DADS - Old Blue Last

Emo seems to have crept back in. There’s no way to tell if it’s just long enough since the heyday or if it’s the lots of student loans and not a lot of jobs problem most college kids have right now, but sad music with twinkly guitars is good again (just try Modern Baseball and TWIABPP’s latest releases).

One of the most discussed bands in this revival is Dads, a two piece from New Jersey, who are currently on their first UK tour whose sound is clearly influenced by the arpeggiated guitar and math rock drumming of American Football/Snowing. However, there’s an added intensity that makes them brilliant live, seamlessly shifting from confessional lyrics over wandering guitar to an intricate cacophony of screams, distortion and explosive fills.

What makes these transitions work so well is the borderline telepathic understanding between Scott (guitar) and John (drums). Dads have clearly thought extensively about how to convey each song live and can completely switch the atmosphere in a strike of the snare. The one thing that is sometimes lacking is a bass, but if a third member disrupts their connection then it’s not worth it.

Throughout the show there was a sense of something building which came to the fore in the ominous tones of the ferocious My Crass Patch. That track and the fan favourites that followed (Dan’s Christopher Walken Impression, Shit Twins, Pass Me The Ball) turned the standing area into a ripe tide of crowd surfers and screamed lyrics, because on top of everything else these guys also write a killer hook (“When you told me you loved me, I imploded from the stomach out” / ”You’ll say it’ll be just like the old days, but it won’t be the fucking old days”).

Emo might be back, it could be post-emo or it could be whatever you want it to be. Regardless, twinkly guitars and sad screaming is back, and Dads are leading the charge.

Tom Gane

Free Sound Fridays: LeTrouble

It's Friday, and that means a new thing for you. This Friday and every Friday from now on, we'll be bringing you a shed load of free music. Rob Bramhill's presenting the first week with a band called LeTrouble.
Mission Bell, by Rob Bramhill

"I've always wanted to ride that thin line between Meat Loaf, Hall and Oates, and punk.” – Le Trouble

Montreal garage-rock band Le Trouble are on the brink of releasing their sensational debut EP Reality Strikes. So what better way to celebrate the occasion than with some free noise for those eager ears of yours?

The bands raucous FREE single, ‘Mission Bell’ is an impressive introduction to the group. Their fiery energy is made up of a punk-based concoction infused with a dancey, lo-fi charm that you’ll find downright alluring.

"This is all about having a good time for us” explains guitarist Bao­Khanh. "We want to be so catchy that you feel like we're a guilty pleasure."

Only there’s absolutely no reason to feel guilty about enjoying Le Trouble. Their abundance of catchy riffs and hook-filled tunes will keep your headphones fixed firmly on to the side of your head and we can guarantee that you’ll be happily nodding along in no time.

Sound InPhotos: Swiss Lips @ Elekrtrowerkz Islington

One of our favourite new acts, Swiss Lips are winding up for their debut album. We can reveal that they'll be one of our acts for 2014 and we'll be posting an interview with them next month, but in the mean time; we saw them kick up a sweat storm in north London the other day and it was pretty special.

Fresh off touring with Bastille,  the boys have certainly picked up some tricks and the atmosphere was electric. Singles U Got The Power and DANZ went down a treat, but the likes of Books and a few tracks that were debuted on the night all sound like they're going to make the album one of the most entertaining ones you'll hear in the Spring.
Without further ado, here's Braden's photos from the night.



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The Sound Influx Playlist 18.11.13

We're a day late again. We're sorry, Mondays appear to have been a bad idea for us. Tuesdays however, during the England match; they're fine!
We'll cut straight to the chase here.


Featured Tracks

Alvarez Kings - No Resolve
by Braden Fletcher
Post Favourite Worst Nightmare, it's seemed almost impossible for Sheffield acts to catch a good break. Alvarez Kings however have powered through and stayed true to themselves. A string of great singles attached to EPs has made them a consistently entertaining force and fresh off the Warped Tour in both America and Ally Pally, the indie-rockers have treated us with this offering; their new single No Resolve. It's softer than their previous material, delicate and intricate, but it offers a huge amount of back-weighted power. 2014 may well, finally be their year. We'll be keeping a look out.

