Woops, its another late music bite tonight.. I’ve been slacking / rushed off my feet with other things this week. (That’s a poor excuse, I know..)
Anyway, here’s a lovely bit of aural goodness that I hope you’ll enjoy! Bristol kids Hello Lazarus have been compared to a lot of bands that they don’t really sound like. However, they do sound good, so here’s their new video for ‘Stallions’ (which looks, but doesn’t sound White Stripes-esque).
Enjoy!
RC xx
Yes, you did hear me right. It seems Mr Chester Bennington, of Linkin Park fame has teamed up with Stone Temple Pilots. He’s even surprisingly good at the epic classic rock vocals. I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise given that he’s used to screaming away in his regular band outfit, but that’s an impressively deep set of lungs he’s got on him.
Looks like this could be the new lineup for the band, given that they fired vocalist Scott Weiland earlier this year..
Check out Chester’s performance below:
RC xx
Growing up on the outskirts of London, I always had a fascination with the city. The bright lights, the tall buildings, the people. I’ve been going to gigs here since I was barely 11. By 16 I was old enough to be allowed into the city by myself. I would head up on weekends, hang around Oxford Steet, Leicester Square and, of course, Camden.
Back then Camden was the place to be if you were in any way part of the alternative scene of South East England. All the bands would play the pubs or venues along the main high street, The Purple Turtle, The Electric Ballroom, The Underworld. We’d plan out outfits in advance, smearing on eyeliner and white face powder.
Every goth inspired girl would have a flower from Black Rose. We could spend hours longing after the too-expensive corsets, compromising by buying fishnets and nail varnish instead. Then we’d head to the food alley for cheap noodles and sit out by the quays, trying to pass for locals, but so obviously just tourists. It didn’t matter. Just being there made us feel like the coolest people in the world.
The town had started to change even before the fire. Chain stores like Punky Fish (which I believe was once a single stall like the rest) popped up. The punks who were always out on the bridge started to disappear as the tourists increased. As online shopping grew, there was less of a need for the alternative stores. For the price of a London travelcard, we could get a t-shirt from Attitude Clothing.
Then the fire happened.
Black Rose, once such an iconic store would decrease until it was just another window to pass by. The increase in rent for the stalls would drive out many of the independents. Instead we were left with shops that sold the same clothes under different names.
I walked round the market yesterday, taking it all in. There’s very little left of the things I loved about the place. Save for a couple of vintage finds, there’s nothing there that I couldn’t buy online for less. Most shops fit into a category of either cheap dresses, rock / London / art t-shirts or prints, with a handful of furniture stores thrown in. Then there’s your standard second-hand books, drug paraphernalia and general tourist stores.
Its nice that the fronts of the high street shops have survived (see the Doc Martens for example), but there’s very little left behind it of the real sense of Camden..
RC xx
I remember when I first heard Gallows. It was this track, ‘In The Belly Of A Shark’. The raw, angry energy of frontman Frank Carter was immeasurable. This song screamed at me (literally). Its a real shame what happened with this band r.e. the departure of Frank and his joining of Pure Love.
I’m not saying that the continuation of Gallows as they are is a bad thing. I think they’re a great band too. It’s just that there was something about this lineup that was really something special.
In case you missed it the first time around, here’s the video for you:
Happy Friday kids!
RC xx
Have I mentioned how much I like Deaf Havana on here yet? I don’t think I have. Or I haven’t enough. The band’s new single ‘Boston Square’ is a lovely bittersweet piece of audio goodness. Its cheerful enough for a drive in the summer sunshine, but wouldn’t feel too out of place on a rainy day like today either..
The rockers are gearing up to release their new album ‘Old Souls’ this September, with a few choice performances at Slam Dunk festival lined up for the end of this month.
Have a listen here:
RC xx
Yes, so I’m a little slow at getting on this one. Maybe as I haven’t heard it yet, you haven’t either though? The amazing Stone Sour, featuring Corey Taylor from Slipknot have released a creepy, animated video for ‘Do Me A Favor’, taken from their new album ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 2’, which is out now!
The video is something of a cross between Sin City and Fearless Vampire Killers (the band, not the film..), plus a few zombies / explosions thrown in for good measure.
Enjoy!
RC xx
Right, so its New Music errr Friday today! I’m sure you’re looking for something upbeat to get you through those last few minutes / hours (hopefully not..) at work!
Here’s some great stuff that should put you in a better mood either way. The Deftones, arguably one of the greatest bands around (or so I’ve been told by many people around me..) have just released a new video for ‘Swerve City’.
Its Friday. Its the Deftones. There’s a horse. Be happy?
RC xx
I’m not sure what to make of the new single from Finnish ‘love metallers’ HIM. ‘Tears On Tape’ isn’t a bad song at all. It follows the fairly standard love / misery theme that makes all HIM‘s songs so relatable. It maybe lacks a certain spark, which makes other ballads from the band (such as Sacrament) more listen-worthy.
Still, its worth a go anyway, and especially with frontman Ville Valo having to cancel the band’s tour due to a severe asthma condition, I’m inclined to give them a break.. Wishing Ville all the best in his recovery ❤
RC xx
For those of you who haven’t heard of it, Islington’s Electrowerkz is a reasonably small, industrial focused venue not far from Angel tube station. It keeps up the industrial theme inside, where the actual venue feels like the background of a Victorian warehouse. Oh, and the toilets are unisex..
It’s actually the perfect venue for the night, as the mix of industrial, electro and ‘goth’ (I always use the term loosely) bands lined up for to perform will attest.
Due to some house-moving issues (read: I moved house on Sunday), I only arrived in time to see the last support acts take the stage. I found out later that the wonderful Fearless Vampire Killers were special guests, which makes it even more disappointing that I missed the other supports.
The support, whose name I couldn’t find anywhere (Obscure Pleasures have pulled out of tonight’s show) are obvious fans of Joy Division, based on their musical content. They’re also definite ones for theatrics, having a male (or female, I couldn’t tell) dressed as a mannequin for nothing more than stage decoration. The band made a good show of feigning paralysis during segments of their songs, even crawling to the floor for their finale.
By the time William Control takes the stage, the audience is still slim pickings. It doesn’t deter him though, as he launches into the crowd, hugging members of his support acts at random. The crowd sing along religiously, with the first three rows turning into some kind of goth club night, bodies jumping up and down to the dark beats.
There’s still a remnant of his days at the frontman of Aiden, as he twirls the mike leads across the stage, or spits out water into the audience’s faces. With his slick-back hair and suit though, there’s something much more debonair about him than his younger incarnation. The boundless energy is still there, and its what’s always been key in William Control / Wil Francis‘ performances. It’s what grabs the crowds attention and holds it. Its why every band on this bill clearly look to him as a role model.
It’s a shame there’s such a thin crowd, but that may be more due to the over 18 limit on the venue, than the actual draw of the act. Because this is really something not to be missed.
RC xx
So I know I normally post some ‘classics’ on Fridays, but this is too exciting to miss out! One of my favourite bands, California’s AFI have released a teaser video for ‘Convergence’, which is (hopefully) an upcoming new album, supposedly due out this September.
I honestly could not be more happy! Not to mention the fact that they’re following on from their previous releases with intriguing social content, videos and clues.. The band have always been at the fore-front of digital marketing campaigns, always finding new ways to engage with their hardcore fanbase. Its a great sign of how devoted and appreciative they are of their followers, and one I couldn’t be more grateful for.
Watch the teaser video below:
RC xx
The Rock Chic 