Acoustic Dreams & Hardcore Screams

The Echoes: Exes & Whys

2011-03-10T17:54:00.000Z

Remember that rather lovely new band I blogged about here? Well, they're back with a new single from their forthcoming second EP.

The Echoes are back with ‘Exes and Whys’, a song with a harder edger and spunkier sound but in keeping with their iconic duelling vocals and soaring choruses. Where they first gave us songs with a summer feel and clap-a-long vibe they now trade in for darker sounding guitars with the fragile sound of a piano in the background. Do not be mistaken for thinking they’ve changed it all; the lyrics are still riddled with inner strife and the catchiness levels are still mounting until they topple off the top of the memorable melody Richter scale. I predict it might be a good year for these boys.

I urge you all to download this track and support them. You can do so at all reputable online music stores; but for those of you feeling lazy, here are a couple of links (no excuse now, is there?):

HMV // iTunes

P.S. I know I'm a terrible music blogger who says they're returning and then goes quiet for nearly another month. I'm working on it. Throw inspiration and motivation my way!

Remember Me?

2011-02-14T19:44:00.002Z

2011.

Valentine's Day.

The day I remembered the love for this blog. For new music. I'm making a comeback.

Reviews. New bands. The lot.

Tell me you missed me?

LIVE REVIEW: Alexisonfire @ Solus, Cardiff - 04/11/10

2010-11-09T13:44:00.005Z

Last Thursday was the night I finally saw Alexisonfire play a full-length show. Sadly, I don’t think I can quite count the snippet of their set that I caught at Taste of Chaos in 2006 (damn being late). Alexis are definitely “up there” in my top 10 bands and I have already expressed how much I love the man that is Dallas Green on the blog.

To look at, Alexisonfire are incredibly diverse – George (vocals), Dallas (guitar, vocals), Wade (guitar, vocals), Chris (bass) and Jordan (drums) all look radically different from one another, a sight that is refreshing when you become used to watching cut copy bands that style themselves the same and flaunt their talent in similar ways.

And damn, do they put on a hell of a show. An 18 song strong set was delivered by the fantastic fivesome as they opened with ‘Young Cardinals’; an iconic and haunting song from their last full length studio album ‘Old Crows / Young Cardinals’ and immediately the crowd were putty in their hands.

George’s stark raspy shouting vocal contrasted with the deep and melodic sound of Dallas’ voice in each song was like pure aural heaven live. Not to mention the backing lyrics delivered by Wade making it the ultimate vocal package. The entire show was a wonderful mix of Alexisonfire’s most loved offerings from the past framed with songs from their present. If I hadn’t known better I would have thought we were at a staging of their greatest hits album. We even got a quick taste of their newest EP ‘Dog’s Blood’ when they performed the song by the same name which sounded cutback and delicious.

George had a strong ability to command the stage as he bounded from one side to another and, from what has become expected from an Alexis live show, whipped his t-shirt off to reveal his masculine man-fur and perspiration halfway through the set. A sight that was unexpectedly attractive.

Before you had time to catch your breath, the bulk of the set had come to a close with ‘This Could Be Anywhere In The World’, a favourite amongst the masses, played as a classic finale with each and every voice in the room singing out in a warped kind of choral climax. The crowd barely had time to process their departure before they were back on stage for a generous 4-song encore starting us off with ‘The Northern’ (much to the loud Welsh man beside me’s delight). ‘The Northern’ encouraged one of the most beautiful moments of the night with Dallas Green leading a soft and haunting chant of “hallelujah” during the mellowing of the song.

’44. Calibre love letter’ satisfied the old-timers’ lust before we hurtled into ‘Accidents’ with George’s precluding speech:

“we went to see Burke and Hare at the movies last night and it was shit. The Shaun of the Dead guy [censored spoiler]. Do you know what I love more than ruining the endings for people of movies I hate? Playing Accidents!”

God, I love that man.

I’d like to take this opportunity to praise Chris Steele’s ‘tache efforts. He’s taking part in ‘Movember’ – a moustache growing movement set-up in aid of raising money for charities benefiting those who suffer with prostate cancer. The challenge is how well men can grow their facial fluff without shaving at all for the whole course of November. But Chris needn’t worry since he had a huge twirly-style moustache on the go looking truly magnificent.

What I love about Alexisonfire is that they have the key elements that point towards them being a rock band visually – tattoos smothering their skin and stubble spattering their faces - but their personalities shine across as lovable blokes completely void of rock star personas. George smiles more than he grimaces and Dallas looks like someone you might see in the library (okay, taking the glasses stereotype to the extreme). Yet despite their non-typical rock star presence they hold the stage and the crowd with full force and their sound and energy is both hard-hitting and unbelievably addictive to listen to and watch. I would have stood and watched them all night if I could. Quite aptly, they closed the show with 'Happiness by the Kilowatt' - I think it's safe to say each fan was feeling that tenfold.

Setlist for the night:
Young Cardinals
Mailbox Arson
Boiled Frogs
Heading For The Sun
Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints
We Are The Sound
Old Crows
Rough Hands
Sons of Privilege
Charlie Sheen Vs Henry Rollins
Keep It On Wax
Accept Crime
Dog’s Blood
This Could Be Anywhere In The World

ENCORE
The Northern
44. Calibre Love Letter
Accidents
Happiness By The Kilowatt

BT Can Suck My Balls...

2010-11-02T15:30:00.001Z

How's that for an unladylike blog post title?

The basics are thus:

I have recently moved residence to a lovely little flat in Frome.

The downside of this is I currently have zero, zilch, nada, NO internet access at home as of yet. And since we're in a new build we have to wait for BT to toddle along and connect our line, which at present will be 3 weeks.

So don't think I've dropped off the face of the earth. I'm only vacant in the blogging world is all.

Plus... Alexisonfire live review will still be coming after I see them in Cardiff on Thursday. Did you really think I wasn't going to blog SOMEHOW about Dallas? C'mooooon.

P.S. Apologies for the lack of Attack! Attack! review - I felt like a poorly puppy and didn't go. Lame, I know.

BAND EQUATION: Paramore + Mayday Parade = We Are The In Crowd

2010-10-16T16:04:00.000+01:00

I find that one of the best ways of discovering new bands is having comparisons made to other bands you may already know and love. It means you have a bit of a vouch of confidence you'll like their stuff. So, in what may or may not be a regular feature, here's the result of a band equation that you may want to check out.

Paramore + Mayday Parade = We Are The In Crowd

Love Hayley Williams' voice? Then the female vocalist in We Are The In Crowd will be right up your street. The similarity is uncanny between their voices. Same strength, same tone, same passion. As for Mayday Parade - remember back on their debut album they had not one, but TWO, main vocalists? Well... this band has one female, one male. And you know what? It really works. I'd go so far as to say he sounds a little like Jason Lancaster (who left Mayday Parade for Go Radio FYI).

Below is their new video for 'Both Sides of the Story'. See what you think!

Call It A Comeback...

2010-10-14T10:29:00.000+01:00

Well, what do you know, My Chemical Romance are back with the debut single off of their forthcoming album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.

'Na Na Na' is a return to the real spirit that runs in My Chemical Romance's veins. Below is the Quentin Tarantino style video... featuring Gerard Way's new bright red bonce. Niiiiice.

Introducing... The Echoes

2010-10-10T17:56:00.001+01:00

If you are sat there eager to listen to a new band that satisfy the following:

sing-a-long lyrics
bright and uplifting melodies
pop punches with a soft rock heart

Then stop the search and check out The Echoes.

The Echoes are a four-piece pop punk (does that really surprise you? I'm destined to marry pop punk) outfit hailing from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Their debut EP 'This Isn't Hollywood' is packed full of dance-inducing tracks that have a way of putting a smile on your face. But don't pigeonhole them in the 100mph tempo range just yet because they also pull off the tender ballad with more delicate song 'Save Me' full to the brim with softly sung heartfelt words.

The stand out song of the EP for me is undoubtedly 'In This Scene'. Playful guitars build up to a soaring chorus that will inevitably get stuck in your head for some time afterwards. The contrast of the two vocalists' voices - the delicious gruffness of one mixed in with the lighter tone of the other makes for a great sound that compels your ears to listen more than one monosyllabic voice would.

The UK is full of cut-copy bands that produce very similar sounding music and when it comes to pop punk you could easily drown in the ocean of replicated riffs and mimicked chants along the way. But now and again a band comes along that has a certain "something something" to make them stand out from the impersonators. The Echoes have something that does just that. It may be that their melodies are a little more memorable, or that their singing has a pinch more soul. Either way, their first EP offers a bit of a change from the norm without deterring completely away from what you'd want from a band of this genre.

You can purchase 'This Is Hollywood' for the bargainous price of £3 here.

The Echoes are touring in November so catch them if you can:

8th November: Bristol, The Fleece

9th November: Birmingham, Sound Bar

10th November: TBC

11th November: Camden, Dublin Castle

12th November: Coventry, Kasban

13th November: Cheltenham, 2 Pigs

Find the band online:

Facebook // Myspace // Twitter

Top Ten Riffs of the 21st Century

2010-10-01T21:49:00.002+01:00

So, Total Guitar magazine recently ran a poll asking for readers to vote for what they deemed the ultimate guitar riffs. Here are the results...

10. Beast & The Harlot - Avenged Sevenfold
9. Mr Brightside - The Killers
8. Halo - Machine Head
7. Seven Nation Army - White Stripes
6. No One Knows - Queens of the Stone Age
5. Knights of Cydonia - Muse
4. The Dark Eternal Night - Dream Theater
3. Afterlife - Avenged Sevenfold
2. Slither - Velvet Revolver
1. Plug In Baby - Muse

Plug In Baby at number one? I'm totally with you Total Guitar readers...

LIVE REVIEW: Futures @ Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - 22/09/10

2010-09-28T11:45:00.001+01:00

Mixing it up a bit with this review - in video format as opposed to the usual written style. Probably not half as extensive as doing it in writing but I thought it was about time I did another video, hopefully it doesn't detract from how amazing Futures are; no doubt I don't emphasise it enough! Enjoy.

And enjoy a recording of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' below.

Support Local Talent: Walk The Line

2010-09-17T15:21:00.001+01:00

No, I'm not talking about wolf-whistling people in the street, or ogling some fine specimens, I'm talking about supporting your local music scene and checking out some talented musicians. I'm a South West of England girl and if you're in the area too you should try as hard as possible to get along to this mini-music fest in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...

Walk the Line, Cheltenham's multi-venue music festival, is returning for it's second year on October 1st and 2nd 2010. The musical talent on show includes David Ford, The Dawn Chorus, 6 Day Riot, The Strange Death of Liberal England, My First Tooth, Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun, Thrill Collins and many more.

Tickets are selling fast, so music lovers are being encouraged to buy their tickets now. Tickets purchased before the end of Saturday (18th Sept) can be purchased for 20% off.

The full line-up is:

Friday
Brown Torpedo, Midnight Mile, Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun, The Dawn Chorus and David Ford + more to be confirmed.

Saturday
Hitchhikers of the Galaxy, The Echoes, Reachback, Joe Noel, Pete Taylor, Gareth Harper, Thrill Collins, Dale Campbell, Ryan Martin, Edd Donovan, Faded Circus, My First Tooth, The Strange Death of Liberal England and 6 Day Riot + more to be confirmed.

The festival also includes music industry debates featuring many of the key figures in the local music scene.

If you don't live close enough to go then I urge you to check out some of the bands listed; give your ears some new music treats.

LIVE REVIEW: Muse @ Wembley Stadium, 11/09/10

2010-09-14T16:17:00.002+01:00

If you’re not yet personally familiar with a live Muse show (and why not?) you can expect it to be a huge visual spectacle with a massive sound that clouts your ears hard and electrifies your whole sensual capacity. No, I’m not overdoing the description, it’s entirely expected now and always fulfilled. Being a bit of a Muse veteran; I can entirely vouch for the fact they are one of the best bands to see ever in the history of ever.

Wembley stadium is a beast of a venue that Muse somehow manages to dwarf with their music. From the moment they entered the stage and launched into ‘Uprising’; Matt Bellamy was a force to be reckoned with as he hammered out everything he had with his guitar and filled the whole venue with both the heavy and the sublime. No one can argue that he took the centre stage as Dom (drums) and Chris (bass, backing vocals) stayed as fairly background characters but still generated a powerful collective sound that you’d be hard pressed to challenge. Bellamy spent the duration of the show prancing from one side of the stage to another as well as descending down the central runway, pushing the crowd’s energy off of the hyperactivity Richter scale as he went.

The stage set-up deserves a mention in itself. For a place so big, its appearance had to be larger than life; the effects had to be impressive. We were faced with pyramid shaped staging with each top segment being an individual screen that moved from VT montages to portraits of each Muse member as they played. At the peak of the pyramid was an orb that displayed a creepy close-up of a moving eye for much of the show. For those who have been to a Muse stadium show before, you may remember the large spheres hoisted up behind the stage and scattered around the vacant seats, they were there again too and flashed in concordance to the spectacular light show that accompanied Muse’s epic set list.

For a night this big; the set list was inevitably big too. So without a play by play dissection, here were the best bits:

'Supermassive Black Hole' - this is one of the sexiest songs ever to be written and hearing it ring out in front of you makes it sound ten times more full of raunch.
Ever the lovers of the extra-terrestrial - Muse whipped out a huge inflatable spaceship during the encore which was pulled manually round the circumference of the standing area as a troop of security men dashed beside the puller to clear people out of the way. Then what happened? Oh, you know, a female acrobat tumbled out from inside of it halfway round, spraying glitter everywhere and twirling and swirling as it continued its orbit. Amazing.
The anthemic cover of 'Feeling Good' was sung loud and true by every one in the stadium. If ever there were lyrics that spoke of hope for new beginnings it was these and it felt oh-so-good to sing them with thousands of others in unison.
The relatively unexpected old favourites 'Bliss' and 'Citizen Erased'.
The whole night was a perfect mixture of Muse's discography. From their current album The Resistance; they gave us 'United States of Eurasia' which was simply made to be played to an audience with its subtle piano intro growing to its euphoric melody and dramatic chants.
The moment when Dom and Chris got a chance to come to the forefront on the mini platform and be risen up whilst they performed an instrumental together before, eventually, being re-joined by Bellamy.

The two encores of the night made the entire show for me. ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, ‘Plug In Baby’ and ‘Knights of Cydonia’ all in quick succession? Absolutely magical. Three of the biggest Muse tracks played out on stage was completely priceless to even the kind-of fans. Not to mention the out-of-this-world light suit that Bellamy wore to return to the stage for the second encore to sing ‘Take A Bow’. He was smothered in flashing red lights and donned some super-stylish sunglasses adorned with clashing blue ones.

It's displays such as this that make you realise how far this band have come. Go back a few years and they were just as talented and still delivering the big guns song-wise; but they were playing "normal" venues and putting their music across with smaller gestures. Now you've got Bellamy doing his thing like a flashing human lightbulb as UFOs descend and drummers and bassists take off on moving platforms. You can't doubt that a display so full of grandeur only mirrors the grandeur of their music. Big, loud, beautiful.

Is it possible they could possibly get ANY bigger? Let's wait and see.

