New Music - ADALIA - Chemical Hearts

Is Brighton full of noisey girls and loud guitars?

A year or 2 ago we featured Yonaka on this very blog, who have grown and grown. Blood Red Shoes, Black Honey, even The Go! Team are all from Brighton. However, A new fighter has joined the game, and it doesn't sound like they are content with following in their footsteps. ADALIA come from Brighton, but they are looking to carve their own path. Actually, they are looking for World Domination, more on that shortly...

In 2018 they hit the scene with a 5 song grunge-pop EP, 'Stray Hearts', with dirty guitar riffs and moody lyrics, it's clear ADALIA drew their early inspiration from across the pond. Stand out track 'Royals' channels bands like Dead Posey and Flyleaf, whereas 'The End's is an atmospheric ballad and a real showcase of singer, Corey Plant's emotional vocal range. This is a band that isn't afraid to dip between genres to put their message across, and they are about to make their biggest leap yet.

In a few days, ADALIA will drop a brand new single, 'Chemical Hearts', and we were lucky enough to get a sneak preview. A familiar intro quickly makes way for a burst of energetic-emo-skate-pop-punk! If 'Stray Hearts' tells a story of a band being backed into a corner by an unforgiving world, 'Chemical Hearts' has them bursting out of the corner, armed with a fresh attitude and a middle finger! Just like the emo-superstars they take their name from, this new confidence really suits them!

I had the chance to speak to Corey about the upcoming launch, and a few other things:

ALOMR - Hello. Thank you for chatting to us. Would you mind introducing yourselves to the readers?

ADALIA- Why hello there, I’m Corey Plant, the lead singer of ADALIA, a collision of Brighton-based, misplaced misfits serving alternative rock madness with a quirky twist. Now taking their first steps towards world domination. On guitar, we have the wonderful Sam Cotton and on the drums, equally as lovely, Jordan Hart.

ALOMR- I recognise the name Adalia from Chicago Superstars 'Madina Lake', is that a coincidence, or are you fans of the band, like me?

ADALIA- Hey, someone else who appreciates their genius as much as we do! They are such an underrated band, aren’t they? Yes, the name originally comes from them. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to interview Matthew Leone (creator, bassist) about the world of Madina Lake, the whole concept that forms the band’s foundations, specifically Adalia’s origin. As we talked about everything she stood for, something just aligned. Whilst our ADALIA isn’t a replica of, or even a direct reference to theirs – the only thing they really have in common is the name – the principles surrounding who she is are very similar. It was the perfect name that represents everything we stand for as a band.

ALOMR - Wow, what an honour. I am really into their earlier work, I'm pretty sure I still have 'From Them, through us, to you' on CD. Any other influences?

ADALIA- I think that one of the best things about us, as a band, is we have so many different influences as individuals that we all draw upon when we write. Jordan is addicted to New Release playlists but is a fanboy for bands like Don Broco. Sam is the ultimate pop-punk guy with a not-so-secret-love-affair with pop. I grew up on classic 80s hair metal but am infatuated with gothic/emo piano ballads. I’m fascinated with concept records and bands, so take heavy influence from writers such as Jim Steinman (another highly underrated writer), Madina Lake, Andy Black etc. From that, you have the strange concoction that is ADALIA.

Ultimately, as a band, we take a lot of influence from bands such as Madina Lake, obviously, The Pretty Reckless, You Me At Six, Juliet Simms, Joan Jett & The Black Hearts, The Maine. There are too many bands to name, but those tend to be the ones that pop up when looking for inspiration when writing.

ALOMR - We love the new single! It's out in a couple of days. It seems to have a pop-punk, summery vibe to it. Tell us about the song.

ADALIA- Thanks! 

Yeah it’s a slightly different style to our usual - I mean it’s closest relative is probably ‘Victorious’ from our debut EP ‘Stray Hearts’ - but even then ‘Victorious’ has a slightly darker undertone. We constantly kid that ‘Chemical Hearts’ is one of few of our ‘happy’ songs, as usually, we're those angsty post teens commenting on the state of our worlds through a slightly cracked lens. We wanted to write something different. A pop-punk anthem for the lost souls, who are tired of pretending, tired of trying to fit in. It’s about chasing a feeling, something you can’t quite define, but knowing that it’s the thing you’ve been waiting for. It’s the transition of figuring it out to letting go - embracing it and grasping ownership of your true colours.

