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Sonic Templars - The Human Connection

2012-03-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

I was very pleased to receive an email from the Sonic Templar guys asking me to review their new single The Human Connection. If you have read my blog before you will know that I rather love this band's music since discovering them through writing a piece about them around two months ago.

This new offering does not disappoint, the vocals on the this track are just brilliant and effortless, blending perfectly into the stand out guitar rhythm at the beginning and throughout. The drums give the song its raw power which ties it all together perfectly. The song has that moody dark tone to it which does take me back to listening to the Smiths, which in my book is no bad thing. The video also reflects the song perfectly, the simplistic approach is sometimes the most striking which is defiantly evident in this case. I adore this track and really feel this band should be so much bigger than they are at present. Fingers crossed 2012 will be their year, I for one will be routing for them all the way.

You can follow the band on their facebook page here

Sonic Templars – Sun Catcher and Sitting Ducks

2012-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Formed less than a year ago comprising of college friends and a later acquired bass player Sonic Templar combine guitar based rock music with a variety of music influences from punk to folk.

In terms of the bands uniqueness they admit this is drawn from the ability to blend together all the different musical influences and to that add their own unique sound. The fact this band admitted to not follow trends and staying true to themselves really adds to their integrity as a musicians. It is all too common in bands now that success comes before their actual music. It is refreshing to see a band caring more about playing music that they are passionate about than what will make them popular. Although this is not to say the band are not motivated to succeed

The first track from their double A side is “Sun Catcher”, starting off with melodic guitars blending into smooth vocals and drums the song is a delight to the ears. A definite influence of bands like REM and Idlewild can be heard within the song but this is distinctly mixed with the bands own sound leading to something truly brilliant.

The second track from this double A side is “Sitting Ducks” which starts off with a guitar rhyme very much reminiscent of Nirvana leading into a heavier track faster paced than the last track. The song throughout blends brilliantly and flows freely with the addition of some cleverly placed guitar solos leading back into heavier rhythms.

I very much enjoyed these two tracks and look forward to hearing the debut album.

You can catch the band playing live at the following dates

Jan 28th pivo pivo, Glasgow
Feb 11th Grand hall, Kilmarnock supporting The View
Feb 24th The Flask, Saltcoats plus loads more tbc
Feb 25th Box, Glasgow
March 10th Bellfield Tavern, Kilmarnock with Outstandifold and the Wettygrippers

To keep up to date with the band you can find them on their facebook page, band camp and soundcloud.

Jaego

2012-01-16T05:31:00.000-08:00

When Jaego first started out the first band line up fell apart after their first gig. From this collapse two original members regrouped and started again gathering new members. Thankfully this second line up has worked more effectively.

Musical influences range from reggae to hip hop to rock giving the band a mass playing ground of sounds to mix into their music. Uniqueness is always a hot question when it comes to artists and in this case it is no different. Jaego raised the point of the need for celebrity over musician and the whole x factor generation which is an interesting topic in itself. The band thankfully is one who takes nothing to do with the false trend and is far more content working on music full of their own experiences and passions.

When listening to their track “When Words Fall” you experience a clean cut soulful guitar led track. It reminds me of the old classic rock albums my dad used to listen to when I was growing up, simplistic and honest. The vocals are strong and the lyrics are deeply passionate.

Jaego are definitely a musical treat to write about and their music a joy to listen too. Their down to earth nature and sheer passion for their music is infectious when you listen to their tracks.

I look forward to hearing future releases from this band and perhaps catching them live.

You can catch up with all the latest news from the band on their official website.

Lyric

2012-01-15T03:14:00.000-08:00

Now for something completely different I have covered a variety of genres within this blog but never hip hop. Well that has all changed now with an inspirational woman called Teri “Lyric” Green.

From a graduate of engineering and computer science to the chief engineer at WLEY 107.9FM in Chicago, Lyric kept her passion for poetry and music alive.

When I first heard her song “Death of a Poet” not being a connoisseur of this genre I was sceptical but had an open mind ready for it to wow me or not. I was pleasantly surprised I thought the truth in the lyrics she had written and that mixed with the stripped back guitar was brilliant. The introduction of the beat then mixed with these elements to blend perfectly.

While listening to the song you can’t help but be aware of the rawness of the lyrics and how different it is to the usual main stream hip hop. It was a joy to listen to.

I would urge you to embrace Lyric in your musical life if you want music with real raw passion and honesty.

You can check her out on her official website here

Pipapelli

2012-01-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

Every so often I receive an email from a band that is very different to the usual norm in this case Pipapelli were definitely one of these bands. I had never heard of a band putting bagpipes through a wah pedal before until now. This is especially unique when you consider this bands influences being blues and Celtic. None the less this strange mix actually works very well. You can see a strong influence of Led Zeppelin throughout some of their work especially within their track “Black Lagoon”.

Since the release of their album “Critter” in June 2011, the band has obtained a new bassist (who also plays the trombone) and a new guitarist/saxophonist. To add to this “Critter” has been met with extremely good sales and regularly featuring on radio shows across the USA and even in my very own native country of Scotland.

The band list several TV appearances, playing the 2^nd Annual Highlands Celtic Festival at Black Mountain were they opened for Albannach and Rathkeltair to a crowd of approximately 1500 and the released of their album as their biggest achievements to date.

