EMINEM GOES BERZERK

Eminem is back, or should I make that Slim Shady?

Because the bleached blonde do is back, judging by the video to brand new release 'Berzerk',

and you only have to listen to the song itself to hear that Shady is well and truly back in town.

After a victorious headline slot at Reading & Leeds last weekend, Eminem went about

sneakily releasing 'Berzerk' from forthcoming album 'The Marshall Mathers LP 2', his eighth release to date. If there's any modern artist you could credit for longevity, Eminem is certainly a strong contender, 

and as his career continues to evolve, the love, admiration and respect from his fans continues to get stronger and stronger.

2009's 'Relapse' saw a new side to Eminem, as he confronted his demons and laid himself bare, admitting to his troubled past whilst inspiringly stating that he had overcome it. 

We saw bold, emotional, honest songs such as 'Love The Way You Lie' and 'Not Afraid', both of which have become firm fan favourites, whilst the Slim Shady persona was put to one side.

He managed to convert his demons into something positive.

Addressing all he had to fear meant that he produced music that was angry and heavy at times, yes, but

it was also incredibly honest, paving the way for others in a similar positing and showing that

no matter what your battle, you can overcome it.

However I have to admit that as much as I admired Eminem for his courage

and strength to overcome his own battles and become a better man, and as much as his songs inspired me and so many others, I did miss the witty humour of Slim Shady.

I found myself on numerous occasions wondering if we'd see the return of this iconic, infamous alter ego.

And I'm so, so glad to say that he is back, back again (bad pun).

'Berzerk' is literally out of this world amazing.

As in, I cannot comprehend to you through text just how good  this song is.

Eminem is back on form, he's just as good as ever, if not better, and when you listen to 'Berzerk',

you can't help but feel like the master is back and he's steering the hip hop/ rap genre into its next era.

Just like he did back in the late 90's, Eminem is exploring new territory again,

going where no man has ever gone before, and it is surely only a matter of time before everyone else follows suit.

This change, ladies and gentleman, is the introduction of rock, or at least some pretty

mean electric guitar riffs and that crazy, free spirit element of rock.

And it truly sounds phenomenal.

This is an artist who knows exactly what he is doing, who knows his chosen genre inside and out,

and is brave enough to push the boundaries time and time again and never seems to

get it wrong.

Sure in this day and age that are thousands of rappers,

perhaps to the point where it's slightly overwhelming, but the return of Slim Shady

quite literally blows them all out of the water. 

And as the title of the song suggests, you will most definitely go bezerk for 'Berzerk'.

'The Marshall Mathers LP 2' is out NOVEMBER 5TH 2013.

http://www.eminem.com/ 

SPECTOR MEETS JOY DIVISION WITH NEW TRACK 'DECADE OF DECAY'

Spector are back.

But as the title of their new tour states 'Five Tours, Four Survivors', the five piece has downsized to a compact quartet as former member Christopher Burman has left to pursue other projects.

So that leaves us with Jed, Tom, Danny and the don himself, bespectacled lead singer Fred Machpherson.

Humorously addressing themselves as Spector 2.0, it seems that the band has undergone

 a transformation of sorts, what with the line-up and sound, which as the title hints, 

seems to have dived head first into a pot full of Joy Division. And you know what? It works.

I can't lie, it is different to what we saw on 2012's 'Enjoy It While It Lasts', but it still retains the core 

Spector essence, that unique, refreshing sound which defined their debut record.

The difference appears to lie in the fact that 1) their sound has slinked it's way further into the world of 80's pop, what with the synthesizers etc, and 2) it's darker.

It isn't made of the glorious, upbeat, summer fuelled goodness that 'Enjoy It While It Lasts' contained.

Oh no.

The two key differences I mentioned are the very reason why brand new single 'Decade of Decay' seems to be inviting comparisons to 1980's classic Joy Division. 

Now I don't know if this was intentional, or if via experimenting and tampering with their sound they arrived at this result, but it's hard to deny that it is very Joy Division-esque.

But then again, their debut was essentially Joy Division on high; how Joy Division might've

sounded minus the foreboding, ominous, darker influence. 

So you could question whether this direction was inevitable?

