Tag: Wales

CAITLIN LAVAGNA – Single Review: “Gold”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews13 Comments

It’s always a happy day when my favorite Welsh songstress Caitlin Lavagna returns with a new song to grace our eardrums, and today I’m pleased to share her electrifying new single “Gold“. Her fifth in an unbroken streak of outstanding singles that began in 2021 with her wonderful debut “How Not To Start A Fight”, “Gold” speaks to, in her own words, “Changing the narrative, owning your feelings, being brutal and upfront, not taking yourself seriously and not catching feelings.”

I adore Caitlin’s vibrant and sophisticated vocal style and honest, relatable lyrics drawn from personal experiences and heartache, and have liked every one of her songs. In addition to “How Not To Start A Fight”, I’ve also reviewed “Night Bus” and “We Lost Track” (You can read those reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) Both “How Not To Start A Fight” and “Night Bus” appeared on my personal Top 30 chart, the latter spending 20 weeks and peaking at #2, and also finishing at #28 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.

Photo by Akta Photography

Born and raised in the picturesque Rhondda Valley of South Wales with familial roots in Gibraltar, the multi-talented and lovely singer-songwriter, musician and actress has had a life-long love for music and the arts, with a special passion for percussion and drums, as well as singing and dancing. Her music and vocal styles are heavily influenced by some of her favorite artists like Sting, Biffy Clyro, Stevie Nicks, Florence Welch, P!nk and Adele. 

In addition to writing and recording music, Caitlin is also an accomplished actress who’s performed in numerous stage musicals. Over the past year, she’s performed in the Rock and Roll Panto at Theatr Clwyd in North Wales, was invited to sing on Radio Gibraltar, and nominated for Best Female Artist at the Radio Wigwam Awards in London. She also performed in Turning The Wheel, a new musical by Kieran Bailey, and will be starring in the UK tour of Operation Julie, a prog rock psychedelic musical set in the 1970s and based on the biggest LSD drug raid in British history.

“Gold” was co-written by Caitlin and Otto Aday, and produced by Joe Rodwell. Though she often plays drums on her songs, for “Gold” they were played by Harry Ariyoshi-Pope. Caitlin recently shared her thoughts behind the song on Instagram: “This is my fifth single I have released as a solo artist. I wanted it to represent changing the narrative from being heartbroken to making a decision not to catch feelings in the first place. It’s sassy, quirky, fun and powerful. Beneath that though, it’s about being confident in making decisions for yourself and being honest about them. I added some Spanish into this track to honour my Gibraltarian roots. The phrase means ‘Life is simple, don’t complicate it’ and I think that’s a message I am taking into my life and therefore songwriting. I’m extremely proud and excited by this track and hope listeners can bop along and look forward to the many other tracks I have planned for release this year.“

While the song could be generally classified as pop, the brilliant arrangement features exuberant funk, jazz and trip-hop elements that make for a thrilling listen. I really love those wobbly, funked-up guitar notes and Ariyoshi-Pope’s spirited drumming. With her winning combination of colorful theatricality and powerhouse vocals, Caitlin lets loose with a bold and brassy delivery that occupies a sweet spot between sultry and playful, exuding a strong sense of unrestrained confidence as she sings “Gold that tastes like silver on my tongue. When all is said and done, this is only fun.” “Gold” ends with a self-satisfied laugh from Caitlin, leaving us utterly satisfied and more.

Follow Caitlin:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

Find her music on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Soundcloud

DAVID OAKES – Album Review: “Prosthetic Soul”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

Hailing from the southwest coast of Wales, David Oakes is an imaginative and prolific musician and composer of electronic alternative rock music. Strongly influenced by his love of such acts as Dream Theater, Mastodon, Metallica, Therapy?, Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins, his musical output ranges from gentle synth-driven compositions to aggressive guitar-driven hard rock, though his last several works have trended toward the latter. I really like his music and have featured him on this blog many times over the past eight years (you can read some of those reviews by clicking on the links under “Related” at the end of this post).

David’s been actively involved in making music since his late teens, when he started playing in various bands. From 2001-06, he and his younger brother were members of the rock band KOTOW, for which he played drums. He went on to study guitar and music theory at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, England from 2009-12, after which he began composing music as a solo artist, all of which he records and produces himself in his little home studio setup. This drum kit is his pride and joy!

