You Me At Six – Bite My Tongue (feat. Oli Sykes)

The second single to be taken from You Me At Six’s ‘Sinners Never Sleep‘ album, ‘Bite My Tongue‘ is an impressive little offering from the band featuring guest vocal work from Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes. Given the inclusion of Oli Sykes on the track, it therefore comes as little surprise that the track has a little more bite about it than we’ve become accustomed to in the past with the music of You Me At Six. The pop punk style we’ve come to associate with the band is still very much there, and if you’ve had a chance to listen to the band’s ‘Sinners Never Sleep‘ album then you’ll have noticed that a number of the tracks continue on from where ‘Hold Me Down‘ left off. ‘Bite My Tongue‘ is one of the tracks that hints at where the band may be heading in the future however, a track that very quickly gets into its stride with some powerful guitar work and the impressive vocal styling of Josh Franceschi.

The vocal screams of Oli Sykes contrast nicely with the more clean vocal approach of Josh Franceschi. The track most definitely benefits from the presence of Oli Sykes, and it’s his vocal duties that really help to give this track an extra edge. Without Sykes’ presence this would still be a decent offering from You Me At Six, with the Bring Me The Horizon man present here however the track is really taken to another level when he makes his appearance. Perhaps one possible direction for the future of You Me At Six could be for them to add an additional vocalist alongside Josh, someone to add a few screams and growls to the music whilst Josh Franceschi continues to provide the clean vocal touch. ‘Time Is Money‘ featuring Winston McCall of Parkway Drive fame provides further evidence that this could be a worthwhile avenue for the band to consider for the future.

The music of You Me At Six certainly seems to be changing, the future looks good for the band however, and if you’ve ever been a fan of the band’s sound in the past then I’d definitely recommend checking out ‘Bite My Tongue‘. In fact, given the band’s shift towards a slightly heavier sound, even if you haven’t been a fan of the band in the past then still give ‘Bite My Tongue‘ a chance as you just might be impressed with what you find here.

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Acoustic Jim – Hanging Up My Cape

Acoustic Jim is a Jason Mraz-inspired soloist from London who gained his rather unique name from a friend who shouted it at him after he took to the stage at an open-mic night for the first time.

Since then Jim has released two EP’s on his own record label and received the People’s Music Award in 2010 for ‘best male solo artist’.

The nature of acoustic music often makes it difficult to create a ‘big sound’, which may be why he drafted in The Wires to help him out on his debut album, released last week, called Hanging Up My Cape.

The album features a strange mixture of tracks; some reminiscent of Jason Mraz taking his listeners straight to the beach and some slower love-songs comparable to the works of James Blunt.

Hanging Up My Cape is a pop album at its core but with a mature edge to it and an ensemble of brass and bass instruments.

It’s a sound that grabs the listeners attention but even with the emergence of unlikely acoustic successes like Ed Sheeran, may not find its rightful place in an already crowded underground London scene.

The lead-track to the album is called Time and features a quirky ‘Bucket List’ style animated video of two characters fulfilling their dreams before they die.

As a word of warning the chorus of the track is likely to be spinning around your head for several days after listening to it, which seems to be one of Jim’s trademarks.

All Time Low – Forget About It

There are a number of incredibly catchy tracks to be found on ‘Dirty Work’, and in my opinion ‘I Feel Like Dancin’ which was co-written with Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo was a solid choice to be the first single. Fast forward four months however and the band has followed it up with a very lacklustre single in the form of ‘Forget About It’. If I was put in charge of releasing the second official single from All Time Low’s ‘Dirty Work’ studio album then I really don’t think that ‘Forget About It’ would have struck me as an obvious choice. ‘Forget About It’ is pretty safe and inoffensive; then again its title is also somewhat ironic in that I’d say that it’s also pretty easy to forget about this track.

Previous releases from the band such as ‘Weightless’ and ‘Lost in Stereo’ from the ‘Nothing Personal’ album, as well as the aforementioned ‘I Feel Like Dancin’ have come with incredibly catchy choruses; whilst the ‘Forget About It’ chorus is mildly pleasing, I just don’t feel that it carries the same sort of weight as the band’s previous successes. ‘Forget About It’ will perhaps prove me wrong and prove to be a chart success, in my opinion however this is a track that showcases the band far from at its best. Alex Gaskarth’s vocals are solid here as always, instrumentally the band does little to really grab me here however and the track is lacking a real killer guitar hook.

