Apr 6
Daley
Daley is a new and upcoming UK based singer and songwriter, known for his unique style of combining soul, ambient and experimental vibes.
He have not yet released an EP, or album – but have already been tipped as one of the “one to watch” in 2011, and been included on “Triple J Hottest 100, 2010” with Gorillaz!
Doncamatic feat Gorillaz
Fitz and the Tantrums
It got soul, it got funk and it got groove. It’s also sounds like it could be taken directly from the 70’s (Austin Powers – style!)
Fitz & the Tantrums were founded by Michael Fitzpatrick, who had begun writing soul music for a solo project on an old church organ he had purchased.
He added friend James King to the group as an arranger and soon after expanded the band to a seven-piece, including several horns. Fitzpatrick shares the vocal duties with Noelle Scaggs. Other members include Joseph Karnes, Jeremy Ruzumna, and John Wicks.
In the last year the band has released debut EP Songs for a Breakup, Vol. 1 and debut album Pickin’ Up The Pieces, toured with Maroon 5 and April Smith, and played at Jay Leno’s show (today actually).
MoneyGrabber
April Bloom is one of the tracks from Lior’s “1-2-3″ album, released exclusive for European fans.
It’s a new month and new news. See also “Life on March”, “February News”, “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue!” and “A Kind of Magic.. eh, roundup!” for news for the last four months.
Enjoy!
First out is the lovely Italian net label La bèl netlabel’s new release Evil from Plusplus. The whole album is available for streaming on http://labelnetlabel.com and as free download.
“Evils” is a easy listening pleasure with soft and smooth acoustic guitars and different instruments, that makes dreamy and inventive atmospheric folktronica.
Hereford based 6 piece instrumentalists Talons hit the road again in April for a series of UK and European shows, following on from the release of their debut album, the critically acclaimed ‘Hollow Realm’, last November. The tour, their first of the year, sees them make their first trips to Denmark and Poland, with a couple more continental dates still to be added.
08.05 – Norwich, Arts Centre
09.05 – Birmingham, The Flapper
14.05 – DK Copenhagen, KB18
15.05 – D Kiel, Schaubude
16.05 – D Wermelskirchen, Heartcoretage @ AJZ Bahndamm
18.05 – PL Poznan, Pod Minoga (w/ Caspian)
19.05 – PL Sopot, Papryka
20.05 – PL Wroclaw, Bezsennosc (w/ Caspian)
23.05 – Cheltenham, Frog & Fiddle
24.05 – Portsmouth, Edge of the Wedge
25.05 – London, Bull & Gate (Club Fandango)
26.05 – Sheffield, Bungalows & Bears
27.05 – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
28.05 – Bristol, The Croft
29.05 – Guildford, Boilerroom
To coincide with the tour, ‘Commemorations’, an 8 track discography album of everything the band had recorded up until ‘Hollow Realm’ will be released digitally for the first time on April 4th, available worldwide via Big Scary Monsters Records. Stream below and download it here.
The Fearless Vampire Killers – For You and Me
April 9th will see the release of For You And Me, the first single of the debut album (due in store mid 2011) from Melbourne’s The Fearless Vampire Killers.
For You And Me will follow on from the previously release singles Alright Now Honey and Loaded Gun, which both drew love and subsequent airplay from alternative radio across the country.
Wolf Gang has announced his highly anticipated debut album ‘Suego Faults’ will be out on the 27th June, recorded with producer Dave Fridmann (MGMT, Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips) it has every chance to be one of the best albums this year.
Something Unusual is the last track from the album:
Colorado Rock Band Rose Hill Drive Announces More Tour Dates In Between Supporting Stone Temple Pilots
Rose Hill Drive Tour Dates
4/20/11 – Chicaco, IL @ Beat Kitchen
4/22/11 – Indiana, PA @ Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex *
4/23/11 – New York City, NY @ Mercury Lounge
4/26/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Pavillion *
4/27/11 – Norfolk, VA @ Norva *
4/29/11 – Whitesburg, KY @ Summit City Lounge
5/1/11 – Whites Creek, TN @ The Woods at Fontanel *
5/3/11 – Washington, DC @ Red Palace
5/4/11 – Glen Allen, VA @ Innsbrook Pavillion *
5/5/11 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre *
5/7/11 – Rochester, NY @ The Armory *
Brisbane is one of my favorite cities when it comes to the music scene they have there. If you take a quick look through this blog, you’ll see why.
Brisbane is where you’ll find Hungry Kids of Hungary, Blame Ringo, Ball Park Music, Drawn From Bees, Montpelier, Pensive Penguin, Charlie Mayfair, The John Steel Singers, and many more!
In mid March a new collective of Brisbane record labels released a new compilation called “Sounds Like Brisbane”. The collective brings together (almost) all the city’s labels to help each other out with getting word out about the diversity and quality of the music scene and is a bit of a unique story in itself.
Here’s what they say about it :
“BRISBANE’S RECORD LABELS UNITE
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA: Yes, it’s hot. Yes, it’s wet. But Brisbane is also a city with one of the strongest independent music scenes you will find anywhere.
Believed to be a world first, soundslikebrisbane (SLB) is bringing together the citys indie labels under the one banner – already 17 independent labels are represented, with more to join the fold soon. They are giving you a taste of the collective with a free Brisbane music sampler available online now.
Covering every genre from garage rock and indie, to jazz, hip-hop, country and pop, the labels define the creative melting pot that Brisbane has become. Together these labels work with dozens of artists, promoting close to 100 releases each year.
Among them are some of the countrys most exciting new artists including DZ DEATHRAYS, Mr Maps, The Optimen, The Medics, Regurgitator and Jackie Marshall.
It is a label scene that few, if any, other cities the size of Brisbane could boast with the collective including prominent local labels: Plus One Records, Mere Noise, Dew Process, Turkeyneck, Room 40, Someone Good, Pinnacles Music, SUGARRUSH, Lofly, El Nino El Nino, Red Tape Entertainment, Starving Kids, Valve Records, Obisidian Records, 777 Operations, and Useless Arts Records.
Theres no doubting that right now Brisbanes indie labels are the engine room of the local music scene, and the contribution they make should be celebrated and supported, SLB’s Craig Spann explains. These labels are often one or two-person operations at the cutting edge of the city’s creative scene, fueling Brisbane’s reputation as one of the worlds most exciting music cities.
The soundslikebrisbane.com website features fresh label and artist profiles and a range of exclusive content updated every week
Whether you’re a fan or a music industry type, discover new labels, new bands, make new connections in Australia and get your head around one of the world’s most exciting music cities at www.soundslikebrisbane.com.”