He released his first album The Juggernaut in 2014, and in the years since, has recorded and released an astonishing eleven more albums, the latest of which is Prosthetic Soul, which he released on Bandcamp on February 16th. His first new album in two years, Prosthetic Soul serves up 28 minutes of superb psychedelia-tinged melodic instrumental rock, featuring many of David’s signature electronic and guitar-heavy elements we’ve come to love and expect. But here he’s pushed himself even further, experimenting with new sounds and instrumental techniques, along with what seems to be an even greater emphasis on industrial elements employed by bands like Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, Dream Theater and Depeche Mode.

Album opener “Minus One” starts off with distant sounds of super-gnarly guitars, which are soon joined by a mix of spooky industrial synths, heavy, razor-sharp percussion and jagged guitar notes layered over an ominous droning synth bass groove. The track immediately segues into “Super Zero”, and we’re off to the races. Though only 1:49 minutes long, the track packs a powerful punch, beginning as a mysterious soundscape of wobbly synths, then exploding into a furious maelstrom of raging grungy guitars and crushing drumbeats.

“The Future Has Begun” is a bit of a musical tour de force, beginning gently with eerie pulsating synths accompanied by a somber piano movement. Forty seconds in, the music abruptly transitions to a rapid barrage of raging guitars and thunderous percussion before calming back down at roughly two and a half minutes to a lovely introspective interlude. Seeming to end at around three minutes, those raging guitars suddenly come roaring back for the next 30 seconds before fading out.

With it’s glitchy sci-fi vibe, infused with both Western and Middle Eastern touches soaked in reverb, the appropriately titled “Dust” would be a perfect fit on the soundtrack for an installment of the Dune film franchise. And David’s skills on guitar and drums are on full display on the marvelous title track “Prosthetic Soul”, as he unleashes a furious onslaught of blistering riffs while beating the hell out of his drum kit. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album.

“The Dissociation Suite Parts I and II” are a rather intense but melodic couplet, with lots of great keyboards that work quite well with the twangy and grungy guitars that build to a wailing solo toward the end. Living up to its title, “The Reality Bomb” is a glorious little blast of atomic energy, with swirling distorted guitars layered over a grinding bassline, fortified with smashing drumbeats. Halfway into the song, the music calms down to a darkly beautiful interlude of haunting synths, harsh percussion and bewitching stummed guitar notes before exploding into a brief raging torrent in the finale.

“Dirt…” seems to pick back up where “Dust” left off, with more of those mysterious and glitchy sci-fi vibes, only this time accompanied by some really marvelous twangy guitars. The final track is the original version of “The Dissociation Suite Part II”, which David has designated a Bonus Track. To my untrained ear, it sounds fairly similar to the final version, except with a longer lead-in and not quite as many synth flourishes.

Prosthetic Soul is another stellar album by David that ranks among his finest works. It nicely showcases his continued growth as both a composer and musician.

Follow David on Instagram 

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

CAITLIN LAVAGNA – Single Review: “We Lost Track”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

My favorite Welsh songstress Caitlin Lavagna is back with a marvelous new single “We Lost Track“, and I couldn’t be happier! I adore her powerful, vibrant vocal style and honest, relatable lyrics drawn from personal struggles and heartache. Released today, “We Lost Track” is her third single, following last year’s “Night Bus” – a fantastic song that spent 20 weeks on my Top 30, peaking at #2 – and her 2021 debut single “How Not To Start A Fight”, which also spent several weeks on my Top 30. (You can read my reviews of both songs by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) 

Born and raised in the picturesque South Wales Rhondda Valley, with strong Gibraltarian roots, the multi-talented and lovely singer-songwriter, musician and actress has had a life-long love for music and the arts, with a special passion for percussion and drums, as well as singing and dancing. Her music and vocal styles are heavily influenced by some of her favorite artists like Sting, Biffy Clyro, Stevie Nicks, Florence Welch, P!nk and Adele. In addition to writing and recording music as a solo artist, Caitlin has also performed in numerous stage musicals, and while in college, was part of the indie folk duo Only The Reign, who released two self-recorded albums.

About her latest single, Caitlin explains: “This is my first ballad and I’m so proud of it. I wanted the song to represent losing something “perfect”. It’s a reflective song about how I gave too much of myself to someone, not realising I was worth more than how I was treated. It’s about friendship, love and pain. I hope people connect to the song whilst enjoying its subtle but rhythmic shifts and euphoric string arrangements. I have challenged myself and I think the track is beautiful. I am so excited to see the work of myself and my friends (some of whom I met touring the UK with ‘Fisherman’s Friends the Musical’) come to life. They’re incredible musicians and close friends who have absolutely nailed it.”