Set list for the night
Uprising
Supermassive Black Hole
MK Ultra
Map of the Problematique
Bliss
Guiding Light
Hysteria Interlude
Citizen Erased
Nishe
United States Of Eurasia
Ruled by Secrecy
Feeling Good (Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
MK Jam
Undisclosed Desires
Resistance
Starlight
Time Is Running Out w/ House of the Rising Sun intro
Unnatural Selection

Encore
Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 1: Overture
Stockholm Syndrome

Encore 2
Take A Bow
Plug In Baby

Knights of Cydonia with harmonica Intro

LIVE REVIEW: Brandon Flowers @ Relentless Garage, Islington, London - 08/09/10

2010-09-09T20:29:00.001+01:00

I found out last week that I’d won two tickets to go and see Brandon Flowers play an intimate, winners-only show (only 200 pairs of tickets were given away after a draw from those who pre-ordered his album ‘Flamingo’ on HMV) in London on September 8th . I have to say I was pretty darn excited.

After a mad taxi dash across London and jogging up to the venue we secured some snug positions quite close to the stage in the relatively small Relentless Garage in Islington. It was clear we were going be in for a special event. Brandon’s backing band for the show entered the cosy stage and they were shortly followed by the main man himself complete with billowy-Heathcliff-esque shirt and black waistcoat. Oh, and he had trousers and shoes on too, of course. This night was a chance for Mr Flowers to showcase his debut solo album, a record he made alone due to his fellow band mates in The Killers wanting to take a little break from music for the meantime.

‘Flamingo’ is a much milder sound in comparison to what you identify with The Killers but stills carries the same tone and spirit in its veins. With the album only having been officially out for a few days you would have expected a relatively quiet crowd, but you would have severely underestimated the level of fandom associated with this man. From the opening song to the closing ‘Killers classic; people were singing along to every word. Flowers’ current single ‘Crossfire’ predictably drew the biggest reaction of the night and sounded truly euphoric live. The energy of it was echoed in other epic album tracks such as ‘Jilted Lovers And Broken Hearts’, which strongly echoed the usual sound of The Killers, along with upbeat track ‘Magdalena’.

We were treated to two covers during the set – ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ (Kim Carnes) and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ (Elvis). Each was embellished with Flowers’ personal vocal stamp and both sounded equally aurally delicious. One of the beautiful things about Brandon Flowers’ stage presence and voice is how songs that previously sounded “alright” on first listen of the album suddenly come across as musical classics when transferred to a live show.

Flowers was humbled through the entire performance, thanking the crowd for such a warm reception and beaming whilst taking breaths between verses. It made you forget temporarily that this man, whilst accompanied by his usual band set-up, has sold out arenas worldwide in minutes and has written some of the most loved songs of this century. There he was; in a modest-sized venue, performing brand new songs, acting as if he was just starting out. A true sign of a proper musician, not a rockstar ego.

A humorous moment came just before they played ‘Swallow It’ and Flowers mentioned that it had sparked a bit of a controversy. One must imagine this controversy comes from those with severely one-track minds. I’m sure you can all figure out the innuendo, but in case you’re a little too vanilla, here are some of the lyrics:

You could not Swallow It
No baby you're not ready, slow down

Ooh, matron.

After the languid yet soulful ‘Playing With Fire’, Flowers exited the stage, shortly to return with only an acoustic guitarist to perform a stripped down version of ‘When You Were Young’. It sounded delicate and spine-tingling and rounded up the evening perfectly. That classic coupled with ‘Losing Touch’ earlier in the evening made for a balance between Flowers’ solo material walking comfortably hand-in-hand with his collective work as part of The Killers . Brandon demonstrated that he can carry himself and his sound with the charisma and soul of a Vegas-born singer yet remain true to his roots and what got him there in the first place. Raw talent.

SETLIST FOR THE NIGHT:
On The Floor
Crossfire
Magdalena
Bette Davis Eyes [cover]
Jilted Lovers And Broken Hearts
Was It Something I Said
Hard Enough
Are You Lonesome Tonight? [cover]
Losing Touch [The Killers]
Only The Young
Swallow It
Playing With Fire

ENCORE
When You Were Young [The Killers]

It's not as good as being there, but here is a video recording that we filmed whilst Brandon performed 'When You Were Young' during last night's performance. Enjoy.

Facebook Lovin' & Brandon Flowers bummin'

2010-09-06T20:28:00.000+01:00

Beautiful people,

You can now show your love for Acoustic Dreams & Hardcore Screams on Facebook for all to see.

Now I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't want to head over there and give the 'like' button a little press? For little old me?

Help out a sister from another mister.

What's that? You'd love to? Aw, shucks. Thanks guys.

But seriously though... to any of you reading this who regularly pop by the blog, I really appreciate you appreciating, well, me and this. I write about music for me but it's nice to think that others want to read it too.

On another note, guess where I'm off to on Wednesday? (answer below)

God bless HMV's pre-order competition. I'm coming Brandon! Review to follow...

Reading Festival 2010: The Review

2010-08-31T19:48:00.001+01:00

So, here I sit, sunburnt nose and all, 'fresh' (smell the irony) from getting back from Reading Festival 2010. There's a purple wristband firmly on my right wrist which will inevitably stay there until I hit another festival next year. I'm tired. I'm sore.

All in all?

It's been a blast.

Let's not kid ourselves into thinking I'll be able to properly review every band I watched. For starters, for some I was sitting/lying down and soaking in the atmosphere and others were good, but not worthy enough of fully constructed descriptive sentences. So I'll do what I do best: summy-uppy bits of festival goodness.

For those of you who went to Reading or Leeds; hopefully this will help bring the whole weekend back to you and for those of you who didn't go - let me help paint you a picture with the most memorable acts I caught during the weekend.

FRIDAY

Young Guns
Young Guns put on a good show opening the entire weekend on the main stage at 12pm but what really made them shine was the acoustic performance they did for Radio One on the BBC Introducing stage. The delightful and delectable DJ Greg James came onstage to introduce them live on the radio and had a bit of pre-song chat with them before they launched into ‘Crystal Clear’ followed by a cover of Ellie Goulding’s ‘The Writer’; much to the bemusement of Greg (current boyfriend of Ms Goulding). But they pulled it off – their track sounded lovely acoustic and they managed to ease Greg’s cringing with an inoffensive and pleasing to the ears rendition of ‘The Writer’.

Lostprophets
In recent months I've fallen out of love with Lostprophets. They used to be up there with the best of them for me; hell, I've even got a poster of them from 'back in the day' framed on my wall (this was mainly because I have three frames in a row and it's black & white... you don't want to know this do you?). But I just don't like their newest material. It does zilch for me. Apart from 'Where We Belong' I can take it or leave it... but mainly leave it. However, when festival time comes around, you know you'll get a pretty good mixture of old and new for the sake of pleasing as much as the crowd as possible. Headlining your own show is a different bag - you can play what you want because people have chosen to go specifically for you. Festivals are different and because of that I got what I wanted - older songs. I sang my heart right out to treats such as 'Last Summer', 'Last Train Home' and 'Burn Burn' to name but a few. I have to say their backdrop was quite special too...

Biffy Clyro
Only caught the first few songs and I love them half to death but I have only one thing to mention of this particular time of seeing them... Simon Neil, what the hell have you done to your hair?! You do not wear bleach blonde well.

Mumford and Sons

Mumford and Sons were one of several bands that I was most looking forward to see for the first time and they had one of the biggest turn outs of the weekend. The NME tent was crammed to the rafters and then some with eager bodies desperate to soak in their happy-go-lucky folk-infused tunes. Hands on heart they came across as the loveliest and most humbled gentlemen I have ever seen perform. The warm response they got from the crowd left them beaming and you felt as if you were riding out the overwhelming dream through them. But they deserve every ounce of recognition that they get – their menagerie of instruments and lively spirit made for an unforgettable experience and I honestly cannot wait to see them again.

Guns N Roses
I’m sure you know all about Guns N Roses performance (or lack thereof) from the internet, television, radio or simply word of mouth. Hey, maybe you even heard Axl Rose’s wailing from your living room without even having to be in the near vicinity of the festival site. But here’s my perspective of the whole event.

It had notoriously been enforced to Axl and the rest of the current line-up of GNR that they were to be dead on time coming onto the stage at 9:30pm if they were to guarantee getting through their whole setlist before the strict curfew hit at 11:30pm. Did anyone expect them to come on stage on time? No. Was it still really bloody annoying having to wait? Yes. But you got the sense that people wanted to watch the crash and burn. Due to previously established predictions that they would either pull out at the last minute, or just be incredibly late, the crowd wanted to see what the actual outcome would be. So, as 10 minutes late grew to 20, and then 20 to 30 (and so on) until 60 minutes had been reached. With each minute that passed the heckles grew and the unappreciative shouting continued (see below for specific words of choice from the crowd).

Finally, at 10:30pm, one hour late, on they all came. Like many others alike; I only know the classic GNR tracks and, despite not being the biggest fan, I was looking forward to witnessing them played before me. However, as the first recognisable track to my ears ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ was played; it was clear they were not going to be presented with the full pelt and iconic sound that I had imagined. Axl’s vocals were all off and all I could hear around me was criticism aimed at the members of the band who could never be as good as the originals.

Each song’s end was met by a barrage of booing and it never let up. There was either silence or pure disgust coming from those who’d made the effort to stand there and receive the band. After half an hour we left. From what I have read it seems the band continued until a little after curfew when they then returned to the stage to find their sound had been cut to prevent backlash from the local Council. So they continued to stage a protest by singing silently with only the drums to be heard before exiting the stage 5 minutes later. What a shame it is that a band so well known in the rock world ended up being one of the biggest letdowns at one of the most well-loved rock festivals in history.

SATURDAY

Kevin Bridges became... Neil Hamburger?!

Kevin Bridges is one of the best new comedy acts to come out of the UK in the past year. The Scotsman’s name has grown after appearing on shows such as Live At The Apollo and at the comedy night for Teenage Cancer Trust. A bit of comedy never went a-miss amongst a weekend saturated with music so a trip over to the alternative stage was had. The tent was packed with people sat on the ground eager to see him along with many others scattered around the tent’s perimeter. But sadly it was announced by the compere that Bridges’ plane had been delayed and that he wouldn’t be on stage until later in the day. So with that we were told we’d get the next person on the bill: Neil Hamburger. “Who?!” I hear you cry. Yeah, us too. What we got was an American bloke dressed in an ill-fitting suit, a slicked comb-over and a compulsive snotty spit sucking noise which he did every two minutes along with some odd fake sweat spurting out the side of him. He dithered about and said mundane one-liners which were, quite frankly, the most unfunniest things you have ever heard. One being:

‘Why did the members of Blink 182 cross the road?’

‘To get to the mirrors on the other side so they could watch themselves jerk off in front of them.’

Eh, what? We all sat there a little dumbfounded as people chanted “who are ya? Who are ya?” and booed violently. You actually felt as if people were about to rush the stage to drag him off. Again this became a situation where we left after being placed in front of the strangest, unfathomable comedy act I have ever come across. There’s odd funny and odd downright, well, odd. Was this guy trying to be funny by being unfunny? It just didn’t work. The likes of Jimmy Carr are renowned for delivering one liners as the core base of their act; but it works because of the timing, content and tone. Neil Hamburger is one bizarre human being who comes across as he’s trapped in his own little nonsensical world.

3OH!3
3OH!3 are one of those acts that you can't help but like, even if it's only a teeny-eeny bit. They are what I would essentially call comedy rap. For those not in the know; their songs tend to revolve around sex and girls and everything that may come with each or both. So to see them was a must, if only out of curiosity of how their stage show is pulled off and they were damn entertaining. The average age of the crowd was about 16 and they all had their hands thrown up in the air in the 3OH!3 symbol (hold forefinger to forefinger, thumb to thumb and kinda stick the other fingers out and you're there people). The two blokes that make up the band created a great energy amongst everyone who watched and they were infectious to the max. Even those who didn't really have a clue what was going on were smirking at them, if nothing else. Definitely one of the surprise hits of Reading if only for their novelty.

Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee is king at what he does and he confirms it each time he puts on a show. Having seen him at Reading Festival 2006 in a packed-out tent it was clear his main stage performance would be just as popular, if not more so, 4 years down the line. The Rascal has put out some huge hits during his career and they inspire the biggest sing-a-longs and massive dancefests. It doesn't matter if this isn't the sort of music you usually listen to because it's pulled off so well that you'll probably end up liking it by the end of it anyway. A true showman.

The Libertines
And so came the first of two heavily anticipated reunions of the whole weekend (let me confess I’m most excited about Robbie back with Take That; true –guilty pleasure- story). For me, I came away loving The Libertines far more than I ever did before. That’s the power of live music for you. It ended up being a total love fest between Carl Barat and Pete Doherty with frequent embraces and manly head rubs between songs but it was lovely to see. What seemed to be genuine affection for one another seemed to filter into the passion they put into each of their tracks and save from a minor blip towards the end of their set where the sound was cut and they had to exit and re-enter the stage (allegedly the crowd was getting too rowdy and it was done to quell the severity of the crush) it was a glorious show of Libertines classics and sing-a-longs all around.

Arcade Fire
Another band that set the stage alive with an explosion of different instruments and unique individual charms is Arcade Fire. The crowd for the second headliners of the weekend appeared somewhat modest in comparison to those for GNR & Blink 182 but the reception that they got was strong enough to conquer any lack of number. The thing about Arcade Fire is that they don’t need many extra flourishes or special effects to set them alight on stage; they do it all with their harmonies and immense talents with several members of the band flitting between instruments with ease. Win is undoubtedly the ‘leader’ of the band and spoke with such sincerity and true modesty including a moment where he spoke with disbelief that they were headlining the main stage after ‘not even having a hit record’. How that is fact I will never know; their songs are full of magic and intrigue and the beautiful noise that they collectively create as they twirl, leap and bound about leaves you in an Arcade Fire trance.

SUNDAY

All Time Low
Any band who can keep my attention and a smile on my face during a torrential downpour is a band worth watching. All Time Low fulfilled this without a doubt. Having seen them twice before I knew their style - pop punk? check. Pubescent rude and suggestive banter between songs? check. And you know what? How frickin' refreshing. These guys fulfill the status quo of the genre they play and they fulfill it well. Their songs are ridiculously catchy and they perform them awesomely to a crowd. I wasn't sure whether they'd translate well from a small indoor venue to a large open space but it made no difference. The rain came and though some did run for cover they didn't run far in favour of continuing to watch a band who can raise laughs and spirits without fail.

The Drums
Good lord that band can dance like groove is on its way out.

Weezer
Would you believe me if I told you Weezer pulled a bigger crowd than Blink 182? Probably not, but it's true. Some people may question it but I swear the crowd was bigger though I obviously don't possess exact statistics. Weezer are a band that look least likely to be a band but a band that pack a delightful punch of fresh air. Epic classics such as 'Hash Pipe' and 'Buddy Holly' had the audience caught up in a frenzy of nostalgic happiness and covers of Lady Gaga and MGMT as well as 'Teenage Dirtbag' by Wheatus just topped it all off. There wasn't a single person without a grin on their face. Pure joy.

Blink 182
For myself and many others alike; Blink 182 were the most anticipated band of the whole weekend. Having never had chance to see them before they split I had fond teenage memories riding on how they came across at the festival and my gosh, they did not disappoint. From the word go to the final curtain call they played out every Blink hit you could ever think of and whipped the crowd up until they were putty in their hands. Each member of Blink possesses charisma and utter likability - Tom Delonge's banter with Mark Hoppus kept the laughing coming and Travis Barker's vocal silence is more than made up for by the immense talent he possesses for playing the drums.

