12 Days of Christmas: Day Twelve - The Kooks Live Review

They were one of the bands that properly got me into music as a confused 13 year old and anthems like Naive and She Moves In Her Own Way played a huge part in the soundtrack for my early teenage years.

Over 10 years since the release of their debut album 'Inside In/Inside Out', they're still going strong with the recent release of a remix album and the release of their fourth studio album 'Listen' last year. As the indie rockers graced the stage at The Forum, Kentish Town, everyone was on their feet ready to celebrate all their hits. The atmosphere through out the set was euphoric, with everyone singing every single word from the top of their lungs and the connection between us and the band made it feel like one big party with over 2,000 people at their happiest.

It was clear that they were grateful for everyone's support all these years later as frontman Luke Kook grooved his way around the stage and was overwhelmed by applause after every song. It also became clear to me how under credited they are as a band, admittedly I felt like I took them for granted prior to the gig as at the time of their peak other indie bands like the Kaiser Chiefs and The Killers were also appearing on the scene, but in my eyes they're up there with the best.

The Kooks went beyond my expectations of their live performance and being amongst the crowd in an intimate venue as they played songs like 'Shine On' and 'Naive' was a special moment I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

12 Days of Christmas: Day Eleven - Driving Home For Christmas? My Non-Festive Driving Playlist

After doing a longer drive to the coast recently, it made me realise how important it is to have that perfect driving playlist. This is inspired me to curate one to maybe help those who have a long way to go to get home for Christmas. 

     

Whether it be head banging your way along the motorway to Nirvana or cruising at night to The War On Drugs, hopefully this playlist should make the journey a little easier and decrease those road rage levels.

                                                                                                                                                                                             

12 Days of Christmas: Day Ten - My Ultimate Christmas Party Playlist

It's the party season, so I thought what would be better than accumulating a playlist of my favourite tracks from 2015, with a few classics thrown in too.

12 Days of Christmas: Day Nine - Coldplay 'A Head Full Of Dreams' Album Review

A lot of anticipation has been leading up to the release of Coldplay's seventh studio album 'A Head Full Of Dreams'. Teaser posters were seen around London underground stations, with the Flower of Life at the centre and the date '4.12.2015' at the bottom. Fans managed to work out that the rumours were true as the same symbol was seen on Chris Martin's top at the Global Citizen Festival that they performed at earlier in September. 

As a Coldplay fan, I was unsure as what to expect following their mellow and quieter 2014 album 'Ghost Stories', but also looking forward to hearing how their sound would be developed. After listening to 'Adventure of A Lifetime', a fun disco fuelled track that was the first single to be released, I knew that this album was going to be louder, more vibrant and well, more Coldplay. Although I did like 'Ghost Stories', there wasn't a belter of a ballad in sight which was slightly disconcerting for a Coldplay album.

With appearances from superstars across all genres such as Beyonce, who mainly features in a duet with Martin on "Hymn For The Weekend", this album definitely has some varied styles and new sounds. If you can't tell from the artwork, you can certainly hear the concrete themes of hope, happiness and colour through the album with the six minute closing track "Up&Up", which ends with a positive message of never giving up.

I have a feeling that a lot of old school fans will take longer to adapt to the new sound they have, but there are still elements included which make it recognisably Coldplay. For example, melodies that you can already imagine massive crowds singing along to at their 2016 tour and heartfelt lyrics that fans all know and love the band for. My favourite tracks are 'Army of One' and 'Amazing Day' for those exact reasons.

Overall, I don't think this album was falsely hyped but it is clearly a new venture for Coldplay and they've reached a place where they can incorporate all kinds of influences in their music without it sounding pastiche. As usual, a lot of people will do all they can to criticise them but at the end of the day, they can out sell Adele in the album charts nearly 20 years later as a band, which is certainly an achievement. 

12 Days of Christmas: Day Seven - Recommended Music Feature Films to Watch This Christmas

Christmas is the perfect time to catch up on all the films you missed out on through out the year. 2015 has been a great year for film, and hopefully this list will help you pick out a few DVDs for your Christmas viewing. 

