Review: Stereophonics - Graffiti on the Train

Originally published on www.soundblab.com

Being Welsh I was brought up on the likes of Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers and Catatonia. So when I found out the 'Phonics were releasing their first album in nearly four years, the biggest gap between any of their album releases, I was pretty excited. As a massive fan, I was a bit dubious about listening to the album at first because, let's be honest, the first two singles from the album, 'Indian Summer' and the title track, didn't exactly set the charts alight. Also, you can pretty much guess what the album sounds like as they've been around for ages. You know what to expect.

Of course, album number eight doesn't buck this assumption, but with Kelly Jones' vocals sounding as strong and gravelly as ever, coupled with their mix of sadness and upbeat melancholy, the record isn't entirely rubbish. Despite the first two singles bombing, there are some really good tracks on the album, such as 'Catacomb', 'Roll the Dice' and 'We Share the Same Sun', which try to recapture the best of the 'Phonics back-catalogue. However, this is counteracted by some pretty Goddamn awful tracks, like 'Take Me' and 'Violins and Tambourines', which are just dribbling messes of moping and tedium.

Although the album isn't the best one they've made, it is something you can listen to and enjoy. The band mix it up between complete depression, happy-yet-sad songs and angst-ridden, guitar-driven tracks. The vocals from Kelly are the highpoint but there isn't a stand out song at all, which is disappointing. Overall, an alright listen.

Gay anthems aren’t all sparkles and belting

Originally published on www.sosogay.co.uk

The gay anthem is something that has become synonymous with the gay community over the last couple of decades. From ‘Over the Rainbow’ to ‘I’m Coming Out’, all the way through to ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Born This Way’, sung by Judy Garland, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga respectively; and that’s only a few songs and singers off the top of my head.

There are plenty more where they came from as the gay anthem can date back to as early as the 1920s with ‘The Lavender Song (Das Lila Lied).’ The song is often thought to be one of the very first gay anthems as it was produced during a brief moment in time when the quality of life for gay men and lesbians was improved in the German Weimar Republic, and was written after the first international conference of sexual reform. Even ‘Over the Rainbow’ is more than 70 years old, and when it comes to listing gay anthems today we can usually see the formula used to create it: a bit of struggle, a dash of hardship and the mandatory big voice to belt it out.

However, the one thing I have noticed when it comes to the lists of gay anthems is that they are always rather mainstream and obvious choices. These lists tend to contain a number of artists closely associated with the gay community in one way or another. It’s not unusual to see gay anthems being listed as everything in the back catalogue of artists like Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Barbra Streisand, which in all honesty is a little limiting. After all, there are plenty of songs from other genres, besides disco and Broadway show tunes, that contain songs that can be viewed as gay anthems and in fact convey a message that many of these often-recognised anthems do.

There are two very specific songs that spring to mind from the rock genre, which may surprise you because it isn’t an obvious place to look for a ‘gay anthem’. The first of these songs is ‘Minority’ by Green Day. The song unashamedly shouts out about wanting to be the minority and not, as they put it, ‘the moral majority’. You can see that this song is giving a voice to all those people who are persecuted because they aren’t the white, straight, middle class American suburban family that are married with two children and a white picket fence. In a way, this song, much like Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way‘, is giving a voice to anyone and is a song about rights and embracing who you are. However, as a rock song it doesn’t really make the standard lists which are filled with big voice divas belting their way through four minutes of self-discovery.

The second song that stands out is ‘Standing in the Way of Control’ by American rock group Gossip. The song itself was written as a response to the denial of gay marriage in America, something that the gay community across much of the world can understand. Despite receiving considerable chart success here in the UK thanks in part to its use in the promotional advert for teen drama Skins, and being heavily considered as an alternative indie floor-filler, it is often overlooked for what it is actually about – equal rights, which automatically puts it in the alternative gay anthem category. Furthermore, a lesbian with a big voice sang it and, even though Beth Ditto isn’t your conventional diva, that surely gives it enough credit to be a gay anthem.