Young Beautiful in a Hurry (formerly Brendan’s Band) is a modern glam rock band, inspired by Mika’s interpretation of Queen, David Bowie and everything good between. The first single “Light Years” was released in March 2011, while the debut album see the release on June 21st 2011!
For those who are not yet familiar with Young Beautiful in a Hurry; can you please give a little background?
Young Beautiful in a Hurry is a band which has been galavanting around west LA for years under several less powerful names. I (Brendan McCreary) am the song writer and front man of the band, and at this moment, also filling in for booking agent, manager, and head groupie. The groupie thing can get complicated. Bryan Taylor has had a seat on the drum throne since the beginning, and he is a force to be reckoned with. He plays with incredible passion and technique to back it up. A singer and songwriter himself. Most recently added to the fold is our bassist Sam Beumier, who’s always right in the pocket. Currently we are also playing with Albert and Andrew Chiang, who provide a creamy blend of background vocals, percussion and acoustic guitar. The music we make is high-energy rock/pop with an infusion of glam and soul, that is hard to find in today’s musical climate.
You’re previously known as Brendan’s Band; why did you decide to change your name and what does it mean?
Brendan’s Band was always a “for lack of a better name” situation. And we operated under that moniker (ineffectively) for a few years. I never settled into it personally, and any time I ever told people the name of the group, the best I would get in response is a shrug, or a confused look. So I knew we had to change the name before the debut record was released. Young Beautiful in a Hurry was going to be the name of the record since before we started recording, and one day as I was looking at the album art, I just randomly decided to cover up “Brendan’s Band” so all that was left was YBH…and I knew right then and there, that was going to be our new name.
Young Beautiful in a Hurry has a lot of meaning crammed into a very small space, and means very different things to a lot of different people. For me, it is representative of how myself and my band mates feel. We’re all young, hungry, passionate, and eager to make our mark in the world with our art. I can only assume that the same must be true for a lot of young people out there, whether you’re in the arts, or sports, or science or politics, you’ve only got this time here and now to accomplish something. So, for me its more of a motivational thing. Obviously, if taken at face value, it has a sort of arrogance and pomp to it, which I also like.
Thus far its been a beautiful name for the band and the music we make. I think it will carry us into the future quite nicely.
Describe your music in five words:
Young Beautiful in a Hurry…that’s five words.
You’ve released one single “Light Years”, what can you tell us about it?
Light Years at its most fundamental, is about how the anguish of a break up or separation can run parallel between the two “contestants” of the split, no matter how “far apart” you are. At the time I wrote it I was going through a pretty nasty split with my long distance lady, and was having a hell of a time meeting someone new. I found that when you come out of something serious, it is so easy to expect things or to slip into habits you had with your former lover, with a prospective one, and its quite stressful. Thus the lines, “but I just met you”. There’s a lot of stuff to chew on lyrically in that song, and I think most everyone can find something to commiserate with, and connect to their own relationships.
What can the fans expect from your first full length album?
A full course meal in an audible format. You’re definitely going to go on a journey, and not just through various genres (of which we dabble in many). It is not a concept album by any stretch of the imagination, but I compiled the tracks to have a narrative scope and scale. The album builds in emotion and richness as you progress through it, with a huge triumphant climax, and a delicate denouement. I tried to mirror the emotional story line of a book or a film throughout. There is action, adventure, romance, sadness, and satire. I rarely listen to individual tracks, playlists, or put the stereo on random. I have great respect for an album that has something to say from start to finish, and that’s what I set out to do with this record…and all subsequent ones to come as well.
What is your creative process when writing songs as a band? Does everyone have their own specific role?
I write the songs and bring them into the fold with the group. By the time I’m ready to show the guys, I have a pretty fleshed out idea of what it should sound like in my head, and from there we just blast into it. I usually have lead sheets for the guys to look at initially with the major hits and important rhythms, and from there its just getting comfy with the tune. It usually takes a few gigs before a new song gets comfy in its skin.
Do you enjoy performing live? How do you know when you’ve had a good gig? Any memorable live experiences you could tell us about?
Performing live is just about the only thing I live for. I love being in the studio, and I love writing as well, but being on stage, when the heat is on is the greatest (or worst) feeling in the world. And that’s what I love about it. Its a huge gamble. You never know what the hell is going to happen up there, and you have to make it work. Situations like that are a big turn on for me. Things always go wrong, people jump up on the stage, we get lost or botch an ending, and I get the most pleasure in life out of finding ways to navigate those treacherous moments.
As far as memorable moments, nothing terribly out of the ordinary comes to mind, at least in terms of isolated events. But ultimately, connecting with the audience in a major way is always memorable. It is an incredibly fulfilling experience. Right now, we’re at the small beans club level, so it can be hard to maintain to energy of the crowd without hordes of endlessly devoted fans crying out for us. I like to think that every time you’re on stage you have to earn that connection from the audience. Which is why I play every gig like its my last, it just makes it feel so damn good!
What’s the best piece of praise you’ve received so far?
I’ve done a lot of pre-release promotion with the record, and I’ve gotten pretty unanimously positive feedback. Very few people have provided me with something so concise as to share it here, but suffice it to say, we’ve made a habit out of impressing the pants off of people.
How do you promote your music?
Right now I’m just trying to reach out into my own small community of friends, friends of friends, and fans. Facebook is the major tool I employ, as well as flyering the venue and other pretty traditional things. I use BandCamp to sell our tunes at the moment: http://youngbeautifulinahurry.bandcamp.com/ And I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in selling their music online. It is truly grassroots on the internet as far as I can tell.
What’s the plan for 2011?
The plan for 2011 is to get this record out to as many people as possible, beef up the Twitter and FB numbers (a sad but necessary requisite) and to somehow, through putting on badass shows, and shamelessly pimping the band online, start selling out shows. I’m not sure how to progress forward in today’s climate with the label method dissolving before our eyes, but I know that no band or artist makes it anywhere without help. I’d love to have some kind of representation by the end of the year to take the manager and agent (and groupie) labels off my shoulders.
Art vs Science – ‘The Experiment’
Art vs Science are one of those bands that most likely can be famous for being so wonderfully original. The music is like a mix of electronic pop, alternative pop, new rave, electro-pop dance, and outer space pop.
The music is virtual insanity; it’s intensive, experimental and “crafted carefully according to principles abstracted from the study of human responses to music.”