Amy (directed by Asif Kapadia) 
There was a lot of talk surrounding the release of 'Amy', a film following the career of soul and RnB singer/songwriter, Amy Winehouse. I made sure to pen this in my diary and wasn't disappointed when I saw the bio-pic. It makes an enlightening insight into the influences and thought processes behind her music. Not only does it document the development of Winehouse's career as an artist, but also the hard-hitting reality of her fragile emotional state with problems involving drugs and alcohol, which eventually lead to her tragic death in 2011.

Northern Soul (directed by Elaine Constantine)
Although released in late 2014, I don't feel that this film was given enough time on the big screens. As you can probably tell by the name, its set in Northern England during the 1970s underground Northern Soul movement. It follows the friendship of Matt and John as they discover American soul music and dream of becoming the best DJs on the scene. It opened up my eyes to incredible Northern soul music and the unique dance moves, which I definitely want to be able to do one day...

Cobain: Montage of Heck (directed by Brett Morgen)
Morgen uses unseen material from personal archives to create this rock documentary on Nirvana's frontman, giving a detailed insight into the life of the most iconic Grunge artist. It shows how the people and places had such a huge impact on the music Cobain wrote and I found it gave me a greater understanding of his songwriting. This is a must-see for any Nirvana fan and also for people generally intrigued by the thinking behind the man and the music. 


20 Feet to Stardom (directed by Morgan Neville)
This documentary follows the careers of longtime backing singers such as Merry Clayton and Darlene Love, who sung behind the spotlight for the most famous artists and musicians of the time. It made me aware of great talent that I hadn't paid much attention to before and first hand interviews with the singers telling their stories in such an honest and real way made it a very inspiring film for me. I can recommend it for everyone as I think the anecdotes are entertaining for anybody and it ends on a very uplifting and positive note.

Jimi: All is By My Side (directed by John Ridly)
This bio-pic tells the story of the revolutionary guitarist Jimi Hendrix and his rise to fame. It is shot in a very aesthetically pleasing way with a lot of work clearly being put into the cinematography. Although I found this film quite slow and it took me a while to grasp, I would still recommend giving it a watch as Outkast member Andre Benjamin does a good job of adopting Hendrix's characteristics and charm.

12 Days of Christmas: Day Five - Overplayed Pop Anthems Of 2015

2015 has been another year for those pop hits that everyone loves to hate and that you can't escape hearing, whether it be on the radio, in a club or on the Pop Party #1000 advert.



1. Cheerleader - OMI (Felix Jaehn Remix)

I think this track is the most overplayed of them all, the one hit wonder by Jamaican singer OMI reached number one in 20 countries and spent countless hours stuck in people's brains, driving them to bash their heads against a wall. We can all thank 21 year old German producer Felix Jaehn for creating the remix and adding awful digital trumpet instrumentation. 




2. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
You can't deny that when this first hit the charts, it's success was well deserved. It received 118,000 sales in it's first week of being released and was at number one for seven non-consecutive weeks in the UK charts. Being 1 of 9 videos on YouTube with over one billion views, it's obvious that it's undeniably a brilliant funk fuelled dance track. However, I still can't help but sigh when I hear it now, it's not that I don't still enjoy the funky beats and catchy melodies, but they are starting to lose their value because of how overplayed it is. Radio stations need to learn that there can be too much of a good thing...



3. King - Years and Years
Another track which when first released in February 2015, I actually thought "how refreshing, a dance song that I like" (I even did a full review of it here). Along came Kiss FM and when at work, I heard this song at least three times a day and it got to the point where I was subconsciously singing along. That was my cut off point, it's definitely been over played this year but has earned it's place of being in the Top Ten charts of over ten countries and being at number one here in the UK.






4. FourFiveSeconds - Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney
Like many others, when I saw Paul McCartney's name next to Rihanna and Kanye - I really thought there had been a bad typo. It still doesn't sit well with me that he's one of the most iconic British musicians and was a part of composing such an awful song. I didn't warm to it even before it began to be ridiculously overplayed, simply because of the overuse of auto tune and my lack of ability to even hear how Paul McCartney features in it. I also find I start cringing at the awkwardness of the artwork if I look at it for too long. Despite all of this, it still got the number one spot in six countries and was in the UK's Top Ten.






