Music Liberation

SINGLE: DANIEL JAMES - THE STONE AND THE HOLLOW

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:50:00 +0000

'The Stone and The Hollow' is the new track from London based singer songwriter Daniel James. It follows the release of his debut track 'Jackdraw' earlier in the year. Daniel, who is from Northern Ireland, said about the track that "it was inspired by memories of walks around Belfast Lough and how that felt different to the new London landscape I found myself in. Time to think and ponder on new and old relationships alike, all compounded by the differing sense of space I felt."

The track is sparse, with James singing around a simple beat, piano loop, and acoustic guitar, but this only helps to shine the focus upon his vocals and lyrics which are the clear stand out. His voice is definitive and carries a poignancy that enforces the themes behind his words. Think a more sprightly James Blake cross between a slightly more downbeat Benjamin Francis Leftwich, cut across Alt-J beats. One to certainly look out for this year.

Daniel James // Facebook // Twitter

ALBUM: LORE CITY - ABSENCE & TIME

noreply@blogger.com (Moker) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Lore City are not the kind of band to take things lightly. Their dark and emotive music absorbs and revels in all that is melancholic and tumultuous in life. Their music is a giant lament to the bittersweet nature of existence.

Their debut album ‘Absence and Time’ isn't the kind of catchy record to sling on the stereo whilst cooking dinner, it’s a painful work of love and demands attention. It’s not a dip in and dip out record, it’s an all or nothing affair and somehow, Lore City convey all this with half an opening track. ‘Keep’ is the kind of epic sorrow that commands respect; like the Smiths ‘How Soon Is Now’ or any other great, atmospheric song about how it hurts to live.

Yet, this is no emo album. This isn't about high school popularity, body confidence or haircuts. Laura Mariposaʼs vocal acrobatics puts paid to that idea. At times she is soft and nurturing, at others slurry and drunk with woe, like a well meaning but ultimately unfit mother. Sometimes, like on the psychedelic tipped ‘Whole Lot’, she is positively psychotic, a screaming banshee, yelling along to a singular reverb soaked guitar. Like Zola Jesus or a latter day Grace Slick, she is profound in her declaration to the world.

Of course, musician and artistic partner in the band Eric Bessel must also take equal credit and blame for this heady creation. Looking a bit like a bespectacled lawyer or promising, number crunching prodigy in an accountancy firm, he confounds expectations by skilfully creating ominous soundscapes for Mariposa to play with and manipulate. Moaning guitars, elongated, rumbling bass lines and warm, atmospheric hums all wallpaper a backdrop of night time deserts, outstretched roads and the kind of creeping skin touch of reality that only comes in the depths of the night.

All this might sound ludicrously pretentious, but Lore City aren’t here to entertain, they’re here for your soul. Simplicity is their forte. With droll, plodding drum lines Meg White would scoff at, the shimmering loop of a single guitar strum, the wail of a lonely, anguished vocal and the empty chasms of time between beats all strike their own, resonating chord. Closing track ‘Fortuneless Fortune’ displays all these traits with the kind of idiosyncratic flare that it’s only taken a mere eight tracks to fall in love with.

This album is an esoteric, existential and enlightened work of art that operates on a different plain to its contemporaries - if it has any. Truly great from opening bass drum kick to closing guitar strum. Hold on in there, it’s going to get bumpy. // Lore City

EP: LONDON GRAMMAR - METAL & DUST

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:00:00 +0000

So far not much is known about London Grammar, apart from them being a 3-piece (Hannah, Daniel, and Dot), and that their debut release, a 4 track EP titled 'Metal & Dust' is out right now digitally and on 7".

Our attention was first drawn to the track 'Hey Now', a quiet, dark song that gently simmers along almost unnoticed but easily catches you off guard during its relatively short length of 3.27. The vocals are clearly the first point of notice, with Hannah's depth and range standing out, but the electronic based music behind is also interesting, with the use of space, tempo, ambiance, and repetition quite alluring.

Title track 'Metal & Dust' is more up tempo, with the beats turned up front and centre, whilst 'Darling Are You Gonna Leave Me' has a gentle, party feel to it, with certain parts a bit reminiscent of Ellie Goulding from her debut record. The EP ends with a Dot Major remix of 'Hey Now' which only goes to further strengthen the effectiveness of the track and EP as a whole.

There's plenty of reference points on this EP, with the likes of The XX, James Blake, Egyptian Hip-Hop, Alt-J, Mt Wolf and other ethereal electronic pop artists that seem to surround the airwaves at the minute all being picked up on, but there's also enough ideas and invention to suggest London Grammar have a clear voice of their own. We hear a debut album is in the pipeline and by accounts could be something rather special if this EP is anything to go.

Buy the Metal & Dust' EP from iTunes or the 7" now. // London Grammar

EP REVIEW: ANNIE DRESSNER - EAST TWENTIES

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:06:00 +0000

Whilst the slew of twee female singer-songwriters continues to be ever present in our mailbag, it does mean that finding those needles in the hack-stack has become quite a joy. The latest sharp point to stand out is American Annie Dressner.

She's from New York City but moved to the UK last year, which was presumably not for our weather. In 2011 she released her debut album 'Strangers Who Knew Each Other's Names', and has played numerous live venues both in New York, and across the UK since her move here. April 8th sees the release of her latest body of work, an EP titled 'East Twenties', which is co produced with Paul Goodwin.

The EP begins with 'Heartbreaker', a song which lyrically deals with that well trodden sad subject, yet musically things are joyously upbeat, with warm sounding guitars and percussion, quite a lovely juxtaposition. Her vocal delivery throughout the record is almost conversational, allowing you to feel a sense of easy understanding and knowing of her songs.

'I Can't Forget' is a touching song that delicately deals with the feeling of loss, with the sincerity of Dressner's vocals shining as well as a beautiful cello emanating throughout. 'Flame' is the shortest track on the record at just over two and a half minutes, yet is feels the most full bodied of the songs put forward. 'Lost In A Car' closes things out in poignant fashion, dealing with more of life's troublesome issues, with Dressner's soft voice and delicate guitar proving hard to not get swept up by.

'East Twenties' is a record which makes you consider those events which have gone before you, taking you on a somewhat nostalgic journey through feelings which are most probably negative and upsetting. Yet the way in which Annie Dressner presents these four songs is refreshing, with her approachable style and musically upbeat nature leaves you with a positive feeling in the end.

You can pre-order 'East Twenties through Annie's Pledge Music page and catch her at the EP launch on the 9th April at Slaughtered Lamb in London. // Annie Dressner

EP REVIEW: MT. WOLF - HYPOLIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 22:28:00 +0000

London four-piece Mt Wolf will be no stranger to those who frequent the music blogging world on a consistent basis, with their EP from last year 'Life Size Ghosts' featuring favourably on many sites across the board. Our friends over at Faded Glamour said that "the band have recently been compared to the now Mercury Music Prize winning Alt-J - (and) it's perfectly conceivable that Mt. Wolf will reach such equally great heights."

