Fear of Men – Fall Forever
Post Punk | Dream Pop
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music
Surfer Blood guitarist Thomas Fekete passes away
Thomas Fekete, co-founder of American indie rock band Surfer Blood, is sadly the latest name added to 2016’s ever growing list of departed musicians. Fekete passed away after a year long battle with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He was aged just 27, and was the second addition to the infamous ’27 club’ this year following the tragic Viola Beach crash in February. Fekete remained in high spirits despite surgeries and chemotherapy, and even carried on making music with the proceeds going towards medical expenses. He lead a promising career which was cut short far too soon, and he will be dearly missed by friends, family and fans alike.
London’s new immersive music experience
Trespass (in association with Mahogany) was conceived by Lowri Gerrard of Universal Music, Ben Spetsiotis of IAM New Music and Joshua Sanger of Barn On The Farm Festival fame as a kind of music equivalent to secret cinema. Fans were treated to 4 unique and intimate performances from secret acts at a secret location over the course of the May bank holiday weekend. The acts (which turned out to be Amber Run, Martin Luke Brown, Lyra and Prose) performed sets in specially customised rooms designed to provide an interactive experience for fans as though they were part of a music video. The whole concept is captivatingly unique and the secrecy and intimacy imparticular have caught the public’s interest. It will certainly be interesting to see how the event grows and develops in the future.
Spotlight!: Black Honey
This Brighton based band started life as the city’s best kept secret, but they are certainly starting to make waves. Fusing the crisp pop melodies of frontwoman Izzy Baxter with rich and expansive soundscapes, the band are on to a winning combination. The mix of the familiar and the experimental has made them one of the hottest new acts in the British indie scene. ‘Headspin’ features wandering yet purposeful bass lines, more reverb than you can shake a stick at and pure angelic vocals, whilst ‘Spinning Wheel’ has a classic surfer rock vibe that simply screams 60s California sound. Their finely crafted dream pop is set to wow festival audiences across the country this summer and the music world is waiting with baited breath for the band’s hotly anticipated debut.
Fans of Sunflower Bean, Wolf Alice, Tame Impala and Halsey should check out their Headspin EP out now.
Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2016
Now in it’s thirteenth year, the BBC’s very own music festival this year took to Powderham Castle in Exeter to showcase the best of British as well as some of the hottest acts from across the globe. Joining the headliners Mumford & Sons and Coldplay were a few Belwood favourites including Catfish & the Bottlemen, Jack Garratt and reigning best band Wolf Alice. The weekend also included a dazzling set from aussie psychedelics Tame Impala, new music from indie folk hero Jake Bugg and a blistering performance from Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro. Naturally there a always a few questionable acts, and the “In new music we trust” stage consisted almost entirely of established artists, but overall the weekend was a rousing success. Full performances from across the weekend are available on iplayer.
Album Review: Band of Skulls – By Default
Band of Skulls – By DefaultFestival survival and etiquette guide
Summer is rapidly approaching, and if you want to make the most of it then any self respecting music lover will surely want to head to a festival. They are a longstanding tradition and with new festivals popping up all the time it’s no problem at all to find the perfect one for you! But this is no ordinary concert, there is so much more going on, and as such takes a greater level of preparation. If you make sure to come prepared then you’re in for one fantastic weekend, if not… well, we’ve all heard plenty of horror stories! Here’s a few top tips to remember. Continue reading
The Strokes announce new EP
The New York indie rockers have announced a new 4 track EP entitled Future Present Past due for release on June 3rd. It’s the first new music from the band since 2013’s Comedown Machine. Frontman Julian Casablancas premiered the first track ‘Oblivious’ on his new monthly radio show. The rest of the EP consists of track entitled ‘Drag Queen’ and ‘Threat of Joy’, as well as a remix of ‘Oblivious’ by the band’s drummer Fab Moretti. It will be the band’s first release on Casablancas’ Cult Records label and a new album is rumoured to be on the way.
Album Review: Overhead, The Albatross – Learning To Growl
Overhead, The Albatross – Learning To GrowlEagles of Death Metal pulled from French festivals
The Eagles of Death Metal have been removed from the line-up of two French festivals after the frontman’s controversial comments about last November’s attacks in Paris. Following the terrorist attack at the band’s performance, frontman Jesse Hughes has claimed that the attack would not have happened if the French public were allowed to carry firearms and that members of the security team at the Bataclan Concert Hall were involved with the attacks. Understandably his ridiculous claims have not been well received and have resulted in the band being removed from the line-up of both the Rock En Seine and Cabaret Vert festivals.
Belwood Music 