5. Taylor Swift - Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar
This track from Swift's hit album 1989 was re-released in May this year featuring American hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar. The remix topped the Billboard chart and became the fourth number one single from the album, selling 350,000 copies. Like many of these tracks, I'm going to sound like a broken record by saying this is another perfectly good pop song of 2015 that got ruined by radio for me. Although I'm fed up of hearing the song, I still like the dark artwork and elaborate music video where Tay Tay is looking pretty badass.









6. Ellie Golding - Love Me Like You Do
Mostly known for being the theme song for 50 Shades Of Grey, this 'romantic ballad' from singer/songwriter Ellie Golding spent four weeks at number one on the UK singles chart and was played like a broken record across all radio stations, including Kiss FM, a radio station I had to endure at one of my jobs... Before I felt that it was overplayed I didn't like the song mainly because of it's boring lyrics and melodies so having to hear it on the daily certainly didn't change my opinion.






7. Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
If I had a pound for every time this was played on Magic FM on a Sunday afternoon - I wouldn't be bothering to do a degree that's for sure. Unfortunately, that was the radio station of choice at my old Sunday job. Despite the fact that I think Ed Sheeran is a talented musician, there's no way of me condoning the fact that I know all the lyrics because of the amount of times I had to hear it in one six hour shift. In June this year, it became the first single to spend a full year in the UK top 40.




8. The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
I have no idea why he left the 'e' out of weekend but admittedly, I do have to give him credit for this song. I wouldn't go as far as some critics have, comparing it to Michael Jackson, but it does have elements of disco and funk which definitely bodes well at a party. The track was a Top Ten hit in four countries and number one in four other countries such as New Zealand and Denmark. Billboard also named it as one of the "Best Songs of 2015".









9. Carly Rae Jepson - I Really Like You
The dance pop single released by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepson peaked within the top ten charts in eight countries and remained at the number three spot in the UK for two onsecutive weeks. I quite liked her previous single 'Call Me Maybe' but this really didn't make a good follow up, the only way it can become bearable is if you take a shot every time she says 'really'.

10. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass

It all started off as an innocent body positive message and a song that parents didn't mind their kids singing along to. Becoming the tenth most viewed video on YouTube with over one billion views, it was certainly on the playlist of any kids party. But after a while, the charm of it soon wore off for me and it became another song that radio stations didn't know when to stop playing. The doo-wop inspired pop track sold 11 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best selling singles of all time.

12 Days of Christmas: Day Four - 2015 Album Artwork Favourites



1. Coldplay - A Head Full Of Dreams
Despite the accusations of Coldplay stealing Bring Me The Horizon's artwork for their album 'Sempiternal', the cover for Coldplay's new release 'A Head Full Of Dreams' is definitely one of my favourites. The symbol that the album revolves around is the 'Flower of Life', a geometric pattern representing spiritual enlightenment. Inspired by the Turkish Poem "The Guest House", Chris Martin explained that "it really changed my life and way of looking at the world, so we put it [the flower of life] in the middle of the album as at sort of thank you to that poem." 

The colourfulness and inclusion of childhood photos of the band reflects the personal aspect of the album and what guitarist Jonny Buckland explained as being the transition from "night to the day." With all the colours, layers and shapes spread across the cover it reminds me of an explosive scrapbook, and I love it. 



2. Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear 


Former Fleet Foxes member Josh Tillman released his second album 'I Love You, Honeybear' in February this year. Illustrator and Photographer Alia Penner, who has also worked on albums for Lana Del Ray creates a vibrant and untraditional nativity scene for the artwork, having also illustrated the backdrop for Tillman's set at Coachella in 2013.

The image of Madonna holding the baby Jesus, which has been made to look like Tillman, gives insight into his wicked sense of humour and personality. He explains the thought process of the image: "I'm turning this woman into a sacred object and a deity. This is what love and intimacy are manifesting as in my life!" I like how it displays his interpretation of love and marriage in an honest and emotive way, with contrasting images of religious figures and vicious creatures.

Tame Impala - Currents
Australian psychedelic rock band Tame Impala released their studio album in July this year. It received critical acclaim and gained five awards, one being album of the year, at the ARIA awards. The artwork was created by artist and musician Robert Beatty from Kentucky. Frontman Kevin Parker said the design's inspiration came from when he was visualising the themes for the album. The diagram of a vortex shedding was based around Parker\s ideas of "turbulent flow, the way liquid or air flows around objects and the trail of twisted and disrupted fluid that it leaves."

