Fruit Bats Taster SCS

SoundCloud Songs

This week I wanted to shout about the 4 track little sampler playlist that has been posted on the Easy Sound Recording Co. SoundCloud page. The first 2 tracks are taken from the bands 2011 album Tripper and the last 2 from the 2009 LP titled The Ruminant Band. This selection is a great stepping stone into listening to both of the albums in their entirety and if you like what you hear, going back even further and listening to The Fruit Bats first 3 albums. Yes they have been around for well over a decade. I have been wondering where I have been, not to hear of them before this but I love the classic, raw and clean Americana sound that sounds in no way contrived and taken straight from the soul. Enjoy!  

Lilly Hiatt - Get This Right

25/08/15 YouTube Video

Big thanks to Kids Interview Bands for their interview with Lilly Hiatt. If I didn't watch it I wouldn't have heard the talented Lilly Hiatt or anything including her Dropped Ponies. Get This Right is one of the singles from her 2015 album Royal Blue. After listening to it a couple of times, I really enjoy the mixture of styles she includes from country tinged tracks to more straight up alternative sounding songs. It is definitely one of my favourite albums of its style this year so far. If you get the chance, give the whole LP a listen. Enjoy!

Marshall London Phone DOTM

Design Of The Month

For as long as I can remember I have been a big fan of Marshall. Not just their amps but I have used their headphones for quite a long time now and the quality (both sound and manufacturing) is superb. When the new Marshall phone came up on my news feed I was more than intrigued. Marshall are branching into mobiles now? How much? What does it look like? Is it better than my Nexus? It turns out it is a stunning phone with obviously great sound quality including a unique dual headphone socket jack for listening to music with a friend. I'm not sure how much the new feature will be used apart from two teenage school kids on a coach en route to a class trip want to sing along to the latest Top 40 compilation. When my current contract ends, I'm going to be hunting this phone down and hopefully the price which currently stands at £399 outright will be lower by then.

Worriers - Most Space YTV

18/08/15 YouTube Video

NY band release a very NY music video. A short sharp hit from the bands second album released, this track has all the great guitar sounds that I could want in a rock song. The video shows members of the band and others recreating some of the annoying people and situations that we see and hope to not be a part of whilst riding the subway or similar. My most relate-able gripe is sitting next to someone who feels the need to stretch their legs apart as far as possible, for ?comfort? or whatever reason, its plain annoying. Great tune and great video Worriers. Enjoy!

Arthur and The Invincibles - This Time Next Year SCS

SoundCloud Song

I have been waiting for the next SCS to roll around so that I can tell people about this track. It is the latest track on the bands SoundCloud in 2 years and boy it was worth the wait. A short and extremely catchy track coming in at just under 2 minutes. It may finish quickly but that just means that it will be faster for you to hit that replay button. I'm just hoping for more great tracks soon. Enjoy!

Shannon And The Clams - Point Of Being Right YTV

11/08/15 YouTube Video

Shannon and the Clams new music! Its like I have been waiting for this to come along without even realising it consciously. Nice basic/chugging beat almost like a steam train coming along its rails and working its way into your head like the ear worm that it is. I also like the creative, cross dressing, (sometimes bad) karaoke style of the video. More please SATC!!. Enjoy! 

(I must be in a !! mood)

Veruca Salt, Jason Isbell & White Reaper JA

July Albums

July has been another great mixed bag of album releases. So much so that I have chosen 3 favourites for this month.

Veruca Salt - Ghost Notes

First is the 5th album from the Chicago band Veruca Salt. I enjoyed listening to this because after 5 albums in, they have kept a punk sound without sounding like they are rehashing the same old sound. From song to song there is a diversity that keeps things feeling fresh and exciting and loud.

Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free

Again this is another 5th release from the artist. A bit of a different sound compared to the last one. The whole album has a gentle and non abrasive feel whilst singing heart felt and passionate songs. My personal stand out tracks are How To Forget and Children of Children. These seem to be the most emotional and sung with underlining feeling. Luckily they are paired back to back.

White Reaper - White Reaper Does It Again

My final favourite is the first full length from White Reaper. These guys know how to make a first impact. Straight out of the gate they pack a punch that lasts throughout the whole album. They pack 12 great rock songs into 33 Minutes. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have and will do in the future.

The Front Bottoms - Help YTV

04/08/15 YouTube Video

Another busy couple of days moving from a single room to a studio flat kind of location. The biggest problem being that the internet man hasn't been and done his job in giving us wifi so me and Keturah are living off of basic BT random connectivity which loves to move at a snails pace. Due to this, my YouTube video watching has gone down in quantity somewhat but one video that I did manage to watch and enjoy is the latest track from The Front Bottoms. This song will be on their 5th studio album and the first released on Fueled By Ramen which is the YouTube channel that I heard them on. Despite the slightly childish name, they make good music, especially this track. Enjoy!

Natural Child - Saturday Night Blues SCS

SoundCloud Song

This is my second SCS on Thursday because thanks to the music heads and the new music albums release being moved to Fridays this means that there is one more load of releases that I want to take into consideration before sharing my favourites this month.

So this week I have chosen a track from Natural Child which is a year or two old but on my first listen I thought it sounded a lot older, like from a previous decade. It has a nice bouncy, springtime like feel whilst including the country and rock and roll tinge. It could almost be a theme tune to a 90's teen sitcom. Enjoy!

Jake Evans - Easy On My Soul YTV

28/07/15 YouTube Video

Last weekend was a bit of a concert feast. On Saturday night I went to see Jake Evans play at The Deaf Institute and on Sunday night I went to Phil Busbys album release gig at The Castle Hotel. Both gigs were great for many varied reasons such as talent and guitar skills, and one of the best songs played was the one in the video below. Jake played it as one of his closing tracks to finish off the night and with the whole room singing along, it really was quite a spectacular moment to be a part of. I am looking forward to hearing more from Jake in the near future with his new album release etc. Enjoy!