I’ve been a big fan of All Time Low since 2007s ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ and have a general love for all things pop punk, despite my appreciation of the band generally however and firm belief that ‘Dirty Work’ is a decent studio release from All Time Low, I just don’t feel that ‘Forget About It’ is one of the band’s best.

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Hevy Festival 2011 Review

In only its third year as a festival and only its second at Port Lympe Wild Animal Park, Hevy has managed to attract the kind of line up that would whet many a musical appetite. After a prolonged wait to enter the festival due to very thorough bag checking and there being just the one entrance there was a well laid out and well catered for festival.

Taking to the Rock Sound & Macbeth stage early Friday evening, Flood of Red. Drawing an almost full tent, the Glaswegians put their stamp on the opening day. Creating an atmosphere other bands must envy, they provide moments of awe as well as full on crowd sing alongs during a stunning set. Providing something of a pleasant surprise were Don Broco. Their style of pop-rock made for a high energy show that had it all. Circle pits, a wall of death, it was no holds barred. Lower Than Atlantis are a band with a lot of expectation. They put everything in to their set and really gave the crowd a memorable show. Mike Deuce is every part the front man commanding the attention of near everybody in the jam packed tent. Mixing it up with a Foo Fighters covers medley of ‘Everlong‘ and ‘The Pretender‘ the lads from Watford could do no wrong. A brilliant performance by one of the best new bands in the UK right now.

Early on Saturday afternoon and Gold Kids bring their brand of hardcore all the way from Italy. Despite a short time on stage the only downfall was the frustrating sound of the main ‘Jaegermeister’ stage. Made up of former members of Cry For Silence and current members of Gallows and Haunts, Spycatcher took to the stage and made the most of the crowd they drew. Highlight ‘Don’t Like People’ really stood out as a great song, played by a convincing band. Make Do And Mend blew the crowd away with a raw, passionate display during a loud and energetic set. Playing songs from their latest LP ‘End Measured Mile’ as well as some from their older EP’s they turned out to be one of the best acts of the festival. Playing for the last time as a band The Ghost Of A Thousand went out in style. Playing a set full of crowd favorites from their career that spans back to 2004 they are sure to be missed now they’ve called it a day. Title Fight have their own, unique style. Blending pop punk and melodic hardcore they play with a confidence way beyond their years. Fingers crossed they make the trip back this time next year. With an hour on stage, Architects pulled in a decent crowd with frontman Sean Carter putting on a high energy show. Going through new and old songs the band are a perfect warm up for the headliners. Then came The Dillenger Escape Plan who displayed what can be only described as near chaos throughout the whole set. It’s a joy to watch as every member of the band throw themselves around the stage and play the most technical music of the whole weekend. Finishing the set by destroying half of the equipment on stage made for a fitting ending.

‘Defend Pop Punk’ If you’re familiar with this saying you will no doubt be aware of Man Overboard. In recent years pop punk has been home to many a band producing a painfully generic sound. Man Overboard break that mould. The dual vocals of Nik and Zak work perfectly together and it’s a real pleasure to watch a band who really love playing. Polar Bear Club were a slight disappointment, playing very well but delivering nothing more. At the opposite end of the spectrum are Touché Amoré. From the off they mean business, blowing the crowd away after seconds in. This is what people go to a festival for. Not just to listen to well played music but for the band to reach out and connect with the crowd, giving something to remember. This, the first trip to the UK for Living With Lions provided a complete open mind. They play a great slice of edgy pop punk that really went down well to a relatively small crowd. A solid set and great introduction to the band. Frontman of La Dispute, Jordan Dreyer praises the crowd mid set for “turning one of the worst experiences as a band into one of the best” this was in reference to the sound problems that riddled the entire set which meant a whole song was played a guitar down. Despite the poor luck on the day the mood wasn’t dampened and there was still a value to watching a very special band. Jordan’s vocal delivery being the highlight. Being washed out by the poor sound of the main stage and only attracting a somewhat small crowd, We Are The Ocean put on a lack luster show that in no way backs up the high quality of their recorded material. Feeling disappointed it was up to Defeater to deliver. Opening with ‘I Don’t Mind’ was thought provoking start to a stellar set. The tent was packed out with the whole crowd singing to many a song and the crowd outside desperate to catch a glimpse. Up step Welshmen Funeral For A Friend who managed to take the crowd back in time. To a time where a large part of the audience were finding their love for music. Even line up changes of late have had little effect on the impact of crowd favorites ‘Juneau’ and ‘Roses For The Dead’ It’s no surprise as it’s Matt Davies that makes this band. New songs off their latest LP ‘Welcome Home Armageddon’ had a mixed response but this never put the set in danger. It was full of all the sing alongs and crowd interaction. As they finished it’s hard to avoid the thought they would have been a worthy headliner. That duty was reserved for Four Year Strong. Opening in not so convincing style the band turned to throwing food into the crowd to get them through. Urging them to “fight over it” As amusing as it seemed at the time it’s hard to see how it all fitted in to what this festival is all about. They played songs from their back catalogue which went down just as well as the new tunes. Overall there’s no doubt there were other bands that would be more fitting and arguably more deserved of headlining the main stage on the last day of the festival.

