Why The World Needs Sleaford Mods: Feature.

Sleaford Mods are a minimalist post-punk duo from Nottingham. They've been causing a bit of a stir over the past few years, and I think because of the general situation we currently find ourselves in as a species, we need them now more than ever.

Sleaford Mods are made up of Jason Williamson (vocals) and Andrew Fern (music), who are both in their 40s. The two met at small Nottingham venue The Chameleon back in 2009, Fern was djing at the club and Williamson was playing a live spoken word gig. The two got talking afterwards and subsequently Sleaford Mods were born. They have released unfalteringly humorous, honest and interesting albums at a steady rate since then, with the last three gaining widespread critical acclaim.

The music they produce isn't really like anything else on the market at the minute, this itself is extremely significant as the amount of rising acts that are essentially souped up recycled versions of 2000's indie bands is stifling. Fern's music is dirty and grimy, with loud, thudding drum machine beats and bass lines as well as contrasting cheap sounding keys and very occasionally a snippet of a guitar riff. The music clearly takes a lot of influence from classic hip-hop and rap music as well as sounds from the more current UK grime scene, something which they speak about regularly. All of this lays underneath a barrage of well founded anger, put forward in a very broad East Midlands accent. In the words of the band themselves they are "electronic munt minimalist punk-hop rants for the working class".

I think it is fair to say that they are one of the only bands (not really sure if "band" is the best word) in the country that actually bother to say anything of substance. Most of the lyrics within their tracks are inspired by Williamson's heavy anti-austerity views and opinions. Whether you agree with his opinions or not, just the fact that they're willing to make a statement is something to admire. Many current bands and artists seem to be afraid of voicing their opinions on important matters in case they offend someone. This attitude does tend to forge very strong opinions on the duo, people seem to either dislike them intensely or think they're the best thing to happen to UK music since the Sex Pistols (the latter may be a little extreme but I actually heard that outside of one of their shows), this in itself is important. What's the point in producing music if it doesn't cause a discussion?

I suppose some people could have a valid argument when they say Sleaford Mods go about certain things the wrong way. Maybe they do sometimes pick one fight too many online and maybe they do say harsh things about up and coming indie bands on occasion. But to be fair, Blossoms are fucking awful.

It isn't only their recorded music that makes them so significant, everything about the duo's live show is compelling. Their stage setup is something that I find extremely refreshing, it is minimalist to the extreme, Fern's laptop sits on a solitary table (or barrel) and a single microphone stands on the stage. No backdrop, no confetti, just a laptop and two middle aged men. This is the case no matter the venue they're playing. I've seen them perform to a few hundred people at Leeds' Brudenell Social Club and I've witnessed them take to the stage of London's o2 area as support for The Libertines. Both times it was exactly the same, but it was more satisfying (and strange) to see them on one of the biggest stages in the country.

They have a total of eight full length albums. The latest album, 2015's "Key Markets" was their most successful yet, gaining them their first ever top ten release and a 7.5 rating from Pitchfork (it was also included on my top five albums of the decade so far list, which you can read here). Their 2014 album "Divide and Exit" is currently my favoutire album of theirs, this is likely to change as each of their albums has many unique and redeeming features. But with tracks such as "Tied Up In Notts" and "Tweet Tweet Tweet", it turned me into a fan of the band about 30 seconds into the album. Despite this, if you haven't had the pleasure of listening to them yet I would recommend giving their 2014 singles collection album "Chubbed Up+" a listen. The group also feature in an underground anti-establishment documentary titled "Invisible Britain", you can watch a snippet here.

If for whatever reason you just can't bring yourself to listen to them, I think it is only fair to acknowledge and understand their importance both musically and socially. Along with The Fat White Family and a small group of other artists, they're actually real, they cannot be replicated and they say what they believe.

Their latest UK tour is their biggest yet, it sees them make the step up from club and pub venues to locations such as Rock City in Nottingham (which they announced a second date for recently due to the large demand for tickets) and London's Roundhouse. You can see the full tour poster below:

Words: Liam Navey.

Ringo Starr's Copy Of "The White Album" Sells For Over £750,000.

The legendary drummer's copy of The Beatles' 1968 album sold for more than twice the previous world record.

As more people than ever are starting to collect vinyl, previous world records concerning the sale of of vinyl records are almost constantly being smashed. Last year a new world record for the most expensive album of all time was awarded to a unknown buyer for paying a cool £790,000 for The White Album.

The previous record was for the sale of Elvis Presley's first single "My Happiness", which sold for £30,000 and was held by none other than Jack White (you can read my article about his upcoming release here).

The most expensive album to ever be sold is technically Wu Tang's "Once Upon a Time In Shaolin", which was purchased by Martin Shrkeli for £2 million back in 2015. But because it was the only copy of the album to be sold Guinness dismissed the claim (albums have to be sold commercially to gain the award).

Ringo chose to sell his own copy of The White Album, issue number 0000001 I might add, in order to donate money to the Lotus Foundation, a charity with whose goal is to advance social welfare in many aspects, including cancer research and substance abuse programs.

You can listen to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", taken from The White Album here.

Words: Liam Navey.

Jack White Shares Track Form Upcoming "Acoustic Recordings" Collection: Listen.

Jack White has unveiled a previously unreleased version of a Raconteurs track titled "Carolina Drama", set to feature on his upcoming solo acoustic album.