There are many more songs by various artists that could also be included on this list of alternative gay anthems. Just listen to a handful of songs by Placebo whose songs were used throughout Queer as Folk USA due to their subject matter, specifically ‘Taste in Men’. Then there are artists such as Peaches, whose gender-bending stage antics and controversial lyrics about sex and sexuality automatically put her high on the ‘gay icons’ list. But songs such as ‘I U She‘ convey a message that, although we are forced into boxes, it is ultimately ourselves who choose how and who we have sex with, something that many in the gay community know about. Clearly there are more songs out there other than Broadway tunes that give gay equality a voice, and in many cases they have far more substance to them than those by the big voiced divas.

Even though stereotypically rock and indie music aren’t considered to be favourite genres of gay people, it certainly has many songs that the gay population can relate to.

Review: Veronica Falls - Waiting for Something to Happen

Originally published on www.soundblab.com

London-based indie-pop quartet Veronica Falls return with Waiting for Something to Happen, the follow-up to their self-titled 2011 debut album. The 13 track album, produced by Rory Attwell, who has also produced work by The Vaccines, tells the story of someone slowly coming to terms with the process of growing up and learning to face adult responsibility.

The album itself is not what I was expecting. For some reason, I had it embedded in my head that this band was going to sound like some ear-puncturing second-rate group who should never have released an album. However, this couldn't be any further from the truth, as the group blend melancholic lyrics and themes into ethereal and happy, ghostly music to create something which hasn't been heard in a while.

I say this because the band appears to have drawn on 1960s, hippie influences and combined it with inspirations from a number of 90s indie-pop bands. In a way, they kind of reminded me a little of Echobelly crossed with the more recent The Long Blondes. They aren't quite as feisty as The Long Blondes but you can definitely hear the influences.

What the group are particularly good at is harmonies and the blending of their vocals. The fact that you could hear both female and male vocals, without one drowning out the other, reminded me a little of The xx, although otherwise their music couldn't be more different. When it comes to the actual songs, 'Broken Toy' stands out as does 'Everybody's Changing' with its uplifting sound, telling the story of growing up but wanting to stay young.

However, this is as far as you get with saying which songs you like, as they all kind of sound the same and blend into one. This is a bad thing, as you can enjoy dancing around to them, but as they do sound similar there is the problem of tuning out at times. Overall, this is a great second album for any band and it would be great to see them get more attention. Yet, with no standout track, it's a shame to say I feel this unusual and new work will sadly go unnoticed.

Review: Peace - Wraith

Originally published on www.soundblab.com

This new up-and-coming four-piece from Birmingham have already been making quite a stir on the music scene. After snagging a record deal, the band spent most of last year touring and even supported The Vaccines and Magic Kids. They've released their debut EP, Delicious, and have been nominated for best new band at the NME awards. With comparisons to bands like The Foals, Friendly Fires and Wu Lyf, it looks likey you may be hearing a lot more from this band in 2013.

The sound of Peace, and 'Wraith' in particular, can be described as a dark yet upbeat blend of indie-techno-rock with hints of psychedelic, 60s inspiration spread throughout. Coupling excellently smooth guitar riffs and smoother indie vocals, (I'll let you make those deductions yourself, the band make you want to dance and sing along, especially during the shout-out "dance forever."

Although Peace has taken inspiration from bands of recent times and we have heard music such as this before, they've managed to do it in an enjoyable and refreshing way, I mean, I've had this song on repeat for quite some time now and its vocals and sound is just as good as anything The Arctic Monkeys have ever put out.

So in other words, top marks to this song and I look forward to seeing more of this band as the next 12 months progress.

Review: Holopaw - Academy Songs Volume 1

Originally published on www.soundblab.com

Holopaw isn't a name that springs into my mind when I start thinking of bands that aren't tearing up the charts. In fact, until I reviewed this album I'd never heard of the band, yet I was intrigued by them due to the description of their sound. Blending as a mixture of indie-rock, country and folk together into 40 minutes worth of songs, Holopaw have created a great alternative soundtrack for your summer, festival travels and beach day parties with their fourth album, Academy Songs Volume 1.

