New blog post consisting of new music.
Go ahead and check it out :)
Alter Bridge-
Addicted to Pain: Fresh from their side projects (Singer Myles Kennedy
working with Slash recording and touring his solo album and Guitarist Mark
Tremonti promoting his own solo work), 2013 sees Alter Bridge return with their
4th studio album ‘Fortress’. ‘Addicted to Pain’ is the first single
and it is awesome. It typifies the
modern hard rock genre. Kennedy, widely regarded as one of the best singers
around, has his distinctive vocals set against a bone crunching riff and
thumping rhythm section. This may not sound like anything special, but it is an
experienced at the top of their game and on first listen is really does make
you sit up and take notice. People may question where the next “great” rock
band is going to come from, but Alter Bridge are certainly making their claim.
Avenged Sevenfold-
Hail to the King: Arguably the biggest hard rock act around at the moment,
Avenged Sevenfold return with this, the lead single off their new latest album.
With ‘Hail to the King’ being their sixth album release, they have now
established themselves as one of the titans of the modern rock genre. Even
though the band had to contend with the sudden death of drummer James ‘The Rev’
Sullivan, they returned with vengeance with their 2010 album ‘Nightmare’ and
have continued in the same vain with the current album. There is very much a
1970s heavy metal feel to the single with the intro showing particular influences
in Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. However there is still that 21st
Century sound running throughout showing they are not copying old bands past
glories. It’s proved to be popular with the album going straight to number one
in the UK and US charts.
Babyshambles- Nothing
Comes to Nothing: One of the most infamous rock stars of recent years makes
his return with a brilliant new song. 2013 sees Pete Doherty return with his
other band, Babyshambles for their third album after 2007’s ‘Shotter’s Nation’.
I’ve never really been a big fan of Babyshambles or The Libertines, apart from
a few songs, but I liked this song straight away. There is a signature Doherty
sound running through the song in both the vocals and the music and it just seems
to have a class about it that makes it a really good song to listen to. He is evidentially
a very talented musician and on this kind of form, he writes fantastic music.
Halestorm- Get Lucky:
Fresh from their Grammy win for best Hard Rock/Metal song with ‘Love Bites…
(So Do I), Halestorm return with their second covers EP named Reanimate2. As
with the original Reanimate EP, it includes covers of various rock songs
including those from AC/DC and Judas Priest. However the first song they have
made available for the public’s enjoyment is a cover of one of the biggest, and
most annoying, songs of the year. Yes, it is the ‘Get Lucky’ you’re thinking
of. The Daft Punk song that you can’t seem to get away from. What Halestorm
have done is taken it away, given it some new clothes and turned it into a rock
song. And you know what, it doesn’t sound too bad. It sounds a bit clunky in
places, but that’s due to the original’s annoying structure. That’s not to say
it’s a bad song. Lzzy Hale’s vocals are typically strong and powerful while it
features a nice little guitar solo halfway through. It’s a good cover a song
that I had got bored of and it certainly gave it something fresh. Very much
looking forward to hearing their ‘Shoot to Thrill’ cover from the EP.
Hey! Hello!- Swimwear:
Hey! Hello!’s self-titled release I think will certainly go down as one of
the most interesting albums of the year. Comprising of ex-Wildhearts frontman
Ginger Wildheart and American singer Victoria Liedtke, they joined forces to
create an album full of light-hearted pop rock. The result is brilliant quite
frankly, as evidenced here by the single ‘Swinwear’. Short, punchy, but incredibly catchy it
showcases Ginger’s talents as a multi-instrumentalist (the video shows him
playing drums, bass and guitar and he recorded each part himself when making
the album). It also brings Wildheart together with Liedtke again, with the pair
having worked together on the former’s 555% project. Fair to say they make a
good team. Definitely music that lifts your mood and puts a smile on your face.