High praise and expectation then for a band who only came together at the start of 2012, which is only heightened when names such as James Blake, Sigur Ros, and The XX are thrown in by others as similar acts. But upon listening to their new EP 'Hypolight' it's actually quite easy to see where all the hype and fuss is justifiably from. Describing themselves as 'dream folk' on their facebook, it's instantly clear that the rather ambiguous new fangled genre is probably about right for them. Beginning with the title track 'Hypolight' we have the floaty acoustic guitars intertwined with electronic synths, before the star of the show/ep/album/record steps up the mic in the form of vocalist Kate Sproule. With a voice that seemingly has a multitude of ranges, she controls everything almost effortlessly, which seemingly does put you in a dream like state, so its 'dream folk' then, obviously.

'Veins' carries on in a similar style, the music sounding like it's being stretched like a time lapse video, with Sproule again leading things with her powerful vocals. This time around the music has bit more leadtime, with the Alt-J references becoming more apparent as the guitar/electronic combination is played out well, with that feeling of genres clashing against and then with each other hard to ignore.

Lead single 'Shapeshift' is perhaps the most complete song on the record, featuring a glorious throbbing beat throughout over which Sproule again impresses with her great depth, with the delicate yet commanding vocals leaving a lasting impression. The accompanying video is also worth a look with the simple black and white shots and slow motion effects working to great effect. The EP closes with a cover of Usher's 'Climax', which is a more stripped backed approach, which only goes to further enhance the vocal delights of that lady again (Kate Sproule if you didn't know), who has such temperament with her voice it's quite astonishing. She can effect a range of feelings with only the slightest of changes, which you can hardly pick up on during the songs its all done so naturally and seamlessly.

Hypolight is a strong, dominant record that suggests greater things are indeed ahead for this young four-piece from London. We will certainly watch and listen to their development with keen interest over the time to come.

Hypolight is available through Two Sisters Records on April 8th. Mt. Wolf // Pre-Order 'Hypolight' on iTunes

NEW MUSIC: BLOODY MAMMALS - MADAM

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:46:00 +0000

Bloody Mammals are a post hardcore 4 piece from London, who in May will release their debut mini-album 'Eventually Your House Will Burn Down' through 49s Vs Dolphins and Flatpack Recordings.

Taken from said album is 'Madam', a frenetic two and a half minutes of controlled mayhem - you could think Comeback Kid, La Dispute and Touche Amore, but with a quintessentially British vibe emanating throughout.

It's refreshing to hear such aptitude for their craft from a band this side of the pond - it's fair to say we are expecting big things from the mini record when that drops later this year!

Pre-order 'Eventually Your Horse Will Burn' through Bandcamp // Bloody Mammals

Madam by Bloody Mammals

INTERVIEW: SUNSHINE

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Rayner) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:23:00 +0000

We recently reviewed the debut self titled album from our favourite Canadian band of 2013 - Sunshine. We thought it would be a great idea to catch up with the guys to discuss them, their album, and whatever else comes to mind.

Many thanks to Gillian Damborg, Trevor Risk, Tyler Quarles, Ian Urbanski, and Sean Tyson aka the Yamaha RX5 (just watch the video to understand that one), for giving us their time, thoughts, and a large sprinkling of laughs.

It is also a Music Liberation first, as we bring you their answers in the form of images and sound combined, a video interview no less! (It's only taken us the 6 years to get there...)

Questions: Sarah Rayner

Editor: Jon Sidwell

Filmed: March 2013 by Owen Ellis and Sunshine

ALBUM: FIDLAR - FIDLAR

noreply@blogger.com (Moker) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:03:00 +0000

Let’s get this out of the way first: Fidlar's name is an acronym for 'Fuck It Dog, Life's a Risk’. Make of that what you will, but it’s certainly a good indicator of the band’s eccentric fratboy approach to their craft.

Chaotic self-titled debut 'FIDLAR' is one long ode to partying and over consumption. This unique brand of scrappy surf-punk noise makes them sound like the raucous younger siblings of The Vaccines or a very drunk Japandroids; but these guys aren’t nostalgic about the times they've had, they’re living them, right here, right now and you’re going to hear about it whether you want to or not.

“I DRINK CHEAP BEER SO WHAT FUCK YOU” bellows the chorus of opening track and lead single ‘Cheap Beer’. ‘There’s nothing wrong living like this, all my friends are pieces of shit’ they declare on ‘Stoked and Broke’. Only two songs in and the band have already firmly nailed their colours to the mast of over indulgence and self destruction.

Whilst FIDLAR pull no punches in who they are and what they do, they’re representing a lifestyle that is nothing new. In fact the live fast die young attitude is a monstrous cliche that most discerning new bands try to avoid. Yet there is a certain gleeful stupidity to this LA foursome’s reckless abandon. They fly in the face of the bookish introspection of today’s indie rock. Each song is an unpretentious slice of shouty power punk that exists for the sake of existing. There’s no deeper meaning other than a hat-tip to the joys of excess.

FIDLAR’s debut is a simple and surprisingly catchy record that becomes more than the sum of its individual songs by unwittingly representing a sense of fun that has been all but weeded out of new guitar music today. And for that alone, this record is well worth a listen.

It is out now through Mom and Pop Records // Fidlar

INTERVIEW: VOICES

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:03:00 +0000

Another of the acts we recently nominated for the Glastonbury Emerging Talent stage (alongside Esper Scout and Moats) were Voices. The melodic post-hardcore band from Hertfordshire were kind enough to answer some of our probing, and some of our not so probing, interview questions.

To view the full long-list of 120 acts that made it through to the next stage of the competition, as well as all the blogs that took part in the voting process, head over here.

Q1. Congratulations on getting through to the next stage of the Glastonbury Emerging Talent stage! What made you apply for this competition? How do you feel about making it through?

"Even though we're not necessarily suited to the normal Glastonbury scene of bands we will hopefully be trying to bring something new and different to the table, it'll be interesting to find out the response to our tracks and therefore we're incredibly happy that we managed to get through to the long-list, its a great opportunity and a brilliant competition."

Q2. Where are you guys from? How did you meet?

"We are from St. Albans, Hertfordshire, homes of bands such as Enter Shikari, Your Demise and Friendly Fires. We met through secondary school and decided to make a band, and from then on we passed through phases of death metal in which we wrote about the devil and the ascension of a demon from hell, to writing post-hardcore style music, which allowed us to wrote more heartfelt music. We have been together for five years now and despite changes in our line up we have carried on strong."

Q3. Describe your music in three words?

"Dissonant, melodic, meaningful."

Q4. Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

"Between us we're pretty heavily influenced by Every Time I Die, Bring Me The Horizon, Letlive, and La Dispute. There are also lots of electronica/atmospheric elements too! Non-musical influences are pretty broad; we like to think we have something to say in our music so in that sense we're interested in exploring certain elements of the world we live in...or think we live in. *init*"

Q5. What's on your agenda for 2013?

