contents

4-9Rock 101: the 70s

10-11Format Wars!

12-13Question time:

magden audio

14-15Live Reviews

BRigade weekendeR

16we aRe the ocean

taLL ships

17chaRLie simpson

taking Back sunday

18-19gLasvegas @ caRdiff uni

20BRotheR @ cLwB

21veRsa emeRge @ cLwB

22-23fucked up @ cLwB

24-253oh!3 @ caRdiff uni

26-31Skindred Feature

interview & review

32-33make do and mend

inteRview

34-35Question time:

waLnut tRee RecoRds

36-37paeRto inteRview

By Justin

38-41 caRdiac inteRview

42-45cd ReviewsPercival

Contributors A-Z

nadine Ballantyne, alex Brady, Ryan Crittenden,

paul esp, Joshua hammond, hanna-Jane Roue,

anneka sillitoe, ed townend

Rock101The year

is 1970

The 70s hit and the hippies were still going for a while. Arguing their point with opposition to the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons, bringing about world peace and hostility to authorities such as the government and big business. A recession hit most countries

due to an oil crisis. Right at the end of the decade the Conservatives and Thatcher got into power in the UK, but that’s more for the 80s. So much animosity and bad in the 70s, its surprising we got so much good music from it.

Aerosmith

Proved that changing record label could reboot

your career. also provided items, other than

clothes, being linked to the band as their

signature. Yes, I’m talking about steve tyler’s

cloth piece on his mic stand.

AlBum you should check out: ‘toys in the attic’ brought them mainstream success. It also contains the epitomise example of a catchy rock tune “Walk this Way”.which would go on to be one of the most popular collaborations ever. this version with run-D.m.C can be checked out on their 1986 album, ‘raising Hell’.

the rAmones

they started punk rock, but received only limited

success. a critic once wrote, “the band’s first four

albums set the blueprint for punk (…) for the next

two decades”. took away long guitar solos and

made music quirky again. one observer put it,

“instantly nearly every band speeded up”. I’m

sure they meant to say ‘sped up’ though.

AlBum you should check out: ‘ramones’. If you know of the ramones, you’ll know that their synonymous with the phrase, “hey ho, let’s go!” Well this album features ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ which is the song that phrase originates from. this is also the album that bought punk and “speeded” everyone else up.

Words: Anneka Sillitoe

soundscape 05

Led ZeppeLin

Jimmy Page, robert Plant, John Bonham and Jon Paul Jones are four household names. their music was so diverse it’s influenced a range of rock genres and even some artists you wouldn’t think of; out of that including madonna, shakira and Katie melua. Jimmy Page was even seen playing his guitar with a violin bow... that is showmanship right there!

AlBum you should check out:Led Zeppelin IV. It contains ‘stairway to Heaven’, one of their biggest hits. It’s has an acoustic start before going into a belter of an electric track. It’s influenced tons of songwriters to write in this style, including ‘Free Bird’ by Lynyrd skynyrd, ‘Hotel California’ by the Eagles, ‘Dream Deceiver’ by Judas Priest and ‘Gunslinger’ by avenged sevenfold.

ALice cooper

He had incredibly daring stage shows and brought horror movies into music that was designed to shock it’s audience, such as guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood and snakes. He also experimented in new genres and gave bands more freedom to follow this idea.

AlBum you should check out: school’s out. It may be one of the most annoying songs I’ve ever heard, but it’s the anthem of school leaver’s every year since it’s release (and that’s a lot of years).

BLAck sABBAthWho hasn’t heard of ozzy osbourne? this was where it all started for him and the great tony Iommi. this band has not only been an influence to other musicians, but on other forms of media.

AlBum you should check out: Paranoid. a range of the songs contained on this album are still used in popular culture today. they’ve been in a host of video games, most notably the ‘Guitar Hero’ series. they’ve also been in a lot of films. ‘Iron man’ being both the title of the song and the comic book movie. Both independently are awesome, together they are astonishing.

QueenIf you haven’t heard of or don’t know these are you’ve been living in a cave surely? one of the most influential bands ever. Not only a collection of amazing musicians, but some of the best

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songwriters ever. Brian may is so good at guitar the Queen let him play on top of Buckingham Palace. Freddie mercury is another musician gone before his time, but he was the best front man to have ever lived. such a show man, such a martyr at what he did. Every single album they released right up to Freddie’s death was nothing short of perfect (including the tracks recorded whilst he was very ill).

AlBum you should check out: a Night at the opera. Each album is amazing, but this one has ‘Bohemian rhapsody’ on it. also a rocking version of our own national anthem in just guitar playing glory ends this album. Best version of our anthem ever.

dAvid Bowieright at the end of the swinging 60’s David Bowie appeared in the limelight and public eye with his song “space oddity”. People were hooked onto Bowie’s music from then on and he became a major icon of the 70’s. and it was in 1972 that he launched his Ziggy and the spiders tour as Ziggy stardust. Glam rock had hit and it was big! (It would make a few revivals here and then in later life, but this was it’s beginnings).

AlBum you should check out: aladdin sane (I could’ve picked ‘the rise and Fall of Ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars’, but my favourite ever David Bowie song is on ‘aladdin sane’ and that song my friends is ‘the Jean Genie’. Fans of hit tV show ‘Life on mars’ should be incredibly familiar with this song, but if you’ve not heard this or much other Bowie stuff, it’s a brill place to start, cause you will simply be hooked!)

the stoogesthey got off to a very late start in the 60’s, but by the 70’s they did well in Britain thanks to David Bowie under the name Iggy and the stooges. they started true punk rock in the 70’s and it was the erratic and hectic live shows that they were known for that would inspire generations to come. and it was during these stage shows that Iggy Pop invented the stage dive. Long may it live on!

AlBum you should check out: raw Power. It was controversially mixed by David Bowie in 1973 and Iggy Pop remixed and re-released it himself in 1997, but it’s the album that started true punk and made the stooges deserve to be on this list. this is the beginnings of punk and should not be missed for any punk rock fans!

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sex pistoLsthe god’s of non-conformity. Disappointed with Britain in the 70’s, they took on the challenge of fighting back in their own way. I wonder if they were younger what they’d think of Britain today.

AlBum you should check out: Never mind the Bollocks, Here’s the sex Pistols. technically their only ever studio album. But a fantastic release that shaped punk rock forever. there’s not been an album like it til it’s release and not an album like it since.

the poLiceone of the first white big bands to openly include reggae influence in their music, which was and probably still is a predominantly black style of music. the Police also paved the way for one of Britain’s biggest solo artists, sting.

AlBum you should check out: reggatta de Blanc. this is the album that made them big. also contained the huge hit ‘message

in a Bottle’.

BLondiean amazing band and fronted by an amazing woman. one of my heroes, Debbie Harry. a band that were right in there with punk in the early 70’s, managed to keep themselves around a lot longer by adapting their sound into the more disco sound. Never afraid to try their hand at something new, Blondie have been an influence of female musicians because Debbie was an incredibly strong and powerful front woman.

AlBum you should check out: Parallel Lines. Hit after hit on this album. at least half of this album would be classed as Blondie greatest hits. a brilliant start for anyone looking

for something with a woman who can sing!

pink FLoydone of the big prog-rock bands. took songs to the extremes. Either rEaLLY long, or rEaLLY short, but always put together to form a huge tale of a bigger story. they have been influencing prog-rock ever since.

