Song: White Lies - Bigger Than Us

White Lies: Melancholy. Emotive. Dark. Evolving?
We have seen with most of the post punk revival bands (Editors and Interpol for example) that like the originators Joy Division after the death of Ian Curtis, they have opted for the New Order electro sound. However, White Lies have always incorporated synths into their music so what's different about them now? It's far more noticeable and industrial a la Kraftwerk. The bass isn't as clean as on 'To Lose My Life'. Nothing much as changed though, for this song anyway. Time will tell what real direction they have gone and whether they are brave enough to change their sound significantly. It has a bold introduction that just shout 80's at you, interrupted nearly immediately by the singers eerie voice - "You took the tunnel route home, you've never taken that way with me before".

The video is a mock of E.T, although it seems a bit tongue in cheek, especially when the basketballs are flying around the band as they look at the camera in a disinterested manner. Also, E.T probably for legal reasons has been replaced by uh... a girl in a chocolate bar. This is a good song and hopefully a taste into what should be a very interesting sophomore album.'Ritual' has been completed and is set for release in 17th January 2011.

Coming Soon

Coming Soon:
An interview with Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari!
And, A video interview with a young talented drummer - Simon Parrat, on the challenges of performing live music and the trials and tribulations of being in a band.

Exclusive Interview: Attack!Attack!

For starters, your called Attack!Attack! (2 exclamation marks). Fans, Spotify and new music scouts must surely get you confused with Attack Attack! (1 exclamation mark). Do people ever turn up to your gigs expecting an American hardcore band?
Haha, Yeah its happened a couple of times but in general most people are able to work it out and because the music is so different its easy to tell apart

So, you've toured with Kids in glass houses, Lostprophets, Youmeatsix and just done a headline tour. Impressive! But if you could tour with any band who would it be?
I would love to play with Pearl Jam , they are my fave band and it would be a dream to share the same stage as them

You've got a new album coming out, could you tell us about it please?
Its called "the latest fashion" . The title refers to how in music it seems more important to look "cool" than to actually write good songs. As a band we always put song writing first , image isn't important to us , writing great music is. It's 11 tracks of rock classics :D

How important for the band was your single "You and Me" getting onto Guitar Hero 5?
It gave us exposure that we would never have had on a worldwide scale . We got to play our music to millions of people who would never of heard it. And all of our friends thought we were awesome too :p

Wales has turned out some amazing music. But who do you rate; past, present and future, as the best?
The best for me are lostprophets and stereophonics , both bands have written some amazing songs , but there are so many great bands from Wales , The manic street preachers , skindred , funeral for a friend plus there are loads of new bands coming through that are amazing like straight lines and tiger please for example

One of this blogs first articles was about Attack!Attack!s live performance in Blackwood Miners Institute. You've gained a local reputation for having crazy gigs, but what was the best you've played?
Our fave gig was reading festival. It blew our minds how many people showed up to watch us on the really small Radio 1 stage, it was an amazing experience

The singer of Attack!Attack! Neil Star has another band - Dopamine. A band that is reforming. Is this just for a while; a few one off gigs or are you looking to have an album out?
Dopamine never really split , they just took time out whilst Neil concentrated on A!A! Dopamine have written a new album , the first 3 songs are being released as a 3 track EP at the end of the year

Describe Attack!Attack! in less than 10 words.
Nice guys , fun to watch live , kick ass on CD

Finally, What's the funniest thing that's ever happened on tour?
We had our passports stolen in Amsterdam along with our sat nav, it wasn't really that funny at the time but trying to get to Germany using printed instructions in DUTCH was a challenge , looking back on it we laugh!

Album: Hurts - Happiness

We've had copies of all sorts of sounds from the 70's and 80's. Joy division's unique vogue has been repeated in the sounds of Interpol and The Editors. The Cure's pleasant indie sound was the inspiration of the likes of Bloc Party and such. I could go on. But what I'm getting at is - Its been done. But has it? Yes, the electro, indie and general modern rock scene has all come from the 80's. BUT 80's crossovers are few and far between. Hurts have managed to create the polished style and sound of Roxy Music, whilst venturing into new romantic lyrics and music.

They've been on the lips of any new music enthusiast and critic since early 2009. Appearing in newspapers and having interviews. Until the hype machine packed in and they disappeared until BBCs Sound of 2010 list, finishing an impressive 4th. They built up anticipation for their album that was released last week. Happiness is an album about how relationships or lack of really affect people. It doesn't dance around heartbreak with merry rhymes and sing about love like its mans greatest gift. Happiness should be called 'suicidal tendencies due to women being so cruel'.

