Album Review: Turrentine Jones 'Our Days'

The last time Turrentine Jones were featured on my blog ( you can jog your memory here) they had just embarked down the route of Pledge music in order to produce their debut album OUR DAYS (with 5% of profits being donated to homeless charity Mustard Tree) The results of which landed in my inbox recently and the Blues drenched sounds with a strong Memphis influence told me that the public's faith was well spent.  Packed with tracks which simmer in 'devil-may-care' riffs, it's icy cool attitude teases us with the mystery it retains.

Gift of A Rose eases us into the album with it's charming melodies and plucky riffs. The smoothness to the track, which manifests itself in Julian Neville's sultry vocals, creates a strong Beatnik vibe as the infectious rhythm creates a promising album opener. Southern American attitude is punched directly into Hunger as their influence from the Tennessee label Stax Records shines through with a raw edge to the guitar riffs and a heavy emphasis on the unmistakable twang to Neville's vocals. Love Heard You Coming is arguably the most radio-friendly track to the album due to it's playful spontaneity and conventional approach to the chorus. Grace Is A Dancer injects OUR DAYS with a heavy passion in it's subtle intro which slowly heats up into a celebratory ballad. The track simmers back down again into an intimate acoustic guitar solo which feels so close , the Fretboard is almost whispering in your ear.    

It's easy to see, or hear even, how the colloquially titled Moonlight Is On Yer Side was chosen as the single for OUR DAYS. The fun, yet seductive, instrumentals deems the song perfect to represent the album. Moonlight Is On Yer Side is a smart and sharp track, cloaked in a mysterious nighttime haze due to the echoing bridge, but still contains all the makings of a hit single with it's carefree, danceable beat and spontaneous nature.

Pussy Cat is a T.S Elliot style ode to feline femininity and thankfully, evades the trap of  the simpering love song. The woman of desire, and the subject of the track, shares the traits of a Pussy Cat due to the fact she noncommittally comes and goes as she pleases against a backdrop of electric riffs, which provides a gentle warmth and flows smoothly into the gentle Little Queen. June returns the album to it's raw blues core, complete with angst-ridden lyrics. The main concept behind OUR DAYS seems to be quite simply 'women' with Mary Ann as the finishing track. (I wonder how Grace and Pussy Cat lady feel about this??) However Mary Ann is a lucky lady as the song provides OUR DAYS with a heated passion in it's velvety verses and pining guitars which perfectly seals up the album.  

2013 saw Turrentine Jones receive a rapturous reception at the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury . Couple this with the raw, sensual energy of OUR DAYS and you have a band that is set to stamp it's own unmistakable mark on the British music scene.

OUR DAYS will be available from 11th August

Birdeatsbaby 'The Bullet Within'

If the characters of the 1972 film classic Cabaret all each had a sinister twin, they would most probably produce a sound rather similar to Birdeatsbaby's third studio album 'The Bullet Within', due for release on July 21st. Originating from the seaside town of Brighton, the band established themselves with their melodramatic, noir rock sounds in 2008 and return this summer with further promises of dark twists, turns and dark magic that Birdeatsbaby are so apt at delivering.

The Bullet sets the metaphorical stage for the album as Mishkin Fitzgerald's clear, cutting vocals creates a strong presence, as though her voice is located in your head rather than your speakers. When I had first heard the term 'Cabaret Rock' I fully admit I had no clue as to what the genre consisted of, however within the first minute of The Bullet I fully understood it's meaning. The first half of the track takes a broken, staccato approach to the piano, incorporating all the exaggerated musical gestures of theatre. An unexpected twist is then taken following the bridge as it all smooths out into a haunting outro. Drinking In The Day, the following track, should be provided with a health warning for the emotionally fragile. A mournful tale of falling into a downward spiral, the song delivers all the raw, naked emotion of a Greek tragedy to Drinking In The Day while the minor key of the piano, against the subtlety of the violins, creates a tale of heartache that could easily succeed in breaking apart even the toughest of souls. In order to avoid the album falling into the danger of drowning in such cutting emotions, Enemies Like Me stomps in with a Hammer Horror intimidation, with violins breeding a perfect, sinister creation which builds melodramatic tension to a climatic crescendo before dropping it's tools to transform into a hauntingly beautiful, melodic piece with delicate notes.

