it sounds. Made like an 80's B movie the video features the entire band dressed like monks taking it in turns to hit the flat-cap wearing Barney Boom, although he keeps coming out on top. It's a great video, it's cheesy, it's imaginative, there's mobility scooters, explosions and it has Laila in a way she's never been seen before.

Itch - Homeless Romantic featuring Adam Lazzara

Video released June 25th 2013

What can I say about Itch, I've loved this guy's music for years, right from The King Blues, his solo EP's blew me away and his live performance is basically a class in how to perform for your fans. This is the track we've all been waiting for, everything is spot on, storytelling, lyrics, vocals, instrumentals, everything. I'm going to sound so one sided in this review and to be honest I really don't care, everything works brilliantly. The track tells the story of someone ending up on the street, how they've gone from a relatively normal upbringing and ended up as a drug addict with an abusive partner with no option but to run. Itch raps with such passion you're left with goosebumps, the particular line that did this to me was "what don't break us makes us damaged, yeah it's savage but fuck it we manage". Adam Lazzara is the perfect accompaniment to Itch throughout the song, featuring in the video Adam seemingly breaks down onto the floor while performing. One criticism I've seen people make that I feel I should confront is Itch's enormous jumper, I think this is caused through jealousy and envy of not being able to go work dressed the same.

Coroner for the Police - Shot Benny

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