It was announced in August that Jack White is set to release a huge double LP later this month. The album will apparently include acoustic versions of tracks by all of his previous bands and side projects. This includes songs by: The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and of course his solo work, the album will simply be titled "Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016".

He has already released a track from the upcoming album, a song by The White Stripes: "City Lights", which you can listen to here.

This latest release "Carolina Drama" originally featured on The Raconteurs' 2008 album "Consolers Of The Lonely".

He will be performing his first ever solo show on "The Tonight Show Will Jimmy Fallon", on September 9th, the day his new album is set to be released. Therefore ending his live show hiatus which he announced last year.

It has been revealed that the upcoming album will feature new versions of fan favourite tracks such as "Hotel Yorba", "Blunderbuss" and "Sugar Never Tasted So Good" as well as plenty of other album tracks and B-sides.

You can listen to the new track here.

Words: Liam Navey.

Milburn Update: Can We Expect New Material Next Week?

Earlier this summer I posted an article about why we should all be excited about the possibility of new Milburn material (which you can read here), it now looks like a new track or two could be just around the corner.

Earlier this week frontman and bassist Joe Carnall was set to return home from an Italian holiday, but before he left the country he tweeted "...Some big stuff happening next week". This is all that was needed to kick up a bit of a discussion, as fans of the band already knew that they've been in the studio thanks to a picture they shared on Twitter.

Fellow musician and friend of the band, Bill Ryder Jones also spoke about the prospect of new Milburn material in an interview with Exposed Magazine. He was speaking about a small Sheffield festival called Sensoria, which he will be playing in October this year. When asked about his current work with Milburn in the studio he said: "It’s been great. I love them guys. They’re such miserable bastards, which is nice. The two tunes we did, their fans are going to really like them. We had a lot of conversations about artists who come out and sound like they’re 18. You’ve got to sound like men. I’m very excited for them".

The band have already been featured in several music publications this past week due to them being announced as support on the latest Courteeners tour. They'll be playing with the Manchester band on two dates, including an already sold out show at Leeds' First Direct arena,

Milburn are also on the road later this month on a tour of their own, you can see the tour poster below:

Words: Liam Navey.

The Stanford Prison Experiment: Film Review.

In 1971, a group of students at Stanford University volunteered for an experiment in which they were divided up into prisoners and guards in a mock jail. Things quickly turned sour, events descended into infamous acts of sadism and submission, and director Kyle Patrick Alvarez presents the almost unbelievable events perfectly, with the help of his extremely talented cast.

In August 1971, Stanford psychology professor Philip Zimbardo transformed a small underground corridor and some empty offices into a "jail" . His intention was to conduct an experiment which would monitor the effects of unearned authority, depersonalisation and how institutionalisation can effect people who could be considered "normal". Whether the students would fill the role of prisoner or guard was determined with a coin flip, and just six days into the planned two week experiment, it was cancelled due to the alarming way in which the students (mainly the guards) filled their roles.

The events that took place have long been used as a case study to educate psychology students the world over, and have already inspired at least two other films; German film "Das Experiment" and 2010's "The Experiment," starring Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker. Although neither of these films follow the real life events as closely as Alvarez's vision, it gained largely very positive reviews as well as two Sundance film festival awards.

The cast includes well-known young actor Ezra Miller, who I have to say played his relatively short part the least convincingly. Michael Angarano and Nicholas Braun, stars of 2011's "Red State", (an incredibly claustrophobic, fast paced and intense film which I would also like to highly recommend) also star in the film. It is Angarano's performance as a John Wayne inspired brutal correctional officer which I enjoyed the most, and is the main aspect of the film that I am sure will stick with me. Billy Crudup plays the role of Zimbardo very well, showing the professor's inner turmoil due to the nature of the experiment and the toll it is taking on the characters but also his unwillingness to stop it from progressing due to the fascinating results.

Before the film hits the ten minute mark it has outlined the ideology behind the experiment and introduced the audience to all of the key characters. And for anyone who was familiar with the events that took place during the experiment, no matter how vague the familiarity is, the plot of the film is not going to be too surprising.

Initially, the idea of being a guard and having power over other people is amusing for the characters and the audience alike, seeing the smirks on their faces as they give their peers instructions is understandable and entertaining. But the tension begins to build almost immediately, as the mild amusement becomes something the guards want to enhance, causing things to get out of hand relatively quickly. Alvarez does a faultless job of demonstrating that although the characters know that what is happening is not "real" when things begin to deteriorate it doesn't make their emotions and feelings any less genuine.

As an audience member you start to forget that these characters are not in a real prison and that they can leave at any moment they choose. The fact that they are deprived of any sort of time or date measurement and are kept in a basement with no windows only adds to the distressful vibe of the film.

The use of close ups and long shots in contrast makes the film seem extremely claustrophobic, showing the emotional expressions on the characters faces as well as the confined hallway and windowless rooms they're contained in. This is accompanied by a very strategic use of score, convincing set pieces and acting, as well as exceptional cinematography, particularly in the few scenes that are set outside the confines of the basement. When this is all combined, Alvarez communicates his character's journey from giggling, relatively disinterested teenagers to almost entirely psychologically broken people in a very intriguing and entertaining manner.

You can watch the trailer for the film here.

If you'd like to read more about the real events that are depicted in the film, visit: http://www.prisonexp.org/

Words: Liam Navey.

Die Antwood Release Video For Their New Single "Banana Brain": Watch.

South African rap rave trio Die Antwood have released a new single with accompanying video. "Banana Brain" is taken from the group's upcoming album.

