Unlabeled

Underwater Gunfight

2012-08-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Underwater Gunfight

Underwater Gunfight... chillin' in the woods

Underwater Gunfight are a five piece jazz-fusion band.... and damn they are funky! They are funky to the point your knees will be come unhinged. They are so funky your brain will grow legs and electric boogaloo right out your ears. They will funk you so hard you'll come out bow-legged... you get the picture.

This is your brain on funk.

The band originally kicked things off in early 2011 as an improvisational jazz / funk ensemble, with out lead singer Natasha Gilbert. It was after the bands first ever gig at The Lancaster music festival that the band unanimously decided that they wanted Natasha in the band, and when you listen to Sea Manners, it will be very evident why...

Sea Manners.

Natasha's vocals come in pounding and don't give up until the end of the track. Although this track makes it very clear why they band would want the band to Natasha to front them, the song also makes it clear why Natasha would to join the band.

The saxophone in the track just blows you away, it comes in solid in the first half, pumping and unrelenting, then at 1.36 is suddenly drops and becomes haunting and melodic. It’s awesome.

The only problem with the song is that it seems to be a little bit under mixed. In some places Natasha's vocals are far too loud and other times you find your self you could hear them a little bit more. With 5 or more instruments going on at the same time the song can be come a little bit audibly confusing. Even though the mixing lets the track down very slightly, it is still a great song and very, very enjoyable.

Velcro Ceilings & Chocolate Fountains

Velcro Ceilings & Chocolate Fountains is my favourite track by Underwater Gunfight, and could possibly be one of the best tracks I have heard in a while. The pacing and composition of this song is incredible, kicking things off with a catchy baseline and the exploding into a funky saxaphoney mess. There is loads going on in this song, it’s deep and layered but manages no to become overbearing.

This beautifully balanced and funckadelic song quickly became one of out favourites here at UnlabledUK.

Superstition (Stevie Wonder Cover)

We rarely include covers here at UnlabledUK, but for this we make an exception. Natasha's vocals are perfect for this song, and the funky jazz rhythms give an amazing twist on the original.

A great cover from a great band.

I you want to check out more of Underwater Gunfight you can check out there facebook here! Or download any of there tracks from their soundcloud here.

Be sure to let us know what you think of the band in the comment section below.

Charlie Craven

UnlabledUK

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We Are Freeways

2011-11-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

We Are Freeways

We Are Freeways' album

We Are Freeways describe themselves as a '"living room", low fidelity, indie band', and if their meaning is lost on you, it's because you haven't heard the songs yet.

In short what being a '"living room", low fidelity, indie band' means, is that you produce the songs yourself, in your living room and they are beautifully composed laid back treats, each and every one.

Crystal Dennise Flores and Joshua Sanchez

The band, hailing from Denton, Texas, have mastered the art of easy listening, but manage to fill each track with their own distinctive sound. Falling somewhere between a band and an acapella group, the band use looping vocal rhythms in place of things like percussion and bass, giving them a great striped back sound, that goes a little bit like this…

'Let’s Grow Young' is a perfect example of the bands unique sound, the heavily layered, looping sounds of the duo's vocals build from a simple melody that wouldn’t turn a head to a simmering, bubbling, complex tune that it is impossible not to tap along too.

The quirky idea of lo-fi looping of vocals to build songs is enough to make a band stand out from the crowd, but We Are Freeways have much more to offer, as ‘TV Loves Reality’ shows, the band are also capable of pretty poignant and well written songs.

‘TV Loves Reality’ boasts some of the most intelligent and humorous lyrics I have heard in a long time…

‘Secrets tweeting/ Birds and doors/ Tweeting secrets at their paws / Hash-tag they hate you/ Quote never more’

With a unique and instantly identifiable sound, intelligent lyrics and endlessly re-listenable songs We Are Freeways are a band to watch out for.

You can download their album for free here, or check out their facebook here.

If you liked We Are Freeways be sure to check out The Lovely Eggs, and as always let us know what you think in the comment box below.

By Charlie Craven

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BRAND NEW UNLABELEDUK PODCAST.

2011-10-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first ever UnlabledUK podcast, bringing you the best in new, unsigned and under-the-radar music.

For great tunes, some chit chat and games tune in to UnlabeledUK's show every fortnight

be sure to leave us a comment in the section below.

Bands featured in the show:

The Limes – Morning, Noon and Night

http://unlabeleduk.blogspot.com/2011/07/limes.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Limes/9745747503

Dub conductor – flying dub

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dub-Conductor/318564121098

Scroobius Pip – The struggle

http://www.facebook.com/scroobiuspip

Anna Leana and the Orchids - Child

http://www.myspace.com/annalenaandtheorchids

Daniel ‘Homeless’ Mustard

http://unlabeleduk.blogspot.com/2011/08/daniel-homeless-mustard.html

http://thehomelessmustard.com/

Yellow Herring – feet print

http://www.myspace.com/yellowherring

The Lovely Eggs – I like birds but I Like other animals too /

http://unlabeleduk.blogspot.com/2011/09/lovely-eggs.html

http://www.thelovelyeggs.co.uk/

TOP 5 Strokes Demos

http://unlabeleduk.blogspot.com/2011/08/strokes-demos-and-b-sides.html

Peggy Sue and the Pirates

http://unlabeleduk.blogspot.com/2011/10/peggy-sue-and-pirates-peggy-sue-at.html

http://peggywho.com/

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White Noise Box

2011-10-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

White Noise Box

White Noise Box live

White Noise Box are quite distinctively from Manchester, their music, lyrics and melodies ooze that rich Manchester sound.

The four piece form a very tight knit indie-pop group with explosive and energetic sounds. The band rattle off gripping guitar riffs that drive their songs from something mediocre to something brilliant. It’s the deceptively simple guitar that makes this band great. Check out "Black Cider" to see what I mean.

Pushing and unrelenting guitar is a staple of Manchester music and it’s one of the things that separate the scene from the rest of the country. White Noise Box seem to have inherited this quite well.

One of the great things about the band is that they do not seem to want to stay in one genre, the band claims ‘Our music displays a wide range of different styles due to the bands varying musical tastes and influences. These range from funky chord bass rhythms, to a heavier punk style.’

The song "Mary Joanna" is a laid back and chilled out song that is a world apart from the rest of the bands songs.

Perhaps my favourite song from the band is “Selective Hearing”, boasting dynamic guitar and bold vocals, the band throw out an expressive and vibrant sound. Most of the appeal in the song is in its dark, slightly sinister vibe that I can’t quite put my finger on.

If the band contuniue to put out tracks like that it is no doubt that we will be hearing a lot more from this little Manchester band.

If you want to be featured on UnlabeledUK, send an email to unlabeleduk@gmail.co.

Let me know what you think of the band in the comment box below.

By Charlie Craven

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Peggy Sue

2011-10-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

Peggy Sue (and the Pirates)

Peggy Sue at the beach

Peggy Sue, formally Peggy Sue and the Pirates, and for this one E.P Peggy Sue and the Pictures, is back with a brand new album. And it kicks ass.

