As Sirens Fall is a charismatic and talented alt-rock band based in the northern English city of Leeds. Through their exciting, innovative and edgy style of what they call “aggressive pop”, provocative and entertaining videos, and theatrical live performances, including appearances at such festivals as Download, Bingley Music Live and Camden Rocks, they’ve grown quite a large base of die-hard fans over the past six years or so. The band consists of Mikey Lord (vocals), Will Truby (guitar), brothers Adam (guitar) and Jason Doveston (bass), and Bailey Roper (drums).
Beginning with their 2015 debut single “From Across the Waves”, As Sirens Fall have released a steady stream of singles and EPs, including The Hospital Party in 2016 and Where Lost Things Go in 2018. Their fantastically dark 2019 single “We Go Down Together” has been streamed over 108,000 times on Spotify. They dropped their latest single “Puppy Squad” on May 15, then followed with an electrifying video for the song on the 23rd that I love so much, I’ve chosen it as my New Song of the Week.
About “Puppy Squad”, Mikey states: “This song is about realising that I could stand up for who I am. I don’t have to fit in with people who make me feel small or unimportant. I don’t have to be a sidekick. Neither do you. Be you and turn it up loud til the very end. f ‘em up, puppies!” It’s quite honestly one of the most dramatic and exhilarating songs I’ve heard in a while, with in incendiary onslaught of wailing guitars, buzzsaw bass and eardrum-shattering percussion. Man, can these guys rock! Will and Adam shred their guitars nearly to bits, while Bailey smashes his drums like a wild beast, raising our adrenaline.
And speaking of beasts, Mikey’s vocals are downright feral as he screams and shrieks like a man possessed, raising hairs on the back of my neck. He’s sings at such a breakneck speed in spots that it’s hard to understand all the lyrics, but when he snarls “I’m tasting you before I come alive again” like a seductive vampire, it’s hard to not shudder just a little bit. In the song’s quieter moments, he croons in a purr that’s equal parts sexy and menacing when he sings: “And Lily looked at me from across the room and smiled. And I thought, ‘Ah honey, you’ll never understand what these creatures can do.’ And she looked at me deep, with those gorgeous baby blue eyes. And I laughed. And I said ‘Are you feeling alive, cutie pie?‘”
The soaring vocal harmonies in the chorus are really marvelous too. “Puppy Squad” is fantastic, and I love every single thing about it. Have a listen and like Mikey says, turn it up loud!
1. LEVEL OF CONCERN – twenty one pilots (1)
2. CAUTION – The Killers (2)
3. BLACK MADONNA – Cage the Elephant (3)
4. DELETER – Grouplove (5)
5. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (4)
6. BAD DECISIONS – The Strokes (7)
7. YOUR LOVE (DÉJÀ VU) – Glass Animals (8)
8. MARIA – Two Feet (9)
9. BLINDING LIGHTS – The Weeknd (6)
10. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (12)
11. HELL N BACK – Bakar (15)
12. SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT – The Black Keys (10)
13. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (17)
14. OH YEAH! – Green Day (11)
15. LONELINESS FOR LOVE – lovelytheband (18)
16. HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY?// – Kenny Hoopla (19)
17. ME & YOU TOGETHER SONG – The 1975 (14)
18. LET’S FALL IN LOVE FOR THE NIGHT – FINNEAS (13)
19. RUN – Joji (20)
20. HALF YOUR AGE – Joywave (22)
21. LAY YOUR HEAD ON ME – Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford (24)
22. BLACK & WHITE LOVE – Beating Hearts Club (28)
23. OVER AND OVER – Amongst Liars (16)
24. SHANGRI-LA – EOB (27)
25. BE AFRAID – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (29)
26. EXPECTATION – Katie Pruitt (30)
27. HONEYBEE – The Head and the Heart (N)
28. EVERYTHING I WANTED – Billie Eilish (23)
29. LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN – The Rolling Stones (N)
30. PSYCH FILM – Strangely Alright (N)
I recently learned about the talented young British artist Branwell “Bran” Black when he followed me on Instagram. Influenced by some of his favorite artists like Kate Bush, Madonna, Charli XCX, Kerli, Evanescence and Tokio Hotel, the London-based singer-songwriter, producer, dancer and model creates captivating synthpop music. Born in Oxford, England but raised partly in France, both Bran and his older brother Morgan developed a love of music while very young, as their father was an accomplished rock drummer. Being around live music much of his life and seeing fans reacting to his father’s music inspired him to start producing music of his own. During his years in France, Bran started to write and produce music with Morgan, with whom he eventually formed a band called Brothers Black/Posie. Spending part of his youth in France exposed Bran to a different culture and different musical elements as well, and a result he’s also recorded and produced music in French.
