#Music – CHUNES

By 25782697 on Concert review tagged #DeclanMckenna, #indiemusic, #Indiepop, #Music, #UKMusicwith 1 Comment

Declan Mckenna Concert Review: The face of indie funk goes out with a bang in Bournemouth

Endearing voice cracks, charming stage presence and even paracetamol! Mckenna’s last UK tour show was one to remember at Bournemouth’s 02 Academy. The 25-year-old glam-rock star and his guitar playfully commanded the entire room with his elegant vocals and groovy style.

The intimate venue was full to the brim with adoring fans, providing an incredible atmosphere. There were more mullets in that one room than at a private school rugby match.

The evening started with energetic support act Wunderhorse, an English indie and psychedelic rock band who were a formidable force looking to excite. Despite the lead singer, Jacob Slater, slightly losing his voice, I thought the band’s heavy guitars, raw vocals and moody demeaner was certainly impressive.

After nearly two hours of waiting, Declan took to the stage with his sparkling acoustic guitar and quirky two-piece suit and silk shirt combo. Mckenna switched up the setlist for the final UK show of the What Happened to the Beach? tour, bringing Why Do You Feel So Down and new single Mullholland’s Dinner and Wine, to the front leg which of course kicked the show off excellently.

Then as expected, Mckenna followed with a plethora of new album tracks which were a lot more experimental than his first two projects. Although some of the slower numbers fell a little flat, generally the tracks were exceptionally executed and thrilling for fans to hear live for the first time.

The sound-system in the 02 academy was surprisingly very high quality, allowing McKenna’s raw vocals, note changes and elegant melodies to shine. Both Beautiful Faces and The Key to Life on Earth from his previous album, Zero’s, sounded almost magical and full of Bowie overtones highlighting the indie-rock star’s versality.

Then came the recognisable guitar rift of fan favourite Brazil that had the entire room jumping. Pure Euphoria filled the crowd as groups surrounding me grabbed a hold of each other to scream the lyrics together.

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And of course, it’s not a concert without an encore, and fans were treated Paracetamol (a tour debut) sending fans into a spiral of joy. Although, it was swapped for Listen to Your Friends a great hit I wish I could have experienced live.

The final song, British Bombs was met with perhaps the best reaction of the night with fans bringing everything to the fast-paced, rowdy, and animated track. Whilst some may call it unnecessary, the mosh pit felt oddly fitting, summarising the energy of the whole gig.

With this being Mckenna’s 17^th consecutive show, this tour can only be described as a well-oiled machine, in terms of his superb band, incredible live melodies and commanding stage presence.

I hope you enjoyed this review, please leave a comment and God bless the weatherman!

1 Apr

By 25782697 on Recommendations, Submissions tagged #Music, #UKMusic, #Underrated- Leave a comment

Alternative Rapper JoeJas Impresses with Eccentric New Single ‘WTF’

JoeJas’ bold new track conveys flair and originality with its distinctive and artistic cloud-rap style. Once again, JoeJas is bringing a fresh sound to the hip-hop genre.

‘WTF’ is JoeJas’ first single release since his 2022 album, ‘Gaps & Normads’. This track, despite being equally as experimental, feels more authoritative with fresh dynamic lyrics to match.

JoeJas described the new song as “a scream for all the people doing things their own way, wanting to make it work no matter what”.

The track begins with a striking beat that immediately grabs the listeners attention with harsh drums and strong vocals. JoeJas used instrumental inspiration from early 2000’s R&B groove from artists such as The Neptunes and Timberland with an imaginative Tyler the Creator-like flow.

The multi-talented artist not only rapped this song, but he also produced it along with shooting and editing the music video, adding his own distinct and colourful videography style.

‘WTF’ is one of those songs that makes you want to grab your friends and simply just jump. It’s a song that without doubt requires full volume if played on the aux.