Pipapelli are most definitely one of the most interesting bands that I have come to write about in a long time. Their views about the unsigned music scene going back to roots music and starting from there are definitely something I am starting to see from a lot of artists.

The band can be found on the official website, facebook and also their Sound Cloud account.

Songs For the Sleepwalkers - Our Rehearsed Spontaneous Reactions

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

If you have every read this blog before then you may remember way back in April last year I wrote an article about a young Swedish artist named Andrea Caccese. Since then Andrea has come back with a new name and a new release.

Songs For the Sleepwalkers is the new stage name for this fantastically talented young man.

“Our Rehearsed Spontaneous Reactions” was released 12^th January and includes two of the tracks I reviewed in the previous artist from his EP “Icarus Falling / Set the world on fire”.

I am glad to say that this new release is just as beautiful as the EP was. I really adore the sheer detail that has gone into every element of his work and the way the vocal beautifully blend into the instrumental arrangements.

If I have one wish for this year it is that Songs For the Sleepwalkers rises to the top. I would rather have his music filling the charts than the rubbish that currently resides there.

In short this album is a testament to Songs For the Sleepwalkers talent and ability to blend beautifully arranged instrumentals with haunting vocals.

You can access a free stream and also purchase the new release by clicking on the title of album and also visit his official site here.

I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do and wish Andrea every success in 2012

Jonathan Fastborg

2012-01-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

Hailing from Sweden the one man band that is Jonathan Fastborg has been working away since the age of 17 honing his musical skills. Starting out a drummer then expanding his musical talents to guitar and other instruments until finally came the time to start writing his own music. Fastborg admits he was never one to play covers so the progression from playing instruments to writing his own music was inevitable.

Usually musicians have some musical influence of sorts and Fastborg is no different, “I don´t have a main source sort of speak. If it´s any good then that’s the inspiration, just bits and pieces.” In respect of that illusive unique sound everyone seems to be striving for Fastborg admitted he is not unique from other bands but that a search for unique sound isn’t that unique now days.

When it comes to his music one track sticks out in my mind “Hollywood Romance” This song is simplistically beautiful, the vocals and instrumentals blend perfectly. There is most definitely talent there and I can only see it getting better as time progresses.

Jonathan admits that in the future it would be his dream to be signed to a major record label with the same values as an indie. Now how plausible that is only time will tell but at present he keeps working away making the music that he loves

You can listen to an outstanding live radio performance by Jonathan here

You can also catch up with all the latest news on Jonathan's myspace and you tube pages.

The Cosmonauts

2011-08-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

With main influences ranging from the 60’s right up to modern times with bands including the Beatles, The Clash, Radiohead and Jefferson Airplane, Edinburgh quartet The Cosmonauts are defiantly musically educated. With such wide taste over many decades their sound is a fine mixture of all and a definitely not something that many bands are doing.

Their story started with Chris and Alan founding the band and meeting Claire through some mutual musical friends. Their drummer Paul was the last addition after a gumtree advertisement for a drummer. After a few jams their styles seemed to click perfectly and so the band were created.

The first thing you notice about their music is their distorted sound and then the sound of their secret weapon as it was – the electric cello. What makes this band unique from the others is defiantly their sound;

“We have an electric cello in our line up which adds a lot of tone and depth to the music. Also we love doing harmonies which you don’t see a lot of today. As a band we try to reinvent the ‘old school’ 60s sound adding a modern edge.”

The band recently played a hugely successful gig at The Liquid Rooms last month as part of The Big Stooshie Charity Event and as a result of this performance they managed to secure themselves a slot at the next festival being held in Fife in May 2012.

In regards their biggest achievement the band responded with;

“I think our biggest achievement as a band so far is getting our music out to a lot of people and them actually liking it!! We feel that our calibre of songs is our strength and so far we’ve managed to get a gig at the Barrowlands which will no doubt be our biggest achievement. This is in October as part of SAVIFEST”

Discussion then turned to their opinion on the unsigned scene and their opinions on it as a band that is part of it;

“There are a lot of good unsigned bands out there, we find that it’s all about who you know…and it’s pretty tough for everyone to get noticed and your music played. For us it’s about our music and hope that with the development of online sites for promotion, it’s helping everyone reach a wider audience. “

The Cosmonauts are such an interesting band who have achieved quite a bit they have their ambitions firmly set on the future and one main want from their career. This was made very clear in their an answer;

“Honestly…signed to a major label and touring the world!! Making amazing albums that can stand up to the great bands of the past. “

During their upcoming performances the band will be using the gaps between each to record their upcoming debut album. An album for which I cannot wait to hear -if their current recorded tracks are anything to go on.

The band has the following live dates coming up and a potential mini tour in September after their album is recorded.

11^th August – Jam House Open Auditions - Edinburgh

30^th September – Aikmans RGMUSICON Festival – St Andrews

2^nd October – Legends RGMUSICON Festival – Anstruther

21^st October – Glasgow Barrowlands – SAVIFEST

You can check the band out and see any other live shows or news on their Facebook page here

Liquid Fuse

2011-08-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt my favourite genre of rock music has to be 80’s style rock n roll and anything trying to be a modern equivalent I almost always love. So it was in delight when I was contacted by Liquid Fuse, who are just that a good old 80’s style rock n roll band.