The best thing about Blink is that they come across like they haven't changed. Not one bit. It just makes you love them even more. As the encore came and Travis came onstage alone strapped to his drum kit only to be risen high in the air and not only tilted, but mother-f*cking turned UPSIDE DOWN, is too ridiculous to comprehend but he pounded those skins as well as he could on solid level ground. The jokes, the tunes, the men: everything about their set was perfection to a longstanding Blink fan.

Ironically this piece about Blink 182 isn't as long as acts I disliked (namely Guns N Roses and Neil Hamburger) - just goes to show that poor performance encourages a lengthy rant and pure music magic doesn't always need many words when you're too speechless to sum it up in text.

Honorable Mentions
Paramore
The Futureheads
The Maccabees
Lights

Festival Tallies

Floral garlands worn as hairbands: TOO MANY TO COUNT

Vintage Levi cut-off shorts - some worn so high that you could the young lady’s bottom: LOTS

Comical animal hats: MANY

Pre-pubescent youngsters with obscenities scrawled across their bodies: DOZENS UPON DOZENS

Boobs flashed and captured on the big screens: SEVERAL

People spotted offering free hugs: A HANDFUL

Tom Delonges: ONE. THERE’S ONLY ONE TOM DELONGE!

Some Costumes Spotted

Bananas in Pyjamas

Giant Penis

Man Cows

Morphs

Gimps

Father Christmas

Caveman & Woman

Cowboys & Indians

Guns N Roses “special” heckles

"YOU'RE A TWAT!" (that's you, Axl Rose)

"WANKER WANKER WANKER!" (again, that was aimed at you Axl)

"BOOOOOOO!"

oh and.... "BOOOOOO!"

And that's all folks! Here's to next year.

Sunday Syndrome Sunshine Song

2010-08-22T19:03:00.000+01:00

It took me longer than usual to come up with this week's SSSS - I just could not decide.

Do I go with the guilty pleasure of Mcfly's new single 'Party Girl'?
Too risky.
Do I go with a vintage Blink 182 track in pre-celebration of seeing them next weekend?
Too bragging.
Do I go with Yeasayer's new single 'Madder Red' because the video is, quite frankly, totally odd?
Too creepy. (though you should totally check it out anyway)

So I settled on Chase & Status' current single 'Let You Go'. This doesn't fit with the general vibe of this blog in any sense at all but you know what? Let's live a little! Chase & Status are ultimately a dance act which is not usually my genre of choice but let's pull out what appeals to me from this track. I love the dark menacing lyrics and the heavy beat. Does it matter that it's dance? No. Find the elements you like and run with it.

You can also 'star' in the basis of the video: The Patrick Chase show by heading over here.

The Countdown to Reading Festival 2010....

2010-08-20T16:09:00.001+01:00

It's officially a week until Reading Festival kicks off three days of music goodness. In what will probably prove to be a simple list; here are the bands I aim to check out in order of their appearance on the day (so long as my company does not resist!) on each day respectively. I've done it using a clash finder as if I'm going to be constantly watching someone but chances our parts of my day will be taken up eating/sleeping/having a cheeky drink so I will miss bits of sets!

Friday 27th
Young Guns
New Young Pony Club
Funeral For A Friend
Two Door Cinema Club
The Big Pink
Yeasayer
Biffy Clyro
Mumford & Sons
Sunshine Underground
Guns 'N' Roses OR Marina & The Diamonds

Saturday 28th
Rolo Tomassi
Futureheads
Mystery Jets
I Blame Coco
3OH!3
Hadouken!
The Maccabees
The Cribs
Dizzee Rascal
Crystal Castles
Enter Shikari
Arcade Fire

Sunday 29th
Lights
-whatever-
Los Campesinos
All Time Low
You Me At Six
The Drums
Kele or Metronomy
Weezer
Paramore
We Are Scientists
Blink 182 (!!)

If you're going to Reading or Leeds then have an awesome time. If you have any hot tips of acts to check out over the course of the weekend that I've overlooked then let me know!

Multi-Talented So-And-Sos

2010-08-19T21:38:00.000+01:00

Now come on, be honest, doesn't it make you feel just a little bit sick when someone is talented at more than one thing? I'm not talking 'just okay', I'm talking proper raw aptitude for something. Jared Leto will always be the most obvious candidate when it comes to this for me; but recently a new individual has come and slotted firmly into this category.

Step forward Mr Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

You know the one. That (500) Days Of Summer bloke. No? Okay, what about the uber cute (okay, still is) one from 10 Things I Hate About You? If you're still claiming not to have a clue who I'm on about then what about that actor you saw in Inception who you thought was really good flying around in a hotel and stuff but you weren't quite sure who he was? Yeah, that one.

Well, turns out that not only is he pretty awesome at that acting malarkey, he also knows how to belt out a tune. Not just any tune, but a -partially corny- love song from back in the day that is actually sung by a WOMAN. Clue is in the title, folks.

This was taken from a recent show called 'Summer in the City' put on by hitRECord - a collaborative production company that Mr Levitt runs (anything else for the CV?). hitRECord is a project which aims to create and develop art and media in its many formats. If you're not too much a fan of this rendition, perhaps head over to his blog and check out some other of his recordings, the man's got a voice, don't doubt it!

So, since I can neither sing nor act... who's got some talent going spare?

Introducing... Life As A Ghost

2010-08-15T19:39:00.000+01:00

As the blog continues to offer you a vast and expansive selection of different rock genres and the bands that make them what they are let me take you into the darker and heavier world of progressive hardcore.

Raw screaming vocals.
Intense riffs.
Soulful choruses.

If all of those make your perfect listening equation then you're going to want to check out Life As A Ghost. For times when you have inner strife or pent up anger; this band will help pull out those emotions with their fusion of dark melodies and an overall sound that pounds your wavelengths and shatters your senses.

The fivesome, hailing from Long Island, New York, are not what quite meets the eye. On their myspace you'll find three songs, the favourite of mine being 'Tempter', which carries every characteristic I've just mentioned. But then, just as you think you've got them sussed out as hard-hitting rock monsters, then comes the softest and purest piano outro you've probably ever heard.

For those of you who remain skeptics about this type of rock music; do not judge too quickly. Songs like this are able to flow with your emotions and surprise you aurally in ways you may not ever have imagined.

Donate. Get Cape. (& other charitable things)

2010-08-13T18:33:00.001+01:00

In the light of the recent horrific flooding in Pakistan; Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly is auctioning himself off on eBay to help raise much-needed funds. Before any Get Cape fans out there get too excited - you don't get to keep him (he's generous, but he's not crazy) but he will play in the house of the highest bidder.

Some of you may know of a handful of bands who have been offering this once in a lifetime opportunity on their Pledge Music pages but this unique in that all the proceeds goes straight to a good cause.

Sam says of the auction:

“A higher than usual monsoon season in Pakistan has caused flooding to ravage this beautiful country. Infrastructure has collapsed, 4 million people are left homeless, malnourished and in desperate need of aid, the biggest natural disaster in many years.

As a result I put a note up on facebook seeing if anyone would be interested in donating money to the DEC/Oxfam appeal in exchange for an in your house acoustic gig. Response was overwhelming. As a result I have decided to put it up for auction via the Oxfam eBay store which is live now.

Happy bidding, let’s hope we can raise a lot of money to help this nation in times of desperate need."

The auction is set to close in just under 5 days and bidding currently stands at £1,180. So if you have a spare couple of grand (maybe I have one or two wealthy readers?) then give it a bash.

While we're on the subject of being charitable I wanted to touch upon the Matthew Leone benefit. As you may know, Matthew Leone (bassist in Madina Lake) was viciously beaten at the beginning of July when he tried to intervene when he witnessed a man attacking his wife on a street in Chicago. As a result, Matthew was left in a critical condition and continues to need to pay for extensive medical bills as he continues to undergo treatment for his injuries. Due to a lack of health insurance he is struggling to do this alone.

So, in his name, several bands and acts have come together and formed "Through The Pain" to help raise funds and awareness for the cause. Shows are set to go ahead in the US but since my readers are predominantly based on this side of the pond I wanted to highlight the eBay auctions of lots of music memorabilia, signed merchandise and much more that you can get your mitts on knowing that all your money is going to go towards helping a man who acted heroically and suffered unnecessarily.

Here's the official 411:

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund have partnered up with Through The Pain and Roadrunner Records to help raise funds for his yet untold medical, legal and rehabilitation costs.Sweet Relief, Through The Pain, and Roadrunner have been accepting generous donations from both inside and outside the music industry in aid of Matthew. 100% of proceeds raised will go towards Matthew’s medical costs.

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.
Through The Pain is explicitly raising funds for Matthew Leone.

Thanks guys.

Kiss Me, I'm Contagious

2010-08-10T20:45:00.000+01:00

No, really, I am. Right now it seems my body wants to be ill 80% of the time. And during times like this I blog very little. It's one of the pitfalls of this bloggin' business.

Oh, woe is me.

Enough of the complaining.

Last month I went on a mini-break (ooh, fancy) to Barcelona with my pal Becky. During it we decided to have a dancing sesh in our dinky hotel room. I'd like to claim we'd been on the sangria this night, but in reality we had not. This kind of talent just comes naturally to us.

Pardon my lack of blogging with true music substance and just have a laugh at our expense at the short video below...

Song of choice? My First Kiss by 3Oh!3 feat. Ke$ha (don't judge us, comedy rap is the easiest to dance to)

P.S. Normal ADHS-style posts will resume shortly. Stay with me!

Sunday Syndrome Sunshine Song

2010-08-01T17:37:00.000+01:00

This week's SSSS has a Kerrang Awards 2010 vibe... in case you missed out on who the winners were, you can have a gander here.

I have to say I was a bit bemused when I first found out that Lostprophets won the 'Classic Songwriter' award. From their latest offerings I would never dare award them such an accolade but then that is a personal opinion just as much as it was from the people who obviously voted for them to win the award in the first place.

But since then I have thought back to their past discography and okay, their songs have never been the most insightful and emotive pieces of work, but some of their older songs are what I would deem "classics". By that I mean I will always remember them and regardless of the intelligence behind the lyrics, a classic should be something you allocate to a memory, or a song that you deem special in some way. It should also be timeless and something that is well-loved by a huge amount of people.

Which brings me to the SSSS which is 'Last Summer'. This isn't necessarily my favourite 'prophets song (FYI it's Shinobi Vs Dragon Ninja), but I think it's apt for this time of year and it also always makes me think of memories from summers past without fail. I think it also has an odd ability to make you imagine the things you could do - go on an epic road trip, travel the world with just a rucksack on your back, or simply soak up a festival. In fact the chilled, laid-back, yet slightly odd, video is enough to inspire.

Beautiful.

I Left My Heart With Taking Back Sunday

2010-07-29T20:23:00.000+01:00

Have you got that one band that you always go back to no matter what? You might forget about them for a week, a month, maybe even a year, but you will always remember them eventually. You will always hit play on one of their songs and then, before you know it, you've aurally devoured the entire album and are declaring 'Oh my GOD, I forgot just how MUCH I love this band!'

Well. In my music world this is what always happens with Taking Back Sunday. Taking Back Sunday were one of the first rock bands I ever got into so they hold great sentimental value to me anyway. A few years ago I had them down as my all-time favourite band. But, to be honest, to have just one favourite band is not an easy feat. Your change alters depending on your mood, your situation, your need. So Taking Back Sunday won't always satisfy whatever current music hunger I have.

But. BUT.

I will always come back to them. And yes, they are still "up there" with my favourite bands of all time. It's just maybe that's a top ten list, not quite a one and only.

So, to the point. Why did I come back to them just now? So much so that I needed to tell you all about it? Well, they are due to release a very special new CD/DVD entitled 'Live From Orensanz' (because that's where it was filmed, c'mon now). It's a stripped back, emotive and raw piece of work. They've transformed what we know as upbeat, hard-hitting catchy tracks into soft, melodic symphonies and beautiful vocals.

This kind of thing doesn't happen often. But take a look at this video preview featuring 'Everything Must Go' and tell me that isn't truly exquisite:

I've just placed my pre-order. If you want to snap yourself up a copy, head over to Taking Back Sunday's official website and pick your country. Then bag yourself a piece of treasure.

Sunday Syndrome Sunshine Song

2010-07-25T16:33:00.001+01:00

Forgive me for being a little self-indulgent for this week's SSSS but I'm hitting you with more Funeral For A Friend following on from this week's gig that blew me fully away.

Their EP 'Seven Ways To Scream Your Name' is so good I could listen to it on repeat for an entire day. Now, for those of you who have not heard a FFAF song before or have only heard some of their somewhat more "lighter" mainstream tracks this may hit you a bit hard. Even if you're not usually a fan of screaming and shouting in a song then just give it a try because the pure magic about these kinds of songs is the heavy intensity of the screaming contrasted to the soulful sung vocals in the choruses.

I give you the masterpiece that is 'This Year's Most Open Heartbreak' from 2003. Check out how young they all look. Let rip any pre-working week anger and strife and soak it right in:

LIVE REVIEW: Funeral For A Friend @ Cardiff Solus - 22/07/10

2010-07-23T10:53:00.002+01:00

Imagine one of your favourite bands of all time; one you’ve loved for years and years and followed through every album. Then imagine they were going to perform your favourite (and arguably the best) album of theirs in its entirety in an intimate venue in their home country. Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong. Funeral For A Friend (FFAF) did it last night in Cardiff Solus.

Nights like this just don’t happen. Sure, you can go to a gig and see a band and they’ll hit you with some of their best tracks from years ago but never the whole damn thing. ‘Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation’ was an absolute masterpiece when it first came out and the love for it still reigns today. It is one of those unforgettable albums for lovers of this genre of music.

Another reason the night was so special was due to the fact it was one of the last times that guitarist Darran Smith would play with the band after announcing his departure after 8 and a half years together. So emotions were mixed. ‘Casually’ being played in full seemed like an apt way to say goodbye but it was happiness mixed with sadness that we bid farewell to the man whose played those iconic riffs we’ve all grown to love and identify in an instant during his time in FFAF.

As the band entered onto stage we all knew what was coming first and it was a little weird to know the set list before it had even begun. ‘Rookie of the Year’ started up and the whole crowd was putty in the band’s hands for the next hour as song after song was played with sharp finesse as we witnessed a whole CD played live before us.

Matt Davies was on fine form leading the rest of the band with all the passionate spirit and likable charm that a front man should possess and when we reached the infamous ‘Juneau’ there was something about the electric atmosphere that sent your mind back to the video for the song where they all looked fresh and young and we were suddenly in front of these 5 grown men with families and a solid history of being in a successful rock band.

There really is no way to sum up how ‘Casually’ live looked, sounded and felt. Davies’ random chatter between songs brought the whole experience down to earth as he conversed with the crowd like we were all friends sharing in it together. Before ‘She Drove Me to Daytime Television’ he proclaimed “this is the time before the song where I would usually tell you all what I’m going to sing and what you need to sing back. But quite frankly you should f*cking know by now, so I’m not going to say anything. If you don’t know what to do then just look at the person closest to you and copy the sh*t outta them!” And so he sang the lines and we sang the “whoa-oh-oh’s” right back at him.

