SINGLES CORNER! 11/03/2010

THE STRANGE DEATH OF LIBERAL ENGLAND – Flagships
tsdole.com

Magisterial, strangely timeless, this track from TSDOLE comes on like the national anthem of a small but very cool country that you’ve not come across before. As always Adam Woolway’s unique vocal is right up front, but there’s instrumentation aplenty, before the track breaks down into a slightly more mellow refrain before fading out. Overall, a strange little tune at first listen, but one that grows and grows… grab it while you can!

BUKOLA – Make Your Move
Slip Disc

Make Your Move has surprisingly subtle instrumentation for an R&B track, but it really works, letting Bukola’s voice lead, and the girl certainly has some good pipes! The only let down here are some really weak synthesised beats, but as they’re hidden pretty low in the mix you probably won’t pick up on them anyway!

NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION – Drawing Maps From Memory
Kscope

This is a curious song, starting abruptly as if you’ve dipped in midway through the track, it throws you off a little. From there it’s difficult to get into the swing of things. This is a step up from their EP though, and definitely has a bit of momentum about it.

NEVER MIND THE STARS – Holiday
All Seeing Eye/Strfckr

Underground heroes in The Netherlands, Never Mind The Stars cite Hot Chip, Daft Punk and Ultravox as influences, and each is writ large on this tune. Nevertheless it’s a catchy track with a big fruity bass beat and a tune that’s all too easily sucked into your subconscious… I’ve been humming it for a week!

NOISIA – Machine Gun
Essential Music

More music from Holland, this time in the form of ace remixers Noisia who are now beginning to take the spotlight in their on right with some brutal drum & bass attack! This is an anthemia beast and almost feels like the missing soundtrack piece from an action movie set in Eastern Europe!

BERTIE BLACKMAN – Black Cats
Forum5

Described as The Australian Florence, Bertie Blackman reminds these ears more of Ladyhawke, which is no bad thing. A very eighties sound, coupled with Blackman’s sultry and sexy vocal has created a rather special track that we cannot urge you stongly enough to seek out!

ALBERTA CROSS – Old Man Chicago
Ark Recordings

This song has probably been around as long as any from this band (it was on the EP of theirs I bought a few years back when I caught them supporting Scott Matthews) and, to these ears, it’s their best. Unlike other parts of their album, this doesn’t feel like it’s apoing anyone else, instead the languid blues seems natural and organic.

SOUND OF GUNS – Alcatraz
Distiller Records
Pounding drums, riffing guitars… we sometimes forget there are still bands writing back to basics rock music. It tends to be Sound Of Guns who remind us, and Alcatraz is another example of why, even though this band aren’t doing anything new, they bear further investigations. The song is catchy as hell, with a chant along chorus that’s clearly been written with hopes of a future playing stadiums…. Follow the dream guys!

MCLEAN – My Name
Asylum records

The synth heavy production here is immediately off-putting, I can’t help but suspect this will be cookie cutter R&B and I’m gonna hate it. Thankfully though, McLean has a smooth and sophisticated vocal that helps this track rise above the crowd. Stripped down to basics, this would be a great tune… less is more folks!

LYNYRD SKYNYRD Live @ Cardiff International Arena, 05/03/2010

Though billed as a tour in support of new album Gods & Guns, Skynyrd are acutely aware of why they are still filling arenas in the UK, and attracting fans young (That Smell – played to an ecstatic response – recently used on the popular vampire soap opera, True Blood) and old – the majority of the set drew heavily from the original line-up’s pre-1977 material. Albeit, the few new songs promoted did fair well; opening in suitable fashion with the exuberant Skynyrd Nation (“Put your hands in the air/Give us what you got… Rock this joint the way it’s supposed to be…”), the mood was set for a celebration of arguably the best rock outfit of the ‘70s. Although only one founding member remains (lead/rhythm guitarist Gary Rossington), this is still an older band, but this didn’t show in the relentless delivery of classic song after classic song, with the audience out of their seats throughout – cue impassioned sing-alongs, flag waving and chest thumping for a steroid enhanced version of Gimme Back My Bullets; a moving highlight in Tuesday’s Gone; and a spectacular, if predictable, Free Bird encore, which gave the three guitarists and bassist plenty of opportunity to strike standard ‘guitar god’ poses, and lap up the crowd’s adulation. Taken in the cold light of day, this was essentially a tribute band, with six aged southern rockers (replete with cowboy hats, tight/flared jeans, long hair, shades, US flag emblazoned denim…) pulling out all the clichés, but with Johnny evoking the spirit of his late brother, Ronnie Van Zant, such faithful/well executed renditions, and a good spirited fanbase urging them on throughout, you couldn’t help but find yourself lost in the goodtime nostalgia.