"We've got a load of stuff on the horizon which we're very very excited about. We've got our second self-recorded album (Sleepers and Dreamers) on its way in Summer and with it a video! Plus we're currently sorting out merchandise orders... all pretty stressful, but well worth it! (All details on the facebook!)"

Q6. Any new bands/artists you recommend us checking out?

"Really liking a band called Shields at the moment, you can find them on facebook, and Change Of Plan are our boys from back home. Also, if you haven't heard of them already I'd recommend checking out both CityLightThief and La Dispute. Neither are 'new' but neither are hugely well known."

Q7. If you could tour with any two artists, past or present, who would they be and why?

"At The Drive In and The Cat Empire! At The Drive In for the destructive action, and The Cat Empire for the trumpets! Although, to be fair, I doubt the latter would have us!"

Q8. What 3 things would you have on your perfect tour rider?

1. Kale - A Superfood that Max and Osh are heavily addicted to

2. Blender - To blend the Kale to a pulp

3. Ginger & Fruits - To put in the Kale shake

Q9. Aside from the world of music, what do you get up to?

"Well some of us are at university so that's obviously time consuming! We come from a background of skateboarding and gig-going so lots of that still happens. Osh and Rob are in a little acoustic outfit known as Sparrow Prince, and Laurie produces electronic music under the alias Clamblem. Max is also a professional hand model. Matty isn't."

Q10. How can we find out more about you?

We're all over the regular social media sites - twitter, facebook, soundcloud, or you could come to a show, all of our dates can be found on our Facebook page! Or just shoot us an email: voicesuk@live.com voicesuk@live.com

Many thanks to the guys in Voices for answering our questions! Best of luck to them in the next stage of the competition!

INTERVIEW: ESPER SCOUT

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:28:00 +0000

We recently put forward Esper Scout for the Emerging Talent Stage at this year's Glastonbury Festival, along with Moats, and Voices. We thought it would be a great idea to find out a little more about them, so we spoke with Sarah, Kirsty, Rebecca, and Lou from the band.

To view the full long-list of 120 acts that made it through to the next stage of the competition, as well as all the blogs that took part in the voting process, head over here.

Q1. Congratulations on getting through to the next stage of the Glastonbury Emerging Talent stage! What made you apply for this competition? How do you feel about making it through?

Sarah (guitar, vocals): "I was spurred on through separate recommendations from two of our friends who are both passionate about the band and love Glastonbury. I didn’t tell the rest of Esper Scout and so finding out that we’d been selected for the long-list was an extra surprise for them!"

Kirsty (guitar): "Obvious to say we’re flattered! It feels like we’ve been working hard recently and it seems to be paying off. This is a really great opportunity, even if it just means that one or two extra people hear about us."

Q2. Where are you guys from? How did you meet?

Sarah: "We’re based in Leeds but Kirsty, Rebecca and I were born, raised and met in Manchester, actually our town is appropriately called Bury. Me and Kirsty ended up sat next to each other on a school coach trip to Germany and shared mix tapes. I’ve never realised before how poetic that could sound and I guess it is! When we got home I decided to pursue drums and she picked up the bass and guitar." (ED: aww that's awesome!)

Kirsty: "Yeah, at first it was just so you’d have someone to play with. Turned out alright."

Sarah: "Thanks for doing that! How I ended up singing and playing guitar in a band I’m not quite sure. After some ‘can I/can’t I?’ deliberation in the beginning I feel that something’s definitely started clicking between the four of us over the past year and writing and self-demoing for our mini-album which we’re recording in Spring has given us an injection of confidence."

Rebecca (bass): "Yeah definitely. The three of us moved up to Leeds in 2008 without much of a plan and met Lou through the city’s network of musicians. We’ve been writing and playing together since then but Esper Scout only came in to being a couple of years ago through changes in line-up and finding a collective and better focused mind-set."

Q3. Describe your music in three words?

Lou (drums): "‘Loud/Quiet/Rock’ says everything about us and nothing at the same time."

Q4. Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

Sarah: "I think you can hear reflections of dynamic, melodic guitar and drum driven bands like Thrice, Silversun Pickups and Alexisonfire in our songs. My most prized possession is a ‘Rap Band’ beatbox machine which plays half a dozen electronic drum patterns depending on what buttons you press. An Uncle bought it me for Christmas when I was six and apparently I sat there for days pressing different combinations of three buttons which, as much as they say they were happy for me, must have driven my family and their friends a bit bonkers."

Lou: "I never looked up to anyone in particular when I started playing as much as I think I just felt a natural draw to drumming; a compulsion to build and elaborate on beats. I found out that my Granddad used to play and he was a well-respected man which inspired me to keep on at it through admiration for him."

Rebecca: "What we seem to have in common is that we all found an interest in sound before we identified specific music or artists we liked. Non-musically, seeing injustice and imbalance when it comes to female rights first motivated me to pick up the bass. From a young age I felt strongly about women becoming as empowered as men and it made me realise how important it is to have your voice heard which in turn has influenced me artistically and expressively."

Q5. What's on your agenda for 2013?

Kirsty: "We’ve been asked to play Not Woodstock festival in Northumberland which is taking place at Featherstone castle 3 miles south of Hadrian’s Wall. Me, Rebecca and Sarah are visiting the USA’s West Coast in May and we’re hoping to play a bit whilst we’re out there. Open mics, guitar shops, wherever will have us!"

Lou: "We’ve just finished demo-ing our mini-album so after recording the six songs properly in the studio we’ll be busy with mixing and all the other things associated with a release such as videos, singles etc. Most importantly we’ll be playing some gigs in support of them, including a week down south which we’re excited about."

Q6. Any new bands/artists you recommend us checking out?

Sarah: "With us being based in Leeds you don’t have to look far to find great bands. Festivals like British Wildlife, which takes place at the Brudenell Social Club, and Live at Leeds, show just how high the quality of music is in the city is, both in terms of ideas and passion. Bearfoot Beware, ENVOYS, British Racing Green and Insatellites, for example, who are all currently working on exciting things. We’re really lucky to be able to be part such a well-connected and encouraging community of musicians, videographers, writers, graphic artists and illustrators etc., the coming together of which is aided by the newly opened Leeds Music Hub which is quickly becoming an invaluable resource."

Rebecca: "There are always at least three or four decent gigs a week across a wide scope of genres. Venues like Wharf Chambers and the Brudenell are really passionate about the bands they put on and how they treat audiences."

Lou: "We recently invited our friends Kassassin Street from Portsmouth to play with us and they are one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen. We wouldn’t be surprised if they did well for themselves this year."

Q7. If you could tour with any two artists, past or present, who would they be and why?

Kirsty: "It’s been a dream of mine for ages to tour with the Bloodhound Gang around Europe on their party bus. We’d need to bring some ear defenders and eye mask for Lou. The girl’s gotta sleep."