Their new album "Mount Ninji And Da Nice Time Kid" will be released later this year. However, yesterday they blessed the whole world with a completely ridiculous new music video, in which Yolandi can be seen to murder her parents by forcing them to overdose before the music even starts. Ninja dons prosthetic legs later in the video, clearly referencing Paralympic gold medalist and convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius as at around the five minute mark he appears to prepare to shoot Yolandi through a bathroom door.

If you're familiar with the group, none of this will be even a little bit surprising. And despite all the ridiculousness and stupidity Die Antwood have delivered yet another audio/visual treat, something that they've become known for worldwide.

The music is everything we've come to expect from them; ridiculously loud thudding bass, harsh synths, almost incomprehensible high pitched vocals and humorous yet incredibly vulgar rap verses.

The group played Reading and Leeds festivals this past bank holiday weekend and were surely a highlight for everyone who went to see them, including me. However, the BBC didn't deem their performance appropriate and have not included it in their iPlayer online library of performances from the festival. This is hardly surprising as the visuals during their performance showed women being eaten by their own vaginas and babies with humongous genitalia. They were also included in my "Who To See At This Year's Reading and Leeds Festival" article, which you can read here if you'd like.

You can check out the new video here.

Words: Liam Navey.

Netflix Release Teaser for Stranger Things Season 2: Watch.

American TV streaming service Netflix released a trailer today for a second season of their hit show "Stranger Things".

The trailer features mysterious phrases such as "The Pumpkin Patch" and "The Pollywog", which are presumably titles of the second season's nine episodes. The trailer also includes Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein's original score, which was a huge talking point for fans of the show (you can listen to the score here). The announcement is not a surprising one, the show became a huge worldwide hit almost immediately due to the convincing acting from the whole cast and the familiar '80s Steven Spielberg/Stephen King stylistic vision put forward by directing duo the Duffer brothers. it has been confirmed that the Duffer brothers will return to direct but no casting choices have been made public yet.

One of the assumed titles revealed in the trailer is "In The Fall Of 1984", implying that the second season will take place the year after the first.  

There is no specific release date revealed in the trailer, it simply states "coming 2017". 

You can watch the trailer for the second season here. 

Words: Liam Navey.

Who Could Play Glastonbury 2017? Headliners and Other Possible Line-up Rumours.

Rumours of who could play next year's Glastonbury festival have been circulating since the gates of Worthy Farm closed this year. According to several different publications and word of mouth, I have put together a list (in no particular order) of the 10 acts that are most likely to be on the lineup of the summer 2017 event.

Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac are a British/American folk rock band who, over the last 50 years, have become one of the biggest selling acts of all time, with over 100 million album sales. The band's name has frequented the Glastonbury rumour mill for several years now. However, festival founder Michael Eavis has said several times that they're just too expensive to book. Could next year finally give them the chance to prove themselves as Glastonbury worthy? After their set at last year's Isle of Wight festival I think it's about time they were booked.

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses are currently on the road with their "Not In This Lifetime" tour. After many years apart, the group's original lineup decided to put their differences aside and give their fans a string of performances they actually wanted to see. The classic hard rock group played Coachella earlier this year and their set was mostly regarded as a success. They have completely missed out the UK when announcing gigs this past year so a series of large open air or arena shows for next year are looking more than likely. With a backcatalouge as large and well known as theirs, they'd be a sensible (and possibly slightly dull) booking for next year's event.

Radiohead

The Oxford five-piece have been one of the biggest names in alternative rock music over the last 30 years and are a band that are sure to go down well with the Glastonbury audience. Next year's festival will arrive just as the band have finished touring their latest album "A Moon Shaped Pool", and it'll be 20 years since their career defining headline set on the pyramid stage. The group have played a relatively large amount of European and American festivals this summer so some UK festival dates will surely be on the cards next year. However, they've been known to play the occasional secret set, so even if they aren't booked as a headliner I wouldn't completely write them off.

AC/DC

This Australian band are another veteran hard rock group who are currently touring. They've been circulating the rumour threads of UK festival online forums for several years now and if they're going to play any it may as well be the biggest and best festival in the country. The four piece would surely pull a huge crowd at the pyramid stage and have enough material recorded to perform about 12 headline sets so I wouldn't be surpirised if they topped the bill next year.

The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses are a four piece indie rock band from Manchester. They reformed in 2012 after being at the head of the "Madchester" subculture music scene in the late '80s and early '90s, and played several huge outdoor shows. The band then went off the radar for a short while and returned this year with two new singles and a 4 date sold out stint at Manchester's Etihad stadium. With the possibility of a third coming looming, a headline set at Glastonbury 2017 would be an appropriate step up from their show at this year's T in the Park.

Foo Fighters

Formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters have been one of the biggest names in rock music, releasing a seemingly endless stream of albums and headlining just about every festival in the world. They were booked to headline Glastonbury in 2015 but were forced to pull out after Grohl broke his leg. They were rumoured to top the bill at this year's event but were not included, so a set from them next year is looking like a very likely (and uninspired) possibility. 

Diana Ross

Diana Ross is one of the biggest names in Motown and Soul music, and although she isn't quite big enough to headline the festival, the famous Sunday afternoon "legend" slot could quite easily be occupied by her in 2017. This slot has seen the likes of Lionel Richie and Brian Wilson, as well as this year's performance by Jeff Lynne's ELO. She's well known enough to get everyone, young and old alike, to sing along so don't be surprised if you see her name on the lineup poster.