NEWSFLASH: Sabbath Release Dio Era Remasters

Black Sabbath, one of the most prominent and influential faces of the 70’s Rock topography were, by the decade’s end, a band in disarray. Once the masters of their own reality; the Birmingham four-piece were now battle weary veterans, wearing the deep scars of a near ten year album-tour-album cycle. Black Sabbath’s latest album, Never Say Die!, released in September 1978, would transpire to be their final studio recording with Ozzy Osbourne, who in less than a year, would no longer be with the band.

The loss of the iconic voice might have signalled the end of the band. But, that wasn’t to be the case…
Ronnie James Dio, Rainbow’s founding lead vocalist whose lion’s roar had taken the band to gold and platinum status also parted company with his band. Several phone calls later and a chance meeting in, of all places, the Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, Iommi invited Dio to join the remaining members of Black Sabbath for an impromptu rehearsal. Within fifteen minutes and one brand new song later (‘Children Of The Sea’), a new era of Black Sabbath was born.
The resultant album releases over the next few years proved without question, that this match was one without peer and succeeded without question in carrying the name of Black Sabbath (later with Vinnie Appice replacing Bill Ward on drums) proudly into the new decade. With an accompanying soundtrack featuring some of the most exciting and dramatic Heavy Metal to ever grace a studio or stage, Black Sabbath rose once more to a place of highest regard within elite Rock circles.
Such was the chemistry between these players, that two reformations of this Black Sabbath line-up have since been made, the second of which, occurring in 2007, went under the title of that first ground-breaking album, Heaven And Hell, and still survives at the dawn of yet another exciting new decade for Heavy Metal.

“Heaven And Hell” was the first album to be released by the new Black Sabbath lineup of Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, in 1980. It remains one of the most important and influential of Black Sabbath’s releases and the deluxe expanded edition comes with a bonus disc of live material.
1981’s “Mob Rules” featured largely the same lineup, although Vinnie Appice replaces Bill Ward on drums. The deluxe expanded edition, again, features a bonus disc of live material.
1982’s “Live Evil” caught a band at the height of their powers. The classic lineup of Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinnie Appice giving a flawless performance.

NEWSFLASH: mGMT Announce New Album + Free Download

MGMT have announced they will be releasing their new album Congratulations, on Monday 12th April in the UK.
As the first teaser from the new album the band are giving away a free Mp3 of new track ‘Flash Delirium’ from www.whoismgmt.com.

