Fetch The Nets

St. Spirit Debut EP - Pidgeon

2012-02-10T12:09:00.000Z

We love home-grown rock here at FTN. There is nothing better than something cooked up in somebodies Living room, shed or kennel. Although we don't really advise recording your debut album in a miniature dog house, We're sure it will be acoustically brilliant/innovative.

Lovely wallpaper.

St. Spirit are a South London five-piece named after the island 'San Esperito' from the Just Cause xbox game. Their Debut EP, 'Pidgeon' is released on the 20th of February, and the title track is brilliant.Ghostly and melodic, It is probably the most refreshing new rock track we have seen recently. The debut album is exceptionally professional and shows a lot of promise for the album.

Mixed in a garden by Adrian Bushby (who has worked with Muse & Foo Fighters). 'In a garden'? I think this needs explaining, but whatever he has done, it sounds great. If you would like the chance to see St. Spirit perform live, check them out at the following dates and places -

14^th February - The Social, London (Huw Stephens Introducing), W1W

17^th February - Amersham Arms, London, SE14

29^th February – Buffalo Bar, London, N1

To get a taste of their music and for more information on this release, visit the band’s
website www.stspirit.com and www.distillermusicgroup.com.

The band are exciting and fresh, and best of all, inspired. it makes us believe that music can still have life breathed into it by talented and creative individuals such as St. Spirit.

Black Hats - 'Austerity for the Hoi Polloi'

2012-01-31T12:14:00.000Z

Oxfordshire three-piece Black Hats kick in the doors, seemingly metaphorically in their new video 'kick in the Doors'.

Making their mark on the Oxford music scene for the past 18 months, and have finally got stuck into some studio work with their debut mini-album 'Austerity for the Hoi Polloi' which is being released 16th of april.

The first single, 'kick in the doors' appears here -

But not a single door is kicked in. Quite frankly, we are disappointed by the lack of horribly smashed doors and destruction that would make B & Q cry. The only door we saw was right at the start, and it wasn't kicked in, or damaged in any way at all. To fix this we insist that the band film themselves Kicking in a door, immediately. However, this is a fantastic video and the ending is brilliant.

The track is a bouncy alt-rock record that is relatively catchy and definitely works on stage - If the rest of the album is like this we are going to love it, and so are You.

As mentioned previously, the mini-album is released April 16th. More importantly, more doors need to be kicked in before we are ok with this. Also, we are really hoping the next song on the album is called 'fixing the hinges' followed by 'calling the locksmith'.

Album Review; The James Warner Prophecies with Things Change.

2012-01-25T23:18:00.001Z

Well, look who’s returned from the dark depths of the recording studio! It’s only the James Warner Prophecies! We’ve reviewed them once before, here, and now they’re back with their new album, Things Change.

The first track of the album, Define, is impressive. The guitar seems to disagree with my ears a bit, but The vocals are clean and well done, a major strength of this band.

Define is the most mellow track off the entire album, so what James Warner Prophecies have done here, is produce a 12 track album with 11 rawer, harsher tracks, and thrown in this song as a way of saying, “Hey! Look what we can do!”... And this certainly isn't a bad thing. The fact that the track is accompanied by an awesome video is a nice added bonus. (The link for said video can be found here!)

Running Out is the next song that caught our attention. It starts off with a bluesy guitar, something I personally adore. It also hails the return of the flute. Now, if you remember, we had a slight problem with the flute in their previous song You Are The Sun, but, we have to give it to TJWP, it works here. It works very well. You win this round, boys.

This track is a perfect example of how versatile this band are; vocalist Joe Brown has no problems conquering this heavier song, and it sounds like he does so with ease. Also, we approve highly of the guitar all the way through Running Out.

The bluesy guitar makes an appearance at the beginning of the track Holes as well. The song progresses smoothly, and has been very well thought out. It also features yet again another slightly different vocal style. The highs and lows of this song remind us of bands like Five Finger Death Punch. Which is also a very good thing...

The thing that has struck us most about this entire album, is about how easily JTWP can change their sound, but keep it to a high standard. They don’t sound like a band struggling to decide a genre to stick to, they sound like a band who knows these songs sound good, so they will play them, dammit. That’s definitely something to admire.

The songs work together, in an odd way. TJWP have been very clever here; their songs sound different but aren’t on opposite ends of the spectrum; meaning the whole album flows and gives a very pleasant listen. The band have shown that they know how to use their instruments to the full effect, and aren’t afraid to show this off in any way possible.

Keep doing what you’re doing, boys, because you just keep getting better.

-Rosa.xo

The official TJWP website can be found here. Fancy things like videos, new releases and tour dates are put up there, so if you like the sound of these guys be sure to check it out!

JBZ interview - Disco for the New Generation

2012-01-24T20:28:00.000Z

I shouldn't like dance music; I can't dance. Seriously, watch me. I move like a blind Michael Stipe with a hip problem. However, there is something compulsive about fantastic dance music, and when it is good, it is really good. So that is exactly what can be expected of the legendary collection of artists contributing to JBZ.

JBZ

JBZ is the collaboration of Mark JB (part of the producer duo Bimbo Jones) and Brand New Heavies' Simon Bartholomew. The new-found duo are creating the 'Disco sound for the New Generation' with many artists, including Aurora Dawn, Jocelyn Brown, Omar, Kenny Thomas, Junior Giscombe, KC (sunshine band), Beverley Knight, Kid Fuss, Rita Campbell and Sharlene & Vula from Basement Jaxx.

FTN: Massive amount of collaboration going on here, who are we going to be hearing with JBZ?

Mark JB: Well first you will be hearing some of the finest guitar playing crafted by Simon, what a pleasure to work with such a genius! The first artist we recorded with was Jocelyn Brown at her house in London, we took a mobile studio up there, she did the most amazing one-take adlib track on the end of her tune, that is something I will never forget.

We have so far had through the studio Omar, Kid Fuss (a great rapper who is from Australia who sounds like Q-Tip), Kenny Thomas, John Altman who is a living legend having composed for Monty Python-Life Of Brian and James Bond and jammed with Jimmy Hendrix! Then we have the amazing Aurora Dawn in today, we working an amazing crowd rocking song called '5432' today, artists confirmed to come all board are KC (Sunshine Band), Junior Giscombe, house diva Rita Campbell and the lovely Beverley Knight.

FTN: All drawn to the 'disco for a new generation' angle, I'm guessing?

Mark JB: I think most of the artists are drawn in because it's an interesting project and we have a good laugh in the studio, also Simon and I have good networks and an excellent discography which helps. It is an interesting concept and a few people have said that there is no one doing what we are and that they cant wait to hear the results!

FTN: Define Disco for a new generation?

Mark JB: We love the disco/soul/funk sounds of the 70s and early 80s, the thing that made it so good was that it took a whole team of people to put it together, you had the producers, musicians, arrangers, executives... everyone put their emotion and ideas in, this is why the music was so multi-dimensional.

On Michael Jackson's Thriller for example there would have been upwards of sixty people pitching in to make the tune come to life. So we have put a modern spin on the production by bringing in loads of artists and musicians to put their energy into the album; this is disco for today. 'Disco for a new generation' is taking great melodies and music produced for today's hi-fi-club rocking discerning music appreciators.

FTN: What is needed for the 'new disco generation' sound?

Simon Bartholomew: We're doing a project here that's loosely based on the Disco sound. You won't be getting any village people business. More on a soulful tip. Disco got a bad name, but there's some HEAVY Disco tunes being made... We're gonna add some modern flavors into the mix too.