Hailing from Brighton, England the band consist of Joe 'Enrique' Wareham, Jamie 'JNR' North, Lee 'Leeroy' Bentley, Dan Kelly and Dwight Brady. The band was originally started in 2007 by twin guitarists Jamie and Lee, but it was the addition of vocalist Joe when things really started to kick off. Soon after Joe, bassist Dan and drummer Dwight were recruited and the bands line up was finally completed in March 2010.

The band takes their influences from some of the greats like Guns n Roses, AC/DC, Van Halen and Joe Satriani. They also take influence from modern bands like Buckcherry, Audioslave, Rage against the Machine and Avenged Sevenfold.

“Each one of us has different tastes in music, but we are brought together with a mutual love for Rock ‘N Roll. Hip Hop, Metal and Funk all play a big part in influencing us as individual musicians.”

Liquid Fuse has played some impressive gigs in their career so far including the Kemptown Carnival in Brighton, Purple Turtle (London), Barfly (Camden) and the O2 Academy in Islington. On discussion regarding their live shows one stands out in the bands mind the most;

“Ultimately, our EP launch party on 30^th June at The Volks (Brighton seafront) has to take the biscuit. We put on 3 other great bands and then we headlined with probably the best performance we’ve ever delivered in front of some new listeners but mostly our own fans. It was really touching to have so many people come and support us, and it was very rewarding to be able to give back a great show and evening.”

The last time I spoke to the band a few months back their EP was in the early stages so was astounded to hear back so soon that it was completed. Naturally the band was extremely happy with their end product and even stated it was their greatest achievement as a band so far;

“This would probably be our recent EP release. It was recorded in May and considering the time we had (two days) we think it turned out pretty awesome. On top of that, we literally did everything ourselves and out of our own pockets; we designed an EP cover, promoted it, sorted out copyright and digital distribution. It was a massive achievement for us. We threw an EP launch gig, which became a proper Rock N Roll party, the icing on the cake!”

When I first heard their title track "Loaded Gun" from the EP it instantly reminded me of the beginning of a Motley Crue track but this band are no run of the mill copy act they are so much more. Their musical influences are clearly present within their music but they take an old genre of music and blend it with their own unique attitude and produce a truly amazing product.

One thing is evident from Liquid Fuse their passion for their music is very much alive and burning. The band has worked so hard, and deserves to get as much recognition as possible. The band also seems to have the same view as a lot of musicians I speak with regarding the state of the unsigned scene at present;

“Some life needs to be injected into the scene – there are too many promoters who don’t really care about the music or promote well, too many sub-par bands who don’t put on a good show or promote well either, and too many gigs end up being just a few people standing around. A lot of this music is just the same generic stuff that you’ve heard a thousand times before, it gets boring! The unsigned music scene needs to be grabbed by the balls and given a good squeeze – we should be bringing it back to life and remind people that there’s nothing like a great live gig.”

The band’s debut EP entitled ‘Loaded Gun’ is available NOW and has already received some rave reviews and got some radio play in Brighton and London radio stations.

You can contact the band on their Facebook page here

Mik Banner

2011-08-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

One movement within the local scene which is providing more and more unsigned artists with not only a place to hone their live skills but also a platform for exposure is the humble open mic night. Every place from the smallest town to the biggest city usually has at least one on the go, Kilmarnock is no different. Open mic nights gave Mik Banner the start he needed; playing covers of his favourite artists then helping him progress to writing and playing his own material. Mik is still a usual fixture at most of the open mic nights within Kilmarnock with a handful of other local acts who meet up and manage to put on a fantastic show every time along with the other participants that get up to perform.

As for musical influences when you listen to his music there are two main sounds that come through;

“Alterbridge and Creed definitely form a major part of my sound, I love the way they entwine their guitar and vocal parts to sound bigger as a whole. In addition, I listen to a lot of Mumford and Sons, and Newton Faulkner, so they occasionally find their way into my own material”

I would defiantly consider Banner as part of the new wave of acoustic artists coming through from the Ayrshire scene.

When the dreaded question of uniqueness came up within interview Banner commented;

“I don’t think there is a lot of ways you can be unique any more. There are only twelve notes in the chromatic scale, so any chance you have of writing something new is quite slim. However, I think that using the guitar tunings I use and the vocal melodies make me sound somewhat

different from other singer/songwriters.”

Banner recently played as part of them Kilmarnock Fair Festive held at Centrestage theatre playing to just under 100 people along side some other acts and even a Broadway act. This accomplishment although good is not Banner’s best within his musical career. He stated that managing to accumulate enough written material for his debut album was his best - a very humble view of achievement.

Discussion then turned to the unsigned music scene and where he sees himself in the future Banner stated that;

“I think there are areas within Ayrshire where new and unsigned music is greatly appreciated, and new talented individuals and bands are as well. Hopefully, once my album is recorded, I’ll continue along the path I’m walking at the moment, attending new open-mic nights and getting gigs, hopefully with a bigger profile and fanbase each time.”

Banner is definitely on his way to becoming a very well known local artist.

With his song “Homecoming” even getting the thumbs up from another well known artist, in the shape of Mechanical Smile.

Mik Banner is playing at the butterfly and the pig in Glasgow on Sunday the 14^th August, after which he hopes to be booking more live shows .

You can hear some of Banner’s recorded tracks on his facebook page here and on his reverbnation page here.