Bran has been a busy guy over the past year. In September 2019, he released his debut single “J’attends L’amour”, then quickly followed up with “What You Want”, as well as an EP Posie with his band Brothers Black/Posie. This past February, before everything shut down in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, he performed at a sold out show with his back up band at O2 Academy Islington. And on May 8, he dropped his latest single “Love Life“. Bran told me the uplifting song has a double meaning: “It’s a reflection on my love life, and also a voice to tell me to love life itself.” He wrote the music and lyrics, played piano, sang vocals and produced the track, with Morgan providing added vocals. Matt Willis played guitar, Dan Rosu played drums, and mixing was done by Edwin Harris.
The song has a sunny and sensual retro 80s vibe, with a pulsating EDM beat and vibrant, shimmery synths creating a captivating soundscape. I really like Bran’s tinkling piano keys, as well as Matt’s edgy guitar notes at the end of the track. Bran has a soft, sultry vocal style that’s seductive, yet vulnerable as he plaintively sings of wanting not only another’s love, but also being able to love oneself and the life he has. Morgan’s vocals are also lovely as he sings the refrain ‘love life’.
I wanna be with someone that’ll love me forever Laying staring at the stars never believing in better All around is all I see and all I see is you Love the one you’ve always known is true
If your heart really wants it tell me that you want it
Wake up
Well I don’t need another star-crossed lover’s breakup
So baby, I wanna be with someone that’ll love me forever Telling memories, I want to be the one you can treasure Forever, and ever If your heart really wants it tell me that you want it Wake up Well I don’t need another star-crossed lover’s breakup That’s life That’s what it feels like Love life
I wanna be with someone that’ll love me forever And wherever I’ll be they won’t forget me in December Love life All around is all I see and all I see is me Forever, and ever Love life
In addition to his musical side, Bran has started to incorporate dancing into his performances to bring his music alive through physical expression. What that in mind, he’s now released a stylish new video for “Love Life”. The video was filmed, directed and produced by David Pear, and showcases Bran’s strong charisma, as well as the influence of artists like Madonna and Charlie XCX, exemplified by his and his fellow models and dancers’ voguing.
Never Apart is a female-fronted rock band based in Coventry, England. Rising from the ashes of Operation Guillotine, who disbanded in spring 2019, Never Apart plays a hard-hitting style of rock, showcased by their November 2019 debut single “Damaged”. Comprising the band are Alice (Al) Clarke (lead vocals), Rhys Scott (rhythm guitar), Ben Ollis (lead guitar), Nathan Gummery (bass) and Jake Dalton (drums). Today, May 22, they’re back with their second single “Hold On Hope“, and it’s another banger.
The song storms through the gates with a barrage of gnarly guitars and pummeling drumbeats, then a strong, thumping beat kicks in and we’re off to the races. Ben and Rhys slice through the airwaves with chugging riffs of shredded guitars, while Nathan and Jake deliver a hard-driving rhythm with a deep, buzzing bassline and smashing drums, respectively. Though her singing voice is not terribly deep or powerful, Al does nevertheless have a commanding vocal style that’s well-suited to the band’s heavy sound. She nicely holds her own as her vocals rise and fall to match the intensity of the music, without ever being overpowered. As the song progresses, the music and her vocals build to a dramatic crescendo in the final chorus, then fades out with an extended reverb.