FTN: Your perfect listening conditions for a class A funk track?

Simon: Smoky, Pokey, Loungy and all the other seven dwarfs that get that Snow white down.

FTN: How much of JBZ is drawn from Brand New Heavies' sound and success?

Simon: Well there's my guitar on it, so you're gonna hear that sound - but Mark's vibe from his seventy-one #1 dance hits... So it's a fresh sounding familiar set of tunes... the Albums not finished yet, but we're working away in a secret South London location.

FTN: Favourite JBZ track so far?

Simon: I'm loving this track with Aurora. The Jocelyn Brown track keeps coming up in my mind.... More to come... I love 'em all with their different vibes on each one...

FTN: Last time we met you was underneath Dirty South, how are Alabama 3?

Aurora: Still recovering *laughs* We not long finished filming a cameo part in a film called seven songs for amy, starring Sean Maguire, (See the Spartans) Patrick Burgen (Patriot games, Sleeping with the enemy) and also working away on new material and with up and coming artist and doing loads of interviews.

FTN: exciting new stuff from 'Shoplifting 4 Jesus - do you have a favourite track?

Aurora: Love it all really, The tracks are so varied but holds a strong thread of continuity that Larry Love is brilliant at doing. None the less, Facebook.con, write is wrong, stars, summer in the city are all wicked tracks. 'Shoplifting 4 Jesus' is officially released on the 25th February 2012 which we will start promoting with with an international tour through the UK, Australia, and New zealand. We did a pre-tour of the UK through November and December!

FTN: Any comments on the track/tracks your soulful voice will be gracing with JBZ?

Aurora: Loving the tracks - Working on a wicked dancefloor shaker with Marc JB and Simon JB as we speak. Simon is corrupting me with aquavit... its a Norwegian bevie.

FTN: Can't wait to hear the tracks, anything you would like to say to our readers?

Aurora: Yes! Look out for the new tracks from JBZ and myself but in the meantime come on down to my Charity event Called THE BEST IN BRIXTON TRIANGLE BENIFIT WEEKENDER 27TH AND 28TH OF JANUARY 2012 AT BRIXTON JAMM 261 BRIXTON RD SW9 6LH where you can get a taster of the boys and I. There will be a plethora of artist over 2 nights from HOWARD MARKS, BASSMENT JAXX, MZ BRATT, STERIO MC, RODNEY P and many, many more. See the website or at the door on the night if there's is any tickets left... there going Fast! Get them now!

Marc JB: The next Bimbo Jones album is coming out, also look out for my new singles with Rita Campbell and Inaya Day, please sign up at WWW.MARCJB.COM for more info on all the projects!

Gaunt story Acoustic video!

2012-01-12T19:15:00.002Z

Quick update with Gaunt Story and a phenomenal live and acoustic performance of 'Burning up Kindness' - This is one you have to check out.

For those of you who didn't see our review of their companion waves album, check it out here!

The Kickliner

2012-01-08T19:23:00.000Z

We get the impression that Sheffield is a well of talent, an inescapable whirlpool that chews up and swallows indie bands. Sheffield is like a third world of talent, with musical refugees escaping down the M1 every chance they get. What I'm saying is that 'Sheffield's Got Talent' wouldn't be a reality TV show, it would be a statement of fact.

You can't go wrong with snakes.

But with the help of producer Alan Smyth (Artic Monkeys, Pulp, Reverend & the Makers), The Kickliner have created something that stands out from the usual crowd - but only just. Their new E.P. is a four-piece clash of indie mayhem that can't be denied its appeal. Instrumentally very tight, the band have a real talent for exciting riffs and a dynamic sound with roots in the best of indie - hints of Kaiser Chiefs, Libertines and Two Door Cinema Club. The band could have the potential to join these greats. Joe Doris' vocals are strong and raw, and have the exact amount of angsty north incorporated, but they can get drowned in the instrumental chaos. The songs have immense promise, especially the exponentially less clustered 'Romance is Ruined' - where the entire song seems more structured, the vocals are audible and a whole lot more characterful.

All in all, the lyrics and vocal melodies need to match up to the brilliant instrumental work. A little more structure and some memorable refrains are all that's needed to really get them noticed. At best, the core successful elements of northern indie are evident in full force.

Check out the band's facebook page!

Review: Matilda, the Musical

2012-01-06T22:57:00.000Z

When I heard there was going to be a musical of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda', I couldn't suppress a disenchanted 'Ohhhhh.' Because everything seems to be a musical nowadays. There's 'Shrek' (wouldn't recommend) 'Legally Blonde' (definitely would!), even an upcoming 'Bridget Jones' with music by Lily Allen. There seems to be a new link in the Hollywood adaptation chain; Book - Film - Musical. I sincerely hope they never do 'The Shining'.

However, when I heard it was a Royal Shakespeare Company production (they launched careers of Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, etc etc - they don't do crap things) , and the music was by Tim Minchin, my favourite eyeliner-wearing musical comedian, I decided to go and see it. And I'm very, very glad I did.

The story, as most people know, is about an intelligent book-loving girl, unappreciated by her tv-loving family, who develops telekinetic powers and uses them to drive out the evil headmistress of her school. With a story for, and based around children, this musical could have fallen into sugary, over-sentimental territory, but it did exactly the opposite. The opening number consisted of a chorus of bratty children singing "My mummy says I'm a miracle" while their adoring parents looked on, capturing the dark yet truthful humour Roald Dahl is famous for. From that moment, a smile never left my face.

Nothing about this production could fail to satisfy a Roald Dahl fan. The set is ingenious and at times surreal, with a backdrop of brightly coloured alphabet blocks. The special effects are magical - they manage to recreate the bit from the film where a small child is hurled around by her plaits, I was sitting there half hysterical, and half terrified. The script is very, very funny, slightly updated for a modern audience, with a knowing and grotesque tone, but some touching moments of poignancy as well. (There are also some extra bits that aren't in the book OR film, which were an excellent surprise for someone like me who knows them both backwards.) Tim Minchin's score is witty, very reminiscent of Dahl's use of language, and there are several tunes that have remained in my head. Although occasionally over-wordy, the music is perfectly matched to the story and I'd be very interested to see any other musicals he worked on. A special mention should also go to Peter Darling's choreography - it was fresh, energetic, dynamic, and utterly suitable in that it made the children look like boisterous schoolkids and not precocious dancers.

Sophia Kiely and Paul Kaye

And the children were the real stars of the show, all of them slick and with comic timing beyond their age. The Matilda I saw was Sophia Kiely, who was so tiny and adorable I briefly considered stealing her and raising her as my own. Her singing and dancing was mature and spot-on, and she believably made Matilda resourceful and strong but also naughty. All the young cast held their own amongst the adults. The standout adult was, of course, Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull, and the many theatre award nominations he has gained for this are fully deserved. I came expecting something similar to the film version - a butch, screaming bully. Instead, I got a soft-spoken tyrant, a Richard III with a magnificent bosom, whose sanity visibly crumbled a little bit more every time we saw her. He is particularly memorable in his number 'The Smell of Rebellion', high-kicking and vaulting around a gym and terrorising the small children. Props also go to Lauren Ward as Miss Honey, who has a beautiful, carrying voice and portrays the beaten-down teacher admirably, and Josie Walker and Paul Kaye as Matilda's garish, sneering parents. (Matilda's brother Michael, played by Peter Howe, is also hilariously reworked into a hoodie-wearing moron who can barely speak beyond his own name).

