Rapid Review.. SO MANY REVIEWS!

I exist, say whut?

Just a brief one to end my absentee ways and - more specifically - to keep a record of some of the reviews I have written for other sites. I'm gonna link to some of the better ones I feel I have written on this particular blog post - please go have a read if you're so inclined!

Aside from that, I currently appear to have mislaid my blogging mojo. I'm afraid I'm still looking for it. Creative block sucks.
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1. AlunaGeorge - Body Music

This was a really good pop album - surprisingly so - and it was pretty amazing live and tipsy when I was at Reading. (READ HERE)

1. Swim Deep - Where The Heaven Are We

Because - let's face it - that other album cover was just far too cringey! Bit disappointed by this album in all honesty; the singles were very promising but I can't help but feel the band failed to back it up. (READ HERE)

3. The Civil Wars - The Civil Wars

This album was seriously beautiful, and the voices of Joy Williams and John Paul White are exquisite! (READ HERE)

4. Fenech-Soler - Rituals

Fenech-Soler's second album changed tack a little; it was far more pop than their previous (which was also very good!), so it's really up to preference. (READ HERE)

5. Arctic Monkeys - AM

Easily one of the most hyped and anticipated albums of the past year, ever since 'R U Mine' blew everything out of the water! Being almost 2 weeks since I first got my PR through Renowned For Sound, I'm still of two minds about it. I do like the album, it has some very good songs, and even the ones that I don't run to, when they crop up on my playlist, I still like them. On the other hand, 'R U Mine' almost set the bar too high in my opinion, and it almost feels like a separate entity in comparison to the rest of the album. I tried to articulate my feels better in the actual review, however I still feel that I'm not quite managing to hit the nail on the head with my p.o.v.  (READ HERE)

6. MGMT - MGMT

I didn't particularly enjoy this album so to speak; it is very dense and experimental, though I could still recognise that it was artfully done, if slightly self-indulgent. However, I feel I concluded very succinctly in this review, so here we are. (READ HERE)

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There were a lot of other reviews I've done of the past month or two that don't really fit the nature of this blog, so I've skimmed over those, but if you are so inclined, feel free to read my entire Renowned For Sound works here :)

New Waves.. Swim Deep - 'Crush'

Ladies and gents, what is this? A post? An actual post!?

Alas, I am back from the wilderness, and what better way to get us back on good, loving terms than giving you some of the loverly Swim Deep. The "B-Town" (can we just say 'Birmingham/Brum' yet?) band have unveiled the bonus track from their forthcoming debut album, Where The Heaven Are We. I admit, I find myself asking this question of Swim Deep myself, for that album appears to have been pushed back; I'm sure it was due out in June? Ah well, who cares, when we have a new nugget of noise to whet out appetites.

'Crush' is the sort of Swim Deep affair that made us latch onto them in the first place; this isn't the emotional and atmospheric sister of 'She Changes The Weather', this is the slightly awkward adolescent brother squeezed somewhere in between 'King City' and 'Honey' that is attempting to be sultry and vying to get himself noticed. Austin and Co are on top form here, with the singer stating 'Take my breath and make me crush, talk real slow so I won't rush, take me some place I won't wanna be' over an intensifying, glimmering guitar. If this is the bonus track that they're willing to share now, I'm looking forward to the rest of the album!

The bonus track itself is available when you pre-order on iTunes.
Where The Heaven Are We is also available in CD and vinyl direct from the Swim Deep Store.

http://swim-deep.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SWIMDEEPUK
https://soundcloud.com/swimdeep

April BUZZ

Out with the old and in with the new as they say, and seeing as April is now behind us, I'd like to welcome you to the the first installment of my new feature - MONTHLY BUZZ!

In this feature I'll be highlighting some of the very best music that I've come across this month, amongst other things. So, to get the ball rolling.......

Peace @ The Kasbah, Coventry

I finally caught Peace live, and let me tell you they were brilliant - literally flawless! Whilst Superfood dropped out last minute, the support band JAWS were also very good and, as a whole, I have never seen a crowd so euphorically happy to be dancing and singing to their favourite band's songs! May the world be converted by the cult of Peace!