Peggy Sue didn’t have the easiest start in her musical career, forming in 2006, being signed in 2008 but not having an album released until 2010. In that time she was constantly touring, supporting well know acts (including Kate Nash, Mumford & Sons and The Maccabees) and playing many, many sessions for BBC 6 music and Channel 4.

I can’t help but think that the industry has been a little bit hard on ol’ Peggy Sue, songs like New Song and Rockabilly pre-date the Soul-Pop epidemic that followed bands like Florence and the Machine and Amy Winehouse, but in many ways they laid the ground work for that type of music. I really feel that the band deserve more recognition for being at the forefront of a new musical style.

Check out New Song, written in 2007, and see if you agree with me.

Peggy Sue’s latest album, Acrobats, is another brilliant effort from the band. The songs still retain powerful vocals and beautiful melodies, but seem to have evolved into something more mature sounding.

One of the best things about the band is the tandem vocals between the two lead singers, Rosa Rex and Katy Klaw. Song and Dance, the latest single, is a fantastic example of this.

The overlaid vocals sound fantastic and unique, it gives the song wonderful texture. I suppose it only really works because Rosa Rex’s vocals are far more powerful than Katy Klaw’s, meaning that she can really push the song while Katy adds some flavour that complements it really well.

The best song on the album in my opinion is Cut My Teeth, it has a wonderful a dark and atmospheric verse, and then it lets all out in the chorus. This is a lesson in tension and release.

Altogether the band sounds like a darker and more mature Florence and The Machine. The vocals might not be as powerful but the themes are darker and the songs are constructed in a better way. If you kind of like Florence and The Machine but aren’t sure about the gimmicky, pop crap like A Kiss With a Fist then Peggy Sue is the band for you.

Let me know what you think in the comment box below.

By Charlie Craven

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A Foreign Sky

2011-10-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

A Foreign Sky

Hailing from California, A Foreign Sky create melodic and ambient Post-Hardcore. The four-piece mix traditional Pop-Rock vocal and guitars with unearthly sounds, haunting keyboard and soothing melodies.

The band was originally composed of two high school friends, who grew up on a steady diet of early 2000’s Post-Hardcore bands like Glassjaw and Circa Survive, and later grew in size to four members when the duo went to college.

A Foreign Sky live

One of the more remarkable things about the band is that they do all the recording themselves: ‘Mark and I worked pretty closely mixing and recording them ourselves because between us we have a pretty clear vision for what we want them to sound like’ claims lead guitarist Adam Blalock. Although it’s pretty normal for independent bands to record their own songs, it is somewhat less normal for them to come out so well mixed, beautifully layered and very professional sounding.

Their first 5 track E.P is available for download for the tidy sum of 5 American dollars, but first let’s check out what those dollars could buy you.

Bluring The Line
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://aforeignsky.bandcamp.com/album/noblesse"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Noblesse by A Foreign Sky&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The crackling sound laid over the classic and melodic sounding piano is a great way to start a song, it straight away sums up the character of the song you are about to hear.

The song pivots from poetic and ambient to loud and powerful enough times to ensure repeat listens and still have it be interesting to hear.

Unfortunately the song does hold on to a slightly cheesy american rock vibe that is a bit too rich for my delicate English sensibilities, but that doesn't mean that it's not a great song that works on every level.

Hills and Valleys
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://aforeignsky.bandcamp.com/track/hills-and-valleys"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Hills and Valleys by A Foreign Sky&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Hills and Valleys is by far my favourite song from the E.P. The slow, melodic, almost moody feeling works really well with the lead singer's vocals. Some parts of the track kind of remind me of early Smashing Pumpkins.

June 21st
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://aforeignsky.bandcamp.com/track/june-21st"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;June 21st by A Foreign Sky&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Proving that A Foreign Sky are no one trick pony, June 21st is a completely instrumental song.

Choosing to do an instrumental song is a daring move for any band as you risk boring your audience because they cannot really connect to the music, this however is not the case with June 21st.

The song ricochets between up and down like a yo-yo, always keeping you guessing. The instruments are complex enough to keep you engaged and is in fact one of the best songs on the E.P.

You can pick up any one of A Foreign Sky's songs for just a dollar at http://aforeignsky.bandcamp.com or pick up the whole album for 5$.

A Foreign Sky found their way on to UnlabeledUK by sending one of their songs to unlabeleduk@gmail.com, why don't you do the same.

Be sure to let me know what you think of the band using the comment box below.

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The Young Knives

2011-10-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Young Knives

The Young Knives serving you milk.

The Young Knives own brand of whimsical Indie-Rock has been delighting listeners since early 2006 with their first single The Decision, and continued to make awesome tracks until late 2008 when the band took a break.

Well now they are back, and better than ever.

Their latest single Vision In Rags is fantastic and brings us back to that strange Young Knives sound that we all love.

The song flourishes both in structure and lyrically. The youngest member of The Young Knives, Thomas “House of Lords” Dartnall is 34, meaning the whole band are pretty old for such a young man's game, but in many ways this plays into their hands. Although the song is quirky and a bit weird, it doesn’t fall into the trap of becoming childish or stupid sounding.

Vision in Rags is a great song and it was apparently made in the lead singer, Henry Dartnall's, garage on a laptop. If that is the case then that sets my expectation for the album very high indeed.

For those of you who don’t know The Young Knives, cast back your mind to 2006 when their first single, The Decision, dominated the airwaves. The song bounded back and forth on the internet thanks to its quirky wickerman-esque video and bizarre lyrics “I am the Prince of Whales, I am the Prince of Whales, and if all else fails, I am the Prince of Whales’

Let's take a look at some of the best Young Knives' tracks.

Here Comes The Rumour Mill

Here Comes The Rumour Mill was the second single from the band and followed much in the same tradition as The Decision, keeping the odd-ball lyrics, the adult Indie-Rock vibe and wonderfully strange music video.

Here Comes The Rumour Mill didn't receive quite as much attention as The Decision, but I can never work out why. In my opinion Here Comes The Rumour Mill is a far superior song to The Decision in almost every way. The music is stronger and more engaging, the video is better and the song deals with an emotion in a way The Decision does not. The song is the story of being an adult and having something to do, but feeling intimidated like an awkward child, and I think that is something we can all relate to.

Terra Firma

Terra Firma was the first single from the band's second album, Superabundance, and became one the bands biggest hits.

The song is massively catchy with its chant chorus and non-sensical lyrics. Although it was commercially a big hit for the band, I don't think the song is nearly as good as any of the tracks from the first album, but it is still a great track.

By the second album the band had really upped there Indie-Rock sound, but they lost some of their charm. Some of the weird references and lyrics begin to sound a bit forced at this stage, but it is still a great song.

The new album comes out later this year, let me know what you think in the comment section below.

If you liked The Young Knives be sure to check out The Lovely Eggs

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Forgotten Voice

2011-09-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Forgotten Voice

Forgotten Voice live

Spanish Rock band “Forgotten Voice” promise high energy and emotionally charged songs, and it's a promise that the band deliver on.