Although I probably wouldn't have read into it in that much depth initially, it does make sense when you look closely. The creativity and intellection behind the the artwork reflects the LP's imaginative sound.

12 Days of Christmas: Day Three - 3 Great Gigs of 2015

1. McBusted at the O2 (April)
Now I know what you're all thinking, "they're cheesy/lame/too old to be doing the whole Busted thing now" but this gig was honestly really special. The fact that it was at the height of their reunion, you could feel how buzzing and happy they all were to be playing such a huge venue with a massive sea of fans showing their support and energy over 10 years since they formed. They went all out to make it a visually appealing show with animated videos, pyros and very questionable stage props like the inflatable boobs suspended from the ceiling. Seeing them join forces made the dreams of my 9 year old self come true and we also feature on their tour DVD breaking down a lil bit which will be pretty funny to look back on.

2. Tame Impala at End of The Road Festival (September)
This was the first time I had seen Tame Impala live and it made it's way up there with my most memorable gigs. As I explain in more detail in my End of The Road review, the whole show they put on was magnificent and the added atmosphere of being amongst a huge of crowd of people equally as immersed in the music made it so magical. A band that I would definitely recommend to see live, whether you're familiar with their music or not. They're touring again in the UK early next year and I'm happy to say I've got a ticket for their London show.

3. The Who at Hyde Park (June)
This was a gig that really got me excited as it's a band from an era I really love and they certainly didn't disappoint. Despite it obviously not being the original line up, just being able to witness Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry's chemistry in front of such an adoring crowd was something else. I left feeling inspired and in awe of a band that have been going for 50 years and still have the talent to put on a show in the way they did. The second gig I'd been to at Hyde Park in 2015, but I feel that the venue definitely has a huge role in making live music there so great. 

12 Days of Christmas: Day Two - Albums You Should Be Wishing To Find In Your Santa Sack

   


1. This Is The Kit - Bashed Out

The band from Winchester, Bristol with front woman Kate Stables released their third studio album, 'Bashed Out' in April this year. After seeing them live at End of The Road Festival, their discography has made it's way into my regular listening. What draws me to this album in particular is the intricate melodies and use of instrumentation, Stables' vocals alongside the banjo riffs make 'Bashed Out' a great gift. My personal favourites are 'Nits' and 'Spores All Settling'.


2. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise 

Although this album was released in 2005, I've recently had it on repeat and am appreciating what a beautiful piece of music it is. The American indie-folk singer/songwriter hits all the emotions in this record and it would definitely make the perfect soundtrack for a long soak in the bath on a cold Christmassy evening. My favourite tracks are 'Casimir Pulaski Day' and 'Concerning the UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois'.

3. All We Are - All We Are
The trio that formed at Liverpool university released their debut alternative pop album in February this year. With their love of hip-hop and classic soul music, this album brings both the vibes of a 70s disco and a dreamy hypnotic bubble. It makes good listening when you want to zone out for a bit and will ease the stress of any chaos in the kitchen on Christmas day. My favourite tracks are 'Go' and 'Honey' and you can read my full review here.


4. Django Django - Born Under Saturn
The second studio album by the British art rock band was released in May this year and reached number 15 on the UK Album charts in May. The opening track 'Giant' gives you an appropriate introduction to the band's melodic harmonies and infectious energy. The inclusion of psychedelic sounds and brass gives an extra layer to the interesting instrumentation and makes this an all round fun LP. My favourite tracks are 'Shake and Tremble' and 'Reflections'.

5. Doug Hream Blunt - My Name Is Doug Hream Blunt
The 60 year old funkateer who paved his way into the business back in the 80s, released this album in October and opened my eyes to the magic of experimental funk. Admittedly, I have to be in the right mood to listen to this but the flute solos and guitar hooks are undeniably good. Once you get into this record, it's easy to become engrossed and before you know it, you've listened to it the whole way through. My favourite tracks are 'Gentle Persuasion' and 'Trek'.

12 Days of Christmas: Day One - My Top 5 Underplayed Christmas Songs

It's that time of year again, everyone's rushing around the shops like headless chickens to find unnecessary presents for people they don't really know or like. And on this pleasant experience, the same old predictable Christmas playlist is on repeat in every single shop. Now as much as I love the festivities, one thing I can't do is listen to awful Christmas number ones on repeat. Somehow they've been excused for their poor quality simply on the basis that they mention Santa and mince pies, or in Mariah Carey's case, wearing a 'sexy' Santa outfit.