One of 2010’s most eagerly anticipated new releases, Congratulations is the successor to MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, the 2008 debut album which established the band’s potential as a visionary force in pop music.
Congratulations is a collection of nine individual musical tours de force sequenced to flow with sonic and thematic coherence:  “It’s Working,” “Song for Dan Treacy,” “Someone’s Missing,” “Flash Delirium,” “I Found a Whistle,” “Siberian Breaks,” “Brian Eno,” “Lady Dada’s Nightmare,” and “Congratulations.”
Produced by MGMT and Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3, E.A.R., Spectrum), Congratulations was recorded throughout 2009 in upstate New York, Malibu, and Brooklyn and features Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, MGMT’s core duo, performing with Matt Asti (bass, backing vocals), Will Berman (drums, backing vocals), and James Richardson (guitar, backing vocals), the band’s live line-up.
Congratulations offered MGMT the opportunity to work with a couple of their musical idols and influences including album co-producer Sonic Boom (Pete Kember) and Royal Trux front-woman Jennifer Herrema, who contributed guest vocals.  “We’ve been lucky enough to meet and work with some of our all-time musical heroes,” Andrew says, marveling at MGMT’s good collaborative karma.  “It’s so great to be around such amazing and unusual musical minds.”
Ben and Andrew first met the mythic Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3, E.A.R., Spectrum) at a Spectrum show in London in February 2009 and wound up onstage jamming with the band on “Suicide,” a vintage Spacemen 3 track paying homage to another light in MGMT’s musical pantheon.
MGMT have become an international festival favourite with performances at South By Southwest, Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo in the States and the Glastonbury extravaganza in the UK.  The band have toured with Beck, Yeasayer and Of Montreal, among others, while becoming a headline concert attraction in its own right.  MGMT are confirmed to appear at the 2010 Coachella and Bamboozle festivals.
With Congratulations, MGMT unlock a new musical world whirling in its own space/time grid infused with hints of music from the past five decades.  Soulful and complex, Congratulations is a surprising and delightful quantum step forward in MGMT’s ongoing pop revolution.

KATHRYN WILLIAMS – The Quickening

Similarly to Caitlin Rose’s new album this show’s a string folk influence however from the first song “50 White Lines” seems a lot darker, especially with the backing vocals chanting the song title in a lingering manner, it becomes slightly haunting. “Just a Feeling” has something very Fleetwood Mac about it, which I enjoy, purely in the music not so much the vocals, although these remain soft and interesting with its calm backing vocals once more.
“Wanting and Waiting” seems a little more upbeat and positive, with rings of Belle and Sebastian in a way, which is always a lovely sound to adopt. Although I have to say I would prefer some dramatic instrumentals from what I have heard so far. “Just Leave” does this to an extent with more interesting concoction of sounds… However the vocals remain very much the same, although- Kathryn Williams’ voice is still impressive and I seem to be warming to it with the more I listen to.
“Cream of the Crop” has a more bluesy and jazzy sound to it, and is a little Corrine Bailey Rae at times, in the very best of ways. I imagine to see this performed live would be atmospheric beyond belief. Another track that particularly caught my attention is “Noble Guess” which made me realise the one thing that attracts me to this album is the similarities it holds to Joni Mitchell, an all time favourite of mine.
“Little Lesson” is a lovely track, with a more upbeat and folk feel which i thoroughly enjoy, followed by “Up North” which proves that “The Quickening” would be the perfect album for a summers day and will definitely be played throughout by myself and many more i imagine.

FRENCH FOR CARTRIDGE – Liquorice

This band is truly something unique. And with the two minds that make up the group, Catherine Kontz and Henri Vaxby hailing from Luxembourg and Scandinavia respectively, it might not come as much of a surprise that the mixing of cultures would produce something so different.
The use of instrumentation on the album borders genius, mixing your usual instrumentation with more exotic means to create some wonderful sounds that aren’t heard in your run of the mill pop nuggets.
Depending on your opinion, the lyrics are either another stroke of crazy inventiveness from French For Cartridge or irrelevant nonsense. For me, lyrics have always been a big part of any record but on this album the rulebook is thrown out the window. For example, one of the songs takes its lyrics entirely from a TV guide. At least it shows some originality, and the music business could certainly do with bands who take risks, even if it means some of the songs essentially have nothing to say.
Whether you end up loving it or hating it, this is an album that must be heard once purely to experience it. While it is experimental in almost every sense, there is still a strong sense for a good pop melody throughout their songs that will lodge themselves in your head and refuse to move. While this particular brand of liquorice may be too sweet for some, give it a taste and you may just fall in love with it.

NEWSFLASH: Imperial Leisure Tour Dates + Free Download

Imperial Leisure are touring the UK this month showcasing new tracks from their forthcoming new album which will be released in the summer.