One of the nicest things about the band is that they are overwhelmingly positive, describing themselves as "a hard working and musically confident four-piece band that shots through with optimism everyday. Their songs capture the abandoned purpose and pure feelings of this crazy society."

The band

Most of the bands songs deal with subjects like making the world a better place, hope and happiness. It’s refreshing to see a band being so positive and trying to improve the world though music.

Taking a look at the songs, you can see what I mean.

Believe

"It is possible to believe in something better, to create a better world, it is possible to believe in miracles"

'Believe' is a very strong melodic song with some pretty interesting sounds, particularly the news audio in the intro. The band has obviously worked very hard to give the song texture, it’s filled with small interludes, changes in temp and melody, making the song very interesting to listen to.

XYY

The band claims that this song is about a “shot of optimism for those who live the oppression in their day by day lives, those who cannot be their own just because they're too shy, those who made a wrong turn and cannot escape their past. This song's for those who need the strength to get a new chance and believe they're absolutely perfect.”

XYY is a song about picking up the pieces and moving on. While it isn’t as melodically strong as the other songs, it still works really well. The song also boasts an interesting guitar solo around the 2.15 mark, before going in to an ‘Evanescence’ style break.

A very nice tune indeed.

Paralyzed

Although Paralyzed has an intro like 80’s glam rock, the rest of the song a pretty great track. The song is about building and getting better, or as the band puts it “This one pretends to be a song of hope and encouragement, we're not paralyzed, we can change what it's wrong around us, we can be better every day, this world if full of opportunities.”

It’s the guitars that really work for this song. They seem to be driving the song with a constant thrashing.

Forgotten Voice found there way on the UnlabeledUK by sending an email to unlabeleduk@gmail.com, feel free to do the same.

Let me know what you think of the band using the comment section below.

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The Lovely Eggs

2011-09-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Lovely Eggs

The Lovely Eggs enjoying watermelon.

The Lovely Eggs are a conundrum. By all rights I shouldn’t like The Lovely Eggs, the songs are strange and esoteric, the vocals are far from traditional and they all over have a punky garage band feel to them, but there in lies the mystery, because I fucking love The Lovely Eggs. If you don’t like the lovely eggs, then I hate to tell you, your inner child is dead.

The Lovely Eggs started making their captivatingly strange music in 2006, and released their first album “If You Were Fruit” in 2009 along with 4 singles that received lots of air time and great reviews from revered radio DJs Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq, Rob Da Bank and John Kennedy.

One of the reasons that The Lovely Eggs became so popular so quickly is that they seem to have engineered their own, very, very distinctive sound. And it’s a wonderfully strange, deeply charismatic sound.

The big appeal of the band is that they manage to sound child-like without sounding childish. The songs don’t come off with a pretensions look-at-us-we-are-so-quirky, they just sound fun and genuinely interesting. If the songs weren’t so well written, catchy and fun, then it would be easy to write The Lovely Eggs off as a joke band, but when you find yourself really enjoying their songs that becomes much harder to do.

Let's take a look at the songs from the first album...

I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too

"I Like Birds" is the most traditional of The Lovely Eggs songs, it's structured like a regular song and it has a satisfying grunge tinge to it. Behind the glaze of perfectly ordinary song writing, however, just under the skin is a something very charming and curious.

It's not that The Lovely Eggs are weird, it just shows how unoriginal and banal most bands are today.

Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordion

Have You Ever Heard An Digital Accordion is what bands sound like when they are having fun. The fun that the band must have been having while writing this song is almost palpable.

It’s the lyrics that make this song so good, and although that seems quite simple to say, it's not obvious why. The reason the lyrics are so good is because they are silly and odd but they are not stupid. They seem random, but they have obviously been designed to fit both rhythmically and in character.

It’s a surprisingly well written song, listen to it enough and you will find yourself humming it and asking strangers if they “have ever fought a deadly scorpion”.

Fuck It

Fuck It is proof that The Lovely Eggs are no one trick pony. Although the bizarre lyrics remain, the band have shed the grunge sound.

Fuck It is one of the few Lovely Eggs songs with real pathos. There is a sadness which rivals most ballads, because most of the lines are unconnected it holds on to a feeling of “I don’t really know what to do with myself”, people can relate to in a way they can't with traditional "sad" songs.

If you liked The Lovely Eggs be sure to check out Pomplamoose.
Let me know what you think of the band using the comment section below.

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The Galleons

2011-09-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Galleons

The Galleons looking cold.

Although only forming in 2010, Brighton band The Galleons have been enjoying much success with their laid-back, traditional, British folk, getting plenty of radio play and being booked at many festivals.

The Galleons hail from all over the place: Bedford, London, Lincoln, The Isle of Wight and Latvia, giving them plenty of influences that permeate into their music.

The way the band describe their own music “traditional British folk music, sounds of the 60’s folk revival, modern merchants of gloom such as Low and Radiohead and the occasional Latvian farming song” gives but a taste of the vivid flavours that come through in the songs.

If we take a look at The Galleons’ single “What Is Fear” it is easy to see what they are talking about...

The song boasts the structure and style of a more traditional folk song but manages to introduce some interesting features such as the use of an omnichord and weird choices of rhythm towards the end.

This style of music might not suit everybody’s tastes, but it is very clean and precise and what the Galleons do they do very, very well.

live at The Rose Hill

The Galleons don’t have a huge scope, possibly because they fit all they can into each song, but they do have some wiggle room. Their latest song “The Moon & The Gate” isn’t so similar to their “What Is Fear” that you wouldn’t realised the track had ticked over, but remains fairly close.

Versatility isn't a strong point for The Galleons, but versatility isn’t the best tactic for every band. What The Galleons do have is a very clear, concise musical direction. Because they are so good at what they do they don’t need to deviate too far from the formula they know works, meaning they can create a very clear image and sound for themselves.

If we take a look at their first single “I Know” (which is available for free download on the music player) you can see that they have remained quite similar though out their musical career…

…but that’s alright because each of the songs are quality, they are all re-listenable and many of them get better with repeat hearings.

The Galleons found their way on to UnlabledUK when they sent an email to unlabeleduk@gmail.com. If you liked the Galleons be sure to check out The Limes, and as always let me know what you think in the comment box below.
By Charlie Craven

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ContaineR

2011-09-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

ContaineR

ContainR

I'm not very good at knowing what to say about electronic music or remixes, but what I do know is that I have taken quite a liking to Italian musicians ContainR.

ContaineR officially started in 2007, but the journey taken for the two members, Alessio Magneta and Luca Sammartin, started seven years earlier in 2000. The pair started producing tunes separately, burning the tracks to CDs and giving them to each other for birthday gifts.

It wasn’t until many years later that the two of them finally worked together and produced the track "Nargo Sprout Goes Nuked". The 7 years that the two of them put in practicing before they got together paid off big time, because their first song sounded a little bit like this….

This is a brilliant example of tension and release. The great phaser noise at the beginning builds and adds an atmospheric tension before break around the one minute mark where we are pushed in to a much darker industrial sounding track.

