Tag Archives: the rock chic

(Anti) Valentines Day

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So let’s be honest, if you’re reading this, you’re probably not spending Valentines with that special someone. I’m definitely not. Today I’ve been baking with a friend, spent a long time stuck on a delayed train trying to get in / out of London (story of my life really) and now I’m curled up alone on the sofa watching South Park.

For anyone who’s feeling the same as I am, here’s my pick of the best anti-Valentines songs.

 

Blink 182 – I Miss You

‘Don’t waste your time on me, you’re already the voice inside my head‘.

Sums it all up really. I find it hard to tell whether this is actually an unconventional love song, or an ode to a break up. Either way, it works pretty well.

 

Funeral For A Friend – Juneau

‘Yet I’m nothing more than a line in your book‘

One for anyone who’s feeling sorry for themselves. Now with the added comedy value of seeing FFAF back in the old flicky emo-hair days.

 

Papa Roach – She Loves Me Not

‘Fighting all the time, this is out of line, she loves me not, loves me not‘
Stuck in a relationship that’s gone bad?

 

Evanescence – Call Me When You’re Sober

‘How could I have burned paradise? How could I? You were never mine‘

This one’s for anyone who knows they’re better off alone. Or anyone who needs reminding of that. You’re too good for them anyway..

 

Well I hope that whatever you’re up to this evening, you’re having a good time.

Night guys,

RC xx

New Music Monday: Scholars

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Note to anyone thinking of forming a band: Pick a name that’s easy to search for.

scholars

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

New Video From Silverstein ‘Massachusetts’

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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

Alkaline Trio Back With New Album / Single

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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

Single Review: Fall Out Boy ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’

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fall out boy

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

Friday Classic – The Distillers

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Its going to be another quick post tonight – sorry! Here’s one of my favourite tracks from my teen years. It redefined the concept of riot girl, with a ferocious, modern take. Not to mention inspiring me to travel California alone, wanting to discover the ‘city of angels’ for myself.

Here you go, its The Distillers, featuring the amazing (can’t say enough good things about her, basically want to be her) Brody Dalle.

RC xx

Today My iPhone Reset..

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Sorry for the extremely late post today. I’ve got an excuse this time though. I updated my iPhone to the latest software upgrade (the 6.01) and it completely crashed my phone. Having gone to the Apple store for help, waiting around for 20 minutes to get served, met a very rude helper who (between cutting me off to chat  to other staff members) told me I’d lost everything. If I wanted to them to try to fix it, come back in half an hour.

I returned later, meeting a much more helpful staff member. He managed to restore the phone to factory settings, but everything on my phone was lost. (Yes, I stupidly hadn’t backed it up).

It took me a while for this to register. I went through all the stages – denial (searching for a non-existent fix), anger, depression and then acceptance.

Some things are easier to get back than others. I know my family’s numbers off-by-heart. My closest friends sent their numbers through Facebook in less than an hour. My co-workers I retrieved from emails. I can re-install apps.

Its the smaller, personal things that are gone though. The messages I’d kept for sentimental reasons. The photos I’d taken which remained off Facebook, they were just for my memories. The numbers of ex-boyfriends that I’ve lost contact with. I might not need any of these things, but it was a build up of my life. I’ll never use the number of a guy I kissed in a bar once, but it would make me smile when I scrolled past his name in my contact list.

I guess I’m hoping there’s something good in losing it all. Maybe its freeing to leave all these things behind? As irrational as it may seem to be so attached to a small piece of technology, I’m feeling quite a sense of loss now.

Anyway, just to keep with the theme – here’s a song about moving on..

RC xx

Snow day / Friday Classic – Jimmy Eat World

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Well I hope everyone’s enjoying the snow as much as I am (if you have any). I’m pretty much stranded at home, so I’ve been busy baking brownies (see below) and catching up on some much-missed TV.

Anyway, here’s my Friday blast from the past (and one of my favourite songs and music videos ever), Jimmy Eat World – The Middle. It’s a song that’s got me through some tough times, and is a classic one to dance round your room to.

What are they up to now?

According to their Facebook, the band are currently recording their 8th studio album (so far unnamed). They’re also playing Download this year, so if you’re planning to go, make sure you don’t miss them!

RC xx

Free Download – ‘Bones’ (Acoustic) From Young Guns

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If you live in the US, you’ll probably be seeing a lot of this band in the next few months. Brit-rockers Young Guns are touring the States with 10 Years in February, with a slot of Krrofest thrown in. On the other side of the Atlantic, they’re playing Isle of Wight festival and Download this year, plus rumours of some new material coming soon.. – these are some very busy boys!

You can download their acoustic version of hit single ‘Bones’ by signing up to their mailing list here.

Go check them out now!

RC xx 

Watch Fearless Vampire Killers Documentary On Loaded Tonight

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If you missed the Fearless Vampire Killers documentary, ‘At War With The Thirst’ on tv last night, you can catch it again online at Loaded TV.com at 10pm.

I haven’t checked it out yet either, so definitely looking forward to this one!

Hope you guys are having a great night anyway, whatever you’re up to.

RC xx