The Magnettes, are Swedish duo Rebecka Digervall and Sanna Kalla and they've recently released their debut single 'Sore Feet & Heartbeats'. Having grown up together in Pajala, a quiet and very isolated town in Northern Sweden, where they have their own unique language; they rebelled against the northern silence, and decided to write and sing about love, heartache and the haze of their youth. They had a successful run of showcases at SXSW in Austin, Texas this year and have played at the New Music Seminar, Nordic Days, The Great Escape and QStock and appear as the main subjects in Hans-Erik Therus' documentary 'Pajala State Of Mind'. This is just the start for The Magnettes!
'Sore Feet & Heartbeats' Review:
Their latest release is brilliant. 'Sore Feet & Heartbeats' is upbeat, with a catchy rhythm and melody. It offers a new twist to old school pop and I can imagine it being really good live; it also got stuck in my head, too easily. 'Paper Cut' is guitar led and offers a different aspect of electro-pop, a little rockier, almost Blondie-esque, but again holds a catchy chorus, one that can't be forgotten for a while. So when you listen to it, enjoy it, tap your foot and go get it on your iPod cos you'll be listening to it non-stop...
This is the debut track from Birmingham alternative/post-punk four-piece, Grim Disco. It's a great song, with so many brilliant elements, it's out now and is hopefully the first of many more to come. They've got a support slot tomorrow night, so if you're around the area, go check them out at The Sunflower Lounge (info here). With radio support from BBC Introducing, they're definitely ones to watch!
Rhodes makes beautiful music. Birdy makes beautiful music. Together they created this. 'Let It All Go' is taken from Rhodes' forthcoming debut album 'Wishes', due to be released in September (2015). This is an incredible song and exclusive video for Mahogany Sessions. I was left speechless and have replayed it multiple times - enjoy! (Also, you can pre-order his album here.)
English singer/songwriter Lucy Rose covered Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood' for Radio 1 Live Lounge and did a brilliant job of making the top ten hit her own. Her second album 'Work It Out' has recently been released (and I've had that on repeat, it's great from beginning to end, you can find that here.)
Forrest are an alternative four-piece from South Wales, formed in 2010 and comprised of Dan, Jordan, Mark and Ryan. Their debut EP titled 'Before You Go' and a split release with Ireland's 'The Winter Passing', were largely met with positive coverage across the internet, building a small but dedicated following from the bands Bandcamp page. They've spent a year writing and recording their forthcoming debut album 'Soluna' and now it's close to being released into the world, so I caught up with Matt to ask him a few questions... General Questions: 1. How old were you when you started getting involved and how? I was about 12 when I got my first guitar and fell in love with music ever since. Me and Jordan grew up in school together and we were always involved in musical endeavours. In my first year of college I was introduced to Ryan through a mutual friend. We talked about starting a band so we got together, jammed out some old Blink 182 songs and started Forrest. It's been an incredible journey so far, I've met some of the best people along the way and I can't wait to get back on the road. 2. What is the most inspiring gig/concert/festival you've ever been to? That's difficult. I've been to a lot of shows that all have great stories. A highlight of mine was definitely seeing Blink 182 just after their reunion, 12 year old me was going nuts. 3. Who have you been listening to lately? I've been really into the new Turnover record lately which just came out on Run For Cover Records, I listen to it pretty much every morning before going to work. Also, I'm really impressed with Four Year Strong's self titled, who doesn't like riffs? 3 Questions for Forrest: 1. If you could invite three people to one of your gigs, who would you choose and why? I would definitely invite Bear Grylls, just incase. Jack from Lost, he seems like a good dude. I would invite John Snow too, I'm not a big fan of Winter. 2. What is your favourite tracks from your forthcoming album 'Soluna' and why does it stand out for you? 'Standing Stone' is my personal favourite. I think it's a song that really captures Forrest's sound. As a band, I think we've really matured musically. We're always trying new things and this track displays that perfectly in my opinion. 3. When writing the album, was it a collective effort or did you have specific roles within the group? Usually when we write new songs, each of us have different ideas that we just put together. When writing the album we wrote songs as a band which we've never done before. It was a lengthy process but the end result was very rewarding. We can't wait for everyone to hear it! Random Q: Five songs for a road trip? Feels Like - The Winter Passing New Colours - Pipedream Apartment - Client Hollow - The Sinking Feeling Losing Grip - Avril Lavigne 'Soluna' Album Review: The debut album from Forrest, has definitely allowed them to pave their own way and create a distinct sound. From the first track 'Ambition' through to the last, 'Meet Me There' there wasn't one song I didn't enjoy. The only negative someone could pick up is that their songs may seem similar musically, however they all hold the skill of beautifully written lyrics and if you involve yourself enough in the music, you can hear the intricate differences. 'Close To Me' reminds me of Catfish and the Bottlemen, with an alternative rock approach, whilst they contrast that song with 'Sol'; two minutes of beautiful instrumental, seeming almost emotive. It's a great album and one I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy!
