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Album Review: David Bowie – Blackstar
David Bowie – BlackstarMust Own Albums: Hard Rock
Deep Purple – In Rock
One of the founding bands of hard rock and heavy metal, Deep Purple went through a lot of personnel changes. In Rock saw the first incarnation of the classic Mark II line-up which gave the band the majority of their best known hits. The band really hit their stride here and came out with classics like ‘Speed King’ and ‘Child in Time’.
AC/DC – Back in Black
The band had just released their breakthrough album Highway to Hell when lead singer Bon Scott died of alcohol poisoning. Most bands wouldn’t have survived such an ordeal, but with new singer Brian Johnson on board they bounced back with the best album of their career, including the hits ‘Shoot to Thrill’, ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ and the title track ‘Back in Black’.
Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic
By their third album Aerosmith had secured a place as one of America’s greatest rock bands, thanks to Steven Tyler’s wild vocals and Joe Perry’s killer riffs. Thanks to hits such as ‘Walk This Way’ and ‘Sweet Emotion’ it remains the band’s best selling studio album.
Van Halen – Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen was a revolutionary guitarist. The short instrumental ‘Eruption’ introduced the world to a new rapid and intricate way of playing which was quickly adopted throughout the world of rock and metal. The band’s landmark eponymous debut featured the songs ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’, ‘Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love’ and their cover of the Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me’.
Guns ‘N Roses – Appetite for Destruction
Whilst GNR’s debut originally had a lukewarm reception, it is now held as high point of the genre by the archetypal hard rock band. It is an unapologetically wild snapshot of the band at their best. Although they could never match their debut it did spawn some of their biggest hits such as ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, ‘Paradise City’ and ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’.
Music sales rise in UK for first time in over ten years
According to BPI, music sales in the UK in 2015 came to a value of £1.06 billion, compared to 2014’s £1.03 billion. This is the first rise in music sales since 2004. The sales increase is due to the rise in streaming and the vinyl resurgence. Streaming use rose 82% and vinyl sales rose 64% in 2015. The biggest money makers for the industry are home grown artists, with Adele’s ’25’ being the best selling album of the year and Ed Sheeran being the most streamed artist.
Spotlight!: Blossoms
This Stockport 5 piece has been topping lists around the world of “acts to watch in 2016”. They are the most hotly tipped indie band in the world and the stage is set for them to skyrocket to the top. As such they are brimming with confidence and attitude and ready to prove that they deserve such hefty praise. Their latest EP ‘Charlemagne’ is brimming with shimmering synths and funky bass lines. From the feel good indie pop of the title track, to the off-the-wall R&B of ‘Across The Moor’, to the sinister undertones of ‘Polka Dot Bones’, it is a release overflowing with promise.
Fans of infectious indie should make a note in their diaries as Blossoms latest EP ‘At Most A Kiss’ is out 19th February.
Coachella line-up 2016
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of America’s greatest music festivals, has announced this year’s line-up. Continuing the tradition of bringing acts out of retirement, LCD Soundsystem and Guns N’ Roses will be headlining Friday and Saturday respectively. This confirms the longstanding rumours surrounding a GNR reunion. The Californian festival will also include sets from Sufjan Stevens, Halsey, Sia, Foals and James Bay.
One record player sold every minute
HMV has reported that they sold one record player every minute in the week running up to Christmas. John Lewis also had a 240% boost in record player sales. The vinyl resurgence has also hit online retailers with record players being the best selling audio product on Amazon over Christmas. It is yet more evidence of the growing popularity of the vinyl format which is seeing ever increasing LP sections in HMV stores and the opening of new independent record stores across the country.
Indie-ana Jones and the Curse of the Second Album
Let’s make one thing clear before we move on, that awful pun was absolutely necessary! Okay, now we’ve cleared that up it’s time to move on to a serious musical issue. It’s a well documented fact that the majority of second albums don’t live up to the band or artist’s debut. In some cases the second albums are that bad that it spells the end of an otherwise promising musical career. What causes this worrying trend and how can you avoid the pitfalls? Continue reading
Aretha Franklin wows at Kennedy Centre Honours
This year’s Kennedy Centre Honours have taken place to praise artistic contribution to American culture. Among this year’s honourees was prolific songwriter Carole King. The ceremony featured Aretha Franklin’s rousing rendition of ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’, which was originally written by King and was a big hit for the both of them. It follows in the ceremony’s tradition of astonishing covers, such as Heart’s cover of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ at the 2012 ceremony.
Guns N’ Roses reunion in the works?
Reports from multiple sources have stated that a partial reunion of the classic Guns N’ Roses line-up is scheduled for 2016. They are rumoured to be headlining California’s Coachella festival as well as doing a 25 stop stadium tour across North America over the summer. However frontman Axl Rose has never been the most predictable of people, and he hasn’t played with Slash since 1993.
Belwood Music 