Category Archives: Music

Listen To Richard Hawley – Haunt Me

Haunt Me is the b-side for the 10″ vinyl version of Leave Your Body Behind You which will be the first single release through the Richard Hawley Singles Club, available exclusively via Independent record shops for Record Store Day and from Hawley’s website.

The Singles Club will be a series of 10″ singles, b/w exclusive bonus tracks, to be released throughout the next 12 months (more information available soon at:www.richardhawley.co.uk ). The two-track download is available now.

Listen to the new track here:

Maroon 5 – Payphone Review

Maroon 5 are set to make their return next month with their new single Payphone featuring Wiz Khalifa.

The track is the second single off the album since the smash hit Moves Like Jagger,

And we have the new video for the single for you to take a quick look at:

Recorded in Los Angeles over the last year, ‘Overexposed’ is a rich, pop-infused collection featuring 10 new tracks.

The album was executive produced by Max Martin with additional tracks produced by Benny Blanco and Ryan Tedder.

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine said of the release, “’Overexposed’ is definitely one of our most diverse and poppiest albums yet. We had a great time recording it”.

Guitarist James Valentine added, “’Moves Like Jagger’ was the first time we ever worked with an outside writer, so we decided to try it some more on this record.

“At this point in our career I think it was a good thing to completely mix up our process and it yielded good results, as well as a more collaborative spirit within the band.

“We wanted to make something that sounded contemporary with the elements of a lot of early eras of pop music. This is our most pop record ever and we weren’t shy about really going for it.”

Aiden Grimshaw – Is This Love Video

Aiden Grimshaw’s debut single ‘Is This Love’ will be released on RCA on June 3rd. Written by Aiden, ‘Is This Love’ is taken from his debut album ‘Misty Eye’ which will be released on August 13th. The album contains all original material, co-written by Aiden and was produced by Jarrad Rogers (Lana del Rey, Tinchy Stryder).

Aiden appeared as a finalist in The X Factor in 2010. His audition is one of the most watched on YouTube – a striking a cappella version of Kanye West’s Gold Digger.

And this is the video for his new track:

Aiden said of the show: “I didn’t really know what I wanted from it. I love music, and I knew I could sing, but I didn’t think I was X Factor material.

“I’d been given this opportunity and I didn’t want to waste it. But I had no idea what sort of music was really me. Everyone else had their own ideas, but all I knew was what I didn’t want.”

Following his appearance on the show, Aiden, who is 20 years old, moved from his hometown of Blackpool to London and set up a home studio where he spent two years writing and recording demos with various writers and producers.

He found musical soul mate Jarrad Rogers (Lana del Rey, Tinchy Stryder), and the resulting songs make up his debut album.

‘Is This Love’ is an extraordinary, soaring pop anthem exploding with grinding drum & bass beats, and offers a taste of the light and shade, which Aiden explores in ‘Misty Eye’.

Jay James Picton – Acoustic Session

Five years ago Welsh born Jay James Picton had never sung or played a note in his life. Today, Booker T Jones, Roger Daltrey, Hal David and John Legend are among admirers of his unique soul voice – a voice he discovered entirely by accident.

Jay discovered his voice – albeit by chance. His song-writing emerged soon after, as a long term relationship began to fall apart.

Now, with a clear knack for translating his hard-hitting, fiery heart into song, the result is Play It By Heart, the debut album by a rare and raw talent.

Jay James’s startling vocal range and power conjures up ghosts of soul legends like Donny Hathaway, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and Al Green as he puts his heart and – yes – soul into a series of self-penned songs that chart the ups and downs of a turbulent relationship and celebrate the start of a new one.

Play It By Heart – due out in 2012 – was recorded between Brooklyn (NYC) and LA with a stellar group of session musicians from the hip hop & soul scenes, co-produced by Jay James, Mike Peden and Malay.

The album features guest appearances by two greats from different ends of the soul spectrum. Soul veteran Booker T. Jones co-wrote, plays and sings on Heads vs Hearts, and current star John Legend plays piano on Oh There She Goes.

The studio band includes Legendary Roots Crew players James Poyser, Jef Lee Johnson (Prince) and Raymond Angry, bass player Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz, Beyonce, Jay-Z), drummer Stephen Wolf (Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Katy Perry) and veterans Clifford Carter (James Taylor, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin).

In a musical era of Brit School graduates and X Factor contestants, self-taught, self-trained Jay James Picton is that rarest of discoveries – he’s the real thing.

Sylver Tongue – Creatures Video

Sylver Tongue – the new project from Charlotte Hatherley – was unveiled earlier this year in the form of the free download, ‘Hook You Up’. Seductive synths collide with Charlotte’s compelling vocals to create a delicious and irresistible slice of pop.

Now Sylver Tongue has announced her debut single ‘Creatures’ will be released on May 21st, and it carries on where ‘Hook You Up’ left off.

And we have the new video for the single for you to take a look at:

‘Creatures’ and ‘Hook You Up’ demonstrate a new direction for Hatherley; whereas previously she has written songs on a guitar, under her Sylver Tongue guise, she composes on keys. The resulting tracks stand out from her previous solo material and define a new chapter in her career.

Hatherley’s music inspirations include Japan – the name Sylver Tongue is part inspired by David Sylvian – Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads but whilst for some, influences are used as shortcut to their destination; Charlotte uses them as a direction to her own unique sound.