ContaineR live

One of the things I like about ContaineR is they manage to push a degree of humour into their songs that you would not normally expect. They whimsically described their latest work as ‘a sound that is wobbly banghead and massively dreamy at the same time, and [will] push this attitude in and out of Italy ’.

Although I’m not sure what wobbly banghead and massively dreamy is supposed to sound like, it's probably referring to ContaineR’s latest tracks “A_r”...

And the hilariously titled "Turning Pineapples in to Ape Nipples".

What I like about ContaineR is that they manage to keep rooted to the codes and conventions of traditional electronica, with out being so esoteric that they would alienate people who aren't so much in to the genre. It's laid back and generally unoffensive to all musical tastes.

They are all good tracks and well produced but on the other hand can come across quite remedial and repetitive, which I think will lead to people not fully appreciating how complex the songs really are.

You can find all of ContainR's tracks at http://soundcloud.com/container# and look out for an album coming out later this year.

Let me know what you think of the band in the comment section below.

by Charlie Craven

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Iwan Rheon

2011-09-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

Iwan Rheon

This is probably how you picture him.

Iwan Rheon, better known as the shy, invisible one from Channel 4’s Misfits, has released an E.P., and if you are thinking that he is just another actor trying to sing, then you are dead wrong.

Although the E.P., called Tongue Tied, is only 4 tracks long it shows incredible talent and versatility, with each song holding on to a slightly different feeling. Some songs have a funky, fun edge while others take on a darkly romantic slant. Tongue Tied shows more originality in 4 tracks than most bands can muster up on an album.

Iwan being much more handsome.

Tongue Tied really displays Iwan’s vocal talent, brimming with power and range. All the tracks are neatly put together, as they should be because apparently the E.P. was produced by Oasis's Paul Arthurs.

It is only an E.P so that means we have space to talk about all the songs.

Tongue Tied

Tongue Tied is the title track and is a really great song. It is the fastest and most rock and roll of the four songs. It’s one of the best examples of Folk/Pop that has come out in a long while.

It falls a little bit flat at some points and isn’t quite rocky enough to be perfect, but it is a fantastic first single.

Simple Song

I know that Simple Song is supposed to be a romantic song, but for some reason it makes me feel quite sad. Something in Iwan’s voice feels so melancholic.

It’s a great song for demonstrating Iwan’s versatility when played after a rockier song like Tongue Tied.

Follow Me

Follow Me is my favourite of the four tracks. I can’t help but think that if Iwan didn't have such a nice voice this would be an incredibly boring song, but because of his textured vocals the song works really well.

It’s impossible not to draw a comparison to Mumford and Sons when writing about a song like this, and although it does sound like a Mumford and Sons song, it’s a lot better. Mumford and Sons wish they wrote this song.

Happy Again

The real draw for me in this song is the guitar, it just seems playful and fun, if a bit simple. There’s not a lot to say about Happy again, its still a good song, but not quite as good as the other songs from the E.P

There has been no word as to an album, but Iwan apparently will begin touring shortly, so that's a good sign.

Let me know what you think about the E.P. in the box below.

By Charlie Craven

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PENGU!NS

2011-09-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

PENGU!NS

The awesomely named PENGU!NS is the new band of the ex-drummer for The Who and Oasis, and son of Ringo Star, Zak Starkey.

Although the star appeal is in Zak, who provides the eccentric and dynamic instrumentals, the talent is in his girlfriend, Sharna Liguz aka “Sshh”. Sshh’s Punky vocals bring the tracks to life and she dominates the stage at live events.

Tracks from the band are few and far-between as of yet, but here are the two I have managed to find.

WARM UP

With undertones of Blondy and all woman punk band L7, Warm Up brings early the 90’s back with a punk/grunge feel. Sshh's angry sound is complemented by the manic backing track.

Zak brings together an expansive soundscape, defined by pulsating rhythms that grip like an industrial vice and gives the song incredible texture. Although the song could have done with being about 3 minuets shorter.

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Hate Mail

Hate Mail is about someone asking Sshh to turn down her MP3 player on a flight from London to America, as you might be able to tell the perfectly reasonable request wasn’t taken too lightly.

Hate Mail is an alright song but it strays to cheesy, gimmicky country for my liking. For most bands cheesy/gimmicky would be alright, especially for a first single, but this is Zak Starkey, he was in Oasis, he has drummed for The Who and his dad was a Beetle (only Ringo… but that stilll counts). For him the song kind of feels a bit like selling out to make his girlfriend a rock star.
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So far these are the only two songs I can find, there have been no mention of any others and they are gigging only vary sparsely, so it might be a while before we hear anything new, but they are defiantly a one to watch. Because when they hit, they will hit hard.

Let me know what you think just below.

By Charlie Craven.

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Slow Club - Paradise

2011-09-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Slow Club - Paradise

slow club - paradise

After the release of Slow Club’s first Album, ‘Yeah, So?’ the band were being hailed as the next White Stripes, and as it boasted the catchy 'It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful’ as its first single and held tracks like the beautiful ‘When I Go’ it’s not hard to see the comparison.

Regrettably the second album, ‘Paradise’, does not live up to the hype. The first album worked because at the time not many people had been doing the same Rockabilly/Americana style that the band did so well. But recently with band like She and Him and Peggy Sue and The Pirates working the same angle the music seems a bit saturated.

What was fresh in 2009 has been done to death by 2011 and unfortunately Paradise is just too similar an album to ‘Yeah So?’ to make any real waves.

Charles Watson (vocals, guitar) and Rebecca Taylor (vocals, guitar, percussion).

One of the things that the band does have going for it is that they use a variety of musical instruments in their live shows and recordings, including things like bottles half full of water, chairs and typewriters, giving the band some fresh and interesting sounds.

It’s a shame that that originality doesn’t translate though to the rest of the album, many songs sound like a poor man version of songs we have heard before. It’s a bit like a chocolate mousse in that it’s sweet and nice, there’s just not very much to it.

It's not that it’s a bad album, the problem is mainly that it has been two years since their first album ‘Yeah, So?’ hit the alternative music scene and the band seems to have made no progress. They are still just a little bit Rockabilly, just a little bit Folk, just a little bit middle of the road.

That being said the album does have some redeeming features, as we will discuss as we go though some of the songs....

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Two Cousins

Two Cousins will be a huge single and it will be played everywhere for about three weeks. It is by no means a terrible song, it's listenable and relatively satisfying but it's very similar to many songs being played today.

The appeal of the song lies in its building sound, increasing its soul vocals while the backing music steadily gets more intense. It’s a great song for that and will be played on the radio all the time because of it, and because it’s played on the radio people will think it’s a great song. It’s not. It’s banal and the same as every other song recorded in the last two years. It’s not bad, it’s just boring.

Kick-ass video though.

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Never Look Back

This is by far my favourite song on the album, mostly because of Rebecca Taylor’s beautiful voice. The song doesn’t try to be anything more than it is: a slow and gentle song, beautiful and melodic. It sits somewhere between Rockabilly and Soul, but doesn’t try to hard to be either of them.