If you’re looking for a line up that’s all about alternative bands, Hevy is the festival for you. With many UK festival exclusives it’s the only chance many people will get to watch some of the bands from across the pond. Although the arena is well organized, one downside of the festival would be that the camping left a lot to be desired. There were no shower facilities onsite and at night there was little security to deter the ‘up all nighters’ causing plenty of trouble in the small hours. The biggest improvement the organizers could make for next year would be to have the arena open later or even have camp DJ’s to give people more to do at night. Despite this, for the price you pay the value is outstanding. Can’t wait to see what year 4 holds.

Reviewer: Steve Jones // jonersays.tumblr.com

Breathe Carolina – Blackout

Breathe Carolina is an electronic rock duo that has been spreading its joy now since 2007. ‘Blackout‘ is the latest single to have been released by the band, an infectious electropop gem that sounds 100% like it has been made for the radio.

With its exciting electronic edge, ‘Blackout‘ has all the makings of being a successful single; simple yet effective, ‘Blackout‘ is most definitely a track that hits the spot, doing so with incredible  style and supreme flair. The track is unashamedly cheesy, there’s something incredibly gripping about its simplicity and as the band smashes through its chorus there’s a great level of power that comes from the lyrics here. “I’m only getting started, I won’t blackout” shouts the band, also emphasising the lyrical line of “This won’t stop till I say so” through repetition. These are not the most intellectually profound lyrics you’re ever likely to come across in a track, the band certainly has a lot to offer here however, and its through its supreme simplicity that this single works so well.

The exciting electronic duo that is Breathe Carolina will be heading to the UK next month for a co-headlining tour with dubstep outfit Tek-One. This band’s brand of electro rock may not be for everyone, Breathe Carolina and Tek-One should be a pretty exciting double header however, so if you’re up for an evening of electronic excitement thenI’d definitely recommend heading along to one of the shows if you can.

If you’re not yet familiar with the work of Breathe Carolina then be sure to give ‘Blackout‘ a listen. The band’s third studio album ‘Hell Is What You Make It‘ is available now through Fearless Records.

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Blink-182 – Up All Night

It’s always a strange moment when one of your favourite artists releases a new single; a case of excitement yet also nervousness. When it has been eight years since the band released its last album this therefore heightens the emotions substantially. After such a period without new material, will your long-term favourite band still be able to deliver? Will you be able to hold the new material in such high regard? Upon first listening to ‘Up All Night‘ I feared not.

When Blink-182 went on an extended hiatus in 2005, Tom DeLonge went on to form Angels & Airwaves whilst Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker focussed on a new project in the form of +44. Listening to ‘Up All Night‘ is like hearing the band bring together their hiatus projects with the Blink-182 that we know and love. There’s a greater sense of maturity about the band, as was beginning to be evidenced with the band’s final release before the hiatus, and in fact with ‘Stay Together For the Kids‘ from the ‘Take Off Your Pants and Jacket‘ album also. The band has clearly progressed and matured, and upon first listening to the single I was a little fearful of the change. Did the band still do it for me? Was ‘Up All Night‘ a credible return for the band, or was it in fact a massive disappointment after all these years away? Upon repeated listens to ‘Up All Night‘ I found my answer.