Here are my top 5 Christmas songs (in no particular order) that actually make me look forward to the 25th of December:

1. Otis Redding - White Christmas
One of my favourite Christmas songs sung by the Soul smoothy himself. Wouldn't mind this being serenaded to me on Christmas morning, I'm still waiting to experience a white Christmas but realising that London is probably the wrong place to wait for it...


2. Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song
The warmth of his voice sums up Christmas for me and somehow makes me feel nostalgic of the Crooner decade, despite not being born when this was released. 


3. The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York
Okay, so I'm technically cheating with this one because it's not underplayed by any means. But admit it, you've got to love the fact that another year has gone by with no one understanding what he's singing.


4. Sufjan Stevens - The Little Drummer Boy    
The softness of his voice says that I should be getting cosy on the sofa with the fire going, a glass of Baileys in hand and watching some rubbish Christmas TV specials.


5. Coldplay - Christmas Lights 
I mean I'm going to be honest, I listen to this whatever season it is... Trying not to sound cliché but it makes me feel happy and fuzzy inside, exactly what you want at Christmas. 


Hope these have spread the festive feeling... and given you a good reason to avoid Christmas shopping for as long as possible.

Ticket touts

I don't know if this post will be up for long because I've not quite planned it but I felt the need to output my anger about ticket touts somewhere.

I'm sure no one feels positively about those inconsiderate bastards who take away the chance for music lovers to see their favourite artists/bands in replacement for selling them at a ridiculous amount of money (usually at least 4 times the price of the original tickets). But this really gets on my nerves.

Without sounding too deep or hippy-like, music is an art form. Art is meant to be accessible for anyone from any background, any country, any race, any class etc. This is why being in London is so great because there are many free places exhibiting art, like the many galleries that we're lucky enough to have on our doorsteps.

Similar to that, music is able to be heard or appreciated by anyone. It doesn't matter how you look/dress/act etc absolutely anyone can be passionate about it and access it (to a certain extent). Now obviously for most gigs we have to pay, and admittedly it's much pricier now than when my parents were going to them back in the 70s. However, there is a difference between paying a little more for the bands you REALLY love and tickets being resold for the price of a small mortgage that at the end of the day, the artist has chosen to do for the FANS.

For example, I was on 4 different devices this evening trying to get tickets for Radio 1's Coldplay gig (I should also point out that I had a tab up with the official GMT as well!) I was refreshing the page every minute up to 7.45pm when the tickets went on sale, waiting for the link to click. As soon as it was there, I was on the waiting list to get to the website. I was in the queue for under 3 minutes, and by the time I got to ticketweb.co.uk, they had sold out.

Now I know Coldplay are a really popular band and you always need to be on the ball if you're wanting tickets for their gigs, but it's clear that it's not just lots of eager fans getting hold of the tickets as websites like Viagogo are still allowing them to be resold by these idiots at '£5000'.. yes you heard right.

As naive as I sound, I can't help but find it so disgusting that people would completely disregard this and once again, ruin people's chances of getting to see a band that really means something to them.

It's just another one of those unfortunate things where money takes priority over people's conscience. Let's just hope karma bites back.

News Story: Feminist Twitter campaign gains support from musicians

 A recently founded campaign fighting against sexual harassment at music gigs is becoming well known amongst artists and music venues.

The Girls Against account was set up after one of the members experienced sexual harassment at a concert in September, she explains: “Music is a very personal thing for a lot of people and this experience should not be ruined by feeling violated and terrified as someone sexually harasses you.” Since then, artists such as Circa Waves, Kate Nash, Swim Deep and Peace have praised and followed their work.

“I’ve been groped when jumping in the crowd and we gotta speak up and educate,” Kate Nash explains on Twitter.

Members of the campaign meet with Peace on their tour to discuss stopping

sexual harassment at gigs. Photograph: @girlsagainst / Twitter

The campaign has growing support with already over 3,000 followers on Twitter in 11 days. By tweeting their favourite bands and artists, they are receiving growing recognition and have had mentions at gigs all over the UK.