Lauren Ward and Bertie Carvel....be very afraid.

This show deserves the 5-star reviews and the award nominations it has gained. It's perfect. There is truly something for everyone, and in a West End where the same shows have been running for years and years, this original gem is to be prized. Go. Go now.

Eden xx

Whitemoor & Jay Stansfield save Christmas

2011-12-15T19:41:00.000Z

Welcome back, Christmas. This month we celebrate the birth of the Jew-king in all his glory, sit around a fire while someone cooks a testicle-bird and figuring out how long a man can actually survive when pinned to a tree.

As if this maudlin event was not depressing enough, we are also denied any good music for the month, and we are force-fed piles upon piles of Christmas covers, Telly people thinking they can do music, and that song where rich people moan about the fact that starving Africans don't give a toss about Christmas.

Dear rich people, we finally found a use for those gap year students you sent over.

What you are about to hear non-stop throughout December is the artists looking to cash in on your hard-earned coinage by singing you that same song some self-styled 'woman warrior' of soft pop music covered last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. We have to assume that this all started shortly after the Jew-king died. it wouldn't be hard to believe that 'Cross Factor' has been running for 2,000 years.

If that wasn't more than enough, it is even standard procedure to give a lot of realitards free run of a studio, top-notch producer and enough auto-tune to blast Essex into space. That, my friends, may be apt retaliation to the offense caused to the human race by 'Last Christmas' by the cast of 'The only way is to shoot Essex into space then nuke it'

...although we are pretty sure they have already absorbed enough radiation through experimental fake tan/botox treatments that they would survive/mutate(mutate more, we mean).

It's for charity, so SHUU-UUUUUUUP.

Pretty desolate so far, isn't it? Well, we haven't been entirely truthful with you. There is hope yet, you just have to look for it.

Our synth-rock friends over at Whitemoor have constructed this wonderful festive song for all you would-be no-hopers out there. It is genuinely uplifting to see so much passion poured into a a seasonal song. Lose yourself in melodic synth and a heated vocal track that has melted my cold-to-Christmas heart. For your entertainment, Three words at Christmas.

WHITEMOOR - THREE WORDS AT CHRISTMAS

The free download is available from www.sound-hub.com, a veritable addition to any Christmas collection.

and the world would definitely be a darker place without Jay Stansfield, which is why he has contributed to brightening up our Christmas and making Christmas music a warm experience once again. This stunning composition has all the charm of Fairytale of New York, and the love that Jay fills all his work with.

JAY STANSFIELD - WAKE UP THE CHILDREN

Jay Stansfield - Wake Up The Children by Jay Stansfield
Click the link to download this wonderful song now.

Merry Christmas from Ry, Rosa, Sam, Egor, Eden @Fetch the Nets.

No party like a GB party - Gogol Bordello unplug for Camden

2011-11-19T00:16:00.001Z

Eugene and the international E-Street band hit London again for a one-night acoustic gig at Camden's Electric Ballroom, blowing us away(as expected).
Photos/Video by Wyllie O Hagan artists partnership - http://wyllieohagan.com - Check out their fantastic video of the band performing 'Wonderlust King' at the gig here!

The Ballroom is a club-come-venue that has a bar on every corner, stairs enough to make the Penrose illusion look two-dimensional, and a brilliant vantage point wherever you stand. Where better to see the energetic immigrant punks do what they do best?

Eugene works the crowd with a charisma that is undeniable, even to the special-ops trained FTN agents posted at points of strategic importance around the room. His comic banter and eccentric character tied songs together like fine stitch-work in the greater tapestry of words and music, as he conducts the band into their next epic. There can be no better times than when a band like Gogol Bordello say to an audience 'there are lots of songs that we don't usually play, but you always request them; well, we are going to play them now'. Classics such as 'Strange uncles from abroad', 'American Wedding' and 'Through the roof 'n' underground' are played with vigor to an audience enthralled.

As well as the flawless nature of the set-list, the actual acoustic element is absolutely stunning. The band make a massive noise and create the big Gogol sound on a smaller budget - the band really need no more than a guitar, a violin, an accordion and a wooden box to create the studio-quality - if not better - sounds that we love from them. I had heard that Gogol were good acoustic, but i really had no idea they could possibly be this good. There is something so unchained about this smaller line-up, something free and spontaneous.

Gogol Bordello's greatest hits make a earth-shaking appearance- for 'Start wearing purple'(started by the lyrics to Pink Floyd's 'Another brick in the wall', contributing to this being the best performances of SWP that i have seen) the Ballroom seems that it could imminently collapse into itself as the walls give way from the vibrations created by the band and the bouncing crowd. Crowd pleasers like 'Tribal connection' and 'Wonderlust King' make an appearance and shake the room.

New songs are added periodically - including Hutz's new forays into country music - a truly stunning development and a show of further brilliance coming the Bordello fans' way. As Pedro Erazo encourages the crowd to chant, 'There ain't no party like a GB party!'

All in all, this accoustic gig encompassed Gogol Bordello's true energy and spirit, with songs from Gogol's early years, their presently popular catalogue and new and exciting directions that the band will be taking in the future. If you get the chance to see Gogol live soon, Take it. If you get the chance to see them live acoustic, Take it harder.

'Wonderlust king' Video by Wyllie O Hagan

Shoplifting 4 Jesus - Seems legit (Alabama 3 tour dates and NEW ALBUM!)

2011-11-14T22:43:00.000Z

I don't think words can actually describe how much we here at FTN love Alabama 3. There are only so many bands we've met in basements, but out of all of them, A3 are far and away the best. This is not just a massive pontification of our feelings towards them - there is some genuinely exciting news preceding the immense Acid-house country legends.

First and foremost, Alabama 3 are releasing a new album, 'Shoplifting for Jesus', release February 27th, 2012. In the words of Larry Love himself, Shoplifting 4 Jesus "Is the sound of middle England's worst nightmare, a celebration of all that is dynamic in club culture, and a finger on the pulse of those on the wrong side of the tracks. Everyone is fearful of kids today, of hoodies. Perhaps if we just stopped and listened to them a bit more, we wouldn't be …"

The album’s got another kind of theme running through it," Larry says. "A Biblical feel, but it's the Bible-as-Communist manifesto, which is why we thought it would be a good idea to get a few voices reading passages from the good book throughout."

But surely, what religious figures have given their voices to that of the techno-priests within A3? None other than the very revered Martina Cole and the worshipful Ray Winstone. This is already sounding like it is going to blow us away. Again.

So be sure to pre-order the CD from your local missionary, church or record store and get ready for more deliberately delight-inducing samples, techno beats and holy rollings that A3 are going to lay upon us.

Second, and not to be missed - Alabama 3 are launching a live tour before the albums' release, and this is not to be missed. take it from someone who has seen them play in multiple varying venues, Alabama 3 are London's best live band. I have no doubt on this matter; their eclectic sounds and the vibe and the message can never be delivered quite so wonderfully as these Countrytek Kings.

The tour launches Wednesday 16th in Cardiff, and will trail down to our dingy little southern cities, stopping everywhere of importance on the way. Dates can be seen here: http://www.alabama3.co.uk/en/containers/event/main_calendar

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Internet

2011-10-21T23:08:00.000+01:00

Do you find yourself bemused by the deepest depths of the internet? Do you find yourself asking questions to your computer screen like "Why is this person asking me about my credit card details, and why, at the same time, is my Firewall complaining about something attacking it? What IS a Firewall? I hope it doesn't involve real fire, that can't be good for anybody..." If this happens to you on a daily basis, the Hitchhikers Guide to the Internet could be exactly what you need. Find it here; http://hgtti.blogspot.com/
But just remember, no matter who or what tries to troll you out there in the mean world of the netz; Don't Panic.

