Browsing Tag

The Smiths

LOVEBREAKERS RELEASE THEIR SINGLE ‘EYE ROLLER’

Posted on 26 April 2020

You can never say that the Britons can’t rock, it’s actually very much their cup of tea!

Lovebreakers set the example with their first single ‘Eye Roller’, an easy-listening alternative rock ballad that hints to a full-length album that apparently the Birmingham quartet is currently working on.

If you like Oasis’ and The Replacements’ open chords, ‘Eye Roller’ will satisfy you with its crunch strumming and melodic riffs overlaid on an upbeat pop tempo that makes your head cheerfully swing back and forth to the rhythm. Indie-ish (dare I say) vocals and honest and straightforward lyrics, you can’t help but sing along “guess what’s over, your eye-roller.”

Head over to Spotify and hit play on ‘Eye Roller.’

Review by Jim Esposito.

Marco Lippini – Acceptable Theories: Sex Appeal and Sun-Soaked Romance!

Posted on 9 March 2020

Well, well, well!

Marco Lippini is that guy! He is the guy that stands in front of a microphone, plugs in, and keeps you mesmerised for an hour in a darkened room without breaking a sweat. No bells, no whistles, no antics required. ‘Acceptable Theories’ is an album that is bound to keep you transfixed. His vocals are raw and honest, reminiscent of Jim Morrison at the height of his career, and his songwriting skills are superb.

Each song is eerily enchanting and his stories are weaved in a complex but pleasing way. Like The Smiths, his thoughts are often delivered satirically, without detracting from his powerful and heartwarming message. Mastery always seems effortless and Marco Lippini’s laid back, drawling storytelling is classically understated whilst remaining musically pure and impeccable.

‘Acceptable Theories’ is a timeless treasure that oozes sex appeal and languid, sun drenched romance. It isn’t often that you find an album of songs that flows so well that you don’t feel the need to skip some songs but, you can rest assured, there will be no need for your thumb to hover!

Listen to ‘Acceptable Theories’ by Marco Lippini on Spotify and have fun. Let us know what you think.

Review by Susan Harriott

Crow Quilled Confessions Release Fascinating Track ‘A Human Being on the Planet Earth’

Posted on 6 October 2017
A Human Being on the Planet Earth by Crow Quilled Confessions

I recently attended a De La Sol set at a festival in Queens. I enjoyed an interlude in which a voice from the trio said that sometimes you just need to let the beat play. It’s always nice to hear how artists feel about the things they make and how they make them. It’s also nice to see how artists whose styles vary greatly can agree on certain sentiments. Such is the case with Crow Quilled Confessions. Their track A Human Being on the Planet Earth perfectly demonstrates a group who know how to let the beat play when it needs to.

For the first half of the song, there are several elements introduced that seem to orbit around the catchy, strongly-mixed beat. You might miss some details along the way if you aren’t careful, but one thing is for certain, you will feel that beat. It doesn’t seem like a drum part that needs much elaboration. It may not have much to say. This doesn’t stop Crow Quilled Confessions from letting it lead the charge into the second half, which quickly but organically reinvents its status quo with fuzzy guitars and a bass that triumphantly makes its presence known.

From here, the track becomes a ride. Suddenly the beat has taken a backseat for the exploration of all the other themes that had previously been allowing it to lead. For such a dramatic change in priority to occur while holding onto the mood and tone of the song is a major challenge. Even as the song fades out in its last 30 seconds, you can’t help but feel the beat play on in your mind. This is a song that leaves the speakers and really does affect your mind for moments at a time. It’s not overly complicated, but it’s certainly a fascinating track.

-Paul Weyer

A&R Factory Present: Kidsmoke

Posted on 7 March 2016

Kidsmoke are back with their first release since June 2015. Channelling their established sound into their upcoming self-released singles, the quartet are releasing ‘Cut Yourself Loose’ on the 26th February with a follow up due to arrive in April 2016.

After having returned with a fresher, more focused sound and a second EP ‘So Long, Emptiness’ in April 2015, ‘Cut Yourself Loose’ looks to build on this and is the first single the band have released since.

The artwork for the two singles was designed specifically by local artist Mike Payne. After being given the two tracks to listen to, Payne ran with his ideas. A theme of night and day emerged from his depiction of them, the perfection summation of the different feels and influences the tracks gave him.

In ‘Cut Yourself Loose’, Guitar strums emerge from a watery synth into Kidsmoke’s statement twist on indie-pop, mixing their heritage and contemporary influences into the cocktail of sounds. Like adding burnt orange peel to a cosmopolitan, this track is the perfect complement to Kidsmoke’s existing discography.

Bio

Formed in 2013 in Wrexham, North Wales, Kidsmoke consists of: Lance Williams on vocals and guitar, James Stickels on bass and vocals, recent addition Sophie Ballamy on Guitar and vocals and Chris Trow on drums. They quickly rose to prominence in April that year following the release of their debut EP ‘Higher’. Since then the band have reached the final of the Green Man Rising competition, played the festival and also supported the likes of Paul Smith (Maximo Park), Glass Animals, Satellite Stories and Widowspeak. BBC Radio Wales’ Adam Walton took a liking to the band, playing a number of their tracks several times on his show and has voiced his support for them such as when talking about Track ‘On And On’, saying that “It would thaw the heart of a dead Polar bear”.

The indie-pop four-piece note some of their influences as The Smiths and Joy Division, among more contemporary bands like Wild Nothing, Real Estate and Deerhunter.