LVL UP - Return To Love Stream ILIYLI

Frankie Ballard - Journey To Sonic Ranch YTV

With the recent release of Frankie Ballards third album El Rio, he has made the video below discussing the making of said record. What I found interesting about the story was why he chose to record in El Paso as opposed to the popular and some would say over-saturated Nashville.  Taking a relaxed pace whilst recording records can 9 times out of 10 be a positive thing, it just helps refine and relieve pressure of strict deadlines and improves the quality of the record and gives it an overall chilled vibe. Frankie and the band also stopped off at some legendary studios enroute to bang out some tunes. Really interesting thing. Enjoy!

Misty Miller - The Whole Family Is Worried AA

So April has ended and we are left with yet another great month of albums. You can check out Aprils playlist by clicking this aptly named link: April Playlist It has been quite a rock and roll month with spectacular albums from Tacocat, Weezer, Frightened Rabbit and The Coathangers and all the rest, too many to name. Recently I decided to change up this feature by including my top 3 albums of the month descending down from three to the big one. I just found it too hard picking just one favourite.

My third favourite was called Welcome The Worms from Bleached. The LA band's second album and I am enjoying the heavier sound that they are progressing with from their début release Ride Your Heart which I also greatly enjoyed as was one of my favourites from that year. My stand out tracks from WTW are the head thumping Wednesday Night Melody which is in the video below (so be sure to check it out) and Sour Candy which has a more classic pop punk rock feel which I get hooked on after like 10 seconds in. 

Buy the album HERE or you know any decent music store.

My second favourite was Out Of The Garden by Tancred. This album is the third release from Tancred artist Jess Abbott. This musician is a phenomenal talent. From her time as part of the band Now Now and her previous solo work she has gotten pretty darn brilliant at creating guitar led rock tracks without being repetitive and dated but sounding current, modern and exciting. There were too many crackers to pick a stand out track so below is a single from the album called Bed Case.

Pick it up on vinyl HERE

My absolute favourite has to be The Whole Family Is Worried by Misty Miller. I have been waiting for this LP to drop for a long time now and about 5 seconds into the album playing, I knew I was on to a winner winner chicken dinner. It plays the fine line of guitar pop with being catchy enough to be an ear-worm without being an overly produced or manufactured nightmare. This album has classic summer vibes written all over it, perfect for blasting up to 11 whilst driving through the main street of town or any other tarmac laden area you choose. My favourite tracks include Devil which is a beautiful piece of poetry accompanied by complimenting gentle electric guitar and slowly adding drums as the song builds and Marmalade which starts off sounding like a spooky theme tune to Scooby Doo then transitions to an almost Doo Wop girls style, Happy Days background music. It is a masterful bit of pop. I first heard of MM a few years ago now, supporting Nina Nesbitt and I knew from then that she was a true stand out talent and will be destined for big things. 

You can stream this LP in a bunch of places......or get it at you know AMAZON and such. Enjoy!

Nada Surf - Cold To See Clear YTV

08/03/16 YouTube Video

Nada Surf, who I found out about via browsing the Barsuk record label have released this lo-fi rocker Cold To See Clear. It is off of the 'You Know Who You Are' album that was released earlier this month. It has been 4 years since their last release but they sound as fresh as ever with this tune. I like the electro tinged rock that they seem to produce with an effortless ease and the album has even more bangers like this. So if you are diggin' this number, be sure to check out more. Enjoy!

Skaters - Head On To Nowhere YTV

01/03/16 YouTube Video

This week I have chosen the latest track released by one of my favourite bands the NYC homies Skaters. Their first LP Manhattan was easily one of my favourite records of 2014 so boy am I glad they are back with new music. After hearing that they have left Warner Music to do their own solo thing (I presume) I was interested to hear what the new songs off of the next album will be like. Head On To Nowhere is a track that definitely didn't disappoint. Sharing the same scuzzy pop punk sound from their earlier release, this song wouldn't sound out of place in amongst their first album but it can easily be a brilliant lead track for what is to come. It is clear that leaving a major label hasn't affected them in terms of music quality, they are still as great as I remember. Enjoy!

Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town YTV

22/12/18 YouTube Video

One last slice of Christmas cheer before the big event and you cant get much greater than Bruce Springsteen singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town with Paul McCartney on back up vocals. This performance closed possibly one of my all time favourite episodes of SNL with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting. Two very funny people with such a legend that is Springsteen makes for a absolute smasher of a show and gets me excited for the future performances SNL are going to produce. Enjoy!

Bad//Dreems - Hiding To Nothing YTV

07/07/15 YouTube Video

This week has a lot of new changes for me with my job transfer and new living quarters up in Manchester so to go alongside this I have chosen the new single from Bad//Dreems. Hiding To Nothing is the latest single from their up coming August album release. They are a band from Adelaide, Australia and so far have just released an EP way back in 2013. They have hints of The Gaslight Anthem if they were to come from down under. They produce straight up honest rock and roll that captures their surroundings and captures the heart of the listener. 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 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.

Southern - Where I Want To Be SCS

SoundCloud Song

This is the latest from artist Southern which is to be released on the 18th of August. This song really carries on with the same style of music that they have produced so far which is no bad thing. I think when the inevitable album gets released, it will sound like a perfect package of blues, acoustic/rootsy slide guitar and boy-girl vocals which this track will fit nicely into. If you a fan of Jake Bugg in terms of lyrics and the story telling aspect of songs this one is definitely worth a listen. Beautiful song!

D.O.T.F. Gretsch Guitars

Design Of The Fortnight Gretsch Custom Shop

I have chosen not just one design this fortnight but the whole collection that the Gretsch Custom Shop have produced in the 10 years it has been around. I have always been a big fan of the Gretsch guitar design and this video below really gives an incite into what it takes to produce musical instruments of such great quality, and each with a uniqueness all of its own.

I am currently in the process of learning about the making of guitars myself so this really is learning from the masters. If the guitars that I produce are half as close to this level of quality and finesse then I will be extremely happy.

Take a look and tell me what you think.

YouTube Video Of The Week! 11/02/14

This track I have chosen is a bit of a folky number with an old school feel from a group called NeedToBreathe. It does remind me slightly of Mumford and Sons but unlike most I don't see that as a bad thing. They both write good catchy fun songs.

I don't know a great deal about the band except they popped up on my SoundCloud feed and I looked into them some more. They have a few great tracks that are definitely worth a listen if you like this style.

YouTube Video Of The Week! 24/09/13

This week I have chosen one of Avril Lavignes new songs called Here's To Never Growing Up. It has the classic sound of an Avril track with all the catchy lyrics and pop tunes. What she sings about seems relevant to her major success at a young age but for me she has always made songs that I enjoy listening to throughout her career. This song and her other release from the up and coming album has solidified my pre-order of it. Both songs I have liked and expect more of the same kind of quality with the rest of the tracks. Give it a listen!

YouTube Video Of The Week! 17/09/13

My choice for video is The New Seekers - I'd like To Teach The World To Sing. I know it is heavily linked with the Coke ad and I think that is part of it's charm. It very catchy and filled with hooks that'll keep you singing it all day. Also the lyrics are all about world peace and you can't hate world peace without sounding like a prick. Definitely one of my favourite songs for a commercial even though it was before my time.

YouTube Video Of The Week! 27/08/13

After coming back from Reading Festival yesterday I feel its only right for my choice to be a song from the weekend and I have chosen Frank Turner who performed on the Friday. He was one of my favourite artists of the day and even performing with great energy despite his back problems really made the slightly miserable weather seem not so bad. Thank you Frank for bringing everyone together :)