Who's heard of...Cult Image?

2011-10-03T19:08:00.000+01:00

Put your hands up now if you ever wanted to know what it would sound like if Echo and the Bunnymen had sweet, sweet musical babies with The Smiths. That wasn't a rhetorical statement. Seriously, hands in the air. All of you? Brillant. Take a listen to this before you read on. It's 'Faces' a single from a band led by a Geordie of all things.

See, how good was that? This track has everything you'd expect from a huge selling chart act, a catchy hook, unique and powerful vocals, tantalising guitar, it's all there. The very post-punk sound is a wonderufl kick back to decades past, and all in all I love it. You can find Cult Image <--- here. They're freakin' awesome, to the extent where I've actually bought one of their T-shirts.

I know it's not the longest review, but hopefully they'll play around Leeds soon and I can do a gig review and actually grab an interview, which shouldn't be too hard, I go to uni with Sean.

Much love, Sam x

Eat//Sleep EP by Fruitless Forest Review

2011-09-23T23:27:00.000+01:00

The Eat//Sleep EP by Fruitless Forest is an interesting solo project by Karl Adam Francis, with the genre straddling the lines of folk and melodic. So, melodic folk, if you will.

The first song (and my personal favourite – but no bias here of course), Will You Settle Down, has an absolutely glorious intro that immediately lets you know this is an EP worth listening to. The brilliant lyrics make the song even better, and although the vocals do remind me quite strongly of Never Shout Never, you still feel the unique sound coming through. It’s the liveliest song off of the EP, and I could imagine radio stations quite happily agreeing to play it on a day to day basis. I vote for more songs like this, everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

The next song is a slight genre switch from Will You Settle Down – but only slight. Sweetheart has a simpler acoustic feel to it, with the vocals slightly obscured by the use of an echo effect. The song has an almost melancholy feel to it at the beginning, but picks up about half way through and makes everything feel ok again. It’s good at evoking emotion, is Sweetheart. It's in this song especially where you can hear the influences from musicians like Bon Iver.

Sleep By My Side is the longest song off of the EP, with the genre more matching that of the laid back Sweetheart than the up-beat Will You Settle Down. This is a well structured song we have ourselves here. It all works and flows in a manner rather pleasing to the ears. It definitely has a market out there, not on mainstream radio perhaps, but there will be people who would adore this song. It doesn’t make you want to dance, or do anything energetic for that matter. It just hooks you in and makes you listen and contemplate. It chills you out... Until you get to the end that is, then you’ll be awoken by a high-pitched sound and the almost creepy undertones of what seems to be a set of windchimes. Not sure I’m completely sold on the ending... But each to their own.

A Once Shattered Ideal is my second favourite off of this EP. It makes you happy, it makes you smile. This is the kind of song that would go down excellently at a festival; the crowd would lap it up. It’s another laid back song, and it ends the EP nicely. (And leads you neatly into the first song again, it’s like the EP was made to left on repeat for a few hours.)

Overall The Eat//Sleep EP is well worth a listen. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, but it has accomplished something valuable - something that is definitely worth holding onto and cultivating. If the right people got a hold of it, there’s no telling what it could achieve.

-Rosa.xo

The Eat//Sleep EP is released on the 17^th October 2011 in digital format via White Label Music
http://www.facebook.com/fruitlessforest

www.fruitlessforest.co.uk

Cher Lloyd; Swagger Jagger. Really?

2011-07-07T18:20:00.000+01:00

Okay, so when "Swagger Jagger" first created the buzz on Twitter and other such sites, I couldn't believe that everyone could be so negative. It couldn't be that bad, surely? OH MY. HOW WRONG I WAS.
I am ready and willing to listen to new material and embrace new sounds and concepts. But this just makes my ears bleed. I'm actually a little bit ashamed to have this song in my YouTube history.
So, let's start at the beginning. It's not too bad at the start, she's used the tune of another song which seems to be a rather popular thing to do nowadays. I'm so sorry, My Darling Clementine, but your tune has forever been tainted with "swagger jagger, swagger jagger, you should get some of your own." I know. I'd cry too. It's okay. I'm sure we can find you a support group of some sort.
She then brings in what sounds a bit like an alarm; obviously trying to appeal to the club scene. CLUBBERS LIKE THAT SORT OF THING, RIGHT?! Fist pumpin' goodness. Right? Right?!
Once she starts singing, there's a point at about 30 seconds in where she says the word "can't" and sounds exactly like Tommy from the Rugrats. You can hear it too, yeah? No? Only me then.
I won't be overly cruel. You can hear that she does have a decent voice. Just not for this style of music at all, and the use of autotune in some places just completely kills all credit she could have built up for herself. The Oh My Darling Clementine tune is annoying me too, because surely if you're going to write music you want it to be original? Why would you rip someone else hard work off and kill it with your own dreadful lyrics?
Because the lyrics really are dreadful. I apologise to torture you dear readers like this, but let me just put a sample of them here.

"You can't stop shoutin' at me, holler at me, be what I be,
you can't stop lookin' at me, so get off out my face,
you can't stop YouTubin' me, on repeat, runnin' this beat,
you can't stop this one is one me, I'm laughin' all the way.
get on the floor, get, get, get on the floor, my swagger's in check,
get on the floor, get, get, get on the floor, I got it in check,
swagger jagger, swagger jagger, you should get some of your own,
Count that money, get your game on, you're a hater, let it go."

I don't even know where to begin. I just. Did Cher Lloyd write this song specifically to piss people off? I'm going to guess yes, as she has mentioned that us commoners are just "haters" and have no swagger. My crys.
Apparently, her swagger is in check, but if you watch the video, all it really shows is that someone who was crazy enough to agree to help her out had a lot of knowledge when using video editing software. All Cher had to do was stand in front of a green screen and wiggle her hips a little bit, maybe do a bit of fist pumping. That's not swagger, or talent, Cher. Anyone could do that.
Cher then tells you to "get some of your own". Really? You're telling ME to "get my own?" That's rich coming from the girl who's ripping off Oh My Darling Clementine. How about you get your own music, Cher? Or would that be too much work? Any talent you had you've just wasted.
While we're on the subject of original work and our own ideas, have you been getting style tips from anyone, Cheryl- OH I MEAN CHER. CHER. Sorry. My bad.

Cher Lloyd

Cheryl Cole.. or is that the other way round?

I just find it a shame that people like this have been given all the chances in the world, have had money and opportunities thrown at them, but there's bands out there like Mumford & Sons or Yashin who've had to fight and claw their way into recognition. But until the music industry wakes up and stops shoving rubbish like this down our throats, I'll just let the YouTube likes/dislikes of "Swagger Jagger" do the talking.

-Rosa.xo

Music Review; Yearbook EP.