Sounding a little like the alternative pop group Fun. but without all the annoyance and whining that comes with them, the band recorded this album at the beach, and you get a real feel of that while listening to the record as they combine a mixture of ethereal, haunting and earthy sounding songs. One thing I like is the mix of songs, by which I mean that some concentrated on the sweet and earthy yet powerful indie vocals of John Orth, which really made you feel something, whether it was sadness or delight. Others concentrated on the music, where guitar riffs and drumbeats took centre stage over the vocals.

In terms of songs, 'Golden Sparklers' and 'Infidels' are definite standout tracks with their varying mix of upbeat and down-key guitars and drums, and haunting yet surprisingly steady vocals. But the best track on the album has to be 'We Are the Virgin Snow', which is a blend of indie-folk and is a little depressing but also quite buoyant. In other words, it's quite a bipolar song as the haunting vocals and sadness which lies underneath blend well with the build up of drums and folk dancing-inspired music.

Towards the end of the album some of the songs do begin to sound a bit samey, as if they are blending into one. But don't let that deter you as the majority will make you want to dance around in a carefree child-of-the-60s way. Overall, this album is a great blend of songs you could listen to anywhere. Some do sound similar but what artist isn't guilty of that? It's just a shame, with bands such as Mumford & Sons doing so well, that this band hasn't broken into the mainstream yet. Hopefully we will hear more from them in the future.

Review: Placebo - B3

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

It has been three years since Placebo last released a new album and over a year since their last EP. However, unlike the last one, which was a recording of a live performance, the B3 EP is a collection of five new songs to help you get excited about the next album.

With a slated release date of March 2013 for the new record, this EP gives you an idea of the direction the band are going, which seems a little different/experimental, and it appears that this will be the case on the next album as all five tracks here are completely different, in a good way.

We obviously have the heavy drums and guitars that Placebo have become well known for, coupled with Brian Molko's angst-ridden vocals, which still sound exactly the same as they did over a decade ago - quite some feat I must say. Thrown into the mix of angst, guitars and drums, we have a few synth sounds which almost make me think of space, but that's probably just because I've recently embraced my inner sci-fi geek.

The album has two tracks that stand out from the others: 'The Extra', which is slow, upbeat and rocky all at the same time, and sounds like some of their older stuff but also fresh and new. The other stand-out is the last song on the EP, 'B3', which starts with some synths before the guitars and drums burst in, giving us a blast from the past when it comes to the band - yet it doesn't get boring.

Track number two, 'Time is Money', is the only song which doesn't quite match up to the rest of them. At just over seven-minutes-long, it gets a little repetitive and boring, almost bordering on overly mopey. But I can look past that given the quality of the other songs.

With all five tracks having a different sound and feeling a little experimental, it will be very interesting to see how the next album turns out. If this EP is anything to go by, Placebo fans should be in for a treat in the new year.

These Pharaohs are certainly anywhere but the grave

Pharaohs from the Grave are a new upcoming alternative punk rock band based in London, who have been described as anything but a generic rock and roll act. And after hearing two tracks from the band I can genuinely say they certainly aren’t generic.

The band are a great mix of heavy guitars and drums mixed with excellent vocals by Emily ‘Wolf’ O, who displays tinges of early Shirley Manson and Gwen Stefani with a little bit of punk icon Patti Smith sprinkled on top for good measure.

Considering they cite people such as Garbage and No Doubt as influences I’m not surprised. The two tracks I listened to, ‘Higher’ and ‘Success’ both show what this band is good at, great rock music that hasn’t been around the charts for awhile.

I only got to hear two tracks from the bands EP but I can’t wait to hear what else this band can come out with.

Check them out at: http://www.pharaohsfromthegrave.co.uk

Review - The Gossip - A Joyful Noise

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

Gossip return with their fifth studio album A Joyful Noise, and they do not disappoint. The band were joined on production for this album by Xenomania founder Brian Higgins, well know for producing singles by girlband Girls Aloud, and you can really hear the difference between this and their previous albums. You may think that Gossip and Girls Aloud are two different styles (which they are) and having Higgins on board would be a bad choice for the band. However, it isn't, as they fuse dance beats and indie-rock together to make a brilliant sounding album which will have you dancing along in your bedroom at a gig or even in a club.