Jake Bugg- What
Doesn’t Kill You: Jake Bugg has had quite a year. A number one debut album,
multiple sold out tours, various popular festival appearances and he has still
found time to record a new album. Working with veteran producer Rick Rubin,
Bugg has finished working on his second album ‘Shangri La’, due for release in
the UK in November. ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ is the lead single of said album
and immediately you can tell a difference to his music. Gone is the folky kind
of sound from the first album which has been replaced by a much more guitar led
indie sound. For this song at least, will have to wait and see what the rest of
the album is like. I like it though. Bugg is a very accomplished guitarist,
something he shows in the live act, and this has obviously been picked up by
Rubin who has encouraged a different approach. It’s worked a treat though and
shows a versatility that proves he is more than a one trick pony. Not that he
is was anyway.
Keane- Higher Than the
Sun: There appears to be a trend that bands who appeared on the scene while
I was at school are now at a stage in their careers where they can release a
‘Best Of’ compilation. The Killers are one such band (more on them below) and
Keane are also in on the act. After four studio albums plus an EP, there is
plenty of material to choose from. I am a big fan of their first two albums and
was very impressed with last year’s release ‘Strangeland’ so I’m always
interested to hear what Keane’s new music sounds like. It doesn’t disappoint. It has Keane written
all over it and very much has their signature sound. It perhaps isn’t their
best song compared to the rest of their collection, but it can sit perfectly
comfortably amongst their other hits in the knowledge that it helps provide a
great introduction to the band.
Kodaline- All I Want
pt2: Released roughly a year ago, Irish indie band Kodaline captured the
public’s hearts with a frankly brilliant video to their single ‘All I Want’. It
was a fantastic video which told the story of a man ‘with a different kind of
face’ (*), standing up to the bullies as well as trying to win the heart of the
girl in the office. Thing is, it wasn’t just a good video, the song was
brilliant as well. With over 4 million hits on YouTube, the song proved to be immensely
popular, and all before the band had even released their first album. So the
band have returned to finish the story, with an equally fantastic video set to
the same song. This time it’s set around the story of losing his dog Digby. I’m
a dog person so I fell in love with the video immediately and I challenge and I
challenge anyone not to do the same. It manages to stir emotion in the viewer
just as they did with the last video and they’ve done it perfectly. The song
works equally well live, I saw them perform at Hard Rock Calling, and I think
they are a band that are going to go from strength to strength.
*http://www.promonews.tv/videos/2013/10/08/kodaline-all-i-want-part-2-stevie-Russell
Lissie- Sleepwalking:
‘Sleepwalking is the latest single from Illinois songstress Lissie and it’s
an absolute stormer. Having had huge success with her debut album ‘Catching a
Tiger’, she came to further prominence with her cover of the Fleetwood Mac
classic ‘Go Your Own Way’. Having already released ‘Shameless’ and ‘Further Away’, ‘Sleepwalking’ is the third
track to be heard from an album that hasn’t even been released yet. Not that
I’m complaining. I warmed to ‘Shameless’ and ‘Further Away’ quite quickly but
fell in love with ‘Sleepwalking’ immediately. It caught my attention on the
radio immediately. It’s a great song, very catchy and with a brilliant beat and
chorus to it. It has a real laid back charm to it that is hard not to like, as
well as a good bass guitar solo. If the rest of the album is as good as the
tracks we’ve already heard then I think we’re in for a cracking album.
NoNoNo- Pumpin’ Blood:
This is, hands down, one of my favourite songs of the year. It has
everything; a great hook, sing along chorus, perfect tempo and you can’t not
dance along to it. I fell in love with it the very first time I heard it. It is
going to be a massive hit around the world, there’s no question about that.
With already over a million hits on YouTube, a good number of them mine, word
is spreading fast. Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, it is Scandinavian pop at
its finest. Icona Pop may have felt they had the title for best song of 2013
from that part of the world, but NoNoNo have put up a very strong challenge.
There are differences between the two however. Whereas Icona Pop are purely
pop, NoNoNo have more of an indie sound,
similar to New Zealanders The Naked and Famous. In the end though it might be
easier not trying to pigeon hole them; they have put out one of the best songs of
the year which makes any sub-genre choosing pretty irrelevant.
