Hey you! Yes you! Like a bit of melodic-hardcore? Then stop what you’re doing and listen to this..
Napoleon are a 4-piece unsigned hardcore rock band from Exeter. Unfortunately, vague youtube comments tell me their singer is leaving, but hopefully that won’t stop them from being awesome tunes like this to the public!
Check them out here: https://www.facebook.com/Napoleon.Devon
RC xx
Honestly, I was quite stuck for something to write about today. I checked all the usual spots, music magazine sites, rock blogs, even trawling through Facebook for any video posts that I might’ve missed. Still nothing worth writing about.
Feeling a bit stuck, I decided to try Vevo. I don’t use it enough really. A quick flick through the rock section produced this awesome tune from Anavae. It’s a catchy one, a kicking pop punk sound with an electronic twist (if that makes sense?).
These London alt-rockers have already been featured in Kerrang, Rock Sound and AbsolutePunk.net. You can catch them on tour in the UK with I Divide this April, or at Islington Academy on February 21st. Dates on their Facebook here.
‘Storm Chaser’ is the first label release from the band and is out now!
If you like this, youtube search: Invaesion, World In A Bottle
RC xx
Note to anyone thinking of forming a band: Pick a name that’s easy to search for.
Apparently no-one mentioned this to North London’s Scholars. Lucky for them then, they managed to grab the most obvious Facebook page name: https://www.facebook.com/scholars (I’m linking this now, because if you search for them on there, you’ll find nothing).
The 5-piece have been paying their dues for the last six years, working hard at honing their sound and live performance. The effort has clearly paid off as they’ve landed some impressive support slots, touring with the likes of Pure Love, Twin Atlantic and Canterbury.
A quick rummage around their YouTube channel produces a few gems too.. Drifting between The Bravery style indie rock, breezy pop-punk ‘Tornadoes’ and the more post-hardcore influenced new single ‘Black and Blue’:
You can catch Scholars on tour in the UK this March, or at Camden Barfly on April 10th for their debut album launch show. ‘Black and Blue’ is out on April 1st, with the album ‘Always Lead, Never Follow’ out on April 8th. For more info, check their Facebook page here.
RC xx
I’ll be honest, I bought this album based on the weight of ‘Lighthouse’ alone. That and I’d heard the band name whispered by a few of the other bands / musicians I’m a fan of (Wil Francis, I think this was your doing).
Luckily for me, Mallory Knox’s debut album ‘Signals’ doesn’t disappoint. ‘Beggars’ kicks things off nicely. ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Lighthouse’ are the key tracks though, they scream out, demanding your attention.
There’s a sweet ballad hidden in there too, ‘1949’ is an ode to growing old together (a nice bit of out-of-the-box thinking from a band that clearly haven’t been married for 60 years).
‘Hello’ has to be my favourite track on the album though. There’s something about the vocals from Mikey Chapman in that song, the way he really sings, and like he means it as well. He shows off his skills again in ‘Bury Your Head’. half singing, half whispering and its genuinely touching.
We might have been kept waiting since 2011for this album, but it looks like the time was worth it. Here’s a band starting out with a clear sound and real talent behind it. Expect big things from these guys.
RC xx
For a bit of straight-up, growling post-hardcore, look no further than Canadian five piece Silverstein. This new offering from the band ‘Massachusetts’ will be going round your head all day after just one listen. To be honest, I’m wishing the band were touring the UK and not North America right now, because this a perfect mosh-pit inducing, fist pumping track.
Silverstein’s new album ‘This Is How The Wind Shifts’ is out now on Hopeless Records.
RC xx
It seems to be the thing at the moment for some slightly-forgotten bands to make their return with a new album. What’s that called – reunited album season? There’s many a band that I’d like to see come back from an indefinite (or even undeclared) hiatus, but I’m always a bit cynical when they do.
The first question to ask it, have they gone in a new direction? Is the band suddenly inspired to return, they’ve patched up their problems and want to start over (see Fall Out Boy, yesterday). Otherwise, there’s always that worry that the new return-to-form will actually just be another album in a line of many others, where the band has already established their sound and don’t really know where to go with it.