But I really can't stress to you enough that what Spector are producing now,

regardless of the eighties and Joy Division references, is genuinely good stuff. It really is.

'Decade of Decay' is a quick little number, reminiscent of Joy Division but it has Spector written

all over it. If you're a fan of Spector like I am, you'll hear that, and realise that both the band and their music  are still very much made up of all those key components.

It's just a bit of a twist is all. The beginnings of a venture down a different road.

And yes at first, it takes a bit of getting used to, you'll need time to adjust, but I can tell you now

that I've been listening to it repeatedly for the last half an hour. 

There's an almost hypnotizing quality to it, and although initially I was unsure about 

'Decade of Decay', I can assure you now that I really do like this song.

Very much so.

And I would definitely recommend a listen.

So all you Spector fans out there, don't flop dramatically on the floor in pre-conceived despair.

There is no need. Spector are back on fine form, albeit a little different yes, but still the Spector

you know and love, with Hawaiian shirts and turtle necks aplenty.

LISTEN HERE:

TOUR DATES AUTUMN 2013

SOUND BITE: BIRDY SPREADS HER WINGS

BIRDY-WINGS

The 17 year old English-Flemish beauty is back with her second album, 'Fire Within', expected

for release on 23rd of September, and the first single she has chosen to release is the

irrefutable gem 'Wings'. 

After seeing much success with her debut self titled album back in Autumn 2011, Birdy rose

to fame with her series of utterly beautiful covers and a number of self written tracks.

You'll remember her most for her stunning cover of Bon Iver's 'Skinny Love' or Cherry Ghost's 

'People Help The People', both of which went down a storm on UK radio stations,

particularly Radio One, helping Birdy to, dare I make the pun, fly, even further.

And now with album number two, Birdy is able to really flex her wings (cheesy pun I know),

and she has progressed to writing more of her own material.

With her debut 'Birdy', it was apparent that this girl had talent by the bucket load.

An emotive, rich, beautiful voice that when put to music and to good use, can bring any lyrics

or material to life and help it to resonate even further with the listening audience.

However a decision was made, either by the record company or Birdie herself, to demonstate

her amazing abilities via a cover album. An indeed 'Birdy' is a truly stunning offer yes, but

I think many of us wanted to see Birdy combine her voice with her own material.

Because an artist instantly increases in credibility when they can both sing and produce their

own material that is equally good. 

So the question was with Birdy, could she do it?

Well the answer is a definite yes, as her new single 'Wings' shows.

And judging by this, her new album is going to be a real beauty.

Birdy's own material is strong, well made, passionate, emotive, and of course compliments

her gorgeous voice even better than before. 

She is also an artist who is accessible to people of all ages, and although obviously

a younger audience is probably better suited as she is only seventeen herself, there's no doubt

that a Birdy gig will contain older, maturer fans who relate to the wise-beyond-her-years element

that is present in her music.

I suppose in some respects, you could hail Birdy as the new Taylor Swift.

I personally, as a seventeen year girl, can relate to her music in that sense, especially as the music

resonates more when the artist is similar in age to yourself or singing about topics in a way you can relate to.

However as Taylor ventures  further into the world of country-pop and global super stardom,

Birdy is a breath of fresh air, adopting a similar approach -young adult/teen trying to make sense of love, life etc.- but from a completely different perspective.

And the result is something genuinely commendable, stunning and unique.

So as Birdy soars to the next stage of her blossoming music career, you

may just want to be flying along behind her, because this is a young woman who really is quite something.

And I mean that in the absolute best way possible.

WINGS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJTXDCh2YiA

ALL YOU NEVER SAY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iB5MLmmgyE

BOTH OFF OF 'FIRE WITHIN' OUT SEPTEMBER 23RD

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/fire-within/id673276899

SUMMER SOUNDTRACK 2013

-WARNING, THIS IS A LONG POST! ( But it's interactive now, so I think that makes up for it)-

Hola my lovelies.

 I'm back, having indulged in a cute little two week break (finally) that has temporarily satisfied 

my need for travel, sun, hot weather, swimming pools and complete and utter relaxation.

Needless to say, I only got back on Saturday and I'm already craving a holiday

(preferably the beautiful Barcelona or basically anywhere in Europe will do just fine).