Barn on the Farm, is perfect for finding new up and coming artists that you may not have heard of before, and for me that was I.AM.L. After hearing her soundcheck whilst eating breakfast at my tent, I knew I wanted to head down to the arena and find out who it was. A rather wonderful mix of Florence and the Machine, Kate Bush and Lauren Aquilina with a unique edge is the only way I could describe her sound and as BOTF forecasted, it was definitely a magical moment! Chilled but powerful, electronic and layered perfectly, creating not only a brilliantly unique sound but adding intense lyrics, leaving a set list full of amazing songs. (I'm looking forward to being able to download or own a single, EP or album...)
Ava Lily was the next artist I saw, on the New Stage, she took 'singer/songwriter' to a whole new level, wonderful, soulful vocals and beautiful songs. Phil from Chasing Grace played guitar for her, as well as Ava Lily playing keys, 'Burn' was one of my favourites from her set, as well as 'Sober'.
I headed to the Main Stage to see Billie Marten, again another singer/songwriter that steps up the game. Playing popular songs of hers ('Ribbon') and a cover, with and without guitar, just proved how versatile she can be within her genre. She is one of my current favourite artists, mainly lyrically, she manages to draw the listener in pretty darn well, so young and full of promising talent!
I had a walk around and on the way back towards the main stage, went past Jasper In The Company of Others, smashing the Wooden Barn Stage, the energy was unreal and everyone seemed to be really enjoying it, just gutted I hadn't gotten to see a little more, so they're one for my future gig list for sure!
Model Aeroplanes took to the Main Stage, despite the rain, everyone was going for it and they're the kinda music you can't help but dance to, so that went down well.
I caught snippets of HAUS and Cash+David and they both sounded brill, again a little gutted I didn't catch more of each set, so will be having a listen of some of their music here and there.
One artist I was super excited for on the line up was Kimberly Anne and I wasn't disappointed at all! The sun came out for her set and she did a fab job. It was her first live set up with a band and they all added something to her set up. Performing her better known tracks 'Start Over', 'Bury It There', 'La La' and 'Hard As Hello', as well as a cover of 'Show Me Love' which got everyone singing along and a requested performance of 'Kind Regard', just Kimberly and her guitar and a new song. The whole set was great and I there wasn't one song I didn't enjoy.
Another highlight from my weekend was Chasing Grace in the Wooden Barn Stage, I really enjoyed 'Tonight', 'Silence' and 'Hercules' and 'Halfway' (so pretty much their whole set) and they did a wonderful cover of 'I'm Yours', which included a marriage proposal, adding to the atmosphere! (I got home and bought their album... yeah they're brilliant!!)
The immensely talented Jack Garratt, was next. It just highlighted why I love him and his music so much, he puts so much into it and everyone was loving his set, which is hardly surprising! The whole of his set was brilliant, 'Water', 'Chemical', 'The Love You're Given' and finishing with 'Worry' was the cherry on top of the sundae (unwitty pun - apologies!). Seriously though, this year Jack has been hitting festivals hard and if I don't get to see him on his tour later this year, I'm gonna be annoyed!
Lauren Aquilina was another highlight of the weekend, performing her singles 'Sinners', 'Lovers or Liars' and 'Fools', mixed in with new songs, like 'Dirty Midnight' (which are sounding great, her album is going to be a hit) a little more built up and upbeat than previous songs on her EPs like 'Talk To Me' and 'Lilo' and a cover of 'Sex'. It was a great set, with faster tracks mixed with slower, sadder ones, you can understand why she supported Taylor Swift recently!
The headliner for Sunday was the one and only James Bay, who did a brilliant job of bringing the festival to a close. Performing crowd favourites like 'Let It Go', with the brilliant 'Best Fake Smile' and 'Scars' mixed in between with other tracks from his album. He also threw in a cover of 'If I Ain't Got You' which warmed everyone up for the finale 'Hold Back The River'. His set was full of energy, grit, soul, the list could go on.
I had a great weekend and I know for sure I'm not the only one. Joshua and the team do a brilliant job each year and I can't wait for Barn on the Farm 2016! If you want to keep up to date with them, their links are below! (They upload some brilliant sessions from the weekend up on their Youtube channel as well, so be sure to check that out!) and the first half of this blog review is here.
Barn on the Farm is an independent and intimate folk-orientated music festival, held in several barns on Over Farm, Gloucestershire. Created in 2010 as a small venture, driven by a passion for decent, new music; now in it's sixth year, it's gained a reputation as a place you will see the next big thing whilst meeting people with the same passion for music. With names like Ed Sheeran, Ben Howard, Nina Nesbitt and Bastille taking to the stage in previous years, there's only one place this fantastic festival is heading and that's to even bigger audiences and awards. Joshua Sanger and the rest of his Barn on the Farm family are brilliant, friendly and should be thanked and congratulated on creating such a welcoming festival, full of brilliant live music and moments.
Unfortunately, I missed out on intimate Friday tickets, but have heard how great and special the evening was with Gabrielle Aplin as the secret headliner and guests joining her up on stage.
Saturday, was a good day, weather and music wise, I caught the start of Samm Henshaw's set, he's got a chilled, reggae and soul kinda vibe and being back by his wonderful band just makes his live set up brilliant.
I had a look around the festival set up for a bit, taking in the music and checking out the food, drink and merch available, enough to choose from without it being too focused on anything but the music. Hannah Grace did a stunning set on the Wooden Barn Stage and got Gabrielle Aplin and Harry Hudson-Taylor on stage for an acoustic rendition of 'Hopeful' - a beautiful song, as well as 'Meant To Be Kind', the title track from her debut EP.
I headed to see Jake Isaac on Main Stage, as he's been a featured artist over on our blog, we wanted to finally get to see him perform live, he was running late so instead we were treated to an earlier than scheduled set from Mike Dignam, which wasn't a bad thing! He played some new songs, 'Dark Mind' was a highlight of his set for me and the rest of the songs are sounding great and I'm sure I'm not the only one excited for his forthcoming album now.
I grabbed some food and then headed back to watch Jake Isaac on Main Stage, his set was great, full of energy and worth the wait. 'Fool For You' and the slower and more emotive 'I'm A Man' were highlights from his set, his beautiful vocals couple up with his acoustic guitar so well.
One of the bands I was most looking forward to this weekend (and ended up being a highlight for me) were Meadowlark. After overcoming technical problems, they played songs from their debut EP 'Three Six Five' as well as their latest 'Dual', and Kate performed 'Little Boxes', just her and an electric guitar - shame about the guys to the side, who talked through most of it. Still, their set and performance was fantastic and people were joining in, dancing and enjoying themselves, which is for sure, what Barn on the Farm is all about.
Then I headed to Main Stage for a bit of Eliza and the Bear, I love their sound and again, they were brilliant live, I've only really ever listened to two of their songs, 'It Gets Cold' and 'Brother's Boat', however I enjoyed all the songs I heard during their set and I definitely went away encouraged to listen to more of their music.
After missing JP Cooper at Boileroom earlier this year, I was pretty set on making sure I saw him at some point this year, and BOTF opened that opportunity for me. He performed on the Wooden Barn Stage and he blew my mind; his sound is beautifully intricate and soulful as well as being upbeat. 'Closer' is by far one of my favourite songs that's been released this year and to see him live was one to tick of my list. (I also got to have a real quick chat with him to say his set was great - and he was lovely - which is always an added bonus!)
Another band I'd listened to a few songs of and liked but never seen live or listened solely to (if that makes sense) is Prides. Again, I was blown away and will definitely be getting their forthcoming album, I loved their set, it was a good mix of upbeat as well as slightly more stripped back powerful stuff. New songs as well as old in the set list and I loved them all. They got everyone joining in and enjoying the atmosphere which is always a plus. 'Little Danger' and 'Higher Love' were by far highlights of mine.
Then - it felt like - everyone headed to the New Stage to watch Amber Run do what they do best, get lost in the music and drag everyone else in with them - the atmosphere whenever I've seen them has always been high and intense but there was something about the festival setting that just made it all even better. The mainly performed tracks from their album but included 'Heaven' into the set, which was brilliant and fitted in nicely. They got Harry from Hudson Taylor on stage for 'I Found' and there was a phenomenal instrumental section in the closing song 'Noah', they drew a big crowd, which made me think if they're booked next year - they'll hopefully make it to the main stage!
Caught the end of Foy Vance's set and the crowd that had gathered outside the barn doors were loving it! Then the night finished with the beautiful harmonies of The Staves on Main Stage. Unfortunately after a lack of sleep Friday night and an early start Saturday, I was too worn out to stay around for the whole of their set, but I chilled at the back for the first three songs and headed to my tent, falling asleep to their music in the distance. Wouldn't mind seeing them live again, I liked what I heard and I do like their album, but struggle with the lullaby effect, similar to Birdy and Bon Iver.
Part 2 of this review will be going up in the scheduled upload spot on Friday, so head back to have a read and listen to our highlights from the final day of Barn on the Farm :)
Young Nottingham based 6 piece, The Gorgeous Chans, started in 2012 riffing on Paul Simon's 'Graceland' album and used that as a starting point for making 'indie music with a tropical twist'. The band consists of Brandon Hill (guitar/vocals), Ephraim Stanton (guitar), Daniel Potts (bass/backing vocals), Tom Girling (drums/backing vocals), Liam Webber (alto sax) and Elliot Labbate (tenor sax/backing vocals). They've already received radio support, which includes a live version of 'Marina & I' from their Bestival (2014) set being featured on Huw Stephen's BBC Radio 1 show and airplay of their B-side 'By The Highway' on BBC 6 Music. They've got a London gig on 6th July at Surya (ticket link). It's time you met The Gorgeous Chans.
General Questions:
1. How old were you when you started getting involved in music and how?
Liam:Some of us started playing together in secondary school, so around 16. Then me and Brandon met a youth theatre thing we did and that's where The Gorgeous Chans was really born - we were all between 16 and 18!
2. What is the most inspiring gig/concert/festival you've been to?
Brandon: Tame Impala at Rock City were phenomenal!
Liam: I saw David Byrne and St.Vincent when they were touring together with a huge brass band in Birmingham - as a sax player and Talking Heads fan it was amazing!!
3. Who have you been listening to lately?
We all have very different music tastes! Elliot's been listening to Years and Years and Slaves on repeat, Tom's really into Milky Chance, while Daniel's more into his ambient stuff like Helios!
We're all excited for when Saint Raymond's album drops though - he's a fellow Notts lad and was immense at Dot to Dot a couple of weeks ago!
3 Questions for The Gorgeous Chans:
1. How did your name 'The Gorgeous Chans' come about?
It's a trade secret I'm afraid - we enjoy the rumours and ideas people come up with - too much to give it away!
2. Where in the world would you most like to perform and why?
Elliot:I'd love to play Koko in London - so many amazing upcoming artists have gone through there!
Liam:I mean I'm happy anywhere there are people who want to see us, but it'd be amazing to play somewhere like Coachella or Lollapalooza! Everything in America is just on a different scale to over here!
3. Both of your songs 'Marina & I' and 'By The Highway' are getting a lot of support yet differ slightly in sound, did you go through different processes whilst writing and recording them?
Yes hugely! 'By The Highway' came first and was originally written when some of us went on holiday to the south of France. Ephraim came up with the guitar hook and Liam and Daniel, the original vocal melody and harmonies, after that we took it home and into a rehearsal with all our kit and it just came alive.
'Marina & I' on the other hand came from us attempting to cover a song by The Killers. As we tried putting our own spin on it we found ourselves moving further and further away from the original until we had a totally new song!
Random Q:
Ideal Friday night?
Tom: Like a summer night chilling around a fire with the guys, play a bit of music, maybe some FIFA, cook stuff on the fire.
Liam:Not gonna lie - probably to play a decent gig! Somewhere where the crowd are up for it, we can have a laugh, play some music and then dance the night away!
'Marina & I' and 'By The Highway' Review:
Their single 'Marina & I' is an all round brilliant indie pop track. There is a beautiful guitar instrumental and everything comes together so well to create the brilliant 'Gorgeous Chans' sound. The horns, guitars, drums, bass, vocals; everything. 'By The Highway' is a little more chilled and steady and contrasts the single well, but still stays true to their own sound. I can imagine these guys being great live and they'd definitely get people moving and singing along. Their fresh approach to indie pop is perfect for this heatwave in England, or sunny days anywhere else in the world. With hints of Vampire Weekend and Bombay Bicycle Club, I can see them following in their footsteps to a bigger following and their music becoming worldwide.
I've been on a massive Flo hype recently and all three of her albums have been on repeat, so when I found out she'd be headlining Glastonbury I was looking forward to seeing it. She really stepped up to the mark, taking over from Foo Fighters, and it's fair to say it's up there as one of my favourite Glasto sets. It's full of energy and emotion, which is what Florence's music is all about. This is her latest single 'Ship To Wreck', live from Glastonbury 2015.
Here's a different twist on Years & Years' popular track 'Desire' from alternative rock four-piece, Wolf Alice. It definitely makes the song bearable again after being overplayed... Wolf Alice have just released their debut album 'My Love Is Cool' - it's brilliant - and has peaked at #2 in the UK Albums Chart. Enjoy!
Todrick Hall became well known after making it to the semi-finals in the ninth series of American Idol. He's a vocalist, actor, director, choreographer and entertainer and has been creating a series of brilliant videos, arranging songs to stories and themes; then sharing them with his 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube and the rest of the world. If you like Nicki Minaj, Disney or anything original and creative - you'll love this!
The first half of this years '12 Albums of...' blog posts is here, we collate 12 of our favourite albums of the year so far, there's been so many and it's already been a great year for music releases that it was hard and there are some that didn't quite make the list, still, let's get to it (albums are in release date order... and all download links can be found at the bottom of this blog post...) The Mindsweep - Enter Shikari Release Date: 19th January Genre: Electronic (Hard) Rock Tracks: 12 Chart Performance: #6 (UK Albums Chart) Singles: The Last Garrison/Anaesthetist/Torn Apart This is a great album from start to finish, with their true heavy sound mixed with some chilled moments too. Brilliant for shouting along to and even though some supporters of their previous albums didn't like this one, I felt it pushed them closer to 'mainstream' and allowed more people to hear their music... 'The One True Colour', 'Torn Apart'and 'Dear Future Historians'are my favourites from this album.
Singles: Don't Go/Do You Even Know?/Cold/Closer/Under The Shadows/Love Again
I think this is in my list of all time favourite albums, there isn't one song I have to skip and all the tracks are great for singing along to - making it a perfect pop album. There's a mixture of slower, sadder songs as well as upbeat catchy tracks and after seeing Rae perform the album live, I was sold even more. My most played songs from the album are 'Skin', 'Don't Go'and'Morné Fortune'.
We all knew Little Comets were good, but they topped even the highest of expectations with this album. Their trademark sound of catchy guitar riffs, head nodding and toe-tapping beats and upbeat songs you can't help but join in with. Their beautifully written lyrics are also to be credited on this album, with tracks like 'The Daily Grind', 'Salt' and 'The Blur, The Line and The Thickest of Onions' being highlights of the album.
FM may not be quite as good as their previous album 'Past & Parcel', but it is definitely one of the best albums, in my opinion, from this year. All the elements and layers true to 'The Skints' sound is there throughout and they've worked with some brilliant artists on this album, like Tippa Irie and Horseman featuring on'This Town' and with Rival on 'Eyes In The Back Of My Head', one of my favourite tracks from the album however, is the closing song 'Tomorrow', with a positive message shadowing the chilled reggae vibe.
This is the stunning debut self-titled album from British creative collective Bright City; based at St. Peter's, Brighton they have created a beautiful album, full of really wonderful songs. The music video for the single 'Colour'fits with the song so well and there's a mix of songwriters working on the project, meaning there's a mix of styles too, which is refreshing to hear. Two other highlights from the album for me would have to be 'We Believe' and 'Broken'.
Chart Performance: #1 (UK Albums Chart) | #15 (US Billboard 200)
Singles: Let It Go/Hold Back The River
I might be a little bias here; but I had the pleasure of doing a spotlight for James and reviewing this album and honestly I kept finding excuses to listen to it over and over again - I had to give up in the end and just say 'it's a bloody good album'. He brings something new to the 'typical' male solo musician group of music in the charts at the minute and even though 'Hold Back The River' has been overplayed now, I've had 'Let It Go', 'Scars' and'Collide' on repeat and finally get to see him play live this weekend and I'm sure it's gonna be great!
I fell in love with Amber Run just over a year ago and loved their trilogy of EPs throughout 2014 so when they announced the release of their debut album this year I couldn't wait. They didn't disappoint. Everything is brilliant. Guitars, keys, drums, bass, harmonies, oh the harmonies and their lyrics are on point too. 'Spark' I have really liked since the EP, '5AM' has made me cry on many occasions, especially when I saw it performed live and 'See You Soon'is a brilliantly fitting track to finish their album off on, hopefully we'll be seeing them soon for their second album...
It's good to see there are still brilliant new 'pop punk' bands, I feel like there was almost a shortage of them and now As It Is are leading the pack; 11 brilliant tracks and a mix within the genre, there's the heavier, upbeat, shouty tracks like 'Dial Tones', with a few slower, melodic guitar led songs like 'My Oceans Were Lakes' (which is a really beautiful, stunning and honest track) as well as a good balance between the two, 'Can't Save Myself'.
Another brilliant album I featured recently, there's a good mix of stripped back, honest acoustic songs and some that are built up and more upbeat and catchy. My favourite three tracks from the album were hard to choose as I've sat many evenings and listened to the album all the way through; but they're her forthcoming single 'London Bound', 'The Postman' (which is a brilliant story-telling style song and another that catches you emotionally) and 'I Don't Know'for the perfect balance of honest lyrics with a catchy melody and instrumentation throughout.
Chart Performance: #19 (Irish Albums) | #37 (UK Albums Chart)
Singles: Blud/B a noBody/Sea Creatures
I've been following SOAK for the past couple of years and it's been a long wait for her to release an album and now it's here I can't get enough of it. All 14 tracks are great and unique to other music that's around at the minute. 'Sea Creatures'has been one of my favourites since the 2012 version and it's just got even better for the album version. '24 Windowed House' is another highlight for me, from the Blud EP last year and - although it was hard to choose between them - I think 'Hailstones Don't Hurt' is my stand out new song.
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful - Florence + The Machine
Release Date: 29th May
Genre: Indie Pop/Rock
Tracks: 11 | 16 (Deluxe)
Chart Performance: #1 (UK Albums Chart) | #1 (US Billboard 200)
Singles: What Kind Of Man/Ship To Wreck
How could I not include this album in this list? Even though it doesn't have as many 'live gig crowd pleasers', it is definitely a collection of beautiful songs. Highlights for me are the latest single 'Ship To Wreck', the title track 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' and a lesser heard track 'Hiding'. (Also if you haven't already, make sure you book yourself 3 hours to listen and watch her Glastonbury Festival set from this year, it's really worth it, she stepped up to the stage and went for it).
One of my favourite albums I've had the pleasure of reviewing this year, it's a beautiful album that is so easy to listen to from the first note to the last. A collection of stunning songs with incredible harmonies and vocals as well as wonderful piano, guitar, strings and much more. Three songs that stand out to me are 'Fall Awake', 'Midnight In London'and 'Beautiful Burden'. This has become the soundtrack to many chilled evenings recently, especially with this heatwave in England, I really would encourage you to get yourself a copy!
