BOUT THIS BLOG

Hey.

I feel like I need to collect my thoughts on things that happened recently, so I'm doing it through here. It's craving an update anyway. I started writing on this two months ago to try and motivate myself through unemployment and gain some more skills whilst doing something I love. I really enjoy writing and it was good to sharpen up my skills, teaching myself the ropes of critically reviewing music, as well as giving me a chance to practice Press Releases and other useful things (as boring as press releases sound, a good one goes a long way - more on that in a bit).

LIVE REVIEW - Colour Me Wednesday / Perkie / James Choice & The Bad Decisions / Milk Crimes / Exit Earth @ Wharf Chambers, 01/04/2016

Since the Cockpit last shut its doors in 2014, multiple venues in Leeds have popped up, rushing to fill the void and offer their own take on how to represent the local scene. With The Key Club snapping up most pop-punk acts, and Temple of Boom grabbing most touring hardcore bands, it’s up to Wharf Chambers to be the heart of the DIY-punk scene in Leeds. Tonight, as the latest in Wharf Chamber’s Scene Better Days series of gigs, two tour packages come together for a snapshot of the UK’s vibrant DIY scene. Whilst Perkie and James Choice & The Bad Decisions are two weeks into a three week tour across mainland Europe and the UK, Colour Me Wednesday and Milk Crimes are just ramping up on the second date of their tour.

Narrowed - On To Something Else

My review for Narrowed's debut album On To Something Else is up on Independent Music News. It's an interesting introduction to the band; they're clearly still trying to find their feet and need to iron out a few creases but it has a couple of moments of genius, and this band are definitely one to watch.

http://independentmusicnews.com/review-narrowed-on-to-something-else/

Modern Tribes - Pam Beesly (Official Video)

Music video for Modern Tribes - I did some PR work for them. Happy to see this video, the song is ace!

One Month (Pretty Much!) Update

Hey! I've been doing this on and off for a month, really intensively at first and now it's cooled off a little bit, but I just wanted to pause and reflect on it. Even though it's only been a month, involving myself in music in this way has been really busy and great, and has definitely helped me feel a lot better about my current situation (which is getting better as well!)

I've not done a review for the blog in a while because I've been writing articles for Independent Music News - I've already posted some of the links up on here and will keep on doing so! But it's also because I have to job search for around 35 hours a week, so it is hard balancing what is essentially full-time commitments on top of this. Although writing for this is also kind of useful in building a portfolio and resume for a potential job, so I guess it counts as work and I'm just getting a bit swamped? Ahahahaha. I'm also going to start working on Punktastic's helpdesk for a few hours next week so I'm dead excited bout this.

I managed to use the work I've done on here and for other websites as a way to get myself some work experience at a local music PR firm called ilikepress. They work with a load of my favourite international bands - like ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Opeth, Tesseract, MONO and Sikth - as well as some local Leeds bands like Hawk Eyes and Blacklisters. I'm going to be working there for a few days a week starting next week and it's exciting; even though I'm sure I'll just be doing basic stuff at first, I've got the opportunity to knuckle down and prove myself in a field that I love.

I need to source some more reviews but it's difficult to find the time for it; I have a few more queued up but I need to slow down the rate I review them. I might also add live reviews in, as I have a few gigs queued up which I'm excited about. On top of that, I also have a band that I need to work on, as I've neglected it for the last few weeks. Playing music live is my passion and I've not gigged in a while due to stress and anxiety, so I want to work on that and get this unit up and running ASAP. Yeah!

So thanks for anyone who's read this blog in the last few weeks, it's exciting and I wanna keep it going, probably just at a better pace. See ya on the flipside.

Harrison Rimmer - C

The next time someone asks me life in York is like, I'm gonna tell them to go check out Harrison Rimmer. He's been kicking about in the vibrant York singer/songwriter scene for a few years now. C is his third EP, and was recorded piecemeal over the course of 2015, with Rimmer playing all the instruments on it. And, surprisingly for an artist located in a small town in the North of England, it comes across sounding like it was birthed in the heartland of America, soaring acoustic guitars, organs and driving rhythms. But I guess it exposes the contradictions of my hometown pretty nicely; it's a city with no high rises, where you can slip down a side street and be mistaken for falling into the sixteenth century, or walk for an hour in one direction and find yourself in the countryside by accident. It feels like an outpost in the middle of the Moors and Dales, so I guess that's where the small-town Americana feel comes from, as well as the inner city angst that Rimmer captures perfectly in his distinct voice. It's the perfect backdrop for this EP. So let's dive in eh?