Swim Deep - 'She Changes The Weather'

This time, one month ago, I found myself pleasantly shocked by the first new song to be revealed to the world from their forthcoming debut album, Where The Heaven Are We. Even listening to it now, the song it still beautifully arranged and is easily their most mature effort; if you've missed it, it's a must listen!

No Doubt - 'Just A Girl'

You'll be seeing more of this further on in the week because, as I'm sure we're all aware, there are only a certain amount of Fridays (and therefore Flashback's) in each month. But yes, it's that time of year when the sun finally shows its face and certain genres of music become absolutely essential - in this case, ska and  No Doubt, and whilst I've mainly been listening to Rock Steady - the album from the 'Hey Baby' era - 'Just A Girl' is a classic song which encapsulates what the band is about.

Charli XCX - 'True Romance'
Charli XCX finally dropped her debut album, 'True Romance', and whilst it may have felt somewhat overly familiar to certain fans who lap up every single snippet that she drops (ie. me), it was a really strong effort, replicating that seamless feel of a mixtape and is jam-packed with high quality alt.pop choons. 'Cloud Aura' feat. Brooke Candy is a grower!


Daft Punk - 'Get Lucky'

Need I say more? It's the song that blew up April and threw everything else out of the water because, despite the retro disco makeover, Daft Punk are back and are back and milking the hype machine for everything that it is worth, they're going to be bigger than ever. 2013 is already their year.

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So there it is, the first MONTHLY BUZZ installment!

What do you think about April BUZZ? Do you like the installment? Do you think what I've posted above is BUZZworthy? What are your picks from April?

New Waves.. Swim Deep - 'She Changes The Weather'

It's been all about Peace for me lately, so much so that in my little music bubble, fellow Birmingham band Swim Deep had almost ceased to exist. Never fear, however! The B-Town boys are back with this beauty that goes by the name of 'She Changes The Weather'.

Swim Deep just seem to keep getting better and better; the intro to this song is delicately accompanied by violins before rolling atmospherically into a mid-tempo rush of heat fueled emotion, it is easily the most mature song that the band have produced yet, and makes every song that preceded it feel positively clunky in comparison. The chorus 'She takes my time, and I don't mind, she makes me feel like, like I can see for miles/ She changes the weather in my bones, seems like it's never getting cold' certainly makes singer Austin Williams sound like a man falling hopelessly in love for the first time, and the song manages to feel effortlessly timeless, with the band creating an atmosphere that will no doubt be memory evoking for anyone that becomes attached to it.

Swim Deep's debut album, Where The Heaven Are We, is to be released 29th July and includes previous singles 'King City', 'Honey' and 'The Sea'.

http://www.facebook.com/SWIMDEEPUK
https://soundcloud.com/swimdeep
http://swim-deep.tumblr.com/
https://twitter.com/SWIM_DEEP

New Waves.. Swim Deep - 'Honey'

Swim Deep is summer, and 'Honey' is a sun trap. OK, it's the wrong time of year and the Birmingham band aren't likely to see much seas or sand, but despite the harsh winter wind and balaclava inducing weather, I'm sure we can all manage to kid ourselves that tropical heat is somewhere on the far too distant horizon.

The song plods along in a chilled out manner, and the lyrics relate as an ode towards not wasting your life a la 'And don’t you dream in your sleep it’s just lazy''. But, to be honest, who can resist, when the sound of Swim Deep just makes you want to laze around and enjoy the view. Best enjoyed with a beer and a reclining sun lounger.

The band have recently announced their own headline tour February 2013.

14th Southampton Joiners
15th Birmingham Temple (HMV)
16th Leeds Brudenell Social Club
17th Manchester Soup Kitchen
18th Nottingham Bodega
19th Sheffield Plug
20th York Duchess
22nd Glasgow King Tut's
23rd Liverpool Kazimier
24th Bristol Thekla
25th Norwich Open
26th London XOYO
27th Brighton Green Door Store

'Honey' is OUT NOW.

http://soundcloud.com/swimdeep
http://www.facebook.com/SWIMDEEPUK
http://swim-deep.tumblr.com/
https://twitter.com/SWIM_DEEP