The record has already impressed fans, as well as getting praised by perhaps the internet’s toughest music critic, Anothony Fantano himself! The infamous reviewer said: “It’s got this very wild eccentric, early 2000’s, odd future-esque kind of vibe to it but not so edgy that it makes you wince. I’ve been liking it quite a bit. Solid single all round.” From the man who called Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy “overrated” and “super weak” – that is quite the statement.

So, make sure you check it out if you haven’t already!

5 Mar

By 25782697 on Music awards tagged #BritAwards, #Brits, #EDM, #Music, #UKMusic- Leave a comment

BRIT Awards 2024 – a night of iconic Kylie moments, RAYE’s triumph and a sprinkle of drum and bass!

It was certainly a night to remember for one artist in particular, of course I’m talking about the unbelievably talented Raye! The singer songwriter won a record-breaking total of six BRIT’s last night, including the coveted ‘Album of the year award’ for her debut album, ‘My 21st Century Blues’. Raye then silenced anyone calling her undeserving with an incredible medley performance that was undoubtably the best of the night.

The history making singer began with emotive ballad ‘Ice Cream man’, a brave song choice as it follows her experience with sexual assault coming from someone in the music industry and how that affected her. The beat then picked up as she went into ‘Prada’, a song mixed from her verse on DBE’s ‘Ferrari Horses’ before ending with fan favourite ‘Escapism’, accompanied by London based choir, Flames Collective.

This year, the Brits finally recognised the UK’s love of dance music. Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware they love to showcase dance pop acts such as Dua Lipa but it was nice to see performances representing the Uk’s fastest growing genre, drum and bass, with legendary duo Chase and Status bringing the rave to the stage. The DJ duo that won ‘Producer of the year’ award performed alongside Becky Hill who delivered a flawless vocals to their single ‘Disconnect’. In their winning speech, the pair said: “tonight we are proud to represent drum and bass music, thank you so much”.

However, it didn’t stop there with electronic music collective Jungle performing their hit song ‘Back on 74’ which included a breath-taking dance sequence as well as the ‘Best Dance Act’, Calvin Harris, also performing live with Ellie Goulding to sing ‘Miracle’.

And how could we forget the queen that is Kylie! She seemed like the real celebrity amongst celebrities with all the nominees up singing every word during her show. The iconic singer was unsurprisingly the subject of almost every between-award interview producing some hilarious moments. The lucky host, Roman Kemp, managed to get himself a ‘kiss’ off the Australian star before downing a shoey together – bizarre yet weirdly iconic.

Although, one of the best and most heartfelt moments of the whole show was the interaction between Raye and host Clara Amfo. The host and former radio presenter awarded Raye with ‘Songwriter of the year’ telling viewers that she was Raye’s first ever radio play a whole decade ago. The two women embraced which was so genuine to watch, highlighting how far both of them had come to get to that moment. To me, this really highlights the importance of having hosts who have also made their way up through the music industry and media world, because it doesn’t get better than that. I found this Tweet made by celebrity interviewer, Simon Harkness, and I couldn’t agree more.

Please let me know what you thought of the awards show, hopefully next year I will be there reporting myself!

17 Feb

By 25782697 on Recommendations, Submissions tagged #indiemusic, #Music, #UKMusic, #Underrated- Leave a comment

The O.O release charming new indie single ‘Sometimes I See You Look’

The one-man-indie-band that goes by the name of ‘The O.O’, delivers a beautifully written, upbeat and well-produced record.

With this charismatic acoustic song, the indie singer-songwriter from the Isle of Wight takes you straight to the seaside on a summer’s day, toes in the sand and guitar in hand. The O.O also known as Ollie, channels his inner Luke Pritchard with his vocals and melody reminding me of The Kooks’ old material.

The song titled, Sometimes, follows the artists pursuit of a new co-worker that he felt an instant connection with. Despite her having a boyfriend, the two of them would share occasional moments and often catch each other’s eye, leaving the artist hopeful yet confused.