But really the crowd needed little persuasion to sing every single word to every single song. We were like a choral backing squad at the mercy of FFAF’s every word. ‘Your Revolution Is A Joke’ was the one and only slow song of the set – one that is never usually played and a chance for everyone to see Matt Davies’ vocals stripped down solo with only one guitar to accompany him. It was raw and it was beautiful and just as we were all mellowed out we were literally woken back up by ‘Waking Up’.

The funniest moment came just before ‘Novella’; the twelfth and final song of the album performance. After numerous chants of “Darran! Darran!” which took place several times throughout the show, interspersed with frequent brother love between members of the band; it seemed Darran couldn’t quite remember the opening to the song. In fact it took three attempts before he successfully played the tune without faltering. In some ways it seemed he was a little choked up from all the love being thrust his way from the rest of the band and the packed out venue in front of him.

After ‘Casually’ was done and polished off, the band exited the stage for a short moment of time before coming back on and treating us to 8 more songs including well-loved singles and two songs from a favourite amongst old-timers – their EP 'Seven Ways To Scream Your Name'. If the night was already fantastic, it just hit off the scale. From the soaring and uplifting ‘Into Oblivion’ to the sheer raw power of ‘The Art of American Football’ to the intensity of newer track from 2009 ‘Wrench’; the band continued to prove why they have achieved what they have to date. Not only that but they brought out Matt Tuck (Bullet For My Valentine) for the penultimate song ‘This Year’s Most Open Heartbreak’ during which the audience let rip what energy they had left.

FFAF had given us all they had for one and a half hours of sheer musical bliss. Hearing tracks like ‘Moments Forever Faded’, that they stated was only one of the few times they’d ever played it live, along with seeing all the blood (a guy passed me with a bloody nose after exiting the ferocious mosh pit that FFAF songs can conjure up), sweat and, maybe even tears, that other popular tracks created was definitely a once in a life time experience. Memories like that don’t fade fast.

The last song sadly came and ‘History’ couldn’t have been any more appropriate for what the night had all been about. It was with heavy, but full hearts that we sang along to a song representative of an end but also of remembrance and with one last group hug amongst the band, one big bow to the crowd and a few last chants of “Darran!” we said a silent goodbye to one of FFAF’s chapters and stood hopeful that there will be many more to come.

Set list for the night:

'Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation'
Rookie of the Year
Bullet Theory
Juneau
Bend Your Arms to Look Like Wings
Escape Artists Never Die
Storytelling
Moments Forever Faded
She Drove Me to Daytime Television
Red Is the New Black
Your Revolution Is a Joke
Waking Up
Novella

ENCORE
Into Oblivion (Reunion)
The Art of American Football
Roses for the Dead
Wrench
Streetcar
You Want Romance?
This Year's Most Open Heartbreak w/Matt Tuck
History

Subscribe to Acoustic Dreams & Hardcore Screams
Follow Me on Twitter

Walk On Stage

2010-07-18T16:50:00.000+01:00

I could never begin to comprehend the level of nerves, adrenaline and sheer excitement that must buzz round a band member's body before they make for the stage of one the world's biggest festivals. But being able to see them make that short, brief journey to the stage gives you a sense of reality to the volume and noise that you witness once they get there.

So NME's 'Walk On Stage' videos are a great insight into this backstage aspect. They're simple, quick and actually quite addictive. Here's a few bands I'm rather fond of making their way onto the stage.

FRESH MEAT: Falling Faster

2010-07-12T17:13:00.001+01:00

This week's dose comes from the lovely pop punkers Falling Faster! Reps to them for giving the most amusing 'Each To Their Own'.... read on to see what I'm on about. They've undoubtedly given the most happy and upbeat answers to date!

Firstly, a blind date style question – who are you, where do you come from?

We are Falling Faster, we're a bunch of guys from Tamworth, near Birmingham who attempt to create music!

Reasons people should give your tracks a listen?

'Cause you just might like it! And by the end of the EP, you just might want to listen to it again! Who knows!

Each To Their Own: what sets you apart from other bands & artists of the same genre?

Bright coloured clothes, fringes, 3/4 length shorts.. oh wait.. sh*t! Alright.. our Bassist Stanny works in Pest Control.. beat that! But in all seriousness.. I think what sets us aside with very few bands nowadays, is passion. We see bands play half-heartedly like they're not happy to be where they are, and we'd kill for that opportunity! We just love to play, any way, and anywhere we can! We don't play for the sake of it, we play as we love to write, record and perform, and the day we stop loving that, is the day we will call it quits! But it's not coming round anytime soon, guaranteed!

Sort of tunes you play?

Pop freakin' punk!

History of the the band: Why did you start making sweet music?

'Cause making sour music stopped being fun! We've been through line up after line up in this band, getting people here and there to fill in, but only found our proper line up within about six months ago, and now we're giving it everything!

Music to you is...

neverending happiness! How about that for an answer!

Every band/artist has influences and inspirations – what, or who, are yours?

We, just like every other band, will tell you we have a wide variety of influences. But when we say wide, we seriously mean it. One of the biggest inspirations are Blink 182, putting aside the cliché for a moment, but it's the music the majority of us grew up with, and our lead singer Elliott's reason for buying a guitar and ever learning to play it! But our influences vary from pop-punk bands such as Hit the Lights, Boys Like Girls, Cute is What We Aim For, Every Avenue & Forever The Sickest Kids etc.. to metal bands such as Parkway Drive, Killswitch, Haste the Day, As I Lay Dying and many more bands, people & genres.. but a lot of it just influences the way vocals, lyrics, or structures of the song are done, not the melodies or instruments!

Aspirations for the future?

To record our single, follow it up with a music video, then early next year record our full length album and then tourtourtour! Keep your fingers crossed!

That’s all folks! Any last words, requests or demands?

Check us out on www.myspace.com/fallingfasterband!

Thanks, for taking the time for the interview and for those reading it!

Aw shucks guys, you're more than welcome.

I urge you to check out Falling Faster: Myspace // Twitter // Facebook

Get behind them! Though, not literally, they're not *that* kind of band...

Subscribe to Acoustic Dreams & Hardcore Screams

Follow Me on Twitter

Charlize Theron & Brandon Flowers in Ninja-Related Violence?!

2010-07-08T20:11:00.000+01:00

Not something you see every day.

God, I love this song so hard.

GIMME THE ALBUM ALREADY BRANDON!

Enjoy the video for 'Crossfire'.

An ADHS Guide To... Festival Survival

2010-07-07T17:41:00.001+01:00

I think just about everyone has done or read this kind of thing before BUT good points are always in need re-emphasis, aren’t they? So, without further ado...

1) Baby Wipe Baths

Shower facilities are usually available at most music festivals but, let’s be honest, who’s going to want to spend time queuing for them and then clashing bare bottoms with strangers? Besides, there’s something strangely comforting about engulfing yourself with the scent of Johnson’s as you walk side by side with other like-minded wipe bathers like a group of adult babies. So, in the morning, grab your wipes, get naked and rub rub rub.

2) Slip, Slop, Slap

For the love of a good man (or woman) take some SPF with you. I realise that the notion of using skin protection is still foreign to some despite the increase in press coverage of the rise of skin cancer but even if you believe you’re immortal to that, at least stop yourself looking like a well-done hog roast. I think that festival sites actually attract sun exposure more than any other place on earth – a friend of mine has been burnt several times at different festivals even when it was cloudy and sun could barely be seen. Second of all, put on a hat. Yes, yes, I sound like your mother but sun stroke is not enjoyable and you don’t want to miss half the bands you want to see because you’re holed up in the First Aid tent. Hats are one of festivals’ favourite accessories anyway. Finally, if you’ve got a good body, by all means don your bikini or expose your bare torso to the masses. But have some dignity and grace if you don’t. Attractiveness comes from how you present yourself, so highlight the good stuff, not the wobbly jobbly bits.

3) Wellington Boots

The reasons for these ironically stylish bad boys are twofold. One, if it rains, you can at least shield your lower half from the mud. However, I can’t be certain you won’t just fall over/be pushed over and you’ll get the greater part of your top half clotted in it anyway. Second of all, there’ll be no trying to think what footwear to shove on. Just whack on your rubber (ooh err) and you’re away.

4) Hand Sanitiser

You know those adverts that used to do the rounds about how there is actually more deadly bacteria on a chopping board than on your toilet seat? Yeah, well that definitely does not apply to portaloo seats. Just the scent is enough to half-kill you; let alone going ahead and touching one before putting your hands near your mouth *shudders*. Save from the rare occasions at the beginning of a festival where handwash and actual running water might be in wide supply your best bet is to have some squirty alcoholic hand rub on you to kill those nasty bits of portaloo disease dead. Or, if you’re a bloke, you can just wee anywhere and any potential germs are just the ones you have lurking on your man region (which, for many, may be a fair few).

5) Torch

Before you start giving me an award for stating the obvious; torches don’t always seem to be deemed a staple by many festival campers. But they are essential if you need to find something after your day’s frivolous activities or are unlucky enough to need the toilet in the wee hours of the morning. Having a torch means you won’t trip over any guy ropes (why not girl you sexist tents?) or any other individuals strewn across the ground.

6) Token Member of the Opposite Sex – why is this necessary I hear you cry? Well here we go...

If you are of the male species you need a female. Why? Well she’ll have all the toiletries you would probably forget to pack and when you head into the arena area she’ll more than likely have a small bag with her where you could politely shove your valuables so as to not lose them as you jiggle about merrily.

If you are of the female species you need a male. Why? One word – tent. If you happen to be a girl who can erect a tent without any assistance then I applaud you. No, I do not include pop-up tents in this. I happen to fall into the majority category that assumes stereotypical girlyness and lets the bloke get on with it. You know, to prove his manly worth and all.

Of course there are plenty of things I haven’t covered which may well be essential to your festival experience – condoms, copious amounts of alcohol, token blow-up penis to strap to your tent so it’s easily identifiable... the list could go on. But the points above should be universal to ALL for general well-being and festival survival.

I’ve simply brushed over the bare essentials – if you have any useful festival tips then feel free to share them in the comments below. Funny past experiences are also welcome.

So go have festival fun, but remember my commandments. Or forget them. Whatever.

Happy Camping!

FRESH MEAT: Francesqa

2010-07-05T09:00:00.000+01:00

After a long overdue Fresh Meat... this week's comes courtesy of Francesqa. Thanks to Joe for taking the time to do the interview.

Firstly, a blind date style question – who are you, where do you come from?

We're a band called Francesqa and we come from around the Newbury/Oxfordshire area. We are: Ashley Wilkie: Vocals , Joe Hicks: Guitar/Vocals , Warren Senior: Drums, Ben Hordos: Bass Guitar , Tom Millar: Guitar.

Reasons people should give your tracks a listen?

We'd love it if as many people as possible would check out our tracks. This is something we started out just because we loved to write music that meant something to us and that we enjoyed playing, so hopefully people can find some kind of depth in our songs too!

Each To Their Own: what sets you apart from other bands & artists of the
same genre?

We're not trying hard to write songs that people will like, we write music that we want to listen to ourselves, and people seem to like that so far!

Sort of tunes you play?

We play rock music. Best thing is to have a listen yourself at www.myspace.com/francesqa

History of the the band: Why did you start making sweet music?

Francesqa formed just over a year ago because we wanted to get together to write music and have fun, after all of our old bands had broken up. We missed it basically!

Music to you is... 
Everything.

Every band/artist has influences and inspirations – what, or who, are yours?

We all grew up listening to bands like Funeral for a Friend/Underoath/New Found Glory and those bands are the reason we wanted to play music in the first place. Nowadays we draw influence from a wide variety of Genres. 

Aspirations for the future? 

We just want to get our music heard by as many people as possible. We'd love to be able to be still touring in 10 years time!

That’s all folks! Any last words, requests or demands?

Come see us on tour! Dates up at on our myspace.

Thanks for the interview :)

Find Francesqa on Twitter // Myspace // Facebook

Subscribe to Acoustic Dreams & Hardcore Screams
Follow Me on Twitter

An Interview With... Butch Walker

2010-07-01T22:02:00.000+01:00

I'm lucky enough to be able to share with you an interview with Butch Walker by guest blogger Paul Esp. Enjoy!

Butch Walker….if you haven't heard the name I have no doubt that you have heard, sang along to and even danced to songs he has written or produced. He has worked as a producer/songwriter for artists as diverse as Pink, The Automatic, Weezer, Katy Perry, Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Sevendust, The Academy is…, Bowling for Soup, Dashboard Confessional and Saosin to name but a few and has also written and produced the theme song for the 'Open Happiness' Coca Cola ad campaign. But Butch is so, so much more than a go-to writer and producer. He has had a long and varied career in the music business - first as Guitarist in late eighties metal band Southgang. He had a hit song, 'Freak Of The Week' with his band Marvelous 3 in 1999. He released his first solo record, "Left Of Self- Centered" in 2002, which is also when his producing and songwriting career took off. Butch's solo records are where he feels most at home and they are much loved and cherished by his army of fans.

Having just released his latest record (his fifth) "I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart", Butch has spent a lot of time touring. First with the band Train and secondly on a headline run in the US. Now he is the opening act for Pink, slaying crowds all over Europe on her stadium tour. I've been a huge fan of Butch's for years so it was a big deal that I was lucky enough to catch up with him while he was in the middle of the two UK club shows he was doing in-between the Pink gigs. I sat down and spoke with him about his time in Europe and the UK, his albums and the current state of the music business.

Hi Butch, can we start by asking how the London show was last night?

It was really great.

I bet you have a sore head? (Butch admitted onstage he was somewhat "buzzed" at the show)

(laughs) I have a sore head, I'm definitely not going to pre- drink as much as I did before going up! I don't know what happened, sometimes it just affects you differently at times, I can usually handle my normal pre-show ritual, but it didn't work this time!

What happened with the song ATL? You went blank? (Butch forgot how to play the track 'ATL', a piano track from fourth album 'Sycamore Meadows', on stage)

I just pulled a blank, yeah. I explained it; I think it must just have been because I'm not in the States and I physically cant play it and for some reason when I changed the words to Great Britain I remembered it. It was really weird.

You've just played your first ever shows in mainland Europe, how were they?

Incredible. It's going great. I couldn't have ask for a better first taste of Germany and other parts of the UK that I'd never been to. It's pretty awesome to see people really get into it at such an

early time slot like I've got onstage.

Is it 5 o'clock you are going on?

Sure 5 and 6 and I only get about a half hour so I've gotta really rip it up, you know.

From what I've heard the reactions have been amazing.

Yeah, it's been really good. I've been really really pleased, couldn't have asked for better.

Do you ever get surprised at the crowd's reactions to you?

I do, I guess. I worry until after the first song, and then when the first song is over I kinda have a gauge and feel like I know what's going to happen or not and then I either start worrying or stop worrying at that point.

You're playing some club shows as well. Do you approach them differently to the stadium shows?