Thanks to the fusion of different sounds, you get a great indie-dance record, and Beth Ditto's vocals are on top form as she lets loose for some edgy dance tracks with her distinct belting voice, and then reigns it in for some more melancholy heartfelt torch songs. The album has a feel similar too Beth's solo stuff coupled with the bands already known style. The best thing about it is that there are no bad songs, it's great from beginning to end and you won't get bored at all.

Some of the album's standout tracks include 'Perfect World', 'Get a Job', 'Move in the Right Direction', 'Casualties of War' and 'Get Lost'. Which are an eclectic mix of big, booming dance beats, excellent guitar riffs and impeccable vocals and lyrics. The band stay true to themselves while taking their musical sound to the next level with the Xenomania production.

The best track on the album has to be 'Get Lost'; with it's down played verses and huge 90s dance inspired chorus, you'll find it hard to keep still while this is playing in background. A remix of the song is sure to be a massive hit, and I for one would be incredibly interested to hear it. Track five, 'Casualties of War' is one of the slower songs on the album and takes them back to their indie roots, with a few electro beats creeping in. It's a soft and sweet ballad - just a purely beautiful song.

Overall, A Joyful Noise is a fantastic album filled with dance, indie and rocky beats that you can move to, coupled with booming, soft and melancholic vocals. It really has something for everyone.

Review: Garbage - Not Your Kind of People

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

90s rock band Garbage have returned with their fifth studio album, which also happens to be their first in over seven years. It may not feel like its been seven years, but sadly some of us have been sat in a world for nearly a decade where the only garbage around is the sort you'd throw away. But it has to be said Garbage's latest offering is definitely something for fans to keep hold of.

Reunited by drummer and Nirvana producer Butch Vig, the album mixes an eclectic blend of rock and electronic sounds mixed well with Shirley Manson's rocky yet soft vocals, with a tinge of haunting ambience thrown in for good measure. The album is just flat out brilliant, lets get that in there first, and there are no bad songs from beginning to end. Admittedly there are a few that stand out more than others, but the band could have selected any track from this album to lead with.

With a new tour on the horizon for the band, an album packed with this many great tracks, that would fit in perfectly next to their back catalogue, is enough to get anyone excited before running out to buy their front row ticket.

Particular highlights from the album include; 'Automatic Systematic Opening','Blood for Poppies', 'Control', 'I Hate Love' and 'Man on a Wire.' These tracks just stood out as the best of the best with their mix of electro rock and with riveting and exciting lyrics and vocals from Manson, they're more than anyone could have expected.

The only down point of the album was the track 'Sugar', which was a little too slow and just didn't have the fire and passion behind it that the other tracks did. That being said it is still listenable and you definitely wont skip it.

Overall this is a brilliant album, and excellent come back record for the band, as it sounds just like vintage Garbage, which is what we have come to love them for, with a few electronic rock tweaks to make it sound a little more fresh and exciting. Bring on the tour.

Review: Marilyn Manson - Born Villain

Originally published on www.soundblab.com

Its been three years since Marilyn Manson released his last album and Born Villain, his eighth studio album, has been in the works for a good two years. Overall, the album sounds like the sort of product you would expect from Manson by now after nearly two decades in the music business, filled with great rock beats and brimming with vocal angst which would get anyone rocking away at a gig or in a club.

Kicking off with the song 'Hey Cruel World', he sets the theme for the remainder of the album, with a quiet intro that smashes straight into heavy guitar riffs and loud drums, coupled with the angst-ridden yet at times sexy and as-sultry-as-rock-can-get vocals. The first half of the album is filled with some great tracks, in particular 'Pistol Whipped', which is a slow starter but an absolute rock anthem as it goes on. It sounds different to many of the other songs featured on the album.