Wavves - Way Too Much SCS

SoundCloud Song

Wavves are a band that I band that I have heard of in articles etc. but haven't heard their music. That was up until someone reposted this track which popped up on my SoundCloud feed. The song is a lot more pop rock than I was expecting, because for some reason I had it in my head that they were like more of an experimental electronic band which I am not too keen on listening to. Way Too Much is the latest release from the groups 5th album aptly titled "V" which comes out on the 2nd of October, so only 10 weeks to go. That should give me enough time to go through their 4 old albums. Enjoy!

The Orielles - Space Doubt YTV

21/07/15 YouTube Video

So last Saturday I went to The Castle Hotel to see Evans The Death, not knowing much about them or the other bands that were playing alongside them. I was happy to find out that the other bands that supported were full of energy and great musical talent. The Orielles being one of the support bands alongside Gorgeous Bully and Sudden Sodner. The Orielles were probably the youngest band on the line up, but age really didn't have anything to do with the amount of musical skill they had. They sounded as good if not more skilled then some of the other guys. The video below is one of their tracks but I don't think it really does the band full justice. Live they sound a lot more raucous and aggressive with ripping guitar solos which was definitely one of my highlights. So if you get the chance to see them live, please do. Enjoy!

General Manchester Update

16/07/15

Today would normally be a Design Of The Month post but there was no design that inspired me to post about it so I have decided to do a general post about Manchester venues.

I have been living here in Manchester for a week and a half now and I am starting to plan some gigs to go to in the near future. After reading a local free music mag, I was pleasantly surprised at the quantity and variety of cheap concerts that take place around Manchester on a daily basis. Also the amount of venues is really impressive (pictured below) with places like: Gullivers, RNCM Concert Hall, Castle Hotel, The Deaf Institute, Sound Control, Night & Day and The Soup Kitchen to name but a few. I am pumped full of energy to visit these places and hopefully experience good music along the way.

Ezra Furman - Restless Year YTV

14/07/15 YouTube Video

Ezra Furmans album is one that I have been digging lately. He has a truly unique sound that keeps me guessing throughout the album. Restless Year is the first track on the album and kicks it off with a bang. One of the major things that I enjoy about his songs is how he uses the human voice to create sounds so that it isn't all just musical instruments. It may sound out there but it is some of the most catchy/creative music around. Enjoy!

The Resonars - If He's So Great SCS

SoundCloud Song

Its back to the Swinging Sixties via 1999 with this track from The Resonars. It may be a couple of decades old but it is still a great pop tune and holds up well. I am glad that Burger Records are reposting all of these previously released tracks on their SoundCloud. There are some real gems on their page that I would not have heard about if it wasn't for them. If you don't follow them already go do it now if you like music like this.

This is one band that I am 100% going to go through their back catalogue. Fantastic groovy tunes.

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!

Billy Currington - Summer Forever JA

June Album

During this pretty busy part of my life with the ending of University life and my relocating to Manchester in a few days time, Billy Currington has helped keep my spirits up with his latest album Summer Forever. Other albums that I have enjoyed come from Kid Wave, Girlpool, Pins, Wolf Alice and many more.

Summer Forever has a definite chirpy country sound to it and this is a major part of why I like it, but what makes it special to me is that it is not just a standard country album that can be boring with 12 stereotypical songs all the way through. It has some of the tracks where I think he switches it up and has more of a John Mayer Bluesy vibe and others with more of a straight up Americana kind of feel that wouldn't sound out of place on a Springsteen modern album. Below is one of the singles from the album which isn't much of a surprise seeing as it has a good hook but the whole album is this and much more. Enjoy!

Beck - Girl YTV

30/06/15 YouTube Video

This week I wanted to post a bit of a classic song from Beck. Girl is a track from his album Guero which is coming up on its 10 year birthday in a month. I heard this song earlier today on the radio and  it reminded me of when I last heard it all those years ago and I look back with fond memories. I like the catchy elements of the lyrics and the fact that he has brought in Mexican and Country music elements to the song and make it sound fresh even in this day and age. Enjoy!

White Reaper Does It Again SCS

SoundCloud Song

Yet another exciting young band that would be great to listen to in the sunshine at a festival. This time they come from Louisville, USA. The 4 tracks below are a nice little teaser for their upcoming album to be released in a few weeks on the 17th of July. I think they share similar musical qualities with another punky band I love: Fidlar, in terms of the grungy guitar and the sometimes silly lyrics. They also manage to pack more hooks into each tune which makes for a more light hearted listen as a whole. If this is about a quarter of the album, I cant wait to hear the thing as a whole. Super pumped for more of this music.

Strand Of Oaks - NPR YTV

23/06/15 YouTube Video

NPR have pulled another brilliant session out of the bag inviting Strand Of Oaks to play for their Tiny Desk Concert feature. I watch most of the Tiny Desks that they release and there has been good ones fairly regularly but nothing has been as good as this session in a long time.

Through the session he plays 3 tracks: Goshen 97, Plymouth and JM. Starting with Goshen 97, it shows the vocal capabilities of Timothy Showalter and I was pleasantly surprised at the range he could produce. With Plymouth he moved from a Telecaster to play what looks like a Fender Telecoustic (funny little instrument) with a gorgeous effect added through a pedal that I have rarely if never heard before in such a stand alone way and I am so envious his guitar playing. JM is the 7 minute belter that closes the set and it is one of a select few tracks that doesn't have me reaching for my phone by half way through, he just has a way of keeping me captivated throughout. Extremely talented guy. Enjoy!