Stuart Newman

2011-08-08T03:12:00.000-07:00

“Well, it started out the same way people do, learning an instrument. Then I wanted to buy some software to layer things, and experience what that was like. I kept on, then kept on some more, and eventually made the decision to pursue things. I felt I could offer something and could become something different.”

A familiar answer to an even more familiar question....How did the band first start?

Unlike the question or indeed the answer there is nothing too familiar about Stuart Newman. His vocals provide a strangely haunting sound that blends perfectly over his raw and stripped back sounding music. You could compare him in ways to his influences which include Simon and Garfunkel and REM and a good few more, but Newman manages to make his sound very fresh.

In regards uniqueness from other artists Newman responded simply with;

“I approach things differently, make different decisions and I’m not afraid to try things out creatively. So far, people seem to agree. I also use the power of saying 'No'. I know what I want to do, and my reasons behind doing things. I think this helps me approach being more original.”

From speaking to Newman he is easily the most honest and transparent artist I have ever spoken with when it comes to his music. In comparison to some unsigned artists of our generation he has a totally different perception of the old “music industry owes me a living” view.

“I ‘released’ my first album ‘Single But Defective’ online, as a free download. In fact, all my music is currently on free download. Try it. Share it. Tell your friends. I’ve made it super easy to download and sample what I’m about. My website shows you everything. Music, videos… it’s all there. You can see straight away how I do things. The music world owes me nothing. If I’m to be an artist of note, I must prove beyond doubt any talent I have. So I will continue to try to do this. But it’s fair to say that my ambitions are as big as they could be

The achievements of unsigned artists mostly depend on their ambition. Due to such ambition held by Newman, he has created some amazing opportunities for himself. Not only has he had airplay of BBC Radio 6 but he has also very much applied to DIY ethic to his career and mailed t shirts around the world for free.

Single But Defective - Stuart Newman by stuarttnewman

In regards the music industry at the moment and specifically the unsigned music scene I expected Newman to be rather vocal on this subject and he did not disappoint;

“I think the entire industry is going through big changes. The old are fighting to keep that, the new are trying things. I think as an unsigned artist the weight is on you. The previous infrastructure is crumbling. That needs to re-establish itself. I think it’s partially a waiting game, but you need to prove yourself as much as possible in as many ways, before people take any notice. It’s a tough road”

Newman defiantly has something very different and quirky going on and as a result I am hoping big things will come to him in the future. It is so refreshing to speak with musicians who are down to earth and have no qualms about being brutally honest.

You can download and check out all of Stuart Newman’s material on his official website here. I highly suggest you do.

Mechanical Smile

2011-08-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

There has been a bit of a buzz within the Ayrshire scene at the moment and it all surrounds one band from Kilmarnock. That band being Mechanical Smile. Made up of Dawn Marshall, Garry Irving, Nic Pilmer and Murray Baxter, they describe themselves and their sound as;

“'Two guys, two girls from Ayrshire, combining rock, pop and grunge, creating a melodic and pulsating sound that will blow you away!'

The band have had a busy 2011 so far with a line up change in January and a mini German tour in June after winning the University of the West of Scotland exchange competition. The tour was made up of three dates in Plettenberg, including the main stage of the Immecke (Irock) Open-Air Festival. Mechanical Smile has also been extensively playing gigs within their home town of Kilmarnock, across Ayrshire and within Glasgow promoting their new EP “Sleep and Silence”. Add to these accomplishments their track “Leap of Faith” being chosen personally by Craig McGee (Warner Chappell Scottish Scout / BBC Radio 1 A&R Zone) to be played by Ally McCrae on his BBC introducing show within the A&R zone segment. This accomplishment was then added to even more by McCrae expressing his positive review of the track as ‘Huge’ – all this while they were still in Germany on tour.

The interesting thing about Mechanical smile is their unique selling point of having a female lead, something not that common within a certainly male dominated local music scene. Marshall however takes this in her stride and shows everyone she can certainly possess the same -if not a higher- level of stage presence and musical passion as her male counterparts. When you speak to the band about their music and their opinion on their local scene you can see the band “family” dynamic being very much present within Mechanical Smile. The band is extremely supportive of one another including their individual musical influences and ideas. This in turn leads to their unique and somewhat mixed up style of music where you can hear all the different musical and personal influences throughout the songs. An opinion agreed with by the band;

“The fact not many rock bands are female fronted that can also play guitar and write songs make us unique but now also there are two girls in the band makes it quite unique. Two guys and two girls that play music that is fresh and new. Not many people find easy comparisons to our sound. The good thing about our band is we all have very different musical tastes and influences, and for some strange reason we don’t really draw on specific bands for influences when writing songs although bands we all like are Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Silversun Pickups.”

On the subject of the local unsigned scene Baxter commented;

“There are so many unsigned bands out there that are amazing, but I feel the smaller towns could do much more for these bands, as there isn’t really a music scene unless you are in Glasgow, and it’s hard to break into the ‘in crowd’ in Glasgow. It’s all about who you know, which is hard for new bands etc.”

Sleep And Silence EP by mechanicalsmile

The band has also played what is seen as the “holy grail” of venues to most unsigned bands this being the legendary King Tuts. They played as part of ‘The Harder they Fall’ tour with London bands Hopeless Heroic and Fearless Vampire Killers, where I found out from talking to Baxter that they were in fact moved up the bill due to their large amount of pre sales. This impressive fate has now led to them being invited back to play on 5^th October supporting support Young Legionnaire which is sure to be a most victorious King Tuts return for the band.