The lyrics seem to be about a woman struggling to free herself from an abusive situation or relationship.
Do you ever close your eyes and try to hide the pain inside your mind? Do you ever long to be so far from this Your life, it’s hard to hide what’s inside? You’re the only girl in the lonely world Fighting to be heard tonight, tonight
Do you ever fake your smile and dry your eyes because it’s all you know? (Don’t know where to go) You fell so hard, you fell so fast, your heart shattered like glass In time it’ll pass You’re the only girl in the lonely world Fighting to be heard tonight, tonight
They beat you up, tired to the bone Fight so hard to be so strong Hold on hope, you’re not alone Hold on hope, you’re not alone
Chanty Très-Vain is a creative, hard-working and super-talented young English singer-songwriter and guitarist now living in Berlin, Germany. Her pleasing, accessible style of music draws upon an eclectic mix of folk, Country, alternative rock and art pop, and her honest, poetic lyrics express sentiments and situations we can all relate to. She released her debut EP Daffodils in 2016, which was produced by her brother Minky Très-Vain, front man of the London scratch rock band Brain Ape (who I’ve featured numerous times on this blog). In 2018, Chanty began releasing a series of singles, starting with “Home” and following up with three more – “Miss My Friend”, “Cup of Tea” and “From Hello”.
On May 8th, she dropped her wonderful debut album Autrefois via her brother Minky’s label Scratch Rock Records. The album was once again produced by Minky, who also played some of the instruments on many tracks, and the drums and percussion were performed by The Siberian Alien (who was drummer for Brain Ape from 2013-15). The album features the four previously-released singles noted above, along with seven new tracks, all exploring such themes as platonic and romantic relationships, cultural identity, heartbreak, and mental health. Chanty states that the album was inspired in part by “times gone by” and her own past: “Each song on ‘Autrefois’ is a moment that changed me in some way. To have these mementos is very important to me, and I’m so glad to have them to remind me of the lessons. They also remind me of the good moments that might otherwise have got lost among the bad.” Autrefois is a French word meaning “once upon a time”.
The first track “Shine” has a rather quirky intro consisting of clicks and what sounds like a kitten or some other baby animal cooing, accompanied by a muffled lo-fi recording of Chanty singing and playing acoustic guitar. After 55 seconds, the song bursts open with fuzzy electric guitars, thumping drumbeats and her clear, fervent vocals singing of a relationship that has survived its ups and downs to become stronger than ever: “Don’t give up, carry on, feel the beauty in the air. Hold my hand, keep me close and I know that I’ll be fine. I know we’ll survive. Cause you and I are stronger than before. You and I shine.”
The moving song “Undone” is a fine example of Chanty’s excellent songwriting and vocal abilities. Over a haunting melody, she’s layered a mix of acoustic and electric guitars, including delicate chiming guitar notes that give the track an enchanting feel during its quieter moments. Her vocals are lovely, going from tender croons to impassioned pleas as she sings to someone struggling with mental health issues: “I know I’m one to talk, I’ve been there, I’m still there… but please, stop blaming the weather. Stop blaming the alcohol. Cause I know you better and your smile is coming undone.”
The delightful “Cup of Tea” speaks to cherishing the little things, both good and bad, about a loved one and feeling really in tune with who they are: “The day you don’t want your morning cup of tea is the day I’ll start to worry. The day you decide to stay inside is the day I’ll drag you out. The little things that annoy me about you, make up who you are. And given the choice, I would not change a thing, flawed as we are.” The song features sweetly-strummed guitars, delicate keyboards and gentle percussion that make for a pleasing listen. Chanty’s produced videos for several of her songs, and one of my favorites is the one for “Cup of Tea”. She designed and created the figures and wonderful dollhouse set for the charming stop motion video:
And here’s a cute behind the scenes video showing her painstaking creative process:
“Home” is a poignant song that strongly resonates with me for a couple of reasons. First, I too have lived in several cities I felt close connections with, yet still felt restless while living in each of them. Secondly, I believe that only through people and nations working together in cooperation can we have lasting peace and make progress toward solving some of the major problems facing humanity and the world. I personally mourned both the election of Donald Trump and Britain’s vote to leave the European Union. OK, enough of my soapbox.