2011-07-05T21:01:00.001+01:00

Having recently been chosen as Kerrang! Radio dj Alex Bakers featured artist of the week [That’s a bit of a mouthful isn’t it?] Yearbook are certainly on the way to making a name for themselves.
And why shouldn’t they? Giving their EP a listen to just once will show you that these guys are good at what they do.
Having a quick look at their Facebook page shows that the fans favourite song is “Have Patience” so this is where I shall start. This song is ridiculously catchy. Like, ridiculous. It has claps and EVERYTHING. It’s also perfect for mainstream radio play; it would fit in well amongst other bands like Noah and the Whale, The Wombats or The Vaccines. Even though Yearbook don’t actually sound like these bands, they have the same crowd appeal. They would make a brilliant festival band. NME tent at Reading Festival, anyone? Have Patience is a well structured song, and very well produced. I think that if a single was to be released from this EP, it would have to be this song, simply because it would make a brilliant first impression.
Fingertips In is a slightly heavier song, the guitars have got more aggressive and the vocals are harsher. It shows that Yearbook can adapt their sound and still sound awesome. This song seems like it would go perfectly in a show like Skins; enter angry teen montage with this song over the top.
Unthink follows the same pattern as Fingertips In; aggressive guitars, gruffer vocals. It doesn’t flow as well as the other songs, there is a lot of stopping and starting. Maybe a little too much. If I had to pick, I would say this is the weakest song on the EP, if you were looking at it merely for listening pleasure. Unthink, would however, go down a treat at a live show.
The next song, 3’s & 6’s, switches back to the softer side of Yearbook. This is the more mainstream side of the band, the side that would get radio play non-stop if the right DJ picked it up. [Maybe this is where Alex Baker comes in?] The lyrics are memorable and stay in your head. You find yourself unconsciously singing along, which has got to be the mark of a good song, surely?
All Squares and Circles is only song left, and is my personal favourite. It’s brilliant. This is another song that is really well structured, it just all works so well. If this song were played to the right crowd, I can imagine the place would be torn down. It just shows the raw talent that Yearbook have managed to successfully harness. Some bands try to aim for a certain sound and just get it all wrong, but Yearbook have really nailed it.
Overall the EP is really worth a listen to. The band have actually been kind enough to put the whole thing up for free download. The link can be found on their page, which I shall put at the bottom of this post.
Well done Yearbook. What you’re doing is working, so don’t you stop.

-Rosa.xo

Yearbook's Facebook page. [Links to free EP download can be found here]

Yearbook's Tumblr

Gaunt Story's Comapion Waves Album Review

2011-06-24T15:09:00.000+01:00

I had no idea what to expect when I got sent this album to review. I'd never heard of the band before and all I had to go by was the album art and the title. Gaunt Story (Rob Ashworth's delightful pseudonym) has jumped on the equally delightful modern day folk bandwaggon, and if his Facebook page is anything to go by doesn't have nearly a large enough following to accompany his awesome talent.

Companion Waves is Gaunt Story's second album and is frankly brilliant. It's wonderfully calming, with almost haunting vocals accompanied by some serious talent on the acoustic guitar, minimalist drums, and perfect harmonies. All the tracks are the perfect length and the progression of the album works really well in the sense that all of the tracks follow an audible theme and as such if you like one of them you needn't worry about disliking any of them. 'The Dying Animal' is probably my favourite track on the album; it echoes the sound of some of the slower tracks that The Arcade Fire have come out with over the years.

What I like most about this chap is the fact that he's jumped on one of the bandwaggons that tends to produce really same-y music. I mean, look at Mumford and Sons, who followed the formula 'slow - slow -slow - FAST' for just about every track that they've produced or Fleet Foxes who follow the formula 'slow - slow - slow - slow with harmonies - slow,' and don't get me wrong, I do love these bands, particularly fleet foxes, it's just that Gaunt Story doesn't do this; and not only does he not do this but he somehow manages to make every track on the album sound different and the same at the same time. Yeah, I don't get it either but it works.

The album only leaves me asking two questions. 'When can we have another one?' and 'What on Earth is a Glenbeulah?'

The day the saxaphone died - R.I.P. E-Street's Big Man Clarence Clemons.

2011-06-19T21:10:00.004+01:00

Bruce and Clemons in 1978

As i came in from work today, i was greeted by a clamor of people all in a hurry to tell me something, and tell it to me first. The only word i could make out from this was Clarance - and my heart sank. I had heard about his stroke on monday, and had thought he was safe and would pull through. In my lifetime, there has not been a more devestating death since that of Johnny Cash.

Bruce introducing Clarence on a London tour date, video below, transcript below that.
'The minister of sound... Secretary of the brotherhood... Probably the next king of England... Gimme a C... L... A... R... A... N... C... E... What does that spell? Whats' that spell? Whats' that spell? I have seen the future of the whole fucken' thing, and it's Big Man Clarence! Right on brotha man!'

Clarance Clemons was born January 11th, 1942, The son of a fish market owner, and was the oldest of three children. For his ninth birthday, Clarance Clemons Snr. bought Clarance a saxiphone. Clemons joined his first band at 18, The Vibratones, which played James Brown covers and stayed together for about four years between 1961 and 1965.

Clemons and Bruce.

"One night we were playing in Asbury Park. I'd heard The Bruce Springsteen Band was nearby at a club called The Student Prince and on a break between sets I walked over there. On-stage, Bruce used to tell different versions of this story but I'm a Baptist, remember, so this is the truth. A rainy, windy night it was, and when I opened the door the whole thing flew off its hinges and blew away down the street. The band were on-stage, but staring at me framed in the doorway. And maybe that did make Bruce a little nervous because I just said, "I want to play with your band," and he said, "Sure, you do anything you want." The first song we did was an early version of "Spirit In The Night". Bruce and I looked at each other and didn't say anything, we just knew. We knew we were the missing links in each other's lives. He was what I'd been searching for. In one way he was just a scrawny little kid. But he was a visionary. He wanted to follow his dream. So from then on I was part of history" - Clemons on meeting Bruce.

Bruce and Clarance end this song end it in cataclasmic style. (1978)

At the end of shows, while recognizing members of the E Street Band, Springsteen referred to Clemons as "The Biggest Man You Ever Seen". He sometimes changed this depending on where the E Street Band performs — at their 2009 concert in Glasgow he introduced Clemons as "the biggest Scotsman you've ever seen".

Clarance has had a double knee replacement, and lost most of the vision in one eye from retinal detatchment. "It's not something you can replace. If it goes out, that's it."

The big man talks about Music, Glory days and his intense connection with Bruce in this touching video.

Clarance on the Alan Wicke show. He talks about his rather dramatic meeting with Bruce and plays 'Woman's got the power'.

Clarance played with many other artists other than Springsteen - Best known of these are Aretha Franklin's 'Freeway of Love', and the 1985 hit duet with Jackson Browne 'You're a friend of mine'

larance plays track on the Aretha Franklin track 'Freeway of Love'

Clarance's distinctive sax and low vocals makes this hit 1985 track with Jackson Browne.

Clemons does the sax solo on Crool to your schuel by Twisted Sister with Alice Cooper.

One of his last tracks was with Lady GaGa on her new single, 'Edge of Glory'. He also did the sax on two other tracks on the album Born this way.

The E - Street band take you on a journey with 'Jungleland'. Clarance Clemons has a beautiful solo in this. (Hyde Park)

The E-Street's Big Man suffered a stroke on Monday(12th). He underwent two surgeries and was said, by Rolling stone magazine to be well on the way to recovery. Clarance died yesterday, Satarday the 18th of June due to complications caused by the stroke. He was 69 years old.

The soulful solo on it's own, at Madison Square Gardens in 2009.

Bruce Springsteen released this statement-
'Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.'