‘Up All Night‘ is another absolutely brilliant single release from the fantastic pop-punk band that is Blink-182. The band has most definitely evolved, after nearly a decade since 2003s self-titled release however is that really such a bad thing? Would I prefer for the band to have stagnated and not progressed its sound? Upon reflection, no I wouldn’t.

With its incredible introduction, ‘Up All Night‘ instantly grabs you, having you hooked right from the offset. Tom DeLonge powering away on the guitar, Travis Barker delights with his stick skills as always, and we have ourselves another hit from Blink-182. The opening riff from Tom DeLonge is incredibly catchy, it has you wanting to pick up a guitar and play it for yourself; the supreme power of inspiration still shining through as Blink-182 provides us with another absolute aural delight. Not only is this opening guitar hook incredibly catchy, but the chorus also is equally infectious.  After listening to the track a couple of times you find yourself unable to stop yourself singing along to the chorus, tapping away to the beat on your desk as you do so. ‘Up All Night‘ is an incredible comeback from Blink-182; undoubtedly different to what most people surely expected from the world’s biggest pop-punk band, brilliant nonetheless however, and an extremely catchy single that Blink-182 can rightly be extremely proud of.

I was extremely disappointed when Blink-182 announced its hiatus in 2005, I always kept the faith that the band would be back though and was over the moon when the band announced its return in early 2009.  Two and a half years later and we can celebrate properly the return of Blink-182; the band has a new single in the form of ‘Up All Night‘, and in September the band’s gift to us is sixth studio album ‘Neighborhoods‘. If ‘Up All Night‘ is anything to go by then ‘Neighborhoods‘ will most certainly be an album well worth adding to your collection.

This is not the same Blink-182 that left us in 2005, this is a Blink-182 that has benefitted from several years apart to focus on other projects; this is a Blink-182 that will come back bigger and better than ever.

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Lady GaGa – Born This Way (Heavy Metal Version)

Inspired presumably by the viral success of Wax Audio’s Lady Gaga vs Judas Priest mashup that hit the internet last month, Evile’s lead guitarist Ol Drake has decided to put together a heavy metal version of Lady GaGa’s ‘Born This Way‘, receiving over 50,000 views in the 2 weeks since he uploaded it to YouTube. Ol isn’t quite at the level of Wax Audio’s million plus views yet, hopefully he can hit the 100,000+ point before long however, and with online coverage from the likes of Blabbermouth, Bloody Disgusting, and Metal Hammer, as well as a mention in this week’s Kerrang! Magazine, the views are bound to keep coming in for Ol in the coming days and weeks.

Although featuring the vocals of the original Lady GaGa track, Ol Drake has decided to shake things up a bit here by providing his own alternative, heavy metal instrumental backing. I can’t say I’ve ever been the biggest Lady GaGa fan in the world, what Ol has done with the track is certainly impressive however, and there’s a great element of fun about the music. It’s not quite up there with ‘Chewbacca For Good‘, definitely still well worth a listen though, with Ol Drake once more

Ol Drake’s heavy metal version of ‘Born This Way‘ definitely won’t be for everyone, and I’m sure there are plenty of Evile fans out there that hate it; this isn’t an Evile track though, this is Ol Drake having a bit fun, and if you don’t like it then just don’t listen to it then. The guitar work is strong here, and Lady GaGa’s vocals actually sound pretty awesome with this sort of instrumental backing. Listen to the music of Evile and you’ll be able to hear for yourself that Ol Drake is an excellent guitarist, this is something that also shines through with this ‘Born This Way‘ cover, and Ol Drake has done an absolutely cracking job of putting this one together.

Evile’s third studio album ‘Five Serpent’s Teeth‘ is due for release in late September, and if the exposure gained from Ol’s heavy metal version of Lady GaGa’s ‘Born This Way‘ can help to bring in any extra fans for the band then this can only really be see as a good thing. Another potential plus point springing from Ol Drake’s cover and indeed Wax Audio’s mashup is that it may just lead Lady GaGa to the realisation that heavy metal is the way forward for her and that she’s been wasting her talents these past few years in producing pop music. Who knows what the future may well hold for Lady GaGa, but if you’d like to get an idea of what it might well sound like if Lady GaGa does ever decide to go metal then take a listen to the track below.