Nick Mulvey - Nitrous
by Braden Fletcher with help from Miles Joshua Groce
We should listen to our university radio stations more because, as much as the big time stations matter to music, it's at the grassroots that music means the most. Miles Groce presents a show called the Bare Necessities on Liverpool John Moores' own Looprevill Radio. It's on Tuesday evenings, usually when I'm building this playlist. He introduced me to the sounds of Nick Mulvey with this track and it's been stuck in my head ever since. Listen in when you get a chance.

Yearbook - Art Studentby Josie Faulkner
Hampshire alt-rockers Yearbook have been gaining momentum in the past year, after touring with the likes of The Xcerts and about to embark on a European Christmas tour. Their track, Art Student was released earlier this year and is punchy, witty, and sarcastic as hell, and bound to remind you of someone too-cool-for-school living in a town not so far from you.

Sound InPhotos: Nordic Giants - Brighton Concorde2

We're not sure if you've noticed, but we're fans of Brighton based band Nordic Giants. So much so that we left the urban sprawl behind for an afternoon by the seaside. The afternoon was cold, but we found refuge in the Pav Tav; oh the Pav Tav. When the evening came along, we thought we had prepared ourselves for Nordic Giants. We were wrong.
New light shows, new films and animations, a 12 piece orchestra and the loudest sound system we've heard in recent memory. Yes then, Nordic Giants were prepared for this huge homecoming show; we were merely willing spectators brought along for the ride.
In between being blown away by the audio visual monster that is the new 'Giants show, Braden managed to get some photos. They're below, along with their newest material. Enjoy.



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Crywank - Tomorrow is Nearly Yesterday and Every Day is Stupid

James ‘Crywank’ Clayton is on his third record. He’s a DIY artist from Manchester and he’s written some of the most honest and frankly oft self-depreciating music of the last decade. Of course, in that time, Frightened Rabbit released Midnight Organ Fight, The National became a huge force and The Antlers became one of the cult bands of the new-sad revolution that saw us creased up into our own pillows in a way that ‘emo’ had only just seen us leave; but Crywank emerged in the anti-folk side of the spectrum, completely opposite the fictional creations of Laura Marling’s critically acclaimed records.

That’s not to say he’s not had some success on the way though and Tomorrow is Nearly Yesterday and Every Day is Stupid, his third record has proven to be Bandcamp’s #1 selling record of the week just finished, at the price of just £1 (or more).

The music itself hasn’t changed much aside from appearing to gain some production value, if not a lot. The opening lyrics of “Everyone I love is gonna die and I will die as well” mixed with Crywank’s trademark acoustic guitar is now joined by the tapping of a wooden drum box and mild reverberation on James’ vocals.  It feels like nothing’s new here, but at the same time, James’ time as an artist has led him down a slightly more fluid path of songsmanship, making TiNY a much easier listen, even through track two’s Song For a Guilty Sadist which needs little description.

Overall, the record shows growth; from an artist that both revels in borderline juvenile emotions in a genre that’s never attempted to be progressive, TiNY… is a sign of maturity and for that, it should be lauded. Crywank is a shining example of why we so desperately need Bandcamp as a platform, even if he’s the most self depreciating artist we’ll listen to all year.

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Braden Fletcher

The Sound Influx Playlist 11.11.13

Okay, so we're a day late, and we took a week off. We're sorry, really we are. Sadly this isn't our day job and most of our day jobs are getting somewhat hectic as the Christmas break starts peering its chilly head.

Fear not though, we're back for a fourth edition of the Sound Influx Playlist.

This week we've gone very much remix and feature Monsieur Adi and Tourist as well as the likes of Sub Focus' track with Kele and Sudanim's working of How To Dress Well's &ItWasU. Without further ado, we should probably give it to you for your earholes to consume?




Featured tracks this week...

Sudanim - U Dont Have 2 Worry
by Braden Fletcher

How to Dress Well's record Total Loss feels like it came out ages ago now. It's been a year and it has definitely not dated. Conveniently, South London DJ/Producer Sudanim has reworked the highlight of the album &ItWasU into his own powerful beast. Keep a watch out for him and Her Records a lot in the future.

