With festival season upon us, it will soon be the time for new album releases. On this run up, artists like to tease us with tidbits to keep us going. Here’s five you should listen to now.
1. Panic! at the Disco – Hallelujah
OK, so Hallelujah isn’t all that new, but the album is (apparently) due out sometime this year. According to wikipedia. Really, everyone knows very little about it.
2. Chvrches – Leave a Trace
New album Every Open Eye is due for release 25 September. If this track is anything to go by, we should all be excited.
3. Nothing But Thieves – Honey Whiskey
Honey Whiskey dropped the same day Nothing But Thieves finally announced the release of their self-titles debut, due out 16 October.
4. Halsey – New Americana
It’s not long now until the release of Halsey’s debut full-length, Badlands. In fact, just 23 days! I got so excited I pre-ordered a copy – it’s going to be badass.
5. Cassadee Pope – I Am Invincible
OK, so in all honesty I have no clue when Cassadee’s second album is coming. All I know is, it’s coming.
For what seems like weeks (I know it was only a few days, but still) Taylor Swift has been teasing the release of the Bad Blood music video, and now it’s finally here.
This is possibly the most excited I have been to see a music video ever. Normally I’m more excited to hear a new single than see a new video, but Bad Blood was hyped up so much I think even the biggest T-Swift cynic has been dying to see it.
After drip feeding fans Sin City style character posters – along with the huge revelation that it will now feature Kendrick Lamar (not on the album version) – Bad Blood finally graced our computers/TVs/phones after its premiere before the BMAs. All the hype? Massively worth it. Everyone featured looks amazing, Taylor Swift can definitely pull of red hair, and is it just me or does anyone else have the urge to buy a badass dress and wear heavy eye makeup all the time?
And if that wasn’t enough…
Music fans got another gift this evening in the form of Muse’s new track Mercy from upcoming album Drones. The track seems to take a more subdued tone compared to Psycho and Dead Inside, but is by no means less…. Muse-y. True to form, the track (according to Matt Bellamy) follows the protagonist being overcome by the dark forces in Psycho. Drones may well be an album with a story line. Listen below:
It’s been a busy few weeks, but yesterday I’m pretty sure the world of music just exploded everywhere.
So, aside from the continuing Blink-182 drama, here’s whats gone on recently:
Muse have done a load of good things. Not only did they announce a tour (which annoyingly sold out super quick and the website crashed) where they’re playing a load of tiny venues (well, tiny for them) but they also announced that new album Drones is due to be released in June, which you can pre-order now. Oh, and as if that wasn’t enough, they’ve also released new single Psycho: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqLRqzTp6Rk
Josh Franceschi (You Me at Six) did guest vocals on a dance song. Well, no-one can accuse them of not being diverse, and Josh completely nails the vocals.
Ryan Ross has resurfaced. Admittedly, with demos from like a year ago, but I suppose this means new music from him headed our way soon? Either way, it’s worth giving his stuff a listen – he’s changed a lot since Panic!
Walk the Moon have hinted at a UK tour. I know nothing more than this and the fact that it could not come soon enough!
Screenshot from Walk the Moon’s official facebook
Against the Current signed to Fueled by Ramen. The Poughkeepsie trio are due to appear the Glamour Kills tour, and recently release EP Gravity. For those who haven’t listened to them, they’re pop-rock with a bit more grit. Keep an eye out because they’re set to make it big. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S34KpOAgyTg
Admittedly, its been a while since my last post, but during that time I’ve been launching my other project Unsigned Cardiff so please do give it a follow if you’re a fan of unsigned/independent music.
A lot has happened on my music radar this week, so I’ll start with some new songs:
Walk the Moon – Different Colors
Walk the Moon made their comeback in September with Shut Up + Dance, along with a new album announcement. Now, they’ve released a second song. Gloriously upbeat and insanely catchy, Different Colors strengthens the path Shut Up + Dance has set up – if you’re not excited for the release of Talking is Hard, then there is something wrong.
Charli XCX – Gold Coins
After pushing back the release of her second album, Sucker, Charli isn’t leaving her fans completely high and dry and is instead dripping the album to us slowly. It’s certainly a different direction to True Romance, less synth pop, but no less catchy.
Taylor Swift – Blank Space
So not as recently as the other tracks, but in Taylor’s most recent release she gets, well, a bit crazy – and everyone loves it. Taylor’s venture into pop music really suits her. Even crying mascara face suits her. Some people are just fortunate (and good musicians).
Now moving on to music news:
Band Aid 30 got released in aid of ebola. It’s not terrible, but perhaps a new song should have been written. Some of the lyric swaps are questionable to say the least.