ALOMR- How has the Coronavirus lockdown affected you? It must be hard on a band trying to make a name for itself, especially when launching a new single?

ADALIA - It’s weird. In some ways it’s really hard. We can’t lock ourselves away in a rehearsal room to write and experiment. We can’t play live. Which is killing us slowly, as there’s something about the live experience that can’t be described. We’re really missing that interaction. As you know the music community is something truly spectacular. We’ve had to cancel a lot of gigs which would have been perfect to really push these single launches. We’ve just started making a name for ourselves and that’s been put on hold.

But, on the flip side, this pandemic has opened a lot of opportunities. It’s forced us to look at our brand and our social media presence. Socials are such huge platforms that help everyone stay connected, so we’ve recentred our thinking. World domination can’t just happen in the live scene, after all! This has also meant a lot of people are looking for new bands and releases to break up the monotonous redundancy of the lockdown life they’re stuck in. People who would usually just listen to whatever playlist Spotify throws at them that day, are now actively searching. That and the community is more supportive than ever for emerging and new bands. Every cloud has a silver lining right? This seems to be ours.

ALOMR - World Domination!! You talk a lot about that. What are your plans after the lockdown, and what's in store for ADALIA in the future?

ADALIA - Okay, that question just immediately made me think of the kid’s cartoon ‘Pinky & The Brain’, “Pinky: Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight? Brain: The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!”

ALOMR - Brilliant!

ADALIA- In all seriousness, we love playing live. At this point, we just want to get back on stage and play. Ultimately, we want to share our music worldwide and have the chance to tour new cities and continents playing the songs we adore to new and familiar faces. We want to make a difference in people's lives. Be a band that someone can fall back on, escape with and use to help them fight their darkest moment but also be their anthems for their ultimate highs. 

In the near future, as you said we have a new single being released June 12th, our first in 3 years, which we are super excited about as it’s a personal favourite to play live. Following that, we have another single ready and waiting. But we’re just itching to get back on stage to try out some new material we’ve been working on during lockdown, as that’s where we belong!

…

Be sure to check out the new single as soon as it drops. Check back here on June 12th.

In the meantime, go check out ADALIA on Spotify, and go show the band some support over on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

We would like to thank them for taking the time to talk to us, I'm sure this won't be the last we hear of them. World Domination!!

An American Werewolf in Manchester - Ice Nine Kills

Funny how things work out, isn't it? One day, on a long car trip, probably to some dam on some lake near snake pass in the peak district, the wife and I had some random metal Spotify playlist on. One random track on this random playlist came from a band called Ice Nine Kills. After a little chuckle at how random the name of the band playing this random song from the random playlist was, we listened to the song. "The American Nightmare" was the song, and good lord, it kicked ass!

After a few days, we listened to this band again, this time they were singing a ridiculously catchy song about Crystal Lake. "Isn't that where Jason Vorhees killed a bunch of teenagers?" One of us asked the other.

After a few more days and weeks, we found ourselves getting obsessed with this album from Ice Nine Kills. "The Silver Scream" is the band's fifth album, and every song on the (heavy as fuck) album is inspired by a different horror film. Fantastic!!! 

After a little look on Google, we found out that Ice Nine is a chemical compound from a sci-fi novel, that when a single drop touches water, it turns it to ice. Ice Nine, does indeed, Kill. But, more importantly, on this Google search we discovered that Ice Nine Kills were playing very soon, very close. We obviously bought tickets. Funny how things work out, isn't it?

That gig was on Wednesday. In Manchester's Club Academy. The support came from a lively bunch of young lads from Yorkshire called Values, they were endearing and engaging and heavy enough to warm this already sweltering room up for the main event.

Before the band came on, the usual backing track of AC\DC and Rage songs were replaced by orchestral horror movie scores. That was until the crowd unexpectedly broke into a tuneful rendition of "that" Smash Mouth song. Not sure why, but it was wonderful.

The band burst on a stage decorated with red balloons and chainsaws and pounded into that very song we fell in love with, "The American Nightmare" was every bit as bad-ass live as it was that first time we heard it. Every member of the band wearing a costume inspired by the songs from the album. Singer Spencer Charnas conducting the crowd with a series of masks and props, and his unsettling body language cut the figure of the very slasher villains he was singing about.

The whole gig was a balls to the wall metal fest and a celebration of all things horror, a great way to get everyone in the mood for Halloween next month.