AlBum you should check out: the Wall. this one makes it into the 70’s by about a month. But it started band’s really looking

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at music as something more than just a moment in their lives. this album was a rock opera, a tale of a man called Pink whose life had frankly been a bit shit! this album was turned into a feature film and theatrical effects accompanied it’s performances.

misFitsthe god’s of horror-punk. Bringing horror movies and punk rock colliding together. simple riffs, catchy tunes and songs about some of my favourite topics, including Halloween (also my favourite holiday!). What more could you ask for from a band?

AlBum you should check out: Walk among Us. one of their original albums.

there’s been so many collections with unreleased tracks and b-sides that it was really difficult what to pick. But start here and simply follow on, you can’t go wrong.

t. rexthey were a huge Glam rock band in their day, a music scene that has influenced tons of genres since. they were so big they experienced their own version of Beatlemania which was called ‘t.rexasy’.

AlBum you should check out: Electric Warrior. Contains ‘Get It on’, one of the

best songs to ever surface from Glam rock.

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Format warsIn march this year, mercury Records decided the way to go with music was downloads and so they are now limiting sales of physical formats for special releases and when there is significant demand for them. this has once again raised the now ageing question of where the music industry is going in the battle between physical and digital and what the future may hold for both.

If anything, this debate is a simply a continuation of the format wars and was somewhat inevitable. First there was vinyl, those large, fragile discs which many still treasure. then tape came along, which was a bit short lived and it wasn’t long before CDs emerged as the next big thing in music storage. along the way there have been arguments for and against every format: vinyl had a nostalgic beauty to it and an added atmosphere to the sound created through the imperfect method of creation; tapes were smaller and less fragile than vinyl though they snagged in the player and didn’t take kindly to strong

magnetic fields; CDs were stronger, could hold more information and didn’t have to be turned over for the rest of an album like its predecessors.Now we are faced with digital which itself brings positive and negative considerations. It lacks a physical format so it doesn’t take up space at home, downloads tend to be cheaper, you can have instant access to them rather than having to wait for delivery or go out and buy the physical version and even if you do buy the CD release, it’s probably going to end up on your computer or mp3 device in digital format anyway; but every silver lining has it’s cloud. If your computer crashes or you lose some downloads they can be tricky to legally reacquire whereas a CD can be popped back into the computer and re-imported. Not everyone owns a computer or has access to the internet, downloads lack the artwork which comes with a physical release and then there’s the digital rights management arguments not to mention the pride of having a collection people can see, explore and reminisce over which you can’t really do with the digital version as a list of items in a media player.

We also forget that this debate goes beyond our personal preferences and the industry which creates the music. stores like HmV are based

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soundscape 11 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Words: Alex Brady

around the selling of physical products and HmV has been since the 1920s. an immense section of the retail market would collapse if all record labels went the way of the download, an incredible shift from simply changing what format you sold in store to having to cope with everyone sitting in a comfy chair at home waiting a minute or so for the download to complete yet that seems to be the way people are going. 2010 saw £316m being spent on download music with a 30.6% increase in digital album sales but a 7% decrease in physical sales, the sixth year in a row where physical sales have taken a hit. this may spell the end of the CD as the dominant platform, but not necessarily its extinction.

When the CD came along, it provided a unique opportunity for vinyl, tape having been relegated to the glove compartment and floor of people’s cars, patiently waiting for the CD stereo to go on sale. Vinyl found itself being used for special releases and the preferred platform for many DJ’s as it gave them greater control over the playing and mixing of a record. If downloads continue

their unforgiving take over, perhaps CDs will go the way mercury has defaulted to and only be released for special editions. CDs then could become the symbol of something special, with content your average download could not hope to offer allowing the CD to become a signifier of the elite members of a fan base, those who own everything an artist has released and have the money to indulge their obsession.

It would be a tragedy if downloads were to stab CDs through the proverbial heart, especially as owning a CD means you don’t have to back up your digital collection to disc every so often which is time consuming and kind of defeats the point of the download. Perhaps those who champion the physical format are simply those who have grown up with it and cling on to the old ways, or are fed up of having to re-buy albums and stereo systems to play this new flanged witchcraft, whatever the case, this is just another round in the battle for progression.

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Question time

magdenAudio

soundscape 12

are a cracking

four piece alt rock band from South

Wales who’ve played shows with The

Guns, Failsafe, Straight Lines and Tiger

Please amongst others. The bands EP

is 5 smashing tracks, check out ‘Friday

Streetwise’ which is a stormer. We caught

up with the band for a quick chat.

how did you get started?

Drummer adam, singer Jeremy, and guitarist kyle played an acoustic covers show in a pub one christmas for a laugh and loved it. We called in Bassist Leon and magden audio was formed.

What have you got going on at the moment?

recently released a self titled EP available for Download on itunes amazon spotify etc, and also will have hard copies you can get at shows. We’ve also just filmed a pretty cool video with Huw Caddy. We are hoping to tour with new material from an upcoming EP in the summer so fingers crossed.

Favourite music and why?

Biffy Clyro, the Used, Foo Fighters, taking Back sunday, Youmeatsix, twin atlantic, KIGH, these sorts of bands have so much energy when they play. thats what we try and do with our music. We do all have lots of different influences and musical tastes. Kyle and Leon grew up with much more heavy metal tastes than adam and Jeremy.   Favourite book and why?

Not the biggest of readers but Leon read Catch 22. Found it a bit difficult first time round but actually got it second time round. Jeremy is a big fan of picture books!   

Favourite film and why?

Leon likes shawshank redemption because morgan Freeman’s got an awesome voice. But between us the list of films would be endless. It’s impossible to pick a favourite. Law abiding Citizen, snatch, Fight Club, Forgetting sarah marshall - all great films.    Best experience in the business?

Getting played on BBC Introducing on radio 1 by Bethan Elfyn, even though it was at 1 in the morning. and playing with the Xcerts and Failsafe - they are awesome guys and seriously good bands!

tell our readers an interesting fact about the band?

Kyle was the main informant behind the sexed up dossiers that started the Iraq War. adam was the milkybar kid from 1993-1996. Leon is the main understudy for roxy in the west end version of Chicago. Jeremy can be seen cleaning a window in a scene in Gladiator. Best thing about coming from Wales?

the scene is intense here!  People are ready to support you but can be brutally honest in the best way, which is a good thing really. It’s also a really strong music scene which in

the past few years has started to cast the shackles of being a hot bed for just emo pop-rock bands.You’ve got local legends such as stereophonics, manics, then more recently there’s FFaF, Lostprophets etc, but there’s bands such as Cuba Cuba, straight Lines, tiger Please and town who are coming through and showing that south Wales is not a one trick pony.  It’s a really good place to be for music right now.

Who are your role models/idols?

as a band we look up to all the great hook writers out there! obviously Dave Grohl is a massive role model to everyone in the business!

hardest thing about the current business?

Its so saturated around here so it’s really hard to get noticed and taken serious. so far everything we have done we have done on our own, out of our own pockets without any help and it’s tough!

Check the band out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/magdenaudio

Words: Paul Esp

NIght oNe kicks off in

spectacular style with a room

full of the most hardcore

Brigade fans. they’ve been

rocking to this band since

day 1 and we soon learn it

cause every forgotten lyrics

by the band is covered by

the crowd and that’s how it

should be, band and crowd

as one. Protecting each others

honour til the end. I mean

you’d forget a lyric or 2 after

writing 40 plus songs to play

in just 3 nights. No doubles, no

crossovers, a truly unique set

every one of the 3 nights.

the album from start to finish

was as amazing live as it was

to hear on record and as a

bonus to these dedicated fans,

Will cracked out the acoustic

guitar and the band played

some b sides to say thanks.

truly unforgettable.