Circa Waves have been raising awareness for Girls Against during their UK tour: “It happens way too much, everyone is here to have a good time, and anyone who thinks otherwise is not welcome at our shows.”

The campaign have also had acknowledgement from music venues and magazines. The O2 Academy Oxford stated: “We take this very seriously.”

With the increase in support, Girls Against also hope to target sexual harassment at festivals in the near future.

End of The Road Festival Review

As I experienced my first time at End of The Road festival, they were celebrating their 10th birthday. I was expecting an unforgettable weekend (despite the amount of alcohol consumed) as they had claimed the title of "the best festival of the season" from Time Out, and one of my close friends had been going every year since they first started.

I have to admit that I bought my ticket quite ignorantly, only knowing a few artists on the line up. But I soon did my homework, and the more I listened to the Spotify playlist, the more I couldn't wait to hear all the artists play live.



On the Friday night, everyone flocked to see the Australian headliners, Tame Impala. We had squeezed our way into the crowd and despite having a limited view, I was blown away by the lights that lit the stage alongside the music. They perfectly complemented the psychedelic rock that blasted from the Woods stage and definitely made it a show.

They had set the bar high for the other headliners over the weekend but I was really excited to see the Michigan born songwriter, Sufjan Stevens, do his first ever UK festival performance. Themes of life and death were played through tracks from his newest album, "Carrie & Lowell" and a mix of mellow and melancholic vibes surrounded the audience. The hypnotic lighting alongside his soothing voice on tracks like "Sister" and "That Dress Looks Nice On You" was so moving that it caused us to sob throughout the whole set.. Another favourite for me was "Should Have Known Better", the church-like background graphics and footage of Stevens as a child made it that extra bit special.

  

Loving the sunny festival vibes

If the music line-up wasn't enough to satisfy your festival needs, there were plenty of other ways to stay entertained over the weekend. Vintage clothes stalls and shops were around every corner for reasonable prices meaning people were reppin' fashion from all decades.

For the 'mornings after the night before', there were yoga and meditation workshops in the woods to ease into the day. Also in the woods was a section for games like giant jenga, bowling and ping pong which was all good fun when you wanted to chill out.

Another of my favourite features was the cinema. On the Saturday morning, me and my friend made the effort to get up at 10am (it was a tall order...) to go and watch School of Rock. It was such a lovely way to start the day and having film themes for each day over the weekend was a good idea as it meant there was something for everyone's tastes.

For those nights when you wanted to party after the headliners, there were discos in the woods which went on until 3am. It was all set up in such a magical way, with fairy lights scattered around everywhere and the DJ's playing on a ship as you boogied on the light up dance floor. There was also a silent disco, where you could join a crowd of people dancing away to the option of two different channels on the headphones, both bringing brilliant tunes. Having these after parties definitely made the weekend even more special and completed the days off nicely when you just wanted to let loose and dance the night away.

We were always so spoilt for choice when it came to deciding what to eat for dinner each evening, I've never seen such a variety of food in one place before! Each stall looked delicious, of course it was standard festival food prices (£6-9 for a meal) but I felt it was worth it with generous portion sizes and great quality food. One of my favourite stalls was the warm cider van to keep you warm on the chilly nights!

Madison Ward & The Mama Bear 

Getting back to the music, not only were there great headliners to enjoy over the weekend but a huge range of upcoming artists were there to discover too. One of the stand out emerging artists for me were Happyness, we came across the 3 piece on the Big Top stage and their alternative rock album was a first I downloaded when I got home.

Madison Ward and The Mama Bear were also a highlight when they performed in the Tipi Tent. With it being a sunny Saturday afternoon, their lighthearted country set went down a treat and they stayed afterwards to sign albums, so it gave the audience a chance to have a chat with them too. Mac DeMarco definitely knew how to celebrate the festival's birthday in their own style on Sunday as by the end of the set on the Garden stage, a birthday cake was thrown into the crowd!

  

Camping buddies 

Sunday night brought the band that I anticipated the most, The War on Drugs. I had had their 2014 album "Lost In The Dream" on repeat for weeks prior. The thought of hearing tracks like "Red Eyes" and "Under The Pressure" played live amongst an enthusiastic crowd with my friends only excited me.