Notable highlights from the set were, Texas Chainsaw Massacre inspired 'Savages' which had the whole room jumping and moshing and singing along, and the song they closed with, inspired by Pennywise the Dancing Clown 'IT is The End', which had the frontman, donned in a creepy clown mask ensuring the basement venue that "We all float down here".

It's been ages since I had so much fun! This is a great band and certainly one to keep an eye out for, especially if you're into this new generation of Metalcore bands. For fans of While She Sleeps, In Flames and the mighty Parkway Drive, these guys make a lot of noise, and are doing something a bit different. It's unique, it's fun, it's clever and I reckon it's just the beginning of the golden age of the Silver Scream.

Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

So, how do I define Slipknot? It seems so easy, yet so difficult.

In 2001 I went to see Slipknot, in the TurbinenHalle in Oberhausen, Germany. My Mum drove me and my mate to the gig, in a dark warehouse of a venue. Ozzfest never came to Germany, so we had a sort of "best of". Amen, Mudvayne and Static-X supported Slipknot, who, at the time had only 1 major label release. If I were to define them in 2001, they were an angry, scary group of kids dressed as horror movie serial killers, worshipping Satan, and making a lot of noise. They playfully jumped around the crowded stage, tossing goats heads, pissing themselves, jumping into the crowd, and kicking over drinks at the bar. It was brilliant!

A few months after the gig, I lined up at my local record store on a sunny August morning to get their second album, Iowa. It changed my life! These 9 heroes had somehow managed to make their heavy, scary sound even heavier and scarier.

The following year I went to see Slipknot again, this time in Essen, Germany. This time with 5 friends! This time there were fireworks, a drum kit that span upside down, the new masks looked all professional and they sounded unreal! Against all odds, these 9 weirdos in masks were starting to catch on.

Now, fast forward to June 2019. Somehow I find myself standing in front of a huge stage, once again, waiting for Slipknot to come on and rip a layer of skin off my face. They are now headlining the biggest metal festival on earth. I look to my left and see a kid on his Dad's shoulders with the dreadlocked ghost mask I remember seeing at that sweaty hall in Germany. Slipknot have come so far in 2 decades. They are huge, they are important, they are mainstream, and guess what, maggots, They Are Back!

Their new record came out yesterday. It almost picks up where Iowa left off.

I don't want to take anything away from the albums between Iowa and We Are Not Your Kind. After all, their 3rd album gave use Duality, Slipknot's 'Enter Sandman', their big hit, their dancefloor filler. All Hope Has Gone gave us the epic 'Snuff' along with it's chilling video. The Grey Chapter was also a wicked album, paying tribute to Slipknot's fallen brother, Paul Grey. None of them quite managed to grab me the way Iowa did, though.

The new album did grab me, but instead of grabbing me by the heart, it grabbed me by the balls, and it hurt! I will admit, the first time I listened, I didn't quite get it. I didn't like it!

I also didn't like Corey Taylor's new mask when I saw it. Which is kind of the point. In 2001 I was finding my feet musically. I was rebelling against the norm. I was doing things I shouldn't because people didn't like it. I was different. I still am, but now I am one of those grown ups I was rebelling against. The feeling of uncomfort I had listening to this new album, was the feeling of uncomfort I was trying to personify back then. Once I figured that out, I was ready, I am back in the mindframe of that 17 year old, and I am ready to have some fun. Isn't music amazing?

So, yeah, the album. We Are Not Your Kind (the title taken from lyrics from All Out Life which came out earlier this year, which, weirdly, isn't on this album) is Slipknot's sixth album. The album is built from the ashes of band conflict, departed members and tragedy, but I'm not here to talk about that, Google it if you want. I'm here to talk about the music, and this record certainly delivers on that front.

Track 1, Insert Coin: Slipknot's albums tend to begin with atmospheric, instrumental, weird intros, and that's what this is. It's a build to something sinister. "I'm counting all the killers" are the only lyrics before we burst into Track 2.

Unsainted was released a few months ago. It became an instant hit. It introduced the new masks, it built the hype for this latest incarnation of Slipknot. A heavy bastard of a song with the catchiest chorus since Duality. Over 4 million YouTube hits in its first day! By the time I saw Slipknot at Download, I had listened to this song so much it felt like an old song. It's ace! Go listen to it! It's the new dancefloor one. It may very well be Slipknot's best!

Track 3, Birth Of The Cruel was released a few days ago. Can a song be deceptively heavy? Because this is! It's slower, it begins with clean vocals, but by the end, it's aggressive and destructive. We are off to a great start!