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The Dog

To be honest I found it hard to pick a third song to talk about, as the songs are all so similar and all equally as dull.

The Dog however is slightly different to the rest of the songs on the album, taking a more indie sounding slant. Reminiscent of bands like the Mystery Jets or Vampire Weekend, it’s still not a great song but at least it shows some desperately needed originality.

The songs not too bad even if is does come off contrived and gimmicky.

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Over all the album's not too bad. Not great but not awful. It just comes across timid and boring, but if you are looking for something to just have playing in the background of a dentist waiting area then Paradise is for you

Let me know what you think of the album below and remember if you want to get featured on the site just email a track to unlabeleduk@gmail.com

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Noah And The Whale - Last Night On Earth

2011-09-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

Noah and the Whale - Last Night On Earth

Noah and the Whale suffered from what I like to call far-too-catchy-first-single-syndrome. When Five Years Time topped the charts in 2008, it was too far removed from the rest of the album.

The cheesy hook from the single alienated the majority of the Folk/Pop crowd and semi-serious nature of the rest of the album didn’t satisfy the people who bought it off of the back of Five Years Time.

The band’s first album, ‘Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down’ was both a commercial and economic success, but for their second album they completely changed their musical styles. The band dropped the childish clapping and catchy chants in favour of serious songs with narrative and emotion.

Although the second album was defiantely one from a more musically developed band, it lost some of the charm of the first album. It’s not that the album was bad, on the contrary it was an excelent album, it just strayed too far from the niche of charming folk/pop that the band carved out for itself and ran in to something that felt self-indulgent.

The second album was made into a feature length film, a kind of meta-music video, that was received fairly well, but for me is a sign of a band taking its self far too seriously.

Last Days on Earth brings the band to a comfortable spot in-between the cheesy first album and the serous second album. They have managed to keep the hooks and chants that made them what they are without sacrificing their desired musical direction.

Let's take a look at a few songs from the album.

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.

The song manages to hold complex themes like the better songs off the band’s second album, being the loneliness that surrounds a barmaid and a writer, but doesn’t lose the fun charm that made the first album so great.

Still a complex and musically distinct song like ‘Stranger’ from First Days of Spring, but with an awesome hook that makes it so much more fun to listen to.

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. is by far the best song on the album, and is endlessly re-listenable.

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Tonight’s The Kind Of Night

Not every song on the album is a strong as L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N., Tonight’s The Kind of Night conforms to NATW’s classic style of upbeat folk/pop, but for some reason comes out unbearably average sounding.

For all the pep and tension and release, the song falls flat in emotion. Charlie Fink has an incredible talent for writing songs that inspire feelings in people. Tonight’s the kind of night completely fails to do this.

It’s not that this is a bad song, the problem is that for a band that have built them a reputation for emotionally engaging and clever songs, this is a bit of a let-down.

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Old Joy

Old Joy makes more sense if you know some of the history between Noah and the Whale’s Charlie Fink and singer-songwriter Laura Marling.

Laura used to be Charlie’s boyfriend, he produced her first album, Noah and the Whale provided all the instrumentals and the bands second album First Days of Spring is almost exclusively about Charlie’s broken heart.

Old Joy is one of those wonderful songs where you can almost feel the writer’s sadness. The song is about slowly getting over Laura, and is a great example of how emotionally involving NATW’s songs can be.

With a strategic placing of very last on the album, it brings the whole thing to a wonderful conclusion. A testament to a band having fun but without losing their integrity.

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All in all the album is pretty good. It has a nice mix of upbeat and slow songs and works as a whole. It’s not as good as Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down but it’s better than First Days Of Spring.

You can pick up the album from here, or download any of the tracks from the widget below.

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think of the album or NATW in general.

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The Broken Family Band

2011-08-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Broken Family Band.

The Broken Family Band

The Broken Family band formed in 2002 and quickly put an eclectic variety of records. Never wanting to be put down in to one category The Broken Family Band have been Counry, Folk, Rock, Pop and Indie.

The band formed for fun and never intended to play more than a few gigs. On top thier diverse mix of songs the band also manage to inject a fun in to most of there songs. Never taking them selves to seriously gives there genre hopping songs a certain charm.

The bands five albums made great waves, there first mini-album even getting a nod from john peel. The first album, hilariously titled ‘welcome home, loser.’, is the most bluesy of the four. As an album it might not suit all tastes, but does contain some of the best songs the band ever did.

One of the best songs is 'Devil In The Details.'

Devil in the Detail is one of the sweet songs that helped take off in the early years, but it was on the live circuit that really got the band noticed. The band turned heads while headlining End Of The Road festival in 2007. And as a live band they are one of the best

Each of the bands albums are brilliant, but each very different from the last, here Is a quick run down of the best track from each album.

The Last Song - Welcome Home, Loser.

This is quite a sad song, when the band started they didn’t know that they would be going to make quite a name for themselves. Its possible that when this song came out writer and singer Adam Steven thought that this might be the last song he would perform.

It’s a great song to show off the poetry that comes though Adam’s lyrics.

Its All Over - Balls.

From an album with perhaps the best name of any album ever, balls, comes Its All over. Its one of those songs that sounds nice but isn’t. written about a break up it manages to tell the story of being madly, wildly in love at the start and hating each other by the end. It brings a really clean sound for most of the song that then erupts towards the end in blaze of sound.

Leaps - Hello Love.

Leaps shows that the band can pull off a faster, more fun song. Adam’s voice still has that wonderful expressive quality that it had in the last two albums, but it still works in the jauntier tune. The song also comes with a hilarious video

Salivating - Please And Thank you

This is the first single from the album and its nice to see the transition from the very folksy first albums to now a very different sound. Its hard for a band to make a switch like that, but Salivating is proof that that is something the Broken Family Band is capable of.

At The Back Of The Chapel - Cold Water Songs.

Cold water songs is the last album the band released before breaking up to focus on solo projects, and is made up of the songs the band recorded though out the years but never put on an album, so I don’t really know when this song was recorded. It sounds it hits between there new and old stuff, a folk song given a rock make over.

by Charlie Craven.

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TIgers That Talked.

2011-08-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Tigers That Talked.

Tigers That Talked.

Tigers That Talked are great band from Leeds with a nice fresh sound. They have been a favourite of the festival scene since the band started in 2006 and have played as far and wide as Texas, USA.

The bands latest album ‘Merchant’ released in November last year received glowing reviews from established radio Djs like Zane Lowe and Colin Murray, but never seemed to make many waves in the general public.

Which is a shame, because Tigers That Talked happen to be one of the best bands of the year.

Tigers That Talked - Live

Tigers That Talked latest single ‘Holy Saturday, Gloomy Sunday’, is a fantastic track that is the absolute cream of the rock/folk crop. Lending from poety and history for lyrical influences it rests nicely on a bed of guitar and violin.