Paramore announced they’ll be re-releasing Paramore as a deluxe album, which will include a collab with Joy Williams (Civil Wars). I was hoping for a new album, but I’ll happily take what I’m given…
and finally, Muse are set to headline Download Fest. Bit weird – I expected to see them at somewhere like Reading and Leeds, but there you go
I’m always the first person to watch new videos for my favourite artists, but for me it seems very rare that so many new videos drop all in the same week. So this week my ears/eyes were in for a real treat with new singles and videos dropping left right and centre!
Lights – Portal
Obviously, I’m a huge fan of Lights and eagerly awaiting her new album Little Machines (released in September!). Like many fans, I was expecting a video for ‘Up We Go’, but instead she surprised many of us with a new single and video. More subdued than ‘Up We Go’, ‘Portal’ shows a different side of Lights’ upcoming album, putting emphasis on her amazing voice stripped back of any added electro effects. The video is suitably beautiful yet simplistic, yet the ending is still very much what fans expect from Lights.
Bebe Rexha – I Can’t Stop Drinking About You
I have been so excited for this video for months now! First put on soundcloud four months ago, Bebe Rexha sure knows how to keep people waiting. After lending her vocals to Cash Cash for massive hit ‘Take Me Home’, Bebe has released a hit of her own – insanely catchy with a beat that’d fill any dance floor. And now, to top it off, a gorgeous video that fits the song and the genre. Couldn’t possibly ask for more.
Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora – Black Widow
This was one of my favourite tracks off The New Classic, so I was pretty chuffed when Iggy announced it was going to be a single. In a sort of Charlie’s Angels-esque daydream, Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora show how badass they can be without taking themselves too seriously. The video perfectly matches the lyrics, with revenge being at the forefront. It’s definitely one for the girls!
Ariana Grande ft. Zedd – Break Free
Speaking of girl power and daft videos, Ariana Grande’s new video is along the same lines as Iggy Azalea’s. ‘Break Free’ is another new track from her upcoming album, featuring another huge name in music. It’s an incredibly catchy dance track – an ideal follow up to ‘Problem’ – and the video is a little crazy and bizarre in an entirely fun way. Alien rescues, weird and wonderful costumes, all topped off with an inter galactic dance at the end. Yes, it’s daft, but you can’t help but enjoy it!
Metro Station – Love & War
Shaking back onto the music scene is newly reformed (sort of) Metro Station. Founding members Trace Cyrus and Mason Musso have put aside whatever made them split in the first place to release new music together once again. Not much seems to have changed – ‘Love & War’ is pretty darn catchy, with both members contributing to vocals. Admittedly, in places the video looks like something you’d expect from a 90’s boy band which, although I’m sure that’s not quite the look they were going for, somehow works with the song. What can I say, I enjoy cheesy things.
Over a year after Siberia Acoustic, three years after Siberia and a whole baby later, Christmas has come early for fans of Lights with 3 huge announcements all in one day.
For the past 10 days, Lights has been teasing fans over social networking with a countdown. Yesterday, she made her quite frankly huge announcement and gave fans everything we could possibly want, all at once. At Scene Fest, she debuted two new songs ‘Up We Go’ and ‘Running With The Boys’, and with yesterday’s announcement came the studio version of ‘Up We Go’ (hopefully a video will follow soon, but let’s not be greedy). The song is certainly more reminiscent of The Listening than Siberia, with more clean cut synth than the almost dub-step vibes we heard in Siberia. Also, the electronic vocal effects are far more prominent in this song, giving it the very electro-pop vibe that Lights is known for. In itself, ‘Up We Go’ is a brilliant choice for first release – the lyrics are beautiful, as always with Lights, yet it’s still upbeat and catchy and will appeal to a wider audience. It also sets up all the positivity that ‘s going to follow; the lyrics are honest but hopeful and it’s refreshing to see an artist put so much of themselves into their music. From this song alone, any listener can tell how much Lights has put into her art. It perfectly captures her progression from the last album whilst still being very recognisable as Lights. Although it sounds different to Siberia, Lights style is completely unmistakable.
Along with ‘Up We Go’, it was also announced that Lights’ third full length Little Machines will be released 23rd September (pre order here), along with a 23 date Canadian/North American tour (tickets on sale Friday) with the promise of more to come. There are various album bundles available which include a coloured vinyl and some autographed goodies which Lights has assured fans will all be personally signed by her and not printed on. You can listen to some live recordings of ‘Running With The Boys’ on youtube to get a further taster of what’s to come. Judging by those two songs I’ve heard so far, the album is going to be a strong follow up to Siberia, and well worth investing in. I saw Lights perform live back in 2012 at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, and her performance was flawless and energetic so I can definitely recommend catching her on tour if she’s coming to your area. Whether you’ve heard of Lights or not, if you’re a fan of electro-pop I’d highly recommend listening to her music.