The 4-minute track explodes with colour as Ollie’s soothing raw vocals take centre stage commanding the listener to join him on the heartfelt musical journey. The authentic and unpolished style is inspired by the iconic British indie bands of the 2000s such as the Arctic Monkeys, the Fratellis and the Libertines. The young singer loved the truth in their early albums, he added: “They were just making music that they loved and having a great time without worrying about what anyone thought”.

Interestingly, it was his challenging early school years that led The O.O to fall in love with music, as he was often removed from lessons for ‘disruptive behaviour’; instead, his headteacher taught him how to play instruments, lighting the spark to his passion for music.

The talented solo artist wrote and recorded the song using his home studio equipment, he shared: “It’s very simple and basic really, but for me if I overcomplicate it, the songs end up getting messy, whereas when I keep it simple I end up getting the sounds I want for my music”.

The O.O has big plans for this year, hoping to release some more singles including creative music videos as well as a new album. In the next few years, he wants to be gigging as much as he can, he said: “I just have such a passion for music and want to keep creating and sharing with everyone!”

So if you haven’t already, give it a listen, comment your thoughts and please share any other underrated UK artists!

Click here to see the music video: https://youtu.be/nDX5QtyS01I?si=GxfhU0f6fxj0kWcU

29 Jan

By 25782697 on Music awards tagged #BritAwards, #Britnominations, #Brits, #Music, #UKrapwith 1 Comment

The BRIT Award Nominations 2024 – My Thoughts.

Record-breaking RAYE dominates with seven well-deserved nominations!

The talented R&B singer-songwriter has made Brit award history after becoming the first ever artist to score seven nominations in one year, as the Brit Award Voting Academy reward her incredible year after a tough decade under major record label.

After getting a lot of backlash from the lack of female representation in last year’s categories, this year’s nominations are a very different story with strong with solo women or all-female groups making up more than half of the overall nominees! This is a definitely a better look that last year.

RAYE’s nominations came in all the noteworthy categories with nods for best artist, song of the year as well as best pop and R&B artist. However, it wasn’t always this easy for Raye, these nominations followed a tough earlier career for the singer as she spent years being made to feature on songs she disliked and was unable to release her own written albums after signing to record label Polydor at just aged 17.

The 26-year-old singer from south London is getting a lot of love right now with mainstream media outlets such as the Telegraph naming her “The most exciting singer since Amy Winehouse,” and aside from perhaps Adele, I struggle to disagree with that statement as Raye has continued to go from strength to strength since the release of her self-written songs. After seeing Raye live at Boardmasters festival last year, I cannot stress how talented she really is as despite poor weather and a pretty rubbish daytime slot, she still managed to command the crowd creating an incredible listening experience with a live band and remarkable vocals.

The record breaker uploaded a heart-warming video on social media sharing the moment she found out about the awards. In the video RAYE goes from laughter and disbelief to tears in a matter of seconds she said: “SEVEN nominations, are you okay? Shut up. Wow. This is deep. Seven nominations? That’s crazy”.

She also was one of five nominees in the coveted best album category with, My 21^st Century Blues, an ambitious and exciting collection of songs that took listeners on an empowering yet emotional journey. The category is well-represented by a range of genres from indie with Blur’s Ballad of Darren to UK rap heavyweight, J Hus with Beautiful and Brutal Yard. Little Simz’s vulnerable and experimental NO THANK YOU is also nominated, the album explores her mental health and highlights her anger towards the music industry. The final nominee for best album is Scottish group Young Fathers with Heavy Heavy and despite the misleading title the album has a refreshingly light and joyous sound to it. I think it will be a difficult choice for the BRIT academy but for me it must be between RAYE and Blur for the win.