About her inspiration for the song, in an interview with Music Interview Magazine, Chanty explained: “I am a ‘third culture kid’. I grew up in a culture that is different from my family’s culture. I feel loyalty to both while finding it difficult to answer the question, ‘Where are you from?’ I went through a bit of an identity crisis a few years ago, but found comfort in the fact that no matter what happened, I was still connected to both of them through the European Union. However, in June of 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the union. This inspired ‘Home,’ because the only safety net I had in terms of belonging and the one thing I found comfort in, would soon be gone. The song is me trying to figure out where my loyalties lie, where I should live and where to call home.” She beautifully articulates these sentiments in her lyrics: “Torn between my family tree and where to find my friends / It’s a country I come back to time and time again / It’s divided, yet united, it’s more than I can say for a place called ‘United’ that tears itself away / Should I go back to the country I never called home? / Go back to the heart of where I feel like I belong?”
The video for the song opens with scenes of Chanty feeling restless in her apartment, then transitions to frenetic scenes of six cities she has either lived in or felt a deep connection with: London, Brussels, Brighton, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Berlin.
The bittersweet “Miss my Friend” is one of loveliest tracks on the album, and also one of my favorites. Another deeply personal song for her, Chanty said it describes a very specific evening when she was stuck in a spiral of sadness, anguish, and loneliness. She was missing someone dear to her, but unable to tell them at the time, so wrote a song to express her feelings. The song has a gentle, languid melody with strummed guitars and restrained drumbeats, forming a somber backdrop for her emotionally-charged vocals that reveal a deep sense of sadness, even breaking at times as she sings “I’d like to think you’re alright now. That you’re healing fine. But there’s one last thing I want you to know. I never wanted to be the source of all that pain. But I tried to do what was right when both of my hands were tied. I hope that you will see that someday, and I just want you to be OK. But I miss my friend sometimes.”
Chanty dials things up a notch on “From Hello“, which has more of a rock feel thanks to a harder-driving beat, more electric guitars, and heavier bass and drums. The faster tempo and her impassioned vocals convey the pain and heartache of realizing a relationship that started out with such promise is now in tatters: “Oh how easy is was to just dive head first. Oh how easy it was to fall for you. Then we woke up and realized that life’s greatest gift is battle lines. To hurry to survive being torn apart, and with one just blow everything fell to dust. Now we see the end of us. We’re drowning at the deep end.”
“Promise” is a tender ballad about making a commitment to another to stay with them no matter what, while “Cambre” is a languid, bittersweet song with lyrics reminiscing about happier times. Both songs consist only of Chanty’s lovely strummed guitar and plaintive vocals, though “Cambre” features what sounds like a mellotron later in the track.
It’s back to a harder-edge vibe on “Silence” and “To Goodbye“, both musically and lyrically. Both tracks feature Minky’s gnarly guitar riffs and The Siberian Alien’s frenetic drumbeats, and both speak to problems with commitment and communication that sadly doom far too many relationships. On “Silence”, Chanty laments “You say you never wanna hurt me. But then you just disappear. All those words that you said to me, about how we can make it work. Were those lies, or were you sincere?” “To Goodbye” sees her at the end of her rope, and giving her lover the heave-ho: “I won’t wait around for you to decide when you want to stay and when you want to hide. I won’t stand by and watch you create walls to my heart and tears on my face. I deserve more than the silence you gave. You walked all over the trust that we made. I won’t stick around for you anymore. So take this goodbye. I’ll show you the door.”