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath formed in Birmingham in the late '60s and are regarded across the whole world as one of the pioneering bands of the heavy metal genre. They are currently touring and have stated that this stint of arena shows and festival appearances will be their last, claiming that next year will be when they retire from music. What better way to end a career than to play Glastonbury festival? they've definitely got the material and the fan base.

Kendirck Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is a Compton born hip-hop recording artist and rapper. Since 2010 he has become one of the biggest names in the genre and after the release of his 2014 album "To Pimp a Butterfly" he became an acclaimed artist throughout the world by fans of all genres. The themes the album explores ensure that many people can understand and appreciate it, therefore practically guaranteeing him a place at the top of most festival bills. Although he may not be quite capable of headlining the pyramid stage, a sub-headline slot or a headlining slot on the other stage is seeming very likely. 

 

Gorillaz

Gorillaz are a virtual band, created in 1998 by Blur front-man Damon Albarn. Their music focuses on genre's such as alternative rock, electronica and alternative hip-hop. Their first two albums went platinum several times and the band's previous Glastonbury headline slot in 2010 was a resounding success. With new material on the way in 2017, a Glastonbury comeback could be the perfect opportunity to put the band back at the forefront of the music scene after a six year hiatus.

Words: Liam Navey.

American Football Announce New Album, Release First Single In 17 Years: Listen.

There aren't many bands about that could wait 17 years between releasing albums and still ensure their fan base maintain a keen interest. American Football are definitely one of those bands.

American football are emo/math rock band that originated in Illinois in 1997. The four piece band's debut album "American Football" was released in 1999 and they only toured the album for around a year, reaching a mutual decision to split in 2000. After they had disbanded the album acquired worldwide critical acclaim, and for almost 15 years it's underground status remained prominent. In 2014 the band announced a string of festival shows as well as some headline shows, and since then they have made it clear that their return will be permanent.

The band's second EP, which was announced this week, is also titled "American Football" (you can find the track-listing below) and will be released on October 21 via Wichita Recordings. They will also play a series of album release shows throughout the US.

You can listen to their new track "I've Been So Lost For So Long" here.

The Tracklisting for "American Football":

01 Where Are We Now? 
02 My Instincts Are the Enemy 
03 Home Is Where the Haunt Is 
04 Born to Lose 
05 I've Been So Lost for So Long 
06 Give Me the Gun 
07 I Need a Drink (or Two or Three) 
08 Desire Gets in the Way 
09 Everyone Is Dressed Up

Words: Liam Navey.

Who To See At This Year's Reading and Leeds Festival.

Reading and Leeds festival takes place on August bank holiday weekend each year, and has boasted some of the best line-ups the country has ever seen. This year's line-up was met with some criticism. However, if you really look at it, there are plenty of top notch live acts to experience. So in no real order, here's a selection of acts that I think are worth seeing at this year's festival.

Biffy Clyro

Main stage

Leeds: Fri 21:30-23:00 / Reading: Sun 22:10-23:25

Biffy Clyro are one of the biggest names in UK rock music right now, with seven full length albums and 21 years experience under their belt they certainly know how to put on a great live show. The Scottish three-piece's back catalogue is incredibly diverse, with their earlier material providing them with a somewhat cult following. However, it was their 2010 album "Only Revolutions" which rightfully earned the band their big break. They've played the festival several times before, last headlining in 2013. Some people were concerned the band wouldn't be able to pull of such a large show, but they were soon proved wrong as the band's set was a huge success with fans and critics alike. Their latest album "Ellipsis" dropped just last month and the lead single "Wolves of Winter"" channels some of their older (heavier) material. Their headline set is sure to be a highlight of the weekend for anyone who chooses to see them.

You can listen to "Wolves of Winter", taken from their latest album here.

Eagulls

Festival Republic Stage

Leeds: Fri 17:45-18:20 / Reading: Sun 18:50-19:20

Eagulls are a Leeds based post-punk four piece band that have been creating quite a stir both locally and nationally. The band's self titled debut was released in 2013, and after the release of their first single "Council Flat Blues" it was expected to be one of the best underground albums of the year. It didn't disappoint, the band toured the album worldwide and even performed on David Letterman's talk show to a huge US audience. They released their second album "Ullages" earlier this year and it has a slightly slower, moodier feel. This newer sound combined with the more hectic sounds of the first album will definitely ensure their set at this year's festival will be one to remember.

Have a listen to their 2013 single "Possessed" here.

The Vryll Society

Festival Republic Stage

Leeds: Fri 13:55-14:20 / Reading: Sun 14:50-15:20 

This Liverpool based psychedelic band are slowly but surely making a name for themselves in the UK. To quote the group's Facebook page: "Locked away in their subterranean rehearsal space for more than a year, The Vryll Society have been creating a complex body of work, to stimulate both the soul and mind". For me personally, that description alone is almost enough to make me want to see them live as soon as possible. But aside from describing themselves very well, The Vryll Society have played at several major festivals this summer, including Glastonbury and are on many different music publication's "ones to watch list". With rolling psych drum beats, funkadelic inspired guitar riffs and mellow vocals, their short set at this years Reading and Leeds festival is surely worth attending before the band move on to bigger things in coming years.

You can listen to their track "Beautiful Faces" here.

