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TOUR NEWS: The Americans return for January/February 2018 Tour

6 Jan 2018

The Americans return to the UK in January to play Celtic Connections and the UK Americana Music Awards, as well as club shows in Newcastle, Oxford and Leeds. Full dates as follows:

AT 27 JAN – Newcastle, The Cluny
SUN 28 JAN – Glasgow, Celtic Connections @ Oran Mor
TUE 30 JAN – Oxford, The Bullingdon
WED 31 JAN – London, Americana Fest UK (Venue TBC)
SAT 3 FEB – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club

Tickets http://www.punkrockblues.co.uk/the-americans-uk-tour-2018.html

Los Angeles quartet The Americans released ‘I’ll Be Yours’ earlier this year. Having started out as a roots band enthralled by pre-war American country and blues, they have evolved into a blistering amalgamation of those influences, injected with a fiery blue collar rock’n’roll attitude, absorbing and reconfiguring the history of American music from Chuck Berry and Tom Waits to Bruce Springsteen. They named themselves after the controversial photo series by Robert Frank, which was first published in 1958 with a foreword by Jack Kerouac. Like Frank’s photos, The Americans’ songs are miniature biographies, intimate and empathic portraits of individuals that leave much unsaid.

In addition to critical acclaim from the press, the record was also championed by key record stores – Rough Trade made it one of their Albums Of The Month – “From crooning laments, rich and glorious with sweeping sweet orchestrated lushness to disheveled, bluesy, rocking, frantic party time hoedowns, this album lifts you up and gently drops you down”.

The Americans were plucked from obscurity by Jack White, T Bone Burnett and Robert Redford to appear in the recent PBS/BBC4 series American Epic. Featuring artists such as Beck, Elton John, Nas, Willie Nelson, Alabama Shakes and many more, the film reconstructs the story of the first American music in the 1920s and re-assembled the recording apparatus that was used at the time. As experts in early music, The Americans were invited in to figure out the equipment and make the first recordings. Once the sessions were underway, they functioned as the house band, backing up various artists and suggesting songs to the filmmakers. Burnett was quoted as saying; “The Americans are part of this group, these genius 21st century musicians, that are reinventing American heritage music for this century. And it sounds even better this century.”

Band info:
http://www.theamericansmusic.com/
http://loosemusic.com/

EP REVIEW: Dead Fairy – ‘Image’

Frank

4 Jan 2018

Oh bloody hell this is fantastic. I’m tempted to ask ‘quite what are Dead Fairy on’, it’s wondrous chaotic thing. It sounds as though it’s been thrown together but at the same time it’s obviously not been thrown together at all. It’s clever in places, it’s laugh out loud funny in places, it veers from one musical style to another seemingly without a care in the world. It’s just a joy.

Ok so I’ve thrown you into the review without any sort of information at all, so let’s get that out of the way. Dead Fairy are a band from Huddersfield. A band I have seen once – something I must do again and soon – and was hugely impressed. So what do they sound like I hear you ask, well it’s just this mix of metal, punk, and other things just too numerous to mention.

The opener ‘Image’ is this huge sprawling mutant punk/metal thing with vocals that are not exactly sung. It’s sort of that Dead Kennedys/Public Image vocal style, look this is really hard to describe, with hints of The Streets. And you’re going to want to listen to the words they’re great, they’re a rant, a clever rant. The words have this great touch of timing in their delivery.

‘Popularity Contest’ opens with this story while it builds into this maelstrom of noise, and suddenly it all drops out. There’s almost a delicate guitar, hell it is delicate, while Jack just drawls the lyrics over it, and then it explodes.

I was tempted to just show you the words to ‘Biological Machines’ rather than actually try and describe the sheer brilliance of the words. Over a strummed guitar Jack intones the words which are actually quite profound until you get to the line ‘Let’s pretend our sex was a gift from god, not just a load of blood rushing to my knob’, mind blown, huge grin.

The EP closer ‘Makeup’ is a more let’s say ‘conventional’ song in style about the beauty industry. It does have a sort of spoken sung section at the start just to set the scene. The words here are important and well worth listening to.

