Review of upcoming band ‘ Queenstreet Moonrunners’

 

BEEA2FA4-0944-4947-A961-16545E32BB48.jpegQueenstreet Moonrunners are a band from Linkoping in Sweden and are inspired by Indie , punk and rock sounds giving them a unique and interesting sound . Each band member gives the overall piece it’s own special hint of music magic from the brilliant riffs , vocals , lyrics and drumming that come together and work very well .

 

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The band got outstanding reviews from their first concert show that was in San Francisco USA. This shows that they must also be a very good band to watch live as well as listening to on your phone or at home on record . They remind me of a mix of Catfish and the bottlemen , green day and Oasis .

 

 

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The way they work together and bring that ‘Britpop era’ back is going to please many a fan of what they saw as the golden era of music .

 

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The band has recently brought out an EP and the cover work is a brilliant recreation of Oasis  ‘Definatley Maybe’ . The EP has 6 songs on it each bringing its own sound showing they have experience and the ability to work with other sounds.

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Check out the band on Spotify and other music platforms .

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Review of upcoming band ‘Jester Society’

 

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The bands coming through since the days of Arctic Monkeys and The Killers have always lacked that unique edge and distinct sound that made those bands so great . This was however until I heard the band ‘ Jester Society’ a band formed in Breccia Italy have probably saved modern rock n roll . With a mix of sounds from Arctic Monkeys , Gorillaz , Linkin Park and other great bands ( anything that mixes those sounds are going to sound great ) give them something interesting and new on every song .

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Their single ‘Josh was alive’ which came out in 2015 is a great rock song with the early 2000s American twist to it from the vocals and guitar work that has been missing from the music industry for a while. It creates nostalgia for people who cry out for more music from 15 years ago but also has the modern twist and production that is set up for any taste of music .

 

 

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The song ‘Nico and the Niners’ that came out in 2018 starts off with a more heavy rock sound before going into a more melodic softer tone before going into an energetic MC twist with more explosions of rock . This song is interesting as it is just full of twists in sound and tempo .

 

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Their album ‘Kingsmen’ that came out 22 June 2018 is a fast paced rock album with catchy choruses that would make outstounding festival anthems . The 7 tracked record might only last 20 minutes but the pace and tempo of it from the guitars and heavy vocals make you worn out after ( in an enjoyable way ) before you turn it back on and dive into it once again for more music madness and sounds .

 

 

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Ive always respected bands that change their style . Artist like Muse have done this but failed , Arctic Monkeys did it and it worked . Did it work for Jester society ? Yes . The new single ‘floating in the blue’ features American MC IsaacB and produced by The Orbalist . This groundbreaking tune shows how good music sounds when a mix of genres such as rock, rap , pop and electronics come together . The vocals are a bit softer like that by Interpol and the whole thing sounds like something Twenty One pilots would do with that Synth Pop , hiphop rock feel . This new change makes this already strong sounding band edge above competion for me as they show what great knowledge and creativity they possess that excites me for the future as new sounds bring new era, new tunes and maybe new legends ?

Check them out on Spotify , YouTube , Apple Music , Deezer and Soundcloud .

 

Top 20 albums of 2018

20-Simualtion theory by Muse 707964BC-7813-40F4-A213-02B32FCC4992

Ive never been a huge fan of Muse as a band but this attempt to mix indie rock with electronic pop is unoriginal , boring  and overproduced .

19-Hunter by Anna Calvi

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The only reason this is in the top 20 is because songs “As a man” and “Don’t beat the girl out of my boy “ are two very good songs but all the rest are boring and not catchy or enjoyable.

18-Go to school by The Lemon Twigs

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A band known for its 60s style this time it’s no different but is at least faster and has better songs on the album . They are better live than on record but this makes the top 20 as it’s unique compared to the other albums and is their best album

17- Little Dark age by MGMT

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Another album that’s overproduced and poppy but I like how they’ve created something different and there’s some good songs on it .

16- My mind makes noises by Pale Waves

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Another album that’s solid but it just sounds like any pop record you’d hear on the charts and isn’t very clever or meaningful .

15-True Meanings by Paul Weller

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Another man who always makes good music this is again a very well thoughtful album but it’s very acoustic based and slow and I’d want to hear faster tracks from this man as he has such a great voice.