When I first discovered them back in 2010 “Parlez vous francais?” was the single that caught mine (and everyone else’s) attention. It was one of the tracks written in a 48 hrs intensive writing session in 2008 and was released on the band’s debut EP (which received several nominations and radio plays by Triple J).
Art vs Science’s debut album “The Experiment” has a lot of manic, modern super Mario bros/Nintendo feel to it, and it sounds mad. Simply said. And that’s probably why the band has made a superb impact on the Australian music stage in such an early stage.
Album Recommendation : Tea Leaf Green – ‘Looking West’
“Looking West” is Tea Leaf Green’s eight album to date, and was released last June. The album is the band’s first album since 2008 and consists of road-tested, fan-favorite songs that TLG had never gotten around to recording in the studio. The decision to record these cherished songs marked a new chapter for the band.
In the past few years, TLG has overcome more than its share of adversity, including a line-up change (current bass player Reed Mathis joined in 2008), as well as a split with their record label.
The hardships endured by the band have only made them stronger and the new studio album is a shaping up to be a perfect representation of how far they have come.
“Looking West” has everything you can ever think of a jam, acoustic jam, rock, hippy rock, country, feel good rock, funky jam with some brilliant guitar riffs and steady drums.
The songs are a chapter for themselves and give the album a listening pleasure both if you listen to the album from start to end, or the tracks individual.
Looking West
Lior – ’3-2-1′
‘3-2-1’ is the last release from Lior, one of Australia’s top independent artists. It marks the beginning of a new chapter as he steps out of Australia, with an album exclusive for European fans.
The album is a collection of tracks taken from the three first releases from the past few years in Australia, inclusive a collaboration he did with a Sia, “I’ll Forget You”, and was released in mid March.
Lior burst on to the Australian music scene in 2005 with his stunning debut album “Autumn Flow”. Recorded and released independently, the album became one of the most successful independent debuts in Australians history.
He released two follow up albums, “Corner of an Endless Road” and “Tumbling Into the Dawn” – which gives him the status of Australia’s finest young singer/songwriters.
I’ll Forget You (feat. Sia)
Album Recommendation : The Waifs – ‘Temptation’
“Where do we take it from here?” sings Vikki Thorn on Day Dreamer, one of the most uplifting moments on The Waifs’ extraordinary sixth album, Temptation, released on March 4th.
It’s a question the much-loved Australian band has asked itself several times in the 19 years since Thorn, her sister Donna Simpson and guitarist Josh Cunningham set off on their incredible journey.
A trip that began in a van in 1992, with the three troubadours playing gigs anywhere in Australia that would have them, has led The Waifs to multiple ARIA awards, platinum albums and successful tours across the world. The hard yards in those early days paid off in terms of their career, but also bound the three of them together as friends.
Temptation sees them stripping back, returning to their roots and playing an assortment of acoustic and electric instruments, joined once again by the established rhythm section of drummer David Ross Macdonald and bassist Ben Franz.
The songs on the album are melancholic, lovely and well written, and leave you with a calm feeling. Strong tracks like “Falling”, “Drifting Dreaming”, “Just Like Me” and “Day Dreamer” represent some of the most important and memorable characteristic signs of The Waifs, and let they prove yet again that they know how to create great music.
Temptation was recorded in November last year at Underwood Studios, a ramshackle old house-cum-studio in Simpson’s adopted home city of St Paul, Minneapolis.
Falling
Alpines – ‘Night Drive EP’
Alpines are one of those bands in 2011 that can be remembered for creating the most spectacular videos and music. Three videos have been made (see them below) and the debut release “Night Drive” is set to be released this Monday (28 March).
Alpines is a brand new duo consisting of Catherine Pockson and Bob Matthews who hail from Kingston-Upon-Thames (South West London). They came together in 2010 after seen each other perform and decided to do something together.
They created lovely and spectacular new wave, atmospheric lo fi dream pop and have already received great reviews.
Drive
Ice and Arrows
Ice and Arrows (Dark Sky Remix)
See Alpines #1, #2 and #3 on YouTube!
Greg Smith and the Broken English – ‘The Losing Hand EP’
“The Losing Hand” is the latest release from Greg Smith and his band The Broken English.
They released debut album “Times Like This” in 2010, and this year sees the bands first national tour as they play at SXSW!
”The Losing Hand” is an EP filled with harmonic acoustic folk combined with some suitable lyrics. The songs are made up in a way that makes you both listen to them and let them sum in the background.
The opening track “Spare Me Eliza” is a grower that starts up with a slowly style, and develop as it goes. It also consists of two vocals that complement each other, something you also can hear in the rest of the songs.
The musical ensemble with acoustic guitars, emotional and well written lyrics are what makes this band as good as it is.
The Mad Pride
‘The Mad Pride’ is the brainchild of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Rowan Galagher.
If you mix the elements from Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Syd Barrett and Radiohead, you’ll get this music, in the most creative way.
3 albums was released between 2009 and 2010. And 30 tracks are made available for download from several places on the internet – including soundcloud.
In addition to the comparisons that have been made (including Jacques Brel, Mr Bungle, Danny Elfman, Jeff Martin, Muse, Grizzly Bear, Midlake and David Sylvian), the music is difficult to pigeonhole, as it has a bit of everything; from weird classical post rock, to dark wave, psychedelic and everything in between.
Stream “Scary Poppins” on Soundcloud.
Two Spot Gobi – ‘Guiding Star’
Two Spot Gobi have already performed with the likes of Bruno Mars, Newton Faulkner and Michael Bublé, as well as supporting Jason Mraz across Europe and the US, and they are now set to truly breakthrough in 2011.
The first single “Guiding Star” was released on February 28 and is taken from the band’s new album set to be released in May.
Pre-order the album here and read an interview with James Robinson (lead singer/guitarist), here!
Two Spot Gobi have gone from being a sunshine reggae, chirpy surf and feel good summer pop band to give you acoustic, cello based pop. Something you can already hear in the first single ‘Guiding Star’ taken from the upcoming album “The Sun Will Rise”.
‘Guiding Star’ starts up strong with a cello-based intro that quickly that makes the basis of the whole song and the epic and upbeat feel.
All Mankind – ‘Break The Spell’
If you like The Killers, Muse and Coldplay, you’ll most definitely like ‘Break the Spell” and All Mankind.
Having already played 300 shows across the UK, USA and Australia and worked with ARIA-winning producer David Nicholas (Elton John, Sting), and Peter Mayes (PNAU, Empire of the Sun), Brandon Friesen while also gaining fans such as Mike Walsh, Music Director at the famed Xfm (UK) the band are ready to release the debut album in 2011.