The thing here is that although their songs might sound like an unholy mix of different almost random styles, Dead Fairy have the sheer musical talent to make this work, they obviously work at this, it’s not just a bunch of people making stuff as they go along. Or I may be wrong perhaps they do, who knows. I don’t really care, I think it’s brilliant.

I think I should say that unless you’re the sort of person, like me, who likes music that throws a bunch of stuff into the mix, this might take some effort to get into but it’s worth that effort. It you make that effort you’ll be rewarded with a set of tracks that make you think, smile and glad to be alive.

Listen to the ‘Image’ EP here: https://open.spotify.com/album/4Xq9fnAJMyyHIaFkEpew7i

Dead Fairy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deadfairytheband/

EP REVIEW: Realms – ‘Echo Chamber’

Frank

4 Jan 2018

This is the second band I’ve reviewed who class themselves as post-hardcore and I struggled to define quite what it is in my first review. This time round I asked Matt from Realms to come up with a snappy definition. He told me that ‘Post hardcore is a genre which has roots in the hardcore/metal scene but has expanded to incorporate influences from other genres such as emo or pop punk. It has a more melodic sound than hardcore and is often less straightforward in sound, technicality and song writing while still maintaining the aggression’. This is way better than anything I could come up with, thanks Matt.

So now we all know what we are dealing with here, now onto the EP. The opening track ‘Hung. Drawn. Quartered.’ is one that I needed to go back to listen to again to fully appreciate. There’s nothing wrong with that, I like music you have to make an effort with. It’s more hardcore, at least to my ears, than the other three tracks, and it’s slower. The thing that got me hooked on this track – apart from the grindy guitar start to the track – is the mix of vocal styles. There’s this great section at the end when the hardcore vocals and more ‘normal’ vocals (look I can’t think of any other way to describe this) are layered over each other. Lovely stuff.

So I thought I had the Realms’ style pegged but no ‘Wallflower’ opens with a delicate guitar and keyboard. OK so it soon shifts up a gear but it really works. So it has those hardcore vocals mixed in but this track has a tune you can hum, it’s incredibly well put together. If you’re new to post-hardcore you might find the shifts from alt-rock sections to hardcore sections a little disconcerting but take my word for it, it really does work.

‘Painted Demons’ is heavier, it has more hardcore elements. The shifts are less obvious. The guitars on this are fab. There is a stinger in the tail with this track – a short atmospheric guitar section that shouldn’t work but it does, it’s clever.

My favourite track ‘Zealot’ closes the EP. I can’t really say why it’s my favourite it just is. It might the ‘open your eyes’ line, it might be that it’s really heavy, it might be that I really like the guitar, or the way the guitar goes all distant at one point, it might even be the ‘shhh’ sound towards the end or all of those. I can say I listened to this on repeat way too many times.

One thing I really have to mention is the production on this EP, it’s incredibly well put together. Every instrument is really clear, but it doesn’t lose any of the aggression or rawness. And there are some really nice touches – guitars panning and little effects – that just provide the icing on the cake.

So do I like ‘Echo Chamber’ yes I do I love it. This is a set of really well played tracks with top-notch production. If like me you’re new to post-hardcore this is a really great introduction to it, a great way in. As I said right at the top this is a very fine thing.

Get ‘Echo Chamber’ here

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/echo-chamber-ep/1316257210
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3F9IEIqjmanYpALASlIcVX?si=f7eAMu69SDaGQEdbBCP8qA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_Kkv2SbKS2ovWAsWml9hIxJDWvE-iyLY

The info

Realms are a five piece post hardcore band from Doncaster. Formed in early 2015, Realms take influence from bands such as Funeral for a Friend, Underoath and Killswitch Engage as they attempt to blend both melodic and heavy elements into their sound.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Realmstheband/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realms_band/

Upcoming gigs

West Street Live, Sheffield
25th February

Realms will be playing Metal 2 The Masses at Cafe Indie, Scunthorpe – Heat to be confirmed

ALBUM & TOUR NEWS: The Skids release ‘Burning Cities’ out 12th January, 40th Anniversary tour January/June 2018

LSF Staff Writers

2 Jan 2018

Four decades after they formed – in the white-hot summer of 1977 – The Skids are back. The post-punk pioneers, currently on a hugely successful comeback tour, will release their fifth album ‘Burning Cities’ on the 12th of January 2018.