Die Antwood

Main Stage

Leeds: Sat 15:50-16:25 / Reading: Fri 16:15-17:00

Die Antwood are a rap/rave trio from Cape Town, South Africa, who are known worldwide for their intense and comical live performances. The group base their image on a South African counter-culture movement known as "zef", which begins to explains their eccentric and sometimes quite disturbing stage wardrobe choices. The group have three full length studio albums under their belt and are worldwide festival favourites, although this is their only UK festival date of the year. The band last played the festival two years ago on the NME stage, and with this year's jump to the main stage I'm sure they'll have something special in store. 

One of their biggest hits "I Fink U Freeky" is set to send the main stage crowd at both locations into a frenzy, you can listen to it here.

Pulled Apart By Horses

Festival Republic Stage

 Leeds: Sat 19:40-20:20 / Reading: Fri 21:30-22:05

The second Leeds based band to feature on this list, Pulled Apart By Horses are a massive force to be reckoned with when it comes to live performance. With a speedy and thudding rhythm section and shrieking guitar riffs, the band sound quite impressive on record but it doesn't compare to their live show. The four piece have spent a large segment of their career in and around the city of Leeds, playing their biggest and smallest shows to date in the city over the last seven or so years. The band's most recent Leeds show was in the city's Millennium Square, supporting The Cribs (you can read my review of that gig here), but they're more suited to darker smaller venues such as the Brudenell Social Club. Their set at Reading and Leeds will be played in one of the smaller performance tents at the festival so will suit their smaller club playing style, you'd be a fool to miss them.

Have a listen to one of their earlier (and better) singles "I Punched A Lion In The Throat" here.

Super Hans

Alternative Stage

Leeds only: 00:15-01:00

Everyone's favourite character from most people's favourite comedy TV show has come to life. Otherwise known as Matt King, the "Peep Show" actor decided this year to bring his Super Hans character to the masses through a series of festival performances. I don't really know what to expect from his set, but if his music taste on Channel 4 show is anything to go by, there will be plenty of Chemical Brothers and very little Coldplay being played. You may as well go along to his set, there's nothing else to do at that time really and I'm sure whatever he plays there won't be a better way of killing 45 minutes on that particular night.

You can watch a supercut of his best moments on "Peep Show" here.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Festival Republic Stage
Leeds: Sun 18:10-18:45 / Reading: Sat 19:40-20:10

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are one of the most exciting and innovative bands playing the festival this year. The band formed in Melbourne and are renowned for taking classic sixties style psychedelic sounds and turning them into something that sounds like nothing else about today. With three guitarists and two drummers on stage at all times, the improvised "jams" the band go into when playing live can make you forget that they even have any previously recorded material to play. The band have released seven albums in just four years and are set to release another four (yes four) albums throughout 2017. With previous material spanning from long winding slow psych songs to much harsher garage rock style crowd pleasers, the promise of so much new material next year really is something to be excited about. Their unjustly short set will no doubt be a highlight of the festival for me and anyone else who has the sense to see them.

Listen to their acclaimed transformative track "The River" here.

(I'd also like to recommend that you give "People Vultures" a listen).

Nas

NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage
Leeds: Sun 20:20-21:10 / Reading: Sat 21:05-21:55

Brooklyn born hip hop artist Nasir Jones AKA Nas is one of the biggest and best names on the line-up, despite his unjustifiably low down slot. He was originally added to the lineup as a "special guest" below Haim and Two Door Cinema Club (Haim have since dropped out) but the fact that Nas is playing below Two Door Cinema club is something I cannot wrap my head around. He has had eight consecutive Platinum and Multi-Platinum albums and his debut album "Illmatic", which was released in 1994, is regarded to this day as one of the best hip hop albums of all time. Tracks from this album will surely receive a massive reaction from the crowd. However, you shouldn't just take one album into account when considering Nas as an artist, he has remained relevant and prominent in the music industry for over 20 years. His discography is inspired by timelessly important matters such as race, politics, religion and drugs. It is safe to say that whatever he chooses to play at Reading and Leeds next weekend his set is one that nobody should miss.

Listen to "New York State Of Mind" here.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Main Stage

Leeds: Sun 21:20-23:00 / Reading: Saturday 21:25-23:35

Red Hot Chili Peppers have become a pretty much worldwide household name over the past 33 years. They formed in LA in 1983 and have enjoyed much success and critical acclaim off the back of almost all of their albums. Arguably the biggest name on the line-up, the band will bring their signature funk rock sound to the Reading and Leeds main stage and are pretty much guaranteed to be greeted by a huge crowd of all ages. The band's most recent alum "The Getaway" was released in June this year. However, the crowd will no doubt be gathered to hear classics such as "Under The Bridge", "Can't Stop" and "Californiacation". The band played at Scottish festival T in the Park earlier in the summer and pulled off a lengthy, career spanning set despite the grim weather. Their set next weekend is sure to contain lengthy bass solos and huge sing-alongs.

Listen to "Dark Necessities" taken from their latest album here.

Fat White Family

Alternative Stage

Leeds only: Sun 01:30-02:30

If you've read anything from this blog before or you know me personally, you'll know how I feel about this band. For me, there's no better band around, everything about them, from their scruffy and unkept appearance to their violent and unpredictable live shows appeals to me and plenty of others on many levels. They have released two completely different yet equally incredible albums and despite the fact that founding member and lead guitarist Saul Adamczewski has a tendency to not turn up for shows, the rest of the band continue through any and all circumstances. After unexpectedly releasing a new single titled "Breaking Into Aldi" earlier in the week, a late night show in the smallest performance tent at the festival will ensure that everyone who attends the gig will leave the festival the next morning with an experience they will be talking about for weeks afterwards.