Death Because Of Death is track 4, and with its 1:20 run time, it serves as an interlude. Chanted lyrics set to a monotonous drum pattern breaks the album up slightly before the next act beings.

Track 5 and this is what I am talking about!!! Nero Forte is a beast! It's my track of the album! It's so familiarly Slipknot, fast, growly, painful verses! The chorus is something brand new though, a high pitched angelic line followed by an aggressive growling hook. Insane military drumming, chunky power riffs and lyrics that basically scream Fuck You! This is what I wanted! "You can do your worst to me, at the end of the day that's what you do best".

Critical Darling is up next. This is very much a paint by numbers Slipknot song. The big verses are loud and fast, the chorus is catchy, and the whole thing builds to a pumping final burst. You know what you're getting with this, and it's so simple to see why today's metal bands have really followed the flow set by Slipknot. This will be loved by the old faithful!

If Critical Darling is the typical Slipknot song, Track 7 is something totally different. Broody and moody, A Liar's Funeral is deep and depressing and very experimental for a band who have definitely settled on a sound.

Red Flag follows, and we are back to normal. The lyrics, again, take centre stage, but the distinctive guitars supplement them perfectly while the drums will give your heart a good work out. This is heavy! Proper heavy! One for the gym, but nothing special.

Track 9, What's Next is our second interlude. It serves as a mini intro for Spiders. Almost childlike piano keys sound like they are straight from a horror film. I'll admit I didn't like Spiders at first. It's weird, it's not what I wanted to hear, it's almost a pop song. I found myself listening to it again and again. It's good fun! My wife told me I don't like change, she is right. Change is good. I'm gonna end up listening to this the most!

Track 11 already? Now this song, Orphan, sounds like it was ripped straight from Iowa! It's brutal, it's certainly Slipknot! The machine gun drums and screechy guitars are so familiar, and once again, a funky chorus that will bleed its way into your brain, before a screamed "I am the Orphan, The one who kills your world" bridges us back to the quick verses.

I wouldn't recommend listening to the next track alone in the dark. My Pain is scary as shit. A low hum is followed by a rhythmical chiming, before the lyrics creep in to freak you out. This is straight from the head of that psychotic Clown, M. Shawn Crahan. It's fucked!

Track 13 slowly builds up afterwards. Not Long For This World, features the clean vocals we have grown to love from Corey Taylor's other band Stone Sour, however, this is still a Slipknot song, and it's the atmosphere that makes it feel that way. 

A band that have 9 members have the tool

s to do things differently. The 3 drummers are so prominently featured throughout this whole album, Jay Weinberg sits behind the main drum kit, while the Clown and the mysterious new anonymous member clamber all over their custom designed kit of barrels and bass drums, while providing backing vocals for lead vocalist Corey Taylor. The duo of guitarists, Mick Thompson and Jim Root keep the whole thing sounding rhythmical and distinctive. But the atmosphere is what sets this band apart from other bands and that is provided by bassist V-Man, and the 2 DJs Craig Jones and Sid Wilson (who's new mask is SICK).

It all comes together for the final track, and the 3rd track I had heard before the album had come out. Solway Firth isn't the full stop at the end of an essay, it's the middle finger at the end of the rant. If the album serves as an angry outburst, this song is the punch in the face! It's toe curlingly heavy, and it's an assault on all your senses.

So I didn't like it at first. I don't think I was supposed to. This isn't music to make you feel good. This isn't a Christmas album by Michael Bublé. This is Slipknot. These are the bad guys. They want you to feel uncomfortable. They want you to feel their pain. They want to drag you through the dirt. They want you to accept what they are, and in turn accept who you are. They want to be there with you, every step of the way. We are in this together. We are not normal, we are not all the same, we are not afraid of change, we are not afraid of anything, We Are Not Your Kind.

So, how I define Slipknot?

Simple, I don't! Slipknot define me!

Tool

In these times of MySpace, Instagram, Twitter and Faceparty, it is almost impossible to remain elusive. We know everything about our celebrities. We know about Corey Taylor's testicles, Noel Gallagher's feelings towards Scotland, and Kanye West's… well everything. This makes Tool seem rather unique. We know exactly how much they want us to know, which isn't much.

So, without taking selfies on private jets, bringing out a set of Pop Vinyl figures or even appearing in their own music videos, how have Tool publicised themselves enough to headline major festivals? The answer is so simple. Tool fucking rock!