‘Burning Cities’, produced by Verve & Primal Scream collaborator Youth, features eleven brand new tracks including the current single, ‘A World On Fire’, which is available now at all the major outlets here:

http://www.resident-music.com/productdetails&product_id=52322
https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/music/burning-cities
http://hyperurl.co/SkidsAWorldOnFire

The new album re-unites the original band members of Richard Jobson (vocals), Bill Simpson (bass) and Mike Baillie (drums). Stepping in for the late Stuart Adamson is his long-time Big Country band mate Bruce Watson while Jamie Watson provides additional guitar duties.

“I’m incredibly excited about this album. This music is at the heart of everything our band is about: truth, revolution, loud guitars and a refusal to keep quiet as the establishment tries to smother chances for anyone other than its own.” – Richard Jobson

The arrival of ‘Burning Cities’ coincides with the fortieth anniversary of the first-ever Skids record, the ‘No Bad’ EP, which introduced the Scottish post-punk pioneers to a whole new audience courtesy of one of their biggest fans, Radio 1’s legendary new music champion John Peel.

In the summer of 2017, to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the first-ever Skids gig, the reunited band set out on tour, selling out iconic venues such as London’s Roundhouse, Glasgow’s ABC and Nottingham’s Rock City. The shows were a triumph, full of joy, adrenaline thrills and an urge once again to kick against the pricks.

“In 1977, we were singing songs about what we saw as a world in crisis”. says Jobson today. “Today that message is more relevant than ever. ‘Burning Cities’ is packed full of punk rock protest songs. It’s an album we’re very proud of – and we can’t wait to share it.”

The band will continue their 40th Anniversary UK shows throughout 2018 beginning with two shows in January at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and culminating in London at the 02 Shepherds Bush Empire on the 30th of June 2018.

LIVE DATES:

JAN 10TH KING TUTS WAH WAH HUT, GLASGOW
JAN 11TH KING TUTS WAH WAH HUT, GLASGOW
JAN 12TH THE LEMON TREE, ABERDEEN
JAN 18TH GEORGIAN THEATRE – STOCKTON
JAN 19TH THE WATERFRONT, NORWICH
JAN 20TH THE EMPIRE, COVENTRY
JAN 21ST PRESTON GUILD HALL, PRESTON
JAN LEAS CLIFF HALL, FOLKESTONE
JAN 27TH PYRAMID CENTRE, PORTSMOUTH
FEB 09TH GLEN PAVILION, DUNFERMLINE
FEB 10TH THE VENUE, DUMFRIES
MAY 27TH CORN EXCHANGE, BEDFORD
JUN 01ST PICTUREDROME, HOLMFIRTH
JUN 02ND 02 RITTZ, MANCHESTER
JUN 07TH SUB 89 & THE BOWERY DISTRICT, READING
JUN 08TH CHEESE AND GRAIN, FROME
JUN 09TH TRAMSHED, CARDIFF
JUN 15TH BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB, LEEDS
JUN 16TH 02 ACADEMY, NEWCASTLE
JUN 22ND THE RESCUE ROOMS NOTTINGHAM
JUN 23RD 02 ACADEMY, LIVERPOOL
JUN 27TH THE WEDGEWOOD ROOMS, PORTSMOUTH
JUN 28TH ROBIN 2, WOLVERHAMPTON
JUN 29TH CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON
JUN 30TH 02 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE, LONDON

http://www.the-skids.com
https://www.facebook.com/theskidsofficial/

ALBUM & TOUR NEWS: The Bellrays new album due 2nd February, tour March 2018

LSF Staff Writers

16 Dec 2017

The Bell RaysLISA AND BOB — The Bell Rays LISA AND BOB

Punk. Funk. Rock. Soul. The main ingredients in a potent witch’s brew that the Bellrays have been mixing for a long time now. Returning with their first full new album since the release of ‘Black Lightning’ in 2010, ‘Punk Funk Rock Soul Volume 2’ follows the release of ‘Volume One’, the four-track taster EP released in 2017 as an appetiser for the main feast. ‘Volume Two’ arrives February 2nd via Cargo Record UK.