Album closer “With You” is an unusual track, with a harsh and reverby lo-fi quality that gives it an unfinished demo feel. Chanty’s echoed vocals sound quite different, and are accompanied by strummed guitar and what sounds like a sharply-plucked string instrument, probably another guitar. I don’t understand why she and Minky chose to record the track in this manner, unless they intended the sound to go full-circle to the album’s beginnings, or simply wanted a more unorthodox sound. Whatever the reason, it pains me to say that I don’t care for it. Otherwise, the rest of Autrefois is outstanding, and a beautifully-crafted album. Chanty Très-Vain is an extremely talented and imaginative musician, lyricist and vocalist, and listening to her songs is a real pleasure.
As I noted when I first featured them on this blog back in March 2019, it takes some balls for a band to not only call itself ‘TREMENDOUS‘, but also use all caps in their name. Fortunately, the Birmingham, England-based trio deliver the goods with their colorful and exuberant style of Glam Rock that’s heavily influenced by such legendary artists as T.Rex, David Bowie, Journey, Slade, Def Leppard, Mott The Hoople, Cheap Trick, New York Dolls, The Babys, Heart, and Aerosmith. As my guest blogger David Thurling so beautifully articulated: “The swagger and confidence of this band is infectious. They have all the down and dirty of Jagger and Richards at their best, the showmanship and vocal power of Steve Tyler and a sense of fun not often seen amongst young and emerging bands.”
TREMENDOUS are Mark Dudzinski (Guitar/Vocals), Ryan Jee (Bass) and David Lee (Drums). In early 2018, they released their first single “Like Dreamers Do”, and over the next 22 months, followed with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Satellite”, “Don’t Leave Our Love (Open For Closing)” and “Copycat Killer”, the last two of which I’ve previously featured on this blog. (You can read those reviews under the “Related” links at the bottom of this post.) Now they’ve dropped their debut album Relentless, released via the Horrendous Records label on May 15th. The album contains those four singles, along with six new tracks, all of them dealing with the perilous minefield of love and relationships.
Kicking off the album is “Don’t Leave Our Love (Open For Closing)“, a wonderful track that makes for a great introduction to TREMENDOUS. I’ve already written about it pretty extensively, but I’ll just restate that it’s a melodically beautiful and hard-hitting song with terrific guitars, driving bass and aggressive percussion. Mark’s emotive and colorful vocals register in the higher octaves, occasionally venturing into a soaring falsetto that raises the adrenaline. About the lyrics, Mark stated “Its just an age old tale of heartbreak but with a bit of tragedy (as shown in the video). A relationship gone toxic.” He explained that the seemingly contradictory lyrics “don’t leave our love (open for closing)” are actually a plea to not leave things in such a way that the relationship is open to ending. The song’s video is beautifully filmed and entertaining, but also pretty dark, and ends on a rather violent note.
One of my favorite tracks is their first single “Like Dreamers Do“, a lovely romantic ballad that shows the band’s softer side. The chiming guitars and warm piano keys are highlights for me, and Mark’s wailing guitar solo in the bridge is superb, as are his impassioned, heartfelt vocals as he croons “We dream of a million things me and you / as we stare outside and dream like dreamers do.” The rather quirky video produced for the song is really sweet.
The guys get down to their glam rock roots with the rousing tune “Rock’n’Roll Satellite“, delivering a fusillade of fuzz-coated riffs, throbbing bass and lively drumbeats. Mark sings to someone who appears to be his muse, inspiring him in his quest to be a rock star: “You’re my rock’n’roll satellite / light up my tunes and I’m living on your rock, rocket to the moon / You glitter my bones, you glamour my shoes.” On the intense and bluesy “Bag of Nails“, his vocals start off sounding a bit like Alex Turner, but soon return to their usual form as he sings to a woman who treats him like shit: “And I wake up puking over you / And your heart it beats me black and blue / Dreams that I’m chasing my tail / But I’m waking up as your bag of nails.” His guitar work is fantastic, with Ryan and David laying down flawless bass and drum rhythms, respectively.
Another favorite is “Daniela“, with it’s frantic melody and gnarly, hard-driving riffs. It’s exhilarating balls to the wall rock’n’roll at its finest. “Take a Good Look at My Good” is a slower anthemic ballad with lyrics asking a loved one to show some compassion and mercy: “Letting go of my pride to hold on to your tide.” I like the languid beat, and Mark’s fuzz-coated jangly riffs are great.