The Dance Act category brought some familiar faces with Calvin Harris, Fred Again.. and Becky Hill. Barry Can’t Swim is also amongst these famous faces having had a huge year playing his jazz-infused groovy samples across the world this summer. The final nominee was Romy, one third if The xx, which is a great choice as her solo album Mid Air was one of the best complete electronic albums of the year.

British rap was well-represented in all the big categories with another big year for Central Cee and Dave with their collaboration project Split decision leaving both the London boys with multiple nominations. As well as J Hus whose comeback after 3 years has produced him with 4 nominations.

An exciting but shocking nominee was jazz drummer and composer Yussef Dayes, who was nominated for best new artist and best alternative artist. A jazz nominee is a very rare yet pleasant surprise and I’m glad that the BRIT academy jury are not just looking at mainstream music and are appreciating an underrated and extremely talented jazz performer. I hope this continues in the next few years especially in the new artist categories.

There you have it! For once I’m not overly upset at one of my favourite artists being unfairly snubbed. I think the nominations well-represent the incredible year of British music in 2023. Please share your thoughts and if you agree.

Check out this playlist full of all the nominees!

21 Dec

By 25782697 on Recommendations tagged #albumoftheyear, #BritishAlbums, #EDM, #Music, #UKMusicwith 3 Comments

Top 10 British Albums of 2023

As the year is coming to a close, it’s a great time to recap on the best albums of 2023!

These are the albums I couldn’t turn off, the albums with few skips, the albums that I will remember in 5 years time. In all honesty, I found it quite difficult to pick a top ten as there were few albums that came to mind straight away. A lot of my favourite albums came from overseas, for example: SZA’s SOS, Boygenius’ The Record, Noah Kahan’s Stick Season and even Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here. Moreover, most of Britain’s big names (The Arctic Monkeys, Harry Styles, The 1975, Stormzy and Fred Again..) released their albums last year, making room for exciting new breakthrough artists to make a name for themselves this year. But of course, we have some old favourites returning.

10. Chase and Status – 2 RUFF, Vol 1

Unlike the other entries coming up on this list, this album is simply something I could not overlook in terms of the singles it produced. Baddadan, Liquor and Cigarettes, and Tough Talk – Chase and Status are unstoppable. The duo are veterans of the drum and bass scene and have been for quite some time, but this album proves that they are still at the top of their game! The D&B King’s collaborated with next generation producers to form an energetic and well-mixed album straight out of a 90s rave.

9. Barry Can’t swim – When Will We Land

Barry’s much-awaited debut album is quirky and colourful and really scratches an itch in my brain in a way that not many other albums this year have. The Scottish-born DJ blends a variety of dance music sub-genres with gospel and jazz samples to create an emotive, high-energy and well-produced project. The album flows seamlessly and works well collectively but the standout tracks for me are Sonder, How It Feels and Dance of the Crab. I truly cannot wait to hear these tracks be performed live in 2024.

8. Bakar – Halo

Somehow, Bakar is still one of the most underrated UK talents, apart from his viral hit Hell N Back. As an artists it is difficult to describe his genre as he blurs the lines between a few. Halo can be best described as indie-pop record with a collection of stripped back soulful tracks that focus in on Bakar’s remarkable vocals. The single Alive is still my favourite, setting the overall tone for the album, with its nostalgic and warm feel. Overall, it is a joyous and mature follow up to last year’s outstanding album The Mission.

7. Nia Archives – Sunrise Bang Your Head Against Tha Wall

Although it’s technically an EP, Nia impressively delivers the chaos of jungle music finished with smooth production. It is a great listen from start to end. The rising DJ manages to capture the atmosphere inside a rave with the album’s fusion of superb samples and jungle breaks. The album really is the sound of the summer with singles Biana and title track Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall that will forever remind me of 2023 summer.

6. Sampha – Lahai

Extremely well written, wonderfully creative, and overwhelmingly real. Sampha’s deeply personal new album marks his first release in over 6 years, making it highly anticipated. Lahai feels complex yet light as a feather as he combines airy vocals and beautiful melodies with serious subject matters.

