Reviews
The Lindsay Tin – Fire At Will
06 months ago
Photography by Idene Roozbayani Photography (www.idene.co.uk)
If you enjoy your music to explore the darker side of life The Lindsay Tin are a “New musical endeavour” and through their lyrics explore their personal insights into the “human condition”.
The band is made up of three members Paul Patterson, Paul Jeans and Doc Smith all of whom are from South Shields and Morpeth and it is these places that have also had an effect on their music.
Their debut single “Fire At Will” is a strong song that has you hanging onto every word until the very end. The song is constructed simply with just the prevalent Northern vocals of the band and the constant strumming of the guitar that allows the power of the words to be vocalised. Then halfway through the drums kick in and gives the song more pace, giving it an army march sensibility to it. It is a very atmospheric song and live we can only imagine it will cause goose bumps within the crowd.
The single is also accompanied with another track “I Am All That I Owe” which is a hidden gem in our opinion. It is very much like a dark lullaby, enchanting and calming in an odd way. Made up of only the strumming of an guitar and soft sound of an synth again The Lundsay Tin’s strength of their lyrics shines through and no doubt will be another one that causes an spine tingling moment when played live.
The Lindsay Tin are to release their debut single “Fire At Will” on the 26th November, with an EP to follow in the New Year.
But prior to that will be their release gig at The Kings Manor on the 22nd November with support from Mr Ben Sir, Agerskow and Bonny O’Brien.
Rejections … Receding Zones
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Rejections the Teesside based artist and producer Rejections aka Michael Hann new single is the first release for his new label reject and fade.
The single Receding Zones is made up of two tracks ‘Corridor’ and ‘Storm’ and are “built on field recordings and memories of two incidents where the relationship between the urban environment, the primal power of nature and man’s imagination was brought into sharp focus” Michael explains.
The first track ‘Corridor’ is composed of hollow intricate beats that resonate throughout the track and creates a sense of desolation and darkness. A heavy prevalent beat in the track reflects the sound of a constant heartbeat, which aids to build up an image of mans’ heightened sense amongst the urban landscape.
The second track ‘Storm’ sounds exactly like an electrical storm. From the start you are on edge due to the electrified beats and sound of static, like the static from a pylon, which gets your heart beating faster. It has a more industrial sound than ‘corridor’ and reflects the kind of noise that might once have prevailed in now a banded urban landscape.
Both tracks push the boundaries to what you may think of as ‘music’ and both could be described as audible art.
The single will be released on the 7th November in digital format to celebrate the launch of the label which will be on the same day.
Dalaro – Empires
010 months ago
Dalaro are an indie pop-rock band from Gateshead who, “love to combine larger than life lyrics with rhythmically heavy music. “
This is indeed the case with their latest online release “Empires”. The track is a very sophisticated sounding song and reflects how the band is developing their own unique indie-pop infused sound.
“Empires” is a carefully constructed summery song full of warmth and nostalgia, perfectly capturing that sense of freedom and summer love,“The Empires falling down, so we build them up from the ground”.
From the first few simple chords you are hooked as the song along with Connor Templeton’s drawn out northern vocals builds up to an anthemic chorus that will have you pressing repeat once its all over.
The Railway Club – “Broken Strings”
010 months ago
The Railway Club broken strings
From the costal shores of South Shields, The Railway Club are a collective of musicians who when together create what can be described as morbid pop.
After playing Split Transmission last year, and then Split Festival later the same year, they have now released their debut single “Broken Strings” this month via the Gateshead label Tiny Lights.
The Railway Club’s new single “Broken Strings” Is a tender song, not a very happy one but is suitably beautiful in its own way. The lyrics are vivid and paint the pictures of its story effectively, “I don’t know where buts lets go, I love you and that’s all you need to know” as the song depicts a story about love and the concoction of feelings that comes with being in love.
Their B-side to the single is “Angel In The House” which is a phrase describing the ideal Victorian housewife. The B-side it’s self is a dark bitter song lyrically however it is an enchanting stripped back song with the harmonic that gives it warmth.
Downtown Lester Brown – Downtown Lester Brown
010 months ago
Downtown Lester Brown are a four piece from Newcastle who aspire to have their instrumentation perfect before they lay down their lyrics when recording music. The band formed in 2011 and have recently released their self titled debut CD.
If you enjoy funk, ska and percussion then this is the band for you as they profess themselves to be a funk rock outfit. This certainly comes across from their CD which is a mix funky songs with great bass, infectious guitar and Ben Taylor’s distinctive laxed vocals.
The standout track for me was ‘Empty Head’ which has a great hook “hope that nothing comes between you and yourself” and is a great song to release your stress and frustrations.
Stand out track from the CD …
Words Ruth Edmundson – review also featured in Manifesto Magazine
Driven Serious
011 months ago
Driven Serious
Driven Serious are a Punk Folk Rock band, from Durham (ish), as they put it themselves. Who are they? You ask… well the band is made up of Rob Jones ( Guitar and Vocals) , Tom Gregory-Smith (Violin), Cathy Geldard (Violin), Derek Heather (Drums), Tim Packer (Bass) who all create Driven Serious’s own style of folk music and feature on their debut music video.