The album is recorded and mixed with Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight, The Kooks and Mercury Prize-nominated act Foals) at The Motor Museum studios in Liverpool, England. And the first single out is ‘Break the Spell’.
‘Clothes, Friends, Photos’ EP
..is the debut release from Peter and Kerry, a new duo made up by two singers whose chance meeting and collaborative instincts led to them penning a collection of their own original songs.
‘Clothes, Friends, Photos’ is a upbeat, folky, atmospheric and lovely release with influences from the likes of Local Natives, Grizzly Bear and some lo-fi folk pop. The collaboration between two solo singers gives it a living and at the same time relaxing feel.
‘Clothes, Friends, Photos’ will be released on April 4, followed by a show in London on April 26.
Al Lewis began his musical career in his homeland Wales back in 2007 with the debut singles “Waiting for You” and “I’ll be the Moon” and a welsh language EP entitled Byw mewn Breuddwyd on his own label.
Since then he have released two further EPs: “Dilyn Pob Cam” and “One Way Love Affair” and two full length albums “Sawl Ffordd Allan”, and received good exposure on BBC’s 6music.
His last album “In The Wake” was released last year, and it gives you a folk inspired album with some lovely and easy listening vocals.
Firstly; who is Al Lewis?
I’m a singer/songwriter from the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales – I grew up speaking Welsh at home, it’s a very isolated and secluded place which makes it perfect for writing songs and contemplating life & love etc!
Having come back from spending a year living in Toulouse in France I decided that music was my one true passion and that I would pursue a career as a singer/songwriter.
What’s your musical background?
I never did music academically whilst in school. I never took any exams or anything but I was in bands in school and whilst at University,
then after I left University my first two releases were two EPs on my own label in the Welsh language!
What can you tell us about your latest album ‘In the Wake’?
‘In the Wake’ is an amalgamation of several different recording sessions and EPs that I released over the past couple of years.
Im really proud of how it turned out as I think the songs and the recordings are a good reflection of where I was and what I was feeling at the time – it’s a sombre record but hopefully uplifting as well!
Make a Little Room
How do you promote your music?
As with most musicians these days I’ve had to become an expert in social-networking sites! So I tweet, blog, you name it!
I also find going out and playing live is still a great (if not the best) way of getting your music out there and heard!
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re not playing your own?
I love the singer/songwriter genre and I love anything from the Deep South of America – so Old-School Rhythm n’Blues.
My favourite artists are people such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Wilco, Ryan Adams….
What TV show would you like to see your music featured on?
Mad Men – I’m currently obsessed with this show – Im slowly catching up-to-date with what series is now on TV so to get featured on there would be amazing!
Do you prefer playing live or recording?
At the moment ‘live’ because that’s what I’ve been doing for the past month – playing in Caffè Nero coffee shops all over the country as their ‘artist of the month’ which had been a real pleasurable experience!
What’s the best piece of praise you’ve received so far?
The Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens once commented that I was a ‘stop what you’re doing and take proper note’ singer
What’ve you been up to the last 12 months?
As well as promoting ‘In the Wake’ – Ive also been busy in the studio back home in Wales recording my second Welsh language album ‘Ar Gof a Chadw’ along with my band which is due for release later this spring.
And what are your plans for 2011?
Continue touring to help promote ‘In the Wake’ – hopefully do some festivals in the summer and then in the autumn start thinking about recording english album no#2!
Owls of the Swamp – ‘So Far Away’
Owls of the Swamp is Pete Uhlenbruch, a Melbourne-based dream-folk troubadour who creates lovely, warm and melancholic acoustic music.
His last single “So Far Away” is taken from his upcoming album “Go with River” and is set to be released in mid 2011.
Stream the single below, and download it on Triple J Unearthed.
There will also be a single launch in Melbourne on
18th March at Bar 303 (Northcote) with support from Ainslie Wills and Ma Petite.
Matthew P – ‘The Breakfast Song’
Matthew P is a troubadour who takes the inspiration for his music from the world around him. Last week he released the first single “The Breakfast Song” (as free download) from his upcoming ‘Breakfast EP’. And it comes with a music video he made by himself.
Matthew P creates acoustic sunny folk for every music lover, and have in addition to the new released some shows coming up:
March 4th
The Living Room, Cambridge
March 6th
Notting Hill Arts Club (Communion Club Night), London
March 10th
Bungay High School, Suffolk
8th April
Fisher Theatre, March – In Aid Of Medicinema
24th April
Studio 2, Liverpool (w/ Thomas J Speight)
IVienna – ‘Exertion’
IVienna are Sam T. Lowen, Tomus Reade, Luke Sandoe and Dale Jones, a new London/Bournemouth based band. They’re so new, they’ve only got one track, “Exertion” available for the public ear to hear.
There will hopefully be more fragile, enigmatic, energetic sounds from this band very soon, too. In the meantime; watch the video for “Exertion” below.
Download the track here!
New month, new music and new news!
As always; I’ll keep on updating this post this month with more music news, updates, releases, short reviews, quick introducions and music related stuff.
Click here for “February Music”, here for “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue!” (January news) and here “A Kind of Magic.. eh, roundup!” (December news).
All the music here is free to stream and/or download somewhere on the internet – so enjoy!
New music from Baddies!
Tiger Face
Wir Schlagen Unsere Brust
Alternative folk/roots band Circus Envy released their new single “Regret” on January 24th 2011, and the band are now hit the road.
Dates:
Bridlington, YOR, UK Sat Mar 19 ( The Spa.)
Hull, UK Thu Apr 07 (Fruit.)
A new release will also soon be available.
April Smith and the Great Picture Show tour with Fitz and the Tantrums
April Smith and her band The Great Picture Show released probably one of the most disgusting (Terrible Things) and wittiest, quirkiest rockabilly modern jazz sing-along piano themed releases last year. And they are now ready to hit the road with soul group Fitz and the Tantrums.
Terrible Things
MoneyGrabber
Tour Dates:
3/20 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl (FREE)
4/10 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theater
4/11 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
4/12 Charleston, SC Music Farm
4/14 Atlanta, GA The Loft @ Center Stage
4/17 Mobile, AL Soul Kitchen
4/18 Houston, TX Bronze Peacock Room @HOB
4/19 Austin, TX LaZona Rosa
4/20 Dallas, TX Cambridge Room @ HOB
4/22 Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Brew Pub
4/23 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
After a lengthy hibernation, The Musgraves are back. And their new EP “Lost in Familiarity” are set to be released in the near future.