Holy Saturday, Gloomy Sunday - Tigers That Talked

This track sums up the rest of the album, quality layered tracks, that ricochet between soft, melodic folk and a steady rock/indie sound. Merchant is one of the best albums of 2010 and deserves much more recognition.

Taking a look at TTT three other album releases, including one with a video shot in my very own Blackpool, we see a band that is much more developed and talented than most of the bands pumped over the airwaves 24/7.

Black Heart, Blue Eyes

Shot in and around Blackpool, the song could almost be about the town itself. ‘See these harbour towns, slowly reveal themselves, darkest of society, darkest of company, darkest of company reveal themselves.’

The track sits somewhere between sweet and mellon collie, a great track with a catchy chorus, but utterly depressing lyrics.

23 fears (summer ‘10)

23 fears was released as a double single with Black Heart, Blue Eyes and is arguably the better of the two. The songs boasts a great instrumental backing track that builds to a sweet climax. It manages to come across as a calmer, nicer song despite having equally depressing subject matter as Black Heart, Blue Eyes.

Artificial Clouds

This is one of the most beautifully arranged songs produced in a while, the instruments work so together well, the composition beautifully complements Jamie Williams sweet voice. The entire song has a genital feeling to it that makes it easy and a joy to listen to.

One of the major problems with the band is that they don’t seem to have a brilliant range, on some of the album tracks its easy to slip from one to the next without noticing that the song has changed. But in spite of this they do what the do so well is doesn’t seem to matter.

Tigers That Talked are one of Brittan’s most under rated bands and are defiantly one to watch.

If you liked Tigers That Talked be sure to check out The Limes

by Charlie Craven

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Daniel 'Homeless' Mustard

2011-08-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Daniel 'Homeless' Mustard

Daniel Mustard

Starting your musical career as an alcoholic, homeless street musician Isn’t always the done thing, but it worked for Daniel Mustard.

An alcohol dependency destroyed Daniel’s life and left him destitute and alone. For years he earned his money singing and playing guitar on the streets of New York, but over the years he managed to get himself clean and is now selling his music world wide.

Daniels rise to fame started when he walked in to The Opie & Anthony studio, a New York radio station, on a Christmas event. He mentioned in passing that he played music and wowed the staff with one of his own songs.

He was asked to perform a cover on the Opie & Anthony Show, and this is what he did...

With over 3,000,000 Youtube hits, Daniel was becoming a celebrity but still slept on the street. It wasn’t until three years later that Daniel received a record deal from Story Records. His first E.P was recorded in the cheapest manner possible to make the most profit for ‘Homless’ Mustard, but it is still really well produced. Lets take a look at some of Mustard's original tracks.

Impulse to my Addiction

Impulse to my addiction is the single from ‘Homeless’ Mustard’s E.P. and is about his years of substance abuse lead to him to lose his house. The sound might be a little rough and it might sound a little cheesy and American, but it shows he has hell of a lot more talent than most of the artists being played today.

Apparently the story behind the single is that he used to blame his alcohol/drug problems on one of his friends, labeling him the impulse to his addictions.

The really great thing about this track is that when some singers write about problems its purely invented, but when 'homeless' Mustard talks about pain he really is talking about pain. Its that pain that gives this song its passion.

Evacuating to Mars.

This is a more upbeat tune, and shows off Mustard’s vocal range really well, but once again comes off a little corny. The song has a nice hook that helps to make it memorable and catchy, and over all isn’t a bad track.

One Day at a Time.

One Day at a Time is about Mustard’s time living on the street. The intro makes great use of bluesy guitar and the lyrics ‘I don’t own this guitar, don’t even own these clothes.’ The song manages to be sad without being bitter and hold a hopeful vibe it.

Daniel is an amazing artist to take years of heartbreak and loneliness and craft something beautiful out of it, and although his tracks sometimes can be a little cheesy for my English sensibilities he is still a really amazing artist. as always you can pick up any of his tracks from the link below, and you probably should, he needs the cash.

by Charlie Craven

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The 5 Best Misuses Of Things To Make Music

2011-08-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

The 5 Best Misuses Of Things To Make Music.

With enough balls, insanity and creativity people can take everyday objects and instruments and create something incredible. Unlabeled is now going to bring you the five best sounds that come from using everyday objects in the wrong way. Some are brilliant, some are odd, and one is just mental.

1) The Tesla Coil

The Tesla Coil

Using two twelve foot Tesla Coils, ArcAttack utilise the power of lightning to make music. As an affront to Zeus himself, two 500,000 volt electrical arches that resonate to make musical notes (or something).

If you’re wondering what sound two huge arcs of killer electricity sounds like we, have a clip.

Harnessing one of the worlds most terrifying forces to gratify your acoustical wonder is one thing, but to then have that ONE MILLION volts of deathtricity run down your body for no reason other than to put on a show is something else entirely.

Tesla coils range from a few inches to a few hundred feet, and can be built using equipment bought in almost any electrical store, so its not hard to imagine bored nerds have built them to play their bored nerdy songs. Want the Mario theme tune? We have that! Legend Of Zelda? Boom, done. The Imperial March? You’re goddamned right we have the Imperial March.

Dr. Doom

The Tesla coil was selected for its misuse of electricity.

2)The Pyrophone

The Pyrophone, also known as the fire or explosion organ uses the power of explosion and rapid combustion shot up glass tubes to create a singing effect.

a pyrophone.

The instruments are popular displays at festivals and events all over the world, mostly because they make such a badass spectacle.

This is the Juggernaut Pyrophone, the worlds largest fire organ currently in operation. Try to imagine it like a pan flute, only upside down, giant and powered by explosions.

The Juggernaut is a huge visual display of firey goodness, but the pyrophone also comes in a smaller version.

proving once and for all, unless they are terrifying, experimental instruments are mostly awful. Awful, as in it sounds like a depressed whale.

The pyrophone was selected for is misuse of fire.

3) The Bassoforte

The bassoforte is brain child of Deigo Stocco, a musical inventor who also pioneered the experibass and recorded a song on a bonsai tree.

Using a similar video technique to the band Pomplamoose, Stocco uses parts of a pianoforte, parts of a bass and the pickups of a guitar to create an entirely new instrument.

Amazingly this home made instrument makes really catchy tune and plays pretty well. The sound might be a little rough but for a contraption made in some guys back yard it is pretty amazing.

The basso forte make this list for its fantastic misuse of both the piano and the bass.

4) Radiohead played on old computer parts.

Created by James Houston, a student from Glasgow, this remix utilizes outdated technology to create sounds eerily close to Radiohead’s Nude.

Using a printer, an oscilloscope, an old scanner, a spectrum and a host of old hard drives, Houston creates a haunting rendition of Radiohead’s classic.

Originally built to enter a competition from the band, James missed the deadline by only a few days but became an instant internet hit.

His version has been played on radio stations across the world and received over 100,000 Youtube hits.

This made the list thanks to its misuse of electronics

5) Fluteboxing
Fluteboxing is the unlikely combination of fluting and beatboxing with astonishing results.

This fantastic clash of musical styles was pioneered by Nathan ‘Flutebox’ Lee, but only rose to popularity when he caught the eye of world famous DJ Beardyman.