On stage in 2010, Clarance said: "You know, sometimes in this life, sometimes there are situations that make you sad. Things happen that you don't understand that make you sad, make you very unhappy and uneasy," said Clemons.
This is, as far as i and many others are concerned, one of the saddest days in music history - our wishes go out to his family and his close friends in the E-Street band. Make them dance in heaven, big man.
"But I want you to know that the universe loves you. I love you. Be happy."

Dananananaykroyd - Their ace new album review.

2011-06-12T22:29:00.001+01:00

Self-dubbed posi-core Glasgow six piece Dananananaykroyd are back tomorrow to try to follow up their mental first album 'Hey Everyone!' with their latest piece of work 'There is a Way.' However, lucky me here at Fetch The Nets HQ decided to pre-order the new album from the HMV website and by means of what I can only assume is ancient Glaswegian voodoo it arrived a day early. So whether it be as a result of somebody mis-reading a spreadsheet or dark Scottish magic, i'm here to talk to you all about what I make of it all.

Their first album recieved pretty mixed reviews, but regardless of reviews you can be sure that it was worshipped among those who love mosh pits and anybody with ADHD. It was an interesting mix of double-drummed indie punk, and metal, and pop, and...shouting and...well...everything really. In essence it was a bit like a well made long island iced tea; you'd expect that mixing so many big flavours would be overpowering, which makes it that bit nicer when it surprises you by actually being delicious.

So how does their second album compare? Well, it's definately explosive. It seems much more sporadic than the first album, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. A lot of the songs are more similar in sound to the end of 'Some Dresses' from 'Hey Everyone!' in the sense that they're more power chord-y (if that's not a legit word then it should be) and less crazy riff-y (same applies) than songs like 'Watch This!' They've stayed true to their sound though, Callum's vocals backed up by John's more shouty voice still carry the tracks, and at times the second vocalist really helps to fill what you can hear would be a void if it weren't there. I love the echoes back to the first album too. For instance, the line 'okay whoever has the most stuff when we die wins, go!' about a third of the way into the second CD's 'Searchlight' reminds me in it's delivery of 'these are atoms, i'm holding them' (Infinity Milk - Hey Everyone) which is nice. The standout tracks in my eyes are Spotlight and Muscle Memory (the second single the band released back in April) largely because of the catchy tunes, the awesome lyrics, and dat break in the middle of Muscle Memory.

Overall then, on first inspection the band have outdone themselves on this one. They went off to L.A. and recorded something wonderful, and most importantly, haven't sold out at the expense of all those pepped up youths who fell in love with their sound from the get-go. This particular highball of Vodka, Gin, Tequilla and Rum has been mixed to perfection. Mmmmm...

And just incase you were wondering. Yes, Sam is back. Much Love x

My Passion plus supports - Friday 3rd June

2011-06-07T21:00:00.001+01:00

I won’t lie, cheap ticket prices are always a massive draw for me, because I’m skint the majority of the time, and let’s face it, who doesn’t like a good bargain? So when My Passion announced a show at the Facebar in Reading for just £5, I couldn’t say no. I’d seen My Passion before, so I knew that no matter what I’d be at least getting a decent live show.

Upon arrival to the venue I was confronted with about 30 hipster kids crowded around the entrance, in their denim American flag short shorts and floaty-tit-showing tops, and I suddenly felt a great deal of un-ease. Why are these kids here, where are all the friendly “goffs” with their black nails/eyes/hair/souls? I MISS YOU, PLEASE COME BACK TO ME. My panic was luckily calmed once inside the venue, where I managed to secure myself a place nice and close to the barrier of the tiny stage. I saw that the hipster kids were literally at a loss for what to do – “Where do I stand? Why are these people hanging onto that piece of metal fence? Why are their loads of stage hands with facial piercings? Where is JLS? WHAT HAVE I STUMBLED INTO?”

The panic in their eyes continued even once the first band had stormed the stage. The Royal Cartel are a 4 piece from Guildford. They have a rather tasty female bassist whom my friend decided she would spend her time lusting over, rather than listening to the music, so even if you don’t enjoy the sounds they make, they at least give you something pretty to look at and enjoy. [And that’s from a straight female’s perspective.] The Royal Cartel have a heavy sound and their influences include bands such as Rage Against The Machine and Soundgarden. Once you hear the rough guitar it all makes sense. They have an interesting vocal style – gruff and low. Some words are a bit slurred, but their set is still enjoyable. Unfortunately, due to them having a crowd of mainly 13 year old girls in beach wear, they fail to get a mosh pit going, despite their greatest efforts at cajoling the crowd. They don’t let that dishearten them, and leave the stage with a distinctly happier and more upbeat crowd. It’s a good effort all round, and I certainly wouldn’t say no to seeing them again.

Goodnight Vienna are next up, and this seems to have the group of annoying girls excited. High pitched screams suddenly fill the room, and the stage is rushed. All I can smell is sickly perfume and the sound of cheap Primark bangles clanging against each other fills the air. Once Goodnight Vienna grace the stage, the presence of these annoying creatures within the crowd is suddenly cleared up – they have a cute vocalist. The screams get higher and louder. The kids at the barrier who are obviously only there for My Passion clench their fists harder against the metal. Goodnight Vienna ‘s set certainly has a more excitable crowd, although the moment a circle pit even looks as though it might begin, beach-wear clad girls scatter everywhere like a flock of birds running from a hyena. Goodnight Vienna are good with their instruments – they know what they’re doing, and they make you want to tap your feet and dance. Their vocals however are an entirely different story. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume the vocalist was just having a bad day, because almost every note was out of tune. It’s a shame too, they have so much potential to be a decent happy-go -lucky pop-punk band, who could fit in with the types of You Me At Six and All Time Low, but they really need to work out what is going on with the vocals if they want to get any further.

Thankfully the high pitched demons from hell have now dispersed, their bloodthirsty calls ceased as they are obviously pleased with the offerings from Goodnight Vienna. We Start Partys are next. [Yes, Partys, not Parties, which irritated the Grammar nazi in me no end.] I have no idea what to expect from this lot, but the moment their set starts I’m impressed. Glorious pop-punk-synthery all over the place! They get the crowd dancing with ease, and manage to rope a couple of girls into singing along with them. Even the most hardcore “metalheads” in the crowd are grinning and tapping their fingers against their legs. We Start Partys literally do start parties, the atmosphere has been completely switched in mere minutes. Kudos, We Start Partys, kudos. You have managed to impress a room full of people who looked as though they were close to suicide a few minutes ago. I applaud you.

Finally, the stars of the night My Passion are due on stage. The room has filled with a comfortable amount of people, the strobe lights are being tested, the barrier is being re-enforced. Once My Passion set foot on stage, it takes only seconds for the crowd to surge forward and for the barrier to be rendered useless. Guitarist John Be takes it on himself to rile up the crowd whilst we wait for lead singer Laurence Renés dramatic entrance. After a couple of minutes of suspense, it all finally kicks off, strobe lights everywhere, Renés clothes being ripped off, bassist Simon Rowlands being dragged forward into the crowd. René accidently throws a hand up slightly to high and brings ceiling tiles crashing down. It’s mayhem. Glorious, glorious mayhem. The song Crazy and Me gets a ridiculous response, with the crowd packing in even tighter, if that was even possible. By this point, everyone is dripping with sweat, and the band are obviously loving every minute of it. The fans are straining to touch every inch of every band member. This is what gigs are supposed to be like. Even if you don’t like My Passion, the sheer energy of the crowd would draw you in and make you want to have fun. This is how bands should command a crowd – with ease. Everyone take note. This is how it’s done.

