The Amazing – In Transit
Indie Rock | Dream Pop | Alternative Rock
81%
music
Small But Mighty: Why we need more small festivals
It’s a peculiar time for the music industry. Streaming services are showing record figures, but there are still struggling up-and-coming artists being paid mere pennies. A recent report showed that live music attendance in the UK is at an all time high, yet grassroots venues up and down the country continue to close. Our music industry has experienced a massive boon in recent years, but it seems that only those at the top are reaping the rewards. Continue reading
Spotlight!: Flicker Rate
I can be rather selective when it comes to instrumental music. It needs to feel complete, as though adding vocals into the mix would take something away rather than add in something that feels missing. There are two ways to do this: the first is to pack in so much complex and unique instrumentation that there’s just no room left for vocals, the second is to make something so calming and chilled out that vocals would just disturb the delicate atmosphere. Flicker Rate, aka Irish multi-instrumentalist Spencer Bassett, somehow manages to achieve both of these sounds at once with his third and final EP Skylight. It makes for the perfect background music, but under closer scrutiny all the fantastic little details become clear as day. The title track shows his work at its most mellow and melodic, ‘Shimmer’ factors in electronic elements, and while the guitar generally takes centre stage there’a a lot to be said for captivating drum work on ‘Cloud Drop’.
Fans of Plini, Polyphia, Anathema and Intervals should check out Flicker Rate’s latest EP Skylight.
Live Review: Steven Wilson, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, 31st March 2018
Having been a Porcupine Tree fan for many years, and with the band playing a key part in my musical development as it were, a trip to see the main man himself Steven Wilson was long overdue. With his new solo record To The Bone offering some of his most well constructed songs to date (and with the size of his back catalogue that’s saying something) now seemed like the perfect time. I had not been this excited about a gig in a long time, and knowing his reputation for his spectacular live performances over the years, I was eager to see one of my idols in action. Continue reading
Top Tracks: Veladraco – Coldest Winter Day
We’ve all done it: sat on public transport, rain falling upon the window as you look out into the world, listening to a song you’re so completely absorbed in that you forget everything else exists. When that perfect song comes up at the perfect time it feels like you’re at the centre of a movie and are filming some bittersweet montage where you reflect on all that’s happened, and all that’s still to come. This cinematic new single from South African band Veladraco is just such a song. Walking a fine line between introspective and anthemic, it’s a song to hold you up and keep you moving forward when you just don’t know how to feel anymore. Wherever your journey leads, whatever comes next in your story, ‘Coldest Winter Day’ is just the companion you need.
Top Tracks: Tancred – Reviews
‘Reviews’ is my first experience of Tancred, but it certainly won’t be the last. This first single from forthcoming album Nightstand, out 1st June, showcases an astounding interplay of light and shade. With the imposing bass tones and sombre, introspective lyricism juxtaposed against bright flashes of indie guitar and keyboards, and infectious pop melodies, this track is a paragon of bittersweet brilliance. There are two whole worlds captured here in a mere three minutes, the perfect musical yin and yang. The music is equal parts lush and lo-fi, and the contrast between the downcast lyrics of the verses to the heartwarming hints of optimism in the chorus says something of the two sides at war within all of us. Both the storm cloud and the silver lining, this is truly a song for every occasion.
Album Review: Sunflower Bean – Twentytwo In Blue
Sunflower Bean – Twentytwo In BlueSad Songs Make The Sweetest Remedy
“What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing
with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will
take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally
thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I
listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I
listened to pop music?”
Top Tracks: Dessie Magee – Bandit
With a voice so gritty as to wear down your defences and warm even the coldest of hearts, Irish singer/songwriter Dessie Magee leaves a lasting impression with his new track ‘Bandit’. From its gentle acoustic origins it soon builds towards a cathartic climax that reminds me of Seafret’s ‘Oceans’. Yet even as the track expands layer by layer, delving beyond its folk beginnings into a more rock orientated release, Dessie’s unique vocals remain the finest instrument on display. Tackling the important subject of mental health, and how we’re pressured into keeping our pain bottled up to fester within by society, makes ‘Bandit’ all the more compelling. Any song that shares such an important message is worth sharing, but when a performance is as powerful as this, where you can feel an artist pour their very soul into their work, you know you have something special that needs to be heard.
Top Tracks: Rich Krueger – The Gospel According To Carl
There’s something incredibly compelling about a song that can tell a story, and while dystopian futures and deals with the devil are all well and good, often the best tales (if told well) are about ordinary people. In ‘The Gospel According To Carl’, taken from Rich’s debut album Life Ain’t That Long, we follow the downfall of a crooked used car salesman as he has a crisis of faith, finds a conscience, and subsequently loses all his ill-gotten gains. To sum up Carl’s story in one sentence though does this song a great disservice, as there are scores of Oscar-winning movies that lack the kind of depth and character development that this song excels in. With the droll humour and brilliant storytelling of Randy Newman, and the soulful passionate delivery of Van Morrison, Rich Krueger can weave wonderful tales with the best of them.
Belwood Music 