Last week Tool finally released their back catalogue onto streaming sites. Before now, the only legal way to listen to Tool would be to buy a record. Don't get me wrong, the best way to listen to Tool is playing one of their 4 stellar albums from front to back, but to have them on Spotify, to be able to add their tracks to playlists, or listen to them in the gym, is such a cool thing!

This may also open up Tool to an entirely new fanbase. The casual metal fan who never really got them, or the younger listener who has never bought a CD or even seen a cassette tape. For those people, I have put together a "best of" playlist of Tool songs. However, I don't want you to listen to it. Tool aren't a casual band that you put on in the background, or just listen to a couple of tunes while waiting for your bus. You listen to Tool and that is what you do. You turn the lights off, you play the album from start to finish, and you get lost in the music.

If the music finally being streamable isn't enough. Tool have also released the title track for their new album 'Fear Inoculim', their first studio recorded release in 13 years!

The almost 11 minute song begins hauntingly and atmospherically, until the psychedelic instruments join the track one by one. Danny Carey's drums, as with many Tool songs, take centre stage, the unpredictable time patterns confuse and unsettle you. That is until Maynard James Keenan's distinctive, liquid soft vocals calm the mood. Guitarist Adam Jones keeps the rhythm and leads the ever changing sound, while Bassist Justin Chancellor keeps the whole thing sounding very familiar. This is a Tool song, this is what we are used to, yet it is brand new. It's precisely what we needed to hear, and exactly what the band want us to hear.

I saw Tool for a second time at Download Festival this summer, and once again they mesmerized the crowd. They do everything so differently. There is no focus on the musicians, Maynard doesn't even have a spotlight on him, instead choosing to stand at the back of the stage, often not even facing the crowd. In Tool Maynard isn't a front man, he is merely another instrument. Tool don't post their tea on social media. I've never seen a single gym selfie of Danny Carey, and to be able to move about the drum kit the way he does, just 2 years away from being 60, he must have an intense gym regime. No, Tool aren't the social type, choosing to put graphics and videos on the stage screens rather than themselves, but when they sound the way they sound, the music completely speaks for itself.

The album, Fear Inoculum is out at the end of the month. Before it drops, I insist you go listen to Ænima and Lateralus from start to finish, just to get yourself prepared. Once you do, you will almost certainly want to listen to Opiate and 10,000 Days from start to finish too. Then, maybe, just maybe, you will be ready for Fear Inoculum. I know what to expect, any Tool fan knows what's coming, and at the same time we have no idea what to expect. It's all very clever!

Fuck it all! Tool are back!

Head to Head Challenge - #1 - 5 Songs to Change a lifetime. Metallica Vs Jimmy Eat World

Here at A Life Of Music Rocks HQ we often get into music related debates between ourselves, whether it be hypothetical banter about the best fake band names or whether it be serious discussions about each others musical taste.
Whilst we all have eclectic tastes, we don't all like the same bands - and often have conflicting views.
In a bid to settle a debate a challenge was set - create a playlist of 5 Songs to change the mind of your opponent.


In the Red corner Chris, our resident Metal Head, who's music tastes ranges from Neneh Cherry to Metallica, and everything in between - if it be Chemical Brothers or Katy Perry, there is no genre left untouched in his playlist. Chris has often jokes at our tastes in the "pop-punk" genre.

Over in the Blue corner is Richard, who'd like to tell you his genre is 90's & 00's pop-punk, but the fact is his music genre is everything. Brought up on Queen, Elton John, the Animals, Spice Girls, Sex Pistols, Eminem, Pavarotti and so much more! His music taste is eclectic, but he's more than happy to admit he doesn't like The Beatles or Metallica.
In his word's "my problem is that I feel some bands are one dimensional, they churn out the same song over and over and their fans fall for it every time, this led to the debate with Mr Foxon. Maybe I am just saying every song sounds the same to wind him up or maybe it's because every song I hear from Metallica on the radio merges into one..."


On a recent discussion around Jimmy Eat World tour Richard and Chris came to blows about if Jimmy Eat World were actually good. Richard claiming that Jimmy Eat World are class live and a really good act, whilst Chris branding them Soulless Pap, boring, no better than One Direction, and a great band if you want to drive 29mph.  With that, Richard hit back at Chris and Metallica, from here the gauntlet was set.