Never mind. Because they do it incredibly! Radio has allowed the track 'Wonderful Life' to be brought into the mainstream and not so much, its superior single 'Better than love'. Which talk about sex and failing relationships from a sometimes bi-sexual stand point. Bringing these songs in a mainstream isn't a bad thing for once. Because its a very poppy sound.

The stand out songs from the album are 'Blood, tears and gold', 'Illuminated' and 'Devotion'. A song that shows the pop potential for the band, featuring Kylie Minogue, but not as you know her. She sings a heart felt verse with words that echo sadness and affairs. "I feel so ashamed. Right now you seem so far away".

The thing that fascinates me is the really clever marketing on Spotify. Simply type in A5M4 into the search bar and begin your journey into author Joe Stretch's dark (and fitting) interactive audio book, narrated by Anna Friel. Telling the story of a woman with a gun, a story that leads wherever you want in a sexually and emotionally confusing world. In the background is Hurts music. Simply Brilliant!

It's a truly unique album for the time. But I cant help think its a bit... boy band. Maybe. Excellent effort nonetheless and worthy of the awards I'm sure they will win over the next year. So buy it.

Here is a song you may not be familiar with - Blood, Tears and Gold. A video that sums them up pretty much.

Technical issues

Sorry for the lack of bloggage recently but my keyboard isn't working as it should. I'll get it sorted and be back with an interview and reviews soon.

NEW - We are back and running again :D 12/09/2010

Exclusive Interview: Everything Everything

Everything Everything are an experimental indie-electro outfit from Manchester. They are currently looking forward to playing many festivals and expanding their fan base with their new upcoming album.

What sets Everything Everything apart from everyone else?
We try to do things differently, and treat all styles of music with the same amount of value.

What is the song you look forward to performing the most?Once it's ready 'Two for Nero' will be a live favourite for us because the end section is totally improvised.

Describe how it felt to be on the BBCs sound of 2010 list with the likes of Ellie Goulding, Delphic and other amazing bands?
It felt good, we were lucky to have lots of attention without a super-burden of pressure as we weren't number one on the list - a great combination.

Your style is quite unique; who is your biggest influence?
We all love Radiohead, and we also like Steve Reich and US R&B, these are probably what shapes us the most.

Manchester is known for a its music scene, how hard was it to stand out from the crowd?
it's only hard to stand out in manchester if you are trying to copy the old styles the city is known for, if you are doing anything different you soon stand out. If you are doing the old thing and are really really good you will stand out too.

If you had to be a cover band, who would you cover and why?We'd love to be a Destiny's Child or En Vogue cover band, the three part harmonies and vocal rhythms are fun and to perform.

The music is quite arty and the lyrics are quick and catchy like if Jim Carey was on speed ; how do you write your songs?We start with a demo on guitar or usually laptop, the band has a listen and converts it into reality. Lyrically the ideas come from lots of places in my life, I write lyrics like I think - there is always more than one thing happening in my head (in everyone's!) and I don't feel it's honest to strip down lyrics or thoughts to one theme or idea, it's just not human.

Schoolin' seems to be getting a lot of airplay, why do you think this is?We chose to release Schoolin' first as we thought it was a slightly more 'difficult' radio record, and we wanted to show a more mature side to ourselves in the lead up to the album, we were very pleasantly surprised by the radio response

What's the funniest thing to happen to you on tour?We got trapped in the lift in Ibiza, in the hottest part of the day - luckily Mickey our drummer was carrying a bucket of ice so we had an ice party in this tiny lift for 2 hours.

Artist: Lostprophets

The Pontypridd band are 4 studio albums in and still going strong, their debut album reached platinum status this week. So I'm going to be looking at their secrets, albums and criticisms.

During their emergence in the late 90's and new millennium, rock music was dominated by Nu metal, although it seemed popular, for many people it didn't appeal. Dance music was attracting big audiences with catchy loops and quick drum beats. Lostprophets were one of the first bands to capitalise on using dance music and metal together. A prime example is on their debut album "The fake sound of progress" opening track "Shinobi Vs Dragon Ninja". This album was a testament, even from the name, that they wanted to change rock music forever. Essentially, giving rock the pop element and mixing the calm with the chaotic, became a trend and although the album wasn't that popular, people took notice.

Their next album, really progressed their sound. This really was the sound of progress. Essentially, "Start Something" had began the emo movement. Their singles "BurnBurn" and "Last Train Home" broke them into the mainstream. Their music was on every music channel. The album reached 4th in UK album chart. The album was so popular with music enthusiasts that the next album was expected to change rock music for a good while. They had the potential and the momentum.


