The Power of 3: This Week's Reviews

The cliche of waiting ages for a bus and then three turning up at once seems to be a recurring theme within my blogging journey. Just as my legs began twitching with the restless energy of wanting to discover something new and exciting beginning to set in, new experiences and discoveries suddenly happened all at once. Not being able to decide which one to focus on, I have to decided to condense them all down into one blog post.

Katie Coleman at Barfly

As I had only heard and seen her performances via YouTube, I was looking forward to the opportunity to see Katie Coleman perform live at Barfly on the 10th February. Performing to a substantial crowd who were ready to party meant that Katie was hitting her stride with her daring vocals. Opening her set with the powerful, attitude-fuelled 'Hole in My Head' meant that the audience was ignited from the offset. The set continued in this manner but the tone was  mellowed and softened with the touching ballad 'Enough' which kept the room gripped as almost-impossible notes were hit as it was demonstrated just how a talented vocalist she is.With the energy and passion with which Katie Coleman and her live band perform with, I can only imagine that bigger, sold out venues are on the horizon. 

New Video: Sisteray 'She Likes The Drama'

London based Sisteray  treats us to a new Mod anthem in the form of 'She Likes The Drama'. With its hooking guitar riffs and Nial Rowan's mature vocals, the rhythmic, light- hearted jam bodes well for the release of their first EP. The accompanying video, filmed by Albert Jagger, gives us a voyeuristic insight to a performance of the bouncy single with the sepia tone resembling the sleekness that Sisteray exudes.  Their debut EP will be released on the 17th February which you can pre-order here.

The Cornerstones - Stand in Line

With influences taken from Western Country you could be forgiven for being surprised that The Cornerstones are London based.  'Stand in Line' has riches in its vintage-inspired production. The title track has a fun innocence to it, akin to The Kinks' 'Picture Book' and as it builds momentum, it modernizes as it becomes a rocking, inspirational fist pumper. The album contains outstanding melodies and precision within the composition with strong, powerful tracks that would stand well alone, such as Smack Me in The Face.  Listening to the album is the equivalent of taking a trip through time as it combines all the best bits of 60s Mod, 70's power rock and 90s Britpop to create a truly unique piece.  You can purchase 'Stand In Line' by clicking here

When We Are Apart: Magistrates Talk of Their Comeback

Press the rewind button back to 2009 and  Magistrates were everywhere you turned. Their fun, contagious tracks such as 'Colour Coordination' and 'Goldlover' secured them a vast, loyal fan base and the accolade of the music press.Having been featured on the Samsung NME Radar Tour and supporting Blur twice on their historical comeback, the future seemed limitless for the Essex quartet.

Despite their position, Magistrates removed themselves from the public eye for four years. As 2013 drew to a close however, fans were treated with the news of a mini-gig to debut the release of two new singles 'When We Are Apart', which was recently awarded NME's 'Track Of The Week' and 'B.T.P.A'. They were back again! So what had happened between then and now? 'I don’t like to say 'back' as to be honest we never really went away.' Paul Usher tells me. 'In terms of shows and releases, yes we disappeared from the light, but Magistrates has always been constant and making music. It is just right now we feel we have something that we want to share. Always new ideas to the very large table we own however, it has always been like that, natural progression.'  One of the new ideas they have shared with us so far has been the hilarious video to 'When We Are Apart'.  making use of retro footage from 1980s  'Lonely Hearts' ads and clever lip syncing. So is the tongue-in-cheek video a sign of the direction they'll be heading in? 'It is a great video that was created by VH/YES. I don’t really see it as tongue in cheek, it is just a colour that represent a colour of the record. Nothing can stay the same colour all the time and it is important always see things through a spectrum. The album has many colours and I know that the videos will represent those.' 

With this comeback there seems to be much anticipation, will there be an album? What about a tour? 'I couldn't give you a date to be honest just yet.' In regards to album ' It is in the almost finished stage, expect a lot of hours and love and honesty put onto a record.' As for a tour 'I hope so. We are currently sorting all of that business out at the moment. Very keen to get back over to our European neighbours. To be honest we have always been a band that have a motto of, if you’ll have us, we’ll be there.'

Finally, did musical legend Damon Albarn share any of his wisdom for the band when they had toured together? 'I can’t say he did on those shows. We spent time in his studio a few months before those shows and learnt a lot about space in music and melody. It was a great to play with Blur as they are such a talented iconic band'

You can follow the magistrates on Twitter and Facebook. Catch them play at The Lexington, London on the 28th Feb Get your tickets here

Introducing Katie Coleman

'Honest, energetic and fun' are the three words that up and coming solo artist, Katie Coleman, uses to describe her debut EP.The bubbly 19 year old has been dividing her time between her hometown of Darlington and the studios of London to work with, amongst others, Mike Bianco at Elephant Lane Studios and Grammy winner, Ian Dowling. (Adele) for the still to be named EP, which I was informed will be released early this year. Most people would find it stressful or difficult dividing their time between two cities so far apart, however Katie takes it all in her stride. 'It's not so difficult really! I teach singing on a weekend in my hometown, so I'm always down during the week for studio time and writing. I think if you really wanna pursue something you love, then I feel it's only a small thing in the long run'. The Pop Soul singer has a voice as big as her personality, which has already gained her a few slots at London's famous Ronnie Scott's Jazz club. 'For the last year I've really developed as an artist, so being able to play these venues is a really cool achievement!' Is her answer to how it feels to have accomplished so much in such little time before adding 'I've been working hard in the studio with some great writers and producers the last few months working on the 'Katie Coleman' sound. I feel like I've already gained so much experience, so it feels good'.

With a signature blonde bouffant and flicking eyeliner, in all of her YouTube videos Katie has certainly nailed the stylish, vintage look which then manifests itself into her music but with a personal edge.  'I've always been fascinated with the old school sound and really classic iconic looks from those eras. I grew up listening to soulful singers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Jimi Hendrix and those are just a few names from my dad's collection that I would put on in the car as a kid! But now, as music is evolving, I love mixing that sound with an urban twist and really trying to find something new, which people will connect with how I did with those old soul singers!' As well taking notes from such musical icons, Katie Coleman manages to find her own niche within her songwriting by mixing in her own life experiences. 'I've been writing since I was 10 years old, so a lot of the inspiration Comes from life experiences since then; family, relationships, friends and love! But now I'm nineteen, my perspective on things are different. But listening to other artists and genres of music out there also inspire you to write something you wouldn't normally write about.' 

Although it is early days for the northern songstress, with such a memorable sound and personality, the name 'Katie Coleman' will become a whole lot more familiar on the music circuit. The positive work ethic and warm, unique vibes deems Katie ahead of her age but is also what makes her so likable as an artist.

Live Dates
10th February at Barfly, Camden (tickets £5)
13th February Proud Galleries (free entry on guest list - rsvp @ Adam@madamusic.com)

If your on Facebook and/or Twitter then visit her pages;
https://twitter.com/katie_coleman

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Coleman

'Love It's A Killer': Exclusive First Review of Mutineers' New Single

Yesterday I was sent over a new single courtesy of The Mutineers ahead of their ‘Love, it’s A Killer Tour’ which kicks off next month. The new single, which goes by the same name, took me by surprise from the very first beat. Going by the name alone, I was expecting a melancholic love ballad but what I heard instead was something more along the lines of The Fratellis. The intro brings us into a new, jaunty sound with a fresh attitude. ‘Love, It’s A Killer’ seeps with personality and energy with it’s confident vocal harmonies accompanying Nicholas Mallins, as he reminds us the extent of his talent. Michael Reed provides us with the cutting guitar riff which gives the track an added punch. This, combined with Twemlow's, Gronow's and Salt’s work on the rhythm, creates perfect chaos. The Mutineers maintain their intricate melodies, but it is tackled less seriously, ‘Love, It’s A Killer’ has all the makings of a strong single with it’s sense of urgency and relatable lyrics.

2013 Summarized and 2014 Predicted

Once a year, usually as the month of December fades out into the dawn of a new era, I get visited by three ghosts. The Ghosts of Music Past, Present and Future come to visit as the midnight bells chime twelve..... Ok, I'll stop now as I'm sure there might be copyright laws involved at some point.
However it is that time of year when every music publication, blog, podcast etc review the best events of 2013. I have decided to tackle mine with also making predictions of what will occur in the future*, so here goes;

Best Album Releases

The Next Day - David Bowie

Past:  The King of Pop and personification of rock 'n' roll had been in self-exile since his 2004 'Reality' tour. After leading everyone into thinking that the era of Bowie had been and gone, he carried out the most simplest of publicity stunts which just consisted of popping down the road for a pint of milk. The media were whipped up into a frenzy but even they couldn't predict the sudden, surprise release of 'Where Are We Now?' on the Thin White Duke's 66th Birthday, 8th January, with the announcement of a new album. The Next Day reached Number 1, Bowie's first since his 1993 album 'Black Tie, White Noise'.  

Present:  Bowie and Visconti are still holding all Bowie fans in a state of limbo by releasing contradicting statements over the possibility of live performances. 

Future: Different versions of 'The Next Day' will be released over the next five years with the promises of unheard tracks and remixes of original versions. Despite the controversy over the title track, The Pope will release a statement saying that he is a fan. 

Rewind The Film - Manic Street Preachers

Past: After waving farewell to the Welsh musicians at the O2 arena in 2011 as they announced they were embarking on a UK hiatus, I immediately began suffering Manic withdrawal symptoms (see what I did there?).  Remedy and much excitement came in May of this year however as James Dean Bradfield  announced to NME that recording was in progress of two new albums, with one being almost purely acoustic. Rewind The Film was nostalgia in its purest form for everyone involved as the Manics explored the ideologies that had moulded them as a band.

Present: Nicky Wire is carefully selecting his wardrobe for the tour of the second album. Milkman outfit or leopard print skirt, or both?

Future:  30 Year War will be used as the official song for Margaret Thatcher's memorial service in 2014 due to an embarrassing mix up on behalf of the Tory Party.

 

 New- Paul McCartney 

Past: It seems that 2013 should go down as the official year for musical nostalgia as Paul McCartney released his sixteenth studio album to express his memories of the days before The Beatles as well as more recent events in his life. Selecting producers such as Mark Ronson, McCartney went against the grain of what was to be generally expected of him by making a fun-loving pop album. 

Present: 'New' reached number 3 in the UK album charts and I wouldn't be surprised if DJs everywhere are selecting tracks from the album to put on their New Year's Eve Party song list. 

Future: Paul McCartney will go down in history as the most successful Post-Beatles Beatle.

Best Live Performances

 Roger Waters - The Wall 

After sharing air with the legendary Roger Waters and seeing performed live one of the most famous albums in British history, I predict that I will still be wearing the Tee Shirt when I'm old and frail. On a more serious note, the concert has also inspired me to get more involved in politics and hopefully one day I will get a chance to teach impoverished children in third world countries so that they can have a fighting chance in this world. 

Beady Eye -BE 

'You're not a mod,  you're just a c**t in a Parka coat' I thought to myself as Liam Gallagher swaggered onto stage at Kingston's New Slang. Kudos to New Slang for getting a Gallagher brother up onto their stage but the night for me just contained pure comedic value. You can imagine the crowd that they drew for their acoustic set and although I had managed to wiggle my way to the front, Liam was sat down on a stool so that anyone from the third row back couldn't see their Britpop hero. Cue shouts of 'STAND UP YA PRICK', 'NOEL WOULD STAND UP' and the wittier 'SIT DOWN IF YOU LOVE MAN U' .  I predict that Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds will turn up at Kingston in a demonstration of 'whatever our Liam can do, I can do fucking better...a''ight?' 

Magistrates

The Magistrates had it all together back in 2009, on the verge of huge success. Unfortunately the promise of a debut album never actually materialized and the band went their separate ways. Last month the band were on stage together once more with their new(ish) single 'When We're Apart' as they tested the water. The band create a vibrant, party atmosphere with their electro-dance beat which enables the crowd to just let go of their inhibitions. Hopefully 2014 will see a release of an album to accompany them on their tour. 

Best Moments

Leaving work one night, I had a couple of hours to kill before heading over to New Slang to see The Front Bottoms, my favourite American band. There was no point in heading home so me and my boyfriend decided to amble round Kingston before we spotted Brian, the lead singer of the Front Bottoms, come out of the club. He was rather restless before the gig and so we gave him a quick tour of Kingston. It was rather surreal as we chatted away about many different things, such as explaining to him why it is not okay to be a Milwall supporter. We ended up giving him our Kingstonian scarf to make sure that he went away supporting a decent 'soccer' team. My 2014 prediction is that one day he'll turn up on the terrace to see Kingstonian play. 

My inability to grasp modern technology manifested itself on the worst possible day. My camcorder would chose not to work on the day I had my first ever live interview wouldn't it? However it was fantastic getting the opportunity to interview Mutineers as it felt just more like a friendly conversation, even if I'm still struggling to get the footage from my phone to my computer. I can see Mutineers making more of a name for themselves in 2014 with their upcoming tour whereas I'll be beginning a one-woman war against technology.












*not actually psychic

BAMBI at Camden's Barfly

With the recent release of their debut single 'Reap From The Dying Love', BAMBI  hit the Camden scene  on Friday 13th. The night wasn't unlucky for anybody involved as they played one of my favourite intimate venues, Barfly.

The band have already been featured on NME's Radar,BBC Radio One's 'Introducing with Jen and Ally', BBC London and Hollyoaks alongside catching the attention of Tom Robinson, Absolute Radio and XFM. The BAMBI lads managed to deliver these promises without any pretensions. Placing their unrivaled, contagious energy into their stage presence and musical delivery, BAMBI created an electrical atmosphere in the room. My usual taste in music are songs that include just one aggressive guitar line, so when I saw that there were not one, not two, but three guitarists, not including the bassist, I was rather dubious. However the intricate layering worked wonders and created a vibe not dissimilar to The Foals whereas the echoing vocals brought to mind certain elements of Echo and the Bunnymen.

The set was a relatively short one with just six songs, but I found that this was still quite impressive given that they have only just released their debut single and the accompanying video for it. With their casual, down to earth personalities, the only place that BAMBI can go from here is up, up and away. Although I hope the bassist does recover from what I assume is stage fright, as he tucked himself away at the back the whole time.

'Lose All Memory'... Review and Interview with the Bauer Boys

Just under a year ago, I discovered Bauer and the joys of their album 'Sleeping Giant'. However despite having the album pumping into my eardrums on a daily basis, I was starting to suffer from Bauer-related withdrawal symptoms, especially as they were being near to silent in the Twitter world.  Thankfully, medicine arrived yesterday in the form of a new album  'Lose All Memory' released on iTunes.  'Lose All Memory' is a compilation of B sides, remixes and demos which didn't quite make it on to 'Sleeping Giant'.

Despite being intended as an almost 'throw the good stuff in the pot' album, I find it still has a running theme within it's core, that of heartbreak and romanticism. Greg Matthews' effortless vocals has a soft edge to it, which although harmonious, still captures a certain emotional rawness which is one of the many aspects that make Bauer a unique band, there's never any fake elements. The album contains many similarities to 'Sleeping Giant' (which it would!) but look out for 'Starting Again (dub mix)' which I expected to be out of my comfort zone with due to it being a dub mix, but I find it is balanced perfectly.

I also asked Bauer everything that had to be known about 'Lose All Memory''


You seemed to release the album with not much prior build up or promotion compared to 'Sleeping Giant', did you feel that not much promotion was needed this time round?

That's mainly because we sort of wanted to save that shot in the arm for the next proper album really. We want the expectation to be there for the new stuff that we're working on at the moment. This one is more of a bridging thing, but that's not to say the material isn't to a high standard - some of the tracks are possibly better than a certain amount of the 1st album stuff - it was just about how things flowed. With the next record there will be more plugging, a music video, a tour etc.

The album contains an acoustic track (The Lights Go Down) and a dub mix (Starting Again). What inspired you to go down two separate paths in one album? 

The tracks were both originally b sides...if you didn't already know this record is a mixture of songs that didn't feature on the 1st album (simply because they just didn't fit with the flow of things) and b sides, demos & remixes. We felt the songs were too strong to never release and it was a great opportunity for our fans the hear them whilst we work on the next album proper. It also wipes the slate clean for us and gives us the chance to go down new avenues with the next album *proper* which we're working hard on in the studio at the moment.

Lose All Memory' centers on love and heartbreak. Who is the lyricist in the group and what was the inspiration behind the theme?

Greg the vocalist writes all the lyrics. It's interesting in a way that you're saying this because a lot of these tracks come from different time periods but the way it's been sequenced you wouldn't really tell as a new listener. A lot of Smiths fans love "hatful of hollow" which is sort of a similar album to this one in that it's cobbled together, but you wouldn't really know. We worked on the sequencing for a while to make it flow like a standard studio album....so it's a real compliment that you feel that there seems to be a defined theme throughout!

It must be quite difficult putting pen to paper for new material, do any of you have any 'habits' that helps you get inspired?

Writing methods have changed and developed throughout the years. In the early days we'd slave away in the rehearsal studio for hours on end at songs....and that can sometimes get frustrating and labourous. Nowadays the writing process has changed in that a lot of the time we're coming up with fully structured songs away from rehearsals and taking them straight into record....which can be a risky way of doing things, but luckily the chemistry and level of musicianship is really strong so it's something we're comfortable in doing.

Where will you be stopping off on your 2014 tour?

I think the answer is we probably won't be doing until at least next summer. We're looking at a single in early summer, another single in perhaps october and then the album in November/ December. We're working on making the next album a real killer and thinking about getting it out for this time next year - so then we'd have put out 3 albums in 3 years. We were joking around recently saying that if we can do it so that it's 4 in 4 years we'll be in a position to release a best of album in year 5!

And finally, I think we should start a campaign to get the album a Christmas #1, how would you react if you knocked an X Factor (or whatever the kids are watching these days) album of the charts?

The charts are such a corporate bland joke that we didn't even submit the release for a possible chart placing - and i think that says a lot and reflects generally how many talented bands & musicians feel about the current situation in the music industry. It'd be pretty cool to sell a million copies and stick it up to the man though! Just to let them know we're too cool to bother with the fuckers and their major label chart con.

'Lose All Memory' is available to download from iTunes now.