Here we go again, time for another bumper crop of singles that have hit R13 Towers over the last few weeks. In no particular order we review the good, the bad and the ugly ranging from the established bands to the up and coming bands that deserve to be checked out, starting off with a couple of bands you may have heard of:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Let The Day Begin
BRMC return ahead of their 6th studio album Specter At The Feast carrying on where they left off with their last two awesome albums Baby 81 and Beat The Devils Tattoo. Fans of the trio will love this track full of their trademark distorted guitars and coolness personified feel from start to finish. This is truly a golden age for BRMC. Even better, Let The Day Begin is available as a free download, which you can get right HERE
Paramore - Now
I have to admit, I was never a big fan of Paramore, think I was born 10 years too early to really come under the prime catchment area of their fan base when they first hit the scene. However, their new single and first to be taken from their mighty 17 track album Paramore out in April, has a lot of maturity about it and shows the band have come a long way and fully deserving of being one of the power houses of the rock world. Now is a fast paced track that will have plenty of moshing when played live and makes me wonder what have I been missing all these years? Hayley Williams vocals prove she truly is the queen of rock. Now comes with a great video too, which you can watch HERE
Louise Distras - Stand Strong Together
Louise Distras is a firm favourite here at R13. We love her passion and how she uses that to create powerful punk-folk music of the highest order. So it was no surprise to us that she collaborated with Jenny Woo to make a song raising awareness for the very worthwhile S.O.P.H.I.E campaign. The partnership works and both Jenny and Louise give nothing but 100 percent in this powerful track. Louise Distras is currently travelling around Europe on tour for this campaign; make sure you go see her live when back in the UK.
The Glass Child - Stay
Charlotte Eriksson, the brains and voice behind The Glass Child, has already impressed with her talented, creative and powerful song writing skills and Stay is yet another track which is as delicious as the first pancake on Shrove Tuesday. Released for Valentines week, this ballad starts softly and romantic but then builds adding a bit of power and angst from the Swedish songstress.
Turrentine Jones - Della May
New single from the award winning Manchester trio is about as perfect of a chilled out, slow foot tapping, Hammond organ loving, feel good blues rock track you will ever hear. If you like your rock to have a heavy slice of blues in it, then you will be hard pressed to find anything better. The B-Sides Slam The Door, Candy Snake and Show Me Mercy continue with the Hammond organ love in and have a bit more oomph into them, with hints of classic The Doors.
Josefina Sanner - Do You Remember
Swedish singer with the vocal talent that suggests she has what it takes to make it. There are hints of Dusty Springfield and Adele in the vocals but thankfully the music has a little bit more edge to it thanks to the repetitive hard hitting drumming. May be a bit too poppy for most here but don't be surprised if Josefina Sanner becomes a household name.
Frank's Daughter - Fall Fully Backwards
Duo who gave up the bright lights of Brooklyn for gloomy old Deptford in London release their debut single. While it does have a haunting and compelling feel to the track, it just lacks that something to give it an edge to make it stand out from the crowd. The synths and drums feel like they have just been layered onto the track from someone's bedroom and not recorded. At times that can give a track a "homely" feel but not here. Although, has to be said, as debut singles go - there are a hell of a lot worse out there.
The Talks - Friday Night
Hull band made a big entrance on the ska scene, helped largely when Neville Staple collaborated with them on their previous release, not a bad person to get to give you that little step up! Ska is going through a bit of a big revival and Friday Night is a perfect example as why, it is good, honest and infectious. I have a sneaky feeling their live shows will be worth checking out too.
The Procession - Call You
The start of Call You gives strong hints towards classic Leonard Cohen. It soon becomes a lot more powerful but keeps the emotion and song writing skills that you would associate with Canada's finest song writer. The Midlands based 4-piece are joined by Emma Redhead who gives the perfect female backing vocals and compliments lead singer James Best perfectly.
Lace & Whiskey - Confuse the Mind
Ballsy, head bobbing, short, hard punching, blues rock that makes you want to be standing in a small intimate venue watching the band playing while drinking a nice bourbon and dressed up in lace, or is that just me? The growly vocals go well with the impressive guitars on this track and all in all is an enjoyable two and a half minutes blast from the London 4-piece leaving you wanting more.
The Longsands - Little Britain
Don't panic, this is not a song about the TV show, instead Little Britain is a powerful track about real life in struggles we all suffer day to day (unless you are a rich tax exile living in Monaco). The music is upbeat, enjoyable and then throw in the aggressive lyrics and it is a great track. As my colleague, Jodie Woodgate, put it recently reviewing The Longsands "Wraps brutally honest lyrics safely within foot tapping beats and feel good riffs, proving that whilst the truth may hurt, that doesn't mean you can't still dance like a loon whilst hearing it" and that folks, sums up the Newcastle's bands latest release. Superb stuff.
Wampire - The Hearse
Having a track called The Hearse leaves the door open to so many puns to be used to pan this track. Thankfully I am far too mature for all that nonsense. Sadly though this track belongs in a coffin six feet under (sorry, couldn't resist). While it does have a 'lively' beat all throughout, it really fails to do anything to set the pulses racing. The vocals don't help, seem a bit whimsical and fail to revive the track.
Close Up On The Quiet Ones - Your Own Personal Coma
Hailing from North Carolina, this 4-piece produce your power pop-punk style which is exactly perfect for the fans of Taking Back Sunday, All Time Low and the like. Starting with an acoustic guitar for the first 30 seconds - you have no idea what is about to hit you after that. Plenty of high tempo music, lead singer Alex Cortright screams work well and backed up by Lindsay Cortright, who is yet another on the conveyor belt of great female bassists.
Crooked Tongues - Purple Circle / The Fever
This Leeds band are completely new on me but wow what an introduction. Both tracks are as cool as anything I would expect from the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and just as great. Both tracks have real edge to them, beautiful distorted guitars and vocals that feel right at home. Crooked Tongues music would feel right at home in both intimate and big venues. If these tracks were playing at a club, I would dance to them, badly dance to them but that's not the point. Although it has to be said Purple Circle does have more false endings than the final Lord of the Rings film.
Esper Scout - Shed Some Light
Progressive Alt-rock band from Leeds again, what do they have in their water up there to keep producing cool bands? The track is enjoyable and has quality from start to finish. Just not sure that the title of the track works as a constant shout, trying to make the words "Shed Some Light" sounding a bit edgier than what they really are. Other than that, it has full thumbs up and definitely a band to put on the 'must check out live' list.
Yeah and She Has Red Lips - (Get Down And) Disconnect / We Don't Want To Have To Fight You
Last but by no means least, we finish off this month's round up with a double 'A' side release from a talented up and coming band from London. The Alt-Rock meets New Wave sound on both songs are sublime. (Get Down And) Disconnect is by far the harder and punchier of the two but that Is not to distract away from We Don't Have To Fight You as both show this band have talent, great vocalist and can produce quality music.
And that's your lot for February. Once again, we are impressed with the amount of talent there is up and down the UK and would like to thank each and every one of you for making this a great time to be a music fan.