This seems to be the case with the new offering from Alkaline Trio. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve long been a fan of the band. It’s just something about the way new single ‘I Wanna Be A Warhol’ has me singing along unconsciously to the words of ‘Heart Stops Beating’ by +44. It’s not particularly bad. There’s nothing particularly good about it either though, which is disappointing coming from a band who’ve wowed me many times before.
Anyway, you can make up your own mind here:
‘I Wanna Be A Warhol’ is available from iTunes now. You can pre-order the new album ‘My Shame Is True’ from http://www.alkalinetriostore.com/, its out April 1.
RC xx
So Fall Out Boy are back. There’s a new album announced ‘Save Rock and Roll’ (a bit of an odd title, considering they’ve never been a rock and roll band – am I missing some irony here?) and a video released for first new single ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’. For once it seems the internet rumours are coming true.
Solo projects and a certain marriage / breakup with a female popstar aside, this is a band that haven’t had a huge amount of attention for a while. (In fact, a few months ago I found myself wondering whatever happened to them). The band must know that they’ve got to create something amazing to get back what they had.
It definitely sounds like they’re going in the right direction with ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’. On first listen, the song sounds fairly typical of Fall Out Boy. Catchy hooks, clever lyrics with a bite, good beat. Play it a few more times though, and it starts to sound darker, heavier. There’s more of an electro edge that we haven’t heard in Fall Out Boy’s music before. The vocals sound fiercer too.
There’s no mistaking the message that the band are putting whatever troubled past they might have had behind them. The video consists of rapper 2 Chainz burning the band’s memorabilia. The band’s Facebook page shows them doing the same (anyone else hoping Patrick hasn’t burnt his hat collection? I always liked his hats..).
To the band’s credit, this song does sound like they’re pretty tight. And they mean business.
Make up your own mind:
UK folks, you can catch the band at Camden Underworld on February 25. Tickets go on sale Feb 8 & 9.
RC xx
Fact: Bands from South East England are seriously overlooked. I would know. I’m a Home Counties kid myself, growing up with the likes of Hundred Reasons and Reuben. I’ve seen many a good band disappear, never getting the recognition they deserve.
One band that look set to break the trend is Reading natives Attention Thieves. The four piece formed in 2008 and have already had praise from the big rock magazines – Kerrang, Rock Sound and Big Cheese. They’ve even bagged themselves a play on Radio 1 after an impressive set on the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds last year. Oh, and they’ve won a Best Grunge/Hard Rock Group award from a radio station in Washington, DC.
Their sound is straight up British rock, with a post hardcore streak down the middle and a few punchy, punky choruses thrown in for good measure.
The band are releasing their new single ‘Can’t See The Light’ (think a slightly metal Hell Is For Heroes) on March 11. Track is below for your listening pleasure..
Clearly not ones to take a break, they’ve also got a much-hyped UK tour coming up this February / March with pop punks Neck Deep. For a full list of dates, check their facebook (London show is free entry!).
RC xx
Anyone else looking forward to Bring Me The Horizon’s new album ‘Sempiternal’? (I definitely am) What’s more exciting than the album coming out, is the fact that the band are releasing it direct to fans. You can pre-order the album from the band’s Pledgemusic page here.
Out today as well is the band’s new video for ‘Shadow Moses’, the first single from the album. Its amazing. (and well suited for the current blizzard weather). But seriously, you must watch this now. Right now.
RC xx
On the genre section of Rat Attack‘s facebook page, it simply states ‘party punk’. After a few listens to their tracks online, it doesn’t seem like such a bad description really. Full of angry vocals, power chords and an underlying sense of fun, the Exeter four piece know how to make an impression.
‘Bad Catholic’ starts out with a glam-rock tale of girls, before plunging into a Papa Roach-esque screeching refrain. For a bit more of a taster, here’s their new video for ‘Heartbeat’, featuring the vocals of Liam Cronby (We Are The Ocean). If that’s not enough ,it also has a guy crowdsurfing in a crocodile costume. Now that’s not something you see everyday.
Download ‘Bad Catholic’ from the band’s soundcloud here. Or check their Facebook for more info and UK tour dates in March.
RC xx
The Rock Chic 