Yeah definitely. I mean, the stadium shows we are doing, where we only have 30 minutes, it's going so quick and it's also a different kind of audience, maybe, like a pop audience so I don't wanna bore them with things. They don't know who we are, so they just want familiarity or to just be entertained. I can't provide them with familiarity, they don't know the songs, so I've gotta give them our most entertaining numbers so we just give em 30 minutes of pure entertainment and fun and then when you come see the headlining shows, which is mainly fans and we play for 2 hours plus every night and it's a lot of material and it's a lot of lower key stuff that you really wouldn't be able to keep the attention of a stadium that doesn't know who you are.

You wouldn't be able to start with the piano songs in that kind of situation.

I don't think so. I wouldn't wanna be that self-involved on a stadium show. It's more about them, if I can get them, then it totally is about me, which is nice, that could be a win.

Definitely, so, are you having fun in the UK at the moment?

Much fun.

Ever thought of doing a full UK tour?

Yeah, I'd love to. I think and hope that after this month I'll be able to come back and hit more then just London now that I'll have some other cities. I mean I've never played Manchester in my life and I think we will probably either come close or sell it out tonight, which is great. I've never been here. When we went to Germany some of the clubs were this capacity and there would be 50 tickets sold and never sold out. Here it's great, The Garage was packed last night, and then here I think it's gonna be pretty wall to wall too, so I believe it's gonna be a lot of fun.

Last night was amazing, one of the best shows I've seen and you always seem surprised people know the songs and sing along?

I guess I was, I didn't really understand why, I guess the internet and the power of people finding things out for themselves is great.

Sure, that's where I "discovered" you.

Cool.

You're playing with the Black Widows, hows that going? Will there be more material from you guys?

I hope so, I'd like to, I think we had such a good run with this record and a good result from recording it as a band and coming up with it. I think we will probably wanna do it again, plus we had the world's largest backdrop just made for this tour and we didn't get to use 'til starting last week so just so we can use it more we will probably do another record! Just because I don't wanna waste it, it's like 30 x 30 feet, it's huge.

I saw the picture, it's massive.

Massive (laughs) I cant use it any clubs, I guess I just dream big.

Your last 3 albums have been available on vinyl, is that important to you?

Very much, I'm a big vinyl listener, I'm a big audiophile. I have a really nice stereo set up at home with a hi-fi and really nice turntable and it's a big deal to me to listen to music in its purestform like that. I'm not stupid, I realise selling it is not as important as it used to be that way, I think it's more important to get your music out there and if people wanna hear it on an MP3 orwhatever I'm fine with that, I just don't enjoy the sound of it at home for personal taste, putting on background music for a part, I mean fuck it, I don't wanna get up every 20 minutes and turnthe disc over, it's kinda nice to have a laptop running through your stereo system for that kind of thing, but when I wanna sit down with a full bottle of wine and my kids asleep, I have a couch thats the most comfortable couch in the world, in my room and I sit on there with some wine and listen to records and I get up every 20 mins and put on a new record and i like it.

What are the chances of a new 1969 record? (1969 are a side project comprising of Butch, Michael Guy Chislett from The Academy Is… and Darren Dodd from The Black Widows who released one amazing album in 2008)

I wouldn't rule anything out. It was such a fun and easy process to make a record with them I don't think it would be that hard, but I've never been one to look back, I always look forward.I've got something else - another project that's already in the works that's gonna be happening in the fall and that's gonna be awesome. I'm more looking forward to trying to do something like that then just re-visit an idea. I'd like it to remain a special place in time.

Tell us more about that project?

It's a cool motorcycle rock type thing with some very good friends that'll happen in the fall.

Every album has a different feel, was that done on purpose?

It's just me evolving really. I would never set out to be like 'oh I cant do another record just like I did' that would be stupid, because if anything the last 2 records have been very similar in vibe,but I think that's also because at 40 I've kinda tapered off on my ambition to be different and also I've really tapped in and explored and had the joy of trying all the things that I've always wanted to try musically and been influenced by. I don't think there is anything left where I am wanting to go 'oh I would really cant wait to do a techno record' I don't enjoy that and I don't listen to it and I wouldn't do it just to put it out and say that I can do everything, that's being an asshole, so I would rather just have it be more of the kind of music I personally enjoy. I really enjoywriting lyrics, I enjoy harmonies and I enjoy hearing the organic side of production because I have to do so much non- organic for a living for other artists and other kinds of artists, it's just a break for me for my ears and it confuses people that think my music is supposed to sound like the stuff I do for my day job but that's just people that don't know me.

You already mentioned your age but since turning 40 has your perspective in songwriting changed?

Yeah definitely. I don't know if it's since turning 40 exacrtly, I think it's in the few years I've eased into it. I think it's probably safe to say I don't feel like I have to try as hard, and some people that might bum out and then some people I think they are excited about that. I've had somany things I've tried to do in music and songs that just, for what it's worth, I was just really trying to out- clever myself lyrically or out do myself production wise that it's kinda nice to just let a song breathe. Some of my favourite songs written by people like Bob Dylan or even U2, are just simple, not necessarily the most verbose songs you know?, I just really am enjoying the simplicity.

I think you've proved time and time again you can do that, just your voice and piano or your voice and a guitar.

Yeah, I guess I was always concerned, and for years I got it wrong, thinking that I was always concerned that people would never think my music was interesting or critics and people wouldn'tlike it unless it was over ambitious and I realised the minute I stopped trying so hard and just let the song be the song and let the production be the production all of a sudden they all liked it and I'm happy about that but it's not like I did it for other people I did for myself. For self love.

You have a lot of die hard fans, some who travel hundreds of miles to see you live, how does that make you feel?

I'm very blessed in that sense you know, it makes me feel great. I can't complain about that and it surprises the shit out me every day, especially when I come over here and people com in from Scotland and people come in from all over...

We travelled up from Wales.

Yeah? Thank you so much, I think that's probably why I'm floored and honoured that people would want to travel just to see the show. I've never been like a buzz artist, it's not like I havebeen this 'never come to town before and play a sold out theatre show' based on some blog or buzz or anything and I've always kinda had to earn every one of 'em the hard way and because of that it makes me really appreciate and love my fans more.

You've always been really quick to embrace social networking sites and the internet in general. Do you like that side of things?

I do, only because I owe a lot of my career to it, it's how a lot of people discovered me and how a lot of key people that I've ended up working with discovered me or vice versa. I've discoveredother people and artists through that and I like the fact I don't have to rely a venue for promotion of the show..

Well the London and Manchester dates were hardly promoted at all.

I'm sure they weren't. I think a lot of venues feel they don't have the need to promote something they don't know about. Maybe they think of it as a filler and all of a sudden all the ticket sales happen because of my online fanbase and then they are like 'we didn't have to doanything' and I hate that but thats' the live business.

On a similar subject - the music business is in bit of a mess. Do you think it can be saved?

A lot of aspects of it will not be saved and rightfully so and they don't need to be, but we have to just get over the fact that music is eventually going to be free and people don't have to buy itanymore and you shouldn't have to be able to put a kid on trial for it. I used to tape the radio when my favourite song came on so I could hear it over and over again and now it's a different story if you're re-selling it. But bootlegging has been around for years and those are the assholes that deserve to go to jail, not a kid who is basically doing the same thing as taping the radio to listen back. It's about the same sound quality on MP3 sometimes so I don't see what the big deal is except for the fact it definitely hurts record sales and will continue to until they dwindle to nothing.

Ok last question, I understand you are writing a book?

Yeah I got a book coming out. I'm writing a book and I'm up to chapter 5 right now, its pretty fun.

What will it be like?

It's pretty much everything that's ever happened to me. It's more like a little bit of a lesson book of what not to do, and just funny stories. It'll be witty and it'll be interesting and stuff I've saved from the press for the book.

Well I'll be definitely looking forward to that. I know you need to get on so thats it, Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.

Not at all man, it's been great, thanks.

If you are lucky enough to be going to any of the Pink stadium shows make sure you turn up early and catch Butch Walker and The Black Widows, you definitely won't regret it.

You can buy Butch's album from iTunes and I urge you to do so, or head over to his myspace and that will give you the links to his merch store and twitter.

Huge thanks to Butch for taking the time to sit down with me and thank you to Jonathan Daniel, Anton Brookes and Tom Addison for making this happen.

Funeral For A Friend - New EP Details Released!

2010-06-30T15:44:00.001+01:00

Hot off the press... Funeral For A Friend's EP is to be called 'The Young and Defenceless' and the tracklisting will be as follows:

1. Serpents in Solitude
2. Sixteen
3. Damned If You Do, Dead If You Don’t
4. Vultures

On their Pledge page, the guys have said:

"...[This EP] pretty much sums up the way the world is going: blind ignorance and a lot of too little too late. These songs are a call to arms, a ‘fuck you’ in the face of those who dare sit on their asses and watch everything around them turn to shit.

There’s a lot of attitude and a lot of anger and it shows, not just in the amazing artwork by our friend Rianne Rowlands who has pulled out all the stops with her incredible art, but in these 4 ass kicking songs. If you like aggression then you’ve got it, if you like heart on your sleeve emotional power then you’ve got that too. This is just the start, there’s more to come just over that horizon."

I don't know about you but I am so stoked for this release. It sounds like it's going to be gritty, dark and full of FFAF's pure magic.

If you haven't yet made your pledge for their music, head over there NOW.

LISTEN HERE: Alex Band's Solo Debut Album 'We've All Been There'

2010-06-29T14:50:00.000+01:00

You may remember a post I made a short while ago with the video for Alex Band's first solo single. For those of you who didn't see that, Alex Band was the lead singer of The Calling. And above you can listen to his whole debut album for free. Don't say I never give you anything.

The title of the EP is in reference to the themes of the album, ones that we've probably all experienced - love, resulting heartache, and finding hope again. If you like what you hear then go ahead and purchase it you lovely people!

Subscribe to Acoustic Dreams & Hardcore Screams.

Follow me on Twitter.

LIVE REVIEW: We Are Scientists @ O2 Academy, Oxford - 25/06/10

2010-06-28T15:46:00.000+01:00

w/support from The Whigs & Chew Lips

Tell me, have you ever seen We Are Scientists live? They’re not mind-blowing, they’re not revolutionary and they’re most certainly not in your face. No, what We Are Scientists bring to the gig playing table is charisma, humour (albeit a little warped and twisted at times) and an honest indie pop party. We Are Scientists have given us some of the catchiest fun-loving songs ever made in the past decade of rock music – their riffs make you want to dance around and their lyrics are full of wit and cheekiness.

Opening with their current single ‘Nice Guys’; the night was already off to a hyperactive happy start. Do you know one depressing We Are Scientists song? No. Exactly. Don’t you dare try and go to see them live and not smile because believe me, you will not achieve it. Go on, give it a go. I mean it.

And so the night went on with well-loved upbeat tracks like ‘Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt’ contrasted with the toned down melody of songs like ‘Pittsburgh’ off of their newest album ‘Barbara’. All of this Scientist goodness was interspersed with banter and wit only Keith Murray and Chris Cain could pull off without frowns and confusion. The thing about this band is that they shouldn’t make sense – one looks like he should actually be a scientist with his neat facial hair and round-rimmed glasses and the other looks like a younger George Clooney with a floppy grey fringe instead of a crew cut one.

I have to tell you that it is so refreshing to watch an unconventional rock-band set-up achieve what We Are Scientists do. They exude likability and have the talent to make a slick beat sound just as polished as a pop doused song. There are times when you wonder if you’re at an alternative comedy show or not with their odd observational comments and weird made-up tales; one of which involved Chris stealing Keith’s baby and selling it. Maybe you had to be there.

The set list was a ferocious frenzy of their three studio albums infused together. ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘It’s A Hit’ off of their first album? Sure. ‘Chick Lit’ and ‘After Hours’ from their second? You got it. ‘Rules Don’t Stop’ off of their THIRD? Well now, they treated us to that too. It was so hit-tastic that you’d be forgiven for thinking you were at a We Are Scientists Greatest Hits event... but then you realise that’s because their best known songs and singles ALL sound like hits. It’s that simple. They’re one of those bands that can play their songs perfectly live and their energy never falters. Not once.

I’m going to put myself out there now and say that towards the point where they exited the stage for the first time I was feeling tired. The end of the working week fatigue had kicked in with a vengeance and damn it, I wanted my bed. Then the encore came and we sidled to the back of the crowd to the bar so I could get some water to quench my weary thirst (hardcore isn’t hardcore enough to describe me). Still they were hitting us hard but I just couldn’t summon the energy; not even for a yawn. But then something beautiful happened. To close the whole night they played ‘Cash Cow’ and some sparkly kind of radiance shone down on me and I danced, oh yes, I danced. You want to hear a song that gives you a new lease of E-Number-type vibe? You need to hear ‘Cash Cow’ live.

This live review has contained a lot of questions, most of them rhetoric. One thing you could never question is We Are Scientists’ ability to rock your socks off. Those two cool cats sure know a thing or two about making magical music.

ALBUM REVIEW: 'The Island of Disco Ensemble': Disco Ensemble

2010-06-20T19:32:00.006+01:00

The Island of Disco Ensemble - Disco Ensemble

This is the fourth album from Disco Ensemble, one of Finland's biggest rock acts. 'The Island of Disco Ensemble' is a fantastic collection of 10 songs that show just where those previous three albums have brought them. Each song is a fantastic display of emotion, skill, experience and a knowledge that has come to the band after a lengthy time of touring and recording.

From the first echoes of 'Bay of Biscay' you can tell that the band have worked hard on this. You can picture crowds singing along with the chorus of each song due to the catchy anthemic lyrics or the wall of sound from the instruments. Lead Singer Mikka tops of the sound with his growly voice one minute and gentle whispers in the next. Third song on the album, 'White Flags for Peace', which is the first single from this album, is a brilliant taster for the album packed into its 2 minutes and 3 seconds. Its punk-rock drums are bound to get people up. 'Get Some Sleep' is a nice change of tempo to start of with and then brings the big sounds back in towards to end so as to not make you feel as though you're missing anything. The rest of the album is a glittering display of Disco's talents with song writing.

As there is nothing perfect with everything; I think that the songs on the and of this album are possibly not as strong as say, the first 6. Not saying that I don't like them, just maybe that their arrangement on 'The Island of Disco Ensemble' could have been moved about. That is the only slightly negative thing I can find with this otherwise awesome offering. I can't see why Disco Ensemble could not make it in the British and American alternative music charts and I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.

Favourite Track - White Flag for Peace

Not-So-Favourite Track - So Cold

Rating - 5/5
Review by Danny J

Macmillan's Brick Lane Takeover

2010-06-15T19:50:00.001+01:00

Working for a charity myself I can really appreciate how necessary the not-for-profit sector is when it comes to trying to make a difference to those individuals who really need it the most and hopefully make a change for the greater good. Charities cannot survive without funding that they receive from larger, corporate donators as well as the more personal, modest donations; all of which make a huge contribution to helping voluntary organisations to carry on doing the fantastic work they already do.

So, with all that in mind, let me introduce you to something taking place THIS week. Okay, okay, it's short notice I hear you cry. That it may be, but I know a lot of people love a bit of spontaneity so if you're a lover of music, and I mean ALL music and either live in the London area or are going to be around there on Thursday 17th June from 17:30 until late I URGE you to go and check out Macmillan's Brick Lane Takeover.

Macmillan Cancer Support are a charity I've liaised with in my professional life and I don't think you need me to preach to you about how fantastic the work they do is. They help to improve the lives of those affected by cancer. They provide practical, medical and financial support and push for better cancer care. Remember that stark statistic we're always told? Cancer affects one in three of us. So if you are fortunate enough to not be affected by cancer in your lifetime, you will inevitably know someone who is or will be.