Listen to their new single "Breaking Into Aldi" here.

There are plenty of other great acts playing the festival that didn't quite make this list. The Wytches are playing Leeds festival only on the Thursday night and are sure to get the weekend off to a loud and brutal start with their signature heavy doom rock sound (have a read of my review from the Garage show last here). Savages, Hinds, Foals and The Vaccines (read my review of last year's Brixton academy show here) are also sure to make the weekend one to remember.

Check out this full line-up poster here:

Words: Liam Navey.

Frank Ocean Continues To Tease With New Visual Album "Endless": Watch.

The New Orleans-born singer, songwriter, and rapper has released a visual album titled "Endless" today. Available through apple music and his website, the video continues to tease the looming release of his latest album, which was due to be released several weeks ago.

Frank Ocean has been somewhat of an enigma over the past few years, he seemed to disappear not long after releasing his 2012 album "Channel Orange", which was met with widespread critical acclaim. He has been teasing the release a new album, reportedly originally titled "Boys Don't Cry" for a few weeks now, leaving fans feeling anxious and slightly annoyed as he continues to fail to meet his own deadlines. Apple music released a statement to say that "Endless" is a "visual album" and is not necessarily music from his upcoming second studio album. They also told Pitchfork to "keep an eye out this weekend for more from Frank", but after his recent behaviour, I don't think any of us should be holding our breath.

A web stream which began around two weeks ago had been playing on Frank Ocean's website and the rapper returned to it last night to assemble wooden boxes that he had made into a spiral staircase. How mysterious. "Boys Don't Cry" will reportedly be accompanied by some sort of print publication upon its release, however, the status of the album continues to be unclear. You can find the tracklist below and watch "Endless" here.

01 Device Control
02 At Your Best (You Are Love) (Isley Brothers cover)

03 Alabama

04 Mine

05 U-N-I-T-Y

06 Ambience 001: “In a Certain Way”

07 Commes Des Garcons

08 Ambience 002: “Honeybaby”

09 Wither

10 Hublots

11 In Here Somewhere

12 Slide on Me

13 Sideways

14 Florida

15 Deathwish (ASR)

16 Rushes

17 Rushes To

18 Higgs

Words: Liam Navey

Fat White Family Unexpectedly Release New Single "Breaking Into Aldi".

Whether you love them or hate them, just about everyone knows who Fat White Family are by now. Their new single "Breaking Into Aldi" has been unleashed onto the world and it is absolutely huge.

The Brixton six piece are known worldwide for their hectic and raw live performances and are coming to the end of touring their second album "Songs For Our Mothers", which was released in January this year. Hopefully this new single is suggesting a third album is in the works.

The track sounds nothing like anything the band have released before, which is wonderful thing as it once again demonstrates that this extremely versatile act are not done yet and have plenty more tricks up their grubby sleeves. Featuring long time friend John Lennon and the frontman of garage rock band the Black Lips, it really is something to behold.

Fat Whites' frontman Lias Saoudi spoke to Noisey about "Breaking Into Aldi" prior to it's release and this is what he had to say: "This song is a post apocalyptic vision of a barely United Kingdom bereft of quality German supermarkets and their insipid low prices; 'Breaking Into Aldi' is the anthem that never was, a call to arms for the senselessness of our future futility, an overcrowded shadow begging for a rerun, a sell out by sell outs for sell outs. This Fat Whites collaboration with Cole Alexander of the Black Lips, Sean Lennon and Zumi Roscow of the K Holes is by all intents and purposes the sound of hopelessness attempting to bleed itself dry". Delightful.

You can listen to the track here.

The band are playing a sort of homecoming show at Brixton Academy later this year, with support from The KVB and the Black Lips it is sure to be a gig to remember.

Words: Liam Navey

Why We Should All Be Excited About The Possibility Of New Milburn Material.

The Sheffield four-piece have recently teased new material, tweeting a picture of frontman and bassist Joe Carnall standing outside Parr Street Studios with the caption "Just going to leave this here. Draw your own conclusions X".

For those of you that don't know, the band formed in Sheffield in the early 2000's and were made up of Joe Carnall (bass and lead vocals), Louis Carnall (guitar), Tom Rowley (guitar), and Joe Green (drums) and for many people who grew up with the 2000's UK indie scene, Milburn will be a familiar but forgotten name. This is due to a series of pretty unfortunate events. They rose up through the ranks of the northern English music scene at around the same time The Strokes were making a name for themselves over the Atlantic. They played their first shows around their hometown and even had a support slot from a then unknown band named Arctic Monkeys.

AM's drummer Matt Helders even tweeted saying "I saw milburn loads of times before I even owned drumsticks! Joe (green) pretty much taught me to play!! Not Debt!". The tweet came after NME posted an article about "Unfairly Forgotten Bands of the 2000's" in which they claimed Milburn were "a band so indebted to the Arctic Monkeys they make Miles Kane look like the most independent, misanthropic artist in the whole of the musical kingdom". A statement they would obviously later regret.