So Sofia
The Fratellis is no more. But Jon Fratelli lives on! He’s currently offer a free download of the new EP “The Magic Hour”, with songs written and recorded for the album which in the end lost out in the numbers game.
Download it here!
Tour dates:
24 Mar 2011 – Teenage Cancer Trust 2011, Royal Albert Hall London, Supporting Roger Daltrey CBE.
25 Mar 2011 – Vibe Bar London
30 Mar 2011 – King Tuts Glasgow
31 Mar 2011 – Bongo Club Edinburgh
02 Apr 2011 – Tunnels Aberdeen
03 Apr 2011 – Doghouse Dundee
04 Apr 2011 – Ironworks Inverness
05 Apr 2011 – An Lanntair Stornoway
07 Apr 2011 – Stromness Town Hall Orkney
08 Apr 2011 – Assembly RoomsWick
09 Apr 2011 – The Loft Stromness
30 Apr 2011 – Live In Leeds Leeds
Elbow have finally released their fifth album “Build a Rocket Boys!” – download it here!
Neat Little Rows
The Airborne Toxic Event have announced the dates of their new album “All At Once” – which will be out on 25 April.
Watch the first single “Changing” from the new release here!
On March 11th 2011, multi –platinum award winning New Zealand artist Tiki Taane will release his new album ‘In The Word Of Light’ through Stop Start/EMI Music Austraila. To support the release in Australia he will tour the East Coast in May.
Tour Dates:
Thu May 19 Great Northern Byron Bay NSW
Fri May 20 Coolangatta Hotel Coolangatta QLD
Sat May 21 The Hi Fi Brisbane QLD
Thu May 26 Panthers Penrith NSW
Fri May 27 Selina’s Coogee Bay NSW
Sat May 28 Corner Hotel Melbourne VIC
Always On My Mind
Wild Beasts are releasing their new single, ‘Albatross’, on May 2nd. The song is the first single from the band’s third album, due to be released on May 9.
Monarchy: Debut album and new single!
“I Won’t Let Go” is the new single from Monarchy, set for release on April 11th via Moda and is taken from the band’s debut album that will be released in July.
The Straight Arrows started out with Owen Penglis yelling about getting dumped and kicked out of bands into a four track cassette machine in his bedroom, soon to be joined by Alex Grigg, Angela Bermuda, and Adam Williams, all friends with coloured musical pasts.
Slowly the four honed their reverb-laden, catchy, fuzzed out punk garage into something barely listenable and less antisocial. Unable to actually get any shows, Straight Arrows started putting on their own at the notorious (and now abandoned) gay bar The Newtown Hotel, culminating in the release of their first 7 inch record ‘Something Happens/Can’t Count’ on their newly formed label Juvenile Records.
‘Magic Sceptre’ is the first track, taken from the band’s newly released LD “It’s Happening”!
Wolfgang will release his new single “Dancing With The Devil” on March 21.
“Unlearn” is the debut album from CYMBALS, and will be released on Tough Love Records as a limited edition 12” and download on 9th May.
The first single/video from a brand new band Jumping Ships was released this monday, and it’s taken from the band’s debut EP, to be released this summer.
One of the new bands to watch in 2011, Grouplove have announced tour dates for the next months;
Mar 17 Floating Fest Austin, TX RSVP
Mar 23 The Independent San Francisco, CA Tickets RSVP
Mar 25 Troubadour Los Angeles, CA Tickets RSVP
Mar 29 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT Tickets RSVP
Mar 30 The Walnut Room Denver, CO Tickets RSVP
Mar 31 The Record Bar Kansas City, MO Tickets RSVP
Apr 01 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN Tickets RSVP
Apr 02 Schuba’s Tavern Chicago, IL Tickets RSVP
Apr 03 Lee’s Palace Toronto, Canada Tickets RSVP
Apr 05 Petit Campus Montreal, Canada Tickets RSVP
Apr 07 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MA Tickets RSVP
Apr 08 Mercury Lounge New York, NY Tickets RSVP
Apr 09 Knitting Factory Brooklyn Brooklyn, NY Tickets RSVP
Apr 10 KungFu Necktie Philadelphia, PA Tickets RSVP
Apr 11 The Red Palace Washington, DC Tickets RSVP
May 10 O2 Academy 2 Liverpool Liverpool, United Kingdom RSVP
May 11 O2 Academy 2 Birmingham Birmingham, United Kingdom RSVP
May 16 O2 Academy 2 Oxford Oxford, United Kingdom
Those Dancing Days‘ second album was released this weekend, and the new video from the new album can be seen below.
Toy Horses have just posted a new video for the song “Interrupt”.
Sounds Like Brisbane
Yes, it’s hot. Yes, it’s wet. But Brisbane is also a city with one of the strongest independent music scenes you will find anywhere.
Believed to be a world first, soundslikebrisbane (SLB) is bringing together the city’s indie labels under the one banner – already 17 independent labels are represented, with more to join the fold soon. They are giving you a taste of the collective with a free Brisbane music sampler available online now.
Covering every genre from garage rock and indie, to jazz, hip-hop, country and pop, the labels define the creative melting pot that Brisbane has become. Together these labels work with dozens of artists, promoting close to 100 releases each year.
Read more, stream and download more @ SoundslikeBrisbane.com
Pink Mist
Big Scary Monsters + Holy Roar + Blood And Biscuits = Pink Mist Collective
Pink Mist is a brand new collective made up by the labels mentioned above, and they’ll arrange a showcase features Three Trapped Tigers and Tall Ships.
4.05 – Brighton, The Great Escape
15.05 – Southampton, Talking Heads
16.05 – Cambridge, The Portland
18.05 – Birmingham, Hare and Hounds
19.05 – Cardiff, Buffalo Bar
20.05 – Liverpool, Kazimer (Sound City)
21.05 – Glasgow, GSA
22.05 – Newcastle, Head of Steam
23.05 – Manchester, Night and Day
24.05 – Sheffield, The Harley
25.05 – Leeds, Nation of Shopkeepers
26.05 – Preston, Mad Ferret
27.05 – Bristol, Start The Bus
28.05 – Meadowlands Festival, Glynde Place
31.05 – London, Cargo
Keshco – Accountants By Day
The last release from the multi experimental pschycadelic band Keshco was released around Christmas, but some releases are worth late-sharing.
So, as a late (or early!) Christmas gift, download “Accountants By Day” from 23 Seconds Netlabel.
The guys also have a psychedelic comedy film in the pipeline, stay tuned.
The Trees – Tracy’s House
Indie rockers The Trees have just released two new tracks from the upcoming second [Untitled] album.