Mechanical Smile are due to release their new single 'Take Me To The Otherside' on August 15th via iTunes, Amazon Play.com and many other credible online music stores. The track will also be available to stream for free on Spotify, and the brand new music video, produced by Joshua Aaron Porter will be available to view on Youtube. A video which they invited all their fans and friends to be part of.

If this past year has been anything to go by, Mechanical Smile has got an amazing rest of 2011 and a perhaps even most amazing 2012 coming their way. I could not personally think of a more deserving or hard working band for it to happen to.

Simon Torstensson

2011-06-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

There are times in life where I discover that one little musical gem that catches my attention. This could be from randomly browsing my local record store, from hearing an artist live that up until that point was unknown to me or from a random email sent to my inbox. In this instance this gem was in the form of Swedish singer/songwriter Simon Torstensson.

Torstensson’s music is a mix of soulful acoustic tones and stripped back good old fashioned rock n roll. His vocals are adapted perfectly to each of the styles he plays and all this from someone who describes himself as “not a very good musician. I'm mostly just very stubborn!”

Like most musicians Torstensson has a long history with music; “I started making music about 6 years ago. Back then it was mostly just me and my friends who liked to make covers when we were drunk. But after a couple of years I began to write more seriously and try to make music that meant something to both myself and others.”

Torstensson is not only a recording artist but he has also added writing a musical to his credentials. When asked about this interesting addition to his talents he explained; “My classmates and I actually wrote a musical with just our own songs about a year ago. It was a pretty small gig, but we rocked the ass of every single one in the audience. All 45 of them.”

As an unsigned artist himself, Torstensson will have more insight than most about the unsigned music scene at the moment; “I think there's a lot of really great unsigned bands and artists out there. A couple of them are friends of mine. I myself prefer to go to concerts at small clubs and such. Where they let you get on stage and sing along with the band! That's really awesome!”

Being an artist that is just starting out and building up his stage presence and music catalogue people could mistake Torstensson for someone who has unreachable big dreams and ideas about his future. The stark reality is something much more humble ; “In the future I will hopefully be on stage somewhere. I'd be happy if I had like a hundred fans who would follow me around on tour”.

With such down to earth goals Torstensson is a breath of fresh air from the norm. Instead of having empty dreams of fame and fortune he would be happy with a small loyal fan base to share his music with.

Just like his music his aspirations are honest and stripped back, I hope for big things for Torstensson and with the talent he has already I can see this improving even more through the years ahead of him.

Inimisus

2011-04-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

I first came into contact with this band through a good promoter friend of mine while I was still doing gigs. The bassist of the band Tom “T-Lo” Lewis had contacted him in regards gigs if I recall correctly. I had a listen to their tracks on My Space (yes it is still in existence) and I was suitably impressed and also bemused at the same time. The reason for this was the talent level within the band had the sound of a band which had been signed and had been together for a long time. Yet Inimisus were the opposite of this impression, they were unsigned and had only been together since 2010

So a quick introduction to who this band are, the five piece metal band hailing from Trowbridge, Wiltshire and consist of Jack 'Jacko' Adrey (Vocals), Ralph 'Razza' Yandell – Guitars), Patch Sanders (Guitars), Tom 'T-Lo' Lewis (Bass) and Toby Wrobel (Drums). The band formed in 2010 and was formally named “Traitor Betrayed”. Inimisus very quickly became rather popular within their local music scene with their unique sound.

When asked what makes them unique from other bands in the local scene T-Lo said “We've definitely developed an "Inimisus" sound as people have said, though I'm not sure how. I don't know really, I guess the stark contrasts in the music we make, how it can go from crushing break down, to harmonious epic riffage to soft, guitar led interludes.”

Another impressive attribute of this band is that their first live gig - usually a hit or miss experience for bands - was totally packed. T-Lo commented that "It was the most packed I have ever seen the venue." add to this a string of shows afterwards- including playing on the back of a truck- in the same venue with the same effect, and you can see that this band were in for big things. The band also got the amazing opportunity to co-write a song with Jonny from Devil Sold His Soul.

When quizzed on the state of the unsigned music scene T-Lo stated "There are a lot of awesome bands out there who should be signed, and who have great potential, but also too many who are just doing 'more of the same' .. who have NO inspiration or emotion in their music. So it's a very mixed scene, really."

When you see a band have the rather quick ascent in popularity and establishing themselves within the local music scene as well as Inimisus have done you tend to wonder where the band see themselves in the future. It's the one question musicians tend to hate as it can make them look either two ways - egotistical if they say big things or modest if they answer with realistic aspirations, As for T-Lo he went for the modest approach "I wouldn't want to say, of course, everyone has hopes and dreams but I can't really say how far we'll get. Hopefully with the new merch, mini-tour and 8Track e.p we have coming up, our name will become known further out."

If you are looking for new music to listen to I highly reccomend you listen to Inimisus, you will defiantly not be disappointed. I look forward to the day I get to see this band live, if their recorded tracks are anything to go by it will be a fantastic show.