14- Always Ascending by Franz Ferdinand

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The band that made one of the biggest Indue hits off all time on their debut album . This album is another punk/pop frantic album which is their style and it’s a solid album but it’s not the best as it’s nothing different that they’ve done .

13- Acts of Fear and Love by Slaves

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Ive never been a fan of punk so I can’t put this album in a better position but it is very popular and they seem to be quality live and it works for them.

12- High as hope by Florence + the machine

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One of the best voises in the music industry and it’s shown on this album but it’s too repetitive and boring and needs a change up during it .

11- Olympus sleeping by  Razorlight

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All the songs are enjoyable and fast and I like the vocals and instrumentals on this .

10- Cool like you by Blossoms

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The singles on this record are quality and done really well live . It’s only their second album but I’d say it just edges the first one as it has a few changes in style on some tracks

9- Marauder by Interpol

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Not a bad song on it and the vocals are unique . One of their best albums in a while .

8- Beautiful people will ruin your life by The Wombats

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An energetic album with clever lyrics and performed very good live.

7- Let’s go sunshine by The Kooks

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The Kooks have always done indie pop very well that appeals to a lot of people and this is no different it has a number of enjoyable songs that are easy to listen to but nothing that is going to go down as groundbreaking .

6- Egypt Station by Paul McCartney

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One of the best artists of all time again has written an album full of  meaningful and clever songs .

5- In your own sweet time by The Fratellis

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The band that wrote Chelsea Dagger have made an album that is fun , quirky and creates a theme that works well .

4- Combats sports by The Vaccines

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A solid band with a solid album . There’s a mixture of slow and quick enjoyable songs that keeps it interesting .

3- Coup De Grace by Miles Kane

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The punk genre to this album suits Miles Kane’s vocals and showmanship on stage that makes this a complete album .

 

2- Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino by Arctic Monkeys

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The most creative and brilliant album for a very long time that creates a theme and everything about it is clever and very very brave in the shift for the band.

 

1- The Beatles (white album) 2018 version by The Beatles

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Although the original album was written in the 60s the modern 2018 version of this album comes with new songs and old takes of the original songs which make this very interesting . It also is class as every song still sounds modern 50 years on. One of the greatest albums of all time by the greatest band of all time put into the modern age and sound .

 

 

 

Review: ‘ Egypt Station’ by Sir Paul McCartney

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Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Released: 7th September 2018

 

The man is said to be one of the greatest artists of all time being a massive part of the worlds biggest ever band ‘The Beatles’ and breaking numerous records with them , ‘ wings’ and by him self as he is now on his 18th Solo Studio album . This all proves the man can write songs and play different musical instruments that lead to varied styles making him enjoyable for a lot of people . His work is seen to be some of the best ever written with writing songs like ‘ Hey Jude’ but his solo work after ‘ The Beatles ‘ has never been as well recognised maybe for the fact he’s going to be compared to when he was in the greatest group of all time . The way he writes his melody is beautiful and he is the best in the business at it yet I do prefer John Lennons solo work as songs ‘ imagine’ and ‘working class hero’ are such powerful and passionate songs plus he also wrote the better Christmas song of the two.

The first track on this album ‘ I don’t know’ is a slow starting song with piano work that leads into a faster groove as the drums kick in. The song has powerful lyrics such as ‘ where am I going wrong’ and ‘ But I don’t think I can take anymore” it’s a very powerful song maybe about depression with lyrics such as ‘ dogs at my door’ and ‘ what’s the matter with me ‘ this proves that Paul is willing to open up and go deep in this album which makes it more interesting . The second track ‘come on to me’ is a very fast and catchy song that is a very good sing along however some of the lyrics in this are a bit cringey when sang by a 70+ year old man. Does he still think he’s young goodlooking and in the biggest band of all time? You can tell his voice has gone on this album however his song writing and melody is still up there . The third track ‘happy with you’ is a very romantic love song that is a typical Paul McCartney love song that could of been in a Beatles album. It’s a nice song but nothing spectacular compared to his other work although it does again go deep and emotional about past drinking problems in his life which makes it very emotional and personal . The next song ‘ who cares’ is a bit dated and sounds a bit cheesy and too much like it belongs in a school to try make kids feel better about themselves which I don’t like in songs as it’s a bit boring and just seems a bit forced. I do like the song ‘ Fuh You’ as it is very fast and a very modern sounding pop type likr song but I just don’t like it being sung by a 70+ year old man as it is a bit cringey and not needed for a man of his age. The acoustic guitar work in ‘confidante’ sounds very Christmassy I’d say but it’s not a very strong  song as it just doesn’t go anywhere. I like the keyboard work and the way the vocals in ‘ people want peace’ sound as if Paul McCartney is talking through a megaphone to an audience which works with the theme of the song . It’s another classic Paul  McCartney song with the same type of message behind it but it’s a very nice song in how the verses start off fast and then the chorus comes in to show off the meaning of this song. The best flute instrumental in a song I’ve ever heard comes in ‘hand in hand’ it’s such an emotional peaceful song that makes you stop and listen with simple piano play and light acoustic work .

 

I just get bored during the song ‘ dominoes’ as the song before it is so powerful you are still thinking of it when this comes on as nothing memorable in this happens. One of the best styles and best feel to a song is in ‘ back in Brazil’ it’s such a different song in this album with maracas in the background fitting in with the song title as well as electric keyboard giving it a modern and radio friendly sound that people would find easy to listen to. The track after ‘ do it now’ just isn’t anything special the piono work makes it sound too forced and feels like is trying to be en emotional song without letting it take over you naturally like the other tracks have . I find how ‘ Caesar rock ‘ is sung to sound like she’s a rock very fun and enjoyable and does make this song memorable . It features more maracas and has faster drum and guitar work to suit Paul McCartney’s more fierce youthful vocals on this song . I’ve always liked how he has changed the style and speed of a song halfway out throughout his career and ‘despite repeated warnings’ is one of those and it works well as it’s almost like four songs in one with the firsts part being slow and having just a bit of drum work and the piano plays out the riff in the song . The melody at all  parts are very catchy but I prefer the second quarter when there’s a sudden drum beat that speeds up and less piano with more guitar work . This faster take on the song alows the vocals to be more fierce and the guitars also . It almost shows how massive it is for them to ‘ save the day’ as is repeated through the song . The song then changes again still being fast but with trumpet playing for a bit followed by more piano then back to the trumpets and fast pace to finish before once again going into a more aggressive guitar part . There’s a fifth massive shift when it goes back to slow and finishes with a somber end to show the desperate and upsetting end to this song and story . The last song ‘hunt you down/naked/clink’ is another song that is so different to others on the album with techno sounding vocals and a nice use of trumpets that sounds very 80s but still cool . It’s not the most enjoyable song on the album and is a bad way to end the album as it slows down then goes into a guitar riff that just goes on for ages .

 

There is nothing to say other than Paul McCartney is a genius when it comes to song writing and melody and this album proves his ability to write songs that have great melodies, great use of different instruments and still sounding modern when they are written by a 70+ year old man . There’s some songs that are age inappropriate to me and despite his now aged vioce it’s still along with his music great to listen to. This album is how to still stay classic and true to your past in most parts yet still sound so modern which is remarkable especially considering it’s very brass and piano based .

 

 

Interview: Genie the band

208AA1D9-9731-4BEE-911F-D191E132B9EE.jpegThankyou  to Michael (guitar and vocals) for taking time to answer these questions

Michael Melia – Guitar & Vocals

Dan Halasz – Vocals

Jamel Alford – Drums

Meghan Rose – Bass & Vocals

You’re a new band tell us about your self about how you started out and your inspirations , each band member and where you come from .

 

The band started out between myself (Michael Melia) and Daniel Halasz–we started playing music when we met in Scotland around 10 years ago. Now, recently having moved to New York, we started Genie as a new project to capture the vibe of some of our favorite bands that we grew up listening to. These inspirations include David Bowie, Queen, ELO, Toto, Supertramp, Boston, Alice Cooper and others. We wanted to bring back the fun and feel-good sounds of the 70s and 80s, and reinvent them for modern audiences. We think there are lots of people out there who love, or at least enjoy hearing these older bands. Our goal is to reinvent what made those songs so great in a 21st century context.

 

How does it feel having a few songs out?

 

Things are going great! It’s so nice, after six months of working on these songs and developing the Genie brand and band identity, to have them online for everyone to enjoy. We’ve gotten on a few rock playlists which is helping us gain some cool exposure. We definitely think we’re onto something with “Queen Claudia” and “I’ll Never Leave,” and we’re excited for the new songs that we are currently working on for our first album!

How do you go about writing a song what is the process behind it ?

 

Songs usually begin from Dan or myself. One of us will come up with some chords on guitar or piano, then start to build out the song like a painting: adding bits and pieces, giving volume and differentiation, playing around with instrumental arrangements, and eventually figuring out what the story is that is behind the lyrics. Interestingly, the song tends to come first, then the lyrics, as we like to be inspired by the feeling of each soundscape we create to write lyrics that fit.

 

A lot of great bands have changed their look and style on different albums are you going to do this or stick with what works ? 

 

Developing one’s musical style is important for any band, and we already have new ideas for the next steps of where we want to take Genie. We’ll certainly stick true to the good vibes and fun hooks of 70s and 80s music we love, but we’re developing currently into a more modern and synth-based musical sound that we’re really excited to share with the world!

What is your latest song about ? 

 

Queen Claudia is a kind of rock and roll fairy tale, about a royal gardener in the services of a queen who has never noticed him, and will never acknowledge him because of his status as a petty laborer. The entire song is his fantasy, his daydream, about his queen, and the things he’s willing to do to get her in his life. But, as with many gardeners in royal courts, these things tend to remain as they began – nothing but silly wishes. Exploring that fantasy is what the song is all about.

When are you planning to come to the Uk ? 

We hope to come to the UK by the end of 2019 or 2020. Both Dan and I actually met in St Andrews, in Scotland, and played around in many bands in the country. So we can’t wait to get back to our old stomping grounds with some new and exciting music!

 

Listen to the bands new singles on Spotify and other platforms for music 

Review: ‘Everything you’ve come to expect’ by The last shadow puppets

F44D7FD8-DE0E-4113-A452-5BC1CA2230A3Released: 1st April 2016

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the second album that ‘The Last shadow puppets’ have done and it is the more complete and clearer than the last album called ‘ the age of the understatement’ that came out 8 years before . The band is made up of  James Ford , Zach Dawes, front man  of ‘Arctic Monkeys’  Alex Turner and solo artist Miles Kane. It is often named as a side project for these two whilst they aren’t working on their other music but I would say it’s a way of stepping away and into a new role and music style that they can venture into. It’s interesting to look back at this album now ‘Arctic Monkeys’ new album ‘ Tranquility base hotel and casino’ is out as both albums definitely have the same style and aura to it with both being a bit slow and almost ‘quiet bar in New York durning the 1930s’ feel to it . There is faster tracks on the album and the one called ‘bad habits’ that Miles Kane sings is maybe what led him on to create his new album ‘Coup De Grace’ as they both have a punk vibe and flow to it. I mentioned this in my review of his new album in a previous blog so please check it out. The album does feature a lot of violin work that works really well live.

The opening song is ‘aviation’ and has one of the best riffs I’ve heard in a long time that really builds into the song. This is a good opener to the album as it’s upbeat and it has the violin work that is heard a lot through this album. This is sang by Kane and it suits his style more with Turner singing in the background. The next song ‘Miracle Aligner’ is a song that reminds me of the renaissance era and I don’t know why but it’s a very good singalong even though it’s not the most energetic of songs. After this comes ‘Dracula teeth’ the lyrics in this don’t seem to make any sense as a lot do in this album which makes it hard to remember and singalong but it’s a pretty catchy song once it comes into the chorus but not the best by a long way. The song ‘ Everything you’ve come to expect’ has the most random yet incredible lyrics that come on this album an example “ Ghost Riders and The Rat and Parrot
Croc-skin collar on a Diamond Dog
Dirtbag Ballet by the bins down the alley “ this song is a slow and yet weird song that is interesting to listen to . I enjoy the start of “ element of surprise” as it’s a bit faster and a bit 60s that is a nice thing to listen to however towards the end of the song it becomes a bit stale and boring as the same words are sang over again. The song that could easily be on ‘Coup De Grace’ is ‘Bad Habits’ and is sang by Kane. It’s the most punk/80s song in this record and is very rock and roll for this album with Kane screeming and shouting in this song that suits him as an artist. It’s also very good live to watch. One of my favourite songs of all time is on this record ‘ Sweet Dreams TN’ it shows Turners emotional side and it’s so powerful and beautiful that has the new evolved Turner of ‘Tranquility base hotel and casino’ the love obssed version of him from ‘ AM’ and the old Turner when he sings’ dickhead’ that makes it a true insight of him and his head and how it works. It finishes very strongly with a brilliant finale ending that is very strong . The poetic side of him comes out in this song with some very well written lyrics. After this song is done I’m dissapointed even more as ‘used to be my girl’ doesn’t have any real emotion or real bite to it that you expect from Kane and it feels tame compared to the song before it .

 

I dont really like ‘ She does the Woods’ as it isn’t even catchy at the least and seems to just die after the lyrics ‘“she does the woods” but it has some pretty cool guitar work in it that makes it a bit interesting and listenable . I always love listening to ‘pattern’ it’s just a really good song with brilliant lyrics ‘ and never in my wildest dreams did it occur to me to try to  fall asleep “ it seems a confusing song when sung by Kane that makes it personal and adds emotion to it . As ever the new Turner does the love songs and bizzare very cleverly . This song ‘dream synopsis’ about his dreams perfectly paints pictures in your head that makes this song fun to listen to as you can actually imagine the lyrics come to life and it seems as though he is singing to you when he says “it was you me Miles Kane and some kid I went to school with”that really adds personality to this work. I don’t really find ‘bourne identity’ enjoyable as it never gets going and just seems to carry on and nothing in it has the personality or emotion as other records on this album  have. There’s a lot of people saying how mad Turner has gone and “ les cactus” does this from the video to it and the fact he sings in French makes this song more amusing than brilliant to listen to  . Another crazy and mental song ‘totally wired” by Kane is this time very poor and sounds very amateur from the vocals and how poor and rushed it feels. It’s like they actually  got Kane ‘wired’ and let him record this song which you could say is clever as it actually sounds like he is . The piano work in the first few seconds of ‘this is your life’ is interesting but again it’s anotner song by Kane that just seems rushed and too random even though the guitar in this is the best on the album . The last song is a cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘ is this what you wanted’ and is better than the original as it suits Turners vocals more but the song just gets boring as it’s slow and follows the same pattern that from a cover I would’ve liked them to make it faster and more rock like with guitars and  faster drum work to make it a better song live. I would’ve preferred ‘Sweet Dreams TN” to be the last song on the album as it’s a  more powerful Ballard song and is actually their work which makes it a better send off than just listening to a cover.

 

 

I would say what makes  ‘The last shadow puppets’ unique and great is that in this album you have two very clever artist that have two different styles that come to together to make this totally strange and interesting mix of sounds and ways of expression with Kane being more about the performance and energy to a song and Turner the lyrics and emotion behind his work which makes it an album for a lot of different tastes as there’s a bit for a lot of people . This  also makes it a not complete album for everyone as I don’t like the more punk side rock songs that Kane does in this which is not said for his new album as even though he does the same style it’s more lyrically accessible and has better structure to them that is more easy on the ear. The band is brilliant for daring to be so different in the album and this is why the last shadow puppets are a real reason to admire music and how creative and diverse it can be even   when produced by the same few artists .

 

 

Review: ‘Hunter’ by Anna Calvi

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Rating:⭐️⭐️

At 30 years old Calvi was a late artist to rise into the scene now at 37 she has brought out her new album ‘ Hunter’ . I didn’t know much about her but one thing does stand out about her as a musician , that her work and voice are the same . Beautiful . Her songs on this album aren’t the most exciting or memorable I would say compared to other artists but there’s something in this album that makes it a bit dark and mysterious . It’s an album that has you wondering what’s next and I almost got lost in her vocals at times as her range is incredible . I’m here to look at the album and the first song isn’t a bad way to start .

 

The song ‘As a man’ instantly proves she has a brilliant and ranged voice. I like how slow and chilled yet powerful and passionate this song is . It’s really a good way to open an album that hopefully would prove to be more . Next comes ‘ Hunter’ this starts slow again and nothing really brilliant happens it’s a song you could just have in the background and not notice it . The third song and the best ‘don’t beat the girl out of my boy’ is a quicker song then the previous two with the chorus being simple. I like the verse and how she changes her pitch so easily during this . Singing in a whisper usually sounds rubbish and boring but I like how she does this . The song is very repetitive though and does get boring towards the end of it . The very first time I listened to ‘ swimming pool  I thought ‘how is this even a song it has intrumentals for just under a minute before going into Calvi just showing off her vocal range and saying ‘ swimming pool , amongst a small number of other words for the rest but there is something relaxing and enjoyable about this song . If you want to get a bit pumped up and feel something then ‘alpha’ is the song on this record for this . Like the term this song is powerful , aggressive and does standout on this record.

 

I love how ‘chain’ starts with just vocals and no instruments it is so powerful and personal especially how she continues when the drums kick in and guitar to use her vocals as an extra instrument . After this she burts into an explosion of song and it does get too repetive even though there is very wonderful guitar work at the end . I like the build up in ‘ wish’ it makes it feel a bit tense and you want to know what she’s going to sing but again it goes into nothing and you just hear the same words over and it isn’t interesting at all . The accoustic in ‘away’ brings a nice instrumental change to the album and even emphasises loads how beautiful her voice is but I just don’t find this song as deep and captavating as a slow song like this should be . The last song called ‘Eden’ has a weird spooky intro and the riff in this song is pretty good. There’s a bit in this song where it promises to build into something massive that would finish the album off but it never comes and leaves me a bit down as I wanted her to show off her range and instrumentals.

 

There’s no doubt she has one of the best voices range wise and how it feels so peaceful yet powerful that makes it so captivating but that’s what makes it so frustrating that this album doesn’t match that in tempo. I’d want more fasts songs to show off her powerful ‘strong woman’ side you can see she has . The slower songs which is obvious what the style is in this album do get boring which is a shame as she has the voice to suit and make beautiful meaningful deep songs but she seems to focus more on instrumental breaks rather than lyrics and chorus which doesn’t suit me in this album . The thing I would point out is that if she used all her potential she would make one of the most powerful and influential albums of this decade but she doesn’t focus on what makes a song special . The lyrics. If she took a leaf out of Lennon or someone like that she’d be incredible .

Review:‘Let’s go sunshine’ by the Kooks

 

 

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Released: 31 August 2018

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is album is the Kooks fifth album they have realised and I would say it’s another failed attempt at trying to better the first album ‘ inside the inside out’ nothing has come close to that album although its a very strong attempt. I always know along the lines what The Kooks albums are going to sound like as they are always a bit poppy and easy listening without any over the top complicated lyrics or over the top changes  in styles. This is fine for sunny days at a BBQ or festival full of teenage girls but I wouldn’t ever look back on their work in years to come as clever and defining unlike bands such as Oasis and Arctic Monkeys who have been successful in their genres. I feel the Kooks music is very catchy and does the job of getting people to listen but gets thrown aside once new music is out . They did try change their style on the album ‘Konk’ and this was in all honestly a terrible boring album and they’ve not gone back to that and stuck to what they know .

 

The first song ‘ kids’ is as always as a Kooks song very catchy and does feature a very good guitar solo that is very wild for the Kooks that does show they do dare to step over the line into a new image for a split second before going back to their teenage girl easy on the ear tunes. The second song ‘All the time’ again is very catchy but has nothing to offer in the lyrics or over all sound that’ll make me listen to it loads in the future. The third song ‘ Believe’ is the best song on the album as it’s just a well put together tune as it sounds a tiny bit darker and more fiercer which makes it interesting for this band and it has a hard hitting chorus that I can imagine a lot of people going mad about . I love the acoustic intro in the song ‘fractured and dazed’ before it goes into the drums and vocals. It is a very catchy love song that does feel nice but it is nothing original or what I’d call ‘ a masterpiece’ it’s just a very good pop like song. The song ‘chicken bone’ bores me. It should be better as when it gets the chorus I thought it’d be faster . The next on this record is ‘ fourth leaf clover’ i again can only say this song is catchy but nothing else and it’s nothing expectational. Next on this album is ‘ Tesco disco, it starts with accoustic work and echoing vocals before building into nothing it never gets any better just a bit faster .  I actually really like ‘ honey bee’ I like how there’s clapping sounds in the background and the overall rhythm of the song just makes a nice warm love song. There’s also vocals by someone else on this song as well as Luke Pritchard which is a nice change for a bit .

 

There’s a girl talking in German or another language ( I aren’t 100%) at the start of ‘ initials for Gainsborough’ and this is probably so it doesn’t sound as boring as it actually is . It has nothing other than the start that makes it a standout for this album. There’s also what sounds like vocals by children in the background which make it a bit cheesy. On this record ‘ Pamela’ I finally feel like I can connect with a song on this album as it actually has a bit of fire in it with fast heavy guitar work and aggressive vocals ( for the Kooks ) . It’s a bit punkypop if that’s a thing . More lovely accoustic work on the song ‘ picture work’ that works for a slow song but it just doesn’t suit Pritchard vocals for me as I feel he is more suited for the faster songs . I just get really bored during ‘ swing low ‘ it’s this records album filler and it also has this annoying ‘ bom bom bom’ at the end by Pritchard and again the choir or whatever it is it just isn’t a very good song. I was getting bored at the end of this record and ‘ weight of the world’ doesn’t help this it’s slow and uninteresting and again has that annoying choir in the background vocals that just make it too poppy and cheesy. The last song ‘ no pressure’ has a nice riff at the start before going into a nice sing along ‘ good bye ‘ chorus to it that does work as a final track for a record . It’s a nice song that I can see a lot of people smiling to .

 

This is isn’t anything that I wouldn’t not expect from The Kooks they know what works for them but on the songs where they put a little finger into the water of ‘ rock or punk ‘ I wanted them to just dive into it and let loose. I’d like to think they would go for this on their next record as they are big enough to experiment now .

The album does have some very good songs on it like ‘Believe’ and ‘ no pressure’ that could be on a lot of people’s playlists for a long time but the other records might get lost along the road as time goes by and more music comes out . The Kooks are a very well organised band that know their style and it works for me and a lot of people but they just don’t have the extra punch that the massive era defining bands have . I’d still recommend it to have a listen but it’s nothing like their first album they did .

 

 

Interview with Muules

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Thankyou to Muules bassist Rhys for answering these few short questions and taking time out to talk to me . Listen to the bands debut EP at ( if the link doesn’t work just search for them on Spotify )

Tell us about your self and each member and what inspired you to become a band . 

I first put the cogs in motion for Muules back in March 2017, when I needed a creative outlet for what I was doing outside of the main project I play bass in (reggae outfit Bearfoot). I wanted to go back to my alt-rock roots, but use a different method.  Being a big fan of Royal Blood and Death from Above 1979, I loved the concept of not using any guitar, but instead exploring the sonic abilities of bass, drums and vocals. Over a three-week period, I had a massive music vomit where I wrote and demo’d 13 tracks in three weeks.
By chance, I happened to catch up with vocalist Nathan, who I used to be in a band with over a decade ago, and sent him the tracks to have a listen to. Always loved his vocal style (has a full 90s Chris Cornell/Scott Weiland thing going on).
We needed a drummer that could hit hard, and I’m a fan of Nick’s style and his other band, punk outfit Not To Regret, so we recruited him. After just one practice it all just clicked, and here we are.

Why should people listen to you ? 

Well, was told last night that our music is perfect for amping yourself up before a surf or skate, so I guess we’re a little reminiscent of skate and surf vids from the 90s?

Look, the whole ‘mission’ of Muules was to create music we liked and thought was cool, was fun to play, and a challenge. We didn’t expect it really to take a life of its own.

If you dig 90s-flavoured heavy alt-rock, featuring a pint-sized singer with a massive voice, big drums, and bass taking on guitar duties as well, then give us a crack.

Your debut EP give an insight into the writing process behind it and what it’s about 

Of the three tracks that feature, only one (All Heart No Brain) was on the original listing along with two ‘older’ songs, but in the pre-production phase we wrote Butch Teeth and It Just Happens, both of those stood out.

I set up and produced all the pre-production tracks at my home ‘studio’, then we worked with our good friend Brian Goodworth at Big Rock Studio and laid down the tracks over three days. I ended up recording the bass and ‘guitar’ tracks simultaneously, as I would when I play live, and then added a few extra over dubs to thicken it a little. Our good friend Paul Blakey at 12th and Vine (who has worked with Amy Shark and more) took on the Mastering duties.

Though all three tracks are very different to each other, the underlying theme of ‘choices’ is there – choosing a direction in life, choosing to wait for love, choosing to make art.

Where do you aim to be in the future ? 

We love playing live, as most musicians do, so to be able to keep playing and visiting areas is where we’d be at.  Depends on how far into the future you’re talking about though?
I’ve been working on the production of the next single, which we aim to release in February next year – maybe sooner. 

When are you coming to the Uk ? 

When we can afford to…haha.  One of the hardest parts about being an Australian band is the isolation.  We can tour our country relatively easily (it’s a big damn country), and we can head over to New Zealand cheaper than going from the east coast to the west coast, but getting into the Northern Hemisphere takes about a year of planning and fundraising.  That said, strangely, all three of us in Muules have British-born dads (can’t speak for the other two, but mine’s from up in the North), so we do have that connection there, and we love our British rock.  Who knows, it may be sooner rather than later…

 

Review:Revolver by The Beatles

 

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Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Revolver is the 7th album by the Beatles and was released on 5th August 1966. It was the last album before the band stopped performing live and was the last of the ‘Beatles part one’ before their massive change in style and sound once ‘St Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’ came  out . It is probably one of the most popular albums amongst fans consisting of massive well known records such as ‘Elenor Rigby’ and ‘Yellow Submarine’ .

Track one called ‘Taxman’ is a very edgy song with almost an arrogance in the vocals that works really well with the quirky guitar work. The second song ‘Elenor Rigby’ is one of the most visual songs in history . The lyrics are so detailed and well written they put an image into the listeners head especially the line ‘wearing a face she keeps in a jar by the door ‘ . This is a very spooky yet well put together song with some nice violin work . The song ‘ only sleeping’ is a very classic 60s songs with well put together harmonies but the end guitar work at the end quickly evolves the song into a much more modern song . This is just how ‘love to you’ starts and the song has a very Asian feel to it with nice instrumental work in the backgrounds to acompany Lennons dreamy vocals. This song does seem to go on forever though with nothing really changing in the song making it sound a bit stale towards the back end . The Beatles were world class at background harmonies and this is shown on ‘here there and everywhere’ . It’s a very slow yet beautifully put together song . The vocals are soft and work well with the steady drum work . The next song has probably the most famous chorus of any song by any band ‘yellow submarine ‘ is a classic and the Beatles could only get away with producing such a bizarre yet clever song .Theres background noises of people talking and other weird sound affects that wouldn’t work for any other band but the band do it outstandingly easily . It’s a really really enjoyable singalong . It’s up there with ‘ I am the Walrus’ for its creativity. Things change once again with ‘she said she said’ which again does end up sounding boring and fading into nothing towards the end of the song having nothing interesting like the previous song did . If there’s any song that can actually put into words happiness ‘good day sunshine’ is this and it’s uplifting chorus and catchy verses are perfect to stomp and click to . There’s something about ‘And your bird can sing’ that just is incredible . Maybe it’s the fact of the guitar riffs work brilliantly to break up the song . I love the sound of the trumpets in ‘for no one’ it’s anotner example of the band can work with any instrument to create a proper song of incredible style’ . I’ve always enjoyed when bands sing about people and The Beatles did this so many times and ‘Doctor Robert’ is again a song that paints so many pictures in your head like so many songs by these artists have .

 

In any album a song or a few are always going to get lost as it sits compared to the others and ‘ I want to tell you ‘ does not sit as well on the ear as the rest do. Another up lift song ‘ Got to get you into my life ‘ is one of the best on this album with the steady build up of the drums and the very up natured  vocals of McCartney make  it a catchy listen and the chorus explodes brilliantly with the trumpets and stronger voice of McCartney as he gets into it . The album finishes on yet another ‘I’ve done drugs’ feel to it . Those sounds of Asia and weird noise come out again almost showing that The Beatles were experimenting on this song to show that they were going to change how they did music which was backed up when St Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band came out .

 

Every single Beatles album is a piece of genius in its own way and had it not been for the albums to come after it ‘Revolver’ would’ve gone down as one of The Beatles most creative albums. It does however even after all these  years show how spectacular this band was as even this album which isn’t their best is still miles ahead of the majority of others who have come after .