Holly Drummond - Blame It On Me YTV

30/09/14 YouTube Video

Holly Drummond is an artist that I have championed for a long while now. She is a Scottish singer songwriter who has produced a few great EPs, which you can get from her BandCamp page. This track was made popular by the equally brilliant George Ezra and this version is definitely more spooky, slow and sultry compared to the upbeat and bouncy style of the original. Holly has the ability to make you really listen to the lyrics of a track because every word she sings carries emotion and a sense of power that makes you focus and pay close attention. Beautiful. Enjoy!

Twin Peaks - Wild Onion SA

September Album

This month has been mostly a two horse race between two great albums. One being the Catfish And The BottleMen début and the other being Wild Onion by Twin Peaks, and of course Twin Peaks has won out. Other notable albums from the month have been produced from The Kooks, Counting Crows, King Tuff and Broncho to name but a few. I chose Twin Peaks because over the length of their album which is jammed with 16 tracks, it never gets tiresome and always stays fresh and keeps you interested. I also like that they have produced a longer album seeing as other bands in their genre like to make more shorter and perhaps snappier albums which ~Twin peaks almost rebelled against. One stand out track is Making Breakfast (below) which is as catchy as any of their singles and just as brilliant.

Van & Lamacq Discuss The Balcony YTV

23/09/14 YouTube Video

This is an interview that Steve Lamacq and Van from Catfish And The Bottlemen did to go alongside their new album release The Balcony. Steve talks Van through the songs of the album and questions him about meanings and possible stories relating to the tracks. Steve has a way of making the interviewee feel comfortable and really open up which makes for great viewing. The whole interview is a really enjoyable listen and Van seems a very straight talking and cool young man. Enjoy!

Darlia - Stars Are Aligned SCS

SoundCloud Song

These guys seem to be making hit after hit!
This is the latest from Blackpool band Darlia (Stars Are Aligned). It starts off with quite a heavy intro but then merges into more of an upbeat and punchy track. It has a pop punk era element to the music a la Blink 182 and Green Day but alongside is very British vocals which has a bit of a Gallagher drawl to it. I fell in love with the previous singles they released and this is no exception. If Darlia keep going as they are, they will be set to have a massive album and hopefully an enthralling live show. Enjoy!

Garfunkel and Oates - Fade Away YTV

16/09/14 YouTube Video

This week is a bit of a different flavour. I caught these guys on Conan O'Brien's talk show. At first I was intrigued by the name seeing as they are two people from massively influential duos brought together. I also recognised  Kate Micucci from the TV show Raising Hope. Both Kate and her partner Riki Lindhome are a comedy folk duo that have been releasing music pretty solidly since 2009. This track is a previously unreleased song and presumably from an upcoming album. Its full of funny one liners and the chorus is super catchy. I also find the combination of ukelele and guitar alongside their voices works really well. Enjoy!  

House of Hungarian Music DOTM

Design Of The Month

I have recently found out about this really cool piece of architecture. Its a design proposal for The House Of Hungarian Music in Budapest created by New York based Leeser Architecture. The whole build has no straight lines or planar surfaces which creates such a fluid and organic shape. It is clear that the feel of music was inspired in this design. Part of the building is meant for live music performances and is shaped and constructed to provide the best acoustics quality possible to the audience. Also throughout the building there are walkways and viewing platforms that make the most of the surrounding landscape. Beautiful!

Sleater-Kinney - You're No Rock N Roll Fun YTV

09/09/14 YouTube Video

This track is a bit of a throw back to the 2000s. Sub Pop Records are going to reissue most or all of the Sleater-Kinney back catalogue in October and to promote this, they posted the single track from their 5th studio album along with a collection their of other pieces of work on their YouTube page. I was aware of Sleater-Kinney mainly thanks to Carrie Brownstein, the guitarist in the band. Her newer band Wildflag and comedy TV show Portlandia are two brilliant things that if you haven't heard of yet you need to check them out. I think this song is great because it shows how Carrie has grown as a guitar player over the years and now playing in Wildflag. Also the band as a whole pull off a sound that still sounds so current and modern being over a decade old which is no mean feat. An awesome song by an awesome band. Enjoy!

Only Real - Pass The Pain SCS

SoundCloud Song

This track has a great combination of sounds. It has the lyrical skills of a young Jamie T with a great speed and wit included. Also the track has the guitar riffage of a classic indie rock tune that could easily suit songs that are darker and have a more solemn feel but work great with his style. It has many different levels ranging from chipper and upbeat verses to more chill choruses and with all of this stuff being brought together makes for a killer track. Enjoy!

Manchester YTV

02/09/14 YouTube Video

It is with the deepest sadness that this week there will not be the standard YouTube video due to my venturings up to Manchester and lack of proper facilities. I will however recommend listening to the newly released Twin Peaks album if you haven't already. It is truly spectacular and one for fans of great alt rock.
Below is an amazing piece of graffiti that we spotted whilst walking around the city centre.

I will be back on Thursday with regular postings.