If music is food for the soul, then the Bellrays are thanksgiving and they know how to cook. The Bellrays strip down to the meat of what music means to them. Growing up in SoCal, they thrived on radio channels that broadcast more than once one kind of music. It was a party. ‘Punk Funk Rock Soul’ is their party with their songs and friends.

“We take our ear where our heart lives in simple song writing, making ourselves and hopefully all who hear it feel good,” explains singer Lisa Kekaula. “We are proud of its simplicity and love how the new songs sound like old friends. This release is a collection of songs that illustrates why we do what we do. We are not 20 year olds and that’s okay. We are proud of our mileage and journey and PUNK FUNK ROCK SOUL validates our comfort in what music means to us. Viability, trend and meaning are up to the eye of the beholder…we like to rock.”

With each song, the BellRays play with the formula. The dynamics shift and change from straight ahead rockers like “Bad Reaction” “Junior High” and “Never Let a Woman” to more rock/pop songs like “I Can’t Hide” and “Brand New Day”. “Man Enough” features tornado drumming and Caravanesque guitar solos. How do you make the dark sound light? Listen to “Perfect”, which is heavy while singing about finding that rhythm together. “Now” spreads out with a simple melody and message of being in the moment. “Every Chance I Get” gets to the blues with its plaintive resolution to use time as wisely as possible. “Love and Hard Times” closes the album with an easy, R&B tinged lyric reminiscent of Levon Helm and The Band. Throughout PUNK FUNK ROCK SOUL, The BellRays slide from song to song, changing the dynamics but not the dynamism. In the studio or on stage, the BellRays equals energy. E=BR(P+F+R+S).

Catch the band live at the following dates in March 2018

Thursday March 1st – Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate
Saturday March 3rd – Westgarth Social Club, Middlesbrough
Sunday March 4th – Opium, Edinburgh
Tuesday 6th – Broadcast, Glasgow
Wednesday 7th – The Cluny, Newcastle
Thursday 8th – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Friday 9th – The Soup Kitchen, Manchester
Saturday 10th – Le Pub, Newport
Tuesday 13th – Talkings Heads, Southampton
Wednesday 14th – The Lantern, Bristol
Thursday 15th – The Albert, Brighton
Friday 16th – NAC, Norwich

UPDATED – TOUR NEWS: Luke Jackson & Amy Wadge touring January 17th-February 4th 2018

LSF Staff Writers

14 Dec 2017

Sometimes unlikely performing partnerships just work – and fizz! That is undoubtedly the case with acclaimed young singer songwriter Luke Jackson who will join forces for the fourth time with Cardiff’s Amy Wadge for what promises to be a dazzling double header UK tour in the new year.

Between January 17-February 4, Luke will tour England and Wales with Amy, known for her winning songwriting collaboration with Ed Sheeran. She and Sheeran, having reached No 1 in the official UK chart with Thinking out Loud which went platinum, won the coveted Song of the Year at the 2016 Grammys. The global smash hit was the first song to celebrate a whole year in the Top 40.

Jackson, a widely acclaimed, BBC award-nominated 23 year-old singer songwriter, says: “The tour with Amy is becoming our favourite way to start the year. 2017 started with my third tour with Amy. It was the best yet- we played to large, enthusiastic audiences and had a great time and I think the 2018 tour will be even better”.

Variously likened to Richard Thompson, Jeff Buckley, Martin Simpson – and even Kent’s answer to Rufus Wainwright – Jackson has rapidly made a name for himself on the acoustic roots scene with an outstanding voice, songwriting skills and stage presence that completely belie his years.

In February 2018 Luke will release his first live album ‘Solo Duo Trio’, an excellent state-of-the-art calling card of just where his music is at in all its forms. Recorded in October in the intimate atmosphere of Bramleys Cocktail Bar, Canterbury it features live performances of songs from all his albums to date – a solo set, a duo set with Andy Sharps and a trio finale bringing drummer Connor Downs into the mix.

Joining forces with Amy Wadge presents an exciting start to 2018 – a 13 date tour taking in London (Green Note) and their home towns of Cardiff and Canterbury.