Their Debut album "Well Well Well" was released on Mercury records in late 2006. It was met with critical acclaim and established that signature Sheffield sound that many bands (admittedly including Arctic Monkeys) went on to imitate. Their second album "These Are The Facts" was released less than a year later in September 2007. Not long after the release of this album the band decided to go their separate ways, making it clear that there had been no falling out, and that they still remained friends and wanted to support each other as they explored new musical horizons. The band played two last shows, one in Glasgow and one at Sheffield Academy. The Sheffield show went on to become the band's crowning achievement. The show sold out in a few hours and was a very emotional event for the band and fans alike. You can watch the whole thing on YouTube here. The video has over 27,000 views and still pulls in comments referring to them as the "most underrated band ever".

Surely by now it's clear that the prospect of new material from this band really is something to be excited about.

All of the members went on to do other things, some forming bands including The Book Club and Dead Sons as well as two members going to on to play with Reverend and the Makers and even Arctic Monkeys. Frontman Joe Carnall has played a Christmas show in Sheffield for several consecutive years, with the venue has increased in size each time, moving from small pubs to legendary venue The Leadmill. The group's current reunion was announced at Joe's Christmas 2015 show. The rest of the band joined him on stage unannounced and played just one song, fan favourite "What You Could've Won".

On Christmas day 2015 Milburn came back to life on social media and announced a five night run at Sheffield Academy. All of the dates sold out in minutes. I went along to the second night and was absolutely blown away, after watching videos of them playing live and listening to their albums since I was about 11 years old I had pretty high expectations,  they were exceeded and then some. The band played an equal amount of songs from both albums and it felt as if they were at the height of their fame, and that the 8 year gap between shows had never happened. You can watch a fan shot video of the crowd reacting to the first song of the gig here. The gigs were a massive success, the band, fans and critics all agreed that a Milburn reunion is definitely something worthwhile as they still hold a lot of meaning to a lot of people, another reason to be excited about the looming new release.

All of this must mean something, the legacy they already have, taking pride in unjustly always being seen as the underdog. They've played to thousands already this year and have proved that they're not just here for nostalgia. They're a real current band with actual talent, and they've shown this time and time again.



A full UK was announced earlier this year, with dates spanning the whole country, from London to Glasgow and everywhere in-between. A large portion of it has already sold out but you can still get tickets for some shows, you can see the full tour poster with dates below:


 

Words: Liam Navey.

The Cribs Really Are As Northern As Killing Your Brother's Kestrel: Live Review.

The Cribs are a band that have something really special about them, whether they're playing to a crowd of 100 people in a Wakefield pub or thousands of people at a festival, they always put on a brilliant and somehow intimate show.

They proved this just last week, playing a huge show at Leeds' Millennium Square to a crowd of almost 10,000. With support from Thurston Moore, Pulled Apart By Horses and Menace Beach, it was quite a line-up for the humble price of 20 quid. The Cribs have always seen the city of Leeds as a bit of a second home and are always welcomed to the stage there with adoring open arms. This is due to the four-piece having a sort of cult following in the north of England, playing six sold out "Cribsmas" shows at the Brudenell Social Club in December 2007 and two sell out nights at Leeds o2 Academy in December 2013 are testament to this.



The Jarmans have just about got off the road after extensively touring their most recent album, 2015's "For All My Sisters", which was a huge success for the band. They announced this "homecoming" show a few months back, they immediately made it clear just how much it meant to them to be playing a gig this big in their adopted hometown. This was echoed on the night, with bassist Gary repeatedly thanking the crowd and talking about how much of an unbelievable experience it was for them.

The setlist was definitely career spanning, with songs from their 14 year discography being played throughout the hour and a half show. The band gave 2011 single "Leather Jacket Love Song" a relatively rare outing, this being the third time the group have played it since 2013. There were some curveballs in the set as well, opening with "Ancient History" from 2006's "Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever" certainly wasn't what much of the crowd was expecting. Crowd favourites such as "Another Number" and "Men's Needs" also made an appearance alongside the lesser known tracks. A personal highlight of mine was experiencing the live performance of "Be Safe", a poetic punk masterpiece from their third album, it has always been something special but the performance at this show seemed somehow more significant, with everyone holding their arms up and shouting back every word. The set's closing number, and the closing song of their 6th studio album, "Pink Snow" really was something to behold as well.

The crowd was as rowdy as anyone would expect at a Cribs gig with hundreds of sweaty heads jumping into each other and twice as many pints flying through the air. I even witnessed the odd lighter ironically appear in the air during the occasional slow number. Ryan (guitar) seemed to be feeding off the crowd's energy, encouraging chants of "Yorkshire" and "Wakefield" as well as instructing the crowd on how and when to open up mosh pits, especially rowdy tracks such as "Hey Scenesters!" and "Our Bovine Public". The band also branched out for the show in regards to their stage set, incorporating a pretty extravagant light show and confetti, something which you wouldn't see at a standard Cribs show.

The legacy of The Cribs really must be considered pretty impressive, whether you enjoying listening to their music or not, the fact that they're still able to play shows this large really does prove that they have always been one of the better UK indie bands. On top of all this they recorded and played with Johnny Marr (one of the best musicians of all time) for a few years. And with more and more modern bands such as Catfish and the Bottlemen rising up through the ranks its good to see people still give a shit about The Cribs, one of the only bands from the 2000's indie scene that have managed to make a lasting impression. Most have gone the way of Kaiser Chiefs, who are still about, relying the chorus of "I Predict A Riot" to pull smaller, balder crowds as the years go by (but if you fancy a laugh you can listen to their latest track here).

