The Joy Formidable - The Last Thing On My Mind SCS

SoundCloud Song

Yet another single from a highly anticipated album. This seems to be the time for great new releases. On this occasion it is from the rockers The Joy Formidable (or FormidaaBleh however you want to say it). The Last Thing On My Mind which is from their March release titled 'Hitch' is 6 minutes of magic. The psychedelia tinged guitar coupled with the basic complimentary rocksteady drums are a winning formula to work with the intense but beautiful vocals from Rhiannon Bryan. Other similar length tracks in this genre have at times seemed forced, dragged out and leaving me losing the will to live but this track does a brilliant job fighting my stereotype and making the longer track something to be excited in again. Enjoy!

Bleached - Keep On Keeping On YTV

02/02/16 YouTube Video

The Bleached girls are back with an absolute banger! Keep On Keeping On is the first release from their upcoming album Welcome The Worms which is out on April the 1st. I love the darker tones that this song has over their previous releases. The obsessive, creepy stalkerish nature of the video does a great job at giving you an unsettled feeling during the whole length of the track but with a romantic hint it makes sure you stay glued to the screen. Classic vocals and lyrics as always. Enjoy!

Fender Artisan Series 2016 DOTM

Design Of The Month

Well winter NAMM (guitar convention) has been and gone with 4 days of magic in Anaheim CA going by in more like 4 seconds. Not that I went to the show or anything but I have been eagerly awaiting the new goodies and news from the guitar world over in England.There are loads of different new makes and models that are things of beauty this year but the first thing that caught my eye (shown in the video below) is the Fender Custom Shop Artisan Series. Using the top notch exotic hardwood's, teamed with beautifully complimenting golden hardware, the guys at the custom shop have used the existing style of classic Fender guitars and given them yet another new lease of life. My personal singular favourite design is the spalted maple Telecaster pictured right at the bottom, nothing too fancy but still something special that I would happily show off.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell - The Traveling Kind YTV

26/01/16 YouTube Video

This video really showcases what two talented musicians can do. Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell teamed up in 2015 to produce The Traveling Kind album with the track below being one of the lead singles off of it. Their voices work together and compliment each other with a gentle ease that seems totally effortless. I am also greatly blown away at how well they have both grown as artists and still produce tracks of this quality and beauty, compared to other artists who have been around for decades that time hasn't treated nearly as well. Enjoy!

Spookyland - God's Eyes SCS

SoundCloud Song

New release from these Sydney boys Spookyland, God's Eyes brings the downbeat stadium ready rock music to the listeners. The lyrics emphasise how even the most perfect people make mistakes every now and then, and at the end of the day it is all just part of being human. I honestly hear an Oasis like epicness to the track and can picture the crowd at a sell out show singing the verses and choruses back to the band on a beautiful summer evening. I need to make sure I get a ticket. Enjoy!

Bleeding Rainbow - So You Know YTV

19/01/16 YouTube Video

I have recently started logging my Google Music playlists on paper to keep a more secure version of them in case anything happens to the GM platform (god forbid). And I thought what better place to start than at Jan 2013. It seemed like a good a place as any and it had enough releases per month to give me something to get stuck in with. I made my way through the year and into early 2014 when I remembered this forgotten gem of an album by Bleeding Rainbow called Interrupt. So You Know is one of the singles off of the album and it is wonderfully dark. Grungy without being incoherent, this band has made a track with a great balance of heavy instrumentation to the softer female vocal. The video is also really creative and interesting to watch. Enjoy!

Brit Awards 2016 Predictions

Well the nominees have been announced and below I will try to guess some of the catergories winners on the left and who I think should win on the right.

British Male Solo Artist: Aphex Twin, Calvin Harris, James Bay, Jamie XX, Mark Ronson

  

British Female Solo Artist: Adele, Amy Winehouse, Florence and Machine, Jess Glynne, Laura Marling

  

British Group: Blur, Coldplay, Foals, 1D, Years & Years

  

British Breakthrough Act: Catfish and Bottlemen, James Bay, Jess Glynne, Wolf Alice, Years & Years

British Single: Adele - Hello, Calvin Harris and Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love, Ed Sheeran + Rudimental - Bloodstream, Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do, James Bay - Hold Back The River, Jess Glynne - Hold My Hand, Little Mix - Black Magic, Olly Murs/Demi Lovato - Up, Phillip George - Wish You Were Mine, Years & Years - King

Mastercard British Album of Year: Adele - 25, Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams, Florence + The Machine - How Big How Blue How Beautiful, James Bay - Chaos and Calm, Jamie xx - In Colour

  

British Video of the Year: Adele - Hello, Calvin Harris and Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love, Ed Sheeran - Photograph, Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do, Jessie J - Flashlight, Little Mix - Black Magic, Naughty Boy ft Beyonce - Runnin’, 1D - Drag Me Down, Sam Smith - Writing’s On The Wall, Years & Years - King

  

International Male Solo Artist: Drake, Father John Misty, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd

  

International Female Solo Artist: Ariana Grande, Bjork, Courtney Barnett, Lana Del Rey, Meghan Trainor

  

International Group: Alabama Shakes, Eagles of Death Metal, Major Lazer, Tame Impala, U2

Tacocat - I Hate The Weekend SCS

SoundCloud Song

We are now well in to 2016 and what better way to banish those January blues than a song about hating the weekend. That's right, the latest track from Tacocat which comes off of their upcoming third album is about dislike for Saturday and Sunday. The reason being because they have to share it with all of the ghastly weekday workers who rain on Tacocats parade when the Friday clock out comes around. I like Tacocats charm, bouncyness and upliftingness that comes with this song and many of their other songs. I'm expecting great things from their new release in April. Enjoy!