Richard to create a playlist on 5 Jimmy Eat World songs.
Chris to create a playlist on 5 Metallica songs.
Avoiding the obvious singles and major albums the two got to work to musically challenge 30+years of ingrained taste & opinions.


First, Richard listens to Chris' 5 Metallica songs

Sooo where to begin, well this little experiment has come about as I can't hold my tongue and enjoy throwing controversial thoughts out there, especially towards Mr Foxon, who as we all know has a deep love for all things metal. Thinking logically I am just going to blitz through in the order he made the playlist.

The first 'song' is King Nothing, and to be totally honest it is a whole load of nothing, it is the stereotypical Metallica song, repetitive guitar riffs, gravelly voice and angry lyrics (at least I assume they are angry, certainly sound it). I had to check several times the name of the song as I was convinced it was enter sandman even at the end of the song there is a very quiet vocal which says of to never never land... At this point I was thinking this is shit and is totally going to ruin my usually enjoyable drive home and he'll it's even a Friday. 

Now as I am writing this, after having the initial listen, I am kind of thinking Mr Foxon has made his playlist tactically and chose a shite song to begin with to soften my attitude towards the next track. Well he didn't need to, it was a live recording of No Leaf Clover, it is I am sad to say decent, certainly get into my massive playlist for long journeys. 
The fact it is a live version and is flawless helps draw me but the main selling point is that it is done in a style that I just didn't believe Metallica capable of, it's my opinion now that they just release the same songs to the singles chart for there fans who are radio listeners, and not the Natty White Dreadlock guys who go all out for the album's.

Next up was Fade to Black, no word of a lie it actually starts with a guitar being picked and no distort, are we sure this is really Metallica?? Where is the heavy necked, gripped strumming and distort turned up to 11. This is a really chilled song, even when the distort strumming kicks in at the 2 minute mark it's a chilled song, vocally is impressive to, there is still the undertone of gruffness but it doesn't make me want to hide behind the sofa until the bad man is gone. I can be totally honest and say this is a top song, well played Mr Foxon!

Oh wait hang on here comes the tricky 4th a track called Creeping Death, back to the one dimensional hard thrash angry voice. This song just reminds me that we are all individuals and you have to respect everyone's personal taste, even if your personal taste is crap. Nothing more to say on this one.

Last song, getting close to home by this point, with my usual taste in music I can be through a full album in the 30 minute commute, jesus Mr Foxon could you have picked longer songs??? Anyway back onto point, last song - Die, Die My Darling. Best song out of the 5, it's fast but still with the metal features. I am going to call it a twisted metal, turns out in further research it's a Misfits cover, explains a lot but go to say it is an awesome cover. 

Misfits do it better though hahaha!

Conclusion - 3 very good surprises and 2 standard Metallica. Has Mr Foxon chose those 3 as they are different to everything else or are there lots of hidden gems in the 10 albums they have churned out? Maybe I should spend some time listening to them to find out, time is tight though especially as Pinky and Perky are constantly bombarding me with new music that I just 'have to listen to', what I do know though is that this is a great idea and I think we should do it again!!!


Over to Chris and Richard's 5 Jimmy Eat World songs

Before today, I described Jimmy Eat World as the musical equivalent of finding fluff in your pocket. They don't make me feel anything, a beige band, inoffensive and quite boring. Let’s see if the lad can change my mind.

First song, Believe In What You Want. This isn't going to make a fan of me. Lyrically, I'm guessing it's a moan about people who follow trends rather than, well, Believing What They Want. I like that, the song, musically isn't something I could get into, there are bands that do this kind of thing better. That said, I wouldn't switch it off.

Now, this is more like it! Second song, Blister. It’s a bit Emo, but that works for them. It’s loud and it’s catchy. I bet this song is great live. Yeah. Enjoying this, I'll add this to a playlist for driving. Reminds me of bands like Thrice or Alexisonfire, just without the growling and screaming. Ok, I'm awake. Ace!

Third song, Polaris. Great song title and I really like the album cover. First thing I notice is the production value, they must have had more money for this album. Bit of a brit-pop vibe with the music, with a different vocal approach. Still sounds like the same band, so I appreciate that, change is good. Yep, like this one too, very atmospheric.

Haven't I heard this one before? Like, wasn't this the 2nd track I listened to? Track 4 is Big Casino. It is very similar, I'm getting a Billy Talent vibe, which isn't a bad thing. I do feel like I have heard it many times before, though. Nothing special, but it's a decent track that was probably on an American teen flick.