So what better way to help support such a fantastic cause than to enjoy some amazing musical talent whilst you're at it? Tickets are a mere £20 and for that you're getting this beautiful line-up:

26
ALLO DARLIN’
THE ATTIKA STATE
BEATBULLYZ
BLONDE AMBITION (DJ’S)
CLOCK OPERA
COSMO JARVIS
DEAD TOWN RADIO
DJ FORMAT
ERLAND AND THE CARNIVAL
GOLDHEART ASSEMBLY
HOODLUMS
HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY
KILL IT KID
KING JIM
JAMIE LEY
LITTLE COMETS
SAM LITTLE
LIZ AND THE LIGERS
LOST ON CAMPUS
MIDFIELD GENERAL
JESS ROBERTS
SHACKLETONS
STEVE SMYTH
SOUND OF GUNS
THREE TRAPPED TIGERS
TIM AND SAM’S TIM AND THE SAM BAND
TREETOP FLYERS
TUBELORD

Need further encouragement? Check out Sam Little talking about why he's playing BLT:

If you're not able to get to this then please consider a donation anyway. Then you'll have some seriously good karma to bank and some positive vibes to carry.

Brandon Flowers is ridin' so-low-, ridin' so-low

2010-06-13T22:01:00.000+01:00

...as Jason Derulo would sing/say it.

The lovely Mr Flowers has got himself a solo project on the go and here is the first song 'Crossfire'. It comes from his forthcoming solo album entitled 'Flamingo'. I have to say I'm really liking the vibe of this. It's doesn't deter greatly from The Killers' sound and retains the anthemic qualities and soaring choruses that we know and love from the vocalist.

Enjoy.

I Am Fi. This Is Kloot.

2010-06-07T19:46:00.000+01:00

This sort of weather (FYI for anyone not currently on UK soil, or lucky enough not to have sodden soil and grey murky skies - it's raining) makes you feel rather melancholy and often quite mellowed out. With this in mind; I've just been sent information on a band called I Am Kloot. They have a sound that swims around you and envelopes you with their poetic lyrics and laidback acoustic indie music.

They have just released a new video for 'Northern Skies' that features the one and only Christopher Eccleston. It can be viewed below:

Northern Skies’ is the first single from the band’s stunning forthcoming fifth studio album ‘Sky At Night’.

‘Sky At Night’, produced by Elbow’s Guy Garvey and Craig Potter, is released on July 5^th and follows 2007’s ‘I Am Kloot Play Moolah Rouge’.

Sunday Syndrome Sunshine Song

2010-06-06T14:39:00.002+01:00

It's been a while since I gave you an SSSS but after hearing this song I had to share it.

On first listen you may think "hang on a minute, this sounds a little dark and, well, 'heavy' to listen to" but it's undeniably a good song. And listening to good songs is just as good as uplifting ones when you're feeling the pre-Monday morning wallow, right?

'Heavy In Your Arms' by Florence & The Machine is taken from the forthcoming soundtrack for Twilight: Eclipse which is due out tomorrow.

Acoustic Lovin' - New Found Glory

2010-06-01T12:01:00.000+01:00

Alter The Press! have a brand new acoustic session with New Found Glory. Jordan, Chad and Steve performed two classic tracks, ‘Sonny' and ‘Something I Call Personality' before their headline set at the 2010 Slam Dunk Festival; in Hatfield, England.

You can watch the video here.

SINGLE REVIEW: 'Hey Soul Sister' by Train

2010-06-01T11:34:00.000+01:00

This is a review by guest blogger Danny Jay who will hopefully be bringing many more single and album reviews to the blog in time to come!

This is the lead single from Train, the band that brought you 'Drops of Jupiter' back in 2001. It is a catchy pop-rock song along the same vein as Bedouin Soundclash and Jason Mraz which has been popular with the masses recently.

The ukulele used throughout the song is a clever addition which adds to the whole Hawaiian theme. With upbeat rhythm and simple lyrics, its easily enjoyable for the intended target audience. Patrick Monahan's distinctive voice effortlessly singing the song will ease Train fans in and by the second chorus they will all be humming along.

Technically, the song is quite simple in 4/4 timing and never really straying from the same progression from the start, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it helps keep the familiarity with listeners. There are a few "hey, heys" in the song, which isn't something I generally enjoy hearing but they slipped under the net of the ukulele and now they give the song a part where everyone can sing along, even if they don't know the lyrics. The lyrics are a bit simple and at times cringeworthy ("So gangster, I'm so thug, You're the only one I'm dreaming of" - clearly, you're no thug Mr Monahan) and there are some references to other bands that may catch the attention of radio listeners.

Ultimately, you can't argue that this is an all-round upbeat and happy song and it's sold over 3 million copies/ downloads in America alone AND has featured on a Samsung 3D TV advert. One word of advice: anyone thinking that the rest of the album (Save Me, San Francisco) is going to be Hawaiian-y, it sounds more like the older Train that we remember, just a bit more grown up.

Rating - 3/5

All Time Low Census 2010

2010-05-28T09:34:00.000+01:00

What is the All Time Low Census?

When we all answer the Census, our needs fans are heard.

The ~~U.S. Census~~ All Time Low Census 2010 counts every ~~resident~~ ATL fan in the ~~United States~~ World, and is required by ~~the Constitution~~ ATL Law to take place ~~every 10 years~~ when we say so!

The 2010 Census will help ~~communities~~ fans receive more than ~~$400 billion in federal funds each year for~~ totally rad things like early access to All Time Low news, music, videos, and more as well as the title of "Awesome ATL Fan."

The data collected by the All Time Low Census will also help determine the number of seats ~~your state has in the U.S. House of Representatives~~ we would need to have if all our fans came to our record release party!

If the Government can count citizens, we figured All Time Low could count their fans. So, what are you waiting for? Just fill out the Census at www.facebook.com/alltimelow, or you never know who may come knocking at your door. We can't move forward until you ~~mail it~~ give back.

Alex, Jack, Rian & Zack are currently co-headlining on the Bamboozle Roadshow tour through June, and will continue touring outside the U.S. through September. For Bamboozle tour dates and tickets click here, and for all other tour dates and info, check out their MySpace. Make sure to pick up the band's recently released DVD, Straight To DVD, in stores now!

LIVE REVIEW: The Rocket Summer w/s Save Your Breath & Matthew P @ Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - 25/05/10

2010-05-26T11:43:00.002+01:00

Matthew P is a bit of a cheeky chappy, declaring before not one, but two of his songs that they were written while he was in Bali with a girl he met there or no, wait, while he was in Portugal with a girl he met THERE. But if women are one of his core inspirations then let's hope they keep having their influence because his music is sublime, chilled and lyrically colourful. Singing songs from his 'Swimming' EP you feel like you want to be sat cross legged around a camp fire on the beach while he croons away with his acoustic guitar.

Just as we were all feeling musically laidback we were aurally pounded by the sound of Save Your Breath, a pop punk band hailing from nearby Newport, South Wales. With the temperature in Clwb Ifor Bach already reaching sweltering levels it was a struggle for them to create any sense of dancing chaos amongst the crowd but they more than made up for it in their performance as they hit us with their adrenaline-pumping songs. Now don't go lumping these boys into the sugary sweet pop punk ringfence that houses acts like You Me At Six, All Time Low and Paramore because these fellas bring a heavier and more exposed edge to the genre. They don't let the catchy elements of their songs slip with sing-a-longs and memorable melodies a-plenty but at the same time their sound is raw and hyped up in a hard-hitting way. Further proof that Welsh acts really do do it better.

When it is the first time seeing an act who you've eagerly waited what feels like years to see; you can't help but weight it down with high expectations. Which exactly what I had done with The Rocket Summer. The moment Bryce Avary walked on to the stage flanked by his accompanying band members and broke into song a smile entered my face and it never really left until the set drew to a close for the night.

The Rocket Summer's music is a perfectly formed package of upbeat, happiness-inducing sound that translates superbly to a live perfomance. The infusion of toned down, piano-orientated songs with the faster, guitar-charged tunes is infectious to the extreme. And song-wise we were spoilt for the entire night. There was a mixture of his current EP 'Of Men and Angels' thrown in with older material from 'Calendar Days' and 'Do You Feel' with catchy classics 'Break It Out', 'Do You Feel' and 'Save' getting some of the biggest receptions of the night.

Within moments it seemed people were ignorant of the heat in favour of embracing the music with open arms. Bryce himself was always on the go running right up to the crowd constantly to encourage us to sing with him and be part of the music, not just listeners of it. Ever the one for variety; we were given two covers performed solo by Bryce - Paul McCartney's 'Blackbird' and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Maps' which he sneaked into the centre of the crowd to sing so that he was completely emerged amongst us before appealing to everyone to help him crowd surf back up on to the stage.

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the night was when Bryce returned to the stage on his own to demonstrate to us just how he mixes instruments together on his own when he's writing new records in true one-man-band style. He lay down the beat on the drums first before heading to the piano and finally the guitar as he blended it altogether one-handedly. To say we were impressed would be an understatement when we were faced with a man so multi-talented you were actually left a little speechless.

The most tender moment came when the band performed 'Walls' off of current EP 'Of Men and Angels'. Bryce stated that the song was written for those that have come through their own personal battle; whether it be depression, addiction or something else. The passion of the song and sincerity of the lyrics rang out around the room. Everyone was a little stiller, letting the words wash over them and letting the message play its part.

Staying in the newer song vein was 'I Need A Break, But I'd Rather Have A Breakthrough' and the super infectious 'You Gotta Believe' as well as tracks 'Hills & Valleys' and 'Roses'. The iconic thing about songs by The Rocket Summer is that they all leave a lasting impression on you for one reason or another. Whether they are slower, epic ballads or uptempo older classics; they all have their individual effect.

To close the first part of the set the band gave us 'So, In This Hour...'; an anthemic song that seemed to sum up the notion of the entire night with its building crescendo and rapid key changes sending us into emotion overload. After the mic failed to work as Bryce attempted to sing the close to the song we were left watching him still continue to sing despite not really being heard and you almost felt like you were intruding on a private moment, the special aspect being that we were allowed to be a part of it with him.

We were not to be left hanging on for an encore and after departing the stage Bryce returned alone just seconds later and standing in front of his piano he declared that he wanted to perform a medley of requests at the demand of the crowd. So after much hollering for specific tracks he gave us snippets of well-loved songs including the quirky 'Japanese Exchange Student' (much to the glee of my friend Emma).

To close, the full band launched into 'So Much Love' which seemed to be an apt way to end a truly unforgettable night. The band played out what little energy they had left and Bryce went into the crowd with his mic to be literally embraced by everyone around him. Love is something that The Rocket Summer sings a lot about and everyone in that room felt it for him. As the show drew to a close he even said to us himself "I love you all. Forever and ever and ever". So just to clarify in case it wasn’t clear already – Bryce, we love you too.

If you're looking for something to raise your spirits, something to give you a bit of hope or simply something to put a smile on your face then you should look to The Rocket Summer. The smiles that Bryce showed himself were enough to get you smiling and as corny as it may sound everyone was riding the same music high with Bryce riding the highest out of us all. On a personal note; I had a horrible throat infection but as soon as they took to the stage I sang my heart out regardless of how much it hurt because the music induces that in you. And you know what? As I left Clwb Ifor Bach my throat felt miles better and I was on a severe post-gig high. I don’t think you need much more evidence to show you that The Rocket Summer = pure magic.

Calling All Twin Fans!

2010-05-24T13:48:00.001+01:00

No, I don't mean those of you who have a bit of a "thing" for double-girl-related action (or boys, for that matter). Those lovelies over at Rock Sound have got another treat instore for us with Issue 136 of their well-loved magazine... an exclusive Twin Atlantic download card!

All Twin fans can get their hands on a uniquely coded card that can be redeemed to download their new single 'Human After All' as well as Innerpartysystem remix of the song AND the video. Phew!

Issue 136 hits the shelves May 26th.

Here's Twin Atlantic's new video for 'Human After All':

FRESH MEAT: The Earl Grey

2010-05-24T09:00:00.001+01:00

This week's Fresh Meat sesh comes courtesy of French solo act The Earl Grey. A guy who's trying to give the French an identity in the pop rock world and trust me when I say you should listen. It's about time this genre was broader than the confines of British and American shores when it's to the calibre of what The Earl Grey produces. Enjoy what he's about in his own words...

Firstly, a blind date style question – who are you, where do you come from?
I'm Alex and I'm from Paris. I started a solo-project called The Earl Grey 10 months ago. Before I was part of a band called A Thousand Leaves that I unfortunately stopped due to misunderstandings between members.

Reasons people should give your tracks a listen?

My music targets a large public. It aims to make you feel better and be on top form.

Each To Their Own: what sets you apart from other bands & artists of the same genre?

In France, there aren't a lot of artists who do this genre of music. It is a means for me to be original in my country where there are many fans of American and English artists of this same kind of music.

Sort of tunes you play?

The ones which wake you up and make you want to dance !

History of the The Earl Grey: Why did you start making sweet music?

The Earl Grey is ultimately a solo project but my drummer Adrien was in my former band. I met the other ones, Félix (guitar), Kenny (guitar) and Laurent (piano/bass), through common friends. They haved worked in music (as journalist, teacher...), and practised it, for a long time.

Music to you is...

the best way to express whatever I feel.

Every band/artist has influences and inspirations – what, or who, are yours?

The Maine, The Rocket Summer and those who have led a solo project before me. I feel close to them because they marked some passages of my life.

Aspirations for the future?

To keep making music and help other people to make music.

That’s all folks! Any last words, requests or demands?

Don't hesitate to download my song "Day Off" for free on my myspace. And help me to show that French artists rock!

I think you'll all agree that Alex's English puts all us to shame when it comes to speaking a foreign language... I'm off to whip out my French textbooks!

Check The Earl Grey out on other sites: Facebook // Twitter.

You can take Busted/Fightstar out of the boy...

2010-05-18T21:57:00.000+01:00

...but you will always have a beautiful man who makes beautiful music with the most insanely large eyebrows.

Step forward, Charlie Simpson.

(is that lippy or has he been at some berries?)

It's quite simple.

Mr Simpson has himself a side solo project on the go and you can download his first demo for free (yes, free, c'mon, just do it in your sleep if you have to) on his website.

It's soft, it's mellow, it's perfection perfection perfection.

Enjoy it.

The LOWDOWN: Alex Band, The Earl Grey & Bang Bangs

2010-05-18T19:27:00.006+01:00

NUMBER THREE: Bang Bangs

Sounds Like: The melodic and moody sounding love child of Arcade Fire and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (if it were humanly possible for both of those bands to make sweet love together).

A Random Fact: They're very vocal Twitterers. Probably the worst fact I've used to date.

Check Them Out: Myspace // Twitter

NUMBER TWO: The Earl Grey

Sounds Like: Upbeat power-pop set to hyperdrive with a subtle French accent shining through. Ooh la la!
A Random Fact: The Earl Grey is supporting You Me At Six at their gig in Paris on June 7th.

Check Them Out: Myspace // Facebook

Get to know The Earl Grey better in next week's Fresh Meat!