The captivating thing about fluteboxing is the mix of the classic sounding melodies of the flute and the ultra-modern rhythm of beat-boxing. The ensemble sounds like a band on it own, merging both percussion and wind in to one handy tube.

Fluteboxing found its to the top of the list for misusing the flute and making it sound incredible.

By Charlie Craven

Matthew P

2011-08-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

MATTHEW P.

Matthew P.

After Unlabeled's last review of heavy metal band Hostile Rising, we felt like it was time to relax, well imagine how happy we were when we stumbled upon Matthew P.

We found Matthew P. from the last weeks channel 4 advert for the film Watchmen, which featured a great track from Matthew's latest album called End Of The World.

The action and destruction of the film makes a perfect juxtaposition to Matthews chilled out tunes. If you are wondering what that sounds like without all the sounds of explosions and anti-vigilante metaphors, it's a little like this...

Matthew P - End Of The World

End of the World is that peculiar type of song that falls between melancholy and sweet, it’s a brilliantly composed track that is both harrowing and beautiful, that builds to a climax guaranteed to send chills down your spine and make your heart ache.

Matthew P. - on a go-kart

Matthew is an embodiment of the laid back vibes of chilled out folk-pop, recording his latest album in a make-shift beach hut studio in his hometown of Suffolk, where he claims he is free of distractions.

He claims that his music holds a 'chilled out vibe' and is meant to 'bring people to a more positive place'. And with tracks like Things Might Get Better, you can really see what he means...

Matthew P - Things Might Get Better (The Swimming EP)

Matthew's Beach Hut

Matthew has been writing songs since he was 11 years old, and since then his music has taken on the rustic sounds of rural England. Folksy blues reminiscent of the English coast is probably why he went down so well on the festival circuit, wowing crowds at festivals like Kendal Calling, Latitude, Y-Not and V Festival.

'Downtown' is the perfect rustic-sounding song and is matched by his video showcasing the beautiful country side of Cornwall.

To find out more about Matthew P., or to see if he's playing near you check out http://matthewpmusic.com/, http://www.facebook.com/matthewpmusic?sk=info, or http://www.youtube.com/user/matthewpmusicchannel

And as always you can pick up his tracks from the link just below...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0035GBATG/ref=dm_dp_adp?ie=UTF8&qid=1313175594&sr=301-2

By Charlie Craven

If you liked Matthew P., you might also enjoy The Limes or Pomplamoose

Hostile Rising

2011-08-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hostile Rising

The Band.

Hostile rising are one of those bands that are best enjoyed loud. I would advise anybody out there to turn your speakers up before you press play on any of the following tracks.

Hostile Rising formed in 2008 in Leeds and quickly rose to the top of the local music scene. Hostile Rising will be playing this years Bloodstock festival with bands like Motorhead and Rhapsody of Fire.

Rob Littlemore - vocals

The demos and E.P kicks-ass with driving guitars and mental drums, the whole unit seems completely manic some of the best guitar solos that local music has to offer, as guitarist Kenneth Belsham kindly demonstrates in this video. The audio quality isn't great but it gets to a point that it doesn't really matter. If you are in to metal guitar you have to check this out....

Hostile Rising's latest self titled E.P is guaranteed to make even the most soft-hearted of you out there to head bang a little. It carries with it every thing a person could want from a metal band. Distorted and thrashing Guitars, complex, pounding drums and passionate, screaming vocals. If you are wondering what that might sound like, its kind of like this....

Hostile Rising - Impropaganda

Impropaganda, the title track from Hostile Risings latest E.P is brilliantly composed and put together, the highlight kicks in at around 2.10, when guitar and drums kick in simultaneously to create an epic moment of tension and release.

Hostile Rising - City Upon A Hill

City upon A Hill is great song, but the highlight is the vocals, both gritty and unrelenting. This is how metal should be done.

Kenneth Belsham and Robert Burns

As good as the tracks are Hostile Rising are best as a live band. The band are self-professed gig lovers, and from there youtube page its not hard to see why. as much as metal is about distortion and drums, it is essentially a performance art, and these guys have got it down.

Hostile Rising - Vendetta

If you are looking for book these guys or want to find out more check them out at:

http://www.facebook.com/hostilerising

http://www.youtube.com/user/HostileRising

http://www.myspace.com/hostilerising

Hostile Rising found there way on to UnlabeledUK after they sent a track to unlabeleduk@gmail.com

charlie craven.

The Strokes - Demos and B-sides

2011-08-02T03:26:00.000-07:00

The Strokes - Demos and B-sides

The Strokes

You may have heard of this little band from New York. The Strokes latest album, Angles, sold over 90,000 copies in its first week alone. And songs like ‘Last Nite’, ‘Juicebox’, and ‘Hard to Explain’ have rocked the charts on both sides of the Atlantic since the band’s first album in 2001.

But what many people do not know is that prior to the debut album This is it, the band recorded The Modern age EP, which included the songs ‘the Modern Age’, ‘Last Nite’ and ‘barely Legal’, all of which would be re-recorded for there first album, along with a handful of other rare demos and B-sides that people rarely get to hear.

The Modern Age EP

Some of the songs that The Strokes chose not to include on there albums far exceed the ones they did. These are just my top 5, but there are many others floating round the internet.

Top 5 Strokes B-sides and Demos

5)In Her Prime (demo)
One of the major criticisms that the Strokes latest album received was that was that they seem to have lost there edge. Where as at one point they were shaping the face of pop music at the time with songs like ‘Last Nite’, now it seems that they are more bowing to the conventions of modern music.

If you felt that the latest album was a bit soft, a bit too electronic and not rock enough then ‘In Her Prime’ is exactly the song to bring back that original strokes feeling. You know the one… the feeling that kicked ass.

‘In Her Prime’ brings back feeling and the sound the guitar driven songs that launched the strokes in to fame. It’s a great song that reminds us why so many fans are devoted to the band. Why they decided to never release this on an album we will never know.

4) rhythm song (Demo)
The song is called rhythm song, and when you listen it you will see why the song is called rhythm song. If you are a guitar lover then this is the track for you, Albert Hammond, jr’s heavily distorted guitar makes a great backing for Nick Valensi’s awesome solo towards the end of the track.

When listening to this its hard not to wonder if Julian Casablanca was deliberately trying to channel Jim Morrison. Listen to this song, then listen to either Peace Frog or Roadhouse Blues by The Doors, then listen to a song from the latest album, then listen to The Doors again. Its almost uncanny, or is it just me?

The strokes... in some sort of woodland, for what I'm sure is a very good reason

3)Take A Walk On The Wild Side. (live cover)

speaking of the strokes sounding like bands from the 60's, here is The Strokes doing a cover of Lou Reed's Take A Walk On The Wild Side. And it is exactly as awesome as you would expect...

Yes, that was what you just heard.

Covering an artist as influential and revered as Lou reed is a ballsy move, but the strokes took it and just wiped the floor with it. Everything about this song is incredible, Julian’s vocals fit the track almost better than Lou’s did and the rest of the band back him up perfectly.