Described by Bob Harris as “an irresistible, riveting performer” Amy is widely regarded as one of the country’s most successful female singer songwriters.

With great vocal range in her emotive songs she has twice won the Best Solo Female Artist title at the Welsh Music Awards, ahead of Charlotte Church in 2002 and Cerys Matthews in 2003. In 2016 she won two awards at the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Awards) – Song of the Year and Top Digital Song.

Luke and Amy will perform separate sets as well as joining forces for certain numbers on this tour which showcases two generations of stand-out songwriters.

LUKE JACKSON & AMY WADGE 2017 TOUR DATES

17th Jan BURY The Met
18th Jan BIRMINGHAM Cheery Reds
CANCELLED 19th Jan SALTAIRE The Live Room @ Caroline Street Social Club
20th Jan GWAENYSGOR, FLINTSHIRE Gwaenysgor Village Hall
21st Jan STOKE ON TRENT A500 music @ Fulford Village Hall
25th Jan FARINGDON Corn Exchange
26th Jan HUTTON RUDBY, N YORKS Village Hall
27th Jan SETTLE Victoria Hall
30th Jan CARDIFF Roots Unearthed @ St David’s Hal
1st Feb LONDON The Green Note
2nd Feb STOGUMBER, SOMERSET Music Club
3rd Feb COOLHAM, W SUSSEX Coolham Live Music Club SOLD OUT
4th Feb CANTERBURY Gulbenkian Theatre

SINGLE, ALBUM & TOUR NEWS: To Kill A King release’My God And Your God’, new album out January 2018, tour January 2018

LSF Staff Writers

14 Dec 2017

‘My God And Your God’ is the new single from To Kill A King, available to stream and download now. “The story of two Gods that can’t love each other and can’t leave each other alone,” according to frontman Ralph Pelleymounter.

‘My God And Your God’ is taken from the five-piece’s new album ‘The Spiritual Dark Age’, which is released on January 12, 2018 on These Are My Bones via AWAL and Republic Of Music. Produced by Gethin Pearson and the band’s keyboard player Ben Jackson, the album contains previous singles ‘The Good Old Days’, ‘The Spiritual Dark Age’, plus recently revealed new track ‘The Unspeakable Crimes Of Peter Popoff’ (listen here https://awal.lnk.to/0VMZt). ‘The Spiritual Dark Age’ is the band’s third album and the follow-up to 2015’s critically acclaimed ‘To Kill A King’.

“The Spiritual Dark Age is the last three years of my life painstakingly distilled into 40 minutes of music,” says Pelleymounter of the album. “It has ballads for my single friends watching everyone else gradually pair off, and deities and fables getting drunk in bars. It has moments of anger and disgust at characters like Peter Popoff and their parasitic feeding of the most vulnerable people. But hopefully, in amongst the chaos and darker tales, it has an underlying message that compassion being such a beautiful and complex thing may just save the day.”

Says guitarist Grant McNeill, “After roughly 2 years in a room with a single window and a bare lightbulb making this record, we can’t wait to get out on the road, if for nothing else but to get some sunlight. That’s why we chose to tour in January.”

TO KILL A KING, HEADLINE TOUR JANUARY 2018

Thu 11 Sheffield Plug
Fri 12 Hull Früit
Sat 13 Manchester Academy 3
Mon 15 Newcastle upon Tyne The Cluny
Tue 16 Leeds Brudenell Social Club
Wed 17 Nottingham Bodega
Fri 19 Glasgow Drygate Brewery (Celtic Connections Festival)
Sat 20 Birmingham Mama Roux’s
Sun 21 Norwich Waterfront Studio
Tue 23 Bristol Thekla
Wed 24 Brighton The Hope and Ruin
Thu 25 Southampton The Joiners
Sat 27 London Islington Assembly Hall

Tickets www.tokillaking.co.uk

TOUR NEWS: Bastille announce Reorchestrated tour for April 2018

LSF Staff Writers

14 Dec 2017

Bastille have announced what promises to be a stunning Reorchestrated tour in April 2018. The tour will see the band performing in intimate venues and concert halls with a string and brass section, and choir showcasing reworkings of the highly acclaimed No. 1 albums “Wild World” and “Bad Blood”. The tour was inspired by the intimate Union Chapel show in May of this year for the Streets of London charity where Bastille’s performance featured all new arrangements of their songs, a powerful departure from their “Wild World” arena shows.