NIght tWo kicked with just

as much enthusiasm. the set

was flawless if you ignore the

unfortunate moment where

instruments fail and that tonight

was the bass guitar. Nothing

to be done but stop the set and

fix the equipment. so Will takes

the moment to thank the bands

manager and someone shouts

drum solo. We get one and a

bit of instrumental rocking to

follow. Good way to fill a gap,

take note bands!

they return to the set once

the bass is back online and

continue through their amazing

second album. It’s melodic,

it’s brutal and it’s every thing

a good rock album should be.

and again they ended with

some rare b-side treats. Bring

on the final night!

NIght thRee again is a

kickstart onto a real journey.

But the most anyone here has

heard of this is demos, so it’s

gonna be a real rollercoaster

of a ride. again we hit bass

failure on the third song and

nobody cam believe it. But

it’s fixed quick tonight and we

carry on.

the new songs are lively,

they’re a bold statement and

frankly British rock hasn’t felt

this alive in years. and for

good measure the guys end the

night with the EP release from

april. a quality weekend and

a fantastic premise to play an

album a night. 10/10

BrigadeWeekenderThe hope & Anchor, London 8Th april - 10Th april

words & photo: anneka sillitoe

soundscape 15

the UK’s most promising post-hardcore band We are the ocean released their new album ‘Go Now and Live’ this april and treated their swooning fans to a headline tour. Live at millennium music Hall in Cardiff, through strobe lighting and smoke, the

silhouette of Dan Brown scratches the opaque atmosphere with his rasping screams, whilst Liam Cromby gains credit for his oil thick howling. Despite the variation throughout their albums their gig bounces between a medley of discordant screamo to

harmonious rock which fluctuate the pace slickly and churn up the mosh pit. these boys possess an enchantment and particular style of delivery that sounds just as pure and naturally talented as it does on record.

We are The OceanMillenniuM Music Hall, cardiff 27Th april

Words: Hannah-Jane roue

tall ships are a three piece band originally from Falmouth who are now based in Brighton and tonight they are playing in a brilliantly small venue in the centre of Cardiff. after releasing two relatively successful EPs over the last couple of months, it was going to be interesting to hear these songs performed live.

tonight the trio kick off with ‘Plate tectonics’, an absolute barnstormer of an opener, the mixture of driving guitar riffs and to-the-point beats are brilliantly crafted and with the vocals of ric Phethean telling the story of young love through the use of

geographical terminology, it has that ‘math-rock’ feel to it. about half way through the song, when the track breaks down into a drum and guitar layered wall of sound, it possesses some real quality that starts to wake the crowd up. a lovely guitar riff opens the next song ‘Chemistry’, and as the pulsing bass and tight drums accompany the guitar; the track has a feel of a casual jam about it. this all changes as the tempo takes a nosedive with soft keys and the repetitive “there is nothing but chemistry here” lyric driving the middle part of the song before reverting back to that lovely guitar riff to finish.

a very promising start to the set so far and as the tokyo Police Club-like synths of next track ‘Books’ kick in, it looks like this is going to continue. However as the synth opening comes to an end, bass player matt Parker seems to be having a few problems and the song never really gets going due to this.

although the band continue to be apologetic, the majority of the set was very promising and despite the difficulties they faced, no one at the gig should be put off as the potential is clear to see.

Tall shipsBuffalo Bar, cardiff 19Th May

Words: ryan Crittenden

We all guess how soon in before adam swings his mic or does the mick Jagger rooster strut. We don’t have to wait long as first song is ‘cute without the e’ and he starts almost immediately with both. the new single hits third song in and it’s a bit weak on first listen to the older tracks, but I’m told it’s a grower.

they mix up the set quite well, playing the very old to the quite new, even adding a few brand

new album tracks. But their setlist seems to rather lack the last album and I feel a bit sad that cause the old line up is back that they seem to somewhat ignore the newer line up stuff. I understand not completely, but there’s some real corkers on the last album that felt left out from the set.

the sound tonight is all over the place and it’s a bit disappointing that the band try so hard and often the backing vocals are just

lost in their lack of volume. timing was slightly off a few times too, but we’ll let them off that, I mean it’s 8 years since they last played together, there will be some teething issues, but sadly for me, this gig just didn’t have that wow factor that taking Back sunday have always bought with them whenever I’ve seen them. and whatever the reason, I hope that they prove me wrong next time they’re back and it’s all right back

there. 6/10

The Xcerts take to the stage in a modest fashion, as you’d expect at an acoustic show. there’s no flashy lights tonight, it’s just mellow.

the singer jokes back and forth with the crowd and it feels really relaxed. His voice is so powerful in songs. His voice carries even away from the mic and the room seems slightly amazed.

It would take a lot for anyone to follow that but Charlie simpson and his band take to the stage and it seems no trouble. He plays some familiar tracks tonight, opening with ‘thorns’. But the audience is treated to new tracks from his yet unreleased debut full length and it sounds really nice. He even played a song that he only just wrote and that nobody has heard yet. It was

truly beautiful and this is one of those very rare moments that just won’t happen again.

this show was a very special moment for Charlie and he leaves the stage looking thoroughly

chuffed. Well done! 7/10

Words: anneka sillitoe

charlie simpsOnTHe TaBernacle, london 10Th May

Plus: The XcerTs

Words: Hannah-Jane roue

Taking Back sundayTHe roundHouse, london 20Th May

Words: ryan Crittenden

soundscape 17

Words: anneka sillitoe

words: ed townend

Words & Photo: Joshua Hammond

words: ed townend

In the wake of their second album

release, Glasvegas’ stop in Cardiff

is one of the first in a long tour

that will eventually span the length

and breadth of the UK and into the

depths of Europe. after disappointing

reviews have plagued the band’s

second album Glasvegas perform

to prove their doubters wrong and

demonstrate the power of their music

on stage.

support band thomas tantrum come

with a big reputation, with high

profile fans ranging from Lily allen

to Huw stephens. tonight the croud

are mercilessly unresponsive, the

few watching the set appear to be

just maintaining their good spots for

when Glasvegas eventually take to

the stage. Despite the lack of crowd

participation thomas tantrum’s

showcase is rather good, lead singer

megan thomas’ whimsical vocals

are a stark contrast to the rest of the

band’s more aggressive playing.

