Frankie Ballard - El Rio JA

June has been a long month, that is for sure. Tiring and at some points a drag but the music has been there time and again to re-energise me and keep me singing along. With great albums from Whitney, Womps, Weaves and many other artists beginning with W there are many reasons to keep smiling. You can check out my full month playlist HERE. Without any further ado here we go with my top 3 picks:

Decorations - Have Fun was my third favourite album of June and it came as a bit of a surprise for me. Having not heard of the band before this release I really had no clue what they were like or how much I was going to love this album. A little bit electro pop, a little bit of indie rock and just the right amount of grandeur for my ears, Have Fun definitely has more sides to it than an a4 sheet of paper and that is a compliment from the bottom of my heart. Enjoy one of the singles 'Promise' below.

Straight out of the gate with this album I knew I was on to a winner when I heard the guttural scream of "Are We Alive". That's right, it is the Augustines third release This Is Your Life. Unlike Decorations, I had known of and listened to a lot of Augustines before this release and it is pretty safe to say I was expecting fairly big things. Thankfully I was not let down in the slightest and they delivered on every aspect. The epic ballads, the more chilled numbers with hints of electronica and the same great vocals from Mr Billy McCarthy. Easily their best work to date but it is almost expected that musicians improve over time as does everybody. Enjoy!

Perhaps a slightly surprising number one pick, perhaps not. One thing is for sure, Frankie Ballards El Rio is a absolute banger. Released in the earlier end of June, ER is packed full of 'Country Foot Stompers' that kept me smiling ear to ear all month long. His personality has a charm that comes through in the music and lyrics that I feel if another artist were to sing the same songs, they would come across as cheesy and out dated. He definitely has all the songs about the usual tropes: cigarettes, alcohol and girls but he puts a personal spin on the standard that any regular old Joe could come up with and has made a truly fresh and brilliant album. Summer afternoons in the park I hear you calling. Enjoy!

Coves - You're Evil YTV

15/03/16 YouTube Video

This week is a bit of home-town love for me. Fellow guys from Leamington (Leamingtonians maybe?) Coves are back on the scene with You're Evil (off of new album out early April). This track includes the same electronic led psych pop music that made me fall for their début album which included killer tracks like Cast A Shadow. But what excited me about the new song is the overall darker tone and more aggressive nature of the lyrics. I should have guessed it would have been a bit more of a depressing feel after hearing the song title but I didn't clock on fast enough. I also love how in the forefront lead singer Beck Woods vocals are. The lyrics pack such a punch, I would feel scared for anyone that gets on the wrong side of her, such passion and emotion is truly amazing. Enjoy!

Allison Weiss - Who We Are YTV

16/02/16 YouTube Video

Tonight I am going to be working the bar at an Allison Weiss gig in Manchester and am really excited. Since I found out I was going to be in on her show, I listened to her latest release in 2015 called New Love which the track below (Who We Are) was taken from. The song is one of my favourites from the LP, with building pop choruses, simple yet catchy lyrics and great guitar sounds. It may not be ground-breaking but it sure is awesome. I hope it sounds as good live as it is recorded tonight. 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!

We Are Scientists - Make It Easy YTV

08/07/14 YouTube Video

This last weekend was Godiva Festival at Coventry Memorial Park. An annual free music festival that spans three nights and this year is the second year I have attended. I only went on the Saturday this year due to funds and Saturday seemed to have the best days line up. My personal highlight of the day was We Are Scientists who held the penultimate days slot. But other acts that were impressive were Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Little Matador and Young Aviators. We Are Scientists played a lot of the well known songs and also the song below which was new to me but I liked it so that is why it is this weeks YouTube video. The video is as random as you can expect from the band, with the same humor/surrealism that their videos normally have. I have also included some photos that I took during the festival. Enjoy!

We Are Scientists

Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

Little Matador

SoundCloud Song

This is a really fresh sounding, up to date country style track. In my opinion they have taken the best part of country music guitar and paired it with a modern beat and hooky vocals. If you are not converted into this genre even a little bit after this track, then there is no hope for mankind whatsoever haha.

1 Year Old

I really wanted to get a post out on the first of may seeing as at that point my blog would have been 1 year old but due to uni deadlines I have been crazy busy and only managed to find the time now.
A few days ago now I went to see Never Shout Never and We Are The In Crowd play at The Institute Birmingham. NSN were on first and played a large handful of songs. It seemed to be over pretty fast as they stopped playing at like 5 past 8. I enjoyed Christopher Drews playing of various different instruments and in doing so, showing what a talented guy he is. Also the random banter that him and his bandmates had was fun to watch. I would like to see them as headliners sometime, I think they would put on a great longer show.

WATIC also were a full of energy group, the female lead I really like and I think I particularly enjoy female vocals with rock music. There is something about it that works really well. As for seeing them again live I don't think I would be that bothered, something about the sound they made was very samey to me that a lot of bands could reproduce. But I still enjoyed it.

To sort of commemorate my year I have purchased the latest Frank Turner album Tape Deck Heart on vinyl which if you remember my first post is the best way to listen to the dude.