Currently working with the award winning remixer and producer James Rutledge (Fever Ray, Everything Everything), Sylver Tongue is committed to making timeless songs, with a majesty and versatility that’s hard to find but impossible to resist.

Skip The Foreplay Release New Album Countdown Video

To promote the imminent release of their new album Nightlife, Skip The Foreplay have released a new online video.

The video sees band memeber talking about the album and the types of music that they listen to as well as clips from recent shows.

Skip The Foreplay have perfected a unique and exhilarating new genre of music. The sound is a high energy raucous sound merging the heaviness of metal, earth-shaking hardcore breakdowns and the massive irresistible beats of electronic dance music that include elements of dub-step, hip-hop and house.

As the group recently explained, “We play party music. It’s a mix of hard metal and dance music, not really hardcore, it’s more like party core.”

Skip The Foreplay will be releasing their anticipated full length Epitaph debut, Nightlife, on 30th April, 2012. Until then, the band is taking their wild live show on the road in the US.

They just completed their first ever tour in the States, a massively successful stint supporting rising stars, Falling In Reverse. This summer the band will be appearing on the Vans Warped Tour.

Delilah Releases New Video For Breathe

North London 21-year-old sensation Delilah has revealed the video for her new single ‘Breathe’, which is out on May 14th on Atlantic Records.

Produced by Delilah and Hyperdub label’s LV, ‘Breathe’ was written by Delilah at the tender age of 15.

She says of the track: ‘Breathe’ is the first song I wrote in the first person. I call it my self-help song.’

To coincide with the release, Delilah heads out on her first UK headline tour, which kicks off yesterday (April 12th) at Glasgow’s o2 ABC 2 on, with further shows in Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol and Norwich, before finishing up at London’s KOKO on April 24.

Check out the new video:

Helena Bonham Carter Stars In Rufus Wainwright’s New Video

Helena Bonham Carter is one of the best and most versatile actresses that this country has produced in many and year but she is about to swap movies for music.

Yes the Oscar nominated actress has teamed up with Rufus Wainwright for his new and totally fabulous new video for Out Of The Games.

If you haven’t had the chance to see the video yet then check it out below

Out Of The Game is the first track from Wainwright’s new album The Game Is On, which is produced by Mark Ronson.

Single released April 16th on Polydor

Martin Kemp Reveals Fave Festival Performances

Festival season is just around the corner and to celebrate, pop legend and live performer Martin Kemp counts down the top 10 best festival performances of all time.

From old school classics to new generation music, the new top ten festival acts list reveals us Brits love nothing better than a show stopping performance, and according to the research, no one did it better than Queen in 1985.

Revealed today to announce the ticket launch for Eurostar’s hotly anticipated ‘Traction’ Festival, the list includes a few surprises:

Revealed today to announce the ticket launch for Eurostar’s hotly anticipated ‘Traction’ Festival, the list includes a few surprises:

1. Queen, Live Aid, 1985
2. Beyonce, Glastonbury, 2011
3. AC/DC, Castle Donnington, 1981
4. U2, Live Aid, 1985
5. Blur, Glastonbury, 2009
6. Jimi, Hendrix Woodstock, 1969
7. Nirvana, Reading, 1992
8. Bob Dylan, Newport Folk Festival, 1965
9. The Rolling stones, Hyde Park, 1969
10. Johnny Cash, Glastonbury, 1994
11. Muse, Glastonbury, 2004

The new research, by Q Now Magazine and shortlisted by the public suggests that it’s not only the older acts that are the best.

Beyonce’s world famous performance on the main Glastonbury stage in 2011 comes in at a massive second in the all-time list, a fantastic accomplishment for the first female solo act to grace the stage and shows that the ‘Bootylicious’ B appeals to both the older and younger generations alike.

UK Rock Music is Alive and Well

So, a while back The Guardian posted an article that spoke about the death of rock music, noting poor performances in the charts as a reason behind the assessment.

Thankfully, some of our favourite UK rock bands are proving this to be nothing more than ignorance and stupidity.

Whether it’s news at You Me At Six have debuted in the Top 3 of the Album Charts, or that acoustic folk-punk star Frank Turner will be headlining Wembley Arena next spring, there’s a lot of evidence to prove that the UK rock scene is thriving.

Sure, album sales generally are down (unless you happen to be Adele or have the backing of a huge label), but rock music (in its heart) was never really about mainstream acceptance.

Still, seeing several Top 40 charts on various weeks this year littered with names like Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters proves that rock music can (and will) survive the recent trend of over-produced pop and mindless lyrics.

It’s not just bands as big as those, though, who are making a dent – The King Blues managed to break into the Top 40 with their recent effort Punk & Poetry, with sound that is a far cry from the usual artists who grace the charts.

Of course, this should be taken with a pinch of salt – Frank Turner hit Number 12 earlier this year, but slowly dropped out.

That’s how it works – artists with a huge fan-base (or PR campaign) like Adele will constantly be selling 10,000 copies each and every week, whereas these lesser-known rock acts will have a strong first week as their loyal fan-base picks it up.

It’s still very encouraging, though, and it shows that maybe not everyone is interested in the latest reality TV star or pop act.

There’s a lot to enjoy and discover out there, from the likes of Your Demise and Enter Shikari to The Blackout and You me At Six.

Thankfully, these bands are starting to get recognition for their talents, and as the emphasis of the music industry shifts to the live environment, more of these bands will excel.