music

Spotlight!: Raven Love & the 27s

/ James Fenney

raven love

Sometimes it’s better just to keep things simple. This up and coming Detroit band operate with just the bare bones of heavy blues. Raven’s vocals have a great tone, I’m sure she could belt it out with the best of them but she knows when to hold back. Tracks like ‘Venice Beach’ and ‘John R’ have some great psychedelic guitar, the slow and simple riffs are more than enough to add a world of colour. Everything is built around the driving bass line, a steady rumble that you can feel down to your very core. The overall effect is to take you back to the kaleidoscopic sixties and evoke acts such as Iron Butterfly and Jefferson Airplane. Just sit back, relax, let the music wash over you and you’re bound to be hit by the Wow factor.

The Intro EP is out now and is available on their bandcamp page for anyone that wants to join the trip.

SoundCloud launch streaming service

/ James Fenney

soundcloud

Music sharing site SoundCloud has announced that it will be entering the already overcrowded world of music streaming. SoundCloud Go will allow users to listen to the back catalogue of streamable songs alongside the millions of pre-existing SoundCloud exclusive songs. The fee is currently set at the industry standard of £9.99 per month, although their back catalogue will be far smaller than those of industry leaders Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music and the exclusive tracks will still be freely available to the public.

Top Tracks: Jenny Gillespie – Dhyana By The River

/ James Fenney

jenny gillespie

We have all had our own little dream world at some point. A place that is bizarre and ungoverned but also feels safe and familiar. American songwriter Jenny Gillespie captures that feeling in sound form. Her latest single ‘Dhyana By The River’ from her new album Cure For Dreaming is a mystifying baroque pop song with eccentric hints of everything from folk and jazz to prog and opera. Throw in a voice on par with the likes of Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush and the end result is a romantic and spiritual alternative pop tune that simply makes time stand still. Her gentle balladry sounds like the soundtrack to another world, one far more emotional and mystifying.

Her latest album ‘Cure For Dreaming’ is out 13th May

Dave Grohl helps out UK band

/ James Fenney

dave grohl letter

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has made it his mission to help out young UK metal band Black Leaves of Envy after their local council said they were too loud. The rock legend wrote a letter the council (above) asking them to reconsider as well as penning a separate letter to the band themselves offering advice on soundproofing so that they can continue rehearsing in their garage. Needless to say the band have been stunned by the support.

Spotlight!: Vanessa Forero

/ James Fenney

VanessaForero3

British/Colombian singer-songwriter Vanessa Forero, as well as being a successful composer and bestselling author, has her own unique folk style. The subtle Latin twist breathes new life into her music, with the two different styles blending together magnificently. ‘Raven’ mixes gentle fingerpicking guitar with a bewitching beat, ‘Same Boat’ shows Vanessa at her lyrical peak and is a refreshing hit single in the making, whilst ‘Heaven Knows’ starts with a hint of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Going to California’ before the foot stomping rhythm kicks in. The ethereal ‘Anhela’ is where she most connects with her Colombian roots. Sung entirely in Spanish you don’t need to understand the words to be moved by their breathtaking delivery. Her music is something new that somehow feels like home, but at the same time takes you on a fabulous journey.

Her self produced debut EP ‘From The Uproar’ is out 28th March

Adele to headline Glastonbury

/ James Fenney

adele1

The British songstress has been announced as the Saturday headliner for this year’s Glastonbury festival, joining Muse and Coldplay on Friday and Sunday respectively. Following the success of her globally successful album 25, this will be her first festival performance. She announced her involvement during a concert at London’s O2 arena, although she has previously stated her reluctance to play at Glastonbury due to the large crowds. There has been some criticism around whether her music fits in with a festival format, but you can’t deny that she will be a unique headliner.