Apr 27
‘Pastels EP’
Shells is the creation of Khalid Rafique a remixer and producer whose latest work is ‘Pastels EP’ – released mid April 2011.
The three track EP is available for streaming and “name your price” on Bandcamp.
‘Pastels’ sounds just like a experimental feel good remix should sound like; filled with electronic sunshine synth tunes with a relaxing feel.
Kris Searle – ‘Warning Signs’
Kris Searle is a new (talented, creative and successful) kind of artist. Originally from Kent, UK, now living the dream in Los Angeles, US.
Only the last couple of years, Kris Searle has launched his own record label “Inspire U Records”, been nominated for numbers of awards, including; best male artist, best independent rock record of the year, best male performance and international artist (which he won) at the 18th 2008 annual Los Angeles Music Awards. For his debut album “Slowly Diabolical” released the same year.
And more recently won the AAA single of the year in 2009 and been BBC featured artist in the UK. His music has also been included in several films.
Things can only go forward.
Warning Signs is the new single from Kris Searle, due to be released on July 26th. And features Big Brother personality Darnell.
“Warning Signs” is an incredible innovative and catchy tune, with the most brilliant combination of electro pop and techno. And as Kris Searle’s style previously has been describes as personal (both musically and lyrically), makes this song no exception.
Kris Searle’s second album “The Dawn Of Momentum” are set to be released later this year.
Bright Light Bright Light
Bright Light Bright Light is the creation of Rod Thomas, a talented producer, remixer and multi-instrumentalist.
He grew up between two villages in Wales, with nothing better to do than learning a lot of about different kinds of instruments. And he has over the last year, or so, moved his songwriting projects out from his bedroom, to London, where he currently live.
And have worked alongside with (and remixed songs for) acts like Sparks, James Yuill, Gotye, Noah & The Whale, Casiokids, Au Revoir Simone, Gotye, Tim & Sam’s Tim & The Sam Band and The Very Most.
He has released some singles/EP’s through the years. From his former name (his real name – Rod Thomas) and as Bright Light Bright Light. He will release his debut album in 2010.
The first official single “A New Word To Say” can be downloaded from Bright Light Bright Light official site; and give you pretty much all the best of his music so far.
Something that is a great mix of brilliant songwriting and great mixing. And an inventive mix of synth pop, disco pop and electronic pop.
Your Twenties
Your Twenties is a new band from London, born in 2008 and consist of Gabriel Stebbing (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Michael Lovett (backing vocals, bass), James Hoare (backing vocals, guitar), Robin Christian (drums).
The debut EP Caught Wheel was released in the autumn 2009 and consists of three brilliant, original, 60’s a like tracks. This music is easy to like if you’re into experimental pop with a nice touch of psychedelic trash. The combination is unbreakable and can be the first sound of something big.
The debut single “Caught Wheel” is experimental piece of work. The mix of a synthy and acoustic guitar and electro pop makes this to the likes of a modern 80’s track.
The long awaited debut album will be released sometime this year!
La Shark
La Shark is a band from London, and they are so far from a average band you can ever get. They are Samuel Geronimo Deschamps, N.H.A Buxton, Love Maynard, Benjamin Francis Markham and Sami El-Enany, and they have played together for about two years.
La Shark are known for their original and spectacle live shows in underground London. And they’ve been described as a “stunning new force in popular music, a band to actually get excited about, something that doesn’t come along too often these days.”
They’ve been tipped as one of the hot new bands in 2010 by Drowned in Sound boss Sean Adams, and are going on a tour with Paloma Faith in March.
The typical sound of La Shark is a mix of new wave almost alternative pfnk, meet the glory sound of a good old 50’s rhythm. The music is guilty pleasure. It’s wonderfully weird and incredible fascinating.
La Shark’s cover of Always on Time
..it should sound epic!
Three brilliant bands I’ve had the pleasure of listen to lately is exactly what you can call epic. They are 5 Cent Theatre, The Black Dove Experiment and Audioalysis.
5 Cent Theatre
This music got me immediately to think of Elbow. A newer and violin version of Elbow. And it’s lovely, emotional and sensitive music on its very best.
5 Cent Theatre is a new band, formed in London in 2009. Some of the members of the band are previously known as Story One. The total line up is Thomas Evans (lead vocals, violin, keyboard), Barny Barratt (lead guitarist), Jess Barratt (bass guitarist, backing vocals), Pete Simon (cello) and Mike Woolf (drums).