For the recording of “We Lost Track”, Caitlin sang vocals and played drums, Hannah Cumming and Hazel Simmons played strings, Charlotte Ware played saxophone, Joseph Rodwell, who also produced and mixed the track, played keyboards, and Georgina White and Jennifer Glatzhofer sang backing vocals. The track was recorded at New Cut Studios in Bristol, and mastered by Nick at Old Cottage Audio.

It’s a beautiful, flawlessly-crafted song, with colorful piano keys and melancholy strings, accompanied by gentle bass and Caitlin’s restrained drums and percussion, all of which rise to a dramatic crescendo in the choruses. I particularly love the enchanting rhythmic downshift in the bridge when she sings “I didn’t want to believe it’s true. Now there’s no one left To say ‘I love you’ to“. But the real highlight for me are Caitlin’s heart-wrenching vocals that elicit chills when she passionately wails with raw, heart-wrenching emotion “Ooo – Ooo – Ooo I want you back Ooo – Ooo – Ooo It makes me look bad Ooo – Ooo – Ooo We lost track Ooo – Ooo – Ooo Don’t look at me like that“. 

Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
I want you back 
Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
It makes me look bad 
Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
We lost track 
Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
Don’t look at me like that 

I bought you those bed sheets 
I bought you that light 
I laid next to you almost every night 
I wore what you wanted 
I gave you my time 
You were so cruel at the end of the line
You were so cruel I thought you’d be kind 

I told you’re perfect 
I told you you’re cool 
You even let me redecorate your room 
You wrote songs with lyrics that made you look smart 
You weren’t that clever when it came to my heart 
You weren’t that clever when it came to my heart 

Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
I want you back 
Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
It makes me look bad 
Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
We lost track 
Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
Don’t look at me like that 

Gave you a piece of me 
I regret that
Gave so much more to you 
Than I got back
Told you secrets through panic attacks
My friends told me I could do better than you 
I didn’t want to believe it’s true 
Now there’s no one left 
To say ‘I love you’ to

Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
I want you back 
Ooo - Ooo - Ooo
We lost track 

I bought you that jumper
You gave it away 
Had tears in my eyes 
When you laughed in my face 
You changed your number 
So I changed my tone 
Thank you for nothing 
I’m fine on my own.

Here’s the song on Spotify:

Connect with Caitlin:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find her music on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube

JONNY ASH – Single Review: “Call The Hive”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

Hailing from the North Wales city of Wrexham are Jonny Ash, an energetic and talented four-piece who make an expansive, hard-driving and melodic style of indie rock. Comprised of brothers Callum (lead vocals, guitar) and Dan Gaughran (bass), Peter Roberts (lead guitar) and recent addition Lewis on drums, their dynamic sound is strongly influenced by some of their favorite acts like The Stone Roses, Thin Lizzy, Oasis, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. In fact, Callum’s vocals are reminiscent of Liam Gallagher’s at times.

Formed in 2021, they’ve released several outstanding singles, one of which, “Disco” (a song sounding nothing like typical disco, but with the same BPM as disco music) I reviewed in February 2022, as well as a fantastic EP Did You Get Involved? this past January. Now they’re back with their latest single “Call The Hive“, released today via Bryn Rock Records.

The song opens with a gnarly jagged riff accompanied by a throbbing bass groove, which is soon joined by sharp percussion and emphatic drumbeats as Callum coolly croons the lyrics filled with bee references: “I’ve been seeing too much out there lately. All the swarms they are gathering daily. Have I been stung by you only vaguely. Call the hive.” The music explodes in the choruses with a barrage of terrific bluesy guitars, heavy bass and tumultuous drums, Callum’s vocals growing more impassioned as he wails “Why did the bee never tell the fly, the honey tastes better than the shit outside?” It’s a brazen, deeply satisfying banger of a tune, and I can’t get enough of it!

As for the song’s meaning, Callum told me “It’s kind of open to interpretation, as there’s no particular thing it’s meant to be about“. That said, he liked my take, which is that it seems to be about a woman who plays games to get what she wants. The singer basically tells her to stop using him, and to instead ‘call the hive’ to try and get what she needs: “She screams there’s no buzz, there’s no nectar. But she needs it just to resurrect her. Sweet just like the shot of honey bees in the summer. Call the hive. So am I the bee or am I the keeper?/

Listen for yourself and come up with your own interpretation.