-Rosa.xo

http://www.facebook.com/theroyalcartel
http://www.facebook.com/goodnightviennauk
http://www.facebook.com/westartpartys
http://www.facebook.com/mypassionmusic

PS; There was a 5th band called Rise Above who played whilst doors were opening and due to this fact were missed. Sincere apologies.

Mitford Rebel

2011-06-03T15:18:00.000+01:00

It's that time again where we look into the ether and gaze eternally for bands that catch our eyes and our hearts, and look for the new heroes of rock and roll.

Totally how facebook works.

but this journey, that no mere mortal can understand, has lead us to something of a small holy grail - Mitford Rebel.

So we got our mits on their debut ep, and proceeded to devour it(via our ears).

The opening track is a powerful introduction to a band with a lot of attitude. It has all the makings of a great rock record, and captures a spirit long lost since the days of early 80's lady-punk. It's impossible not to draw connections with The Runaways and early, punkier CBGB's Blondie. We also get a spirited introduction to the band's phenomenal vocal harmony system that lasts, to great effect throughout the entire EP. This song is a launch into the action and great sound that the band summons. Also, Cowbell.

The second song, 'The Bell', is a more carefully constructed rock song, without losing the raw energy the first song exudes. The constant change of tone and the musical devilry created From soft guitar plinkery and soft vocals to the punkgasm that follows makes this an awesome rock ballad of sorts.

One of the most notable factors with this EP, and quite rare in upcoming bands, is the accomplished songwriting. The lyrics are actually fantastic, original and extremely angsty. Delivered with the fantastic vocal harmony and very different voices of the contributors makes this stand out by quite a margin - and creates an unmistakable sound.

Track three is a down and dirty heavy rock track that really hits all the marks for a truly awesome rock song. Yeah, perhaps i should have done a course in accounting. 'Help Myself' is a landmark EP track that is totally enjoyable and in-tune with the spirit of punk.

'Plats, Disguised' is the vocal effects of the band put to their full potential - the harmonies are awesome and the vocals themselves are clean where they need to be and aren't where they should be. This last staple track is a showcase of their vocal promise.

Mitford Rebel have, without a doubt, really impressed me. The punkiest new group i know that really encapsulate the spirit of the genre. This landmark EP should be played everywhere - You all should go get your hands on one.

Dutch Uncles @ The Windsor Firestation

2011-05-28T00:43:00.001+01:00

So here we were believing there was nothing for interesting people to do in Windsor. Ah, I mean, nothing to do in Windsor - and there's nothing quite like proper music this close to home.

Dutch Uncles
With support from Kinky Boot Beasts

Well Kinky Boot Beasts were a surprise. In front and almost instantly shirtless is drummer and vocalist Jack Capon. The band are musically and instrumentally slick - props to Jack for some sweat-based drum-poundery. His hair had a particularly hypnotic effect. The tunes were a mix-and-match structure with some genre-fuckery, always interesting if at times randomly constructed.

Seriously, these guys are like if The Who and Paul Weller double-teamed the buzzcocks and created a Foo Fighters fusion of team awesome.

Dutch Uncles are a Mancunian eclectic poptronica group, full of explosions of excitement and fantastic energy. Frontman Duncan's raw voice is charismatic, and combines well with dancing taught by meerkats and/or Michael Stipe. One thing they showed a particular knack for was lively electronic hooks. This static, guitar-heavy sound reverberated through the room, with faultless timing from all members. Dutch Uncles provide bouncing and growing indie-pop that belongs in the midst of any popular festival. This Hot Chip, but sexier and rockier.

As nights out for under a tenner go, this was fully worth it, and we intend to frequent the Firestation a lot more often, and will be hosting a gig along with Oxjam(Oxfam's sexy, musical cousin - you know, the one that smells a bit like substance abuse)here in the summer.

George went all zombie on us...

2011-05-23T18:41:00.000+01:00

So, the lovely new map pack for Cal of Duty: Black Ops is out. By lovely, we of course mean soul-destroying.

So what's in store this time? Zombies? Check. Strange new weapons? Check. A crazy new boss, teleporting pack-a-punch and an insane Easter egg that will have you chewing your hand off?

Of course.

But this time, something new has been thrown into the mix. This will be the first time You DON'T play as the four original characters. This time you play as four actors, trapped on the set when something goes wrong, the director goes missing and the dead come back to life...

but who are them?

The director - George A. Romero

Yep, Totally the same guy.

Oh, Hey! Look guys! It's the zombie godfather, George A. Romero! You will remember him for EVERY ZOMBIE FILM EVER MADE. Starting with Night of the Living Dead(The first modern zombie film), He has pathed the way for every zombie enthusiast in the world. Where would zombies be without George?

Yeah, this is all well and good, until George becomes a zombie. Not just a zombie though - he becomes the most annoying game boss ever. You have to pack-a-punch every weapon and then unload them all into him to kill him, and he only goes away for one round. He also throws out the most un-scary dialogue ever - "Come now, We're all friends!", "Lets make a movie!" and "I need more extras!"

The 'if she talks any more I'm going to feed her to the horde' - Sarah Michelle Gellar

Too much make-up. In both pictures.

Everyone's favorite (or not-so-favorite, in majority of cases) female vampire slayer is back in action, this time slaying zombies, and looking twenty years younger than she actually is. The Buffy The Vampire Slayer star is the first female character in Zombies, so she has to leave an impression right?

If that impression is for you, the player to make a snide remark whenever she says anything. Her dialogue is painful, and we are sure she gets twice the dialogue anyone else gets. The S.M.G joke was old after the first time she said it. "What are you, the paparazzi?" Grrr.

The Tequila Kid - Danny Trejo

And by kid we mean 'badass'

Oh Danny. How we adore you and your many incarnations to do with knives. Most recently he was the star of his own film - Machete. Other titles to his name include From Dusk Til Dawn, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Con Air and Predators. The man is a Freakin' Badass through and through. Every time we play, i want to be him. Every time.

The claw - Robert Englund

Must be sad when the one on the left is the one people recognize...

To the less-educated amongst our audience(myself included), Robert Englund was, of course, Freddy Krueger in The Nightmare on Elm Street series of films. Robert Is a classically trained actor, but has found all his fame in horror films. and, since he's not half as annoying as Sarah, he gets a thumbs up.

The... Who? - Michael Rooker

...I honestly don't know.

OK, so i didn't know who this was, but i had actually seen him before. he played a character on the Walking Dead who calls a black man a bad word and is handcuffed to the top of a building. The crazy redneck breaks free and is after them. Here he is, in the same character on Call of Duty. Ahh well, that's one way to make it, i guess. Also, he's pretty Badass. Doesn't have anything on Danny, Though.

So now we must leave you and return to our idea of gamer hell. I don't know how many times i can shout "ZOMBIES DON'T RUN!" Without causing serious damage to my hymen, but god damn it, If i don't, who will?

Check in later this week for our review of Mitford Rebels' EP (They gave us a badge, dammit)

Ry x

Review time in the FTN house! Feeding Egon/Fruitless Forest

2011-05-11T18:06:00.000+01:00

Whey! It's that time again. Two more lovely artists have sent us their works.

First up is Feeding Egon are in the incredibly sexy FTN hotseat.

The word 'enigma' springs to mind...

So first order of business is purchasing a sexy hotseat.