Two songs has been released so far, which is Curtain Call and Shifting Sands.
Curtain Call gives you goosebumps. It’s a soulful ballade with violin, deep lyrics and the irresistible mix of alternative folk and folk-rock-punk.
5 Cent Theatre on MySpace and Last.fm.
The Black Dove Experiment
Another band hailing from London is a four piece consisting of Dodger, Daz, Ric and Stevie.
They play the genius mix of shoe gaze, alternative rock and progressive electronic, something that makes them sound huge.
One self titled EP has been released to far, and the next one are soon ready to be released.
The Black Dove Experiment on MySpace and Last.fm.
Audioalysis
The sound of Audioalysis is lovely epicness.
Audioalysis are a four piece electronica shoe gaze band from Glasgow, and consisting of Michael Oakley (vocals, keyboard), Stuart Scott (guitar), Colin Mackintosh (bass/guitar) and Steven McLay (drums).
They started up in 2006, and have so far released one EP Audioalysis 1. The next EP will be released in late 2009.
There are six strong tracks on Audioalysis 1, each and one of them have a special theme. The first track Take Me Away is a new wave – alternative rock piece of work. A good track that keep you hooked. I’m Losing You is a new romantic – piano rock track. It’s pure quality and have a very well arrangement through the song.
The Resistors
The Resistors started up in 2006/2007 when Karl Sunderland (vocals) and Ed Coonagh (guitar) began to write and recording the “Project the Resistors” in their home studio in West London.
Geoff Laurens (bass) and Seb Sterburg (drums) joined the band when they decided to take the band live. They both came from the same band “Elviss”.
The band was now complete, they have entered the UK music scene and they are about to release the debut album – some time in 2009.
You can’t start listening to this band without thinking “oh, another rock band from London”. They are one of this rock bands from London and ..well this band is phenomenal. They have this incredible cool bass line, kick ass drums and some great lyrics. It’s more than recommendable.
“Crash” is a pure brilliant alternative rock tune, and it’s the best they have delivered, so far. Its starts up like an easy, but somehow advanced song and end up as a psychedelic chaos under control!
Sloth Song
The Standards
The Standards are a pop (and so much more..) band based in London, and consist of Neil Winspear (vocal, guitar), Mark Ness (vocals, bass) and Scott Pragnell (vocals, drums).
They have played with such bands as The Wombats, Sparks, The Cribs and Friendly Fires – to name a few.
This music is not standard, (I know.. someone must have mentioned this before me..)
This music is modern pop mixed with a good old-fashioned sound from the 60’s, some jazz and they sound a bit like a typical modern British indie rock band. They also have that rare mix of glam folk.
Oh, and they sound a bit like Neil Innes, David Bowie, Elvis Costello and they have some country influences, almost at the same time.
The best thing about this music (and band) is how they make the music sound fun and inventive. They have made this music their own and you can’t find another band that has this bands influences and how they have choose to use them.
The Standards – definitely not standard, and absolutely a band to watch.
Needless to Say
Stagecoach
Stagecoach are a pop/grunge band from the darkest of Surrey. They started out as a two-piece band and added a new member every year until they felt they were a band. The members are Luke Barham (vocals, six strings), Nick Tanner (six strings), John Harrington (four strings), Matt Emery (drums, vocals) and Tom Lewis (eight strings, vocals).
Stagecoach started as a band because “we were no good at sports and had no other hobbies apart from skimming stones”. Not a bad idea – this music is definitely solid. And channel 4 have already tipped them as a “band to watch”.
They have so far released a 7-track EP School Day E.P, (full track/free download on Last.fm). The songs are usually about hot dogs, girls and cars. And school stuff!
The lyrics are clever and well written.
No ded enz is a great rock song. The best rock song you’ll hear from this band’s first EP. The guitar through the song combined with a steady drum mix represent this guys’ music perfectly – you want to hear more.
Midnight Circus isn’t so bad either, in fact, this is a typically quality happy-indie song. The guitar riff are strong and the whole song is decent done.
Hang that Head
Guiye Frayo
Pilot G and Pilot V comes from a galaxy far away. And decided to make some music after a uninterrupted journey across the most dangerous and exotic lands.
The results are Computer in the shower EP and London Ghost EP (released 24th March 2009.)
Debut EP “computer in the shower” was a solo work done by Pilot G. One half of the songs on this EP are in Spanish, and I don’t know what he sings about in those songs, but I’m cool with it, because this is great psychedelic and experimental music. The second to last song Pero igual me gustás! are a nice short little thing, great musical skills and it’s (guess what) a part-song.