Connect with Jonny Ash:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

COLUMBIA – Single Review: “Disorder”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments
Artwork by Stay Focused Photography

I’m back in Wales (having just featured Welsh singer-songwriter Caitlin Lavagna last week) to shine a spotlight on indie rock band Columbia, who released their new single “Disorder” on November 4th. The Cardiff-based act was formed in 2019 by long-time friends Ben Rowlands (lead guitar) and Craig Lewis (vocals/rhythm guitar), who had been in a handful of other bands both together and separately over the years. They released their debut single “Fall Into the Sun” at the end of 2019, followed by a number of singles over the next two years. While in the process of recording their debut album Embrace the Chaos in 2021, they brought on bassist Aron Stenning to complete their current lineup.

Columbia released Embrace the Chaos in March 2022, garnering positive reviews from both music writers and fans. They celebrated its release at a sold-out show at The Moon in Cardiff, and have since performed at such renowned venues as Camden’s Fiddlers Elbow, The Dublin Castle, and SWNDfest at The Bunkhouse, Swansea, as well as playing on several This Feeling shows supporting The Shakes and The Kairos (another band I’ve previously featured on this blog). The band will be performing this weekend at the sold-out Shiiine On Weekender 2022 festival at Butlin’s Minehead Arena in Somerset. Their set is scheduled for Saturday, November 12th.

Photo by Stay Focused Photography

Recorded at King’s Road Studios in Cardiff and produced by Andrew Sanders, “Disorder” marks a new direction for Columbia. Not only is the song their first to be written by lead guitarist Ben Rowlands, (their previous songs have been written by Lewis), it’s also their most powerful track yet. Sanders has called “Disorder” “the biggest sounding track I’ve made with a band“, while the band cheekily notes that the song’s “incredible wall of sound makes you wonder where on earth Ben has been hiding this behind his calm and quiet demeanour?“

The song is a darkly beautiful, cinematic anthem. Opening with ominous sounds of police sirens and helicopters circling overhead, suggesting unrest in the streets, our ears are suddenly hit with a barrage of gnarly guitars, grinding bass and thunderous drums, accompanied by Lewis’ commanding vocals. I love the song’s portentous swirling melody, and the intricate guitar work – punctuated here and there with delicate acoustic notes, only to explode into a wailing solo in the bridge – is spectacular.

My take as to the song’s meaning is that it speaks to the addictive nature of public protests and disorder in the streets, how easily people can become attracted to them by the adrenaline rush from participating in such events that usually involve intense anger and/or passion for a particular cause. We’ve seen how these public protests can sometimes feed upon themselves, growing larger and out of control as crowds grow and tempers rise: “I’m breaking the silence. I feel my fear running. Don’t want to believe it, but everything is changing The colors are fading, the sound around me rising, climbing higher and higher and higher. I feel it, I need it, the streets are in disorder. Addiction, a feeling I couldn’t ever be there. I had it, I want it. The streets are in disorder, climbing higher and higher and higher.“

“Disorder” is a phenomenal track, nicely showcasing Columbia’s continued growth as a band.

And here’s the newer action video they’ve created for the song:

Connect with Columbia: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music

Purchase on Bandcamp / Amazon

HOLY COVES – Album Review: “Druids and Bards”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

One of my favorite music finds of 2022 has been Welsh alternative psychedelic rock collective Holy Coves, who I discovered this past February as a guest moderator for Fresh On The Net, an independent music blog launched in 2009 by renowned BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Tom Robinson. As a guest moderator, my task was to listen to all 170 songs submitted that particular week, and choose my top five favorites of the bunch, along with any others I particularly liked. One of my five picks was the Holy Coves single “The Hurt Within”. The darkly beautiful song made me an instant fan of theirs, and I liked it so much that it spent 11 weeks on my Top 30 chart.  

They quickly followed “The Hurt Within” with their brooding stomper “Desert Storm” in late April (which I reviewed), then “Grey” in June, another gorgeous single that recently finished a 10-week run on my Top 30 chart. Now they’re back with their long-awaited third album Druids and Bards, released on October 14th by Yr Wyddfa Records. The album features nine tracks, including the three above-named songs. 