5. RAYE – My 21^st Century Blues

RAYE had a frustrating journey to releasing her debut album, battling with record label, Polydor, for almost a decade, but this project is worth the wait. RAYE took a new approach, away from the house tracks she was previously known for, blending soulful jazz, R&B and hip-hop. The singer-songwriter from South London takes listeners on an emotional and powerful journey with the album, and it seriously paid off! The now independent artist combines her thrilling storytelling with impeccable vocals to make an impressive, hard-hitting, and unapologetic first album.

4. The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds

Hackney Diamonds is an album I did not expect to enjoy so much. The Rock legends return with original material for the first time in 18 years with a vibrant, engaging, and purposeful 12-track album. Frontman Mick Jagger sings with conviction and enthusiasm to create a modern take on classic rock. The standout songs: Angry, Mess It Up and Live By The Sword each have a strong chorus’ paired with strong guitar-led melodies.

3. AntsLive – Just A Matter of Time

AntsLive is an artist that is innovating the UK rap scene, taking it in a different direction. The EP mixes a combination of genres, from alternative hip-hop to grime, tapping into a variety of the listeners emotions. The London rapper shares similarities with heavyweights of the rap game, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$ and Skepta with his cold delivery, exceptional delivery and overall creativity. This album is a must listen if you are a hip hop fan!

2. Blur – The Ballad of Darren

The Britpop icons certainly did not disappoint, giving us a reunion album to remember. The come-back album felt well-polished with beautiful harmonies and elegant songwriting. We got to see a softer side to the band, but it still managed to keep an essence of that charming 90s spirit. Each track had great character with my favourites being St Charles Square, The Narcissist and Avalon.

There are many honourable mentions in terms of the UK scene that didn’t quite make the Top 10. Perhaps albums that I loved parts of but not the whole thing or albums that I loved at the beginning of the year but not at the end. These include: Overmono’s energy-packed Good Lies, Slowdives’ dreamy everything is alive and I have to mention Arlo parks’ beautiful My Soft Machine.

.Jungle – Volcano

1. Jungle – Volcano

Taking the top spot for British album of the year is electronic music project, jungle, with their superb album – Volcano. It feels like they erupted out of nowhere with their euphoric disco-like dance mixes. In terms of production the album is unreliably rich, sleek and well- refined. This album evokes pure joy and emotion with every song lifting your spirits making you want to dance. Weather it was listening whilst on walks in the blazing sun, or listening on the way to a festival surrounded by my favourite people – these tracks will forever remind me of my happiest times in 2023. Volcano is what 2023 NEEDED and that’s why it deserves this number 1 spot!

Looking back at this list proves that this year has been a weird one for British music and more specifically my music taste. Although I love all the albums I’ve listed, none of them have gripped me like they did last year, knowing every word to every song. Although, I am grateful I have been able to expand my taste and listen to new genres and found people I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Please let me know if you agree or disagree and let me know your Top 3!

19 Sep

By 25782697 on EDM, Recommendations tagged #Barrycantswim, #EDM, #Music, #UKMusic, #Underrated- Leave a comment

Barry can’t swim, but he’s flying to the top!

The vibrant new EDM producer has gone from strength to strength providing so many of us with this summer’s soundtrack.

The London-based DJ Barry Can’t Swim (real name Joshua Mannie) is without doubt one to watch in the electronic scene. Barry‘s groovy samples and jazz-infused melodic house tracks have already built him a sea of fans desperate to see his sets and I am certain this is just the beginning.

The Scottish born producer blends a variety of dance music sub-genres, including disco, garage and jungle. Barry‘s sound has a unique feel, as he is heavily inspired by traditional jazz music. Interestingly, his appreciation for jazz music started from an early age, as he learnt to play the piano at age 9 and then worked in various jazz bars during his teenage years, purposely surrounding himself with the more traditional style of music.