Duets between piano and violins are the album's main staple which creates a serene transition to each track, especially into the ethereal track Ghosts. Mishkin's emotive vocals produces a Gothic, Victorian romanticism while Tessa Gilles succeeds in drawing us into the unknown as she works her way intricately around the violin. Arguably The Bullet Within's strongest track, Ghosts contains the tortured poetry akin to 19th Century love stories such as Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations. Hands of Orlac suddenly contributes an aggressive kick to the album, smashing apart any false sense of security the listener may have lulled into by forcing us into an attentive state as we weave through a tale of personal angst, emphasised by sharp guitar work courtesy of Garry Mitchell.

     

Into The Black returns to the album's core of decadent Cabaret rock, followed by a haunting chorus for an Interlude.  It's more appropriate to refer to the second half of the album as 'Act 2' as we are treated to catching basslines on the guitar heavy track Tenterhooks before mellowing into the dark fairytales of Spiders, which guest features Gabby Young, and The Lighthouse, both flowing perfectly with touching tenderness. The Bullet Within opens with unabashed, dark energy of noir rock and so I was expecting the album to follow full circle and end on an equally dramatic note. However things are never as they seem with Birdeatsbaby and The Bullet Within is the audio equivalent of becoming lost in a dark forest full of strange and wonderful creatures. The album closer, Silence, provides a still eeriness with whispering vocals floating above the twinkling piano line before the anger and determination is directed into Katha Rothe's explosive rhythm before simmering back down into a soft, mournful tale which fades the album out.

The Bullet Within contains all the unique features that makes Birdeatsbaby a truly exceptional band with theatrics, Cabaret and noir art rock all tied together in a black, velvety package that Tim Burton himself would be envious of.

       

         

The Bullet Within is due for release on 21st July. 

Meanwhile, follow the band on Twitter over at @birdeatsbaby

Here Come The Zombies! Interview With Apollo Junction

For the lads of Apollo Junction the outlook seems to be a positive one at the moment. Graham Norton sort of fancies them (although he may have been drunk at the time of calling them 'very handsome') and they've been grabbing the attention of the mainstream music press with their indie ballads such as 'If I Fell' and dance anthem 'Born For Now'.  Therefore I decided it was about time to find out what this group were all about and emailed them for a quick interview.

Most bands that I have featured on my blog so far have shunned the hassle of hiring a management and PR team, deciding instead to do the legwork themselves. Apollo Junction are no different, but how do they dish out these roles between them?  'We all have roles within the band but PR wise Jamie takes most of the lead on it. Matt and Jonny do the logistic side of things (organising gigs, practices, sending cds out etc). Sam does all the web based geeky stuff such as the website etc we all do a bit of the social media and Ben makes the tea!' They explain.  Taking double roles within the band seems to have reaped the results they were after, but how have they absorbed the reaction to their hits and how does it feel?
'I would say humbling but that would be the wrong word. The right word is proud, proud of how people have taken an interest, proud of the songs we have written, proud of how hard we have worked to get them out there and finally proud of our mothers…for having such handsome sons!' In between maintaining their Mother's gift of handsome features and Ben making the tea, is there any time left for inspiration for songwriting? 'We all inspire each other and are all each other’s muses. I know it sounds a bit lame but it’s true what happens when we are jamming is like magic sometimes.' 

Apollo Junction have made themselves known on the music circuits in both Leeds and London. However most bands I've crossed paths with so far have been from either London or Manchester, both places where the music scene is thriving, but Leeds?  'Well in all honesty Leeds is an amazing city with some great bands but it can't be compared to London's music scene as that's where bands go to make it, in our eyes it's why it's so important people champion their local scene!' They tell me. 'Having said that I personally believe that the whole city scene thing isn't quite as prevalent anymore due to social media you can have fans all over the world let alone your own city! But we think Leeds’s scene is fab we have shared the stage with some amazing bands.'  So any best or worst gigs so far? 'We have only done 11 gigs we have gigged sparingly and concentrate on writing. Our gigs have caused much more of a ‘buzz’ this way. No best or worst so far for us just all brilliant!'

By the time the year is out, Apollo Junction want to have achieve three main objectives and these are 'Get back on the radio, play festivals and finally all of us get a tattoo of the band somewhere! I would see that as a way to start 2015 with a bang.'  You can help them do this by checking out their Soundcloud and if you like what you're hearing you can download the tunes here.

Youth Club + More @ Camden's Proud

It takes guts to command the space of a stage on your own, especially when your as petite as Naomi Mclernon of Plastic Rebellion. However I don't think being self-conscious even occurred to Naomi as she took boundless confidence to every inch of the stage. The grunge-styled  blonde siren and her deck spinning partner in crime took the crowd for a ride with  haunting vocals accompanying night-fuelled urban vibes.  Are stage presences alter-egos or an expression of the wildness that we all have tucked away inside us? I was a tad nervous approaching Naomi after her set but I had no reason to be as she seems to keep her attitude reserved for her sets, meeting Naomi off-stage I was  met with a softly-spoken lady, genuinely pleased with the positive reaction to her performance.