I provided quite a bit of background on Holy Coves in my “Desert Storm” review, but will reiterate a few important details about them here. The brain child of singer-songwriter Scott Marsden, a long-time and respected figure in the Welsh music scene, Holy Coves is based in Holy Island, which is itself situated just off Anglesey Island in northwest Wales. Since forming in 2005, the band has consisted of an ever-changing roster of musicians, as Marsden brings in who he wants to work with for each project. Holy Coves released their debut album The Lizzies Ynys Môn in early 2008, then followed in 2011 with an EP and two singles, which were later included on their second album Peruvian Mistake, released in 2012.

After a nearly 10-year hiatus, brought on in part by the death of his best friend and manager, as well as his personal struggles with addiction and subsequent recovery, Marsden assembled a new group of esteemed musicians – John Lawrence on guitar, Owain Ginsberg on guitar & synths, Jason Hughes on bass and Spike T Smith on drums – to help with the recording of Druids and Bards. Marsden wrote and sang all songs, and co-produced the album with Lawrence, who also engineered it. Mixing and mastering was done by Austin, Texas-based music producer Erik Wofford. The two men shown flanking Marsden in the photo below are musician friends he’s brought in for live performances, who will also play on his next record.

Photo by Dai Eastwood

Hallmarks of Holy Coves’ dynamic sound are their striking melodies, powerful, driving rhythms, lush, cinematic synths, exquisite layered guitars, and Marsden’s beautiful and sensuous vocals that remind me at times of U2 front man Bono. Druids and Bards features all these attributes and quite a bit more, with songs addressing such topics as love, relationships, struggles with addiction and finding happiness in this often painful and difficult world.

The rousing opening track, “Away We Go“, seems to be about addiction, both to drugs and also the need for a love that cannot last: “I’m talking to myself again. Her web is spun. She’s taking aim. I can see it coming. She wakes me from my lonely haze. Her fire is hot. I feel a crave. The endless days are coming. All I see is you and me. Come on get in, take two my friend. Sail away we go./ She’s gonna break my heart again. I’m a fool for love. What can I say.” I love the song’s rapid, galloping beat and colorful mix of strummed and grungy shredded guitars.

With its powerful stomping groove, courtesy of Hughes’ thumping bassline and Smith’s pummeling drumbeats, the previously-noted “The Hurt Within” is one of my favorite tracks on the album. The layered jangly and psychedelic guitar work is superb, nicely accompanied by brooding industrial synths. The lyrics are directed at a woman who broke his heart: “Here’s another song for you to sing today. About all the pain you caused when you went away. How you made me cold and left a hole inside. I wear those scars with pride. Can’t feel the world outside. How I thought I’d healed my skin. Her love is cruel. The hurt within.”

“Grey” is another favorite, with it’s exuberant melody, swirling synths and gorgeous jangly and shimmery guitars. The lyrics speak to allowing yourself to wallow in your pain from time to time, but also being open to the healing powers of love and support from others: “Let go and feel again, cos everything is hopeless when you’re grey. Hurt will find you. Love will guide you home.”

“Small and Nothing” has a bit of an Oasis sound to my ears, and seems to be about not wanting more than you already have in life: “There’s nothing in this world that I can’t live without. There’s nothing in this world that I can’t dream about. Staying young is all I care about. Cause now, small and nothing I am.” On the other hand, the dramatic “Another Day” calls to mind some of the anthemic songs of U2. It begins slowly, but gradually builds into a cinematic masterpiece. The lyrics speak of working to overcome drug addiction as an answer to numbing life’s pain: “Ticking over day by day. Heavy medicated to heal the pain. What do you feel, what do you crave? Take it slowly, and feel again. And try to remember it’s just another day./ Leave that bottle closed, we can make it if we try.”

On the mesmerizing “Desert Storm“, Holy Coves start with another stomping groove, then layers mysterious psychedelic synths, assertive percussion and an arresting blend of droning and gently distorted guitars to create a moody soundscape with a hint of optimism. Marsden’s echoed vocals have a haunting ethereal quality as he details his struggles of keeping a troubled relationship together while suffering from drug addiction.

With its hauntingly beautiful melody, gorgeous strummed guitars and folk-rock vibe, “Welcome to the Real World” reminds me a bit of Michael Kiwanuka’s song “Hero”. The lyrics speak of the futility of tilting at windmills and beating your head against the wall: “They had you now, your time is up. Welcome to the real world. It hurts. It hurts. She had you now, your time is up. Welcome to the real world, and you’re gone. You’re gone.” And on the catchy and melodic love song “Until I Fall“, the vibrant chiming guitars are a thing of wonder!