Modern Tribes - Music Video Press Release

[Upcoming Press Release for a band called Modern Tribes. They're really cool, sounding like a cross between Touché Amoré, Boston Manor, Crywank and some really heavy Brand New influences coming through. Their music video is coming out really soon, and their EP is coming out soon after it. I've had the pleasure of listening to it a few times, and it's incredible, so expect a glowing review of that a little nearer to when it comes out] 

WATCH MODERN TRIBES NEW VIDEO FOR PAM BEESLY - PREORDER THE EP "EVERYTHING IS DYING AND I WILL PROBABLY DIE SOON TOO"

Ahead of their loud, snarling and sincere second EP Everything Is Dying And I Will Probably Die Soon Too, Oswestry punks Modern Tribes prove that they're a force to be reckoned with on their new music video for lead single Pam Beesly. Mixing the melodic anthems of Brand New with slacker-style grunge, pounding surf-rock toms and howling vocals, it's a slab of steaming fuzz and high gain lead guitar, with Eric Evan's lovesick lyrics giving the song an air of desperate drive.
Modern Tribes are also currently taking pre-orders for a limited first run of CDs for "Everything Is Dying..." with limited edition artwork on their merch page at http://moderntribes.bigcartel.com

Modern Tribes formed in January of 2015. Since then, they have shared stages with Muskets, ho99o9 and Riggots, have played across the UK and Europe, and have released their debut EP You Do Drugs, which won Musically Fresh's EP of the year award for 2015. The band successfully fuse their love of 00s punk like Brand New, the Gaslight Anthem and Frank Turner with the more modern punk and indie stylings of The Front Bottoms, The Menzingers and Joyce Manor. On Everything Is Dying And I Will Probably Die Soon Too, Modern Tribes are staking a claim for their rightful place at the forefront of the UK's punk scene.

Get in touch with the band through Eric, at erikevans1994@gmail.com. You can check the band out on their Facebook and follow them on Instagram and twitter on the links below.

Website: https://moderntribes1.bandcamp.com/releases

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernTribesUK 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/moderntribes

Instagram: https://instagram.com/modern_tribes/

Xilla - You Crawl

The 'nu-grunge' revival that's been kicking off around the UK is a bit of a misnomer. Bands like Fizzy Blood and Dinosaur Pile-Up take more from fuzzin' up the power chord pop of 90s alt-rock bands like Weezer and Presidents Of The United States Of America, rather than following in the footsteps of the intricate, sludge style riffs that Alice In Chains and Soundgarden managed to compose so easily. Birmingham band Xilla may label themselves as progressive rock, but on their debut single You Crawl, they come across as spiritual successors to the slower and more driving style of grunge that the Big Seattle Four popularised.

Flowerpot April Tour Press Release

(Press Release Example: Interested in getting any PR done for your band? Drop me a line through here, or at tellallyourfriendspromouk@gmail.com)

FLOWERPOT ANNOUNCE APRIL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE TOUR - STREAM THEIR LATEST SINGLE BROKEN STILETTO ON SOUNDCLOUD

Bristol based all-female alternative rock band Flowerpot are heading out on an April jaunt around the UK, playing shows on the UK university and college tour circuit. The band are warming up with a few dates in the south of England towards the end of March before beginning their tour on the 6th of April. 

