Hailing from the suburbs of San Francisco, Happy Diving deliver a visceral injection of no-holds-barred garage rock. Their latest single ‘Holy Ground’ captures so much in just an intense couple of minutes. Brimming with both passion and aggression it takes a deep and melodic song and drenches it in the warm fuzz of feedback to create a tempestuous track that is equal parts primal aggression and artful grace. This viciously addictive high-octane hit is one of the most gutsy and glorious songs of the year thus far. The band’s latest album Electric Soul Unity is out 19th August via Topshelf Records.
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Glastonbury 2016
This year’s Glastonbury seemed doomed to fail. With traffic chaos, some of the worst mud in the festival’s history and even BBC coverage being affected by the EU referendum broadcasts it would have been an easy bet to back it being an utter shambles. Instead the world’s greatest festival managed to pull it off and maintain high spirits on the farm and accomplish record breaking viewing figures. Here’s a brief roundup of the best of what BBC iPlayer’s “Glastontelly” has to offer. Continue reading
Playlist: May/June 2016
Album Review: Stuart Wicke – Doxology
Stuart Wicke – DoxologySpotlight!: Billy Bibby & The Wry Smiles
The former founding member and guitarist of Catfish & the Bottlemen has struck out on his own and is rapidly growing a following just as passionate and loyal as that of the band he helped propel towards stardom. With being a key player on one of the best debut albums of the decade already under his belt it’s hardly surprising that his solo career boasts some of the best indie hits of the year. A self assured musician with talent beyond his years, Billy has gathered a top notch band to help bring his vision to light. Tracks like ‘Don’t Fall’ and ‘Waitin’ For You’ blend together the intricate and impassioned indie rock that made him famous with a subtle hint of Americana. Billy and his Wry Smiles are masters of anthemic choruses and summer ready “sing your heart out” hits. With some top tracks at his disposal it won’t be long until this ex-bottleman and his burgeoning fanbase are selling out venues across the UK.
Fans of Noel Gallagher, Kurt Vile, The Maccabees and (of course) Catfish & the Bottlemen should check out the latest single ‘Are You Ready?‘
Top Tracks: Keaton Henson – Alright
One of Britain’s best kept musical secrets has new music on the way. Championed by Zane Lowe and rightly considered in the same light as folk genius Nick Drake, Keaton Henson has released the lead single from his upcoming album Kindly Now which is released 16th September. It is a glorious return to his roots after dabbling in classical music on Romantic Works and with electronica on his side project Behaving. It is another example of the transcendent beauty that we have come to expect from one of the most underrated songwriters in the world.
Top Tracks: Shenna – So Low
New York based indie pop and alternative R&B singer/songwriter Shenna has brought together a diverse range of styles on her latest single from her upcoming album Made of Gold. Starting with a simple guitar intro it soon builds into a hypnotic mix of electronica and undulating synths. Even dabbling with Eastern influences, this deceptively simple pop hit is more complex than it first appears. Carrying a message of strength and independence, and sinfully addictive as all good hits should be, ‘So Low’ could easily be the first step towards Shenna’s chart topping future.
Playlist: EU Referendum
For everyone who’s fed up of the whole wretched affair…
Album Review: Jake Bugg – On My One
Jake Bugg – On My OneVicious attack in Turkish record store
The Velvet IndieGround, a record store in Istanbul, was attacked while customers were taking part in a worldwide listening party of Radiohead’s new album A Moon Shaped Pool. A mob of around men armed with pipes and glass bottles attacked customers as they were drinking alcohol during Ramadan. Following this petty act of barbarism the band have issued a statement: “Our hearts go out to those attacked tonight at Velvet IndieGround in Istanbul. We hope that someday we will be able to look back on such acts of violent intolerance as things of the ancient past. For now, we can only offer our fans in Istanbul our love and support.” It is still unclear precisely how many people were injured.
Belwood Music 