The final track “Taste the Wine” is a monumental tour-de-force, and an aural feast for the senses, with breathtaking guitar work amidst a soaring cinematic soundscape. Despite its 7:15-minute run time, it’s so gorgeous I don’t even notice how long it is. The song is about letting go of slights and painful experiences that can keep you feeling bitter and resentful, unable to move forward and enjoy your life in the here and now: “It doesn’t hurt to try. It wasn’t worth the fight. Two wrongs don’t make a right, so be strong. Hold on til it’s over. Take it slowly, and taste the wine. Sit back, let it flow dear, open your eyes. Chances are you will lose your mind. Might as well enjoy it, it’s your time.”

Druids and Bards is a superb, flawlessly-crafted album, as close to perfect as any I’ve heard this year. Every track is outstanding, making for a joyful listening experience from start to finish. Holy Coves are back, and then some!

Connect with Holy Coves:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Purchase on Bandcamp

30 Day Song Challenge, Day 27 – “The Drop” by David Oakes

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs3 Comments

The subject for Day 27 of my 30-day Song Challenge is “A song by an instrumental artist“, and once again, the possible choices are immense. Musicians and composers have been creating instrumental music since the dawn of time I suppose, with classical music, followed by jazz, being the two most widespread forms of instrumental music composed up until the beginning of the so-called ‘rock era’ in the mid 1950s. After that, instrumental music created by more mainstream artists became popular, and from the mid 1950s through early 1980s, scores of singles like “Tequila”, “Sleep Walk”, “The Theme from ‘A Summer Place'”, “Green Onions”, “Stranger on the Shore”, “Love is Blue”, “Classical Gas”, “Grazin’ in the Grass”, “Frankenstein”, “Love’s Theme”, “T.S.O.P.” and “Chariots of Fire” became huge hits. Why instrumental songs failed to become hits after that has been a subject of debate, which I won’t delve further into here, other than to say that I think it’s unfortunate.

That said, there are still lots of musicians and artists out there who are creating some great instrumental music, and I’ve featured many of them on this blog over the years. One of my favorites, and also the very first I wrote about as a new blogger way back in March 2016, is David Oakes. Born in England and now living in Wales, he’s an imaginative and prolific musician and composer of electronic alternative rock music, ranging from gentle synth-driven compositions to aggressive guitar-driven hard rock, and everything in between. I really like his music, and have written about quite a lot of it (you can read some of those reviews by clicking on the links under “Related” at the end of this post).

David’s been actively involved in making music since his late teens, when he started playing in various bands. From 2001-06, he and his younger brother were members of the rock band KOTOW, for which he played drums. He went on to study guitar and music theory at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildord, England from 2009-12, after which he started composing and recording music as a solo artist. Since 2012, he’s released an astonishing 10 albums! One of his non-album singles is “The Drop“, which I’ve chosen for my latest song challenge.

It’s an intense song, with a strong chugging bass line overlain with gritty staccato guitar and relentless pummeling drumbeats, highlighted by some tasty melodic riffs of metal guitar riffs. As with all his music, David played all the instruments, and recorded, produced and mixed the track.

The equally intense, horror-film like video, produced by Dark Fable Media, shows David playing the song on his guitar in the woods, where he encounters a man in a frightful-looking mask. The masked man attacks him, whereupon they struggle until David stabs him and runs off. The story seems to be a kind of nightmare, as all three men shown in the video are the same guy, stuck in a disturbing time loop. The entire video is filmed in black and white, with the only color shown being the red blood on the knife and the stabbed man’s hands.

Here’s David’s latest release Ten Years A Dave, featuring what he feels are his ten best tracks over the past ten years, including “The Drop”.

Stream/purchase David’s music on Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp

HOLY COVES – Single Review: “Desert Storm”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Hailing from beautiful Holy Island, situated just off Anglesey Island in northwest Wales roughly halfway between Dublin and Liverpool, alternative psychedelic rock outfit Holy Coves is the brain child of singer-songwriter Scott Marsden. Since its formation in 2005, the band has consisted of an ever-changing group of musicians, as Marsden brings in who he wants to work with for each project. Holy Coves released their debut album The Lizzies Ynys Môn on New Years Day 2008, then followed in 2011 with an EP and two singles, which were later included on their second album Peruvian Mistake, released in 2012.