New single ‘sleep’ is a minor shift in

tone and a good showcase of what

thomas tantrum can do giving us a

little teaser to their album release later

this year. though the set is good, the

band seem keen to get off the stage.

as the lights dim and the sounds of

scott Walker are muted, the crowd

finally comes alive, swarming from

the bar and seats to get the best view.

as the low Pain Pain Never again,

the intro to Glasvegas’ second album,

starts the crowd are whipped into an

almost hysterical state. as the band

arrive on stage the audience breathe

a sigh of relief as the tension has

broken and Glasvegas dive straight

into the World is Yours.

after the opening, the set flicks from

old fan favourites to newer material.

aware that the band’s second album

has been less well received by fans

and critics alike, lead singer James

allan tries to make light of the

negative publicity warning before

new track shine Like stars “We’re

about to play a few new songs now,

so now’s the time to go to the bar or

for a piss”. the crowd politely decline

his offer and receive each song,

whether new or old, as though they’ve

known it their whole lives. on CD, it

may appear as though Glasvegas’

second album is not as good as the

first, it becomes apparent through the

set that these songs were designed

to be played live, the band’s sound

on stage is massive which cannot be

successfully conveyed on a recording.

the rapport between Glasvegas

and their crowd is impressive, James

frequently allowing the crowd to sing

the chorus’ rather than himself and

always joking around in between

songs. James gives his beer to

particularly enthusiastic members of

the crowd and at one point regales

everyone with tales of their previous

tour where apparently their last gig in

Cardiff was the only one they played

sober and it is later revealed that

bassist Paul Donogue was sampling

the finest legal highs recently acquired

from the city centre.

the band leave the stage with a

wealth of favourites unplayed and

the crowd demand an encore. When

Glasvegas return to the stage they

finally play their biggest successes.

Flowers and Football tops, s.a.D

Light, Lots sometimes and Daddy’s

Gone bring the house down in an

astonishing crescendo and as the

band leave, the lead singer shakes

the hand of everyone (including this

reviewer) on the front row.

glasvegascardiff universiTy4Th May

soundscape 19

a respectable crowd has gathered on the top floor of Clwb Ifor Bach on a rather dim tuesday night, and people are here to see a band that are being touted as another one of those promising British bands, who may well be the next best thing. Brother declare on their website that they are a “Gritpop band from slough” now exactly what ‘Gritpop’ entails will hopefully be showcased in their set.

one of the support bands tonight are a five piece outfit from Nottingham going by the name, dog is dead. as soon as they make themselves comfortable on stage, all five members stand almost motionless as they start with the opening number ‘Head in Your Hands’ with a choirboy-like harmony before they delve into what is a very promising set. the vocal harmonies that were showcased at the top of the first song are a constant feature

throughout their half hour slot, and aside from this, the upbeat indie melodies that provide the backdrop incorporate some smart drumming and some good guitar and keyboard combinations.

as the venue is plunged into darkness for about ten minutes before Brother arrive on stage, there is defiantly an air of excitement swirling around the place. so when they arrive on stage and open with two unfamiliar songs that, even though the majority of the crowd have not heard, still have the people bopping along nicely to this bolshy and brash ‘lad band’, the four piece from slough are clearly appealing to this largely male dominated audience. tonight, Brother have become a six piece as they have called in for reinforcements with a mate on keys/guitar and a female backing singer, who acted as more as an erotic dancer for

the majority of the songs, as opposed to offering a valuable contribution.the final song of the night was another popular track ‘time machine’, one of the more widely known and popular songs they have released. Now what is so striking about this track is the huge guitar riff that has the feel of 70’s rock classic about it, along with an enormously catchy beat, it kept the crowd dancing until the very end. as the song and set come to an end and the band leave the stage they certainly have about them the swagger of a band who sense their time is coming. simple song structure, catchy lyrics and beats air of cockiness are all elements that will help this band expand, and with the release of their debut album, ‘Famous First Words’, coming ever closer, expect to hear a lot more from the “Gritpop band from slough”.

BrOTherclwB ifor BacH, cardiff17Th May

Plus: dog is dead

Words: ryan Crittenden

Words: ryan Crittenden

Not Advised, I’m a huge fan of the band and they are always great live and tonight is no exception. Kicking off with ‘the Winner’; the crowd are fully on the bands side, singing the words back at singer, Jim. they play a couple of new tracks tonight; one called ‘all I Need’ which is a belter. Ending with the killer combo of ‘right Now’ and ‘the Worlds Not ready’, Not advised proved they are one the best live bands in the UK at the moment.

It has been 2 years since Versa emerge have played Cardiff and the place is packed with eager fans and as soon as the lights go down, there is a massive roar! the band take to the stage and start with ‘stranger’; a track from debut album ‘Fixed at

Zero’. For a such a small person (she must be about 5 foot) vocalist sierra has a powerful voice and is not afraid to rock out, she is a great front woman and very compelling to watch and contrary to various reports from bitter ex-band members can definitely sing live; in fact her voice is spot on.

they play a good mix of old tracks like ‘Whisperer’ and ‘Past Praying For’, in which guitarist, Blake really shines, along side new tracks like ‘You’ll Never Know’ and the excellent ‘mind reader’. During penultimate track ‘Fixed at Zero’ sierra invites everyone up onto the stage and she doesn’t have to ask twice; it is crazy, the band continue and finish the song with about half the audience

on the stage, singing along, jumping and taking photos.

For last song, ‘Clocks’, she gets the people on the stage to sit down while the band play the song and she sings it from the middle of all the bodies; absolutely brilliant. once the show has finished the band stay onstage to sign autographs and take photos and give hugs to anyone that wanted them.

I liked VersaEmerge before the show but they were brilliant and really blew me away, much better than I’d thought they’d be, if you can, check them out or pick up the album ‘Fixed at Zero. 9/10

versa emergeclwB ifor BacH, cardiff19Th May

Plus: NoT advised

Words: Paul Esp

soundscape 21

Fucked upclwB ifor BacH, cardiff7Th May

Plus: iceage & Black luNgs

Well, it’s one in the afternoon, it’s a saturday and there’s

a gig on in the bottom quarters of Clwb Ifor Bach.

Having been to a few matinee shows that feeling of

seeing one hell of an energetic band at this day of day

never grows far from being odd. there’s a crowd here

but far from a filler.

What I thought was a band sound checking was in fact

a band playing, Iceage look dull, feel dull and sound

dull. If I’d of known these dreary looking lads were the

openers I would of taken the option to have an extra

half hour in bed and saved my ears the poor excuse of

‘music’ they’d slapped together. However, things take a

greater turn when Black Lungs turn the heat up. Fierce, in

determination and in sound, as well as looking menacing

as singer Wade macNeil stomps towards the crowd,

such a contrast to alexisonfire, but it sounds terrific. Black

lungs are a much more justified support for fellow friends

Fucked Up.

there’s not enough space to write about singer Damian’s

antics, from grabbing fans and having his picture

taken, crawling along the floor, making glasses with

his lead onto fans to climbing every obstacle in sight,

which included the bar and a brief and probably scary

encounter for the staff. as he muttered whilst clambering

through the crowd and tangled leads back towards the

stage, along the lines of Clwb being his favourite venue

due to the mass amount of things to climb on. Fucked

Up are a true example pure hardcore punk, a band that

do without most media and promotion as many other

bands get, but it’s shown within the crowd, if you’re that

good the fans will come, enjoy, buy the merch and chat

afterwards. For such talked about ‘scary man’, it couldn’t

be more wrong, he’s just embracing the crowd with his

punk love. oh, and don’t forget the rest of the band who

play as a tight pact and only get better with age. 9/10

soundscape 23

Words & Photos: Nadine Ballantyne

soundscape 25

3oH!3 like to bring the party… with

a house party filled past from their

hometown of Boulder, Colorado

(where the area code provided them

with a particularly confusing if not

iconic name) it’s hardly surprising.

they bring the party to the UK with

a startlingly dedicated fandom, but

after being associated with Fueled by

ramen (formerly home to acts

like Paramore, Fall out Boy and

Panic! at the Disco) you wouldn’t

expect any less.