The band are playing at the following Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inimisus/133379536702329?sk=info

Saturday April 30th - The Gryphon, Bristol
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181884298525083

Sunday June 26th - The Croft, Bristol
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201429593213111

For bookings of the band please contact them at Inimisus@hotmail.co.uk

You check them out on their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inimisus/133379536702329?sk=app_178091127385

Andrea Caccese- “Icarus Falling / Set the world on fire”.

2011-04-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular reader of my articles or reviews you will know I like to find original perhaps quirky artists to write about. Well this piece of work is no different, I received an email from this artist regarding his work and as usual my curiosity set in. Now when you hear so much music within a week it can become quite draining wading through so much that sounds the same, occasionally you come across a little musical gem.
The musical gem in question is a Swedish based artist called Andrea Caccese who took a rather inventive approach to recording his debut EP “Icarus Falling / Set the world on fire”. The story is rather charming; from discussions with Andrea he revealed that his ep features 4 tracks that come from different sessions; recorded in apartments, hotel rooms, trains and airports during Andrea’s travels all over Europe in late 2010 and in his new hometown, Västerås (Sweden) in early 2011 with the help of cellist Nadja Ali.
The music itself is soulful and almost ghostly at times. The arrangement of the songs with Andrea’s vocals, raw guitar and the beautiful tones that comes from Nadja’s playing is uplifting and shows how simple music can be the most stunning. All the tracks have a different personality to them so it is near impossible to pick my favourite track from the EP. If stripped back honest music is your taste then Andrea Caccese is defiantly the artist for you.

Latest tracks by sitstillpromotion

Andrea is touring the UK starting 18th May and all his details regarding this can be found on his facebook page or his website.
His EP “Icarus Falling / Set the world on fire” is available for free download on his website and there is also an option to buy the EP in the form of a limited edition 7” vinyl.

Your First Mistake - Today Is A Good Day, To Bury Bad News

2011-04-28T06:27:00.000-07:00

One of the latest trends in music practically Scottish music is the rise of the accent based singing technique. Everywhere you look in the scene bands are doing it no matter what genre although it’s practically within the indie rock genre that it prevails more than anywhere else. The problem with this type of singing is that when you have a band get very famous very quickly any other band sounded remotely similar get classed as a “copycat” band or as most people call it with regards to the Scottish accent based singing - “a Biffy clone” .

Latest tracks by YourFirstMistake

Due to this ongoing stereotype from critics it amazes me when bands come along singing in this style and still manage to put their own spin on it and come out with something original. One of these bands is a recent discovery of mine in the form of East Lothian six piece Your First Mistake. On further research of this band I discovered that they have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Senses Fail, Young Guns, Deaf Havana, Flood of Red, The Wonder Years, All Or Nothing, Save Your Breath, Paige, Me vs Hero, Yashin, Not Advised, Survive Atlantica, HerBrightSkies and many more.
They also released their debut EP “Wide Awake and Watching” recorded with Bruce Rintoul (Twin Atlantic - Red Bull Records) which was received with critical acclaim and even caught the eye of Kerrang! Magazine, who wanted to do an introducing piece on the band after hearing it. After a slight line up change the band are back with a new video in the works and a new single.
This latest offering in the form of "Today Is A Good Day, To Bury Bad News". The track starts with crackly, distorted almost stripped back tone added to this strong Scottish vocals and your off to a good start. The song then progresses building throughout in tempo and tone culminating in a full frontal guitar screeching and bellowing vocal finale. The song has the ability to grab you at the start and lure you into a false sense of knowledge that you know what to expect then delivers something far better than your expectations.
I will be keeping my eye closely on this band in the future. From what I have heard of not only this latest offering but from their past EP and also their rave reviews from various sources, big things are certainly on the horizon for this band. I urge you to check them out and add their music to your collection.

Johnny Reb -The Portugal sessions

2011-04-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

Before I review this music work there is an interesting story I was told behind its creation. The band themselves are very influenced by the Smiths and Morrissey and as such they tracked down Boz Boorer via My Space. For those who aren’t up to scratch with all things Morrissey or the Smiths, Boz Boorer was Morrissey’s guitarist and producer. On finding his email address the band continuously contacted him until there was a response. Within this response was an invitation to go to his home studio in none other than Portugal where the name of this musical work originated. Even more exciting for the band was the equipment they used there to record was the same equipment Morrissey had used to record some of his works that included some of the bands all time favour tracks by him. Add to this personal contribution from Boorer himself on the tracks in the form of saxophone and you had a “dream come true” trip for the band that other could only dream of.

Latest tracks by Johnny Reb

Throughout the record you can hear the heavy influence of the smiths and Morrissey within every element of the tracks. From the vocals right down to the guitar and cymbal beats, if you are not a fan Brit indie rock then this is definitely not your musical cup of tea. On the other hand if you love the strong vocals of Morrissey and such then this record is for you and will delight your love for the genre.
The record is made up of ten solid tracks all with the upbeat tone you would expect from this genre of music. It opens with the very raw sounding “Nine On The Line”, which is one of my personal favourite tracks Within the first twenty seconds the raw sound of the guitar caught my attention completely and from then on it was kept through the whole record. The record then goes through a musical journey with strong lyrical writing behind each song and the mix of different song tempos. This mix of tempos keeps the attention of the listener making every song stand out from the last. The record completes its journey with the musical finale “Crumbs” featuring none other but Boz Boorer. Now achieving what the band had by getting a record recorded by this man not only in his home studio but then getting him to attribute to it by playing one of the tracks is outstanding and shows what bands can achieve when they put their minds to it. The track itself is very impressive indeed, the mix of distorted vocals at the start and the saxophone complement each other very well giving the track a very unique sound.
Overall “The Portugal Sessions” is an excellent example of strong writing and music passion. I would also say that it is a tribute to what can be achieved when you do not give up on your dreams. Johnny Reb are defiantly a band to look out for in the future if the standard of this recording is anything to go by.