After a nearly 10-year hiatus, brought on in part by the death of his best friend and manager, as well as his personal struggles with addiction and subsequent recovery, Marsden assembled a new group of esteemed musicians to record his third album Druids and Bards, due for release this coming August via his label Yr Wyddfa Records. These musicians are (with previous acts they’ve played with in parentheses) John Lawrence on guitar (Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci), Owain Ginsberg on guitar & synths (WE//ARE//ANIMAL, Hippies Vs Ghosts, The Heights), Jason Hughes on bass (The Painkillers), and Spike T Smith on drums (Morrissey, The Damned, New York Dolls). Marsden told me “It was a honour to work with them. I’ve wanted to work with all of them since I was a teenager. I’m very lucky. They are all geniuses.” He wrote and sang all songs, and co-produced the album with Lawrence, who also engineered the album. The two men shown flanking Marsden in the header photo are friends he’s brought in for live performances, who will also play on his next record.

In late March, Holy Coves released their first single from Druids and Bards, the brilliant “The Hurt Within”, which is currently enjoying a run on my Weekly Top 30. Now, only a month later, they return with the second single “Desert Storm“, and it’s another brooding cinematic stunner. Over a stomping, mesmerizing groove, they layer mysterious, psychedelic synths, crisp percussion and an arresting blend of droning and jangly guitars to create a dark and moody soundscape, but with a hint of optimism. Marsden has a clear and pleasing singing voice, and his slightly echoed vocals have a somewhat ethereal quality here as he earnestly details his struggles of keeping a troubled relationship together while suffering from severe drug addiction. 

What you see is what you get
What you needs irrelevant
It's time we need to heal my friend
Let's go until we reach the end
Look how far we've come
We've only just begun
You're holding onto me
But I'm so far gone

Were coming up don't fight the feeling
Let's ride the storm
Were coming up don't fight the feeling
It's the desert storm
Were coming up don't fight the feeling
Let's ride the storm
Were coming up don't fight the feeling
It's the desert storm

I come to feel her love again
And take away all the pain
It seems like everyday I fight her now
It's tearing us apart
Right now I'm falling hard
Let's go back to the start
I'm falling off again
She's got me hook line babe

“Desert Storm” is a marvelous track, and if it and “The Hurt Within” are any indication, Druids and Bards is guaranteed to be a spectacular album.

To coincide with their album release, Holy Coves will kick off their 24 date Druids And Bards UK Tour on August 19th in Wrexham.

Connect with Holy Coves:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Purchase on Bandcamp

HEAD NOISE – EP Review: “SCRAM”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

South Wales-based electro/art punk band Head Noise, self-described purveyors of post-apocalyptic synthpop, are one of the more unusual acts I follow. Comprised of Mitch Tennant (primitive keyboards & shouting), Wayne Bassett (guitar & synths), Jordan Brill (more guitar & synths), and Andrew Topper Walsh (drums & percussion on some tracks), their unconventionally quirky music sounds like it could have been created by the love child of Devo, The Vapors and Dr. Demento. I’ve previously featured them twice on this blog, most recently last May when I reviewed their delightful EP CONSEQUENTIAL QUASARS! Now the guys are back with a terrific new EP SCRAM, which appropriately dropped on April Fool’s Day. The EP has been released by independent Welsh label Dirty Carrot Records. 

Photo of Mitch Tennant courtesy of Elis Widgery Media

For their latest effort, they’ve ditched the guitars and, inspired by music from early iterations of The Human League, Depeche Mode and (of course) Devo, they’ve decided to go fully electronic. While still awash with their signature zany screwball flair for the absurd, exemplified by songs about cataclysmic death-derbies (“Screwball Scramble”), unfinished David Lynch movies (“Ronnie Rocket!”), and mangling the English language (“Alliteration, Again”), SCRAM also explores darker topics like hidden surveillance (“Candid Camera”) and nuclear evacuation (“Miracle Mile”).

Opening track “Screwball Scramble” is a fun listen, with throbbing spacey synths and quirky baby-like vocal flourishes, in sharp contrast with it’s decidedly bleak subject matter: “They drop me into this barren place, a wasted space for an extinction race. A four wheel powerhouse of pain where chunks of flesh fall down the drain. Terminate, to seal our fate with blisters coming from the throwing flames.” “Candid Camera” has a funky techno vibe, with a strong, catchy beat overlain with more of those wonderfully spacey, sci-fi synths. In an altered voice at times sounding almost diabolical, Tennant sings “Smile, cuz you’re on candid camera. Yessir!“

On “Ronnie Rocket!“, Head Noise employ a hypnotic EDM beat and swirling sci-fi industrial synths to create a futuristic soundscape in a nod to David Lynch’s film Dune, but the song’s more generally about a film Lynch never made. Tennant said it’s “a mad mash up of Salvador Dali, Monty Python and the Looney Tunes.” An electronically altered voice sounding like Stephen Hawking says “The concept of absurdity is something I’m attracted to” – which could well be the definitive descriptor for Head Noise – followed by Tennant’s more ‘normal’ voice repeating the lines “Let’s Lynch again. We are the saboteurs.” “Alliteration, Again” is a silly and lighthearted new wave song with strong Devo influences, replete with a bouncy pogo-like beat and colorful psychedelic synths.