But never the less, I'm thankful I got the chance to go and now my fun is over,

the hard work shall begin...

So today's post is aptly called 'SUMMER SOUNDTRACK 2013' and it's basically

my ideal soundtrack for this summer, which I would like to share with you.

And don't you worry, the idea for this post was not conceived on a dull, oppressive, thunderous day 

up/down (depends where you live) here in the land locked confines of Derby.

No, no, the idea came about whilst cruising down a gorgeous tree lined road

on a bright, sun streamed, summers day in Devon, on route to the beach.

Perfect.

So with that inspiration in mind, let the soundtrack begin...

1) ARCADE FIRE

So first up is Arcade Fire, who I've been listening to a lot lately and as with the Arctic Monkeys, I've found myself jumping on the bandwagon five years after  it's left the station.

But oh well, who cares, they're great, and the euphoric essence of three key tracks led me to purchase

2011's 'The Suburbs' within the week, which is very unlike me.

I can't tell you how impressed  I am by this band, and I can't deny that a secret part of me wishes I was a part of it all, the eighth member.

Their music is perfect all year round of course, but I've found that summer especially suits their energetic, powerful, hypnotic, beautiful sound, especially when you're jetting down the road with the sun in the sky or soaring across the world in an aeroplane. 

Get Arcade Fire blasting out your speakers, it's what their music was made for.

My three key tracks are:

1) READY TO START

2) REBELLION

 

3) WAKE UP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zdNdjF-htY

__________________________________________________________________

2) VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Next is NYC's own Vampire Weekend, a band whose music could quite possibly be the audio representation of summer. If you're in the mood for indulging in music that seems to have been dipped into a pot full of summer, Vampire Weekend are your go to band.
Recent release 'Modern Vampire of The City' is jam packed full of summery tunes that will take you from the early surf mornings when the sun is beginning to rise to nights spent parting on the beach below the moonlight.
Of course 2010's 'Contra' is also full of some true classics, so for ultimate Vampire Weekend appreciation, make sure both these albums are prominent features in your music collection this summer.

My five key tracks are:

1) DIANE YOUNG

2) COUSINS

3) UNBELIEVERS

4) WHITE SKY

5) STEP

__________________________________________________________________

3) THE BEACH BOYS

These cheeky American chappies make up one of the most universally known and adored quintets, 

enjoying years of success due to their effortless harmonizing striking a chord amongst millions worldwide.

Of course one of the major reasons behind their success is the fact that these guys,

 as the name suggests, literally promote summer. No forget that, they are summer.

Mention The Beach Boys and you instantly think of sunshine, ice cream, surfboards and of course,

the beach. And who doesn't want to think of all those things.

So to inject a dash of old school summers and the nostalgia it brings with it, make sure to

get some Beach Boys classics.

My four key tracks are:

1) SURFIN' USA

2) CALIFORNIA GIRLS

3) GOOD VIBRATIONS 

4) I GET AROUND

__________________________________________________________________

4) BEN HOWARD

If you're in the mood for a summe sound that is quintessentially English and has the connotations of a quintessentially English summer, Ben Howard is your man. Hailing from the south west shores of Devon, Ben's folk-esque, laid back beauties are what you want to be listening to, especially if you're

spending your summer upon UK soil. This winner of two BRIT awards is a musician you can put your trust into- he knows what he is doing, and if you haven't been able to escape to the sea, Ben's music will bring the beauty and freedom of Devonshire beaches and seas to you. 

My three key tracks are:

1) OLD PINE

2) ONLY LOVE

3) THE WOLVES

__________________________________________________________________

5) KINGS OF LEON

The American quartet are hot on the heels of a new album release, 'Mechanical Bull', and although they may not be an obvious band to relate to summer, these guys do have a knack at producing and crafting classic, summer infused anthemic records that have been defining summer for millions for at least the last five years.

Their music really does seem to go hand in hand with summer. 

It's like a musical memory card, with people attaching Kings of Leon songs to key summer moments in an attempt to remember them in a deserving and nostalgic way. A way that will generate and match the memory and the feelings that go along with it. 

So with that being said, here are some suggestions...