Linkin Park – Rolling In The Deep

A cover of Adele’s ‘Rolling In The Deep’ is something that I never would have expected from Californian rock band Linkin Park, cover it the band have though, and a damn fine job Chester Bennington has done of the vocals as well.

Having covered the track acoustically at the iTunes Festival, Linkin Park’s ‘Rolling In The Deep‘ cover was resultantly released as a  single via the iTunes store, hitting number 42 on the UK singles chart upon release. Given that this great cover debuted at number 42, I would most definitely expect the single to rise and rise in the coming weeks, and could most certainly see the band having a huge hit out of it.

Chester Bennington is an incredibly talented vocalist, and this is something that shines through strongly with this live cover. Bennington’s voice is incredibly well suited to the track, and due to the immense quality of this cover it’s hard to believe that it wasn’t actually written with Chester Bennington’s voice in mind.

When Linkin Park first released ‘Hybrid Theory‘ back in late 2000, little did I realise that the band would still be hanging around in the mainstream more than a decade on, Linkin Park is still a band that is going supremely strong though, and if you give this ‘Rolling In The Deep‘ cover a listen then you’ll be able to hear for yourself just how strong a voice Chester Bennington truly has. Linkin Park may have ridden in on the wave of nu-metal, the band has managed to remain at the top by consistently smashing out super strong singles though, and in ‘Rolling In The Deep‘ the band demonstrates that it’s also fully capable of powering out the hits of others.

Chester Bennington really does have a brilliant voice, but don’t just take my word for it, give Linkin Park’s ‘Rolling In The Deep‘ cover a listen and prepare to be impressed.

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Simple Plan – Jet Lag feat. Natasha Bedingfield

Having been following Simple Plan since the band’s 2002 debut ‘No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls’, I was extremely impressed when I first heard the band’s ‘Jet Lag’ single which features guest vocals from Natasha Bedingfield. There’s a very big sound about this single, Natasha Bedingfield’s vocals sit well in the song, but for me it is Simple Plan’s own Pierre Bouvier that really steals the show here. Bouvier’s vocals really do pack a mighty punch with this single, and as has always been the case with the music of Simple Plan, it is he that makes ‘Jet Lag’ so special. Instrumentally the music most certainly has much to offer, vocally though the sound is absolutely sensational here.

‘Jet Lag’ comes complete with an incredibly punchy chorus that we’ve come to expect from Simple Plan over the years; after only a couple of listens you find yourself really singing along to the song, already knowing absolutely every word. Simple Plan’s ‘Jet Lag’ sounds like it was 100% made for the top 40, it sounds like a summer anthem, and it’s not at all surprising that the single has already enjoyed success in several countries around the world.

When the band released its self-titled album back in 2008 there were several tracks that I found myself unable to stop listening to, ‘Jet Lag’ has had the very same effect on me and is a track that I can see myself listening to heavily for many months to come.

As a big fan of pop punk I’ve always had quite a soft spot for Simple Plan, more often than not their singles really seem to hit the spot, and this is most certainly the case with ‘Jet Lag’. If you’re a fan of pop punk or have ever heard and liked a Simple Plan track in the past then I’d most definitely recommend listening to ‘Jet Lag’ as this is not a track that is likely to leave you disappointed.

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The Naked and Famous – Girls Like You

‘Girls Like You’ is an interesting track that starts off slowly and builds brightly. There’s a real pumping Pulp feel about the music here as the track hits its stride; it’s a really impressive piece of music from the band featured in the BBC’s Sound of 2011.

There’s an MGMT meets alternative rock feel about the sound here, the band clearly has an electronic edge about it, but it’s also quite obvious that The Naked and Famous is approaching its music from more of a rock than electronic angle.

With its powerful chorus and extreme catchiness, ‘Girls Like You’ follows on well from ‘Young Blood’ and ‘Punching in a Dream’ and should see the band secure another successful single release.

It’s not hard to tell why the BBC has this band down as one of the most promising new artists of 2011, and if you’re a fan of indie/alternative rock music then The Naked and Famous’ ‘Girls Like You’ is most definitely a track that you should take the time to listen to.

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