*New posting days will hopefully be every Wednesday*
Massachusetts three piece are set to make their mark this year in the alternative rock genre. Their debut EP (available here) was released last year containing 5 songs from the band and giving listeners an idea of their sound. The EP opens with ‘Demon Limbs’, and show the bands solid sound and strong instrumental tones. The guitars show how skilled the band are with their instruments, giving the EP a more mainstream metal vibe that will appeal to a larger audience. Lynn Gunn’s vocals are like a mixture between Mindy White (Lydia/States) with all the raw grittiness of Lzzy Hale (Halestorm). The instrumentals perfectly gel with Gunn’s vocals, all providing a kick of their own. All five tracks have the same strong tones that give the band a fresh sound, separating them from the female fronted cliché that they must be ‘like Paramore’ for having a female lead.
The thoroughness of their sound even hits the lyrics, too. The band shows a maturity in all aspects of their music. There’s no hints of auto tune or that they’ve tried to clean around the edges of their sound, which makes them all the more appealing as it gives them a rawness found in few bands nowadays. However, this doesn’t sound accidental – it sounds like the band wanted to keep their sound as ‘real’ as possible, by keeping Gunn’s vocals untouched and allowing the band to keep their sound exactly as they intended. The changes in tempo in the guitars flow perfectly and everything seems to fit.
This year, the band released an acoustic EP (available here) produced by Blake Harnage (of Versa). Featuring the first four tracks off their debut EP, the sound is much more subdued with the same vibes often found on an album from Lydia (especially Illuminate). The band shows more diversity in their sound, keeping the instrumentals strong yet taking on the same gentler tone as Gunn’s vocals. However, this certainly doesn’t diminish what they built in their previous EP, but instead adds to what they can achieve together across their genre.
Gunn was featured in the most recent Glamour Kills line alongside Jess Bowen (drummer, The Summer Set) and Jenna McDougall (vocals, Tonight Alive). The band will also be playing Warped Tour in America this year alongside the likes of Neck Deep and The Summer Set, so they’re certainly going the right away about getting their name out there. Their two EPs give a promising taster of their sound, so I’d certainly keep an eye out for their eventual release of a full length – if their music so far is anything to go on, it’s going to sound pretty darn good.
Since the release of their self-titled album last month, there has been a very mixed reception towards the so-called ‘new’ Paramore in both sound and lineup. The album itself was different from their last 3; it had a more pop-rock sound than the alternative sound fans had grown accustomed to, intermixed with small ukulele interludes. In all honesty, this change in sound was to be expected. The band has undergone a lot of changes since the departure of the Farro’s in 2010 (and I don’t just mean Hayley’s hair colour), so it was only right that their sound progressed with them. The interludes appear to be the only songs on the album that address their departure, and other than those the rest seem to be what Paramore have moved on to. Paramore is a catchy, well-written album that shows how the band have grown and changed. Let’s face it, they’re not 17 any more and anyone shocked at the direction they’ve taken is wrongly so. Mildly surprised, yes, but no-one should have expected another Brand New Eyes. Their music has moved on, and it’s up to fans to move with them. As for the line-up, it seems they’re not taking on any permanent members which is understandable. Instead they keep a number of touring members to fill in the loss of the other two members. Change is good, but it gets to a stage where it can be potentially too much. Having said this, I for one sincerely hope they do eventually keep Justin York (older brother of Paramore guitarist Taylor York, for anyone who hasn’t made that connection). I feel this especially when I watch acoustic videos – his and Hayley’s voices go perfectly together and neither sound off in comparison to the other. For now though, Paramore is what it is: a band coming back even stronger after the loss of members which could have caused them to split for good. Give their new sound a chance – you might just find that, like many of us, you actually like it.
3 years after the Farro brothers’ departure, and Paramore are firmly back on the music scene.
Following ‘The Singles’ in 2011, the band continually dropped hints towards the progress of the new album which was finally announced in December 2012. The fourth album from the band, self titled ‘Paramore’, is due to land in April this year and will be the first record from Hayley, Taylor and Jeremy as a trio. With much anticipation from all the fans (myself included), the band’s first single off the album was released today and certainly did not disappoint. Admittedly, I was expecting something completely different from the three of them. After all, the band’s dynamic has changed and they’ve recently hinted at more of a pop sound in an interview. The introduction sounded like just this, so I was a little uncertain of the rest. However, the moment the song kicks into the first verse there’s no question this is still Paramore. Yes, the song does sound a little more pop than, say, the days of All We Know Is Falling, but it still has the punk-rock edge Paramore have harnessed over the years. The chorus, without a doubt, is simple yet incredibly catchy, appealing to a wider audience. However, the song as a whole to any avid fan shows how the band have returned from their time off and are certainly here to stay, only building on anticipation to see how the video has turned out, and for the album’s release. It’s still Paramore, just newer with a recognisable bass part. They’ve grown as a band, and personally I can’t wait for all 17 tracks of the album.
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