Glasgow-based Feeding Egon consists of Michael Smith, Scott Palmer, Fraser Strachan and Neil Gardner. We assume that their day job as marine biologists consist of feeding a giant whale named Egon. With us is a shiny new copy of Between You and the View, the bands' debut album.

We have to say, we quite enjoy it. You are warned, though - before i start the review, accustomise yourself with the word 'Funk'.

Funk

c. Polish-born American biochemist whose research of deficiency diseases led to his discovery of vitamins, which he named in 1912.

Between You and the View

Surrealist intros are always a win here, and the opening track is great. 4-2-2 is a fast and fantastic track that sounds similar to Hives/Maximo Park in it's structure, stops and tempo changes. as openings to new albums, especially debut albums go, this is incredibly strong.

From this defining track the album jumps into Toucan - which is funky as funk gets. Utterly funktastic in it's construction. I mean, Starsky and Hutch missed out here. This track needs to be listened to in a '78 Dodge charger for optimal enjoyment. Don't move while it's on, too - you will look really out of place if you are not wearing a true purple suit and pimp cane.

The entire album has great lyrics, if sometimes a bit convention-seeking. The vocals are breathy and suit the music to a tee. When the album returns to more staple rocky sounds, it is never long before the funk returns. The bass can. not. be. STOPPED.

A chili peppers-esque baseline, Digital FX, ska-tastic guitar and drummery makes Stuck In Here a really bouncy and exciting tune, while Down Below & New Horizons has more a Counting Crows, acoustic feel to them. The band proves itself, track to track, to be incredibly versatile. The funk can not be suppressed for too long though. Street Called Nothing is the track where the funk explodes, and creates a massive funky mess that is absolutely perfect, and Nine Steps is about as funk-faced as you are allowed to get without a Corey Haim amount of prescription slips.

The album is a full and pleasurable experience - and one of these tracks will stay with you, and make one of your musical five-a-day. An accomplished and enjoyable debut from another promising Glasgow band.

Fruitless Forest

Fruitless Forest is a solo project by Karl Adam Francis(Gaunt Story, SAY), and the new EP is going to blow me away. I know this from what little i have heard of it already, it is absolutely gorgeous and melodic Nu-Folk - something you can never go wrong with when sending me samples.

The title track is folk instrument heavy and is quite stunning to listen to. It has similarities to artists that are at the very tops of the top lists of top things in my mind - the likes Tired Pony and Midlake. It is finding all the shortcuts to the part of my brain that contains 'stuff wot i likes'.

A soft yet energetic, refreshing and nutritious track that must be sampled. Don't shoot me for saying it, Karl, but fans of Mumford and Sons(lets face it, there are a lot of them) should really check this track out.

Much love and peace out,

Radar x

a. An earthy quality appreciated in music such as jazz or soul.

b. A type of popular music combining elements of jazz, blues, and soul and characterized by syncopated rhythm and a heavy, repetitive bass line.

Whitemoor - Interesting and stable Indie Debut.

2011-04-13T16:46:00.000+01:00

Busying myself in this large mass of free time that has appeared over this and the next few weeks, I spent the first part of this holiday drinking, Re-reading lord of the Rings and fighting a group of bobcats lead by their ruler, Roberto. He's small, and grey but he's fast, and up close can take down a horse. He's like the underdog of the feline world. Imagine Garfield, if Garfield was a fighting machine.

You can take me, but for god's sake, spare the children.

After a couple of days' recovery for the hangover, a head full of Elvish verse and a pot of Sudocreme for the scratch marks, I am back in that scary part of the world where you actually have to work for a living, and, you know, do stuff.

So without further ado, and with as few mentions of Hobbits as possible, I bring You Whitemoor.

WHITEMOOR - Debut Album

Whitemoor have been around about two years now and are the Fellowship containing several members of factions from all over middle earth. I mean, bands from Derby(Derby'Shire'. coincidence, i think not).

The Midlands supergroup's debut album opens on the powerful electronically driven(Dark magic, i tells ye) forementioned single, Three Words. The song makes me think Stereophonics should dabble in a bit of electronica, there are fine similarities that cannot be denied, though the song is very much Whitemoor's own. This is not the last song on the album that has subtle similarities and handsomely inspired styles and sounds from the conventions of modern rock and indie. This genre-crossing makes the album all the more attractive than it's artwork has already made it.

See what i mean?

This carefully-drawn creation has many necessary similarities to modern music's major players. The neo-indie sound created from the many reference points creates something new and beautiful. Where something this influenced and inspired should be entirely a-cluter, this album is a smooth and driven explosion into independent cult success, and without a doubt should be gracing the indie charts of the summer.

My favorite song on the album(My own, My precious) is Remember Remember. A slower and more acoustic sound brings the album down to a calm and gorgeous surrender. This song should be the heartfelt indie song of the year. There's even talk of kaleidoscopes.

The pace is ratcheted up again with Pieces, and the band provide more trans-genre pace-splosions that are likely to be the staple of Indie dance floors and drink-dens for many a while. With Landscapes is almost my dream song - It's like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Last Dance With Mary-Jane met a softer Oasis song and made passionate love, and deserves to be the soundtrack to any love scene in movie history.

Professionalism aplenty, the album is finely recorded, produced and is definitely bound to be worthy on stage as much as it is on your playlist. Firey disco-electronic indie and great modern pop/rock with such perfectly delivered tracks that they deserve the attention of even the stoutest indie-haters and killjoys.

We wish Whitemoor all the luck with their Debut album and hope them all the success they deserve, and wish them well on their quest into Mordor. I mean, Derbyshire's indie gig circuit. Same thing.

Here's their MySpace thing(we still haven't mastered MySpace, but it has Robyn so it can't be all bad)

- Facebook page

Also, You should totes buy the album from the link on the left. 'Cos we get paid for it. Just sayin'.

Review - The James Warner Prophecies

2011-03-30T15:00:00.003+01:00

The James Warner Prophecies are a midlands based band who market themselves as “a heavy rock/indie/acoustic band, who incorporate mandolins, violins and flutes into their music, producing an original and unconventional sound” ... Right. So, I will admit this made me a little sceptical. It just sounds as though they take a lot of noises they like and smoosh them together into one 3-4 minute segment and hope it works.

The opening notes of their latest single “You Are The Sun” reminded me of those street performers you sometimes get – people playing on woodwind instruments and selling their CDs to you in between songs. It almost conjures up images of Native Indians around fire and wolves in forests howling at moons. Almost.

The first verse doesn’t convince you straight away that this is going to be a good song – but it certainly has potential. The woodwind is still going however, so wolves are still at the forefront of my mind at this point.

The moment the chorus kicks in though, you begin to see where the “heavy indie” bit comes into it all. The chorus is good. It makes you want to dance and I can imagine this chorus going down well with a live crowd. It proves that The James Warner Prophecies do have a lot of talent, and when they get down to it, they can make good music. The last few verses have some nice riffs in between, which again brings the “heavy” side of things into perspective.

Overall, the song is pretty impressive. The woodwind just doesn’t do it for me though – at least not in line with the style of the guitars; they just don’t flow together as they should.

This band is certainly promising, they may have a few bits they need to iron out when it comes to which direction they want to take their sound in, but they certainly do have some raw talent. They just need to harness it and use it at its full force.

Their single “You Are The Sun” is to be released on the 16^th of April, with a full UK tour following.

For more information, check out the bands website at http://www.james-warner.com/

Rosa x