The guys ramp up the rock’n’roll vibes in a big way with “Heart Sinker“. Mark furiously shreds his guitar as he emphatically wails “You give love heart disease. You’re just another heart sinker. But you make my heart a little bit pinker.” They keep the hard-hitting rock’n’roll grooves coming on strong with “Fightin’ to Lose“, a frenetic little tune with a lo-fi garage rock vibe, thanks to a grimy mix of surf and distorted guitars and fuzzy drums. “Hell is Only a Blessing Away” has a varying melody that goes from relative calm to frenzied and back again. The guys deliver more of their signature gnarly riffs and driving rhythms that keep the adrenaline flowing.
The album closes on a high note with the frenetic “Copycat Killer“, a raucous, guitar-driven orgy of glam rock goodness. The song opens with the main chorus refrain “I go outta of my head, I go outta of my mind. Now she’s in for the kill and claws out for mine”, tongue-in-cheek clues to a pending doomed relationship. The music then shifts up through the gears of ascending power chords before settling into the verses with chugging riffs, buzzing bass and smashing drumbeats. Mark fervently exclaims “She’s a Copycat Killer, Copycat Killer / Headlines cry over this milk spiller / She’s a Copycat Killer, Copycat Killer / With nine lives she’s the new shock thriller.” It’s rather interesting how the song ends very abruptly.
Relentless is a pretty apt title for this record, as it’s chock-full of non-stop glam rock goodness from start to finish. The three guys who make up TREMENDOUS are all skilled musicians, adept at delivering exceptional rock’n’roll that never lets up during the album’s 28-minute run time. Furthermore, band frontman Mark Dudzinski is a fine singer, with a powerful, wide-ranging vocal style that’s perfectly suited to their exuberant sound.
1. LEVEL OF CONCERN – twenty one pilots (2) 2. CAUTION – The Killers (1) 3. BLACK MADONNA – Cage the Elephant (4) 4. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (5) 5. DELETER – Grouplove (6) 6. BLINDING LIGHTS – The Weeknd (3) 7. BAD DECISIONS – The Strokes (9) 8. YOUR LOVE (DÉJÀ VU) – Glass Animals (10) 9. MARIA – Two Feet (12) 10. SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT – The Black Keys (7) 11. OH YEAH! – Green Day (8) 12. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (16) 13. LET’S FALL IN LOVE FOR THE NIGHT – FINNEAS (13) 14. ME & YOU TOGETHER SONG – The 1975 (14) 15. HELL N BACK – Bakar (21) 16. OVER AND OVER – Amongst Liars (11) 17. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (20) 18. LONELINESS FOR LOVE – lovelytheband (22) 19. HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY?// – Kenny Hoopla (24) 20. RUN – Joji (23) 21. USED TO LIKE – Neon Trees (15) 22nd week on list 22. HALF YOUR AGE – Joywave (25) 23. EVERYTHING I WANTED – Billie Eilish (17) 24. LAY YOUR HEAD ON ME – Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford (27) 25. ADORE YOU – Harry Styles (18) 26. DON’T START NOW – Dua Lipa (19) 27. SHANGRI-LA – EOB (29) 28. BLACK & WHITE LOVE – Beating Hearts Club (30) 29. BE AFRAID – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (N) 30. EXPECTATIONS – Katie Pruitt (N)
Silence the Crow is a female-fronted groove metal band based in Houston, Texas, with a sound that’s been described “as if Marilyn Manson and Evanescence had a one-night stand in Amsterdam”. I can’t find much information on them, other than that the front woman is Jordan Crowe. They released their debut single “Crucify” last September (2019), a feral blast of metal mayhem calling out another’s betrayal and their duplicitous actions. On May 1st, they dropped their second single “State of Mind“, released via Silent Nightmare Records. The song was written by Crowe and Don Rollins, arranged by Artem Efimo, who tracked and edited it at Red Ghost Studios, and was mixed and mastered by Kane Churko (Papa Roach, Five Finger Death Punch, Ozzy Osbourne, Skillet).
