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.