They didn't disappoint, playing all the bangers that the crowd wanted and I didn't/couldn't stop dancing the whole way through! It was the perfect end to a unforgettable weekend, the fact that I bought my 2016 ticket as soon as I got home speaks for itself...

"End of The Road can feel all their birthday wishes came true here" - NME

Hannah Jolley

Lianne La Havas - Blood Album Review

Since Lianne La Havas released her 2012 debut album 'Is Your Love Big Enough?', she has been busy touring (including a set at Glastonbury earlier this year) but now she's back with her second album 'Blood'.

'Blood' album artwork

It's clear that La Havas is approaching her songwriting with more soul and RnB influences in mind, compared to the mainly indie-rock vibe of her previous album. The jazzy, old-school vocals are still forever making her a unique artist but the mix of indie and RnB makes her stand out more than ever.

Being the first single released from the LP, 'Unstoppable' has an infectious mellow groove with an uplifting chorus. The video is also approached in a different style for La Havas as it follows her dancing and singing freely, mimicking the theme of the song and feeling "unstoppable".

La Havas worked alongside a range of producers on this album such as Paul Epworth (produced artists such as Adele, Coldplay and U2) and Mark Batson, saying she "has been a fan of their work growing up". She explains that the process of making this album was "completely different" compared to the more traditional approach on her last album, in which she mainly worked with her own ideas and one producer.



The exploration and experimenting with new sounds and styles for 'Blood' has certainly paid off. With the more downbeat tracks like "Ghost", compared to the funk and soul driven numbers such as "Midnight" and "What You Don't Do", the variety of genres and class vocals make this album a winner.

Download "Blood" now on iTunes 

Hannah Jolley

Foals - Mountain at My Gates Single Review

The anticipation and excitement around Foals releasing new material after the success of their previous album 'Holy Fire' (2013) is finally over. 'Mountain At My Gates', the second single taken from their forthcoming album 'What Went Down' (due for release on 28th of August) and was well worth the wait. First premiered on the 20th of July on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show, the single is not only filled with all the recognisable Foals qualities; the hooking guitar riffs, roaring vocals from Yannis Philippakis and pounding bass lines but the video is also something to be excited about. Directed by Nabil who also did the videos for tracks 'Late Night' and 'Bad Habit' from their previous album, this is the first to be filmed with GoPro's spherical virtual reality technology, and makes the single both a striking visual and auditory experience.

Check the video out below:

             

Although not as fierce as the first single 'What Went Down', we are still exposed to the band's intense and distinctive style. Like most of their songs, this new track builds up to eventually crescendo with a chaotic vocal, heavy drum fuelled fusion. Frontman Philippakis is said to have been inspired by themes such as "cultural identity, generational anxiety, cynicism, pessimism and heartbreak" for the LP. He also said he wanted to engage with his "inner madman" and to feel like he was "channeling some sort of fevered creature". If the exhilarating outro of this track is anything to go by, he certainly achieved his goal.

Preorder Foals' upcoming album 'What Went Down' here.

Hannah Jolley

British Summertime Hyde Park Festival Review

The scorcher of a line up!

It's that time of year again when the sun is shining(ish), Pimm's is flowing and everyone is feeling the summer vibes. British Summertime Festival is one of the many music events in London and for Christmas 2014, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to go.

I'm a huge fan of 60s/70s music and have always wanted to see a band from that era live, The Who are one of my favourites and so this was a real treat for me. Everywhere I looked there were people with The Who merchandise, Paul Weller look-a-likes and people with Doc Martins and Harrington jackets. It felt like a real congregation of like minded people who wanted to celebrate The Who's 50 years of great music.

Luckily, it was a beautifully sunny day which made all the difference as everyone was in the summer spirit. Firstly, Johnny Marr graced the stage and it was really refreshing to hear the guitar techniques and tones that are often overlooked on The Smith's records. It soon warmed the crowd's vocal chords up when he played classics like "There's a Light That Never Goes Out". 

The singing didn't stop as indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs then played their set with the anthemic hits 'Ruby' and 'The Angry Mob'. Main man Ricky Wilson's energetic stage presence also seemed to rub off on the crowd as everyone got ready for Paul Weller. Flocks of fans swarmed towards the front of the stage and as the tension peaked, the opening guitar riff to 'The Changingman' echoed around Hyde Park. As everyone expected, he also played the Jam classics 'That's Entertainment' and 'Going Underground' which made me feel proud to be British as I witnessed the admiration people had for him.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting and the atmosphere was changing as we all hunted for the best position to see the headliners. We found our spot and as The Who logo showed on stage, the opening guitar riff to "I Can't Explain" soon hit our ears and suddenly we were transported back to 1965.