the cult following continued with

the opening act with fans still there

to appreciate an american band

opening for another american band

in Britain. Hyro Da Hero (sic, literally

‘Hyro the Hero’) may have presented

a pretty interesting hip hop/rock

lineup with the incredible addition

of at the Drive-In’s Paul Hinojos on

bass… but the music was anything

but. ripped straight from the pages of

rage against the machine’s Zack De

La rocha’s notebook, Hyro presented

a very Eastern american sound rather

than the ‘Dirty south’ image he’d like

to project. maybe it’s inopportune as

a Brit to say something like that, but

the music sounded more Wall street

than Louisiana.

thankfully, the support in the form of

innerpartysystem far exceeded the

opener. Hammering out on drums,

synths and samplers the electro trash

was tightly condensed into six songs

and then blasted out with lights and

fury. although more suited to the

tighter confines of small clubs, the

darkness was still a good place for

this Pennsylvanian band (also home

to industrial rock legend trent reznor

– and the influence shows) who

despite the restrictions enforced by

sticking to their samplers (no backing

tracks here) still put on an impressive

visual spectacle complete with lasers

and strobes. the crowd’s reaction

to their dark sound and lyricism was

obviously different, but like Hyro

Da Hero, innerpartysystem’s fans

were out in force – maybe fuelled

by the heavy touring the band have

done previously in the UK rather

than Hyro’s internet presence and

associations. Definitely a band worth

seeing once they return.

3oH!3 took to the stage with surely

their most well-known song in the UK,

but not for 3oH!3 fans. ‘starstrukk’

famously recorded with Katy Perry

sounded a little more misogynistic

without the female addition, and

so it continued all night. However,

the mainly female crowd remained

blissfully unaware and adoring,

throwing up their hands to make

the 3oH!3 symbol. they moved

lethally across the stage, only

stopping to play keyboards or reach

into the crowd. obviously enjoying

performing live, they played two

covers for their own amusement ‘I

Believe I Can Fly’ and ‘rock You Like

a Hurricane’ displaying immediately

a cultural difference in levels of

cheese tolerated by the UK (many

walked out or to the bar during these

monstrosities). the set was mainly

their hits and included ‘touching

on my’, ‘my First Kiss’ (which also

had a female pop star Ke$ha in

its single version) and ended with

their worldwide hit ‘Don’t trust me’

(featuring the dubious line “Hush

girl shut your lips/do the Hellen

Keller and talk with your hips”. they

also played a new track ‘robot’ off

their forthcoming album of the same

name. overall the sheer dedication

and enjoyment of the fans proved

something… 3oH!3 are more than

just the music.

3Oh!3cardiff solus24Th May

Plus: hyro da hero, iNNerciTyparTysysTeM

Words & Photo: Ed townend

FeAtureinTerview &review

soundscape 26

“i wanted this to be our British record. i felt we wanted something that was really ‘us’.

- dan pugsley“

skindredcardiff solus3rd May

Even amongst the universally diverse music culture we have

booming over the world these days, Skindred remain a

unique band. Since the quartet formed in Newport in 1998,

they have kept their originality and distinctiveness.

Their genre is hard to pin point, most refer to their fanatical

mix of sounds as ‘Ragga metal’, but it is entirely yours to

judge for a special independent perspective. They cleverly

organise hard drumming, chug-tastic riffs along with jungle

scream vocals and sprinkles of electronics on top.

Before now, the boys were whisked across the pond to the

States to record, but this time, they set up base back home for

their 4th studio album.

soundscape had a chat with charming bassist, dan Pugsley

about their new album union Black before reviewing their

show in the cardiff solus.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever recorded an album here, we’ve

never written and recorded a whole album in the UK. Prior

to that, because of management and labels, we’ve always

ended up in America. It’s a very different experience out

there. We thought it would be important for us to do it in

London this time, because we’ve never done it. I think it really

made a difference. We’re all British. It was important to us

this time round to have a British stamp on it.”

The album reflects an anti-crime theme, not to mention the

heavy groove in the instrumentals. Evidently an album set

in the depths of English streets instead of sunny America. “I

think that was a result of being in the UK, the harsh reality of

being in the thick of London.”

Words: Hannah-Jane rouePhotos: Nadine Ballantyne

the band let this vibe inspire

them, even introducing the

album with a brief electronic

taste of the national anthem.

“Before we’d written a song,

I wanted this to be our British

record. I felt we wanted

something that was really ‘us’.

We’re home now, we’ve got

British management, British

Label, and we’re trying to do

it our way. So I guess that was

all in our minds as we started

doing it.”

Union Black contains an epic

recipe of metal, dubstep and

urban influences. refreshing

their independent genre of

music but cunningly taking it to

another level.

“We’ve always had those

elements in our music but a

lot of the time before when

I’d approach the producer

with my ideas, they would get

homogenised. Drum and bass,

dubstep, garage, bassline

house are all coincidentally

British. Other places have

adopted them, but they’re very

much our thing. This time the

producer really got it. He had

worked in that field with a lot

of British hip hop artists. So if

I were to talk about grime he

wouldn’t think that I was talking

about having a dirty kitchen!”

skindred possess a sense

of morality. aware of their

speciality and difference,

they purposely cross the line,

continue to push the

boundaries and set higher

leagues of music.

it’s funny ‘cause we walked off stage yesterday and Benji was saying, ‘sometimes i wish i was in red hot chilli peppers’ ...“

“

“What we highlight, is the

similarities in certain music.

A lot of bands try to do a

fusion of rock and urban

and I personally find that the

guitars are just an aesthetic,

and they’re not really doing

anything. Other artists can be

very static, very un-dynamic,

where as we really want it to

rock like a rock song and have

the push and pull of these

other elements.”

Featured in the album is special

guest, Jacoby shaddix from

Papa roach, who contributes to

the vocals in ‘Warning’ the first

single from Union Black.

“In so many ways Jacoby is

like Benji. He’s just as frantic

and as bonkers as him! Two of

them in the room got too much

for me. Benji asked Jacoby if

he wanted to do it and sent

him a B section to the chorus

and when I heard it I was like,

‘Dude, just go in there and do

it ‘cause that’s wicked!’ It was

cool! We toured with those

guys a bunch over the years

and they’ve always been good

friends. Some people can

become real assholes when

they get really massive but

they’ve never done that, they’ve

always been super cool.”

the track kicks you in the teeth,

with rhythmic pleasure. there is

a range of clean and distorted

vocals with a progression of

instrumentals throughout the

track. It pumps energy with

every riff.

the album is a battle between

reggae and metal, dancing

with you and then kicking

you in the ass. ‘Cut Dem’ and

‘Doom riff’ are great stews of

musical styles, a tablespoon of

dub, a cup of metal and a dash

of epic vocals.

Benji Webbe, the lead singer,

sole personality and reputable

front man, boosts energy into

their live shows and the band

itself. His crazy dreadlocked

hair and distinguishing reggae

vocals give skindred that

untypical twist, a revitalizing

change from a skinny long

haired poser who doubles

over to let out a screech.

Benji entertains his audiences.

alongside him and Dan, there

is guitarist mikey Demus and

skilled drummer arya Gobbin.

“A lot of the time with us, we

need to write some music that

we’re happy with to a point,

and then Benji can come give

his vibe and opinion on it. He

will sing on anything, you’ll be

tapping on a table and he’ll

be like ‘come on, keep going

keep going!’”

this may, skindred embarked

on their headline tour across

the country. Halfway down the

line, it was their next manic live

show in Cardiff solus.

