Loose Tapestries - Can't Wait For Christmas YTV

08/12/15 YouTube Video

Christmas time and lets get festive with this lovably catchy and creative number from the Loose Tapestries boys. Serge and Noel coming together to produce music is a truly great thing, I found out that they worked together on the music for Noels comedy show Luxury Comedy and they really honed their skill in order to produce this Christmas slice of joy. The lyrics that Noel provides are reminiscent of the style I fell head over heels for on The Mighty Boosh when I was but a teenage boy and Serge brings the melodic elements that knits the song together and it properly flows along nicely. My favourite line is "My wife is a walnut, she is a Christmas walnut" soooo good. Enjoy!

Jeff Crosby - Waking Days NA

November Album

November is over and it has left me surprised at the slow down of album releases. It seems the record companies like to have a break and hold off till another month. Of the small selection that has been released I have enjoyed releases from Bill Ryder-Jones, Library Voices, Ty Segall and more but my favourite is Jeff Crosbys second solo release titled Waking Days. 10 tracks of beauty, strong song-writing and emotion has made me fall in love with each song individually as well as a whole story. He sort of reminds me of early John Mayer but with an added country tang that gives him an interesting edge. I dig it. Enjoy!

Action Bronson feat. Chance The Rapper - Baby Blue YTV

01/12/15 YouTube Video

It is that time of year when you start to see the standard 'Best 50 Songs Of The Year' lists etc. and on such a list (website forgotten) is where I found this little gem from Action Bronson with Chance The Rapper. I don't know how it managed to slip me by because I am a big fan of Chances and try to listen to everything he releases.  I haven't heard much of Bronson but on this track, his verses are really strong and smart and when coupled with the sweet soulful chorus makes for a beautiful cake of a track with the cherry on top being Chances hilarious lines with great visuals to go with them. Enjoy!

The Aquadolls - Girl Riot SCS

SoundCloud Song

This new track from The Aqua Dolls sounds so much like a lost punk rock track from an early 80's Blackhearts album it is really surprising that it was released just slightly earlier this month. With clear links to earlier genre defining sounds, it is great that The Aquadolls are bringing the sound back around for the latest generation to fall in love with all over again. I love this track because the use of catchy, short verses and repetitive without being tiresome guitar lines which makes for a song that hasn't left my head for a long time and I wouldn't want it to for the foreseeable. Plus promoting rebellion is always fun (for the right cause) Enjoy!

The Wild Reeds - NPR Tiny Desk Concert YTV

24/11/15 YouTube Video

What better way to bring Autumnal cheer than this three song concert from The Wild Reeds. They visited the NPR space and performed a great acoustic set featuring a track from their début album and a couple of new ones which equally kill it. The thing that I loved the most about this video is that it is rare to see bands with multiple lead singers that have such a high standard of vocals that they could easily front the band by themselves. I think The Staves are similar but The Wild Reeds just have an edge over them with their multi instrumental-ism. It is also nice to hear the harmonica being used not just by a grizzled old man sitting on a wooden crate. Enjoy!

Aftershokz Bluez 2S Headphones DOTM

Design Of The Month

I always have an ear out for interesting audio technology and recently I heard about this new headphone product from my girlfriend. The Aftershokz Bluez is an open ear wireless headphone system that uses bone conduction technology to deliver sound through the users cheekbones to the ear drum. This may seem to some people that they are changing headphones for no real benefit but as a cyclist who likes to listen to music when riding, these headphones allow me to hear oncoming cars and other possible surrounding dangers whilst listening to music without the two interfering with each other. It is also a great all round sports headphone product or just for lounging around the house in your pyjamas. Really smart idea!

Phoenix - Lisztomania YTV

17/11/15 YouTube Video

Well it was my graduation yesterday and it was a long time coming but I am glad I ended up going to the ceremony. It was good to celebrate the 3 years of working hard and even better to see my class mates. And in the spirit of graduation, I wanted to share the song that soundtracked my first year and holds many great memories. Lisztomania by Phoenix was used as the backing track to a presentation about design created by other members of my class whilst advertising their brand. It fit the emotion that they were trying to achieve of being a fun and upbeat company and much like the track, hasn't seemed to age to this day. Enjoy!

Green Buzzard - Hollywood SCS

SoundCloud Song

Boom! Yea this is the second post in one day, ain't no big deal. Great musical releases don't sleep so why should I. Today has been a day of blitzing my SoundCloud feed and there have been loads of great releases including this Tobias Jesso Jr cover from the Green Buzzard boys. The thing that I like the most about this version is how they up the pace of the song, making it slightly more frenzied track (compared to the slow ballad style of the original) whilst keeping the sound as a whole, lo-fi and mellow. I also think the addition of guitars really adds to the overall piece, making it more hooky. Enjoy!

Laura Stevenson - Jellyfish YTV

11/11/15 YouTube Video

I am ever so behind with my posts but here I am, making up for it. This is a perfect slice of indie pop from Laura Stevenson. I recently went and listened to her entire back catalogue, well all that I could get off of Google Music, and I find her progression in her sound a truly great thing. Her earlier stuff has a lot more of a straight up pop vibe reminding me of artists ala Paloma Faith etc. And in her later stuff she is embracing the guitar as more of a rock n roll instrument as shown in the video below. Just scuzzy enough to be exciting whilst keeping the beautiful vocals that she has always had. Enjoy!