LIVE DATES
March 22nd - South Devon College
March 23rd - Birmingham ATM
March 24th - Plymouth University
April 6th - UWE Bristol
April 7th - Richard Huish, Taunton
April 7th - The Attic Bar, Bristol
April 12th - Broadlands Academy, Keynsham
April 18th - Oxford Brookes University
April 20th - Exeter College
April 22nd - Bath College
April 23rd - The Lanes, Bristol (EP Launch)
April 27th - Weston College


In addition, Flowerpot's debut single of of hot molten fuzz rock, Broken Stiletto, is currently available to stream on their Soundcloud. Broken Stiletto was released in November 2015 and was described as "surely a great sign of what’s to come" by National Rock Review. Stream it at https://soundcloud.com/flowerpot_official

With their heavy fuzz and crashing guitars, powerful driving rhythm section and , Flowerpot come across as a cross of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Juliette and The Licks, with a healthy dose of Deap Valley and Dead Sara thrown in for measure. The band were formed in January 2015, and finalised their linuep of Louisa Baker (guitar/vocals), Morgan Pearce (bass) and Ellie Daymond (drums). Since then, the band have played with The Bots, CJ Wildheart, and Cherrie Currie (The Runaways), making a name for themselves with their heavy alternative offerings, classic rock riffing and quirky cover versions on popular musical numbers. With their debut EP coming out in April, Flowerpot are looking to make their mark on the UK's alternative music scene. 

As December Falls - When You Figure Out You're Wrong, Get Back To Me

As December Falls have been going since 2014, released their debut EP in December that year, were listed as one of Scuzz's top unsigned bands of 2015 and have been riding high since then. They're looking to build on this success with their latest EP, When You Figure Out You're Wrong, Get Back To Me, released this February. On this release, As December Falls build on their experiences as a band in the last year and make a bid for proving themselves to be able to stand amongst their influences.

David J. Harvey - Cinderella

David J.Harvey has been making music under his own name since 2013, striking out from the Chelmsford scene. Backed up by fellow musicians Laura Kearns (vocals/guitars/piano), and Matt Wilkinson (guitar/bass), Harvey plays a relaxed, chilled out acoustic style of alternative pop-rock that calls to mind early noughties artists like Damien Rice and James Blunt on his debut album Cinderella. Luckily, Harvey largely avoids the vacuity of the latter artist, and strikes out for a meaningful, reflective release that helps shine due to the variety of musical styles and quality mix, provided by Chris McCormack (3 Colours Red).

The Boston Shakers - Black Magic (Single)

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is ten years old this year. Damn. Time goes fast, eh? But the thing is, that album still remains fresh in my memory for one good damn reason; it pulled up the quality of British indie-alternative rock significantly, and the few years following saw some ace releases from bands such as the Maccabees, Razorlight and Foals, all branching off into different directions and releasing well-received, commercially successful albums, triggering a revival of British indie rock. But more importantly, Alex Turner's brilliant lyrics on social commentary helped to ground these songs into reality. Although they may have been musically and lyrically influenced by the cool of American bands like The Strokes and Queens of the Stone Age, the Arctic Monkeys took that cool and used it as the backdrop for witty songs about crappy nights out, drunken disappointments and lyrics about learning life lessons the hard way.

Black Magic, the first single by Liverpool band The Boston Shakers to have received airplay, instantly transports me back to 2006. Its lyrics fit beautifully into the same vein as Alex Turner's, with lead singer Alex Pascoe twisting words into an effortlessly intoxicating tale of a drunken night out gone wrong. Pascoe's delivery is fresh - the way he spits the line "chemicals on your tongue" genuinely sounds like he's having to throw something poisonous up - and his lyrics jab and jibe at those songs you know you're gonna hear on the dancefloor. When Pascoe sings "feeling supersonic, but I'm actually quite nauseous," you've got the continuing millenial hangover to Oasis' 90's Britpop optimism. The club becomes a dangerous place, with broken glass and vomit on the floor, and I love it. Black Magic perfectly captures the feeling of a night out going wrong.

It's ironic that Pascoe is originally from California, as this song feels so distinctly 'British' in its lyrical content. But perhaps the American influence works in their favour; musically, The Boston Shakers add a healthy dose of Black Keys hard bluesy rock to their style of British indie, with Pascoe's brother Will and Jordan Kennie contributing powerful, stuttering guitar lines and tasty lead riffs. The bass and rhythm section give the song a real sense of energy and intensity that fits in with the lyrical themes of the song. As Black Magic is a song about the pay-off of losing control through alcohol, so to do the band lose control as the song develops, becoming louder, rowdier and more reckless. This is a strong opening single for the band, and I'm interested in seeing where their sound develops. My only real point of criticism is that not all members of the band get a chance to show off their talents; this is a six piece band, their electronic sounds and white noise that are usually prevalent in live performances being underutilised on this track. If the The Boston Shakers can emphasise this aspect of their sound and work around it, they have a good shot at getting some more serious air time. At the minute, although the night seems to be winding down at the end of Black Magic, it's hard to imagine that there can be any other way for the band to go but up.