The Dead Dasies feat.
Slash- Lock n Load: Not a band that I had heard of before, but after being
introduced to them by Classic Rock Magazine I thought they’d be worth a look.
Worth the effort as this song includes a guest appearance with Slash on guitar,
and any song with him playing is going to be worth listening to. A classic rock
song that is well worth checking out. Having recently opened for Aerosmith, The
Dead Daises might be a name to look out for in the future.
The Civil Wars- Dust
to Dust: Not a band I am overly familiar with, but thanks again to Classic
Rock Magazine I have ended up listening to a gem of a band. ‘Dust to Dust’ is
the third single of the duo’s self-titled second album. It is a wonderfully
gentle song (think ‘Streets of Philadelphia’ by Bruce Springsteen and you get
the idea) and has the ability to capture you within the opening seconds. The
voices of John Paul White and Joy Williams complement each other so well I can
see why they won a Grammy as well as other awards for their debut album. Definitely
a band that are worth investigating further.
Terry Malts- I Was
Not There: Sometimes a random find can turn out to be an absolute gem, and
that is exactly the case here. The Hard Rock Facebook page posted the video for
this song and I decided to take a look as it appeared on my timeline. Well I’m
glad I did because it’s a cracking song. Not only that, I’ve given a listen to
the whole album and it follows pretty much in the same vein. There is a Britpop
crossed with Alternative Rock sound to the song, with the riff sounding like it
has been influenced by Placebo. In fact it was the riff that made me stop and
give the song a proper listen. It is very catchy and soon has you breaking out
the air guitar. It will also have you singing along to the chorus within a
couple of listens. A great little find and a song that any fan of indie music
will love.
The Family Rain-
Pushing It: 2013 seems to be a good year for young British rock bands and Bath
trio The Family Rain are the latest to put their name forward. To be honest I’ve
included them here as I recently saw them open for Miles Kane in Portsmouth and
I was really impressed with them. Well impressed enough to warrant telling
people about them and suggest giving them a listen. ‘Pushing It’ has bluesy
rock sound to it, not unlike The Black Keys, with a riff reminiscent of ‘Joker
and the Thief’. That’s not to say they
are ripping anyone off. They have a tight but individual sound with a range of
songs that made them worth checking out after I had seen them. They might not
be a name you recognise but they might just be a name you will become familiar
with the future.
The Killers- Shot At
the Night: 2013 has been a mammoth year for The Killers. Not only have the
Las Vegas rockers concluded their mammoth ‘Battle Born’ tour, including a sell
-out show at Wembley Stadium in London, they have now announced their ‘Greatest
Hits’ album, a collection spanning their career thus far. It’s hard to imagine
they’ve been around ten years, but after 4 albums, B-Sides and rarities as well
as one off and Christmas singles, you can now get a Killers starter kit, with
all the essential tracks to get you hooked. Plus two new tracks, including this
one. Produced by Anthony Gonzalez from M83, the song sees the band return to a
1980s influenced sound. They have always had a different sound with each album
they have done, and this song has a slightly different sound once again. It’s
not the same as the New Wave influences found on Hot Fuss and doesn’t fit with
the style on Day and Age. As with all The Killers music, it’s a real grower.
After a few listens you find yourself becoming rather fond of it. With another
new song ‘Just Another Girl’ on the album, as well news of a new Brandon
Flowers solo album due in the not so distant future, there is plenty of music
for fans of The Killers to look forward to.
The Strypes- What a
Shame: Irish youngsters The Strypes release the third single off their
debut album ‘Snapshot’ and they continue to make a big name for themselves. For
a band so young, they already appear to have a well-established sound. They
know the kind of music they want to play and they go ahead and smash it. While
it doesn’t have the same intensity of ‘Blue Collar Jane’, it still has a
similar catchiness that keeps you listening. They might be taking their look
and sound from the 1960s, but since when was that a bad thing. For now it makes
them stand out as something a bit different which can only be a good thing.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time :)
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