"Liberation Transmission" was an immediate hit, reaching number 1 on the week of its release. Singles "Rooftops" and "4am forever" were anthems fit for the stages on the festivals they were playing. However, Ians voice seemed to be less emphatic compared to previous albums, growling and down tuned guitars chugging were replaced with catchy indie style riffs. Instead of taking the sound forward they had stayed still and if anything goes backwards. Some fans would say its their best album, it's certainly their most commercially successful. Other fans would say it was selling out; they had become a pop band.

The most recent release "The Betrayed" reached 3rd in the charts and was said by the band to be the darkest album to date. Certainly it has shown elements of the old days. It still doesn't have the brashness of "Start Something" or the raw uniqueness of their debut. However, it has progressed their sound with catchy pop-like singles that ll rake in the money (such as "where we belong" and "its not the end of the world")and laced together with that grungy style they were recognised for (like "Dstryr Dstryr)!

Only time will tell if they carry on in a decline with their fan base growing up, will they mature their sound or maybe change it to pick up the a young crowd? Time will tell.

Exclusive Interview: Goldie Looking Chain

You knows it! The GLC have a cult following around the UK and beyond. Hit after hit came from these comedic rappers. I didn't want to give them the usual treatment, so as legends, I gave them a few testing questions and some hilarious answers:

You come from Newport, Wales. It has a bit of 'reputation', the home office declared it one of the "most dangerous places to be at night" a few years back. What are its redeeming features?
We have a really good hospital within stumbling distance from the arena of conflict that is Newport town centre. We also have a statue of a metal pig, a great indoor market and one of Britain's best independent record shops, Diverse records.

You recently performed at "TJ's in the square" in memory of John Sicolo who died shortly before TJ's, a music venue where so many legends have played, had to be close down. How much of a loss is this to music in the area?
There are a few music venues in the Port but none more important that TJs. It's a massive loss.

I hear there is plans to have "TJ's in the square" every year, will the band be helping to make this a reality?
It was one of the most amazing things in the world to play in your home town in the place you use to hang out in as a kid in front of everyone you know and the "Vic Reeves generation" that we grew up with. I kind of hope they do it every year with bands from all over the UK and Wales. It was run really well and everything went according to plan which is a credit to the organisers. Check out my blog for pictures etc http://glctour.blogspot.com/

Your known for your eccentricity and being well... a bit mental. So out of all the members of GLC, who is most likely to die first as a result of this?
We have been waiting for maggot to die for ages now. He lives in a flat in London on his own and we always joke that they will find him dead in that flat one day. Mike Balls said he would be dead by thirty but he messed that up, he is thirty one now. I think he has put it up to thirty five now, we will have to wait and see.

You were invited to play at the Wales Vs England world cup qualifying match, you then caused controversy by singing "your missus is a nutter" at the Beckham's..This resulted in a rumour that said you being summoned into the mayors office? Was this your proudest moment? And what did the mayor actually say to you?
That's a lie, who told you that? We got some negative comments from the Welsh FA but they don't know shit, they put John Toshack in charge and he is a dick.

How has going independent from your record label worked out for you so far?
It's really great. It's nice to be in control of things we have a great distribution deal and we can put music out when we want. We have a sort of stop LP out now, it's a mix of 20 songs that have never been released. you can get it here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tape-Vol-2-Goldie-Lookin-Chain/dp/B003MY6BC2/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1276661607&sr=8-10 or buy it in HMV. It's called "the mix tape two".

The Ryder Cup is coming to Newport soon, will you be attending?
Nope, we have done a Ryder Cup golf anthem, it's great keep and eye (or ear) out for it.

How do you think you will be remembered in 20 years time?Does anyone remember Derek B? he was amazing, he made me believe I could make it in the rap game. If anyone remembers him then we will be ok......Do you know Derek B?


Unfortunately, I don't know Derek B...Sorry. What are the GLC planning to do in the future?Well we got the Golf anthem out soon and we have a really great new LP full of banging tunes to make you sweat in the bedroom/nightclub. Got a load of festivals to smash up and hope to do a bunch more next year.

A few of you recently appeared on BBC's 'Snog, marry, avoid'. So to finish, here's a scenario: The Queen, The Pope and The Go Compare man; Snog, marry, avoid?Funny you should say that I actually know the Go Compare man, he is Welsh, we use to get smash up on the booze down Cardiff bay before he hit the big time. I would snog the Queen, that would be a great story to tell the Americans. Thanks I love you. :)

Great Interview.