Their new streamlined features IL original members Denis Smith on vocals, AJ White on guitar, Dan Dobson on bass, Scott Vining on drums, Stu Maxwell on keyboards and new boy Jerome Harper guesting on brass. The sound is leaner and meaner, whilst retaining its truly distinctive British flavour that includes fan favourites and stand out tracks such ‘In A Letter’, ‘Jenny’ and the skantastic ‘Man On The Street’. Other highlights include ‘The Beast’ and ‘The Landlord’s Daughter’ all delivered with the new line-up so expect a few extra twists as well as a cheeky peppering of new album tracks.  
Imperial Leisure spent the last two years laying markers across the UK with memorable live performances that have created a fervent live fan base.  Selling out shows and playing at festivals across the UK including Glastonbury, Bestival, Reading, Lovebox, and Fruitstock to name but a few. Imperial Leisure are happy headlining, supporting or springing spontaneous gigs on unsuspecting but hugely appreciative crowds in shopping centres, parks, and on beaches around the UK; oh yeah and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
 
Tour Details
 
Thu 11th Mar – The Flapper, Birmingham
Fri 12th  Mar – The Roadhouse, Manchester
Sat 13th Mar – Thekla,  Bristol
Thu 18th Mar – Ride Café, Plymouth
Fri 19th Mar – The Koola, Newquay
Sat 20th Mar – Mr Kyps, Poole
Fri 26th Mar – Engine Rooms
Sat 27th Mar – Garage, London

Free download and order tickets: www.musicglue.com/imperialleisure
Order Tickets Here:  http://www.artistticket.com/link/?s=imperial+leisure

NEWSFLASH: Strange Death Of Liberal England Announce Editors Support Slots + Download Single

The Strange Death Of Liberal England return after an 18 month hiatus punctuated by a sole theatre show in their native Portsmouth. Their debut mini album, ‘Forward March’ and live shows saw the band heralded by NME ‘for the chiming elegance of their kaleidoscopic post-rock’, whilst The Guardian praised ‘music that roars and sighs, swoops and swoons.’ During that time away from the public gaze, the band have been hard at work with producer Dave Allen (The Cure, Depeche Mode), orchestras and all manner of other experiments to create a quite astounding debut album proper, a new single from which, ‘Flagships’, will be a download only release via Republic Of Music on 8th March and is available here
The Strange Death Of Liberal England accompany Editors on their UK tour before playing their own London headline show. The band will be at the following venues in MARCH.

Sunday 7th – Preston, Guildhall
Monday 8th – Bradford, St. George’s Hall
Wednesday 10th – Glasgow, Academy
Thu 11th – Dundee, Fat Sams
Friday 12th – Inverness, Ironworks
Saturday 13th – Aberdeen, Music Hall
Monday 15th – Newcastle, Academy
Tuesday 16th – Manchester, Apollo
Wednesday 17th – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Friday 19th – Bournemouth, Academy
Saturday 20th – Brighton, Dome
Sunday 21st – Cardiff, University
Tuesday 23rd – Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall
Wednesday 24th – London, Brixton Academy
Thursday 25th – London, Lexington Arms (HEADLINE SHOW)
Sunday 28th – Portsmouth, Guildhall
Monday 29th – Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
Tuesday 30th – Birmingham, Academy

www.tsdole.com

THE GOOD THE BAD – From 005 to 008 EP

Dave Keuning, of The Killers, has called From 005-008 ‘a two guitar attack on the senses…’.  Drowned in Sound have said The Good, The Bad are a band who ‘write great quality rock songs’, and we here at Call Upon the Author have to completely agree.
 It goes past in a blur of stunning guitar solos and by the time it’s over it successfully leaves your senses wanting more. It is nowhere near enough to leave the ears sated, yet to have more offered up on this EP might ruin such an exceptional experience.
  It’s an entirely vocal free zone, which has turned out to be great. It is a whole lot easier to get lost in the music without having somebody’s voice dragging you back to reality and actually it’s quite refreshing.
The first two tracks, 005 and 006, are brilliant; they’re fast paced, upbeat, similar to one another yet not too much the same, they’re relaxed yet repeatable. There isn’t really much that they’re not.
 007 and 008 are slightly rockier than the first half of the EP, offering more variety. Even though these two tracks aren’t as upbeat as the ones before they’re just as skilled. They showcase just how great The Good, The Bad are with their guitars and raises the bar they set at the start of the EP even higher. Hopefully, if things go extremely well, they will be around for a lot longer and produce many more tracks, just as enjoyable as the four on this EP.

