If you somehow haven’t yet decided who to vote for in the UK’s most important election in generations, then here is a handy guide. It’s also important to remember to register to vote while you still can. Belwood doesn’t claim to be an expert opinion on many things… except, of course, music! So what would the country’s political parties look like when translated into band form? Continue reading
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The Pros and Cons of SubmitHub
Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that SubmitHub has already left it’s mark on the music industry in just a few short years. For the uninitiated, the idea is a site that brings together artists and blogs/labels/etc and streamlines the whole submission progress for all parties involved. The artists submit a song for blogs to listen to and provide brief feedback. Sounds simple enough, but is it all it’s cracked up to be? Continue reading
The Pros and Cons of Bandcamp
Ah yes, the unsung hero of music platforms. It might not have the big userbase of the major platforms, but it has long held a high degree of respect in the industry thanks to its artist friendly business model. But does it deserve its glowing reputation? Continue reading
The Pros and Cons of Spotify
We’re starting off the new year with something a little different. Welcome to the first in a series of articles where we take a look at major music tools and social platforms, from the perspective of both artists and music fans, and think about where they excel and where they need to improve. Obviously our first port of call is the music titan that is Spotify. It has become synonymous with streaming the same way Google has with search engines, and has changed the music industry forever, but is it for better or worse? Continue reading
Belwood Music Awards 2018
It’s new year’s eve, and therefore, more importantly, it’s Belwood’s 4th birthday and time for our annual awards! It’s been an odd twelve months in many respects, and a real mixed bag as far as music is concerned, but 2018’s highlights more than made up for its lows. Here’s the music that left the biggest impression on us over the past year: Continue reading
Top Ten Albums of 2018
It’s been a very inconsistent year when it comes to albums. There have been a lot of releases that have fallen short of expectations, or failed to make a lasting impression. Thankfully to counteract that fact we’ve also seen some of our highest scoring records to date. It’s been a year full of new discoveries and subverted expectations, and these are our picks for the best albums from the past twelve months. Continue reading
Top Ten Songs of 2018
Though this past year has had it’s fair share of ups and downs, 2018 has consistently delivered some killer songs. In previous years my number one song of the year was obvious, it would spark something within me, ignite a fire that would keep burning all year. This time round I’ve had that same feeling about half the songs on my list! Continue reading
Top Ten Music Videos of 2018
While 2018 has been a very inconsistent year as a whole, it has really delivered when it comes to music videos. There have been some incredibly inventive and entertaining visuals over the past twelve months, and here’s my pick of the best of the best. Continue reading
Top Ten Album Covers of 2018
We’ll be starting this year’s list season with a brand new one. They say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but often album covers can say a lot about the music within. Many times I’ve bought a record simply because the artwork has drawn my eye every time I see it, and not once have I come away disappointed. As great as these albums are however, we’ll be ranking them solely on how eye-catching, unique and memorable the cover is. Continue reading
In Defence of One Hit Wonders
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There are few things in music that are looked down on as much as One Hit Wonders. This idea that people can suddenly be thrust into the spotlight with an otherwise unassuming song, revel in their fifteen minutes of fame, and then descend back into obscurity never to be heard from again. It’s a perennial industry punchline. A scary story that artists tell each other: “work hard or else you might end up like them!”. When most people think of One Hit Wonders their mind goes to silly guilty pleasure tracks, but they have so much more to offer. Continue reading