The songs are “Tracy’s House” and its B-side “Greenhills”. Both can be streamed on last.fm.
The band also has a new webside : http://www.the-trees.com
Beau and the Arrows – ‘Fix’
Beau and the Arrows started as a solo project by singer and songwriter Beau Carter, from Woolwich, South East London, the band began to forge its unique sound after recruiting Jasmin Foley, whose delicate vocals lift the minimal, yet soaring soundscapes and perfectly complement Beau’s own vocals.
They have already received good recognition on BB6 music for their lo-fi rock and breezy post punk – sound.
Debut single “Fix” and its ‘flip’ “Calming Effects” are set to be released on April 4th 2011, followed by a London tour, and the release of debut album ‘Future Kicks’ in August.
Tour dates:
Feb 19th – The Miller
March 2nd – Buffalo Bar
March 22nd – The Enterprise
April 7th – Alley Cat Club
April 21st – The Monarch
June 28th – Old Blue Last
Pope Jean – ‘A Drowning’
Art-pop collective Pope Jean are already making some great waves in the UK, and have impressed the audiences performing with the likes of The Invisible, The Vaccines and Twin Shadow.
The band are set to release their new single ‘A Drowning’ and its b-side ‘I Can’t Stand You At All’ on March 21st 2011.
For a early taster of the bands unique and inventive sound, a free recording of their track ‘Mattias’ is available to download now through their MySpace and soundcloud page.
A Drowning
Team Me
Team Me are one of the most exciting new bands in Norway in these days. They’ve just been together for a year and have already made themselves a good reputation on the Norwegian music scene.
The band have just released the long awaited debut EP “Team Me EP”, and are now preparing themselves to jump over the sea, and warm up for British Sea Power and The Wombats.
“Team Me EP” is a great debut release. The EP gives you some fuzzy, indie pop melodic tracks, including the memorable tracks “Weathervanes and Chemicals” and “Kennedy Street”.
If you by any change feel like playing a video game after/while you listen to Team Me. Why not? “Weathervanes and Chemicals” has its own game “Get Home” based entirely around the song!
Tour dates:
23/02 – Brighton Komedia (w/ British Sea Power)
25/02 – London XOYO (Øya Festival showcase)
27/02 – London The Forum (w/ British Sea Power)
10/03 – Birmingham HMV Institute (w/ The Wombats)
11/03 – Sheffield Leadmill (w/ The Wombats)
13/03 – Norwich UEA (w/ The Wombats)
14/03 – London Hammersmith Apollo (w/ The Wombats)
17/03 – Cardiff University (w/ The Wombats)
18/03 – Bristol Academy (w/ The Wombats)
12-14/05 – Brighton The Great Escape Festival
Einar Stray
Norwegian singer and songwriter Einar Stray released his debut album ‘Chiaroscuro’ on February 7, and has already received good praise in Norway and overseas.
‘Chiaroscuro’ is a classical baroque pop, dynamic/melancholic postpop based album with an atmospheric and classical feel to it.
Memorable tracks like “Teppet Faller”, “Chiaroscuro” and “Yr Heart Isn’t A Heart” makes a slow, but steady way into your heart, and are able to fill your room with bliss, warmness and a longer for more of this music.
Teppet Faller
Bellman
Bellman is Arne-Johan Rauan, a Norwegian singer and songwriter based in Larvik.
The music from Bellman has to be one of the most beautiful and extraordinaire coming out of Norway today; the mixture of classical pop, memorable vocals and postrock pop, give you some modern ballads you just gotta love.
He have already released two albums in Norway and one debut EP in the UK – free download here!
“Spaceship, Move Slow!” one of the songs Bellman is most famous for, sum up some of the greatest elements from his music in a classical atmospheric feel. Lovely!
Spaceship, Move Slow!
Something similar:
Team Me
I See Horses
Solvor Vermeer
Sertari is a UK based singer and songwriter, known for her comprehensive musical style, which includes RnB, electronica and hip hop and pop.
She has already worked with some of the most talented and influenced people in the industry and had several nominations, including; best live act, best song and a nomination in the International Independent Artist Awards.
Who is Sertari?
I am a singer/songwriter and producer, I love writing and being in the studio and not forgetting performing on stage, I get a huge buzz when on stage and love to entertain people, I come from a very musical Greek Cypriot family, I guess this is where i developed my passion for music.
You’ve been involved with music since you were young, how did you know this was your way to go?
From a young age I was introduced to all kinds of music from, Classical, world music, jazz, pop, rock RnB. My Dad played the accordion and traveled on cruise ships playing and singing the Greek classics and the chart hits, My dad would always play the accordion at home and we would always grab the mic for a good ol sing song!
Mum on the other hand was very operatic, there was always some sort of music being played or someone singing so it was for me my natural path and a desire of what i wanted to do.
What’s a typical day like?
I wake up thinking of music, i go to work humming music and come home recording music : )
Beautiful Day
Do you write your own songs? What’s your inspiration?
I write all my own music, I also work with a great producer Benjaming K, when we get together we bounce ideas off each other, it is so great to be in the same room where you can be open and creative. I use to write about personal experience but now i’m am having a lot more fun and write about anything i want, my latest single ‘ Platform 22′ was written about catching a train – simple, but it was written with many metaphors and references about life etc.. I love building a story in my songs and to be very visual when writing.
What kind of music are you listening to at the moment?
Many things, I try to keep up to date with whats happening in the charts but i also love listening to some of my fav artist and bands, just to name a few Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Audio Slave, Michael Jackson, No Doubt, Nightwish, madonna, Andrea Bocelli, DNA and the list goes on..
However i do like to listen out for those jems either through youtube or a random search on Ituens that you would not normally hear on the radio for example Carl Sagan – ‘A Glorious Dawn’ i think this is a beautiful mix and very clever.
You are soon releasing a new EP – what can you tell us about it?
My New EP is out on Itunes and most online stores on the 1st February called ‘ Pandora’s Box’ – I have given the EP this title because I like the idea behind Pandora’s Box, in life no matter what happens there is still Hope.
How much do you use internet and social media to promote your music, and why did you decide to join WeLoveYourSongs?
I use most social sites to promote my music, i guess since the internet, it has been a great tool to find new music and also to promote music.
I was recommended to sign up to ‘WeLoveYourSong’ – It is a great way to introduce your self and meet new people, also i have checked out other bands/artist – it is good to hear new things and connects you to another social community.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?