Barry Cant Swim started creating his own dance hits in 2020, working hard to produce a number of extended projects and singles and he has been unstoppable ever since. His newest EP ‘How it feels‘ is currently on repeat for me with it’s emotive feel, colourful samples and refreshing energy.

2023 has already been an incredibly successful year for Barry Can’t Swim. This year, the producer has massively increased his exposure, attending a number of festivals as well being invited to do a set with the notorious Boiler Room in his hometown of Edinburgh.

Barry can’t Swim – Boiler Room – Edinburgh (2023)

Despite his newfound fame, Barry seems to be remaining humble, telling 10magazine that the greatest highlight of his career so far is simply “seeing people you’ve never met before in places you’ve never been before singing along” telling them “it’s still so surreal”.

Barry‘s rise in popularity is not surprising due to the EDM scene in the UK booming in the last couple of years. A report by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) revealed that electronic music is the most popular genre at UK festivals overtaking rock – which has dominated for decades. In the last year, similar British EDM artists have had wider global success for example Fred Aagin.. and Fourtet have quickly risen to the top even headlining the iconic Coachella with fellow producer Skrillex.

Barry is set to release his debut album ‘When Will We land?‘ on the 20th of October.

“it’s a huge personal milestone for me, after 10 months of solid writing plus a whole 20+ years of dreaming about it. I’ve poured every thing I have into it, and really hope yous like it”
– Barry via Instagram on his upcoming album

Personally, I’m very intrigued about the new album as the young DJ has recently taken his sound in a new direction by releasing more chilled, melodic downtempo tracks for example ‘Sonder‘ and ‘God is the space between us‘. So, I’m excited to see what it will be like and how it will be received.

Check out his music below and please comment any other underrated similar artists.

15 Aug

By 25782697 on Submissions tagged #Music, #Mxlode, #Newsingle, #submission, #UKMusic, #UKrap- Leave a comment

Melodic rap single ‘War and Dior’ shows real promise

The new track is short but very sweet with rich vocals being paired with smooth sound production to create a high-quality rap tune.

For this record, the South-west London based rapper and songwriter Mxlode (pronounced ‘Melody’) collaborated with Teeqro, his life-long friend, fellow artist and producer. The duo’s vocals compliment each other well to create a more complex sound.

The lyrics of ‘War and Dior’ reflect Mxlode‘s dreams as an artist as he manifests a successful future “see I never did a show but when I blow I’ll tour arenas with millions”. The chorus also highlights the hate Mxlode received about his music in the early stages. He goes on to suggests that some of those around him switched up after his music career began taking off.

Due to the eclectic mix of sub-genres on this track, there are a number of artists that come to mind who I think will have influenced Mxlode‘s music style. Personally, I hear similarities with UK rap trio D-Block Europe as well as America’s 6LACK. This was echoed by Mxlode himself as he said he looked up to a wide range of artists including Akon, XXXTentacion as well as the king of pop – Michael Jackson.

Mxlode kindly allowed me to listen to the unreleased EP that will be out later this year and it’s definitely a project to get excited about! It’s multi-layered, honest, strongly-produced and flows cohesively, so be ready for the release!

“This EP is 100% my best work yet. It’s the most honest I’ve been about my experiences. I really leaned into a strength of mine which is my vulnerability on this project and I hope it’s able to resonate with people the same way it does when I listen to it”
– Mxlode

Let me know what you think of the tune and please suggest other similar underrated artists in the comments below!

Listen on Spotify here:

By 25782697 on Recommendations tagged #indiemusic, #Indiepop, #Indierock, #Music, #Top5, #UKMusic, #Underrated- Leave a comment

Five Indie Artists You Need to Listen to This Summer!