Plastic Rebellion

Waking Volcanoes, a Essex based Indie Rock band who succeed in stripping away all pretensions with on-stage banter ('I can tell I'm hitting the right notes from the faces of the people in the front row') were the next to take charge of the room. Switching between intricate, melodic guitar work and unapologetic riffs, alongside deep vocals courtesy of Pat Watt, Waking Volcanoes sent ripples of excitement across the crowd with their unique set arrangement.

The crowd suddenly fell still and a stunned silence spread across the room as the party-goers stopped what they were doing and looked on in awe as the silhouette of underground European darlings Bloom Twins were set behind a haze of blue smoke. Being seen on stage was not a necessity as they layered their powerful vocals upon one another which echoed around fascinated ears. Identical twins from the Ukraine certainly grabbed everyone's attention but it was their electronic beats and ethereal harmonies that kept the room in awe. Recently attracting the accolade of the music press, I fully understand the foothold that they have as Bloom Twins are a band that you don't watch, but experience.

Plastic Rebellion, Waking Volcanoes and Bloom Twins were the bands that I discovered that night, but Youth Club were the band that I was there to see. Youth Club sent youthful energy rippling through the crowd for the launch of their aptly named ep 'Colours' with tracks such as 'She's A Dancer' which nobody stood still for. Youth Club are charismatic brothers Danny Blanco and Joe Fran who joined forces with the talents that are Gerrard Duffield and Rees Broomfield. Bringing smooth R 'n' B vibes to the dancefloor of Proud which merged with classic club beats, Youth Club created a memorable night in Camden as a party spirit rippled through the warm, spring night. Hopefully I'll be able to catch Youth Club live again soon as I am planning on making their ep the soundtrack to my summer.

Links

Plastic Rebellion

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticrebellion?fref=ts

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/plasticrebellion 

Waking Volcanoes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WakingVolcanoes?fref=ts

Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/WakingVolcanoes?fref=ts

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/wakingvolcanoes

Bloom Twins

Facebook: https://soundcloud.com/wakingvolcanoes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBloomTwins

Website: http://www.bloomtwins.com/

Youth Club

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/weareyouthclub?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareyouthclub

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/weareyouthclub

Norwegian Wrestling and Elton John: Exclusive Interview With The Vinos

Being in the right place at the right time was how I found The Vinos and met their leading lady, Grethe Borsum. Deciding to arrive at Liverpool's Zanzibar earlier then planned in the evening last March was the said time and place and being the first band on stage that night, it was The Vinos' job to kick things off for the night. With their heavy, solid tunes there was a mutual agreement between the crowd that there was a definite edge to this band.

So having formed in 2012, who are The Vinos exactly? Grethe explains, 'Me and Ian already knew each other from playing together in the past. He studied with Tim and knew Joel from the jam-nights he'd host. We're all passionate musicians and came together to play the music we love to people who will listen. The band clicked the second we jammed our first tune. You could say it was 'rock' at first sight.'  Heading over to their website ( http://thevinosmusic.com/ ) The Vinos are described as 'Rock Music, lyrics with ambiguity and a few surprises along the way'. Those who have listened to their music have no doubt been pleasantly surprised, but what has managed to surprise this Liverpudlian four piece so far? 'I'm pleasantly surprised by how open people are to genre-blending and listening to music they normally wouldn't. A lot of our songs can be quite heavy and I've met people who usually listen to pop or r&b really enjoy what we do. We're not afraid to experiment or play around. We even did a rocky cover of "Let it Go" from Frozen recently live and people loved it.' 

I knew that I had a new band ticking away on my radar when I walked out of the Zanzibar that night but it wasn't until I had got back to my laptop back down in South London that it became a certainty that I needed to have this interview! It was the video to hit track 'Bite The Bullet' that decided this for me as the action packed, gritty track is suitably set in a wrestling ring, with Grethe herself doing the fair share of the heavy lifting (which you can see for yourself here) Where does one even go about finding a Norwegian wrestler these days anyway? 'I've been a fan of wrestling for years so when I wrote, "Bite the Bullet" there was no doubt in my mind we needed a wrestling music video. "Big-John" the wrestler in the video is a retired Norwegian Wrestling Champion and a dear friend of mine. So when I asked him to feature in the video I got a firm and booming YES! Also, I've always wanted to kick some ass and wrestle! This was a great excuse to finally be able to do so! And the rest is history ;)'   