It may have lost a certain grace and looseness that the original track that made the original song so great, but with this being a live track that is forgivable. A studio version would make a fantastic bonus track for the strokes upcoming fifth album.

2)Hawaii Aloha (B-side)

The strokes latest album received mixed reviews. Part of the reason that people found the new album so hard to digest is that Julian Casablanca wrote almost all of the first three albums, where as the fourth album was more of a collaboration from all members of the band. When Julian writes the songs it sounds much more like this…

Hawaii Aloha is pure Casablanca, it brings us back to his brilliant lyrics and composition. The rest of the band are very talented, as we saw from guitarist Albert Hammond Jr’s solo album, but it is Julian who really has the talent for lyrics and song composition, and this song is a perfect demonstration of this

‘Whether you're drunk or stoned

or we're sober and old,

If I'm with you

I'm a happy man.

if you feel safe and cold

while you count your gold.’

1)I'll Try Anything Once (Demo and B-side)

A version of this song eventually did get recorded for First Impressions of Earth, as the song You Only Live Once, and it was first released as a B-side on the Juicebox single.

This slow and beautiful song really shows off how poetic the band can be. Its so far removed from any other of the songs, and demonstrates how big the bands range its.

Its not guitar-driven like the first three albums and its not electronically-driven like the latest, its simply Nick Valensi on the keyboard while Julian Casablanca sings a beautiful and touching personal song.

as always you can pick up strokes tracks from just below.

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charlie craven

Pomplamoose

2011-07-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

Pomplamoose.

Pomplamoose at their first ever live gig.

Pomplamoose truly are a testament to how far unsigned bands can go if they have the talent and the determination. Two young musicians posted their first video on YouTube in July of 2008 and quickly shot to stardom, with many of their videos getting millions of views and being featured on a Hyundai advert.

Pomplamoose is the musical child of Jack Conte and Natalie Dawn, who started posting there music on the web three years ago and now make their living selling music online, posting videos and performing live. This is what they sound like....

Pomplamoose - Expiration date

What I find hard to believe is that this tracks, along with most of the other early Pomplamoose songs weren't done in a studio. The band managed to put together incredibly well produced songs with complex layers in a room in there house, using tables, cameras and a plethora of other objects to create great music.

Perhaps the reason that Pomplamoose rose to fame so quickly is because of how accessible the music is. The easy tracks can be enjoyed by anybody and is generally inoffensive to any musical taste. The songs resonate in a sweet spot between too much and too little, chilled out without being bland and manic without being overbearing.

Jack Conte

When most Pomplamoose fans think of their music the first thing that jumps to mind is their ‘videosongs’. A videosong is novel way of presenting a music video following two rules:
1) What you see is what you hear(no lip-syncing)
2) If you hear it you see it at some point.
And it looks a little like this…..

This clever way of presenting music videos really makes you appreciate just how much effort it takes to produce a song of this quality, and it is refreshing to be able to see just how many layers and instruments each song has. Its particularly nice to see Nataly recording her own harmony against what I can only assume is a mattress. Lets hope its a clean one.

A great addition to the video songs are the occasional V-logs that the duo post. The friendly vibe that the band send out really help a listener feel connected to both the music and the musicians.

be sure to donate!

Their first album is as beautiful and well produced as independent albums get. Its both fun and easy easygoing, with a brilliant mix of songs that will either make you want to chill out or make you want to move. Jack’s fantastic and often manic multi-instrumentalism work is the perfect backdrop to Nataly’s vocals.

Pomplamoose album cover

Top Three Tracks

Beat the Horse.

A really fun track that shows off what the band can do at its best. The descending bass-line when the chorus picks up is the highlight of what is a really well put together track.

Pomplamoose - Beat the Horse

Little Things
A sweet love song, that puts to use an eclectic use of instruments to build to fantastic effect in a ballad that tells us what love really is.

Pomplamoose- Little Things

Twice as nice

with almost detached vocals, bizarre organ sounds and even stranger lyrics 'I'm afraid you haven't noticed you forgot to pack your teddy, or perhaps he wasn't ready to leave all of this behind', this track melds together to create a surreal treat. a personal favorite of mine from the Pomplamoose duo.

Pomplamoose - Twice as Nice

All the Pomplamoose songs can be bought from their website http://www.pomplamoose.com/, or you can pick them up from Amazon on the link just below.

Also worth a mention.

My terrible friend

Along with Pomplamoose Nataly also works with friend and internet sensation in her own right Lauren O'Connell in a band called 'My Terrible Friend'. although they have only done 5 songs as of yet (including one fantastic Tom Waits cover), I'm sure fans of both bands are waiting for more. They sound a little bit like this....

My Terrible Friend - When I decide

And and if you liked that you can buy the songs from the latest E.P the band's Myspace.

If you liked Pomplamoose be sure to check out The Limes

by charlie craven.

The Limes

2011-07-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Limes

The Limes

At the time of writing there are 6.7 billion people on the planet, so its no surprise that occasionally two groups of people can reach out from across the globe and just click. This was the case with The Limes.

The Limes formed in 2006 when a group of French musicians met a duo of American Musicians online and started collaborating across the Atlantic Ocean. The Limes, an ‘Intercontinental band’ send music to each other to interpret and record… The result sounds like this…

Mina Tindel

What makes The limes’ self titled album so interesting to listen to is that some tracks have a distinctly French sound while some hold more of an American vibe, and yet the two styles merge together almost seamlessly to create an album that flows perfectly.

This beautiful and reflective music is only to be expected from a process that relies on so much trust, letting something you’ve made go and have it return to you stronger and brighter than before.

The Limes in the studio (church?)

Top three tracks
Morning, Noon and Night.
A beautifully melodic love song with music and lyrics from American Henry sparrow. A perfect chill-out song.

Beyond Blue.
The second track on the album is slightly faster. With a sound reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, the Vocal harmony between Mina Tindel and Henry Sparrow work perfectly

Between Roof and Bird.
this track takes a slightly different tone to the others on the album but still works just as well. It balances being melancholic and sweet in a way that is gripping to listen to. In my humble opinion is the best song on the album

Limes tracks can be downloaded from Amazon or a physical copy can be picked up from Sauvage records for around £8.80.

Alternatively you can buy them from just down there....

by Charles Craven

Unlabeled - What Is Going On?

2011-07-26T04:44:00.000-07:00

Unlabeled is a new music blog for the best of local, unknown and under the radar music from all over the UK.
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Once a week we will be bringing you the fresh, juicy new tunes from around the globe, along with where you can buy the tracks and where you can see the bands.
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This month we will be looking at some fantastic bands like 'The Limes', 'Pomplamoose' and Britain's very own 'Broken Family band'
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Along with new tracks we will also be covering the best in demos, covers, b-sides, acoustic and rare tacks as they come my way.
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If you are making music and are looking for a plug, send a track over to unlabeleduk@gmail.com for a chance to get featured on the site.

All the best,
Charlie Craven