The last decade has shown a decline in the popularity of the British indie scene in comparison to the love that Britpop music received in the 90s and early naughtiest. But that does not mean their is a lack of talent in modern day indie-rock music – it’s just harder to spot. I handpicked these five artists as I believe they are all underrated and deserve more appreciation and exposure. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Cucamaras

The fourtet that formed in 2019 has since tried their best to grow Nottingham’s indie scene one gig at a time. This year they released their first EP, ‘Buck Rogers Time’, consisting of five singles, with the strongest in my opinion being ‘Cotton Wool’ and opener, ‘Porcelain’. Lead vocalist, Bowley, told NME that the band’s sound developed as a result of the pandemic, “We couldn’t actually do ‘band stuff’, so we just talked about and shared music instead”.

The band are now making waves further than hometown, Nottingham, and in fact across the continent, as they’re being invited to play at smaller festivals across Europe. Additionally, the band has been named in NME’s Top 100 Essential Artists for 2023, highlighting the respect and belief the band already has from mainstream music media.

Cucamaras on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Zy8a1P2tEwHdQK56s0v8T?si=3vabIZD7SgC_nVoVpssVSg

Danny Mellin

The Oxfordshire-based singer songwriter has released a total of ten singles so far, with themes including the importance of good mates, girl trouble and everyday life struggles. Danny told ‘The Bucket Playlist’ blog that he plans to keep releasing singles because he believes it’s a better way to distribute music. In lockdown, Danny developed his sound from mostly acoustic guitar songs to indie rock, with the help of newly formed band. Danny became influenced by heavyweights of the modern indie rock scene, Sam Fender and Arctic Monkeys – inspiring him to make a “bigger sound”.

Using TikTok to promote his singles and reply to fans, with his great vocals and hard hitting lyrics, Danny is slowly but surely building his own fanbase. The recent single, ‘Ordinary Day’ is already a personal favourite, with its high tempo, classic indie rock guitar rifts as well as perfectly unrefined vocals. This year Danny and his band completed a headline UK tour – I think this is just the start!

Danny Mellin on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0kmWqI1anuHvgq589NVsAr?si=C1dGRlaXTT-OspcYYSzl_w

Ora Violet

Ora Violet are a band trying to break barriers within the indie rock scene. The band that formed in 2019, consists of five members, each with a different nationality, allowing them to create a culturally diverse sound drawn from their different backgrounds. Everything from their music to their song cover art is ambiguous, unique and artistic.

This year, the band released their first full project with EP, ‘Have You Met Me’ consisting of five guitar heavy tracks. Ora Violet said on Instagram: “We are so proud of this, so much work went into it, this is us now”. The standout tracks for me are ‘Feel the Same’ and ‘Last dance’ with the second being about frontman, Tommy’s struggle with addiction and coming to terms with his sexuality.

Despite being so new, the group have already had some success, as they were chosen to support Duran Duran at Hyde Park in London last year as well as having upcoming headline shows in the UK.

Ora Violet on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/649PbKfSwqkPEsos9mHuUJ?si=69SJB_20R_axTKMM6fp-Ww

BERRIES

This London-based garage rock trio are an exciting group and you should give them a listen! The all female line-up and intricate yet rocky beats gives them a new and individual sound. In terms of their songs influences, they told ‘Gigrader’ that: “it can totally vary sometimes we write songs about different moods or a feeling rather than an actual topic”.

BERRIES return with their first release since their debut album last year, with new track. “Control”. The new track is certainly one of my favourite of their songs, with it’s grungy guitar and layered melodic vocals it stands out as a great single all round. The band is currently going from strength to strength as they have just successfully completed a headline UK tour and announced a string of smaller UK festivals that they will be playing at this summer.

BERRIES on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3S3lyrc9kKx4EPWCduLKi5?si=eAQBLXf0Ssqhrg6kNnZRxg

CVC

CVC also known as Church Village Collective are a Welsh psych-rock band that are working hard to showcase their music not just across South Wales but worldwide. The band have gained popularity with their debut album ‘Get Real’ as they received a very decent review from NME (one of the Uk’s leading music magazines) as well as having over 63,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. The album sounds well put together and all the songs fit together excellently whilst having a variety of subgenres. For me, the standout tracks were the beautifully melodic and effortless ‘Sophie’ along with the catchy and authentic ‘Docking The Pay’.