Lou: And a cycle helmet so nobody shaves my hair off. Nobody wants a Lou with a head-chill!

Q8. What 3 things would you have on your perfect tour rider?

Sarah: "I think I can speak for myself and Reb when I say porridge oats and marrowfat peas. Those actually might be a pain to prepare without a hob, so that’d be my third request. Am I asking too much? I’ll probably bring my own camping stove then, and a pan."

Rebecca: "Add bananas to the porridge and you’ve got yourself a treat for any time of day."

Lou: "Clean socks, a book of arrow-words and Diet Coke."

Kirsty: "Beer and twiglets. We chose more than three but on average less than three each if that counts."

Q9. Aside from the world of music, what do you get up to?

Rebecca: "Some of us get out cycling and running along Leeds-Liverpool canal and the forest near our base in Leeds. A bit of travelling too, when time and funds allow!"

Q10. How can we find out more about you?

Sarah: "Our main site is www.esperscout.com for news and music, with all external links accessible through icons at the top of the page."

Interviewer: Jon Sidwell

Many thanks to Sarah, Kirsty, Rebacca, and Lou for taking time out to talk us here at Music Liberation. We wish them luck in the next stage of the competition!

ALBUM: SUNSHINE - SUNSHINE

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Rayner) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:19:00 +0000

Drawing together all the happiest bits of melodic dream-pop, beachy chill-wave and vintage, washed out shoegaze, Trevor Risk, Gillian Damborg (vocals), Tyler James Quarles (bass), Ian Urbanski (guitar) and Sean Tyson (who also drums for Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party) are Vancouver’s sunniest 5-piece.

Sunshine are a band with a sound that suits their name and they defy - with a cheery, reverby shake of a fist - the dreary overcast weather of their hometown. Following singles 'Arnprior' and 'Two Hundred Grand' that cheered up our dark December last year, the band’s debut album arrives to brighten up our grey February skies. 'Sunshine' is both an eclectic and coherent record, with sound spanning the ranges and touching the edges of sub genres from watery washed out dream pop 'Wet Thankyous' to alternative/noise rock 'The Star Spangled Rammer'. This lush array of washed out sound is complimented by guest appearances by local bands as well as producer collaborations with the likes of Sune Rose Wagner (The Raveonettes), John Collins (The New Pornographers), Woodie Taylor (Morrissey) and Hayz Fisher (The New Values). Coupled with this producer Timothy Stollenwork is expert at pulling the uplifting, the melodious and the beautiful from the rocked out guitars.

With jangly guitars and beautiful, bold and playful electric guitar riffs, this is dreamy jangle pop at its chirpiest. Melodies, riffs and even lyrics are relentlessly sunny and upbeat, but with a heavy use of reverb and vocals paled back in the mix it never gets too much. Guitars enmesh with vocals into an enticing hazed up sound, but riffs and melodies are not blurred out so much that the sound loses its rock foundations – example: the electric rock distortion in the outro of ‘Two Hundred Grand’; or ‘Mariah,’ whose twinkly music box synth riffs dart between distorted guitar solos in a sweet as sugar cloud of melodies.

Heavy musical influences include Nineties shoe-gazers like My Bloody Valentine or The Swirlys, and alternative noisy dream rockers such as The Raveonettes. There’s a definite UK jangle pop vein throughout the album - ‘French Exit’ being a prime example, as well as 'Two Hundred Grand' -powered by a 60s beach pop rock feel (think The Byrds). ‘Star Spangled Rammer’ takes a purer 90s rock twist – noisy, melodic, and dark with tambourine bashing and classic riffs. Single 'Arnprior’ has touches of alt and noise rock and quirky melodies with bold, fuzzed up vocals reminiscent of The Flaming Lips.

It’s a juxtaposition of twee vocals and melodies with more alternative rock leanings that define the sound of this debut self titled record by Sunshine. They are certainly a band to watch out for, with this album being yet another eclectic, life affirming gem from Canada.

Buy 'Sunshine' // Sunshine

Arnprior by Sunshine Two Hundred Grand by Sunshine

ALBUM: TORRES - TORRES

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:15:00 +0000

Mackenzie Scott is Torres, a young 22 year lady from Nashville, Tennessee, who earlier last month released her debut self titled album. Like most solo singer songwriters she has a story, however hers is somewhat more believable and that only adds an extra dimension to what is a deftly strong opening body of work.

We are told that is was during the Christmas of 2011 that Scott was given her first electric guitar - a Gibson 335 for you guitar heads out there, which was a present from her family. With it she discovered that her previously acoustic based songs could take on a whole new form, growing into the ten songs which form her debut LP.

Opener 'Mother Earth, Father Good' starts with some sombre strings, before a distorted guitar is added alongside Scott's solemn vocals. This rather melancholy beginning might instantly make you feel like there's going to be great depth to this album; well you wouldn't be wrong. As soon as 'Honey' kicks in you know how important that discovery of the electric guitar has been, with Scott herself saying "I didn't quite find the sound I was looking for before I started playing electric".

'Honey' is a 5 minute plus amalgamation of EMA like vocals set against some gorgeous guitar work and knowing drums. The lyrics suit the music poignantly, with the not always perfect guitar and vocal delivery matching up with the content of infatuation, jealousy, and betrayal. It is a theme which is repeated and expanded upon during the course of the album. 'Jealousy and I' is purposely sparse, with the lyrics of "Jealousy and I, we're two of a kind, and she's all mine" resonating strongly throughout.

'November Baby' is perhaps the most personal and intimate song on the record, so much so you kind of feel like you shouldn't be listening as it sounds like an entirely private affair for Mackenzie herself. But it's this blatant honesty that makes the song all the more endearing, and with the backdrop of a gorgeous sounding guitar throughout the track is a real standout of the album. It's also over 7 minutes long, allowing for plenty of space for everything to be taken in.

'When Winters Over' is a more straight forward rock track, which is fine, but after the delightfully strong opening you are left feeling a little flat. Thankfully 'Chains' takes on a different edge entirely, led by an eerie drum machine, Scott's vocals are given full license to roam, and roam they do throughout, with her deep tones penetrating the icy sound scape which is created. It's haunting, truly brilliant stuff.

'Moon and Back' is more of the standard rock stuff, perfectly formed but...yeah. 'Don't Run Away Emilie' brings us back to the good stuff, as does 'Come To Terms', with both tracks stripped back nature a clear staple for success; letting the vocal/guitar combination stand out and just be lovely. The record finishes with 'Waterfall', which is a completely satisfying closing track, featuring soft hooks aplenty, warm ambient bass, and a positive vibe which is at odds with all of what has gone before, obviously.

Captured almost straight to tape 'Torres' is an album of often simple and sparse arrangements, something which is incredibly brave for someone of Scott's tender years to bare her thoughts and ideas on such an open platform. It's quite a personal record from start to finish, which when combined with her fairly rangy vocals and retro sounding electric guitar (which is pretty much lush throughout), ultimately leads to a debut album which is bold, authentic, and full of integrity - quite frankly its utterly brilliant.