“the tour has been Brilliant.

most of the shows are sold

out so it’s been pretty mental.

Even though we’ve announced

Download as well, the shows

have been packed”

the Band have announced

that they are playing a number

of festivals this summer,

progressing onto an australian

tour too.

“I really wanted to go back

to Japan but there’s not a lot

happening musically over

there for a little bit, which is a

real shame because that’s my

favourite place we’ve played.”

[cont]

soundscape 29

Later at the Cardiff Solus

Skindred’s support Me vs Hero

and Chiodos introduce the

chaotic night ahead of us.

“I was a fan of both bands

before we went on tour with

them. I’ve liked them for quite a

while, so it’s great.”

me vs hero, an upcoming

band from Blackpool, grace

the stage with beatdowns and

colour. they played a tight

rhythmic set of popcore which

was an enjoyable listen but

it lacked any real pick up for

the over 18s. Near the end,

sam thompson announced that

Chiodos were going to melt our

faces off and he wasn’t lying.

Like a murder in a brothel or

a haunted house of hardcore,

Chiodos raped us of our wits.

the mosh pit was churning up

faster by the minute under the

illuminating red lights. High

pitched singing and glass

shattering screams pierced the

venue. the lead guitarist, Jason

Hale, had natural moves and

impressive technique. Despite

dealing with a broken string

towards the end of the set he

kept sweeping, tremolo picking

and finger tapping the shit out

of his guitar.

as soon as skindred took to the

stage, the crowd turned into a

sea of momentum “Nobody,

Nobody gets out alive!” Benji

and his boys screamed to a

rasping crowd infesting the

Cardiff solus. the mosh pit was

deep and feisty. Blood was

even dripping down a lads

face. Every other occupant in

the venue had their eyes glued

to the stage. alike a puppeteer,

skindred jangled everybody’s

heads, making us all look like

the never-ending nodding dog

in a car boot.

the set list contained their best

hits, including Pressure and

stand for something. amongst

new tracks from Union Black.

Unfortunately, Jacoby shaddix

did not surprise us all with a

guest appearance. Instead

a chap from revoker joined

skindred onstage. Despite the

lone guitarist, mikey creates

enough power and texture to

pulsate life into the show. their

songs benefit and bloom with

live capacity, there is a great

quality to them that records

could never justify enough.

Benji didn’t hesitate to entertain

the crowd. He even had

a quick wardrobe change

towards the end of the set.

singing, screaming, laughing

and strutting the ‘heavy metal

robot’ was compulsory and

succeeded to uplift everybody’s

spirits. skindred don’t

bother with the frilly intros,

pyrotechnics or fancy stage

props. their gig is still purely

made up of music and a funny

front man. When Benji has

finished his act, they slam into

the next song, reviving you like

an sCU. they have a knack

for feeding all the attendants

ecstasy through their ears.

“It’s funny ‘cause we walked

off stage yesterday and Benji

was saying, ‘sometimes I wish I

was in Red Hot Chilli Peppers’

and he goes, ‘I want to be

Anthony Kedis, you can

be Flea”

Definite music architects, they

effectively mixed together dark

tantalising beats with latest pop

sensations. Featuring the likes

of rihanna at some points... oh

yes it worked. I’ve got to say,

I never thought I’d see a long

haired metalhead dancing to

tinie tempah.

Bearing in mind skindred have

a reputation to play some of

the best live shows ever on

this planet, to put their gig

into words is challenging.

the excellence of it is

indescribable.

rAndom QuestionsBest and worst part about being in skindred?

Getting to travel, being creative and getting to do something that isn’t generic. The worst part is that I’m a real home body and I love being in my house, cooking or a bit of gardening! Not being home, getting homesick, that’s something! I just have to suck it up.

do you have any Idols?

Oh my god yeah! There was a time in my life when I wanted to be Flea, Steve Harrison from Iron Maiden, Hendrix. I go through stages of obsessing about someone.

If you could have a superpower what would it be?

Teleportation! Teleporting would be wicked. Imagine how

much you’d get done in the day! It’d be awesome.

souNdscAPe 31

mAke do And mend

Question time

soundscape 32

We chatted briefly to James and Matt from Make Do and Mend when they made it over to our shores recently.

so you’ve just released your album ‘end measured mile’, what was the writing process like and how had it differed from other recording you’ve done?

James: We wrote it in a very short period of time. We toured a lot last year and wanted to write a record and wanted to record a record. Booked time to record a record, but found ourselves ill-prepared as it got closer and closer. so we took all the ideas and all the plans that we had and put them together very quickly. and wrote the record probably over

the course of like 6 months. It was a very stressful process, but we’re all very happy with what came out of it.

to anyone who may not have heard it yet or even heard of your band, what can they expect from you?

James: We are a rock band. We do our best to play very intense driving music that we put a lot of sincerity into. For someone who hasn’t heard us before; that’s the general vibe. For someone who has heard us before; maybe perhaps you’re a fan

words: anneka sillitoe

of our band, it’s a very make Do and mend record. We feel it really encapsulates our band in the best way possible.

many genres keep making a reappearance lately. At the moment, punk rock seems to be making a healthy recovery the last couple of years, why do you think this is?

matt: Why? I dunno. I think a lot of new young bands are making really good music. I think that’s probably why. I think people are starting to recognise the younger bands that

are up and coming and making honest, good, punk rock music. rather than kinda industry created music. so just the abundance of good music available is kinda hitting home, has really helped the uprising of punk rock.

It’s hard for us bands to get over here to the uk these days, so how excited about this tour were you? And how much does it mean to you guys?

James: We were so excited. I mean it’s all a product of our friends in Fireworks who were ice enough to

have us over with them. so when they invited us, we were very very eager to accept. It’s been a blast. Like you said, a lot of bands never get to have this opportunity. so we feel very fortunate to be over here and be playing these shows.

If you could go back to any era, what would you pick and why?

matt: medieval times.James: I’ve always wanted to go back to medieval times. I’ve always wanted to go back to revolutionary war period in the United states.

With the music industry changing so much it gets more and more important for us, as music fans, to support bands by actually buying music, merch or going to see gigs. It is so hard for bands to make money and actually release music these days that independent record labels are vital for these bands to succeed.

These labels, and the people that run them, are true heroes, most of my favourite releases over the last couple of years have been either self-released or on independents, so that really says something. Walnut Tree Records are one such label keeping the UK record business alive. We managed to catch with uber-busy owner Tom.

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m tom Beck, I run Walnut tree records which is an independent record label from Watford in Hertfordshire. It’s a one man label, so I have a hand in everything the label does.

how did you get started?

I started working for a major record label in 2006 and by 2007 I was a little disillusioned with music and the people I was working with and even started resenting going to see bands and had lost that passion. I figured it was a huge part of my life to give up on and starting a label seemed like a good way to throw myself back into the deep end. I found a band I wanted to release and then built the start of the label around them. It’s great to see how far I’ve come since then.

What have you got going on at the moment?

I’ve just released a single from the band Drawings, which was hand made and limited to 75 copies. It sold out in around 30 hours, which was pretty rad. From there I’m getting ready to release a debut EP from

oxford’s Gunning For tamar. they’re my most progressive band I’d say and remind me at times of an English Biffy Clyro. the Cuba Cuba album is then out in the summer and that’s coming out in a pop-up release and a travel wallet, the first time I’ve used such packaging so it’s exciting. We’re always looking for more releases though so I have a few fingers in a few pies but can’t reveal the details just yet!