Swim Deep - Mothers OA

October Album

October has been a long month, with plenty of good music coming from Wavves, Born Ruffians, The Enemy, Cheatahs and more. But my favourite has to be the latest from Swim Deep called Mothers. A bit of a change up from their previous album which I can do nothing but praise. Nothing against their debut, I mean I love it but some bands stay too comfortable releasing the same kind of music. The thing that puts Mothers above the rest is how the band have used synths and electronic sounds to create songs that have clear retro influences but still sound impressive against anything else released currently. Below is the single Namaste with one of the best videos I have seen in a long while featuring Paul Daniels. Enjoy!

Car Seat Headrest - Something Soon YTV

03/11/15 YouTube Video

Car Seat Headrest have a crackin' new album Teens Of Style and this video below is one of the singles off of it. What I like most about the track is how the vocals are sung in such an intense manner but because they are coupled with a poppier sounding instrumentation it lifts the mood to a light-hearted level and gives the song a fresh almost sing-along sound. Enjoy!

Drake White - I Need Real YTV

29/10/15 YouTube Video

This month seems to be never ending, with the final October album release day being tomorrow I am going to wait till next week Thurs to do my favourite release of the month. To keep everyone going I wanted to double up on YouTube videos. And what better choice than this belter by Drake White. An acoustic session of I Need Real in the middle of a field (no better location needed) He has that emotion that I have heard with other artists such as The Tallest Man On Earth. A grit in his vocals that when mixed with heartfelt lyrics, really makes something beautiful. Enjoy!

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown YTV

27/10/15 YouTube Video

Not exactly a underground track is the latest track from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. With currently over 47 million views on YouTube alone, it is now basically a worldwide banger. I am not an avid follower of hip-hop music in general but I do have a few artists that have always appealed to me, The Cool Kids, Chance The Rapper and amongst others Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. They seem to play the line between humour and credibility beautifully. Downtown being a great example. Enjoy!

Animal House - English Girls SCS

SoundCloud Song

I'm really excited to hear new music from Animal House. It has been 6 months since their last SoundCloud release and a year since the classic song Sour, so English Girls has been a new pleasant injection of goodness. The track reminds me of the great 00's rock and roll/indie tracks by artists such as The Cribs, Strokes et al, so they have clearly great influences. If their début album ends up being more of the same style, I will be one happy guy. Enjoy!

Pretenders - Brass In Pocket YTV

20/10/15 YouTube Video

Excellent track this week from the Pretenders. I recently purchased the Chrissie Hynde book and as soon as it came through the door I couldn't put it down (without lack of trying). It documents her life, well the earlier years and I was interested to find out that she spent so much of her life outside of the U.S., travelling to the U.K. and France for substantial periods of her life. I don't know why I presumed she still lived in America but I just thought the bands sound had elements of that New York punk era. After completing the book, I have been listening to the first two Pretenders albums, the first one being where the track below (Brass In Pocket) is taken. A classic track that is still a hit to this day Enjoy!

Flux Guitars - Double Neck DOTM

Design Of The Month

This is the kind of design that I love, creative, attractive and fully functional. Flux Guitars have recently started an IngieGoGo campaign to fund their uber smart Magnetic Double Neck Guitar  (http://igg.me/at/fluxguitars/x) The magnetic locking system they use for connecting the two guitars makes interchanging and playing the guitars for different modes really easy and simple to do. If the main guitar is connected to the amp, no additional connections need to be made to the secondary guitar for amplification as long as the magnetic connection is there.

Another special thing I really appreciate from the designer is that he is offering the option of buying the larger or smaller guitar as a stand alone instrument and also if you want to switch the 12 string to the smaller guitar and make the larger one a 6 six string, all options seem to be open. If that isn't giving the customer what they want, I don't know what is. Enjoy!

Dilly Dally - Purple Rage YTV

13/10/15 YouTube Video

This week I have picked probably my favourite track from Dilly Dallys début album Sore. The video for Purple Rage is equal parts 50's horror movie, and Mighty Boosh character. I think the emotional power of the lyrics fit perfectly with the storyline, especially when the purple creature ends up ending its live due to loneliness and no acceptance in the foreign world. Maybe this video has strong messages, but maybe I am taking it too seriously. End of the day it is a cracking video and track. Enjoy!

Estrons - Make A Man SCS

SoundCloud Song

I have totally fallen for this track Make A Man by Estrons. It is the bands first single released from the soon to drop EP (Whoever she was) which should be available on December the 11th. What I love about this track aside from it having all of the standard great rock'n'roll hooks and pounding guitar/drums is the vocals from lead singer Taliesyn Kallstrom. I am not certain of how old she is but she has a way of singing the lyrics that makes her seem older than her years. Like she has lived a past life and is back to recapture the best bits for us to hear. Really powerful singer. Enjoy!  

The Crookes ft. Misty Miller - Ex-Lovers YTV

06/10/15 YouTube Video

Isn't it beautiful when a couple of great artists come together and make something beautiful. This has been proven with The Crookes and Misty Miller collaborating on Ex-Lovers. It is a bit of an acoustic number with just two voices and a guitar. The Crookes' George Waite and Millers boy/girl vocals seem slightly played down for the first half of the track but they really build up to something really powerful and emotional in the final verses. I truly feel that they are mourning their split. Enjoy!

Stereophonics - Keep The Village Alive SA

September Album

Another month, another great time for music. I have been loving the new releases from FIDLAR, Widowspeak, Motion City Soundtrack, Little Simz and Chvrches to name but a few. But my big hitter this time is the new Stereophonics release Keep The Village Alive. This may be their 9th LP but the Welsh group are as strong with this as anything that they have released before. My favourite parts of the album are the epic ballads such as I Want To Get Lost With You which really shows off Kellys voice and seems to push him to his limits without sounding strained and painful to listen to. Below is the fast paced C'est La Vie, the first single off of the album. Catchy as all hell and the obvious choice to get people to fall in love with the album. Enjoy!