Belated Emmy The Great - S JA

January Album

I know this post is late and I'm sorry to those of you who came looking for a new post yesterday but here it is, only 1 day late. It is a bit of a cheeky one this month with the album not actually being an album but an EP instead, but who really cares. Good music is good music.

Emmy The Great's new release S has a common theme that all the tracks start with the letter (yes you guessed it) s. The whole EP has a futuristic almost grand element running throughout with slight hints of electronic voice effects and instruments. The first two songs start fairy softly and then the energy picks up and peaks on track 3 and lowers back down to finish off the collection of songs nicely and gives you an idea of just some of her talents.

The track Swimming Pool (below) is a slow, gradually building track that has an emotionally moving narrative to the lyrics that are made stronger with the addition of the male vocals supplied from Tom Fleming from Wild Beasts.

Social Halo is probably my personal favourite track. It reminds me of a more gentle early years Tegan and Sara track. You can tell the real beauty of her voice and it has the power to make you hang on to every word that she sings. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

Darlia - I've Never Been To Ohio YTV

27/01/15 YouTube Video

This is another band that continue to release great singles. Blackpool 3 piece Darlia with latest killer tune I've Never Been To Ohio. For me it has elements of a grungy Oasis with the same strong rock sound of Foo Fighters/QOTSA which work extremely well together. Short and sweet but enjoy!

Summer Twins - Got Somebody To Dream About SCS

SoundCloud Song

Dreamy, folky and repetitive are just a few words that come to mind when listening to this track from Summer Twins. Repetitive may seem like a bad word to use but alongside this track, many tracks use repetitiveness for good, not evil and gets the lyrics stuck in your head. The dual female vocals and soulful almost Pipetteish stylings make for a great song about wishing for a lover. This song has been out for a while now and I am looking forward to more stuff. Love it!

The Go! Team - The Vaccines YTV Double Hitter

20/01/15 YouTube Video

It seems like the music industry is playing catch up from the lull over the festive period. This Monday there has been an influx of great new albums that I have been listening to and many great singles that have been released. Both of these bands have been away for a little while, one slightly longer than the other but both very much welcomed back.

The Go! Team are a band that I have loved for over a decade now with Thunder, Lightning, Strike being one of my first musical purchases. I haven't heard their last album Rolling Blackouts due to my clearly narrow new music feed but I am looking forward to their next one if this track is anything to go by.

What a pleasure it is to hear these boys back in my ear drums. With all this talk of guitar bands fading away this track is what we need to hear. Fun, catchy and right up my street. Keep up the good work Vaccines. Enjoy!

Italia Guitars DOTM

Design Of The Month

As I am currently working on a guitar based project on my final year at university I have been looking into lots of existing guitars. I have came across many ugly guitars and lots of copy cat guitars but one brand that are doing something special and different is Italia Guitars. The company was founded in 1998 by fellow Englishman Trevor Wilkinson and has famous clientele such as Lightspeed Champion and Nicky Wire and more. What I personally like about their guitars is the aesthetics. They have a classic almost Mod feel to them with colours taken straight out of a Vespa colour scheme and little details like the alternative pick ups and the beautifully curved main bodies. Altogether a great brand and I hope they continue producing modern classics forever more.

C&TB - Kathleen Acoustic YTV

13/01/15 YouTube Video

Van McCann is hitting it solo with this track. Stripping down Catfish & The Bottlemen to just the bare bones with Vann singing Kathleen with help just from an acoustic guitar. And that proves to be all he needs. This version doesn't lose any of its impact by being performed acoustic, it actually gives the song a new element that I enjoy and you can hear the vocals in a different, less harsh light. Good job Oui FM for sorting this out. Enjoy!

Screaming Females - Wishing Well SCS

SoundCloud Song

Don Giovanni Records latest release is from Screaming Females. An exciting new band that share a recording home with the equally brilliant Waxahachee and Shellshag. The song is a bouncy indie little number that is pleasant but the thing that really makes it special is the vocals from the lead singer, one miss Marissa Paternoster whose vocals are something of a unique and attractive entity. The band have released 5 albums to date, I think and I am currently doing my best to play catch up. Enjoy!

 

Hole - Celebrity Skin YTV

06/01/15 YouTube Video

Another oldie but still a goodie. And yes I am surprised I even said that phrase but it is true, this song is a modern-ish classic featuring the always tame and shy Courtney Love and band. The whole album that shares this tracks name is a great listen, it will take you to places and think things that you would have trouble trying to forget. Enjoy!

The Smashing Pumpkins - Monuments To An Elegy DA

December Album

The festive period is over and I would love to say I have spent the break relaxing and listening to classic 60's albums that I am yet to hear but a lot of time has been spent listening to yuletide tunes (some cheesy, some not so much) which is no bad thing. One of the highlight album releases from this month is The Smashing Pumpkins latest. To be honest there has not been many good albums released this month with the only competitor for the best album being McBusteds debut which was just pipped for the title.

In the past I have not been a big Smashing Pumpkins fan but this album has really changed me and I will be expecting more great work from them in the rumoured 2015 album. Below is the track Being Beige which is probably my favourite track from the album and if you like it be sure to dig in further and listen to more.