NUMBER ONE: Alex Band

Sounds Like: Emotive soft rock made to make your heart go all gooey.

A Random Fact: Let's get the obvious fact out of the way - he used to be the lead singer in The Calling.

Check Them Out: Myspace // Twitter

'Tonight' is the first single from Alex Band - a pop love song that highlights the deep strength of his vocals that have a gorgeous caramel quality and yet maintain that distinct rasp that keep him in the race with other soft rock musicians. The Calling were a huge hit with the mainstream crowd with hits such as 'Adrienne' and 'Wherever You Will Go' and Alex looks set to continue this success on his own. If you're a lover of all things vampire then you will love the video. This song has already been featured in The Vampire Diaries on the television and for those of you who like your music more on the softer and ballad-tastic side - this song is completely for you.

Alex's solo album 'We've All Been Out There' is released June 29th. You can view the video for 'Tonight' below:

FRESH MEAT: Mimi Soya

2010-05-17T10:00:00.001+01:00

This week's serving comes courtesy of Brighton-based feel-goodsters Mimi Soya. The one and only female of the band Jorja (vocals) answers on behalf the band.

Firstly, a blind date style question – who are you, where do you come from?

Hey, I'm Jorja and I come from Brightonnnnnnn!

Reasons people should give your tracks a listen?

People should listen to our tracks because they're honest, they're fun, they're catchy and they've got heart!

Each To Their Own: what sets you apart from other bands & artists of the same genre?

We've never tried to exactly fit in with the crowd, we write our songs together and we write about what's real and what's happening to us at the time and our songs aren't always about lost love and heartache, we want people to feel the fun in our songs.

Sort of tunes you play?

Feel good anthems!

History of the band: how did you all meet and why did you start making sweet music?

The guys have known each other for years, they went to school together, so they are close friends and started the band a few years back and I joined the band around a year ago but I already feel like I've known them forever!

Music to you is...

Absolutely everything!

Every band/artist has influences and inspirations – what, or who, are yours?

As a vocalist I have certain influences that inspire purely my singing like, India Arie, Lauren Hill and Whitney Houston. As a band we've been influenced by bands like The Ataris and Blink 182.

Aspirations for the future?

To be the best we can possibly be and to carry on writing music we love!

That’s all folks! Any last words, requests or demands?

The brand new EP 'I Can't Stand Pop Bands' is out on June 14th everywhere so be sure to pick one up, you won't regret it! Also, we are going to be modelling some new lines from an awesome clothing company called Boohoo so be sure to check their stuff out too!

Find Mimi Soya online: Twitter // Myspace // Facebook

War Is Coming...

2010-05-14T09:10:00.011+01:00

Hands up who's excited?

Thirty Seconds To Mars have just released a teaser for the upcoming short film "This Is War" on their Youtube Channel. The entire short film, available in June, features the title track of the critically acclaimed album "This Is War."

THE LOWDOWN: Backdrop, All The Damn Kids, This Love

2010-05-11T19:10:00.003+01:00

NUMBER THREE: Backdrop

Sounds Like: Honest, innocent pop rock goodness with extra sugar and infectious riffs thrown in for good measure.

A Random Fact: They supposedly own a turtle named Frank.

Check Them Out: Myspace // Twitter

NUMBER TWO: All The Damn Kids

Sounds Like: A slick and catchy indie pop hybrid monster that comes and molests you in the night. But you enjoy it. Dancing shoes are a must.

A Random Fact: They like drinking out of measuring jugs...apparently

Check Them Out: Myspace // Twitter

NUMBER ONE: This Love

Sounds Like: Take a piano, pure and simplistic vocals and imagine your heart strings being pulled. You're listening to This Love.

A Random Fact: Joe McFaddin from the band has a blog which you can follow here.

Check Them Out: Myspace // Twitter

Listening to This Love makes instantly makes me think of acts such as Jack's Mannequin, The Morning Of and The Fray. Bands where the delicate sound of the piano is thrown in the mix with guitars and drums: a sound that makes the passion in a song increase tenfold. Raw emotions need to be backed up by strong instruments and subtle yet effective vocals and that is exactly what This Love achieve. I may have just thrown them in to the melting pot by name-dropping others to highlight their sound but don't let that make you pass them by. There's a unique quality to them; and the best part of it is you can't quite put your finger on it yet.

Get all this fun blog stuff direct to your email so you don't miss a thing.
...or follow it the normal way.

If you'd like to be featured on next week's The Lowdown then drop an email to acousticdreamshardcorescreams@googlemail.com

THE LOWDOWN: Lost On Campus, Palace Ballet & Art Of Chaos

2010-05-04T19:02:00.001+01:00

Since I function better with structure and fairly strict organisation; I’m introducing another weekly feature which will take place every Tuesday (hence why I’m posting it today, clever huh?). The Lowdown is a new music feature which will let up-and-coming acts take the spotlight. I get sent music by new bands on a regular basis and I am also always finding out about bands and artists that should take my readers’ fancy via networking with others and through social sites (Twitter, Facebook yada yada). It would be impossible for me to mention them all in a review or interview format so this way I’m able to let you know of their existence without clogging up your music-loving minds too drastically.

The Lowdown is not Fresh Meat. The Lowdown is a quick, bite-sized piece which will hit you with three artists/bands I think you need in your life. It’ll be short and it’ll be sharp so there’s no need to fear that I’ll drone on for lines and lines. The format will be 3-2-1: a mini countdown running up (or is that down?) to number 1 which will be the act I’m feeling the most out of the whole lot. Who'll get a little extra about them because winners need some kind of reward don't they? You know how countdowns work, I’m sure.

This feature will be proverbially thinking outside the box. ADHS tends to stay in the pop punk vein with sprinklings of indie and relatively mainstream rock the majority of the time but this is a chance to diversify. A chance for us all to try something a little different... who knows, you may like it (no rude innuendo wise cracks, please).

Without even further explanation I will give you this week’s Lowdown. Listen and either love, hate or feel complete indifference. It’s your call.

NUMBER THREE: Art of Chaos

Sounds Like: Fighting a personal battle with the company of passionate vocals and heavy riffs and coming out of the other side.
A Random Fact: Art of Chaos was formerly a band, but is now a solo act fronted by lead singer Brian Torres.
Check Him Out: Myspace // Twitter

You can listen to his track 'Obsession (Surrender Me)' below:
Obsession (Surrender Me) by Art of Chaos

NUMBER TWO: Palace Ballet

Sounds Like: A menagerie of deep vocals and harmonies infused with groove.
A Random Fact: Lead vocalist Gordon Beveridge started getting into all this music business after crawling into his attic and finding an old knackered Spanish guitar.
Check Them Out: Myspace // Twitter

NUMBER ONE: Lost On Campus

Sounds Like: Tender moments summed up in delicate acoustic pop rock form.
A Random Fact: He's friends with that cheeky scamp Sam Little.
Check Him Out: Myspace // Twitter

The sound that you hear from Lost On Campus (aka Rob Lynch) is what you'd get if you bundled up some candy floss, lemon sherbert and popping candy and somehow converted it into musical form. One listen of LOC's current EP 'In Pursuit of Courage & Heart' is enough to confirm just how bittersweet and playfully delightful his sound is. Sometimes you want music that doesn't have too many embellishments yet has the capacity to sum up emotions that people like you and I go through day to day and that is exactly what these songs give you. The soft tones compliment the more frantic moments of acoustic guitar to a tee. The story-like qualities of many of the songs actually remind me of Kate Nash which is as surprising and odd to me as it probably is to you. But listen to the tracks and see: it's in the nature of them, not necessarily the sound.

To have a chance to get your music on next week's Lowdown, email: acousticdreamshardcorescreams@googlemail.com

Get all this fun blog stuff direct to your email so you don't miss a thing.
...or follow it the normal way.

FRESH MEAT: Sam Little

2010-05-03T10:00:00.007+01:00

This week's Fresh Meat comes courtesy of solo act Sam Little. Who, for the record, is probably one of the loveliest music acts I have ever spoken to. So even if his music isn't your 'thing', you should listen to it if only because he's a delightful human being (that sounds sarcastic, but it truly isn't, sarcasm is merely assumed with me all the time). He's cheeky, pretty funny and has a bit of a flame burning for Bon Jovi...

Firstly, a blind date style question – who are you, where do you come from?

I feel like I should buy you a drink first! I'm Sam Little. I'm from the South East of England. I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, and your feelings ahahaha. (cheeky - Fi)

Reasons people should give your tracks a listen?

They're fun and they've got a real pop summer vibe to them. I'm going for that whole "lets get really drunk and sing about goodtimes" vibe.

Each To Their Own: what sets you apart from other bands & artists of the same genre?

I'd like to think I'm more exciting. I never play the same live show twice and I'm always throwing in cheesy 90s covers. I also fully love what I do. I've been told that comes across in my music!

Sort of tunes you play?

Imagine its 1998, you've just gone into Woolworths and bought the new 5ive record, except it's good. And possibly fronted by Bon Jovi.

History of the band: how did you all meet and why did you start making sweet music?

I actually got bullied into singing in High school, and then it kinda just kept up. Looking back I can't imagine doing anything else with my life and I don't plan on doing anything different. I went solo last year and it's the best of times.

Music to you is...

Anything you want it to be. Music can break you down, lift you up or completely destroy anything you feel. In a good way or a bad way. The incredible thing about music is there's no rules. As long as you're doing what makes you happy, then game on.

Every band/artist has influences and inspirations – what, or who, are yours?

I write about everything that happens. Life's the best inspiration. I recently had the WORST spot of bad luck including having my laptop stolen, that's gonna be fun to write about. I'm a massive r'n'b fan so a lot of my songs end up being about girls, but that's not necessarily a bad things. Oh, and Bon Jovi.

Aspirations for the future?

I'd love to be a household name. Not like George Foreman haha, but just so I could be at the point that everyone's had one of my songs stuck in their head at one point. I wanna get overseas and take my music over there. That'd be rad. Ah, and I also wanna release a split single with Timbaland.

That’s all folks! Any last words, requests or demands?

I think if everyone reading this goes and takes a listen that would be awesome, and I'd love to have a message saying what you think [leave your comments below everyone!]. You guys and girls mean the world to me and ultimately it's 'cause of you I get to keep doing what I do! Cheers.

You heard the man. Head over to his myspace page now to find out more.
To listen to Sam's current EP, head over to Alter The Press! to stream it for free.

LIVE REVIEW: Boys Like Girls @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire - 26/04/10

2010-04-27T11:00:00.004+01:00

(First of all, I must apologise for being such a bad blogger - my life seems to be in bursts of mega busy down to not much going on at all and hectic level was at crazy for the past week or so leaving me little time to commit to blogging)

w/support from Futures & Me Vs Hero

If ever a band were to make a good first impression on you; it would be Futures. I went into the O2 knowing one of their songs well and came out thinking they were pretty damn awesome. That is exactly how you should feel when you see a band worth their weight in gold for the first time. They came on donning similar checked shirt and denim waistcoat combo and performed with a high-octane force than forced a smile on your face whether you wanted it there or not. Lead singer Ant West was like a fireball of energy that interacted with the crowd in a way that didn't make you roll your eyes and put himself across like he was breathing the music, rather than just playing it. The final song of the night was the one the majority of the crowd knew without being prompted; their current single 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf', that saw the crowd chanting along the words at their demand. Futures' sound is undoubtedly contagious and I predict they won't be fading away any time soon.

If you haven't already, go over and download their new album 'The Holiday'. It's free for crying out loud. But if you like them please support them and pay for a physical copy. Credit where credit's due and all that.

Boys Like Girls are a pop rock band in disguise. Because, you see, you HEAR pop rock, but when they venture on stage you see a band in black clothes with their arms drenched in tattoos and their hair styled to edgy perfection. If you were only getting the visual without the sound; you'd be forgiven for thinking they were about to strike you with some metal. But I guess that goes to show that appearances can be deceiving. As they swaggered on with war paint on their faces and launched into current single 'Love Drunk', they really didn't have to warm up the crowd any further. Songs like 'Love Drunk' epitomise what it is to be a catchy pop-infused song that made the crowd look like they were bouncing on invisible springs.

They made it their mission to blend old with new and with that we got the hyper beats with the toned down mellow melodies. Boys Like Girls can polish off a tender love song just as well as they can break all the walls down with the most infectious pop rock your ears have ever heard. From the tender 'Two Is Better Than One', that saw lead vocalist Martin Johnson actually customising his voice to sound as if he were singing Taylor Swift's part in her absence, to the energy of 'Five Minutes to Midnight'; they took us up and down along with them.

Martin Johnson is a real sight to behold on stage. His personality comes across as truly effervescent and he goes from soft, toned down vocals to manic, excessive outburts of movement at the flip of a switch. At times it seemed like he was in a kind of musical trance but his vocals were never off key and as a collective the band gave us a polished performance through to the end.

Oddest moment of the night came during 'Dancehall Drug' when they tried to rally the standing crowd to divide and form a huge circle pit with Johnson declaring "people think we're just some pop band, but let's show them we're so much more". I hate to stereotype and try to pigeonhole but violent moshing is just not something that goes hand in hand with Boys Like Girls and it just never will. So, save from the handful of young boys letting out all their pubescent angst, the call to mosh really did fall on deaf ears and just left some fearful looking girls trying to avoid the brunt. Thankfully that tone was not continued and 'Thunder' provided a soft release back into what Boys Like Girls do best: heartfelt lyrics and choruses that become engrained in your brain.

The closer for the night was predictably 'The Great Escape' which involved the biggest crowd surgance on to the stage that I have ever seen. The band started up the song and asked that the kids be let up on the stage with them which led to a massive brawl of youngsters bouncing with the band in a kind of surreal audience watching audience scenario. It was incredibly amusing to watch the guys attempt to maintain playing their instruments as girls clammered to get a touch of them and boys tussled to sing into the mics. But there was something kind of special about it. It left a clear message that echoed what they'd uttered before they played their final song of the night. They had stated that the song represented going for your dreams and not just settling for mundane day jobs. The words and notion of the song certainly urges people to break from the status quo, to just let go. And watching them perform with such force, with a multitude of fans around them, you could see just how much the song rang true for them. Good on them, really.

SETLIST FOR THE NIGHT:
I Gotta Feeling (Intro)

Love Drunk
Five Minutes to Midnight
She's Got a Boyfriend Now
Hero/Heroine
Two is Better than One
Contagious
Heart Heart Heartbreak
Heels Over Head
Dance Hall Drug
Thunder

ENCORE
Someone Like You
The Great Escape

Note: Paul DiGiovanni is looking progressively like a dirty pirate. I kinda like it. Good job. (photo: adam brown photography)

You can follow AcousticDreams&HardcoreScreams for all the latest by clicking here.
Alternatively sign up to receive new posts by email.

Fool's Day: Blur Limited Edition Vinyl

2010-04-14T15:31:00.001+01:00

Blur are to release new song Fool's Day on a limited edition one-sided 7 inch vinyl single on April 17, 2010 through Parlophone Records.

Recorded in London earlier this month, Fool’s Day is the first song 4 members of Blur have recorded together since Battery In Your Leg from the album Think Tank (2003).

Fool’s Day is available in the UK at independent music retailers participating in Record Shop Day. 1000 copies have been pressed and will be available at independent record shops around the UK open their doors on Saturday morning.