My five key tracks are:

1) SEX IS ON FIRE

2) RADIOACTIVE

3) SUPERSOAKER

4) BACK DOWN SOUTH

5) FANS 

____________________________________________________________

6) JACK JOHNSON

Jack Johnson is a man who seems to live and breathe summer. 

A talented surfer (of course) and Hawaii born, his idyllic beach dwellings seem to have proved very inspirational in terms of his music making, and his gentle, relaxed yet upbeat tunes

 are more than essential in any summer soundtrack. Although less active in the music scene over the latter years, Jack has made some real summer gems that will go down as classics for years to come.

My four key tracks are:

1) UPSIDE DOWN

2) BETTER TOGETHER

3) YOU AND YOUR HEART

4) YOU AND YOUR HEART

__________________________________________________________________

OTHER ARTISTS

And now for a few other key artists & tracks...

7) DOG IS DEAD

(AKA. Nottingham'a finest, along with the mighty Mister Bugg) 

1) TALK THROUGH THE NIGHT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZTLJP74bLg

2) TEENAGE DAUGHTER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0hR70lBNgw

3) GLOCKENSPIEL SONG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhLynJBw20

__________________________________________________________________

8) THEME PARK

(a trio typically found dressed in Hawaiian shirts)

1) MILK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M3LUhnj0AE

2) JAMAICA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjoCAu8HPMw

3) TONIGHT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YlBwcLJnAE

__________________________________________________________________

9) PALMA VIOLETS

(Indie-Roc's newest bad boys)

1) BEST OF FRIENDS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjit0AuZNiE

2) WE FOUND LOVE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co5XsEmo2ug

3) STEP UP FOR THE COOL KIDS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLNekdqdEgw

__________________________________________________________________

10) THE VACCINES

(Fuelling summers since 2010)

1) TEENAGE ICON

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEgVwKkU3R0&list=TLjoQlPNHj0MM

2) IF YOU WANNA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJI90478MTE&list=TLhGw-Yp0XY_g

3) WETSUIT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY4J3sVMmN0

4) I ALWAYS KNEW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84no_HITKFo&list=TL36gPJAdjHMA

5) NO HOPE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_3eEPpmKwE&list=TLfE_aiQnOo08

__________________________________________________________________

And that's that for now.

Of course there are many, many more artists and songs that can be added to this soundtrack,

many more, but these are 10 key ones to get you going and 10 that have featured prominently in my summer so far.

I hope you enjoy and MAKE SUMMER 2013 A GOOD'UN alright?

(and remember, as Baz Luhrmann once said, always wear suncream)

NEW ALBUM RELEASES 2013 PART TWO

It's about time we started giving you the low down of the 

album's set to drop in the latter half of the year. 

And with autumn 2012 being particularly fruitful we were provided with some 

real corkers by the likes of Muse, Green Day, Mumford & Sons but to name a few.

So... autumn 2013 has quite a lot to live up to.

The question is: will it rise to the challenge?

As last time, it's weekly, starting with Mondays, and key albums are in blue.

SUPER SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER 2ND- 8TH 

JOHN LEGEND

'LOVE IN THE FUTURE'

SEPTEMBER 9th- 15TH 

ARCTIC MONKEYS

'AM'

GOLDFRAPP

'TALES OF US'

THE 1975

'THE 1975'

THE CLASH

'SOUND SYSTEM'

SEPTEMBER 16th- 22ND 

PLACEBO

'LOUD LIKE LOVE'

ELTON JOHN

'THE DIVING BOARD'

DRAKE

'NOTHING WAS THE SAME'

AVICCI

'#TRUE'

MGMT

'MGMT'

SEPTEMBER 23RD- 29TH

KINGS OF  LEON

'MECHANICAL BULL'

STING

'THE LAST SHIP'

SEPTEMBER 30TH-OCTOBER 6TH

DIZZEE RASCAL

'THE FIFTH'

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

'THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE PART 2'

THE LAST QUARTER
OCTOBER 7TH - 13TH

 

PANIC! AT THE DISCO

'TOO WEIRD TO LIVE, TOO RARE TO DIE!'

