Posts Tagged ‘London’

London three-piece Actual Crimes songs mash together sonic elements that shouldn’t match up, giving a discordant texture to their music that marks them out from anyone else on the list. That’s what happens on “Trash” from Actual Crimes’s 2015 EP 5 Songs, when raw guitars and drums contrast with a lilting soprano vocal to jarring, thrilling effect. Vocalist and guitarist Kirsty Fife explained in 2016: “I don’t really write songs about big P politics, but I think of the stuff we do as politicized because of the position and perspective I write from (as a working-class queer fat femme). I think making music or doing any sort of cultural work as a marginalized person is inherently political.”

 

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Encompassing the seductive glamour of goth, the catchy harmonics of pop, the experimentalism of prog and the narrative traditions of folk, Darla And The Blonde are a broad-based five-piece who craft their influences into a bold and distinctive brand of dramatic indie-rock.

Formed in East London by chief songwriter Nina Lovelace (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), the band are completed by Jen Demaris (lead vocals), Rob McCabe (lead guitar), Craig Page (bass) and Tom Loffman (drums).

While Darla And The Blonde’s sound is influenced by the likes of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, and their live performances take cues from musical theatre, Lovelace’s lyrics are primarily inspired by the concerns and experiences of inspirational women, both real and fictional.

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Darla And The Blonde’s single, ‘End Of The Party’, released on 18th March earlier this year, followed in May by a five-track EP that turns its lyrical focus to subjects ranging from age and transgender issues to the escapades of feminine espionage, all set to the band’s impassioned and inventive alt.rock sonics.

Night Games

Listen to the right kind of music and you can be transported off into another world. Including a world of emotion, imagination or fantasy. You could find yourself getting lost. Lost in its beauty, its subtlety or its majesty. Listen to Night Games, chances are you’ll end up doing both.

This East London duo of Constance and Paul have been gathering fans and positive reviews for a couple of years now. Having cleansed their soundcloud of the old in recent months, they appear focused and each new track has seen the pair reach new heights. Their previous track ‘Faithless’, almost sounds like what we’d get if Jessie Ware had been asked to do a Tron soundtrack, is great but their latest track, ‘Suffocate’, which first filtered out in late 2014, is just wonderful piece of electro-dream pop.

Constance’s ethereal vocals wisp over Paul’s synths create a gloriously evocative soundscape. As the electronics twist and stretch out there is a sense of discovery within a dystopian world. As the melody widens, a heartbeat begins; a rhythm of awakening inside a cold metal body as an AI becomes aware perhaps, aware of itself and of its capacity for love. Aware of the world around it and its fragility and beauty. As it builds to a crescendo, as layer upon layer reaches out like a galaxy across the night sky of this world we find ourselves lost in; as the vocals, rhythm and melody entwine to become one sumptuous whole,

Hailing from our very own London town, Night Games are the duo quickly making a name for themselves with their unique take on spacious electro-pop. Constance and Paul – they don’t do last names for now, at least – are forging a self-assured sound that pairs Contance’s light touch, high impact vocal talent with spiraling synth loops and intelligent production.

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INHEAVEN go classic with ‘MEAT SOMEBODY’ video

INHEAVEN’s all-caps, excitable shoegaze pop just got even more exciting.

The group have shared a new video for simple, all-enveloping monster ‘Meat Somebody’. Linking up with new single ‘Babys Alright’, it’s another gigantic feather in the band’s collective cap.

For the new clip, the four Londoners eyeball a camera, missing person ads and hazy effects placed above their frames.

INHEAVEN play the following UK & European dates:

MAY
29 Liverpool, Sound City
31 Glasgow, Oran Mor (w/ Sundara Karma)

JUNE
01 Newcastle, Cluny (w/ Sundara Karma)
02 Liverpool, Arts Club (w/ Sundara Karma)
03 Birmingham, The Oobleck (w/ Sundara Karma)
04 Cheltenham, Wychwood Festival
12 London, Field Day

JULY
08 Bilbao, BBK Live
23 Secret Garden Party
29 Y Not Festival

AUGUST
26-28 Reading & Leeds

PUMAROSA – ” Priestess “

Posted: May 6, 2016 in MUSIC
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The band are one of those who have taken the attention of the music world recently with tracks ‘Priestess’ and ‘Cecile’ and could be seen having a side of stage huddle before they went on. An enchanting set that featured the two tracks, as well as ‘Lions Den’ which provided proof they gave other hits in their locker, left the hundreds of people in attendance dancing as Isabel Munoz-Newsome repeatedly chanted “Priestess, you dance, you dance, you dance”. A moment you can foresee happening with thousands in the near future.