“State of Mind” seems to continue on the theme established on “Crucify”, with Silence the Crow now deeply wanting to exact revenge for all the hurt and pain she’s suffered. Her sadness and hurt have now turned to anger and hate, expressed by the lyrics “I’m dancing with the demon you woke inside of me / too late for your compassion / my companions come from hell“. She’s now left with thoughts of “murder in my state of mind.”
The song is quite melodic, with outstanding and intricate guitar work that ebbs and flows between hauntingly beautiful notes during the few moments of relative calm, and an explosive barrage of chugging riffs and screaming distortion for most of the hard-hitting track. The interplay between the jack-hammer metal guitars and pummeling drums is fantastic, and the wailing guitar solo in the bridge is absolute fire.
But the real highlight of the song are Crowe’s incredible vocals. Not very many women can successfully carry off singing metalcore, but Crowe does it better than most I’ve heard. Her vocals start off as a low, sultry croon that nicely convey a sense of vulnerability and deep sadness, then erupt into fearsome metalcore screams that fully express the raw fury of the searing lyrics, chilling us to the core.
Take your hands off me I’m beyond your touch all you are to me is the smell of blood I’m dancing with the demon you woke inside of me too late for your compassion my companions come from hell
Love is so good, so good carved into my skin with stone from my heart but I’m falling from grace and I am poison, but I don’t care I wonder why you’re standing there there’s murder in my state of mind
Don’t you wish you had seen the pain in me isolation made everything you see your empathy is empty your tears lost in my rain rage is my last emotion broken hope just feeds the flames
Love is so good, so good carved into my skin with stone from my heart but I’m falling from grace and I am poison, but I don’t care I wonder why you’re standing there there’s murder in my state of mind
Take your hands off me fuck you and what you need voices are whispering they want to see you bleed
Silence the Crow released a darkly beautiful video for the song on May 15th. It was filmed and directed by Charlie G. at Cold Creek Studio.
Young Decades are a new English rock band based in Manchester who released their beautiful debut single “Islands” on April 24th. Before I get into discussing the song I’ll provide a bit of background on the band members, who’ve had a bit of a journey to get to where they are today. Prior to forming as Young Decades earlier this year, three of the four current band members were part of Liverpool-based band COLOUR, which itself was formed early in the 2010s from the ashes of two previous acts – Liverpool band The Changes, and Manchester band Red Light Motion. As COLOUR, they released a number of terrific singles and EPs, including “Strangers”, “Kafé” and “The Famous Boy Making Things”, winning a BBC award and national radio play along the way.
With their sound moving in new directions in early 2020, the band in short order lost two girlfriends and their drummer, and decided to relocate to Manchester. With a COVID-19 lockdown looming, they rushed to hold auditions for a new drummer, posting ads everywhere they could around Manchester. After only 20 minutes into their first audition with one of Northwest England’s best percussionists in the form of YouTube drummer, Luke Bolger, the decision was made to bring him into the fold. The four immediately reformed as Young Decades, in reference to the first two decades of the century from which the band was formed. The official lineup now consists of James Tidd (vocals), Scott Harvey (guitar, keyboards), Liam Downey (Bass) and Luke Bolger (drums).
Young Decades’ music is a glorious mash-up of rock, synth pop and EDM elements, and “Islands” is the very embodiment of their lush, dreamy sound. The gorgeous song was co-produced by the band and Tom Longworth, and mastered by renowned mastering engineer Pete Maher (U2, The Killers, Nick Cave, The Pixies). The song has a sweeping, synth-driven melody reminiscent of some of The Killers songs that I love. The galloping riffs and thumping drumbeats beautifully evoke the urgency expressed in the lyrics about two people struggling to save themselves by running away to find a place they can be free. I love the richly colorful synths throughout the track, and one of the song’s highlights for me are Scott’s hauntingly beautiful piano keys.