I have definitely heard this song before. I think its on the same album as The Middle. It sounds like that ‘Salt, Sweat, Sugar’ song, that was Jimmy Eat World wasn't it? Its called The Authority Song. I'm not into this one as much. I just feel there are bands (Weezer, Alien Ant Farm, Incubus) who do this kind of thing better

This has changed my mind a bit, all their songs don't sound the same, and they are a pretty decent band. The thing I noticed most though, is the lyrics. This band are great at lyrics, I will listen to more for that reason alone. I'm very glad I took the time and gave them a chance. So thanks for that, Ricky.

So there it is, we so easily cast judgements on bands from 1 or 2 overplayed songs, sometimes it just takes a little steer to the right songs, from a fan, to introduce you to something you would previously blown off.
I have to say, listening to both playlists gave me a new insight into 2 totally different but often criticized bands. And I'm loving some of the tracks! Check them out, hope you enjoyed the read!

Thats it from us 3 this week!

Much love Michael, Richard & Chris


Mx

Rawcus Events - Mest, Slimboy, Red Winter & More

We went to see Mest on saturday night, we couldn't decide who was going to write about it. As it turns out, we all wrote about it.

Read my thoughts Here.

Have a look at what Rick had to say Here.

Read the honorable Mr Foxon's literary masterpiece Here. (Check out the amazing picture Chris captured in his posts. Below is the Tony checking it out, he loved it!)

Mrs Jen Foxon's ode to Mest here

RAWKUS Events

The line Up:
Mest
Slimboy 
Kill The Masters
Red Winter
Standing Waves
Zapiain 
TheLast Dregs
Counter Point

Mx

Tony checking out Chris' pic, check it out in his posts.

Another good pic of Tony, this one by Michael.

Able's Army - Private Eye

These days it's so much easier being a music blogger. We don't have to wait for a CD with a hand written label to arrive in the mail to listen to a new song. We can post our thoughts instantly on the internet after we have heard it. Then we can send our readers a link to the song and they can listen to it right away. It's all so simple.

A couple of months ago we told you about a snazzy band from Huddersfield called Able’s Army. We saw them live, we really enjoyed them, we introduced ourselves. Then when we got home, we could instantly listen to them on Spotify and make friends with them over social media. So simple.

Able's Army have a shiny new song out on friday. It's called Private Eye and we got the chance to have a sneak peek at it. Come back on August 3rd and we will post a link to the song so you can enjoy it yourselves. We think you'll really like it.

The 5 minute jaunt through the mind of a recently broken up man, plays like a song from the other side of the Penines. The Noel Gallagher tones shine through, reminding me of his more chilled Oasis songs, Talk Tonight or Half The World Away. The crooning vocals invoke feelings of John Lennon’s solo work. There is also a catchy guitar solo thrown in for good measure, before the chorus takes a lovely key change.

This is lounge music, with an old school rock ‘n roll backbone, and a solid foundation this exciting young band can really build upon for a very exciting future.

We had a chat with Mike from the band, to learn a little more about the single and get his thoughts on the band.

ALOMR - Welcome back. We are loving the new track, was it as enjoyable putting the song together as it is listening to it, and how long did it take from conception to what we are hearing today?

Mike - Private Eye’s probably one of the oldest songs we have actually. When we were first starting out James and I would meet up, get drunk and write songs. About 90% of what we came up with was terrible and didn’t survive the hangover, but this one stood out a bit and there was something to it. It’s had a couple of variations between then and now but we’re pretty chuffed with the finished product.

What was the inspiration behind the song, lyrically?

It’s hard to pin-point exactly what inspired the lyrics, I’m pretty sure it’s an amalgamation of different sets of lyrics we’d each been working on individually. But I think at its core it’s basically about getting over an ex. Like a very polite and convoluted “Fuck Off!”

The tone of ‘Private Eye’ really suits Able’s Army, it's got a distinctive Northern feel to it, and its very stylish. You are still relative newcomers, how easy was it finding your sound as a band? Is this what you've been aiming for?

We haven’t really aimed for a certain style or genre with any of the songs. We just approach each tune as it comes in sort of isolation from the others and just work to whatever suits that song on that day so if it suits us that’s a bonus, Anything in-between disco and country is fair game for us, which could be a good or a bad thing, I dunno?

It is! Definitely! So, Where does the name, ‘Able's Army’ come from?