You can download 'Torres' now, or buy the physical version on CD or Vinyl later this month - here.

ALBUM: FALL CITY FALL - VICTUS

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Rozario) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:44:00 +0000

The fine lines between hardcore punk, post hardcore and metalcore have been obscured within the last decade, predominantly thanks to the attempts by pigeonholed bands to free themselves of categorisation. So, you have hardcore bands positioning themselves as DIY punk rock, post hardcore acts aspiring to lose the ‘post’ (in an attempt to dodge association with the emo-end of the post hardcore spectrum), and metalcore bands refusing the crossover tag in a bid to keep the metal-heads onside.

The most positive outcome from all this musical rejigging is the slew of bands that have just embraced all three subgenres, instead of worrying about what they are and aren’t. Canada’s Fall City Fall are one of these bands. Fall City Fall are: hardcore punk, post hardcore and metalcore. Signed to the legendary but largely inconsistent Victory Records, Fall City Fall are an extreme rock band made of five young members, including not one but two vocalists. ‘Victus’ is their Victory debut, and it’s half an hour of intense, penetrating hardcore, laced with occasional melody, intricate time signatures and bruising breakdowns.

Opener ‘St. James’ serves as a short, slow-burning but brutal introduction, before the Every Time I Die influenced ‘Dissentipede’ kicks in with its vocal swagger and frenetic metalcore riffing. The majority of ‘Victus’ follows a similar, winning formula: fast-paced riffing and punk rock drums effortlessly glide into phases of progressive noodlings or post hardcore melody, before or after a Hatebreed-heavy breakdown. Tracks like ‘Anxiety Attack’ and ‘Shallow Believer’ showcase Fall City Fall’s advanced ability to create angry and technical hardcore music, with the latter featuring some hectic Dillinger Escape Plan-esque noise. Only ‘Many Lives’ offers a brief period of calm, but with its haunting prog guitar lines, the instrumental is more eerie than soothing.

The record highlights come in the form of the impressive closing couplet: ‘Taken’ and ‘Victus’. ‘Taken’ is a slow, controlled moment of chaos, starting with quiet guitars and screamed vocals, progressively getting heavier and fuller, with an escalating, piercing siren sound adding menace in the background. Think a mini version of Converge’s title track from ‘Jane Doe’. The closing title track is an amalgamation of soaring post hardcore and crashing breakdowns, with pained screams and moments of guitar melody, reminiscent of The Bled circa ‘Pass The Flask’.

The dual vocals of Zorn and Pylychaty are visceral and oddly complementary. The low-end growls are heavier than most hardcore vocal performances, while the screamed segments carry a bit of Frank Carter’s impassioned cries during his time fronting Gallows – the sound of unrestrained violence, conveyed all the more convincingly because you can comprehend the lyrics through the noise. Intermittent moments of pained vocal melody come in the form of the now commonplace off-key whine (à la Daryl Palumbo, Keith Buckley, Jason Butler). Fitting, but uninspired.

Nonetheless, Fall City Fall have crafted a near-perfect debut record. Brutal but accessible, it’s crowd-pleasing in their inclusion of headbanging breakdowns, and progressive in their use of innovative mathcore and melody. Personally, I rank ‘Victus’ alongside the modern masterpieces by Converge (‘All We Love We Live Behind’), Letlive. (‘Fake History’) and Vision Of Disorder (‘The Cursed remain Cursed’) for sheer passion, but also for successfully bridging hardcore, post hardcore and metalcore without pretentious mutations of the subgenres’ – um – cores. Absolutely thrilling stuff. // Fall City Fall // Victory Records

ALBUM: HANDBOOK - TITANOMACHY

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Rayner) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:41:00 +0000

Handbook (Jake Brown), all the way from York (the old one not the New one) messes with vintage disco, Motown, soul and hip hop hooks, relentless stuttering cut-off and loops, and just the right beats. 'Titanomachy' is an album of danceable yet melodically appealing unadulterated remixes; Brown keeps the vintage soul of his samples alive.

It’s the relentless stuttering loop/cut-off effect of catchy hooks that really gets into your bones. Stand outs include 'Feet Feet' with an intensely listenable disco-style flute solo (yes - disco flute) that flickers in a loop/cut-off effect over funk beats and bongos. Irresistible too is 'If I' with a looped melodic vocal hook – a laid back soul feel with masterfully layered on subtle and solid beats, this is the sort of track that’s hard to switch off. Opening track 'All is Not As it Seems' hits you with afro sized vocal fanfares and light beats in a 70’s Motown mix up – Brown again manages to create a sound that’s catchy, danceable, laid back and loud.

'Those Days' plays with old school rap and deeper beats, whilst 'Ultimatum' steps away from disco towards the vintage Brooklyn hip hop feel: tasty funk guitar looped at the front of mix and male vocal and rap at the back. It’s a dreamy funk piece with attitude. Brown takes it down for tracks like 'Zero' – a sensitively mixed soul track with funk beats and emotional perceptivity - and the atmospheric and quirky 'Neurotic' – with stuttering drops into silence and auto-tune disco vocal.

We hope to catch this guy live soon, but for now head to bandcamp to check him out and download the album. // Handbook

ALBUM : WIHT - THE HARROWING OF THE NORTH

noreply@blogger.com (Moker) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:20:00 +0000

Stoner rock has always been the territory of the American yee-haw bands. Across the vast Atlantic however, the correlating British scene struggled to compete. We have grey skies and gloomy post-industrial towns, not sun soaked beaches and expansive deserts - our home grown contemporaries were always going to be different to their cowboy hat wearing cousins.

So when the now defunct, Leeds based, post-doom-sludge-whateverists Wiht decided to write an instrumental album about William the Conqueror ravaging the North of England, it was always going to be a distinctly English affair. Their final record, ‘The Harrowing of the North’ is a mere two tracks (plus a lengthy bonus track) but is a veritable epic of stoner rock enormity and post rock exploration. Each twist and turn in this capricious monster, from sparkling single notes, wailing guitars and tinkering cymbals to the gigantic, heavy, fuzzed out riffs and booming drums all serve as analogies for William’s marauding armies across the maudlin North, and events leading up to his remorseful deathbed 20 years later.

Wiht might have set themselves a staggering task writing such a record but they manage to convey drama in their music with such aplomb, the entire project is a seemingly effortless success.. ‘The Harrowing...’ is a joy to behold. A swerving, organic beast that you can’t take your ears off, intense and bursting with energy, doom-filled and ominous, it leaves you flabbergasted. This release, in the wake of Wiht’s demise, should be honoured in a fashion akin to the work of any deceased artist of note: with a reverence and awe becoming of a masterpiece, for this record is indeed fitting of such a lofty label.