Grouplove - Ways To Go
by Braden Fletcher

They're finally coming back with their second record and with it will be doing a string of rather intimate shows in the UK so now seems like the best time to put the most recent Grouplove single, Ways to Go into the Playlist. It's huge sounding and with any luck, the band will finally erupt over here in the way they did in the US of A!

Bombay Bicycle Club - Carry Me
by Toby McCarron

A fantastic indie debut, a heart-felt acoustic album and a disappointing mis-match of a third album; this time Bombay Bicycle Club seem to be embracing their electronic side. Carry Me is Bombay's most dancey and arguably club ready hit to date. With swathes of synth and a particularly impressive high-budget interactive video. It's not there to be loved or remembered, simply to move your body to at 3am at club NME.

Well everyone, that's it for another week. We'll hopefully be back again next week and we hope you'll be with us.

In other news, the picture for this week's playlist is very much Movember themed. Grow them staches SI readers!

Sound Camp #2

Sound Camp this week is brought to you in the form of multiple single reviews from acts that are on Band Camp (and one that's a simple equation for why you should/will enjoy it.)

Sound Camp needn't be a rigidly structured feature in which we tell you exactly what to listen to and how it sounds and who dresses in what way, because at the end of the day, its your decision to get some new music; we're simply highlighting the platform.

Beach Skulls - http://beachskulls.bandcamp.com/

Eliot Humphreys talks about 'U Were Mine'

"a music video was usually the eyecatcher in the music industry when all the cool kiddies cared about was Kerrang!, MTV 2 and cheese nips; now that YouTube is where it's at, it can be a trial to wade through the sea of content, so sharing is the fair way of finding stuff." Beach Skulls' recent lift from their forming EP "A different kind of smooth", 'U Were Mine' throws a Japanese-Karaoke vibe over a lush and melodically climactic exercise in lounge surf and dream pop. Green screens; such possibility.

Julia Brown - www.cool.bandcamp.com Eliot Humphreys on 7"
Featuring ex-members of culty internet songwriter Sam Ray's (Ricky Eat Acid/Starry Cat/Heroin Party) former band Teen Suicide, Julia Brown's first vinyl release (out on Birdtapes) delivers a 3-track EP of lofi post-indie/emo gloom-pop, making waves in the blog-o-sphere. 'Library' rides through lusciously, its primary hook being a distinctive rival for any NME fodder. In a good way. Contrasting with the tender acoustic closer 'the way you want', a sad lullaby and nice way to close the release. I've been meaning to buy the release, but that shipping, man. Hey, it might be a cult classic in a few years, but, it morally pains me to part with that postage tax.




Courtyard - 
www.courtyard.bandcamp.com Elilot Humphreys on Demo 2013 in the current 'revival' or re-popularising (if you will) of emo has brought us to 2013 and a young band from London called Courtyard, embracing post-American Football style indie rock. The 3-track EP implements horns and atmospheric build ups, and gives a relaxing feel to the whole thing. The subtle and easing self-titled introduction, the melancholic and wailing horn almost emotionally providing replacement for the lack of vocals. the quality of the other two tracks is quiet astounding, despite how young the trio are, all under the age of 18. Their intelligent understanding of their medium is delicately distinct. Definitely a favourite for 2013 and one to watch for 2014.

Cofun - www.cofun.bandcamp.com
Eliot Humpreys on We Practice Our Songs.
Along with the re-cooling of emo, screamo has had a lot more attention placed on it also, provoking young angsty punx to spazz-out (the PC term) again with dissonan and storming intensity in front of rooms of sparse attendance. Hitting the shores of internet-Japan, young band Cofun have been creating no-rules, Iwrotehaikusaboutcannibalisminyouryearbook /jeromes dream style screamo, forging emo-violence blasts with heart wrenching guitar hooks and intense vocals. A band like this really do demonstrate the versatility of the genre and how all a band like this needs to create something cool (to the key of screamo) is the intention and passion behind it. And like with Courtyard, it's great to see in such a young age.