I guess as an unsigned artist this would have to be that you need to manage your time well and allow yourself to create music as these days you cannot forget to do your own promoting, marketing, websites etc also not forgetting having to find funds for recording, videos, mixing, mastering and artwork. The key is to think of your self and your own business and take it as far as you can, saying that, i find it fun and exciting to have a passion in life and more then happy to work my musical behind off to achieve this.
A great quote i have heard is this
“Many of Life’s failures are people who had not realised how close they where to success when they gave up”
And lastly, what’s the plan for 2011?
Well first up the EP Pandora’s box is out on Feb 1st and very excited about it, you can also get it though www.sertari.com
I get involved in lots of charity work and will be releasing a single in March where all donations will be going to the Great Ormond street Children’s Hospital – a great charity close to my heart. My Producer Ben is also running the London Marathon for this charity so all donations are welcome through this link
http://www.justgiving.com/Benjamin-Knight0
I am also working with a few US artists including J Ivy who featured on Kanye West’s album and is known by many in the USA http://j-ivy.com/ this track will be on my next Album release. I am in talks with media in the US including the FOX network TV station for show in the US – so very excited.
Shows/gigs in UK – which i really cant wait to do, really looking forward to getting back on stage, all dates will be up on all my social sites including Myspace, facebook, twitter, youtube etc..
I am also currently writing songs for other artist and projects which i do enjoy too.
Oh yes , i cant forget the 5-9 job and training Kamon Wing Chun : )
Follow Sertari on MySpace, WeLoveYourSongs, Twitter and Facebook.
French Wives are Siobhan Anderson, Chris Barclay, Stuart Dougan, Scott Macpherson and Jonny Smith; a exciting, Glasgow based band that make colourful, interesting indie-pop.
Debut EP “Feel Safe Small”, will be released on Monday 21st February from brand new Red Hat Records, followed by an extensive UK in support of the release. See tour dates here.
What’s the story of French Wives?
French Wives are a 5 piece indie-pop band from Glasgow in Scotland who tell far too many in jokes for their own good.
How did you all meet and how long have you been involved with music?
I should tell some cool story for how we met, but the reality is that Stuart and I (Scott) met on myspace (cool kids) in response to an advert to join a band. From there on in we basically recruited friends of friends until we had the band we have today.
Who or what is the inspiration behind your music?
I wouldn’t say there is one solid inspiration or muse for anything we write. Without sounding too pretentious, if that’s possible, I think that if something is inspiring enough to warrant writing a song it is normally a fleeting, yet important thing.
How would you describe your music in five words?
accessible yet intelligent indie pop
Big Brave Boy
What kind of music did you listen to when you were 14?
I only really listened to Led Zeppelin and Jonny listened to the same music he listens to now (pop punk).
What can you tell us about your debut EP“Feel Safe Small”?
The most important thing to tell is that it is out nationwide on 21st February. By that I mean on all your normal download sites. The physical copies are limited edition and outside of a few independent record shops in Scotland they’ll only really be available at gigs, so come see us too.
Do you prefer performing live or recording?
Personally I prefer a bit of both. I like to tinker about with things whilst recording (probably a bit too much) but I’m also generally speaking an attention seeking child, so I enjoy playing live a lot as well.
What is the worst thing about being a musician?
Being really skint all the time and the subjectivity of music driving you mental all day and all night. Music is such an egotistical path to undertake that the slightest patch of self-doubt can drive you round the bend for a long period of time.
What the best piece of praise you’ve received so far?
I’m not sure actually. It would be a bit of an ego trip to reel off nice things that have been said about us, so here goes…. I jest. There’s a journalist for the Scotsman, Billy Hamilton, who I feel has understood our music the best since we’ve been around. I believe it was him who was the first to write about us without typecasting us into this bracket of indie-folk bands which was a scene that we never felt part of. We’ve always appreciated that a lot.
How do you promote your music?
In as many ways as possible. We don’t have management or a booker or a big label or anything at the moment, so everything we do we do ourselves to the best of our abilities. sure it would be nice to have some help around, but we’re just trying our best to get our music out there ourselves by doing things like this interview (thanks for this by the way!)
And lastly, what’s the plan for 2011?
To promote the EP coming out next month we’re going on a UK tour, which will take up February and March. Following that we’ll basically be working on material for an album with work planned to be started towards the end of the year. Hopefully we’ll get to some festivals in the summer again as well, as we’ve always had a great time at them.
French Wives are Siobhan Anderson, Chris Barclay, Stuart Dougan, Scott Macpherson and Jonny Smith; a exciting, Glasgow based band that make colourful, interesting indie-pop.
They recently won the inaugural Scotsman Radar Prize and have supported bands such as Mystery Jets, Two Door Cinema Club and Bombay Bicycle Club. The band has also been named as one of the bands to watch in 2011 by The Scottish Sun.
Debut EP “Feel Safe Small”, will be released on Monday 21st February from brand new Red Hat Records, followed by an extensive UK in support of the release.
The tour dates are as follows:
17/02/11 – Glasgow – Nice n Sleazy’s
18/02/11 – Edinburgh – Sneaky Pete’s
19/02/11 – Perth – Twa Tam’s
22/02/11 – Dundee – Dexter’s
23/02/11 – Aberdeen – Drummond’s
24/02/11 – Inverness – Hootenanny’s
25/02/11 – Stornoway – Jaager Room
26/02/11 – Aviemore – The Old Bridge Inn
01/03/11 – Newcastle – Bridge Hotel
02/03/11 – Manchester – Night n Day
04/03/11 – Leeds- Call Social Lane
05/03/11 – Sheffield – The White Lion
07/03/11 – London – Bull and Gate
09/03/11 – Durham – The Fox and Pheasant
(more dates to be announced)
Ocasan are a three piece alternative rock band based in Northampton, UK. They had a great first year with the release of debut album “Ricochet”, while debut single “When you’re around” shot straight to no. 1 in the Bulgarian charts – not bad for a new unsigned band!
They just began with regular updates via video blogs – watch them here!
Hello, how are you today?
I’m very well thankyou
For those who don’t know you, can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Luke, I’m the drummer from OCASAN
How did you all meet? And what’s your musical background?
We all met in Bath (the place, not the tub) a very cool, bohemian city that seems to be a mecca for musos and artists from all walks of life. We’ve all been playing since we we’re about 13 and it looks like fate had her filthy way with us.
How would you describe your sound?
Try ELO meets Panic at the disco meets All American Rejects
What is your creative process when writing songs as a band? Does everyone have their own specific role?
Generally we swap writing roles. Me personally, I’m pretty controlling so insist on being with a song from birth until fruition. I take on a strong role when it comes to lyrics where as Nick and Rich will have more influence on chords. Having said that we all do a bit of everything.