‘The Harrowing of the North’ is out 4th February on Devouter Records. // Wiht

SINGLE: IVORY SEAS - STILL BROODING / MOTHERS TONGUE

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Rayner) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:41:00 +0000

Tapping the ambient pop vein, Ivory Seas sew together melodic movement and musical minimalism to create atmospheric tracks ready for the deep icy stills of the British winter. Double A-side with "Mother's Tongue," 'Still Brooding' offers a musical chill with a sound truly evocative of the stillness of an icy landscape.

Ivory Seas, who met and got together at Southampton University, compare themselves to popular electronic minimalists such as Antlers and The XX. With their catchy stripped back melodies underlaid by cool ambient sound scattered with sparse yet bold instrumentals the comparison seems apt.

Stripping sound back to stillness without losing the upbeat vibe is what Ivory Seas do well. With clever use of instrumental space and silence - 'Still Brooding' has ambient sounds rolled over by clever drum beats courtesy of George Batham, sparse undistorted electronic guitar and wintery lyrics that add to the surreal poetics of the track.

'Mother's Tongue' makes great use of tubular bell/xylophone and deeply ambient backing vocals (Adam Heron and Thomas Walker) that transforms a standard bass/guitar/drum set up into something festive and melodic yet subtle and surreal, a dark watery sound that skilfully ripples the surface just enough to make you smile. // Ivory Seas // Buy 7" White Vinyl

EXCLUSIVE: ALCOPOP! Cat in a Hat 2013 Compilation #30

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:21:00 +0000

Alcopop! have been one of the most featured labels during the past 6 years of Music Liberation, so it was with much delight that the Oxford based record label recently got in touch about a unique mini compilation they had made for us (as well as one for each of the 49 other blogs that took part in the 'Blog Sound Of 2013').

The compilation showcases a brand new track from Stagecoach titled 'Threequel', who we picked up on back in 2009. Alongside the awesome music, there's also a picture of a cat (yeah, a cat, not a dog...), which each of the other blogs comps also featuring a different cat. That's nice right! So without further ado, here's Alcopop! compilation number 30, thanks guys! // Alcopop!

SINGLE: MARIKA HACKMAN - BATH IS BLACK

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:25:00 +0000

Ahead of Marika Hackman's debut record in the form of the mini album 'That Iron Taste', she recently unveiled an acoustic video for the track 'Bath is Black'. It is the first in a series of acoustic videos for each of the albums tracks.

The album, produced by Alt-J's Charlie Andrew, is set to be released through Dirty Hit on 25th February, with Marika supporting the release with some gigs with Ethan Johns, as well as her own headline tour in March.

'Bath Is Black' is wonderfully refreshing in what can sometimes be a stale folk genre. Starting with some delightful guitar finger picking, its Marika's vocals and poignant lyrics which really stand out here. Her voice has a delicate yet somehow knowing quality which belies her tender years, and you can't help but get drawn into her spell of weaving guitar and floating vocals with the song even changing tempo mid track almost seamlessly. The video itself is shot in an old tunnel somewhere in the North of England, and although simple fits the nature of the track really well.

There are darker undertones throughout this song, a trait which you can't help feel will be repeated on the forthcoming album. That thought not only builds intrigue ahead of the albums release but also further enhances the reputation of someone who is rather quickly building a steadfast fan-base and critical opinion. Marika Hackman // Dirty Hit

FUTURE SOUNDS OF 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:41:00 +0000

In last years 'Future Sounds' post we tipped Hysterical Injury, Gabrielle Aplin, Daughter, LightGuides, Lucy Rose, and Pale Seas. Most of those acts went on to have a pretty good year, although in the case of Gabrielle Aplin we could never have predicted quite how good!

This year's list once again features Daughter, not because they didn't have a fantastic 2012, but because their debut album is set to be released this year and we're quite sure it's going to be amazing and propel them onto even bigger and better things, so we're tipping them again! Similarly Keaton Henson appears, despite his first record coming out over 2 years ago, we just felt the spotlight should be shone once again on an artist who is just incredibly talented!

Daughter - We've been closely following Elena, Igor, and Remi, since we reviewed their 'Wild Youth' EP back in 2011. Now signed with 4AD Records, this year will see the release of their debut album which we're ever so excited about, as well as their biggest (sold out) show to date at the Hackney Empire.

Wolf Alice - Last Summer saw the release of the debut self titled EP from Wolf Alice, a 3 track soundscape of dreamy folk electronica, which felt really fresh and different. Since then two new singles have emerged, 'Leaving You' and this weeks' 'Fluffy', which are both more guitar based, but still maintain a clear intent to produce something challenging and interesting.

Ninetails - Their record 'Slept and Did Not Sleep' was our favourite EP of last year, so it's without doubt that we're looking forward to see what they can come up with in 2013. Catching them live is certainly on our to-do list!

Marika Hackman - Miss Hackman has a pretty busy 2012, with singles, live shows, and a stand out covers EP, and now there is the imminent arrival of her debut EP 'That Iron Taste', early this year. She's certainly very talented and we're sure her songwriting ability will shine through on the upcoming record.

Keaton Henson - Keaton Henson has been on our radar since we picked up his debut album 'Dear...' back in 2010. Last year saw a re-release of that album, as well as some interesting live shows in museums, and pop up tents around London, as well as collaborations and singles. Album number two is expected early this year and should propel Keaton onto a much wider audience.

THE BLOG SOUND OF 2013 - THE TOP 5

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:34:00 +0000

The Blog Sound of 2013 poll is a survey of UK music bloggers to find out what emerging artists they think are best. The votes have been counted, the results are in and the winners can now be revealed.

Congratulations to the winners Haim, who narrowly held off runners up Chvrches by just 1 nomination.

The 5 artists that received the most votes by the 49 UK music blogs that took part in the poll are:-

1st Haim

2nd Chvrches

3rd= Savages

3rd= Pins

5th The Neighbourhood

The Blog Sound poll was run by Robin Seamer from Breaking More Waves and Andy Von Pip from The Von Pip Express asking 49 UK music bloggers what emerging acts they were particularly excited about. The poll wasn’t intended to criticise the BBC’s Sound of list, but to simply represent the tastes of the voting bloggers.

The 2013 Blog Sound long list contained 7 acts that were also then revealed to be on the BBC Sound of List (AlunaGeorge, Chvrches, Haim, Laura Mvula, Palma Violets, Savages and Tom Odell) and 8 that weren’t (Curxes, Daughter, Mo, Pins, Randolph’s Leap, Rhye, Seasfire and The Neighbourhood).

In total just over 170 acts received at least 1 vote in the poll, but Haim and Chvrches were way ahead of the chasing pack when it came to the final count. Pins and Savages, tied for third place with The Neighbourhood, the second US act on the list after Haim in fifth.

Of the five most voted for acts all of them are bands and four of them have lead female vocalists. Two of the bands (Haim and The Neighbourhood) are from the US.