ROMP - Departure From Venus

There's this style of US indie-punk that has definitely been on the high rise in the recent years, coming out of a number of DIY scenes in various states. Bands like The Front Bottoms, Tiger's Jaw and PUP have gained international recognition with their mixture of indie lyrical wit and distorted, playful instrumentation. Sleater Kinney returned last year with a No Cities To Love, a great album that just reinforced how influential they have been on the alternative music scene in the last two decades. Scranton's Petal released one of my favourite albums of last year. And bands like RVIVR, Wavves and Iron Chic have embraced this new direction, making their aggressive punk rock fun more appealing to a wider audience, whilst still staying true to their punk DIY-integrity. Into this scene come New Jersey band ROMP with their debut LP Departure From Venus. And let me tell you this, ROMP are fun. Departure To Venus is an energetic and exciting listen, full of indie-pop shine, shimmering keyboards, crunchy guitars and pounding rhythms. But below the pop sheen, Departure To Venus also has a deep, thoughtful and challenging lyrical narrative that adds a real sense of maturity to the band's compositions.

Camel Walk - The Wheel Deal

My favourite novel is Mark Z. Danielewski's House Of Leaves, a fearful meta-fictional tale about how the pursuit of knowledge and truth is ultimately a vacuous and terrifying journey into the self, revealing a nihilism that reflects upon the emptiness of existence. In its fiercely resistant attempts at being discovered, its active rejection of any meaning the reader may impart upon it, the book twists and turns, snarlingly forcing the reader to start examining themselves, redefining the relationship between text and reader.

Camel Walk's The Wheel Deal also has nothing really going for it at its core, but instead of this being something negative, it's instead super positive and awesome and happy. And, where House of Leaves breaks down the fourth wall between the novel and the reader in a violent manner, The Wheel Deal also tries to break this boundary, by just being really up-front and honest about the fact that it's, well, not really going to blow your ass off. But in a good way. It's a funny, earnest and experimental record that invites the listener in under the pretence of there maybe being something a bit deeper to it, even though at its core there's not really a lot of substance.

Kamikaze Girls - Black Coffee (Track Review)

Hearts & Souls were a mainstay on the Leeds alternative circuit for five years, playing their unique styling of grunge-tinged pop-punk for crowds in support of Twin Atlantic, Army of Freshmen and My Passion. However, it took a name change to Kamikaze Girls, and a stripping down to a two piece, for the pure fuzz fury to really unleash the pure potential of their sound. With their songs being released on Spotify and available for streaming on various websites recently, I took the opportunity to revisit their last single.

Released in late 2015 as a lead single from their upcoming debut album, Black Coffee is the sound of Kamikaze Girls embracing their new noise, suggesting a move away from the effects laden alternative rock of their previous cassette tape The Girl Gang Sessions, towards a heavy, fuzz driven, feedback laden slab of powerful alternative rock. With multiple guitar creating feedback in a way that would make Kurt Cobain jealous, and Conor Dawson's powerful drumming underpinning the entire track with a sense of urgency, the repetitive Kinks-lite riff of the chorus gives way to a monstrous chorus. Singer and guitarist Lucinda Livingstone's powerful and repeated plea of "without you, I'd sleep forever" about our favourite caffeine carrying beverage gives the chorus a powerful vocal hook to rally around. Each repetition becomes more howled, more desperate, more demanding, before erupting into a gut wrenchingly powerful scream. But there's still plenty in their sound that hearkens back to their previous melodic offerings, from quick clean guitar breaks to the initial chorus-laden effects verse riff. This is loud, and this is chaotic, but it's also controlled, making the moments where the band engage in noisy feedback or screamed vocals meaningful and more powerful. If Black Coffee is an indication of the shape the debut Kamikaze Girl LP is going to take, then it's a very, very, very good sign. Join the girl gang, and get ready for it to drop.