The band have just finished a North American tour, including massive festivals and the fun doesn’t stop there as they will be completing a UK headline tour with many venues already sold out in the next few weeks.

CVC on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4UVp2DRjYXq2ZWQwA5QLuD?si=ZouTa1KxRo6JIF8QeAXaUw

3 Jul

By 25782697 on Festivals tagged #glastonbury, #glastonbury2022, #Music, #musicCollab, #PaulMcCartney- Leave a comment

Glastonbury – The best unexpected collaborations of the weekend

The world’s biggest greenfield music festival has come to a close after 5 days of incredible performances and a collection of unforgettable moments. An electric atmosphere filled the Worthy Farm fields as Glastonbury celebrated it’s 50^th year and a successful comeback after a 2-year break during the pandemic.

Glastonbury has had some unbelievably iconic moments over the years and some of the most memorable are the surprising duets and collaborations between performers. Over the years, the festival has brought together the likes of The Killers and The Pet Shop Boys, Dizzie Rascal with Florence and the machine as well as Miley Cyrus and Lil Nas X. Personally I think the more random and weirder the collaboration, the better.

Let’s take a look at some of the best unexpected crossovers of artists this year…

Paul McCartney the Beatles legend had the Saturday headline spot, and he did not disappoint. His 38-song set was full of great moments including: breath-taking fireworks, a heartfelt tribute to bandmate John Lennon, and the crowd singing Paul happy birthday to celebrate his 80^th! But the moment that has had everyone talking is when he surprised the audience of over 100,000 people with icons Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl. The appearance of the Foo Fighters’ frontman made the performance even more special as he played for the first time since the death of fellow bandmate and friend Taylor Hawkins. The trio of Rock n Roll royalty performed Springsteen’s ‘Glory days’ followed by Beatles classics ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ and ‘The End’ with both guests taking part in an epic guitar showdown!

Perhaps the most random out of all my picks, making it one of my favourites, is when Blossoms invited pop legend Mel C from the Spice Girls on stage. I think it’s safe to say it was the crossover nobody was expecting. Frontman Tom Ogden asked the audience of The Other Stage, “Do we have any Spice Girls fans in the house?” before introducing sporty spice and asking her to excuse his poor attempts of the dance moves. Together they performed the Spice Girls’ classic ‘Spice up Your Life’ and the fans enjoyed every minute of the all-English modern indie rock and 90s pop crossover.

A collaboration I really enjoyed was during Lorde’s magical Sunday set, when she invited special guests Arlo Parks and Clairo to sing ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’ with her. The New Zealander star described the song as “the ultimate comedown anthem” and joking that her set is the perfect place to do this after a heavy few days. As somebody who is obsessed with all 3 singers, I can only describe them as the holy trinity of alternative indie vocals. The trio did not disappoint as they harmonised beautifully creating a wonderful moment for the audience to reflect on the whole weekend.

The duo that has caught the most attention from the weekend and a highlight for many attending was when American pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo invited British icon Lily Allen onto stage. 19-year-old Olivia stole the headlines as she sang Lily Allen’s notorious tune ‘F*** You’ directing it towards members of the Supreme Court that voted to overturn abortion rights in America. Rodrigo spoke aggressively, “so many women and so many girls are going to die because of this. They clearly don’t give a shit about our freedom”. The teen then named all 5 judges before giving an unforgettable performance alongside Lily who is known for her outrageous comments and controversies. The singing itself was far from perfect but the chaotic energy captured the beautiful raw emotions of anger and vulnerability.

Leave a comment down below telling me your dream Glastonbury collaboration!