The winners Haim have been one of the most talked about bands of the last few months and were the second most blogged act by UK Hype Machine listed bloggers in 2012. Haim consist of three sisters from California and were originally in a band with their parents called Rockinhaim. They signed a record deal earlier in 2012 and will release their debut album in 2013. Their sound fuses elements of classic rock, r ‘n’ b and pop and they have been compared with the likes of Fleetwood Mac, TLC and Wilson Phillips.

MUSIC LIBERATION TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Here's this year's top 10 albums list from Music Liberation. Whilst we didn't quite get to review all of the albums we'd have like to have this year, I feel the records we did get to were all really strong and as a result it was a difficult but wholly enjoyable process of narrowing down the final list you see before you. Hopefully you'll discover something new here you might have missed this year, and at the bottom of the post we also mention those albums we really rated but didn't quite get round to reviewing. 2012 has been a superb year for new music and fortunately for us it only looks like continuing into the new year and beyond.

Thanks for reading, listening, and engaging with Music Liberation this year, we'll be back in 2013 slightly fatter, older, and in some cases greyer, but we'll promise to keep up our desire to review and support the best in new music from across the globe. If you'd like to submit your music to us then please head here, and if you'd like to join the team and write some reviews then go here.

Cheers! x

Jon Sidwell (Editor)

1. Tall Ships - Everything Touching // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

"Tall Ships have been on our radar for quite some time now, with us first covering them back in March 2010 with a review of their self titled EP. The trio from Falmouth (now based in Brighton) are signed with the impressive Big Scary Monsters, and Everything Touching is their debut record out as a split release with Blood And Biscuits...Everything Touching is quite possibly one of the best albums you'll hear all year, you just don't know it yet, and for that matter, neither do I, yet. You see this is a complex album which requires several listens to really grasp the depth of ideas this band have put forward over the ten tracks. Some moments are instant, others might take a while longer, but I'm deadly sure that at some point the penny will drop for all...To sum up this album I'll use a vastly overused word - EPIC."

2. Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory // Reviewed by Clive Rozario

"Just listen to the opening couplet of 'Attack On Memory' – and you'll barely recognise them. 'No Future / No Past' is slow-burning, moody alternative-rock – not a million miles away from Pixies, with grumbling bass and eerie whining building to an exhilarating last minute in which Baldi screams “no future, no past” repeatedly. Darker, angrier, and a damn lot better than anything Baldi has written before. However, the second track 'Wasted Days' is not just the best song of their career, it's the best alternative song of the last few months. At nearly 9 minutes, it's much longer than anything else on the album, but it never feels excessively strung-out. Starting off as a simple garage-punk number with a massive vocal hook, it soon gets stuck into a progressive, vocal-less groove, with bubbling sonic textures and climbing, post-hardcore guitars. It’s sprawling, but the climb is never without precision, and the heavy conclusion features Baldi's best ever vocal performance – barking-then-screaming “I thought I would be more that this” over and over with some mighty, mighty passion. It is huge."

3. Negative Pegasus - Looming // Reviewed by Moker

"It’s a giant of a record; greater than the sum of its rackety and screeching parts, greater even than the crazy trio that fused it all together in a seaside lab full of smoking, bubbling liquids in glass beakers. The twisting, rich guitar riffs dance around horrendously huge staccato rhythms in some kind of punk / dance insanity that that gives zero fucks to what genre it may or may not fit into, whilst echo-drenched vocals occasionally wail out between the ensuing carnage...Look, whatever, it’s stunning. Words are limited, music is infinite and this is one of the most exciting records in years. It it self indulgent? Yes. Is it inaccessible? Most probably. Is it genius? No doubt. Think Holy Fuck. Think Sleigh Bells. Think World’s End Girlfriend. Think about every electro-punk-rock crossover that you’ve had the displeasure of hearing and then listen to an entire genre being saved by an epic, breath of fresh air that is this album. Inspired, passionate, adventurous and uncompromising, music really doesn't get much better than this."

4. Beat Culture - Tokyo Dreamer // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

"Released earlier this year through Bad Panda Records, 'Tokyo Dreamer' is the new album from 17 year old South Korean Sunik Kim. Going under the moniker of Beat Culture, this exceptionally talented young man is already onto album number two, after releasing his debut LP 'Goldenbacked Weaver' in July of last year when he was just 16. His new record, 'Tokyo Dreamer', is a collection of 10 tracks which demonstrates Beat Culture's impeccable knowledge and skills in electronica...The songs that make up Tokyo Dreamer have a great deal of complexity to them and yet somehow Beat Culture seems to make it all sound so simple, and for any audio fan its literally like food for your ears. Taking inspiration from the likes of Burial, James Blake, Fourtet, and Gold Panda, Beat Culture fuses a range of electronic styles such as dub, hip hop, house, and breaks, to create songs which not only get you moving, put you in a really fucking good mood, but can also transport you wherever you'd like to go."

5. Hysterical Injury - Dead Wolf Situation // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

"Dead Wolf Situation is the debut full length album from Bath's Hysterical Injury, a band that should need little introduction to you Music Liberation regulars...My favourite song on the album is 'Bitch's Balls' (great title), a track which starts stripped back but is slowly added to with a growing intensity, made up of wild guitars, prominent drums, and far out vocals. Concluding with the monstrous 'Rainbow Thunderclap', the 'Dead Wolf Situation' experience is one that leaves you feeling part exhausted, part overwhelmed, part enlightened, but in the end wholly satisfied and entirely captivated. As debut albums go its certainly sets the bar high, which will not only challenge those bands around them, but also will surely push the Hysterical Injury onto even greater things in the future. A thought which I hope you'll agree is more than tantalising..."

6. Citizens - CTZNS // Reviewed by Clive Rozario

7. Whirr - Pipe Dreams // Reviewed by Sarah Rayner

8. Grimes - Visions // Reviewed by Sarah Rayner

9. Luke Ritchie - The Water's Edge // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

10. Mia Sparrow - Mee-Ah-Spar-O // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

Some records we missed, but deserve a mention:-

Desolated - Verse Of Judas
Egyptian Hip Hop - Good Don't Sleep
Exlovers - Moth
Hold Your Horse Is - Frimley
Kyla La Grange - Ashes
Lucy Rose - Like I Used To

Merry Christmas 2012 : First Aid Kit - Blue Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 10:11:00 +0000

Merry Christmas from all at Music Liberation! Here's First Aid Kit with this years song, their cover of 'Blue Christmas'.

MUSIC LIBERATION - TOP 10 EP'S OF 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:00:00 +0000

1. Ninetails - Slept And Did Not Sleep // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

"Slept And Did Not Sleep is gloriously experimental but still retains a clear melodic and accessible edge. Comparisons could be drawn with the likes of Wu Lyf, Foals, Late Of The Pier, and Everything Everything, but really Ninetails have their own independent sound. You'll pick up different things on each listen of this record making it a real joy for the ears every time. The potential for this band on a full length release is quite tantalising, as is the impact these songs must have on a live audience."