Far and away the best track on the EP is “Miracle Mile“, with it’s stunning Depeche Mode-esque sound. Running 6:20 in length, the song is magnificent, with a complex and lush mix of sparkling and haunting synths layered over a hypnotic pulsating dance groove. Tennant’s vocals sound more pure here, revealing a beautiful voice that’s often hidden beneath the quirky Dr. Demento-like vocals so prevalent on many of their songs. Still, in a somewhat electronically-altered voice that could be his or someone else’s, we hear the chilling lyrics “You’ll find us fossilized, in a dilapidated museum, burning with a strange fire that you can never put out.”

Special shout outs for the song’s phenomenal sound go to guest musician Andrew Llewellyn for his gorgeous synth lines, and Liz Bassett (Wayne’s wife) for her captivating backing vocals, both of which greatly add to the song’s overall dreamy vibe. Being a sucker for heavily melodic music, I think “Miracle Mile” is a triumph, and the best song Head Noise has ever recorded.

SCRAM is another impressive work by this talented group of musicians, who never fail to amaze us with their boundless creativity, imagination and musicianship. The marvelous nuclear-inspired artwork for the EP was created by Anthony Price, who’s own music, under the moniker Dunkie, I’ve also written about previously.

Those of you in the UK can catch Head Noise at one of these upcoming shows:

Follow Head Noise: Facebook / Twitter/ Instagram
Stream their music: Spotify / Apple Music 
Purchase:  Bandcamp / Amazon

JONNY ASH – Single Review: “Disco”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

Jonny Ash is a wonderfully-named band from North Wales who make an exciting, hard-driving and melodic style of indie rock. Comprised of brothers Callum (lead vocals, guitar) and Dan Gaughran (bass), Peter Roberts (lead guitar) and Mike Jones (drums), their big, high-energy sound is influenced by some of their favorite acts like The Stone Roses, Thin Lizzy, Oasis, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. Formed only a year ago, they wasted no time getting down to business by releasing their fantastic debut single “We Are The People” in August, followed two months later by the ripper “Boys With Black Eyes”, quickly earning them recognition throughout the UK, and radio play on BBC Wales, XS Manchester and Amazing Radio.

Now the Wrexham four-piece are back with a rousing new single “Disco“, a banger of a tune the band states has already become a favorite among their fans. Though the song sounds nothing like typical disco, the band says its BPM is the same as actual disco music, however, most people hearing the song would never realize it as they fall in line with the driving beat. Band lead guitarist Peter Roberts elaborates: “We are really excited to release our new track ‘Disco’, as it’s one of our favourite tunes to play live, based on the interaction we get from our amazing crowds. It’s usually saved to the end of our set because of how well It goes down regardless of where we are playing.”

The song opens with Dan’s super gnarly bass riff, to which a nice tapping of Mike’s drumstick is added before the music explodes into a roiling barrage of grungy riffs, throbbing bass and pummeling drumbeats, all of which become even more intense in the choruses. Peter lets loose with a blistering guitar solo in the bridge, leaving no doubt this is anything but a disco song, but rather a full-on rock stomper. Callum has a terrific singing voice, with the perfect amount of sexy swagger the song requires.

Like many songs of the disco era, “Disco” is about having a good time and letting loose at a club, having drinks, dancing to hot music and flirting with people you’re attracted to. “I see you come in all the time. If I had three wishes, then I would make you mine. Come on get closer, get right in my face. I want to see you dancing all over the place. The bar’s still open, the night is only young. When you get home, say hi to your mom. / And I fell in love with you at the disco.“

“Disco” is a great track, and along with the guys’ two previous singles, showcases their impressive musicianship and skill for putting out solid rock songs. I’m happy to have learned about Jonny Ash, and look forward to hearing more from them soon.

Connect with Jonny Ash:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube