Spotlight!: Clean Cut Kid
There are many ways to make a hit and this quartet from Liverpool have a whole recipe book for weird and wonderful top tracks. ‘We Used To Be In Love’ is a golden 80’s throwback reminiscent of ‘Jessie’s Girl’, ‘Loud Places’ boasts a nerve-tingling bass line, the disjointed fuzz of ‘Vitamin C’ is in a whole different class and the thrilling indie hit ‘Pick Me Up’ is sheer rapturous joy. Clean Cut Kid blend together the best of the indie scene bands such as Vampire Weekend with a dash of deliriously infectious 80s vibes from the likes of Peter Gabriel, Bryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen. If you add into the mix all the little eccentricities that show that they have nothing to fear from forging their own path, you’ll find that you have all you could ever want from a band …and don’t even get me started on frontman Mike Halls’ magnificent beard! Whatever your tastes Clean Cut Kid will assuredly make your life brighter.
Fans of Fickle Friends, Eliza and the Bear and The 1975 should check out their latest EP We Used To Be In Love
Album Review: One Less Reason – The Memories Uninvited
One Less Reason – The Memories Uninvited
Alternative Rock | Hard Rock | Heavy Metal
68%
Top Tracks: Wons Phreely – Stars
As frustrating as it can be to find an artist that is hard to pin down and pigeonhole, it can also bring with it an intriguing sense of the uncertain. Having moved from Sydney to LA, Wons Phreely (real name Justin Wonsly) has combined his home grown Aussie absurdity with slick Californian production. The driving synth rhythm of his latest single ‘Stars’ is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and Phil Collins era Genesis with just a subtle hint of Beck in Justin’s vocals. There a many little moments in this deceptively simple song which you could attribute to a wide range of influences, but none of those come close to really summing him up. With his new backing band The Horses injecting some fresh energy into proceedings it will be interesting to see what awaits on the horizon.
Top Tracks: Katie Buxton – You Flew
Sometimes the most simple and fragile songs are the ones that have the most power over us, and the latest singles from Philadelphia born folk singer/songwriter Katie Buxton is no exception. Now based out of Nashville and having released her debut EP From Songbirds, she has rightfully received plenty of recognition for her songwriting skills since she wrote her first song when she was just twelve years old. ‘You Flew’ is up to the high standard of artists such as Billie Marten and Gabrielle Aplin and tells the tale of loving someone who is not ready to love or be loved. The real measure of songs however is how they make you feel. Katie’s crystal pure vocals and honest heartfelt lyrics feel like a comforting blanket on a cold night, the crackle of a campfire as you stare towards the stars, a caring hand when times are tough. It’s that kind of connection that is so difficult to create and simply too splendid to measure.
Interview: Jonny Carroll
Hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, spellbinding singer/songwriter Jonny Carroll has spent years honing his craft busking and touring on both sides of the Atlantic. His debut album Leaving On The Light ranks amongst the best releases of the year. His raw and honest lyricism perfectly embodies his mantra “pop hook, folk heart”. With some beautiful music to his name and with his star set to rise, Belwood Music was lucky enough to have a chat with him: Continue reading
Cut and Paste Crisis: The problem with sampling
It’s no secret that when you look at the credits and personnel on certain albums, with hip hop, manufactured pop and modern R&B being the most notable culprits, you will see a long list of writers and producers. Albums from such artists as Beyoncé and Kanye West which have made big waves in the industry this past year seem to practically have an entire office block worth of people credited with making the music that made them famous. I imagine few of these people have made conscious contributions, many of them simply have had their work sampled. Continue reading
Top Tracks: FOXTRAX – Underwater
These New York natives may have written their debut EP in a remote cabin in the woods, but despite the creative isolation they have kept their finger on the pulse. The band’s lead single ‘Underwater’ features some bright indie guitar work that many more established bands would be envious of. Having only been together as a band for a short while they have made remarkable progress, both musically and with their ever growing fanbase. Many indie bands struggle to make music of this calibre and yet here we find FOXTRAX have managed to capture the magic between just the three of them. The band have set their ambitions high and have clearly made a great start on their winding, fox-trodden path to greatness. Unlike the pesky mirages that plague frontman Ben Schneid in their desert roaming music video, this power trio certainly aren’t going to fade away any time soon.
Black Foxxes – I’m Not Well
Happy Diving – Electric Soul Unity
Belwood Music 