Exclusive Interview: The Walnut Tree (Record Label)

Fed up of hearing about music from critics and bands points of views? We are asking the chair of 'The Walnut Tree Records' about the industry.

What made you decide that you were going to start a record label?
The label started in 2007, but I'd been involved in alternative music since about 2001. I started by running the UK website for Blink-182 and then went onto reviewing bands, to writing fanzines, selling merch for my local touring bands, hosting a radio show and then I had a small scale CD distro. This was called The Walnut Tree and it was where I’d sell smaller American pop-punk releases to people in the UK at cost price. I had some pretty cool releases such as the Four Year Strong album, the Valencia album, Daggermouth’s first two albums and sold every single copy that I imported. Unfortunately a band called Rushmore Academy decided to take my money and never send me their CDs to sell – so I came out of the whole thing £70 down, it was pretty upsetting. The band would go missing for months between replies and then eventually broke up and I never did get that money back. I then lost interest in the distro and thought I’d try my hand at putting out my own releases by UK bands. I was, and still do, work for a major record label during the day and the amount of awful releases they were churning out made me lose heart in music and I stopped going to gigs for a few months. I figured that the best way to get out of this slum would be to get back into working with bands and music that I love and it seems to have worked!

What exactly does a record label do?
I could go on all day here with this question - but if I had to summarise it in one sentence then I'd opt for "making their releases and bands accessible to as wide an audience as possible". This can come in so many forms, and not all labels offer the same functions. Walnut Tree Records on the whole looks after the production of the releases, the press, the promotions, the selling and then any ad hoc work that I think will help the bands. I'm sure there is much more than that though, it's pretty hard to get it down to a coherent list! I manage all the finance and accounts too, but that's mainly outgoings, trust me! One thing I don't offer is the ability to book tours for bands or have any real say in getting them onto tour supports. You could say this is a weakness in the label, but I find booking agents and good band managers are more than capable of doing this for their bands. I mustn't forget that I'm also the person who looks out for new bands to work with, any A&R as such is purely just me finding new bands I like and seeing what their situation is. Essentially the job is never finished for an independent label - there is normally always something more you can do or another route to take. Most small labels would probably love for more hours to be added to the day so they could get everything done.

What do you look for in potential bands?
It sounds really simple - but first and foremost I look for music that I love. If I'm going to invest time into a band then I want to be in love with their music. It helps you smooth over some of the more awkward moments as a label and when you've been at work all day and then come home and work on the label til 1am you want to be engaged with the band and their music. If you're only half interested then it can be hard to motivate yourself when the going gets tough. I also look for bands who understand the label and what I'm able to do for them, and then are willing to put the work in themselves. My first signing, Paige, worked hard as a band but never really understood the ethos of the label or the limitations of being on a start up label and got frustrated when they weren't huge over night.

How should you measure the success of a label, your happiness, the bands happiness or money?
I think it's a balance between my happiness and the bands happiness. Of course money is nice to have, but a small label like mine would be naive to think that they'd be making much from their 'business'. The success of a label is always going to different for each label - some invest more money into their bands and might expect more back as a result. I'm not in this to make money - if I'm enjoying myself and progressing my releases and the bands on my label then I consider it a success. I'm always interested in how the bands are finding it too - the happier they are then the harder they'll work, which in turn makes it easier to work with them. It works the other way too - an unhappy band can be extremely difficult to work with.

Do you think that free streaming sites and software like Spotify or Last.fm are helping the music industry or is it another way to get around buying music?
I'd sit on the fence here - I find that it's helping the music industry to have their releases heard by a wider audience at any time of the day, but that doesn't necessarily transfer to increased sales. Those successful record labels, such as Universal Music, have expanded their revenue streams though - so sales of albums over the counter at HMV or in Tesco aren't what's keeping them afloat. An incredible amount of finance comes through synchronisation, business partners, sponsorships etc. A great example is the increased awareness of The Noisettes after their track was used on a car advert - people flooded to streaming sites to listen again and then the track was a hit on the radio, the video was requested on TV...which all pulled money in for the label and the band. This issue seems to divide the industry a fair amount!



Who do you most respect in the world of music?
I respect any band member who is happy to spend their life waiting around venues, eating crap, living out of suitcases and sleeping in vans purely because they love music and want others to hear them play it. It's not a life that I'd want for myself. I also have a massive respect for anyone who takes a chance on a band or a release, whether that's an independent label, a live promoter, someone running a blog, the list is endless really. It's great to see people passionate about their music and not always driven by money or the chance to be a big shot.