The last EP, London EP are the results of the first teamwork by Pilot G and Pilot V. And all of the songs are in English. This music have a more “natural” sound. They’ve used some acoustic instruments, toys circuit-bented, funky & rock guitars, electronic alien devices, analog gear, effects and loads. And the results are catchy, different and very cool music.
Mark Hole
Mark Hole is a singer and songwriter, based in London. And he is a perfect example on how charisma, a lot of energy and the fact of being a born entertainer can be such a good combination.
He’s self taught on pretty much all he do, and have so far released the debut album F-Sharp.
Likening Wizard is one of the most incredible instrumental songs I’ve heard in a long time. If you ignore the lyrics and focus on the music through the song, you’ll hear a superb mix of a energetic piano and a touch of flute. That, and the rest of the instruments in this song makes this a systematic chaos of Mark Hole’s creativity!
But then again, if you just focus on the lyrics in this song, and the rest of the songs, you’ll find out that they all have some things in common. They’re dirty, nasty, honest and very well written.
Dirty Base
The Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion is an alternative rock band, based in London by American Nathan Nicholson, Australian Todd Howe and the two English men Adam Harrison and Piers Hewitt.
The Boxer Rebellion was formed in 2003, when Nathan Nicholson three years earlier had left America, and moved to London alone, where he met fellow band member Todd Howe, in London’s 12 bar club. They became friends and wrote songs and later moved in together. Together they started a band, The Slippermen along with Adam Harrison and Piers Hewitt. And they released the LP “The Traveler LP” – they didn’t get so much exposure.
It was first back in 2005 when they changed the name of the band to The Boxer Rebellion and did a huge overhaul of the music, they began to start build a solid fan-base.
The music can be describes like a mixture of rawkus bass-heavy grooves, alternative fragile and explosive vocals, blend in with some melodic indie/alternative sounds.
The Boxer Rebellion have released two albums Exits (2005) and Union (2009), two LP’s The Boxer Rebellion (2003) and Code Red and In Pursuit (2004). And a limited vinyl of Evacuate (2009).
The Traps
The Traps is a Birmingham based band, created on January 1th 2008 by Jamie Barry, Nick Berry, Jim Minhas and Daniel Webb.
They’ve spent 2008 sharing the EP ¨Luna¨ to the fans who messaged them on MySpace. And the music can easily be described as delicate pop-rock-alternative! The guitar riff, drums and the music all together are so very well done! And when you first hear this music – I promise you, you are in to it.
Luna EP consists of four great songs; Run you down, Luna, Molten Minds and Monument. You can also find a seven-tracks-demo set on Last.fm.
The last EP; ELK was released in the summer of 2009.
..and a new EP will soon be available.
The Foxes
Fifteen years after the comedian Bill Hicks passed away, The Foxes dedicates their upcoming single “Bill Hicks” to him – just for him. It’s just too bad he can’t listen to it himself. I can only think of one other song about a dead comedian, which is Man on the moon by REM. You have all heard it.
This 02:18 rock songs are decent. The musical skills are great! The drums make the song and the guitar riffs are amazing. The intro to this song can remind you of the intro to Cheap Trick’s I want you to want me. This single will be released on March 16th.
The Foxes are a four-piece London based rock and indie band, formed in 2006 by Nigel Thomas, Jonathan Bretman, Alex Douglas and Stephen Wilde. They released their first EP Lover, Killer in August 2007 and the first single Trauma Town in October 2007. They received good reviews and Trauma Town even reach the UK indie chart list at number 9!
The Foxes have been cited as having: “the talent and confidence to make a huge impact on the UK music scene” – NME
Something similar:
Hungry kids of Hungary
The Traps
Bird Automatic
Feb 10
The Trees
The Trees are an alternative psychedelic/rock band based in Basildon.
The members did a lot of gigs both in and outside London in a few years, until illness and management issues forced the band to slow down. And so they did. But they didn’t stop recording and write songs. Until they started up again in 2008, the current lineup is Simon Dawes, Tony Eke and Ben Frost.
This music can easily be described as wonderful psychedelic rock. The lyrics aren’t the most joyful. But, who cares? It’s like a wonderful, intelligent poem! And it’s certainly making you think. I also have to mention the genius line of “elegantly wasting away” in the song “All my friends”.