OCTOBER 14TH - 20TH


PEARL JAM
LIGHTNING BOLT


PROFESSOR GREEN
GROWING UP IN PUBLIC

OCTOBER 21ST-28TH
-

OCTOBER 29TH- NOVEMBER 4TH

ARCADE FIRE
-TITLE YET TO BE CONFIRMED-

NOVEMBER 5TH-11TH

LADY GAGA
ARTPOP

Now that's all I can give you for the time being as the details of albums being released in the last quarter of 2013 are only just starting to be dropped.

But don't worry, as soon as they become available I will be whacking them up on here.
So all in all, I think we can all agree that this is looking very very very promising.
*slow motion fist pump in the air in celebration*

WHERE TO BUY FROM:

HMV

http://www.hmv.com/

AMAZON

http://www.amazon.co.uk/

PLAY

http://www.play.com/

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

http://www.thatsentertainment.co.uk/search_cds.asp?gclid=CI7jyciYmLgCFfLHtAodqEIAqw

THE JULY MELTING POT: NEW KODALINE, KANYE, KING CHARLES AND MORE

So as we head into July, I'm pleased to say there's some real corkers being popped right now 

and for once, I've got quite a bit of new music to alert you to, so 

keep your eyes open for the goodies I've got coming your way...

And when you've seen them, whack those babies on your i-pod and get them blasting out, share

them with the world and give your neighbours a free ice lolly if they get cranky.

1) BLACK SKINHEAD BY KANYE WEST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5ZquHiI8wQ

2) OTHER VOICES  BY THE ORWELLS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG-RCoBNXpA

3) CALL ME IN THE AFTERNOON BY HALF MOON RUN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsHsnIsQDIc&hd=1

4) DO I WANNA KNOW BY ARCTIC MONKEYS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpOSxM0rNPM

5) GETTING EVEN BY WHITE LIES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmhVLtR0uzA

6) SIRENS BY TOM ODELL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VstyN3ww3_4&hd=1

7) BAM BAM BY KING CHARLES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxwWDw8Q2hA

8) HOME BY GABRIELLE APLIN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxwWDw8Q2hA

9) ALL COMES DOWN BY KODALINE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxwWDw8Q2hA

10) HURRICANE BY BRIDGET MENDLER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-njAuS7eTQ

So there's 10 key new tracks for you!

Enjoy.

NEW ALBUMS: THE BATTLE OF TWO K'S

IN A PERFECT WORLD BY KODALINE

YEEZUS BY KANYE WEST 

These two albums, one brash, one a jaw-dropping beauties, both went head to head in the charts last Sunday. A complete mix of sounds and origins, the clash was unexpected to say the least.

One is an American mega star at the top of his game, the other an Irish band who have been working their way up the ladder, enchanting everyone with their mix of soft indie-folk, gorgeously stunning tunes. 

Now on this occasion, Mr West beat newbies Kodaline to the number one spot, but for a debut to chart so highly (it charted at number three) and to go head to head with a serious chance of thwarting Kanye West of all people to the number one spot, that says an awful lot.

I pre-ordered 'In A Perfect World' and let me tell you now, that album is going down as one of my favourites alright. It's stunning, it's beautiful, it's perfect, it's original, it's all four seasons in one.

In a perfect world, we would all have this album and listen to it continously.

It really is that good.

Now I'm not going to do a whole review on the album, but I'll leave you with this:

If you liked 'High Hopes', 'All I Want' or 'Love Like This', you will adore this album.

It's just a fantastic debut and the reason for that is this is a band with genuine talent and each track is so beautifully crafted that each song stands well in its own right. 

I could try and pick a fault with this album but it would be futile.

I strongly urge you to go out and buy 'In A Perfect World' and let the magic of Kodaline captivate you just like they did me way back when (that's a pun- buy the album and you'll see why...) 

And as for 'Yeezus', judging by 'Black Skinhead', it's one absolute scorcher of an album.

KODALINE:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-A-Perfect-World-Kodaline/dp/B00AJCTY8S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372607796&sr=8-1&keywords=in+a+perfect+world+kodaline

KANYE: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yeezus-Kanye-West/dp/B00CV5ZPA2/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1372607841&sr=1-1&keywords=YEEZUS