We The Kings’ New Album Available To Stream + Tour Dates

www.myspace.com/wethekings  |  www.wethekingsmusic.com  |  www.twitter.com/wethekings
 
STREAM THE ALBUM HERE
 
Florida’s We The Kings have secured themselves as one of the most original & exciting bands in the pop-rock circuit, with a heavily dedicated fan base, having toured the US with bands such as Boys Like Girls, All Time Low, Cobra Starship and, most recently, headlining the 2009 Vans Warped Tour. 
 
Sophomore album, ‘Smile Kid’, will be released on March 8th and infectious first single, ‘Heaven Can Wait’, is already climbing the charts in the US, becoming the band’s fastest rising single to date & reaching the Top 10 on the Alternative Singles Chart.  It’s the band’s third Top 40 charting single in the US. 
 
Produced by S*A*M and SLUGGO (Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship) ‘Smile Kid’ follows their self titled smash debut which hit # 1 on Billboard’s New Alternative Album sales chart. 
 
Time in the studio gelled the band’s already energetic and tight sound. Instantly addictive tracks such as ‘Heaven Can Wait’, ‘She Takes Me High’ & ‘We’ll Be A Dream’ (featuring Disney’s Demi Lovato) brim with youthful vibrancy and enthusiasm, clocking in at short and sweet three-minute bursts.
 
The world of We The Kings is a never-ending buzz of activity, where fans and band are equal participants.  They are constantly tweeting, updating blogs & websites and documenting life on the road in their online mini sitcom, “The Kings Carriage”.
 
Infectious high spirits and camaraderie energize their live performances.  The boys hit our shores March 2010 supporting You Me At Six on a Nationwide tour.
 
March 9                Birmingham O2 Academy
March 10             Kingsway Newport Centre
March 11             Sheffield O2 Academy
March 12             Manchester Apollo
March 13             Newcastle O2 Academy 2
March 14             Glasgow O2 Academy
March 16             Leeds O2 Academy
March 17             Nottingham Rock City
March 18             Southampton Guildhall
March 19             Norwich UEA
March 20             London Brixton Academy

Florida’s We The Kings have secured themselves as one of the most original & exciting bands in the pop-rock circuit, with a heavily dedicated fan base, having toured the US with bands such as Boys Like Girls, All Time Low, Cobra Starship and, most recently, headlining the 2009 Vans Warped Tour. Sophomore album, ‘Smile Kid’, will be released on March 8th and infectious first single, ‘Heaven Can Wait’, is already climbing the charts in the US, becoming the band’s fastest rising single to date & reaching the Top 10 on the Alternative Singles Chart. It’s the band’s third Top 40 charting single in the US. Produced by S*A*M and SLUGGO (Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship) ‘Smile Kid’ follows their self titled smash debut which hit # 1 on Billboard’s New Alternative Album sales chart. Time in the studio gelled the band’s already energetic and tight sound. Instantly addictive tracks such as ‘Heaven Can Wait’, ‘She Takes Me High’ & ‘We’ll Be A Dream’ (featuring Disney’s Demi Lovato) brim with youthful vibrancy and enthusiasm, clocking in at short and sweet three-minute bursts. The world of We The Kings is a never-ending buzz of activity, where fans and band are equal participants. They are constantly tweeting, updating blogs & websites and documenting life on the road in their online mini sitcom, “The Kings Carriage”. Infectious high spirits and camaraderie energize their live performances. The boys hit our shores March 2010 supporting You Me At Six on a Nationwide tour. March 9 Birmingham O2 Academy March 10 Kingsway Newport Centre March 11 Sheffield O2 Academy March 12 Manchester Apollo March 13 Newcastle O2 Academy 2 March 14 Glasgow O2 Academy March 16 Leeds O2 Academy March 17 Nottingham Rock City March 18 Southampton Guildhall March 19 Norwich UEA March 20 London Brixton Academy