Favourite music and why?

I’ve always been a big fan of some of the later waves of Us pop-punk, bands such as Blink-182, New Found Glory and saves the Day. I’ve grown up listening to these bands and I can always connect with the lyrics and the enthusiasm, they carry some great memories for me.

Favourite book and why?

to Kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee. I love the way the book mixes childhood and the coming of age with some of the harsher realities of life in the southern states of america. the obvious theme of racism and segregation is present, but it’s the subtle ways Harper Lee brings in morality, social inequality and the

Question time

soundscape 34

traditional battle of good versus evil that I find so compelling. I was really gutted that I couldn’t study this at school, it seemed like half my year did and we lucked out on Hobson’s Choice!

Favourite film and why?

stand By me. It has a similar vibe as to Kill a mockingbird in the sense that it’s a coming of age film, it’s a fairly simple story in that four kids set out to find a missing boy but their characters are well developed and remind you of people from your childhood. the banter they have between them is great. You find that a lot of Us pop-punk bands will reference thefilm, the most obvious is ‘Pinky swear’ by the movielife, which comes from the ‘Do you pinky swear it?’ line said to river Phoenix character.  

Best experience in the business?

seeing one of my bands open the sunday morning at Download Festival last year. It seemed like my reward for three years of hard work and fairlylimited success. my moment in the sun if you were. I’m not finished there though I hope.

Why should soundscape readers care?I’m just an average guy who is trying to promote real music by honest and hard working bands, there’s no money chasing or career pushing

behind the label. Hopefully that’s something music fans value and respect. I do all I can for my releases but I’ll stick to my guns and my morals.

tell our readers an interesting fact about your company?

my younger brother, with no design experience, knocked up my label logo after I’d given it to him on Pizza Hut napkin. He regularly jokes that I need topay him royalties for this. He’s not getting any.

Best thing about coming from Wales?

I’m not actually from Wales but both tiger Please and Cuba Cuba are and I love the sense of community that there is in south Wales. the bands all look out for each other regardless of their genre of music, at least that certainly seems to be the case with the bands I’m friendly with. that whole area has produced some amazing talent over the past ten years.

Who are your role models/idols?

I’ve always looked up to mark Hoppus from Blink-182/ +44 and Vinnie Caruana from the movielife and now I am the avalanche. I think at heart they both just love the music they’re involved with and really believe in themselves. I’m sure some

people will see Blink-182 as a ‘sell out’ band, but I’ve had the privilege of working with mark before and he’s a genuine guy with a lot of time for his friends. I always feel like I should have a role model in terms of running a label, but while I do look up to the likes of Kevin Douch and Jack Clothier at Bsm records and alcopop, I try to do things my own way and see where I get with it. I have a lot of belief in my myself and my ideas, I trust my judgements and that’ll help with my label over time.

hardest thing about the current business?

General attitudes to music and what is deemed a success I find. Quite a few bands or labels view themselves as being progressive because they use twitter or you can stream their releases on spotify, but I find that so many bands have unrealistic expectations of what they can achieve and immediately start blaming others or labels when they don’t reach those goals. trying to manage expectations is often the hardest part of running a small label.Head to www.walnuttreerecords.co.uk to check out what tom and the label are up to at the momen. also be sure to check out the Walnut tree tour with Cuba Cuba, Gunning For tamar and Drawings all over the UK this summer.

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words: paul esp

pAreto

words: anneka sillitoe

SCOTTISH BAnD PAReTO ReCenTLy gOT TO SUPPORT BRIgADe AT THeIR ALBUMS WeeKenD AnD I DeCIDeD TO FInD OUT A BIT MORe ABOUT THe BAnD BeHInD THe MUSIC.

Q

how has music in the uk helped to shape you as a band?

a massively huge amount. most of our favourite bands growing up were from scotland as well. Idlewild and aereogramme to name a couple. the UK has a strong culture of bands building their following by getting in a van and touring, and we’re all firm believers in this, so that way of doing things is also a big influence.

your eP Paint them silver is out soon. We’ve reviewed it, but what would you say to people thinking about buying it?

Please buy it. as none of us like our jobs.... Joking aside though, its definitely a natural progression from out first EP, the songs are more rounded and

the sound is much fuller with Dave on board now and we think this makes for a more dramatic and atmospheric listen.

Who has been your favourite band to tour with?

Good Question! a couple of bands spring to mind. skies fell probably, they have an absolute monstrous sound and just a rad bunch of down to earth people. We also recently played with our friends Brigade in London, who are the nicest gentlemen around.

What’s your wildest ambition for the band?

We want to aim as high as possible really, I suppose that’s why we have a pop element to most of our songs. In previous bands it was all about how weird

or left wing we could go, or sticking to one particular niche, but in this band for some reason we seem to just embrace hooks and choruses and things like that.

What’s in store for the future of Pareto?

this year we have a festival appearance at Go North in Inverness, followed by a UK headline tour in august and then a support tour later in the year. We’ve been working on our debut album, which we hope to have out early next year.

If you could go back to any era, what would you pick and why?

seattle Grunge early nineties. No contest. We’re all Big fans.

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words & photo: nadine Ballantyne

cardiacPier recording sTudio, cardiff Bay

Cardiac is Skip Curtis and Tudor Davies new road trip into the music industry, both experienced musicians deciding it was time to combine forces and break into the Cardiff scene as producers. Pop, hip hop, dub step, acoustic melodies, you name it, they’ll do it. With a can do attitude and appreciation for all that’s around them, hear what Skip has to say about their upcoming company.

how did you two first come to meet and decided to start up cardiac?

Well we met just by chance. We had a guy who is a good mate of tudors, whose a Cardiff mC and he was in the studio coming in to lay down some vocals with us and he rang me up in the morning and said ‘I’m bringing one of the guys who I produce with who makes music with me in as well for the day’. so this tudor came in, we just got chatting and found out he was a song writer as well and it sprang from there. We started writing together bits and bobs and kind of knocking ideas about and then we realised that we could do it, we took it from there. Its been going well since.

how long have you been working together now?

Well, we met about nine months ago, almost a year ago when tudor came in, obviously we didn’t start straight away but we’ve really been going for it the last three months. structuring and writing really solidly.

Who contributes to what, does one write the melodies and the other lyrics, or do you take it in turns?

It’s strange, we’re similar in a sense we can work together and we understand what direction things have got to go in but... [cont]

we come from different backgrounds. tudor is the beat man and he is unbelievable when you see making rhythm, structure and progression on tracks. He’s a pianist, I’m a guitar player so we write everything on piano and guitar whether it’s melodies or we’re writing bass lines. We just sit down and get it structured. We don’t sit down and say ‘right, you’re going to do the beat, I’m going to do the melody’, it’s whoever has the best idea. tudor’s ear for progression of music is genius and because again, I’m more of a singer and lyricist it tends to be maybe more me writing melodies but not really, we both see what happens and see who comes up with the best idea.

tell us about some of the people you’ve worked with already?

We’ve done some stuff with El Parisa who was a Welsh artist, she’s pretty excited about that and we’re excited to be working with her. We’re in the middle now, we’ve written three tracks off her first record and they’re sounding nice. We’re also linking up with Cardiff dub step lads astroid Boys, which is a totally different direction than the kind of pop stuff we’ve been doing. tommy and trouble is another guy from Cardiff we’re doing a lot with. tudor’s worked with him in the past, it was good because when we came together, me and tudor had artists we had dealt with in the past, people like El Parisa, tommy and trouble.