2. Wolf Alice - Wolf Alice // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

"This debut self titled EP from Wolf Alice has a really strong 'feel good' quality to it, with plenty of summery vibes emanating throughout amongst a lush futuristic far away sound-scape . It's perfect for dipping in and out of as the dreamy folky pop songs carry you whether you'd like to go, almost catching you by surprise at how well put together, thought out, and open they are. It's a tantalizing glimpse at the potential this group clearly has, and we look forward to watching them develop over the time to come."

3. Salo - Salo // Reviewed by Clive Rozario

"Salò’s debut EP is certainly a necessary listen for any fans of the bands name-checked in this review. They have struck an ideal position between math-core experimentalism and melodic post-hardcore – all the while clinging onto a straight-up, hardcore-punk-rock essence, and even splicing some garage-y jangle into the guitars."

4. Samoans - Elevated Reflections // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

"Samoans are a three-piece from Cardiff in Wales that have been on my personal radar since 2009-ish when I caught them playing the infamous Clwb Ifor Bach in the Welsh capital. Their style of math-rock inspired guitar music caught my attention straight away and I've been following them ever since. It has been somewhat of a wait then until 'Elevated Reflections', their debut EP to come out, however the wait has been more than worth it. The music is melodic, heavy in parts, but also tender too, with the standout track being 'Catamaran'."

5. Es Muss Sein - Es Muss Sein // Reviewed by Moker

"This simple record is nothing if not brave as Wilson’s self-indulgent approach to music may leave some frustrated. These three solemn songs could struggle for mass appeal as they are cyclical in nature, without the salvation of catchy hooks or crowd pleasing string accompaniments. Yet her basic – almost amateur – approach to writing and recording is her strength. In a genre full of cover songs and faux emotion here we are offered sincerity and truth on a plate with what feels like a healthy disregard for popular expectation. It’s refreshing."

6. Cara Mitchell - Have You Ever Wondered // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

7. mothbites - mothbites // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

8. To Kill A King - Word Of Mouth // Reviewed by Mark Slater

9. Vices - Hotel Monsoon // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

10. Trim The Barber - Trim The Barber // Reviewed by Jon Sidwell

MUSIC LIBERATION'S SINGLE OF THE YEAR 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 22:08:00 +0000

This years Music Liberation 'Single Of The Year' award goes to the ever impressive, hugely hard-working, and insanely talented Crushing Blows, with their single 'Hiding Place'.

Released back in February, it was actually a double A side with 'You Will Always Be Lonely', and was the build up to the band's latest EP which came out in November of this year. The Derby duo are sure to have lots more exciting projects in store for us in 2013, but for now just sit back and enjoy this incredibly catchy tuuuuune!

To read our original review go here // Crushing Blows // Facebook

THE BLOG SOUND OF 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Sidwell) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:59:00 +0000

Music Liberation is pleased to announce the results of this years Blog Sound Of 2013 poll. For those unaware of this interesting snapshot from the blogosphere here's Robin from the Breaking More Waves blog to explain more.

"The Blog Sound Poll was first published in 2011. The concept of the poll wasn’t to criticise the established BBC Sound of list, but simply an experiment to see if UK music bloggers could come up with its own list of emerging artists that was more representative of their community and give the artists that were nominated some extra publicity. Indeed the idea was to compliment the BBC list in many ways by providing an alternative to compare and contrast.

Last year’s final long list provided some interesting alternatives to the BBC list; most notably it included Alt-J, this year’s Mercury Prize winners, who didn’t feature on the BBC list at all.

The Blog Sound of 2013 poll has expanded with 49 UK blogs nominating their 5 favourite emerging artists. Just over 170 acts received at least 1 vote. The winning act received votes from around 25% of all bloggers.

The poll was organised by Robin Seamer (Breaking More Waves) and Andy Von Pip (The Von Pip Express). Each blog was allowed to vote for five acts and the diversity of the nominations was staggering. Based on the evidence of the spread of votes anyone that says that music bloggers are sheep and are all writing about the same artists has got it wrong. However, the results of the poll show that certain artists do have a lot of support and love from a significant portion of UK bloggers and those artists make up the Blog Sound of 2013 list,”.

So here's the results! (We'll be revealing the top 5 and winner of the Blog Sound of 2013 on January 3rd, and we'll also let you know who Music Liberation picked in our customary Future Sounds feature, suffice to say that one of our picks has made the long-list, you can probably guess who!)

AlunaGeorge - Infectious R&B influenced pop from London
Curxes - Dark industrial-pop electronic duo from Brighton and Portsmouth
Chvrches – Scottish electro pop trio formed from a variety of other bands
Daughter – Minimal / ambient sounding folk
Haim – Classic rock from LA with pop sensibilities
Laura Mvula – Jazz / soul singer hailing from Birmingham
MØ – Hip soulful female vocal electronic pop from Denmark
Palma Violets – Raw and energetic indie rock band
Pins – Edgily cool and raucous all female indie band from Manchester
Randolph’s Leap – Glasgow based indie folk pop with a twist of brass
Rhye – Smooth and blissful pop duo
Savages – Intense post-punk with female vocals
Seasfire – Modern rock band from Bristol who mix electronic beats with guitars
The Neighbourhood – Atmospheric Californian 5 piece rock / pop band
Tom Odell – Piano based singer songwriter originally from Chichester

The 49 blogs who voted in the poll are:-

A New Band A Day, A Pocket Full Of Seeds, All Noise, Alphabet Bands, Both Bars On, Brapscallions, Breaking More Waves, Brighton Music Blog, Details Of My Life So Far, Don’t Watch Me Dancing, Dots And Dashes, Drunken Werewolf, Eaten By Monsters, Electronic Rumors, Faded Glamour, Folly Of Youth, Flying With Anna, God Is In The TV, Harder Blogger Faster, Howl, In Love Not Limbo, Just Music That I Like, Killing Moon, Kowalskiy, Love Music : Love Life, Mudkiss, Music Broke My Bones, Music Fans Mic, Music Liberation, Music Like Dirt, My Bands Better Than Your Band, Not Many Experts, Peenko, Real Horrorshow, Scottish Fiction, Skeletory, Song By Toad, Sounds Good To Me Too, Storm’s Brewing, Sweeping The Nation, The Blue Walrus, The Electricity Club, The Mad Mackerel, The Metaphorical Boat, The Music Hoarder, The Recommender, This Must Be Pop, Von Pip Musical Express, 17 Seconds

AlunaGeorge – Your Drums, Your Love Curxes – Spectre Chvrches – The Mother We Share Daughter – Medicine Haim – Don’t Save Me Laura Mvula – She MØ – Pilgrim Palma Violets – Best of Friends Pins – Shoot You Randolph’s Leap – Hermit Rhye – The Fall Savages – Flying To Berlin Seasfire – We Will Wake The Neighbourhood – Let It Go Tom Odell – Another Love