Film by Holly Hunter in collaboration with Isabel Munoz-Newsome, performance and choreography by Fernanda Munoz-Newsome, styled by Minnie Casey, special thanks to Jack Jubb and Joe Winter.

On their video for last years impressive single “Priestess” London newies Pumarosa set out their stall perfectly: Classy visuals clashed with cascading melodies. When I caught them live around the same time it reminded me of seeing Jungle early on – hefty beats, a stage shrouded in smoke and a lot of nascent ambition to try and create something otherworldly for the audience.

The follow-up video for ballsy latest track ‘Cecile’ just dropped and it adds more to their burgeoning story, with a touch of lysergic influence seeping in as the band dance gently around a dank looking London tower block. Singer Isabel Munoz-Newsome has shades of Savages’ Jehnny Beth in her delivery, but there’s also an eerie quality to her vocals, like she’s listened to a lot of Kate Bush but only really taken onboard the most bullish moments.

Pumarosa headline the ICA in London on May 7th. Here’s the newly unleashed video for ‘Cecile’, directed by Rebecca Salvadori:

DREAM WIFE – ” Kids “

Posted: April 15, 2016 in MUSIC
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DREAM WIFE EP01 – our first baby – came out on 11TH MARCH 2016!!

This ain’t your average house party. Dream Wife invite you to jump into the mosh pit. London based musicians Alice, Bella and Icelandic singer Rakel formed at art school in Brighton where the project began as a performance art piece. Dream Wife make music embracing their love for edgy pop. Oozing girl power the music juxtaposes simple pop hooks, cutting riffs and screamy dreamy vocals.

The world of Dream Wife is brought to life with; roaring live shows, an empowering attitude embracing the strength of femininity, and collaborations with vibrant creatives of the London scene.

Dream Wife – EP01
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Released March 11th 2016

London rockers Savages perform a song off of their latest album “Adore Life.”

Savages continue to win the hearts and minds of the world, this time with a performance of their enigmatic track ‘Adore’ from their recent LP Adore Life.

Jehnny Beth and co. keep the potency seen in their recent domination of London’s Roundhouse and send a chill down the airwaves to all that were watching this spine-tingling performance.

To be honest, we have yet to see a performance from Savages that wasn’t in some way spine tingling.

FEWS – ” 100 Goosebumps “

Posted: March 24, 2016 in MUSIC
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FEWS

London band Fews first met on MySpace as teenagers when one was based in California and the other in Sweden. Since then they’ve met in real life, geeked out over Interpol, explored Berlin’s club scene, and started kicking out frantic yet hypnotic post-punk. We heard their excellent singleThe Zoo last autumn, and they’re set to release their Dan Carey-produced debut album Means in May. With an apperance at Nottingham’s Dot To Dot Festival  A preview of the album is their latest single “100 Goosebumps.”

Beginning with a mesmerizing, pulsating guitar,  But with the abrupt introduction of a fast-paced drum beat, you are quickly woken up, and “100 Goosebumps” transforms into a lively creation shaped by the drums’ shifting speeds. Though the tempo is fast, the vocals casually explore the fear of not living life to the fullest. At the end, the drums come crashing down, leaving nothing but the lull of the guitar that began the song.

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CROWS – ” Unwelcome Light “

Posted: March 21, 2016 in MUSIC
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The most recent release from north London’s Crows ‘Whisper’ was a powerhouse punk tune with a chanting chorus that seemed to cast the band alongside the likes of METZ or Savages.

However, this latest song ‘Unwelcome Light’, the title track from a forthcoming new EP is something a little bit different. Far more drowsy, more psychedelic, packed with squalling echo. The vocals for this were recorded in a pitch black corridor according to front man James Cox, which gives you an indication of the kind of vibe they’re chasing.

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Visions Festival have announced the first raft of bands to play this year in the London Fields. Confirmed so far are…

Young Fathers, Anna Calvi, Lindstrom, Lightning Bolt, Mykki Blanco, Gengahr, The Japanese House, Show Me The Body, Elf Kid, Pumarosa, Drones Club and Ulrika Spacek.

More to come and tickets on sale here…
http://visionsfestival.seetickets.com/event/visions-festival-2016/various-venues/962291