Released Oct 21, 2015
http://kamikazegirls.bandcamp.com/track/black-coffee

Sink Alaska - Battle Lines From Better Times

There's a riot happening in Scotland, and it's one that sounds reminiscent of the south of California rather than the northern reaches of Britain. Fuelled largely by the impact of the prolific Make-That-A-Take records, the burgeoning Scottish DIY punk scene has grown from strength to strength, with constant releases and compilations showing that punk is thriving in Scotland. The most recent offering from Make-It-A-Take is the fourth EP from Glaswegian punks, Sink Alaska. Right from the title of Battle Lines From Better Times, Sink Alaska set their goals of producing a well crafted melodic punk record that harkens back to 90's melodic punk rock, whilst lyrically reflecting on the maturation of every band of that era's worst nightmare - *gasp* growing up *gasp*.

Mercury Killed Newton - The Static/The Wanderer

In the last few years, there’s been a shift in the Leeds metal scene. Whilst there are still plenty of groovy, thrash metal bands kicking about, it’s been technical metal that is becoming a more dominant force both locally and further afield. Leeds bands like On Hollow Ground, Pravitas and Hieroglyph have been intensely active, representing Leeds’ metal scene all over the country and at Tech Fest, the UK’s premier technical metal festival. And all these bands manage to take Leeds’ affinity for anything loud, noisy and hardcore and weave it skillfully into their music. Mercury Killed Newton are no different, and on their late 2015 release The Static/The Wanderer, attack technical metal cliches head on with their hardcore tendencies, albeit to various levels of success.

ZoZo - Silo/D.R.S.A.D

(This review is written more in the style of promotional material that may be sent to a promoter from a band, rather than an objective review that would be intended for publication. Having said that, ZoZo are awesome and I loved this release)


Almost 10 years after the brief, wild neon fling that was nu-rave, and the simultaneous mainstream punky-mathy stylings of early Foals and Vampire Weekend, Leeds’ based Zozo come roaring out with Silo/D.R.S.A.D, a 2-track release that takes, borrows and builds from this era. Part of Chunk!, the DIY collective that has helped grow Leeds’ music scene in the last few years, Zozo have made a name for themselves by tearing up stages with their mix of afrobeat funk, noise rock and witty, yelpy vocals.

Despite Silo running for over four minutes, it feels consistently fresh, with a chunky, funky palm muted guitar providing a great counter melody to the brass instruments, before travelling through more noise rock based choruses and riffs; its climactic build to a final rapped verse just serves to edge out the tension and create a massive payoff. But it’s on D.R.S.A.D - with its more aggressive, energetic, frantic drumming, intense brass melodies and its repeated chorus chant of “D! R! S! A! D! Doing righteous shit all day! - that Zozo really capture the intense chaos of their live shows. Abrasive yet melodic, effortlessly energetic but still caustically cool, and with a downright sinister noise rock bridge pinning the entire thing together, D.R.S.A.D shows just what makes Zozo stand out. Favouring energy over self-indulgence, Silo/D.R.S.A.D is a dynamic and engaging listen, successfully capturing the unique, ecstatic energy that Zozo bring to their live performance. Just try not to ruin your kitchen with intense moshing, eh? Released 29/02/2016 http://zozozozoband.bandcamp.com/album/silo-d-r-s-a-d

I Spent All My Money On Records And Coffee

I love writing! Whether it's writing lyrics for a band, scraps of poetry for myself, music for the ears of sweet little darling cherubs in the moshpit or just sad boy rants on a blog, I love it! Words are great! I love words! I'll use all my big words that I learnt at college to make you love words too!

This blog is a place where I can put my more review based musical ramblings, press releases and other creative outpourings. I review what I like, what I can or what I've been sent, with an emphasis on alternative, punk and metal music, although I cast a wide net. If you like my style of writing and want me to write stuff for you, drop me a message and we'll come up with something. Until then, enjoy the ride.