FIGHTSTAR Live @ Heaven, London 17/02/2010

Supported by All Forgotten, Cars On Fire, and The Xcerts, I already had high hopes for this gig. They were all impressive, but seemed to just get better and better as they went on. Then came the time everyone had been waiting for… Wow.
From the moment Fightstar were on stage, the crowd was alive. With the brilliant set list including a variety of hits from their albums Grand Unification and Be Human, there was something for new fans as well as those who have followed them for years. Opening with War Machine and closing with a cover of Deftones’ Be Quiet and Drive, with songs such as Paint Your Target and Mercury Summer in between, every song was different, it never dragged on. Charlie, Omar, Dan and Alex were all really lively onstage throughout the entire gig, and made the crowd feel a part of it. The venue itself was fairly small, but that just made the atmosphere even better, as it was a more personal experience. This was a fantastic night out, Fightstar are really impressive performers who are obviously passionate about what they do, which is clear after seeing them play live. Since the gig I’ve been listening to their albums non-stop, I’ve become addicted to them.

THE BOY WHO TRAPPED THE SUN – Home EP

This five track EP has a really fantastic start with the beautiful guitar intro to ‘Home’, which continues to be a song which I could just play over and over. Though the tune is slightly repetitive, it is also addictive. As it goes on, I grow to love each one of these songs. Each one is different to another, yet still relaxing and beautiful in their own way. ‘Lying To Get On Your Good Side’ is a really good example of the variety squeezed into these five tracks when comparing it to the others on the EP. The only change I would make to this CD would be to make it longer, I really want to hear more of his music, and though I’ve had this on repeat, the same five tracks over and over can get a little old!

check out The Boy Who Trapped The Sun here: www.myspace.com/theboywhotrappedthesun

PLASTISCINES – About Love

I had high expectations when the first song on the album ‘I Could Rob You’ burst out of the stereo, and I wasn’t let down by the rest of them. As it continued, I really got into the CD quickly. The strong drum beat keeps you tapping your feet along to the rhythm throughout the album, and the unique voice of Katty Besnard keeps you listening, because it’s not like everything else out there. After the more upbeat first six songs, there is the more relaxing, slow tune of ‘I Am Down’, which is an unexpected but much loved variety. After this it’s back to the rockier songs, which continue to be different to every other song on the album, particularly ‘Pas Avec Toi’. It is really refreshing to hear that this French band are keeping to their roots even after becoming big in America, and growing in the UK. It is safe to say that this album is thoroughly enjoyable, and is really memorable for its individuality in a world of media pressure to be a certain way.

ANDREW VINCENT – Rotten Pear

I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Though I wasn’t expecting much from it, I listened with an open mind and found myself enjoying it a lot. Each song is different and memorable, and though it makes me tap my foot along with the music, it’s also pretty relaxing. The main songs that really stick in my memory are ‘Fooled Again’ and ‘Ruffian’, for very different reasons. The first is a more upbeat, catchy tune with fun lyrics which encouraged me to dance (as much as you can to this type of music), where the second is a slower, more emotional song. It tells a story, which brings the listener in to continue listening. The song ’Rotten Pear’ is a good choice to use as the album title, and it shows the variety that the entire album holds. Though it’s a surprisingly enjoyable album, it can get a little tedious after a few listens. It isn’t one of those CD’s that stays in my player for weeks on end.

DEADMAU5 – At Play Vol. 2

These “10 full length DJ friendly tracks” are bearable at first, the kind of music you could probably listen to for a short period of time. By the end of track 4 I had a headache. It had all merged into one big noise, a repetition of beats which goes on for over an hour. The main thing that breaks these songs up is the occasional singing or speaking added to them for a bit of variation. The words “I’m a big attention whore!” in ‘Attention Whore’ quite frankly took me by surprise and scared me slightly, and the pretty much constant “It’s catchy, you like” in ‘Hey Baby’ makes me feel pressured to enjoy the song. The only place I can see this music playing is in a club full of drunken students who don’t care about the boring and repetitive noise in their ears. It does make me want to do stupid dances, but only after I’ve got a few drinks in my system. The whole album reminds me too much of the time I was dragged clubbing for a friend’s birthday. I suppose this kind of music is an acquired taste, however, I’m really not there yet, and I’m not sure I ever will be.