Acrylic Iqon

2011-04-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

I first met this band while doing media coverage at the Burns Festival in Ayr last year, I was doing some interviews for the Ayr Play battle of the bands competition that night and this band were playing as part of it. There was something special about Acrylic Iqon which set them apart from the rest that night and made me metaphorically sit up and take notice. In such a short space of time this band have achieved great things not only did they win Xfm's "rock school" but they have also had the opportunity to play some prestigious support slots alongside the likes of The View, Idlewild and The Fratellis.

Their latest offering in conjunction with Kittiwake Records is their debut single "Close your eyes", if you have ever listened to any other tracks by this band you will know what I mean when I say their music has the ability to lift your mood. This new track is no different, the dual vocals compliment each other perfectly and they have the well known Scottish "twang" that has become common from the scene. The song incorporates the usual upbeat and as some have said "power-pop" tones I have come to associate with this band. All in all a fantastic offering from one of the up and coming bands of the Scottish scene. If you haven't already checked this band out then I highly recommend you do.

You can check this band out live at their release party with support from Run From Red and Forgotten Sunday Saturday 2^nd April at:

The Bay

142 West Regent Street

Glasgow

G2 2 RQ

£4 entry/Doors 7PM

You can check out Acrylic Iqon and their tracks here

Some New Stuff

2011-04-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

Good Evening Folks,

My apologies for the lack of content since October I started a new job and its been a bit hectic as of late. A lot of changes have been made in my life as well hence the blog has been affected by this. Worry no more though :), I am back and I have some new stuff coming up. There is also a very exciting opportunity that going through the first stages of happening so I shall reveal all when it happens.

I have been busy working away on some press packs for bands the last couple of weeks and helping out my good friend Preston from Jackhammer Promotions and Management who is based in Brighton. Congratulations are in order for him to as he has now been confirmed as booking agent for a rather interesting band called Bad Pollyanna. I have also been working with my good friends from New Device who just completed their latest UK venture called the Powerage tour with Lethargy, Million Dollar Reload and The Treatment. I had a fantastic time working the merch table for the ND guys and the banter from the rest of the bands was fantastic. I would recommend you check them all out.

Anyway to wrap this up got a lovely email from my good friend Robbie Harrison from School Lane Records tonight regarding a band he works with called Acrylic Iqon who I met while doing media coverage at Ayr's Burns an all that music festival. The band have their debut single coming out and their launch night is tomorrow night at The Bay in Glasgow. I advise you check them out they are fantastic. I shall be doing a review of said single tonight with a small piece accompanying it. I hope you enjoy it.

One last note to end my prattling on if you would like to be covered or you know someone I should be covering in this blog then please do not hesitate to contact me at lovemusicpr@gmail.com

Jenn

Colour Cells

2010-10-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

One band that seems to be a permanent fixture within the Ayrshire music scene now is Colour Cells. It’s hard to imagine them not being a band and part of the scene but like most bands now a day’s Colour Cells formed out of previous bands demise. They first formed when doc and gee started writing new songs together after the demise of their previous band The Kush with an instrument change from drummer to guitarist for gee and the recruitment of their old bassist from the previous band the line up was nearly complete. The only space left was for a drummer this was filled by doc’s good friend Andy from The Hunky Dorys.

Colour Cells take their music influences from such bands as Gomez, Tame Impala, Radiohead, The Who. The sound they produce within their music reminds listeners of a time when music was about good old rock and roll and not about how the front mans hair style looked. The guys are down to earth with their music and in their live shows which I personally have had the pleasure of putting them on twice they are interactive with the crowd and make the whole affair very casual and laid back.

Not only are Colour Cells now a solid feature within the Ayrshire music scene but they have also had the experience of playing in London in February 2009 in their biggest gig to date supporting Alabama 3 in Dirty South. An experience summed up by them in the following way;
“12 hours on coaches and subways in a blizzard. It was awesome!”

Latest tracks by COLOUR CELLS

When asked about the bands future Doc revealed that the band are going to be focusing on

“Recording, writing, rehearsing, more gigs, back to London, just go with the flow really. No big plans for world domination. I hate to see bands get built up too soon and then they disappear. We've still got a lot of material in us. “

In regards the local music scene at the moment the band felt that
“There are some great bands and performers out there who are producing and distributing their own material to a high standard. It feels like there is a scene kicking off just now and it's a good time to be involved. Hopefully more venues next year will be the push it needs. ”

The final thoughts when talking to Colour Cells were ones of reflection, when asked what their biggest achievement was as a band since forming their answer was simple and full of honesty and gratitude to others.

“Although we've come a long way since 2008 it's still early days with the band. We can only measure our success just now by our live performances. there's definitely been more interest in us this year in particular, Wrecked Chord Records and The AMA have been really supportive and we do feel part of a new emerging Ayrshire scene. “

Colour Cells currently have only have 2 songs recorded and are working on more in order to complete their first release.