James has a wonderful, emotive singing voice, and his vocals sound amazing as his earnest croons in the verses soar to passionate heights in the chorus, accompanied by stirring harmonies that bring goosebumps. “Islands” is a stunning record, and a spectacular debut for this talented band of musicians.
I’m On The Run, I’m Hanging On Just Hold Your Breath, And Grab My Open Hand A Hurricane, An Aching Pain Is Closing Down, Shutters On Everything Oh My Love Is, Ever Burning Build It High, As the Seasons Turn In [Oh My Love] Oh My Love, [Time Is Up] Time Is Come [Oh My Love] To Build Something From the Sea Build An Island, Where We Can Be I Need The Dry Land, Just You And Me
Can We Build That High, Can You Say You’ll Try Don’t Just Sit And Stare, I Can Almost Feel It The Cooking Sand, Falling Through My Hand Like The Time We Waste, Being On A Different Page Oh My Love Is, Ever Burning Build It High, As the Seasons Turn In [Oh My Love] Oh My Love, [Time Is Up] Time Is Come [Oh My Love] To Build Something, From the Sea
Build An Island, Where We Can Be I Need The Dry Land, Just to be… All Ours, It’ll Be All Ours, It’ll Be All Ours, It’ll Be All Ours, It’ll Be All Ours, It’ll Be All Ours, It’ll Be Build An Island, Where We Can Be I Need The Dry Land, Just to be…
On May 2nd, Young Decades released a special EP Islands Audio Negatives, featuring five alternate versions of the song, including acoustic, instrumental and slowed-down versions the band is calling “audio negatives”. They’re all really beautiful, so do check them out:
“Born from a love of inane junk culture and modern art. Here to disorientate, but also to captivate.” So say Welsh new wave/electro/art-punk band Head Noise about themselves and their deliriously fun retro-80s music that sounds like a crazy mash-up of Devo, Erasure and The B-52s. Formed in 2016 and based in Aberdare and Mountain Ash in southern Wales, Head Noise consists of Mitchell Tennant (Keytar/Vocals), Wayne Bassett (Guitar/Synth) and Jordan Brill (Guitar/Synth). The band started out as a duo act with Mitch and Wayne performing an original set of songs at an art exhibition, which according to their bio was described by an attendee as “David Lynch meets the Pet Shop Boys”. Jordan joined the band in 2017 as a second guitarist and synth player, giving their music a fuller sound.
In October 2017 they released their debut EP Special Effects Improves The Defects, which includes some hilariously-titled songs like “The Meat People” and “The Man With the Rubber Head”. That was followed in August 2018 with the Microwave EP which, along with their humorous and entertaining live performances, catapulted them to notoriety (or infamy, depending on who you ask), throughout South Wales and Southwest England. They’ve also had the good fortune to open for bands like Wolf Alice, Public Service Broadcasting and Electric 6. This past November (2019), they dropped their debut album Über-Fantastique, an ambitious and marvelously trippy work featuring 14 tracks. The album release was accompanied by a limited run of CDs which quickly sold out.
Head Noise has just released one of the album tracks “200,000 Gallons of Oil” as a single, along with a wacky video that nicely showcases their zany, playful nature. (Be sure to check out their other imaginative and quirky videos on YouTube.) The song is catchy as hell, with a thumping synth bass-driven beat that immediately sets our toes tapping and head bopping. The guys layer a cool assortment of spacey, psychedelic synths to create a trippy vibe, then add crisp percussion and subtle, funky guitar notes to fill out the sound. I like how they top things off with some well-placed cowbell near the end for good measure.
The lyrics are rather silly and make no real sense to me, unless they’re singing about an unfortunate oil spill. But whatever their meaning, they’re perfectly suited to the lively music and band’s quirky persona. Mitch has a great singing voice, and delivers the lyrics with a cheeky sense of urgency: “200,000 gallons of oil. Fill up the bath, you grotesque gargoyle. 200,000 gallons of oil. There is a potential cause for concern. Sit by the side of the road and get wet. Cut off the area with hazard tape. I’m just not ready to deal with it yet.”
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 