After the show the band shared this statement on social media, once again thanking the fans they love so much for enabling them to put on the show: "We have played 833 Cribs shows over the years. Last night was #1. Still have no words to describe how special that was for us. Thanks to @thurstonmoore58 @pulled_apart_by_horses @menace_beach and every single person that came along X".

Here's to another 14 years.

Words: Liam Navey

Fat White Family Announce Tour.

Brixton six-piece Fat White Family have announced plans to hit the road in early 2016 with their new album.

The band are currently in the midst of a UK/European tour, which ends in December. Today the band shared tour dates for February and March next year including shows at Nottingham's Rescue Rooms and London's Coronet Theatre. Tickets for the tour will go on sale this Friday (4th December).

The band's second album "Songs For Our Mothers" is due to be released on January 22nd next year. Their lead single "Whitest Boy On The Beach" is available to stream here and the tracklisting for the album is as follows:

1. Whitest Boy On The Beach

2. Satisfied

3. Love Is The Crack

4. Duce

5. Lebensraum

6. Hits Hits Hits

7. Tinfoil Deathstar

8. When Shipman Decides

9. We Must Learn To Rise

10. Goodbye Goebbels

Words: Liam Navey.

Why The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds Is Important.

The Beach Boys are often dismissed harmless as surf pop, typical bubblegum music but anybody who has listened to their 11th studio album will surely disagree with that opinion.

Whenever a critic decides that some work of art is worthy of recognition there are always doubters, and in the case of  Brian Wilson’s masterpiece Pet Sounds, it was the rest of his band that couldn't figure out what the big deal was. They were all happy to sing their parts on the record but didn't really comprehend the difference between this masterful album and the rest of The Beach Boys albums about picking up girls and surfing.

Despite the doubt he was facing, Brian pushed forward with the album and came out of the other side with a finished product that would continue to amaze people to this day. Everybody has heard the song "God Only Knows" but if you really listen to it, like really listen to it, you will realise it is one of the most beautiful songs ever to grace the airwaves. The vocals put down by Brian's brother Carl Wilson and the harmonies from the rest of the band are completely enthralling. The album is full of faultless tracks in terms of vocal performance, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Sloop John B" to name but a few and the music on the album was like nothing ever played in the mainstream.

Despite some resistance from the rest of the band and the majority of the American public being somewhat confused by what the record contained, it took off in the UK no problem at all. With the ever changing sound of The Beatles, young British teens were more open than ever to new and different music. The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band" famously stole aspects of the album and after it took off Brian was left feeling overwhelmed and unappreciated. But the point stands, without Pet Sounds, one of the most famous and influential psychedelic albums of all time would never have been made. And if it is any consolation to Brian, the album has aged beautifully and probably sounds even better today than it did in 1966.

Despite this it is widely regarded as perhaps the greatest pop album ever made. Everyone needs to listen to the album at least once, even if only to understand the huge cultural impact. And still, somewhere on Earth, someone is experiencing the sheer joy these tracks provide upon first listen and to that lucky individual, I say welcome to a new and much more pleasant world.

Words: Liam Navey.

Why Boogie Nights Has One Of The Best Soundtracks Of All Time (Spoilers).

Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 cult classic "Boogie Nights" soundtrack perfectly captures the culture he presents in the film along with the roller-coaster of emotions felt by the characters.

The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore and follows the story of a well endowed innocent young man looking to make his fortune in the vibrant '70s porn industry. The soundtrack follows the journey undertaken by the characters perfectly, though sometimes with contrast. Throughout the whole film, Anderson uses pop music of the era as a counterpart to what is taking place on screen, filling the film to the brim with many classic songs. The soundtrack starts will feel good songs such as The Emotions' "Best Of My Love" and tends to continue this feel good vibe throughout the film despite what is happening on screen. 

               

The first half of the film focuses on innocence, happiness and youth. The song "Mama Told Me Not To Come" by Three Dog Night is used alongside a scene in which Mark Wahlberg and John C. Reilly's characters first meet and begin to bond. During one of the film's most famous sequences characters are seen shopping and disco dancing in traditional '70s style. While this is taking place, KC And The Sunshine Band's "Boogie Shoes" is playing in the background, a perfect accompaniment to what is happening on screen and the general feel of the film up until this point.

Anyone who has seen the film will know of the dark turn the film takes as it enters the '80s at around the half way point. Despite this drastic and violent change of pace and feel the soundtrack continues to be mostly feel good, making some of the more shocking sequences hit even harder. 

In one of the hardest hitting scenes William H. Macy's character finds his wife in bed with another man and then goes on to murder her and commit suicide in front of his friends and work colleagues. This is a very graphic scene which some people find difficult to watch. However, it is accompanied by the song "Do Your Thing" by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd street rhythm band. The song itself is quite upbeat and has a positive vibe but when coupled with the on screen events it gives the scene another, much darker dimension.  Another scene stars Julianne Moore and Heather Graham, in the scene the soundtrack compliments the acting, lighting and cinematography perfectly. It captures the serious breaking down, self-destruction and mental falling apart of the two characters and is a huge contrast from the beginning of the film, when everybody is happy. Despite the dark nature of this scene the song featured is Roberta Flack's "Compared To What", a slow, feel good and relaxed soul song.

The film's final sequence reverts back to the long forgot positiveness of the start of the film, supported by The Beach Boys' classic "God Only Knows" it ends the film on a surprisingly positive note.

Words: Liam Navey.