The band will also be playing the Ayrshire Music Association launch night on the 8th October along with some of Ayrshire finest artists.

The guys can be checked out on their myspace page at
http://www.myspace.com/colourcells

Their recorded tracks can be heard on their Sound Cloud page at the link below
http://www.soundcloud.com/colour-cells

Unsigned Exposed Podcast

2010-08-20T09:54:00.001-07:00

Hey Folks

Just to say the first podcast from unsigned exposed is now up and embedded below

Swin Deorin

2010-08-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

In recent years it seems there has been a trend surge within electronic music and its sub genres with each being very popular with the general public. Although this may be true for the masses there are still some who go under the radar one of these artists is Ayrshire’s rising talent Swin Deorin.

Swin Deorin crosses the barriers within electronic music and delves into the experimental side of the genre, “It started out as experimentation on computer programs and evolved into something else entirely”

With an impressively varied collection of influences ranging from Aphex Twin to Tom Waits and also including such artists as The Prodigy, Autechure, Bjork, the Allman Brothers, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the Dust Brothers. Swin manages to create a unique sound which has started to become more popular with fans even having people within Mexico and as far away as Japan checking out his recent remix of Lady GaGa. He has also managed to rack up over 3000 downloads of his album “Dank Infestor” which for an unsigned act is rather impressive. Swin has managed to go global.

The thing that truly makes Swin different from others is his attitude to music. Even when there is such a debate going on about illegal music downloading and the slow collapse of the major record labels and indeed the music business itself he continues to put his music up for free to download. Swin now had a back catalogue of 10 releases so far of which more will be added in the future.

Even though he has only ever played one gig in his career he still works tirelessly at his music and has future hopes of more shows including a tour of the UK, Europe and possibly the USA. Swin has also worked with such underground artists like Endometrium Cuntplow, RedSK, Soni Jimm and many more.

Although his music may not be to everyone’s taste there is no denying that Swin has started making waves in the underground and indeed the local scene. Praise must be given for this accomplishment.

You can download all of Swin’s work at the below links
For single tracks
http://swindeorin.official.fm/
For full albums
http://www.myspace.com/swindeorin

Martin McLaughlan

2010-08-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

In March 2007 Ayrshire music almost lost one of their most promising and loved artist Martin McLaughlan. Thankfully with the support of his now fiancé, he picked his guitar back up and gave it another go. Martin quite openly said that if it wasn’t for her then he still wouldn’t have thought about it. From this rebirth into music as it where Martin managed to play one of his best gigs in the 02 Academy in Glasgow.

With musical influence ranging from Jon McLaughlin and Newton Faulkner to Dallas Green and Eric Clapton, Martin breathes new life into acoustic music by provided it with a rocky edge which is not always seen within this genre.

When asked about what makes him unique Martin states that “I’m me, I don’t try and be anyone else and I don’t try to sound like anyone else. My style might not be unique, but the way I feel about my music is something that not a lot of musicians have.”

It is this feeling about music that does make Martin stand out from other artists within the area. His focus and passion for the music he creates and performs is outstanding, unlike most artists who want only money Martin cares deeply about his art -a bit of financial gain from it wouldn’t go a miss for him though since he now has a wedding to pay for. He believes firmly though that as long as he is still making music and has those closest to him in his life then he would be happy regardless of anything else.

Within a discussion concerning the local music scene within Ayrshire he feels that “It’s dire, the music is there, the acts are there and the commitment is there, it just needs nurtured into something we can be proud of.”

At present Martin is focusing on the upcoming recording of his eagerly awaited debut EP yet unnamed later this month (23rd of August to be exact), which is going to be recorded by his close friends from another local band The Underdog Theory.

For any future gigs and any other information concerning Martin, you can check out his pages on Facebook and MySpace of which the links are below.

www.myspace.com/martinmclaughlanuk
www.facebook.com/martinmclaughlanuk

Photography by Martin Bone Photography
http://www.facebook.com/martinbonephotography#!/martinbonephotography?v=wall

Reclaimed Review on Glasgow Music

2010-08-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

So I wrote a review a good few months back for Glasgow Music and I have now realised its been kinda put into the stored file per say so I have reclaimed it and going to put the whole thing on here below, Enjoy

THISFAMILIARSMILE - Red Wine

Since the release of their 2008 EP "What kind of monster am I ?" Glasgow/Ayr four piece ThisFamilarSmile have been on a fast track to success.Not only have they gained a massive fan base but have toured the UK and parts of Europe playing festivals and general shows.

Their latest offering is their new single "red wine" from their new debut album "Ribbons,Regards and The More Machine" which is out later this year.

The song includes all the usual complexed melodies expected from the band with well blended vocals and the outstanding passion that seems to be in all their songs. Essentially ThisFamilarSmile are a band who put a new spin on an already saturated genre of music and have managed to keep a sense of individuality about them.

With rave reviews from publications like Rocksound the band are sure to be very successful in the future and with the release of their album later this year I can only imagine their popularity growing even more.

http://www.myspace.com/thisfamiliarsmile

Review on Glasgow music

2010-04-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

Ive posted a new review on glasgowmusic.co.uk

http://www.glasgowmusic.co.uk/webTest/viewReview.php?blogId=65

Give it a wee read tell me what you think