The Who didn't fail in the slightest to impress me and show everyone how they can still own the stage and grasp the audience's attention 50 years on in their career. Everyone was encapsulated by the mesmerising track "See Me, Feel Me" and completely uplifted when singing our hearts out along to the classics, "Baba O'Riley", "My Generation", "Who Are You" and the climactic "Won't Get Fooled Again."

Both Townshend and Daltrey were still able to make that connection with the crowd as they told old anecdotes of when The Who first formed and the stories behind songs. Of course, we were also treated to Pete's iconic windmill arm move as he played, along with Roger's roaring vocals.

Experiencing them live reinforced to me how irrelevant age is when it comes to music. The Who have still got that magic 50 years on and I think they always will, and that's what makes them so legendary.


Hannah Jolley

Florence + The Machine - Ship To Wreck Track Review

After having a 4 year break since their hit album Ceremonials, Florence & The Machine come back all guns blazing with long awaited new material. The new single 'Ship to Wreck' (released on the 24th of May) doesn't disappoint as fiery haired lead singer Florence Welch provides powerhouse vocals and an indie-pop driven sound.

The new track was premiered on Annie Mac's Hottest Record, the third single from the band's upcoming album "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" (released 2nd of June, pre-order here!). Although the previews that have been released seem to be diverting away from the harp based sound that the band are known for with songs such as "Dog Days Are Over" and "Shake It Off"; I can see this new direction becoming just as successful as their previous albums.

Although the track has a light-hearted pop feel to it, the lyrics bring out the inner turmoil and self doubt that Welch had been experiencing in her past battles with drink and relationships, "Did I drink too much? Am I losing touch? Did I build this ship to wreck?". The video which was filmed in her own home, explains this as it shows Florence fighting against herself in shaky, intense situations. Welch said in a statement about the new track "When you're in that whirlwind, you often end up breaking the thing you love the most."

          


I expect this new album will be yet another success as all the singles have been anthems with catchy chorus' and strong vocal ranges from Welch that we all know and love. Florence and The Machine are playing major music festivals this year including a Saturday main stage performance at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Norwich, Benicassim in Spain and Glastonbury.

Pre-order "Ship To Wreck" to download here.


Hannah Jolley

Catfish & The Bottlemen - Homesick Track Review



Surely using a sperm cell as a
single cover should intice you to give
it a listen?

Newly established Welsh indie-rock four piece 'Catfish & The Bottlemen' are up on the bill for most British music festivals this summer and with their new single 'Homesick' (releasing June 17th, download here) it's not hard to see why.
I often hear Catfish & The Bottlemen being played on XFM and it's exactly the sound that fits into that genre. I can draw similarities from Kings of Leon and Foals with heavy, powerful chorus' expressing feelings of angst, mixed with the soft and sweet melodies in the verses. The explosion into the chorus from such a quiet introduction shows the band's dynamics and the thought that goes into the structure of their songwriting. Although the song is reasonably short at 2:27, it is just enough and it would have felt boring if it had been extended.

I first listened to the EP version of the track with the official video showing the band play live in a dimly lit room. I was then intrigued to hear them play it in an acoustic environment, which lead me to the 'Gigwise Session' version. It added some context to the meaning of the song as frontman and lead singer of the band 'Van McCan' (with a name like that, it would have been wrong not to be in a band!) spoke about the fustrating times when on the road with the band. Hearing him talk about how he felt unable to look out for his girlfriend in the same way as he's able to at home, "I hate her walking home in the middle of the night and I keep thinking that she'll get mugged" added a nice little sentiment to an otherwise ordinary rock song.


Catfish and The Bottlemen are on tour across Europe and the UK later this year (tour dates and tickets here) and are also hitting major festivals this summer such as Reading & Leeds and Latitude so they are certainly becoming a common name for 2015. I can imagine them creating a great atmosphere live and hope to be amongst the crowd at some point this year!

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Hannah Jolley