I used to write stuff under the name Able Archer and when we put the band together I had big ideas to rip off that whole Hives/Randy Fitzsimmons thing and have Able Archer as a fictional sort of Colonel Tom Parker kind of guy controlling everything from behind the scenes and we’d be his band, ignoring the fact I’d spelt the name Able wrong. In the end it was a bit too elaborate for us to keep up so I sacked it off but by then we’d already had a couple a of gigs so the name stuck.

What's next for you guys? Any live shows or more treats coming from the studio?

Well we’ve got an ep recorded which is currently being mixed by our fifth Beatle, Earl Haig. Not sure on a release date yet but it’ll probably be in the autumn. And we’ll be doing some gigs around the North in support of it, which we’ll be announcing soon. So both!

What are you listening to at the moment? Any favourite artists or local up-and-coming bands we need to know about?

There’s some ace bands about at the moment that you should definitely check out; Palmes, Courtyards, FLING, The Maitlands, The Harriets, Capital Eye are all top drawer.

Lastly, and most importantly. What's your favourite dinosaur?

Well I like that spitty one off Jurassic Park, George says his favourite dinosaur is Keith Richards, and James doesn’t believe in dinosaurs.

We love you guys!

Foxon's Thoughts #5 - The Internet

Do you remember, before Google and Spotify, that we used to have to use other means for finding music. Some unspecified (not me) friend of mine would hear a song on Kerrang TV and then head to his (or her. It isn't me) computer to illegally download the song. “That song was great, what was the band called? A? Just A? Seriously? I'm never gonna find them. I'll search by song, what's the song called? Nothing? NOTHING? Thanks guys”.

This unspecified friend of mine was also a fan of 90’s synth-wave-goth-metallers, ‘Orgy’. They were a hard band to find music videos of.

Thank god the world has changed. Google makes everything so easy to find, and Spotify means that I can… i mean, my friend can listen to all his (or her) music legally, before shelling out 25 quid on the pretty orange vinyl. But, i am most grateful that I don't have to search the internet for The Internet, who brought out a new album on Friday. Its called 'Hive Mind'. I don’t normally talk about Soul music, but The Internet are really really good. I urge you to go check it out, I've listened to it a couple of times this weekend, and it really suits this bright weather. I personally think it's their finest work so far for a great group of people at the top of their game.

Pale Waves would have been so easy to find on the old school internet. Not only because they have a super unique name, but also because they are starting to get really big. They are about to embark on their biggest tour so far, you can assure we will be there, and they have also treated us this weekend. The music video for their summer banger ‘Noises’, that guitar drop is epic. The video features front woman Heather Baron-Gracie as you've never seen her before, channelling her inner Bjork with makeup and sellotape.

It's good, and the tune, as you'd expect, is brilliant. Be sure to catch them live towards the end of the year, we saw them at Dot to Dot in Manchester, a solid live show, and a band who are on the grow!

Speaking of bands on the grow, Yonaka. We seem to mention them every single week. It's just so that, when they get huge, we will quickly be able to find one of these blogs and say “we told ya”. Michael mentioned them yesterday, we all love them here at ALOMR, and they keep churning out tune after tune and they keep getting better and better. ‘Fired Up’ came out on friday, it's on Spotify and its already approaching 100,000 streams on there alone. It's so infectious. Yonaka are also all over the place this summer, playing Leeds and Reading festivals, among others, and a massive headline show at London’s Electric Ballroom in October.

Another thing you could never find on the old school internet, was memes. The biggest meme of them all, Rick Astley, brought out a new album too. I listened to it. It's really good. It's like a walk through a meadow with the one you love. It's happy, it's a bit soppy, but its sweet. I'll be honest, I had no idea he was still making music, but it seems there is more to Astley than THAT song, the album is lovely, and he plays every single instrument. What a guy!

A busy weekend for music then? Those are the best weekends.

I believe The Vamps did some kind of album this weekend, too. I'll probably give that a miss.

Imagine Dragons also hit hard with a new single ‘Natural’, I reckon you'll hear it on adverts and trailers all over the place, so I’m not gonna say too much about it.

One you might have missed last week, though, is the adorable debut album from Aussie singer-songwriter Amy Shark. A emotional flutter of an album, a wonderful collection of lyrics delivered beautifully with feeling and a bit of melancholy. If that's not enough, Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus makes an appearance on the track ‘Psycho’. Well worth a listen. For fans of Christina Perri or Skylar Grey.

That's it. For now, internet friends.

Be good.

Song of the week: Pale Waves - Noises