"We want independent record stores to continue - they're an important part of our musical culture. Music is a simple way for Blur to show our support and we hope people like it". Damon Albarn

The aim of Record Shop Day is to highlight the continuing contribution of indie stores to music. “This release just shows how big Record Shop Day has become and I for one can’t wait to be in the thick of the action come Saturday morning" Spencer Hickman on behalf of Record Shop Day.

I for one have always loved the ritual of buying a new record and collecting them like a vinyl-loving magpie. Sadly it's not easy to do on a regular basis with the progressive phasing out of physical music and the ever-growing domination of the digital world. People want their music fast, disposable and easily shared. They want multi-functional formats that can be moved from computer to generic MP3 player and back again. But nothing will ever really beat a vintage record box full to the brim of 7 inch vinyl all with their own design, colour and personality. Not to mention the associated stress of actually playing the record and cursing at your record player for skipping for the one thousandth time (I speak from experience, my little 80s portable beauty is a fiend for a good skipping sesh).

Support the culture of record buying. Go on. Buy Blur this Saturday.

Kill Me Now.

2010-04-13T20:44:00.001+01:00

I never thought I'd see the day I really, genuinely, loved a song with a band fronted by a 16-year-old actress from Gossip Girl. But I hold my hands up high and admit that I think this song is awesome.

Firstly, if you've seen Kick Ass you probably heard this song playing as the end credits rolled. If you haven't seen it, then for goodness sake go and see it, it's bloody fantastic.

Secondly, having only heard snippets of other songs by The Pretty Reckless I can't comment on their general appeal and sound but 'Make Me Wanna Die' sounds just the right side of grungy and exudes spunk and attitude. Which is perfect for its soundtrack purpose and Taylor Momsen's voice is gritty, smooth and full of pubescent feist.

Band EPs for free: An iChat Conversation

2010-04-12T20:31:00.000+01:00

So, the other day I recorded a wee iChat conversation with my good friend Mr James McLeod and this is a product of that. No video, just audio, but feel free to have a gander at the pictures which are all James' work - taken at two Futures gigs in Yeovil (16/10/09 & 27/02/10).

Reps to James for the lovely intro and design work for the video. Sit back, listen and hopefully enjoy! We are both rather well spoken after all. Okay, maybe just James, then.

If you'd like to subscribe to the ADHS Youtube Channel then do feel free! It's all fun and games and you'll get to see my mug from time to time. Don't I just spoil you?
To check out Futures head over here.

FRESH MEAT: .scores

2010-04-12T13:56:00.001+01:00

This week's "Fresh Meat" comes courtesy of cheeky Scottish tikes .scores - all questions were answered by Tom Blake (who has a remarkable ability to grow manly facial hair - true story).

Firstly, a blind date style question – who are you, where do you come from?
We are .scores and there is I (Tom), Paul, Jaysen and Dean. We come from the lovely city of Glasgow and we also have a Perth boy in the band.
Reasons people should give your tracks a listen?
We can appeal to people who enjoy many styles without sounding like we try to hard. There are songs with gripping choruses and slightly grittier sections then songs with quiet parts and atmospherics.

Each To Their Own: what sets you apart from other bands & artists of the same genre?
I think we're a pleasant surprise when we play live. We have bundles of energy and I think it makes the whole experience more enjoyable for us and the crowd. Our songs differ, I think, because of the alternative styles we try to put in each track. We like to think there's something for everyone.

Sort of tunes you play?
Our tunes are all lovely....Our tunes are based around our obsession with vocal harmonies, atmospheric noise and upbeat choruses.

History of the band: how did you all meet and why did you start making sweet music?
Sweet music making began roughly 2 years ago. I already knew Dean from high school and we were in a couple of bands before .scores anyway, so it just made sense that we would join .scores. Dean knew Paul
was interested in getting in amongst the music making, as did Jaysen, whom Paul worked with. Once we all collected together we decided on what sort of music we were actually going to make and then set off from there.

Music to you is...
Music to me is fun, its always exciting when you find something new to listen to or when you go to a gig to see a band you love or when we in .scores are having fun on stage and what not. Its just fun haha!
Every band/artist has influences and inspirations – what, or who, are yours?
Me personally, I'm a huge Jimmy Eat World fan, I pretty much love everything about them. I think we all share a love for Jimmy Eat World in the band, though we have common ground with Biffy Clyro (as does every band EVER), Finch, This Will Destroy You, Hell Is For Heroes, Reuben etc

We all have different artists that we like of course.

Aspirations for the future?
For the future I think we're going to continue to improve and get some bigger shows under our belts. We're also going to record another EP pretty soon I think, which will be epic. Ohh and we're going to Germany to play Immecke Festival so that'll be an experience to grasp just now for the stage we're at as a band.

That’s all folks! Any last words, requests or demands?
Check us out on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/scoresuk

Sunday Syndrome Sunshine Song

2010-04-11T19:13:00.000+01:00

This week's SSSS is to celebrate two things:

1) This band have got one of the three headline slots at the Reading and Leeds festivals and

2) If you need to have a bit of a vent, there's really nothing better than screaming "LIES! LIES!" at the top of your lungs in time during each chorus.

Arcade Fire are one of the most exciting acts to watch live musically. And I mean that in its literal, obvious sense: MUSICALLY. Because not only can each member of the family band play about ten dozen instruments each; they spend their performances dashing about having a go on everything and end up making this fantastic cascade of music that would be incredibly hard to mimic unless you possessed the same kind of unchartered spontaneity and effervescent feist.

Watch the video for 'Rebellion (Lies)' by Arcade Fire below:

The Spill Canvas Returns with New EP 'Realities'

2010-04-07T09:44:00.000+01:00

It's been nearly three years since fans last had a record from radio-friendly rockers The Spill Canvas, but the fearless foursome are back with a bang in 2010. The band released a 3 song EP, Abnormalities, in January, and will release the five song EP Realities on April 13th. Realities, available for pre-order now, features the single 'Our Song' - a fun, up-tempo track that contrasts cliched ideas of romance with the way relationships happen in real life. Check out the lyric video below (complete with new photos of the guys) and stay tuned for the premiere of the official music video.

Meanwhile, for fans anxiously awaiting the Realities release, the band will upload a second track from the EP, 'Dust Storm' to their Myspace page once 'Our Song' has reached over 50,000 plays. As an additional promotion, fans who purchase the Realities pre-order bundle through the official The Spill Canvas website will be treated to both a physical and digital copy of the new EP, an instant MP3 of an exclusive acoustic track, and a Realities logo t-shirt.

Known for their dynamic live shows that keep audiences dancing, The Spill Canvas is preparing for an American tour with special guest Tyler Hilton and openers AM Taxi and The New Politics. The tour kicks off in Cedar Falls, IA on 4/21 with stops across the country until the end of May. Visit their website for more info on the band and details of their American tour dates.

Hayley Williams + Josh Franceschi = Love.

2010-04-06T13:54:00.000+01:00

Check out Josh 'the work experience kid' Franceschi from You Me At Six interviewing Hayley Williams from Paramore for the latest Kerrang! Podcast.

FREE MUSIC FTW!

2010-04-06T09:43:00.000+01:00

The incredibly kind boys over at Alter The Press! have just released their 4th free compilation with 32 free tracks to treat your ears with featuring bands such as The Dangerous Summer, fun., Pharaohs, Post Harbor and Hello Hollywood.

Below is the official tracklisting:

1. Title Fight - Symmetry
2. The Dangerous Summer - Where I Want To Be
3. fun. - At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)
4. Portugal The Man - The Dead Dog
5. Sainthood Reps - Condor
6. O'Brother - Aurora
7. Walter Schreifels - Arthur Lee's Lullaby
8. John Candy - Confession Boothes
9. They Sink Ships - Tired Eyes
10. Maycomb - Whatever Happened, Happened
11. Death On Two Wheels - Take It Away
12. Burn The Fleet - Fictional Children
13. Viva Sleep - In Front Of Lions
14. Sam Little - Fallin' (Northie Remix)
15. Jimmie Deeghan - Like A Map
16. Elephants - For Laika
17. Pharaohs - Decorex
18. The Goodnight Anthem - State To State
19. Pianos Become The Teeth - Quit Benefit
20. Basement - White Elephant
21. Grown Ups - Pears
22. In Bear Country - Sinkin'
23. In Gratitude - In All Dishonesty
24. The Smoking Hearts - George Street Wrestling
25. The Guns - All Aboard
26. Make Me King - Every Truth or Dare
27. Stars Of The Search Party - The Culprit
28. Hope & State - The Ever True
29. Hurricane Bells - This Year
30. Post Harbor - Shirakashi
31. Nicholas Stevenson - Cold Calls
32. Hello Hollywood - Now I Wonder

Head over here to download it now!

Sunday Syndrome Sunshine Song - EASTER VIDEO SPECIAL!

2010-04-04T20:48:00.001+01:00

Since it's Easter and we get to gorge on chocolate, or at least have a justification to do so, I thought I'd post some -mainly older- songs which have videos that make me smile. So maybe they'll make you smile, after all, that's what this SSSS is all about (though not quite needed if you have the Bank Holiday Monday off!)

Let's get started...

Fall Out Boy - Sugar We're Goin' Down
Why? Because a girl falling in love with a boy who has antlers is a little special. It's all about acceptance people!

The Blackout - It's High Tide Baby
Why? To have a giggle at the corny "let's walk up to a girl, do a moody/sultry expression and then they can walk off again". Puh-lease. (Ian Watkins turn is particularly amusing)

Blink 182 - All The Small Things
Why? If I have to explain why this video will put a smile on your face then you're not worth explaining it to. Boyband parody at its best.

Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly
Why? Yet another comedy gold video. Watch here.

The Killers - Spaceman
Why? Brandon Flowers dancing. 'nuff said.

We Are Scientists - Chick Lit
Why? Two of the most adorable musicians there are rounding up pomeranian dogs like sheep is priceless. Watch here.

Coldplay - Strawberry Swing
Why? Animation brilliance. Watch here.

Happy Easter everyone!

Album Review: Dirt - Kids In Glass Houses

2010-04-02T16:31:00.002+01:00

So, for this album review I have entrusted Miss Emma Corke, a fellow lover of all things pop punk making her an ideal critic for a band like Kids In Glass Houses. Just a quick FYI - I have yet to hear this album in full myself and so, at the moment, remain completely impartial.

I was originally planning to write this review in a track-by-track style, but I was struck by a slight problem. To paraphrase my grandparents, every song sounds really similar, something which I have always thought to be the case when it comes to KIGH tracks. Part of this is due to lead singer Aled Phillips highly recognisable voice, which even in a live setting is pitch perfect.

There is an exception to the previously mentioned statement though. Following in the footsteps of the current trend of pop punk bands collaborating with pop starlets (We The Kings & Demi Lovato and Forever The Sickest Kids & Selena Gomez for example), KIGH jump on the band wagon with a slightly more budget version featuring Francesca “Frankie” Sanford of The Saturdays on the track ‘Undercover Lover’. This comes across as a slightly pointless duet. Frankie is given very little to do and at very few points is she actually entrusted to take centre stage, but this is probably a good thing.

If I had to pick out some stand out tracks, I would have to choose singles ‘Youngblood (Let It Out)’ and ‘Matters At All’, but this is likely down to familiarity more than anything.

Don’t get me wrong though. This is not a bad album, just a predictable one – It sounds exactly how you are expecting the second album from the Welsh fivesome to sound, which while this is good news for current fans of the band, is not likely to win over anyone who has already written off the band. Their higher profile this time round may aid an influx of new fans though.

Rating = 3/5 - EC.

Taking Back Sunday: Ready To Be "New" Again?

2010-03-30T15:45:00.000+01:00

And so marks the end of a Taking Back Sunday career for two more male individuals. It’s a fond farewell to Matt Rubano and Matt Fazzi. Some would say Taking Back Sunday have gone through band members as fast as the Sugababes (if you’re not from the UK and have no idea who they are – google them; you’ll get my gist). But could they simply be recycling? A mysterious image now flashes up on the official TBS website showing what appears to be their first, original, line-up but with each of the men’s eyes blanked out. Many are speculating that the two individuals in the photograph, two members of Taking Back Sunday from the ‘Tell All Your Friends’ era – Shaun Cooper and John Nolan (who originally left the band and formed the act Straylight Run) may well have re-joined the band.

So could it be that we’re in the midst of a Taking Back Sunday throwback? I know that I would personally love a TAYF part two style album and many other TBS fans I know would too. Though I have to say I still mourn the loss of Fred Mascherino and will now sorely miss Matt Rubano in particular. Rubano and Lazzara made quite a pair in their off-stage antics.

Now, what would be better than a little montage of the band’s line-up through the years?

FRESH MEAT: Annie Stevenson

2010-03-29T11:56:00.003+01:00

‘Fresh Meat’ is a basic and silly way of giving people a chance to give people a lowdown on who they are and what they’re about and features, wait for it, an acrostic format. In case you’ve forgotten the school days where acrostic may have been a part of your life; the general gist is the letters FRESH MEAT run down the side of the page with a question running across from each of the letters.

The hope is that you’ll get a dose of Fresh Meat (or think of it as Quorn, if you’re vegetarian – we don’t want to offend anyone here!) every Monday so that you can start off each week with a new band to get your proverbial teeth into.

First up, we have Scottish band Annie Stevenson who faced the very unintelligent, but informative, questions...

Firstly, a blind date style question – who are you, where do you come from?

We are a Glasgow based band comprised of:
Nick Scroggie (20): Lead Guitar/Vocals
Tom Boyd (21): Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
Steven Shevlin (23): Bass
Herald Francis (20): Drums

Reasons people should give your tracks a listen?

They’re good toe-tapping tunes : )

Each To Their Own: what sets you apart from other bands & artists of
the same genre?

We have a mix of different genres in our music and combine different influences to produce something hopefully original. We like to think our sound is familiar yet different. It should also be pointed out that Steven our bass player can lick his own elbow so that sets us apart for sure : )

Sort of tunes you play?

"Grunge meets Punk meets Power pop...and then some” we deliberately don’t want to be boxed into any one type of scene and hopefully our songs contain enough variety to keep things interesting. Some of our newer material may surprise some people who may have as down as just another indie or punk band.

History of the band: how did you all meet and why did you start making sweet music?

The band formed in late 2007 after Nick and Tom met at College and decided to start a band as a vehicle for their song writing.

Music to you is...

Whatever is good irrespective of the style.

Every band/artist has influences and inspirations – what, or who, are yours?

Quite a lot of influences - to list a few: Beck, Beatles, The Clash, Dylan, Blur, Oasis, Nirvana...the usual suspects!

Aspirations for the future?

Ultimately a record deal but in the meantime getting as many as possible interested in coming along to see us play.

Some gigs down South would be nice. We're actually going over to Italy in the summer to play a few gigs over there.

This came about through us supporting a band from Turin called "The Afterglow" on a couple of gigs over here. They have returned the favour and have arranged for us to play over there. Should be fun. We are looking to put an album together over the summer which will hopefully be ready in the Autumn.

That’s all folks! Any last words, requests or demands?

Put the word out; all support is appreciated.

Check out Annie Stevenson: www.myspace.com/anniestevenson
Their “2010” EP is available here for free download.
You can also have a gander of some videos from their recent gigs on their YouTube channel.