Their track “Accidental Crimes” has a poetic sense and refined feel. The violins on the song give it a warmth and soothing feel alongside Rob’s rugged vocals that give the song depth. Their sound in some ways could be described as bespoke, due to the victorian feel backed by the design of their music video, yet it sounds fresh and new. It is also an emotive track with its striking lyrics “so come on and feel this, come on and sail it and come on and give it a chance to bloom”. In all “Accidental Crimes” is a reflective song that is beautiful and for music lovers who enjoy folk and appreciate stripped back music.
To go along with their track is their stunning music video created by Hampson Productions – it is well worth a watch even if you are not sure on the folk genre. It has a rustic feel and is a piece of art in itself. It features all of the band playing in a field under the english sun in victorian costume. I especially like how the video is mostly in sepia that gives it that historical feel.
If you enjoyed their song and the video you can see the band live in Sunderland on Sunday 24th at Mowbray Park, hopefully it will be a sunny day !
Alistair Sheerin – Demos
01 year ago
Alistair Sheerin played in the North East last at the Cluny 2 on 14th April, why am I now reviewing his music now?
Well due to a backlog of essays and what not when he was up playing live I didn’t get round to reviewing his music - but I never make a habit of going back on promises and so please read below all about this dapper young man and his modernistic music.
While listening to Alistair’s music you are taken back to the 1950’s / 60’s the era of the MOD and the great breath of music that came with it.
After been described as “Middlesbrough’s very own Miles Kane!” his demos had a lot to live up to – however I saw not disappointed. His demos consist of three song which are a mix of paces.
The first track “Why Why Why ?” is sweet song that is sweeping and captures your attention. Alistair’s vocals shine through and it is a pleasant song that is recognisably inspired by the likes of The Beatles and Bob Dylan, yet his own sense of style is marked clearly on the record.
The second track “Move With The Times” has a true sense of Rock ‘n’ Roll that I can be certain is a hit in his live shows. Full of energy and anthemic lyrics it is a great feel good tune.
The final demo track “Live The Way We Should” reminded me of Elton John to an extent not because it is a show song but instead a mellow track with strings, piano and a beautiful guitar solo to the end.
Overall Alister Sheerin is a name I think you should watch out for in the future as he sings with ease the songs that you would expect from the greats such as The Kinks to today’s Miles Kane.
Head Of Light Entertainment – The English Don’t Care
01 year ago
From Stockton -On-Leeds The Head Of Light Entertainment are made up of three members Carl Green, Simone Silivistris and John Taylor. Formed in 2008 “The English Don’t Care” is the band’s second album, self released through Carl’s Northern Round Square Label.
“The English Don’t Care” leaves you feeling like you have tripped and fallen down a magical rabbit hole, as the album is as fun as a jack in the box and eccentric in every way. Full of twists and turns, the album manages to combine Edwardian tales, Fairies, Internet Stalkers and a whole lot more into the wealth of exquisite tracks.
Eloquent, bespoke and obscure, each of the 12 tracks tell an individual story that captures the imagination, and makes it impossible to pick a stand out track. However there is bound to be one that you consider a diamond among the gems, whether it’s “Nip It In The Bud” a toe-tapping-treat or “Quietly Relieved”, soft and ambling along.
“The English Don’t Care” will be released in May and you can see the band live in the North on, 27th April at the Love Shack in Durham, 28th April The Sun Inn at Stockton-On-Tees, 7th June The Ivy House in Sunderland and 9th June The Butterfly Cabinet in Newcastle.
Invoke – Edge Of Virtue
01 year ago
I
nvoke are a young three-piece band from Gateshead with big ambitions and a bucket load of enthusiasm. After forming in October 2010 they have been working on their EP “Edge Of Virtue” which was released yesterday, April 2nd, 2012.
“Edge Of Virtue” is well produced and the band sound older than their youthful years. It is jam-packed with influences from The Police to The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and does not disappoint. The key to the EP’s success is the skill full song writing and catchy guitar riffs that give the songs structure and make them, immediately memorable.
The bands EP “Edge Of Virtue” is available to download now.
The band are currently in the middle of making their first music video and we will be catching up with the band for a interview, so you’ll be hearing a lot from this band it seems this year !
3 Foot Ninja – “3 Foot Ninja”
01 year ago
3 Foot Ninja, from the North York Moors the band consists of brothers Jordan and Joseph bell, who, along with drummer Kane Waterfeild, have successfully built up a large fan base in the North. This self-titled 11-track debut album, had its official launch on March 26.
“3 Foot Ninja” is full of punchy riffs, catchy yet grim lyrics, and the usual anti-establishment viewpoint. The other tracks are simply melodic songs about love and life in general. The sound that runs throughout the album cannot be pigeon holed and genre wise it is a mix of Indie and rock to an extent. When listening to the album it is hard to pick out which track would be use as a single, as every song is anthemic.
I expect this band live will bring out with them twice as much energy on stage as what has been put into the album. You can catch them at the end of the month at the “3 Foot Ninja” album launch party on 31, March at The Empire, Middleborough.