So between throwing grown men to the ground and paving the way for kick ass leading ladies in rock, Grethe also manages to find the time to enjoy a bit of photography. 'For me they (music and photography) go hand in hand. I'll take a picture and maybe it'll give me an idea for a new song. I almost always play music during my shoots as it relaxes or energizes the person I'm photographing. Music is a powerful tool. Sometimes I'll get ideas for photoshoots I do for artists because of their songs. I listen to the music of the bands I photograph before the shoot to understand them better and come up with ideas that match their style.'  Not only does Grethe find her inspiration within photography, but The Vinos also turn to a variety of artists and genres to create their sound. 'I listen to absolutely any and every genre. I draw inspiration from songwriters like Kate Bush, Patti Smith, Elton John and Janis Ian. Bands like Foo Fighters, Queen, Heart, and metal bands like Disturbed and Metallica. In the end, it's not about the genre or the band but about what the music gives you in that particular moment in time. How it inspires and excited you.'  That has been their journey so far, but there are still plans bubbling away underneath the surface as Grethe explains about future schemes 'We definitely do have plans for an album. At the moment we are working on an EP to build a momentum and get people excited about the album. Our main focus is playing live to get people to hear our music. In fact, if you happen to be in Liverpool Saturday 19th April, we'll be playing at the Pilgrim. Come down and have a beer and listen to some good music!'


Visit the links below to find out more about The Vinos but before you do, here's their promotional video for ApplePicking

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TheVinosBand

Website: http://thevinosmusic.com/

'One More Lonely Heart' Debut Single From Katie Coleman

With her distinctive, soulful vocals and boundless energy, Katie Coleman brings her trademark attitude to her debut single 'One More Lonely Heart' which is available as a free download this Friday.


Mixed at Elephant Lane Studios, 'One More Lonely Heart' is a tale of karma with an urban twist. With a set of powerful lungs, Katie Coleman narrates the consequences of toying with men's hearts, demonstrating her down to earth personality through colloquial lyrics. The full of potential of Coleman's vocals are released in this track, which grants an already staunch single added spice. In addition to this, the catchy backing vocals will leave you humming the chorus for hours following listening. Another factor which deems this rock solid as a debut is the way in which the guitar work compliments the narrative. Taking a back seat initially, there is a build up of momentum before creating an explosive chorus and a memorable outro. 

'Shy and retiring' are certainly not two words that you would place in the same sentence with Katie Coleman (despite just doing so) and it's her larger than life personality that seeps through the pores of this single. Produced by Mike Bianco and mixed by Thomas Juth, 'One More Lonely Heart' is an exciting start to what lies in store for Katie Coleman. 

Be sure to keep your ears peeled for 'So Much Love' which will be available alongside 'One More Lonely Heart' on an upcoming EP due for release in early summer. 

Website: http://www.katiecolemanofficial.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katie_coleman

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/KatieColeman

Band Profile: The Cradles

Walking into the world of music blogging after the firm establishment of Twitter, I wonder how music fans coped before the advent of the site. How else would I have discovered so many unique rock and Indie bands up and down the country? It would most probably take a whole lot more leg work! One such band that Twitter has recently brought to my attention is Cardiff based band The Cradles. 

The Cradles grants us the vibes of the '60s with a sound that takes us unapologetically to the blueprints of British rock.  Vibrant guitar riffs and lyrics of modern life provides the main framework for the Welsh rock group. They provide the soundtrack to the 'common condition' of the need to break free from the drudgery of everyday routine. This concept is the basis of the guitar heavy track 'Do You Wonder Why?'. With it's echoing, moody riffs combined with Joe Norman's low key vocals, 'Do You Wonder Why?' is a stand out track in the band's catalouge.  

If McCartney's 'Just Another Day' and 'Eleanor Rigby' decided to have a lovechild, it would most probably sound a lot like 'Stamp Man'. Kieran O' Brien' and Toby Andrews pays much attention to the melodies on their guitar work, which alongside the soft and subtle backing vocals, creates a traditional sound. Those who are usually drawn to more upbeat tracks should give 'You Won't Find Anything Else' and the demo of 'Locking My Door' a listen. 

It's always a shame when I discover a band that's based halfway up the country as it means that it's unlikely I'll be able to catch a live performance. This is the same case for The Cradles as if they sound that great coming out of my laptop speakers than they are definitely going on my list that's titled 'Bands That I want to see live but they are actually quite far away'. However if you live a lot closer to Cardiff than I do, make sure you catch them tonight at The Factory or tomorrow night  at The Moon Club. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCradles?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCradles

Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/the-cradles/sets/the-cradles