Courtney Barnett - Three Packs A Day YTV

YouTube Video

Yes, yes, yes, new music from Courtney Barnett. Singing about instant noodles has never sounded so cool as it does in this 2 minute 50 second song of brilliance. It again showcases what she does best, sing catchy songs about everyday mundane life that everyone can relate to. I'm just waiting for the next track about struggling to find the perfect parking space. Another thing about this song that I love is the added harmonica solo which few songs wouldn't be improved by. Enjoy!

Cage The Elephant - Tell Me I'm Pretty DA

December Album

After an exceptionally slow December where not many stand out music was released, I am so glad for the great albums from Lizzo, Milk Lines, The Bootleg Honeys and more. But my favourite by far is Tell Me I'm Pretty by Cage The Elephant. The fourth release from the boys brings the same great southern blues rock and roll that they are known for producing. And this time with added help from the seemingly always on point Dan Auerbach. The thing that I really enjoy about the album is how they play with the speed of the songs, going from the quick and punchy, to more mellower notes then back to the fast paced songs which plays with your emotions over the course of the album but whilst keeping their distinctive, unique sound throughout. Enjoy!

The Crookes - The World Is Waiting YTV

05/01/16 YouTube Video

Ahead of their fourth album Lucky Ones, yesterday The Crookes released the video for The World Is Waiting. By the sounds of it, they have kept everything I loved about them from their previous albums: big building choruses, catchy guitar lines and a loveable charm that is embedded in the lyrics. Watch them below as they get their DIY Coldplay on and throw bright powder around in someone's back yard. Enjoy!

Happy 2016!

Happy new year to all of the readers! I hope that the new year will be even better than the last. 

Seeing as the holiday period has been pretty dead in terms of new music album releases, I have been down many a musical rabbit hole in search for interesting tunes and new bands that have passed me by and have found some great albums by a Chicagoan band called The Ponys. The track below is taken from their second album out of three as is really lo-fi, garagey pop loveliness.

In the future I am going to aim to post more content on this blog about a larger and more varied choice of subjects. I hope everybody will still enjoy everything I produce. Thank you.

Western Plaza - Tornado Dream YTV

29/12/15 YouTube Video

It is currently the awkward week between Christmas and New Year that normally passes by in a bit of a blur but so far this year has been ever so slightly dragging. Well what better way to keep things moving along nicely than this presumable re-release from Burger Records by Western Plaza. Initially released in 2014, it seemed the guys at Burger wanted more people to hear about it so reposted it on their SoundCloud amongst other places. I'm glad they did or I wouldn't have heard Tornado Dream, a jangly, upbeat song that reminds me of 60's USA beach music and has definite Beach Boys roots. I also find it refreshing when a band aren't afraid to call their music pop. There is nothing wrong with good pop music. 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!

Nexus 6P DOTM

Design Of The Month

It may not seem initially music related but stay with me. My piece of design that I love this month is the recently released Nexus 6P from the guys at Google who have partnered with Huawei for their sleek, stylish latest phone. I am a big fan of the Nexus range as I own the Nexus 5 phone and their 7 inch tablet and am big fans of both. What I like specifically about the 6P above the other phones that they have released including the 5X is the introduction of the finger print scanner in a location which seems more comfortable to the user, larger and better quality screen, better processor and two of the best improvements being the battery life and the storage space of the phone. I know I have talked about the Marshall phone and how great it is, but with this release from Google it has really swayed me into purchasing the 6P as my next smart phone early next year. Plus for new customers who purchase it, the phone comes with 90 days free Google Play Music which is the best streaming service imo. Enjoy!

Sam Amidon - Blue Mountains YTV

15/12/15 YouTube Video

To come as something of a break from all the Christmas music that is being played is this delicate song by Sam Amidon. Taken from the Lily-O album that was released in 2014, it is not his latest work by any means (in fact Home Inside My Head was released earlier this year) but on multiple listens it does a great job making me feel the lyrics and relate to story he sings that it brings out layers of emotion in me that not all music does. This kind of music is one that is perfect to listen to with big headphones on, in a comfy chair and just do nothing but relax and listen. It is tracks like these that have made me go back and listen to the other brilliant albums Sam has produced. Enjoy!

Phoenix - Alone on Christmas Day SCS

SoundCloud Song

To keep the Christmas feeling going is this cheery number from Phoenix. As part of the guest heavy Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas with Bill Murray, Phoenix performed Alone on Christmas Day with Murray throwing in a bit of backing singing and Jason Schwartzman on the drums for extra goodness. The great thing about this track is how they spin an ultimately sad story about being alone into a happy and positive. It is a song that I would happily have as part of the Christmas playlist in the backgroung when I am tucking into my turkey and stuffing. Enjoy!

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!