Do you enjoy performing live? How do you know when you’ve had a good gig? Any memorable live experiences you could tell us about?
I love performing when there’s a fantastic audience. I get that overwhelming “I was born to do this” feeling when I’m up there. We’ve played some incredible gigs. Once we played a show in the channel islands. It was in a huge marquee that during the gig filled up entirely with water. We kept playing the show but it was so dangerous. The best thing was it didn’t kill the vibe at all – people just kept rocking out and got really really wet.
You are currently working on your second album – what can you tell us about?
Its all top secret at the moment so I cant say too much. What I can hint at is its heavily influenced by Michael Jackson.
What the best piece of praise you’ve received so far?
That’s a hard question. We’re beginning to receive some great feedback from all over the world. I think it was last week I heard from one of the Rolling Stones saying how much they loved the music.
Josephine
What kind of music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?
It’s so varied. Recently I’ve been listening to, of all people, Nat King Cole but generally sway towards rock/pop music. Rich is a big fan of RHCP and Nick has been filling his boots with Paramore as of late.
How do you promote your music?
We’ve just signed a distribution deal with Universal who will be hiring a top London media team to help with promo. We do our best to keep in contact with our fans every day.
What’s the plan for 2011?
Domination…no, we’ve got some big potential tours coming up, new music videos and we’re keeping a weekly video blog to keep every one in the loop. It’s going to be a really exciting year for OCASAN and we’re planning to have shit loads of fun in the process. Join the ride…
The Lounge Crusade was still a new band when they were featured here for about a year ago. The band are based in Lincoln, UK, and are known for their great combination of melodic pop/rock/folk, which resulted in debut EP (released in September ’10) and several shows around the UK the same year.
For anyone who doesn’t know The Lounge Crusade, give us a little background:
The Lounge Crusade are a Pop Rock Band from Lincoln in the UK. We’ve been together since Summer 2009 but have all been involved in music before. We had been in other bands individually with various success. What brought us together was the want to do something inspired and original. Something that we believed in and something that we could take beyond the local band scene level. it was something that we all knew we were capable of but had never found the right combination of people to do it with. Some of us knew each other already and we all came together through an online request for band members. As soon as we started to play together, we knew we had something special. As I said, we’d all played in bands before and knew how hard it could be to gel and write genuinely heartfelt music as a group. This time it just flowed. Of course it took a lot of time to develop the sound and really start to understand each other musically but we were all so into it that we would play for many hours a night, several times a week. We started gigging at the beginning of 2010.
How long have you been involved with writing & performing music?
We’ve all been performing and writing music for the last decade, since leaving school. There are plenty of examples of past work from all of us available online if you search hard enough 
The genres and styles vary greatly from Dance music to Comedy Songs. We’ve played hundreds of gigs between us and worked with some recognisable names (not that I would want to name drop hahaha
How would you describe your sound?
I would describe our sound as…. It’s quite a difficult question to answer actually, even though it’s probably the most common one asked. It’s always cliched things that spring to mind. Genre wise, I would have to say pop rock. We are up tempo and our music is generally happy music. We are a piano led band with strong rhythms and syncopations (I’m not just trying to sound clever by the way . As the singer and writer of lyrics, I always strive for the perfect melody. Something that will hook in the listener and make them feel the feelings that I am feeling when I play the songs. I believe that much more of the meaning and feeling of the song comes to the listener through the melody rather than the words. The words come after and just clarify the exact story of what the melody line is already telling. We write songs that people can sing along with. We have been described as having a retro sound. I think I can hear that, especially in some of the lead guitar riffs. Ultimately, It’s better to let other people describe your sound, it’s not something we think to much about. We just write and what come out, comes out.
You spent a lot of time touring and playing shows last year, any favourite moments?
Favourite moments… There were so many but a few that come to mind: Our first London headline gig at the Monto Water Rats in April. We took a coach load of people from Lincoln and played at one of London’s top small venues. The place was so full you could hardly move and we started the set with ‘Ten More Years’. As we got to the chorus, everyone started singing and that was an amazing feeling. When we left the gig that night, 15 minutes into the coach journey we realised we’d left a couple of people behind!! That was funny
Supporting Tinchy Stryder at Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium in October was a pretty cool experience. Personally I really enjoyed our acoustic set on BBC midlands radio back in May. I love playing acoustic and the show was videoed for their YouTube channel. We got over 8000 views in the first month.
What kind of music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?
We all have different musical tastes which I think helps massively when writing as a band. I listen to Muse, Radiohead, The Doors, Johnny Cash, Audioslave, Lifehouse, Our Lady Peace, ‘Mumford & Sons’ and many more. It’s also great to listen to other genres such as Jazz, Classical, Country etc. The freedom of expression that you hear in Jazz and the story telling that you get from country music. It’s an education and pushes your boundaries when you sit down to write. I think it’s really important to keep listening to new music and also to look back at music from before your time. Many people get hooked on what they grew up with and everything that follows but forget to look at where it all came from. I think there is a lot of inspiration to be drawn from listening to other peoples music. It definitely aids musical creativity for me.
What have you been up to recently?
We’ve been really busy recently. We have taken a break from gigging for a couple of months to record our 1st album. It should be ready within the next month. We are working with a small independent label called V92dvg. We are working on our website www.theloungecrusade.co.uk (which will be online in the next few weeks). We have also been organising some European gig dates.
What were your favourite albums from 2010?
For me, ‘Sigh No More’ from Mumford & Sons (although technically released at the end of 2009) was the best album. It brought folk music to the masses and is one of those rare albums you like instantly. Every song is a gem and i’ve had the album on the repeat in my car.
How do you promote your music?
Things like this interview
We use the normal methods like Myspace, Facebook etc, but we also try to think outside the box a little. There are so many bands shouting to be heard, you have to think a little differently. They say that it’s who you know that counts so making the right contacts is a big part of it. Gigging is always going to be the major way to take your music to an audience when you are an unsigned band and we travel the country with our tunes. We’re always looking for new, innovative ways to promote ourselves so if anyone has any ideas then get in touch
What’s the plan for 2011?
We have big plans and high hopes for 2011. Armed with the new album, we intend to play plenty of gigs. We have two weeks booked in Belgium, gigging in March and are already talking with several festival organisers about summer slots. We are concentrating our efforts on securing support slots for signed artists to follow on from the couple we have already done. We are looking for management and of course, always looking for that elusive recording contract. Who know’s whats around the corner but one things for sure, we’ll be there to greet it with open arms
