Saturday 25 September 2010

The Drums - Line Up Update

As fans will already know, The Drums' Adam Kessler has quit the band. "There have been some questions as to recent events and we are sorry to say that Adam has left The Drums." Kessler was present at the Leeds and Reading festivals, and there has been no further reasons as to why Kessler left as they started their first US tour.

Although this has been a devastating time for the band, frontman Jonathan Pierce told NME that band friend Tom Haslow is to play Kessler's parts on the band's US tour, which they are currently midway through.

Despite al this, the UK tour and all other live commitments are said to be going on as planned!
Insight Music will also be providing a full live review for the Newcastle tour date!

Friday 24 September 2010

The Kills' Jamie Hince premiere's debut film as a director (Video of the Week With a Twist)

The film, a collaboration with director Tom Beard, was premiered at the Number One Leicester Square club in London on Wednesday night (September 22) in front of an audience including Hince's girlfriend Kate Moss and Florence And The Machine's Florence Welch.

The short film can be watched below.

Hurts - The 80's all over again?

Music right now needs a band like Hurts. Although a lot of artists and groups try to imitate the 80's (through both fashion and music style), Hurts do this without the cringe and 'try hard' atmosphere.

'Wonderful Life', the debut single from the Manchester synth pop band is one that can be recognised without even realising where you heard it from. Its well-spoken vocals, slick chrome synths and dance beats have drifted from this band since late last year and have been favourites on Radio One.

The dates on their latest tour are selling out fast, so if they haven't already sold out near you I'd be quick to check them out and buy a ticket!
TOUR DATES:
Brighton - Concorde 2 - Saturday, 02 Oct 2010 at 7:00PM Sold out

Leeds -The Cockpit - Sunday, 03 Oct 2010 at 7:00PM Call venue for tickets

Manchester -The Ritz -Tuesday, 05 Oct 2010 at 7:00PM

Birmingham -HMV Institute - Thursday, 07 Oct 2010 at 7:00PM

Bristol -Trinity Centre - Friday, 08 Oct 2010 at 7:00PM Call venue for tickets

London - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire - Saturday, 09 Oct 2010 at 7:00PM Sold out

Sunday 19 September 2010

Video of the Week - Florence and the Machine - 'Heavy in Your Arms'


This song was originally made for the Twilight Saga Eclipse soundtrack, and after gaining such an awesome response, Florence decided to release it as a single. Personally, this is one of my favourite Florence tracks, and deserves to be known beyond the world of Twilight fans. Flo's powerful voice is gaining her recognition around the globe, and I believe herself and her machine will go far.

Originally, Florence created 'Robot and the Machine', which consisted of herself and computed generated music, however she found this too difficult to gain the sound she wanted and now has live musicians playing every single instrument on stage - an atmosphere that twinned with her powerful vocals creates an epic live experience.

Monday 13 September 2010

Kap Bambino - The French electronic music duo

Born in October 2001, as well as their own label WWILKO, Kap Bambino (the French Orion Bouvier and Caroline Martial) plays an effective and energetic contemporary electronic music. Based on incisive rythms, intoxicating riffs and dyslexic lyrics, this music defies classification. Out of control, it is sometimes pop and melancholic, sometimes skinned-raw, but always agressive. They try to exist in the fringe of the actual French musical movement, like some no-futur bastards, totally devoted to non-stop amazing performance. They can perform all their live shows as if they play with their own lives. On stage, the Kap Bambino impressive turmoil has an identity of its own - playful, wild and without compromising.

I would recommend Kap Bambino for many people into trashy electronic music, especially fans of Crystal Castles. Like Crystal Castles, Kap Bambino are known for their energetic and excited live performances. Featured in magazines such as NME and Dazed and Confused, and singer Caroline being listed amongst the "hottest new models .. in London and New York", the all-round talented duo have also independently toured all over Europe, Japan and Mexico.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kapbambino

Friday 10 September 2010

Video of the Week - Crystal Castles - 'Baptism' (Live)


Seeing as next month there will be a full review of their live performance, I thought I'd include this as this weeks 'Video of the Week'. Alice Glass is known well for her on-stage persona and the way she presents herself and the music. Its a shame that, in my opinion, Ethan Kath gets overshadowed by this when they perform - as he is the true genius behind the music, and the founder of Alice Glass from her old band, Fetus Fatale at the age of 15.

Friday 3 September 2010

I Blame Coco - The Constant

I Blame Coco is captained by Sting’s daughter Coco Sumner (real name Eliot Pauline Styler Sumner, 19), with support from Joy Joseph and Raphael Mann from Mr Hudson & The Library on drums and bass.

It’s fair to say that Coco is no stranger to the spotlight; as well as being a part-time actress who had a supporting role in the film Stardust, she’s also a model who was featured in Burberry’s spring/summer 2008 advertising campaign alongside Agyness Deyn.

Now as Coco descends onto the music scene, she is already encountering skepticism bordering on hostility towards her well-connected career-move. Some may argue that she is only doing so because she can but despite her privileges and connections, Coco insists that whilst she ‘loves them (her parents) to death, this is not about them. This is what I do and what I have to say.’

If the pressure to prove everyone wrong has concerned Coco then you certainly can’t tell judging by her mature, effervescent and uber-confident on-stage demeanor.

Coco, unsurprisingly, was surrounded by music from an early age and began playing guitar when she was just 4 years old. Having worked on her debut album singularly since the age of 15, she scrapped it all in the autumn of last year and re-wrote it to her own, exact specifications.

After experimenting with ska and reggae, Coco stumbled on her thumping electro-rock sound by accident. ‘I couldn’t find a guitarist, so I started messing around on a keyboard and that suited the songs much better.’ A trip to Stockholm resulted in a link-up with producer Klas and female singer Robyn, who provides backing vocals on Caesar.

'The Constant' is the debut album by the british Electropop act.

Tracklist:
1 "Self Machine"
2 "In Spirit Golden"
3 "Quicker"
4 "Turn Your Back On Love"
5 "Please Rewind"
6 "Summer Rain"
7 "Playwright Fate"
8 "The Constant"9 "Party Bag
10 "No Smile"
11 "Caesar" (featuring Robyn)
12 "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
13 "It's About To Get Worse"

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/iblamecoco

Video of the Week - The Smiths - 'This Charming Man'


'This Charming Man' was The Smiths' second single in October 1983, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. The song is defined by Marr's jangle pop guitar riff and Morrissey's characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.