The Walnut Tree is a unique name, how did it come around?
The Beck family house is called Walnut Cottage as there is a big walnut tree in the corner of the garden. From my old bedroom I had a great view of the tree and the fields behind it and that picture in my head always reminds me of home, so I choose the name as a reference to that. Without trying to sound like a doucebag, I also think the name is fairly symbolic in that trees can start off from the tiniest of seeds and evolve into something hugely impressive...just like a record label can. Of course some don't make it to that point for various reasons - but they've all got the chance.

If you could sign one band, who would it be?
If I had to pick a realistic signing then I'd love to be involved with The Maple State, even though they aren't a full time or touring band these days. I've rated them as one of my favourite bands for years now and it was a pleasure to get to go on tour with them and hang out with them as friends. I've still got my fingers crossed that I can put something out one day!
I've been asked a similar question in the past too - only instead of bands it was about certain releases I'd like to have been involved in. My answer from a year ago is still pretty relevant now. I said "I think I should probably stick to the ethos of the label here and talk about UK bands, it’d be very easy to say Blink-182 and New Found Glory though in hindsight but I’d never have stood a chance with either. I’d have loved to have been involved with A’s album “A vs. Monkey Kong”, I still listen to that a lot years later. It’s one of those albums, like with my Portman releases, where you’ll find a lot to love on it but at the same time you can understand why people aren’t so keen. Jason Perry’s vocals are a bit grating it has to be said, but they sit well with me. I can’t forget “Learning to Play with…” by Captain Everything too, especially since I’ve seen John and Lew down at Watford games in the past!
If we were to include overseas releases then I could talk all day about bands like Hey Mercedes, Hot Rod Circuit, Piebald, The Junior Varsity etc. All underappreciated bands who would have benefitted from having a bit more support in the UK. Unfortunately they’ve all broken up now though!

How important are labels in how successful bands become?
It's different for each band. Some bands find fame and fortune without record labels initially (everyone always points to Enter Shikari as an example here), but others benefit hugely from the work of their record labels. For most bands being "signed" is a benefit to them, but you'll always hear sob stories.

Exclusive Interview: CubaCuba

CubaCuba are an indie-pop/electronica band based in South Wales. Hottly tipped for success. I have been given an exclusive interview with the singer Morgan:

What sets CubaCuba apart from other bands?

We dont try terribly hard to set ourselves apart from everyone else. Having said that, we do want our music to be appreciated for the right reasons. We just write what sounds good to us and we like to come up with some fun ideas to go along with our music. Our debut album which we've just recorded, sets us apart more than ever before.

What is the song you look forward to performing the most?
From our new set, I guess we all enjoy performing 'We Rode' because it's new and were excited to hear what people have to say about it.

What's the best gig you've ever played?

The best gig we've played is always a hard one. We've played some massive shows and some tiny shows but we always agree that Swansea Student Union last year was really fun. The crowd were drunk and dancing.

Who do you site as your biggest influence?

If you ask Mike he'd say Dream Theatre because he's a metal head turned soft. The rest of us have all kinds of influences, maybe Bloc Party or Coldplay being 2 strongs amongst us.

Cuba Cuba are from Wales, where did the name come from? Has the USA got an embargo against you?

Haha, awesome question. The answer is probaby yes, the U.S do have an embargo on us. The name though, came from a period where we were brainstorming and I was studying Cuba at the time so we decided to put 2 Cuba's because repetition is good...

Who do you expect to make it big in the next few years, except for yourselves of course?

We have some very good friends that make amazing music in South Wales right now. Our buddies Tiger Please are set for very big things. Mark my word. Other friends of ours Straight Lines are definetly going to make a mark on music and outside of Wales, Tubelord will hopefully reach great heights. All awesome bands.

Do you think South Wales as a place of natural beauty or as a run down, depressed area that you can't wait to move from?

We love South Wales. Theres definetly some natural beauty. It's to easy to talk about how crap your town is etc which is why we've never done it. The basic theme of our debut album is wanting to experience adventure and to travel the world but you'll never catch us slating our hometowns. We're very gratefull.

It seems you have another album coming out, can you tell us how it will be different from "Tales From The Cabin"?

'Tales From The Cabin' was a collection of our best songs to the point where we recorded it. Some songs were written so long ago. It lacked structure and story whereas our debut album has a real running theme that people can relate to. We're very proud of our first E.P but this album is a massive step up for us. It's everything that we hoped it was going to be. We honestly cant wait to show everyone.

Who is the Vainest member of the band?

This one is between Sion and Mike. Tales have been told of Sion taking up to 3 hours doing his hair in the mirror. He also likes to hit the fake tan for the summer. Mike on the other hand, is also partial to a bit of fake tan to compliment his highly defined muscles. He also uses Veet to rid of any body hair. The worrying thing is, they both live together in a house...

What are your plans/goals for CubaCuba?

We tour this month then we're heading to London to polish off our album at the beggining of August and then you can expect to hear news on it shortly after. We always said we'd love to release an album and were doing that now. Its awesome. Were very confident in the album to. We plan to tour a lot in the coming years. We hope it will take us to Europe and beyond. As long as were still having fun, Cuba Cuba will still be around in 20 years time.

Check out our upcoming shows and latest news on :

www.myspace.com/cubacubamusic

Cheers mate, fun interview

Exclusive Interview: As We Climb

As we climb are an up and coming band mainly from Cambridge. They supported Madina Lake and although unsigned at the moment, will be a band to look out for in the future. Drummer Ben 'TF' Taylor was kind enough to let me interview him.

As we climb are pretty new band to many people, how would you describe the sound, what makes you different to everyone else?I suppose most would call us Pop-Punk, we prefer the term Heavy Pop. The key to writing good songs is to have memorable melodies and "hooks". We like to fuse the "hookiness" of pop, with an edge of rock. I'd say one of the things that would set us aside from other bands would have to be the array of vocals used in each song.

What is the song you look forward to performing the most?At the moment, the song I look forward to playing the most is a new song called "Get It Together" which will be on our album, due in early 2011. From the batch of songs that people may have heard online, I'd probably say "Tell It To My Tombstone", as it's the song people seem to know the most, so they really get involved.

The band seems to have a lot of facial hair, is there a competition?Haha! What a great question! I shaved mine off recently and instantly realised the mistake that I had made. It's true, we do like a bit of facial hair, apart from James. We've tried to convince him that he looks killer with a beard, but he won't have it. When we went into the studio last year, we did actually have a facial hair growing contest, which is why some of us look so ropey in the video diaries!

Whats your favourite gig you've ever played?My favourite show would probably have to have been when we supported Madina Lake in Cardiff. The show itself was not necessarily better than other shows we'd played, it was more to do with the amount of good feedback we got from the kids. We made a lot of new fans that night, and that's what it's all about!

Who do you site as you biggest influence?We all have different influences, but collectively you could probably say bands like Simple Plan, Fastlane etc.

I saw your blog video in your tour bus, trying to annoy the driver, it was hillarious, but whats the funnuest things thats happened on tour?Believe it or not, we haven't gone on tour yet, we've only been together about a year and a half so far.. But we've had many road trips to different shows around the UK. It's hard to pick the funniest, it'd either be between.. When we were in the studio last year, we were sleeping in the van every night in a car park next to the studio. The police came by to check what we were up to and B-Ry freaked out and ran away because he thought we were in trouble. The second would probably be at a service station on the way to Wales when B-Ry turned to the side to let out an almighty burp and a pretty blonde walked straight into it!

Except for yourselves who do you expect to make it big in the future?That's a good question, there are some really great bands starting to emerge in our scene at the moment. I think Deaf Havana could go onto even bigger things and Futures seem to have what it takes too.

Cambridge is known globally for its Universities, not much else. Whats the best part about coming from there?Although the band is based in Cambridge, only Ben and James actually live there.. Me and B-Ry live about 30 mins away. I remember how the music scene used to be great in Cambridge, sadly it's not really anymore. So.. I guess the best thing about living there would be the fact that they have an Apple store!

Are you planning any releases soon?We are indeed, we're due to go into the studio on July 12th to record the second half of our debut Album. I think the plan is to release a couple of singles this year, before we release the album in the first quarter of 2011.

What are your plans/goals for as we climb?Well, as any band would say, we want to make it to the top! But in all seriousness, we just want people to get to hear the tunes, come to our shows, enjoy the music and most of all we want to carry on enjoying doing it. We're just like a family and we enjoy every minute of the band, we hope it continues for a long time.

Check them out: http://www.asweclimb.com/

Wales' Most Important Export

Blame politics. Blame foreign competition. Whatever you want to blame, Wales is exporting less in the way of manufactured goods than ever. Apathy is rife throughout the country and it seems that any chance of revival has diminished. But do the people of Wales sit back and let themselves become victims? No! They fight back whether its striking, protesting or creating music.

Recently Wales' most important and sucessful resource is music and pop-punk sensations like Kids In Glass Houses, Attack!Attack! (see previous reviews) and pop-princess Marina and the Diamonds are just a small sample of Welsh artists that have newly broken through onto the scene.

Wales seems to have an unlimited amount of talent at the moment, but who is set to shine in the next couple of years? Here are a few to wet your lips:

Tiger Please
Probably one of the most exciting alternative acts in Wales at the moment, Tiger Please blend tranquil guitar and aggressive vocals, there sound is akin to a modern Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and the Gaslight Anthem. Wales hasn't produced an sound like this before, predominantly Wales is a hotspot for young pop-punk bands. I wrote a short review last year after seeing them peform in a miners institute in a small valleys town. Since then, the bands reputation has accelerated enough to play Download after some brilliant reviews from Kerrang and Rock Sound. Recently, they have extended their catalouge with an excellent seasonal EP called...uhhh.. "Seasons". Check it out.

http://www.myspace.com/tigerplease

Cuba Cuba
Another talented bunch with a committed group of followers, Indie-electro quintet CubaCuba remind me of the sort of fun and energetic atmosphere bands like We Are Scientists, Foals and The Automatic gave off when they arrived. Its a gentle but confident sound that anyone who enjoys upbeat and catchy music will appreciate. They have expereinced exposure on Radio 1 and hopefully soon will impress us with a successful future. Again, they aren't sticking to the Youmeatsix infulenced pop-punk that litters Wales at the moment, "Tales from the cabin" EP boasts a lot of good potential singles. Definatly worth a listen.

http://www.myspace.com/cubacubamusic

Young Guns
They seem to have been about for ages! Young Guns have taken their time but playing small and intimate venues has allowed them to build up a solid local fanbase. The angsty and heavy alternative sound is similar to Paramore and Madina Lake. Songs like "Winter Kiss" and "Sons of apathy" are often played on Rock music channels. Getting the credit they deseve, Young Guns will be opening Readings main stage. I'm pretty confident of success very soon. Watch this space!

http://www.myspace.com/youngguns

Ridin' Solo

Going solo isnt a new thing. Artists have always done it, whether its to expand their sound like Michael Jackson breaking from the Jackson 5 or realising that their potential is being held back (and the band is taking all the money) like Eric Clapton. But these days its become the norm on the alternative scene to break away from a sucessful without splitting up. But should we really care, is going solo are having a side project just a ploy to make a few quid from their fame? Or are they really looking to create something so fresh that their band could never do?

Lets take a look some modern examples:

Kele
After the singer, lyricist, guitarist and frontman of Bloc Party said he wanted to expand on the unfamiliar sounds of their "Intamacy" album, Kele Okereke put together an LP that boasted the fast paced dance music, laced with heart jeering lyrics in the form of "The Boxer". As catchy as it may be, the album dissappointed with a few clever songs like "Tenderoni" but these were few and far between. Although NME said Bloc Party would never be the same after this, i dont beleive it. If anything he has saved it by getting all the urges out of his system that were moving away from Bloc Party's iconic British Indie sound.

Lightspeed Champion:
Devonte Hynes could never make the light hearted music for doughy eyed teenage girls with the thrashy test icicles. Although his albums were not particularly successful, you have to compliment him on trying something new.

Gorillaz:
Blur were as famous as their 90's rivals Oasis for spliting up and reforming. Eventually Damon Albarn got fed up of having to reinvent the sound of britpop. He felt people got famous off their image, so surely blur would do well no matter what stuff they churned out. Their image had been set. So he went onto create a animated band with no physical image. With influences from R'n'B, rap and indie he broke barriers and created 5 time platinum albums with a unique twist that music had seen before.

Ok, ok. So I'm picking good examples here, but there are so many well thought of side projects and solo acts that i could go on for ages. Corey Taylor's Stone Sour, The Housmartin's Norman Cook and his Fat Boy Slim successes, to name but a few.
Its not all sunshine and rainbows though, some artists shouldnt have ever gone solo...



Public Image Limited
Johnny Rotten, what were you thinking? The sex pistols were iconic but P.I.L churned out really basic riffs and just shouted out repetitive nonsense. He confessed he was a sell out. Well, he wasnt wrong there.

Dead by Sunrise
Chester from Linkin park made a mistake. LP fans have been waiting ages for a 4th album after the dissappointing 3rd. Then on tour he announces his side porject and has the cheek to play some of their songs in the middle of their set. Completly unsuccessful and the result of an ego to match Bono; this was mistake.