Squarehead - http://squarehead.bandcamp.com/
RESPECT as looked at in depth by Rob Bramhill

Weezer + Titus Andronicus + Ireland = Squarehead

That's Sound Camp!
See you next time.

Sebastian Grainger – Yours To Discover

Believe it or not, there was once a time before The Ting Tings made two-piece bands a must for every major label roster. Now they’re ten a penny. Not all bad, but they are appearing in record numbers. The recent increase in popularity has probably got something to do with Japandroids ‘Album Of The Year 2012’ and the upsurge of positive exposure that soon followed.
However, back in the early 2000s, whilst Anastasia was explaining that she’s ‘Not That Kind Of Girl’ and we all wished Crazy Town had stayed in their cocoon, a Toronto-based noise punk band were starting to emerge that would ignite the upsurge of the duo.

Death From Above (the 1979 was added later) came and went faster than one of their furiously fuzzy riffs, and in the blink of an eye, with only one incredible full-length release, the band announced a hiatus. They didn’t resurfaced again until 2011.
Their eventual return was coupled with the exciting announcement of a new album; so how surprising it was to discover that Sebastian Grainger (the bands energetic drummer) was planning to release a record on his own. And more unexpectedly, it would be packed full of guilt free, fresh-faced pop songs.

Yours To Discover introduces a new element of musical expression for Grainger, and to be fair, it is most welcome. His seemingly effortless approach to producing an enticing pop song, without the need to lie to yourself about how much you enjoy it, proves to be very refreshing for the ears.
The hook-filled, 80s-esc powerhouse, ‘Going With You’ sounds delightfully glossy compared to Grainger’s past. But his distinctive grainy voice, coupled with a dishing of flirty, over-produced guitar solos and elegant pulsing synths forms a brilliant structure for the albums highpoint. There are moments that feel slightly disjointed, presenting a trivial unease (see ‘Waking Up Dead’), but those feeling are instantly overturned by tracks such as ‘The Streets Are Still A Mess’ and ‘Some People Are Ghosts Too Soon’. Which in comparison are constructed like the Shard, as appose to the Indian Commonwealth Games of 2010.

It’s clear that Grainger isn’t going to get a whiff of mainstream success from this album, despite its gratifying approach to the world of pop. But we are ok with that. Because what he has produced is something that is much more worth while for society; a pop record that holds firmly onto its own integrity, whilst providing an honest and genuinely enjoyable listening experience. Go forth and discover people. 

7/10

Rob Bramhill

The Sound Influx Playlist: 28.10.13

It's only ruddy week three! One day we'll look back on this with fondness, remembering the time we had a feature that lasted for three whole consecutive weeks. How we'll drink.
This week, we've had a host of curators of the playlist from across the site; great to see a team come together to collaborate on this project.
In this, the third installment of The Playlist; our three featured artists are MO, Findlay and Swearin'.

Let's get straight to it then!




Mø - XXX ft Diplo

This is, in classic mø style, a chopped -up track with layers of samples and beats and her pretty laid-back delivery. It also includes the almost obligatory trumpet samples which have come to make mø's sound so distinctive. Diplo also plays a part, although this is Mø's moment.
Holly Read-Challen

Swearin' - Dust in the Gold Sack

You'd be forgiven for confusing Swearin' with their tour-buddies Waxahatchee; mostly because lead singer Allison Crutchfield is Katie's twin sister. Where Waxahatchee deal in refined sounds though, Swearin', as their name may suggest, take it a bit more FIDLAR. There's a definite cross between this and many of Wichita's post-grunge releases from the last year and we can't quite get enough of it.
Braden Fletcher


Findlay - Greasy Love

Bursts of static and Natalie Findlay's sexy yelp usher in another cracking single from the young Manchester songwriter. "I know it feels good when he sucks on my blood" she shrieks as her backing band leap from popping bass to strident garage rock riffs that channel The Kills on a three day bender. It's short, sharp, sleazy and seductive. What more could you want?
Max Sefton

That's all for this playlist, enjoy.