As we move into the middle, Born Villain does get a little bit repetitive. Songs such as 'Overneath the Path of Misery', 'Children of Cain' and 'Disengaged' become a little bit tedious and samey-same as they tend to drone on a bit, and are ultimately a little boring. However, the album picks back up towards the end, resuming the rock and roll angst, guitar riffs and heavy drums which kicked it off, and are what any die-hard Manson fan would expect.

Other stand-out tracks from the album include 'Lay Down Your Goddamn Arms' with its up-beat rock tempo; 'Breaking the Same Old Ground', which is as close to a ballad as you're going to get on Marilyn Manson album; and the title track. Whilst beinga strong album track, there are much better songs here he could have lead with. The cover of Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain' is a definite highlight and becomes this album's 'Tainted Love'. It is always great to hear a new take on an old song and, with guitar and drums from Johnny Depp, this one is really striking.

Overall, we may have heard all this before from Manson but that doesn't stop it from being a pretty good album you will definitely listen to more than once.

Review: Cosmo Jarvis - Is The World Strange or Am I Strange?

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

Cosmo Jarvis has come a long way since 2008 when he started out. Since then he has performed in shows alongside the likes of Gym Class Heroes, Panic! at the Disco and Reverend & the Makers. With his second album Is The World Strange or Am I Strange he definitely brings something different. The whole album is packed with catchy and original songs which showcase his multi-faceted voice along with an array of different musical stylings.

The young singer, who has a Mumford vibe about his voice, has made an album here with a generally fun feel which seems light and enjoyable and is definitely something you could find yourself dancing and singing along to in the sun. His voice is what makes this album different; while he does have the alternative pop/rock indie feel on several songs, he also brings a spoken word element to a number of the album tracks and even seems to channel something influenced by folk, which all works together brilliantly to make the album both enjoyable and non-repetitive.

All of the tracks are great in their own way, but songs such as 'Gay Pirates', which tells the tale of two pirates in love, 'Dave's House', which a lot of young people out there will be able to relates to, and 'Blame It on Me', which introduces a cheery folk style vibe, are definitely the stand-out tracks on the album. There's nothing wrong with other ones but these just seem to be the ones that get stuck in your head, and keep you singing along. Some of the songs are a bit long in places but you can forgive him for this as the versatility in music and voice on all the tracks gives you something fresh to listen to, which is really nice to hear after so many copycat singers hitting the shelves in recent years.

All in all, this album is a really fun listen, and I expect we will be hearing a lot more from him in the future.

Review: Patti Smith - Outside Society

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

Rock legend Patti Smith has returned to the music scene with a collection of incredible songs that span her four-decade-long career.

In a small video the enduring iconoclast made online, she discusses the tracks on this latest collection of some of her greatest songs. Speaking about the selection of the tracks on the album, Smith tells the audience that she "Picked songs that spoke for the whole band" before elaborating that these 18 tracks all contain a message and have something to say about politics, rock 'n' roll, life, summer and love.

This incredibly talented and influential rock poet cemented her legend back in 1975 with her amazing debut album Horses. She has since gone on to win critical acclaim and fans the world over, not forgetting a huge array of awards including the Polar Music Prize back in May, giving testament to her longevity and relevance in the ever-changing music world.

The album contains a number of great tracks from different points in her career including 'Gloria', 'People Have the Power', 'Dancing Barefoot' and some of her more recent work such as 'Glitter in Their Eyes' and '1959', not forgetting two of her most well known tracks, her biggest hit to date 'Because the Night', and the ever popular 'Rock N Roll Nigger', containing the lyric "outside in society" which gives the compilation its name, and what Smith herself describes as "a nice little song". There is also a great cover of the Nirvana classic 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' which Patti takes and makes her own, in a way only she could, slowing it down from but still maintaining its rock angst.

The selection of the songs truly is great, and as a huge fan of Patti Smith I can honestly say for anyone out there who may be wondering what this woman is all about, you should definitely pick up this album, because it not only contains some of her greatest songs but also showcases her incredible rock angst vocal and superb lyrics which contain meanings on so many different levels and send out truly important messages to our society.