So an end-word to any artists experiencing success. Either stick to what you know, fiddle with it a bit or do something completly different. Don't sell out.

Album: Hadouken! - For The Masses

Hadouken are the exclaimed band originally behind the New Rave revolution of 2008. Well, thats what the magazines and blogs were saying. They are a self described Grindie band, a mix of Grime and Indie, from the North. Smashing together vocals of a Rapper or a jumpy teenage band sometimes, they are accused of breaking the Rock music code by adding something so dangerously un-cotia. This is tastefully put together with their keyboard and guitar dominated music.

This new album has shocked old fans by moving well away from all teen antic based lyrics and any guitar to create a very Dub and Drum'n'Bass induced coma. In the meantime creating soemthing new and fresh sounding without being too technically clever. The last album "Music for an accelerated culture" despite being lyrically more appealing lacks the dancefloor filling fills that can sell that is found in the second album.



The first song on the album, "Rebirth", sounds very Klaxons but then something unexpected happenes, a choir joins in singing! A brash harmony with the heavy, in your face lyrics from James. Their first releases from the album have been blogged about previously. The singles aren't representative of the album.

Some very interesting quick beat, dance riffs come from "Evil" and "Bombshock" but these aren't the stand out songs. The best achievement on this LP is the lento that the Dubstep inspired songs "House is falling" and "Lost". Its incredible how this can make a song so heavily bass inflicted, yet euphoric. You get that feeling of your sleeves vibrating and your chest pounding when you let these tunes loose. The way ugly morphs into a bouncy and feet tapping centrepeice is genius.

Is it all that good though. Can you be Nu Rave without the rock side to things? No. But then lets not just judge on what it isn't, what it is, is important! The lyrics are left wanting, i find myself laughing at the irrelavance of the most of words and some are just plain funny, "you're ugly like your sister, boy!" , or, "I'm gonna fuck your face up, Break bones with this bass line, Break your nose with a faceplant." Not a bad effort though as long as you don't treat it too seriously. The obvious Chase&Status, Prodigy and Pendulum influences make this widely avaliable to anyone!

Album Rating: 6.5/10

Album: Delphic - Acolyte

Delphic are a 3 piece, genre splitting band from Manchester. Their alternative-dance antics were first taken notice of in 2009 when minor French electronic label 'Kitsune' signed them and placed them on their compilation album, which in the past have featured 'Phoenix', 'La Roux' and 'Bloc Party'. Later on that year, Delphic inspired some show stopped performances at Reading & Leeds festivals and Creamfields, showing that the newbies are appealing to a wide audience. With an album on the way and the taster LP 'Counterpoint' baiting an audience hungry for new and experimental music, 2010 will be a big year for these fledgling entertainers.

Named in numerous "Sound of 2010" lists and mixtapes, Delphic are hyped to be a huge name in the alternative music market. So whats the big deal? Is it really THAT groundbreaking?

Acolyte sounds like an album that has taken inspiration from so many different places that it could either be seen as a masterpiece or a waste of potential. The big hit from the album, 'Doubt' is an addictive but anti-climaxing production, that I goes against most songs that insist themselves in the charts these days. However, it seems to follow the trend of most new music in which the vocals on the introduction are sliced; similar to 'Lady GaGa' or 'Two door cinema club'.

The stand out songs seem to be a 'Gary Numan' influenced. 'Submission' has a drum beat that seems to lend itself off a 'Portishead' electronic drum riff and the hook that has been borrowed off 'Usher's - Yeah!', with a telephone that rings in the background every bridge. Another multi-influenced tune is 'The Momentary'. The bass line is akin to an old 'Kings Of Leon' ballad, crossed with amazing merged vocals, chanting "lets do something real" and kicking back with a euphoric synth line, that could definitely fill the floor of any nightclub.

Interesting. It appears that a band that looks like it takes inspiration from so many genres can create something new; but is it really that new? In 2007, similar lists and mixtapes were focusing on the "Nu-rave revolution" as the Klaxons came onto the scene, their album although different to most things on offer, wasn't "ground breaking" at all, it was just hyped up to be different. 'Acolyte' is a similar story, the word "Acolyte" means someone who seeks to hold a greater position than they currently do in the church. Delphic don't not seek this, obviously, but it is a signal of intent. They wont do it with this album, they wont set the world on fire, but they will get noticed and all this publicity wont do them harm. Good luck to them and well done for creating a extravagant new sound that British music has been desperate for. 'Acolyte' deserves an accolade.

Album Rating: 7.5/10