Frontman Dan Smith explains “Earlier this year, we did a special one-off show to raise money for Streets of London, in it we deconstructed and totally rearranged a bunch of our songs using strings, brass, and a gospel choir. It was one of my favourite things we’ve ever been able to do.”

“We are incredibly excited to take that setup on the road for this Reorchestrated tour, which will see us playing some amazing venues and concert halls around the UK and Europe. It makes for a very different kind of Bastille show where we totally reframe and reimagine our songs with the help of some incredible musicians, in a special and intimate setting.”

It’s been a busy month for the band with the release of ‘World Gone Mad’ taken from the Netflix film Bright starring Will Smith and collaborating with Craig David on his new single ‘I Know You’ which is currently sitting in the top five of the UK single charts.

Tickets for the Reorchestrated tour go on sale Friday 15th Dec at http://bastillebastille.com

April 2018
Tues, Apr 10th – Manchester, O2 Apollo
Wed, Apr 11th – Edinburgh, Usher Hall
Fri, Apr 13th – Bristol, Colston Hall
Sat, Apr 14th – Sheffield, City Hall
Mon, Apr 16th – London, Royal Albert Hall

PHOTOREVIEW: Clue Xmas Party Leeds, 9th December

Frank

13 Dec 2017

I attended the Clue Records Xmas Party, here’s some photos from the event.

Primitive Painters

Van Houten

Pepe Sylvia

jellyskin

Still Life

Trash

Forever Cult

VIDEO, TOUR & ALBUM NEWS: Don Broco reveal video for ‘T-Shirt Song’, tour February 2018, new album released February 2018

LSF Staff Writers

11 Dec 2017

Don Broco have revealed the brand new video for their latest single ‘T-Shirt Song’, which was hailed as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World on BBC Radio 1 upon its release last month.

The video captures their explosive sold-out headline show at Alexandra Palace on November 11th, featuring a crowd of 10,000 fans going absolutely crazy for the most exciting and ambitious rock act in Britain today.

Don Broco have just played two nights at the 25,000 capacity SSA Arena in Tokyo supporting Japanese superstars MAN WITH A MISSION and are delighted to announce that MAN WITH A MISSION will be joining them as the main support act on their UK headline tour running through February 2018.

DON BROCO
PLUS MAN WITH A MISSION

FEBRUARY 2018 TOUR DATES
08/02 – Portsmouth, Pyramids*
09/02 – Bristol, O2 Academy
10/02 – Cardiff, Great Hall
12/02 – Norwich, UEA
13/02 – Nottingham, Rock City
15/02 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
16/02 – Manchester, Academy
17/02 – Leeds, O2 Academy*
19/02 – Newcastle, Northumbria Institute
20/02 – Aberdeen, Garage*
21/02 – Glasgow, Barrowlands
Tickets: Donbroco.com/live

*NB – MAN WITH A MISSION will not be appearing at these shows

‘Technology’ out 2nd February. Pre-orders available now.

Don Broco’s third album Technology finds the band filtering their charismatic 80s pop-infected rock, through far-flung genres of metal, funk and electronics.

The result is a record featuring the band’s most inventive, intelligent and infectious songs yet, with tracks inspired by their world tours (‘¥’), fake news (‘Stay Ignorant’, ‘Technology’) and the effects of the Brexit campaign (‘Porkies’, ‘Something To Drink’), while also addressing personal privacy and smart phone surveillance (‘Good Listener’) amongst songs inspired by relationships (‘Play It Cool’, ‘Tight Rope’, ‘Got To Be You’) and their experiences in the music industry (‘Come Out To LA’).

It follows the release of 2015’s Top 10 album Automatic, which propelled the band into mainstream consciousness and led them to sell out Brixton Academy and play arenas across the UK, Europe and Japan with Bring Me The Horizon, 5 Seconds Of Summer and ONE OK ROCK.