Smith has described rock and roll as "the people's art" and says in her small six minute recording that "It belongs to the people." Well, here I must say the rock 'n' roll truly belongs to Smith and I hope she continues to churn out more meaningful and brilliant songs for years to come, because the music world needs her, and this album showcases everything that is great about the legendary Patti Smith.

Review: Adalita - The Repairer

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

Adalita, front-woman and founding member of Australian rock band Magic Dirt returns with the debut solo single 'The Repairer' from her self titled debut solo album Adalita. After almost 20 years, Magic Dirt went on hiatus last year and it looks as though Adalita has taken the break to concentrate on her solo material, and her debut single is rather good.

The song is a melancholy and ambient soft-rock thing which blends the singer's rocky vocals in nicely with a mix of heavy guitars and a haunting echo in the background. The confection does sound quite sad despite her rock styled voice so credit has to be given to her for that, and you can really hear the influences of PJ Harvey and Cat Power coming through. I must add that you can also detect a little bit of the great Patti Smith in the more spoken word parts.

The song isn't something you would call a favourite after the first listen, but something sticks with you that makes you want to listen again. I think it may be the haunting background coupled with the guitar, but it is definitely a grower, so top marks to her for that.

Review: CSS - La Liberacion

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

Brazilian rock band CSS return with their third studio album La Liberacion. The album is an eclectic mix of musical styles clearlyinfluenced by electronica and alternative rock and overall it's a good effort, but it appears they may have stumbled into that difficult third album territory which most musicians become a victim to. Much of the album can be considered background music, as a number of the songs tend to blend into one another.

The album does make up for this background music flaw by mixing it up and not having every track brimming to top with electronic beats. They've alternated the sounds, with the opening tracks being more influenced by the beats and thuds of a club before moving into more alternative rock orientated tracks as the album progresses, still throwing in the odd electronic beat in here and there for good measure.

Although the album does have a tendency to go on a bit and drone into the background there are a number of stand out tracks that should get fans excited. These come in the form of the first single from the album, 'Hits Me Like a Rock' which features vocals from Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and a good beat. The exchange of words between the band's lead singer Lovefoxxx and Gillespie almost sounds as though the song has a slight battle going on, which overall works and makes for a good first release from the album.

'City Girl', another fine track, might actually do quite well if released as a single, due to the Kesha-esque sound to it. Yes I know it's strange that I've just compared CSS to Kesha, but on this song it sounds as though there is a huge influence from the pop train-wreck, but I don't know how fans will respond to this. 'Echo of Love' features a chant-style chorus. True to the song it sounds like an echo and is one of the better alternative rock influenced tracks. Sounds pretty good so far but after the Portuguese sung 'La Liberacion' - probably one of my favourite tracks even though I can't speak the language - the album goes a bit down-hill as the remainder of the tracks all blend into one, and you get that background boring sound. Luckily the final two tracks, the XX sounding 'Red Alert' with its almost spoken-word vocal and 'Fuck Everything' with its rocky sound and aggressive vocals really come through to save the album. But will some of the fans stick around to hear this far?

Overall, the album is good in parts and has a few stand-out tracks, but with around five or six great tracks out of 11, it doesn't really bode well for the band. The best thing they can do now is to hit the road and try and gain some support for the album, because performed live with the interaction of a crowd it may actually sound better.

Review: Baron Bane - Midthing

Originally post on www.soundblab.com

'Midthing' is the latest single to be released from the LPTO album by Baron Bane. Originating from Stockholm, the band infuses a mix of electronica, pop and rock into their songs and this single really strikes out for the band. The song starts with a brilliant melancholy beat which continues throughout the track, adding to its relaxed yet eerie feel, putting me in mind a little of Massive Attack and their hit single 'Teardrop'.

The lead singer's vocals seem to fit with what you would expect from a Swedish female star in the present day, and are very reminiscent of fellow country-woman and singer Lykke Li which, let's be honest, isn't a bad thing.

The song is definitely something you would expect to here as the backdrop to an underground indie film and you can definitely imagine it being a pretty big stand-out performance at any festival. My only criticism is that at six minutes and 44 seconds, some people may become a little depressed at the melancholy sounds and beats, but overall the song is definitely a winner.