We’re going to do some stuff with a guy called Paint By Numbers and it’s

going to be some really interesting stuff. It’s going to be the first thing he’s done but he’s a real creative guy, a film maker. It’s going to be a real cool direction, nothing like any of the other stuff we’ve done, so we’ve got to sit down and work the ins and outs of it. odd singers come in the studio, but its only been three months so we’re only now getting out there.

What genres have you found most interesting and challenging to do?

rock bands don’t want songs written for them, you do some production but really it’s mostly done themselves. so we were kind of like ‘right, it’s going to be pop’, that’s the biggest genre of produced music and music where it’s written for the people. a lot of the times singers are singers and they don’t often write as much but they’re unbelievably good voices.

We started out and stuff was getting a little bit edgier just by natural progression, we started doing this hip hop and more dub step stuff for people like the astroid Boys. at first we kind of thought ‘How are we going to do it, lets sit down and let it happen’, but I think it’s the wrong way to do it, you’ve just got to go for it. We’re big boys, we know what music is and what genres are so lets just see if we can do it and nothing has really been a challenge for us so far. Because we have experience and so much from our backgrounds, we could sit and write an acoustic song, something really soppy or go the other way and write a massive club dub step track and everything

in between because that’s the music we listen to. We’ve made it a point to immerse ourselves in as much of possible. Nothing’s really been a challenge for us at the moment.

What’s your instrument of choice?

It changes, but I’m a guitarist more than anything else but I wish I was a pianist. to me that’s the most impressive and it’s the most versatile. I love guitarists, I love guitars, acoustic guitars more so. I think acoustic guitars have more of a genuine sound and you’re playing the guitar, you’re not playing through effects pedals and amps. so for me that will always be my first love but I’ve got so much admiration for piano. I am teaching myself and I will get there!

tudor’s a pianist. He’s learning to playing the guitar and already he’s got it down and a quick learner. He’s a multi instrumentalist as well, he plays keys, he’s a singer, but for him he’s a pianist.

tell us a bit about the studio you’ll be using?

We write in between places. tudor’s got a big set up at home which is easy because it’s a much more relaxed environment, you can just turn up and write little bits. We’ve both got set ups on our computers at home but when it comes to putting it all down we come to Pier studio and lay it down. We’re always using Pier studio because it’s so easy. Everything’s close, you could gladly spend a day

here in the bay, pop over and do what ever. this is HQ for us but we work all over the place. I’ll end up going to singers houses, venues, pubs just to meet them but that’s part of it, you have to be willing to meet with them, not everyone is going to be willing to come see you all the time.

do you feel a relaxed and friendly atmosphere is key in helping the bands recording or do you prefer a more serious approach?

It really depends on who you’re working with. I know that’s a boring answer but it really does depend. I hate people who tip toe around and they’re like ‘that sounds a little bit good’ or ‘that’s really nice’, when really you know in your head that it’s wrong, so we’re pretty strict talking about it. If something sucks I’ll be like ‘this sounds rubbish lets change it’, and some people don’t like that. You have to leave egos at the door because as soon as you come in you’re going to start butting heads with people and it doesn’t work. studios can be the best places in the world to work but also the most frustrating because egos can fly, so I think it’s much better to be just straight talking with people.

I don’t really like coming in blind to a project, not meeting the people before hand because if you go and meet a singer or a band or whoever, you can gain some sort of personality on them and you can see if you need to be softer with them. a lot of people like being told straight because a lot of friends will say ‘that’s the best track

I’ve ever heard, you’re the best singer in the world, you’re the best guitarist’. I really do believe in just being honest with people because there is no point messing them around.

Any producers you consider an influence?

I’m a huge fan of rick rubin’s stuff because he went from just doing all the hip hop stuff with Def Jam, Jay Z to doing all the latest stuff with Johnny Cash when he set up his label american recordings.

You listen to the sound on those albums and there’s so much silence there, which is a good thing and at the moment that’s huge. You see guys from the XX and all the kind of new young producers that are really making stuff sparse in their music, leaving a lot of gaps for your imagination to fill in and everybody interprets it differently. rick rubin was doing that five, ten years ago with his stuff but it was just a different genre. But you hear stories about him lying on the floor to get the best sound out of the room, so we’ve had a couple of times where I’ve been lying on the floor trying to get the scope of the sound better.

I’ve got no one where I’d kind of say ‘I want to be like this guy’, I want to be like them all but I want to be myself at the same time.

Wildest ambition for the company?

It’s kind of strange, because we have our own stuff going on outside of Cardiac as well, we don’t need it to be ‘right this is it, this is our only hope of making it in the music’ because that’s just wrong. We said we’re both doing our own thing why not pool our resources and see what happens and it’s been going well so far.

When you look at some of the production teams like stargate, the big pop producing companies, you look at them and they’ve pretty much dominated the billboard charts in america with number ones, all top tens for the last couple of years and that’s just genius. You’re working with different people, you’re getting hit records, it’s not all about the hits obviously, it’s about the work. I’d love to produce films and hopefully we could sort something out with that and get some compositions for films. We don’t want to be just pop writers and producers.

A song you’d wish you’d written?

there’s so many! there’s some big production on tracks you think is genius. songs like November rain - Guns n roses, that pieced together is such an impressive piece of music. I love a Whiter shade of Pale - Procol Harum, the lyrics are so trippy and amazing, and it just grabs you and ropes you in.

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Foo FightersWasting Light 10/10

Where to begin? Foo Fighters have had a substantial and fantastic career spanning almost 2 decades. their albums have been an amazing piece of writing and spun hit after hit. so where do you start with another fantastically amazing piece of writing that’s chocked full of hits?

their seventh studio album and this time working with producer Butch Vig (who worked on a few tracks from their greatest hits album). they hit Dave Grohl’s studio and the whole of the album was recorded analog until mastering (a completely unseen thing these days!).

the album opens with one of those catchy sing along Foo Fighter tracks ‘Bridge Burning’. and from there it only gets better, heading

into the first single, ‘rope’ and beyond. this is the first album to feature original guitarist Pat smear again as a core member of the band. Foo Fighters feel like a real stronger than ever unit on this record and the music is so fantastic to hear.

If you’ve not got this record yet, it’s a must have for fans and newbies alike. Words: Anneka Sillitoe

Mind MuseuM Rat Race 9/10

Lead singer Justin E Percival wrote a track by track for our last issue and it was very informative and interesting. so much so, I decided to stick the album on to give you a review of this beauty. and my god is it good!

mind museum are hitting all the right spots and keeping it fresh in a time where it’s so easy to be

led into the boring and generic because that’s what sells.

this EP is lively from start to finish and the tempo is never the same, keeping you well and truly on your toes. It’s exciting and so very different to hear. a band I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing live and watching their progress in the future, but for now ‘rat race’ is hitting all the buttons. I urge you all to check this out!Words: Anneka Sillitoe

gun dogsLittLe Deaths 9/10

this album was a long time coming but it was definitely worth the wait. Gundogs are a Birmingham based alt rock band and this, the bands debut album, is seriously good. the album is full memorable tunes, all razor sharp melodies and snarling vocals. opener ‘Breakdown’ is a slow burner that really hits its stride about a minute in with a great dual

cd Reviews

vocal and guitar line from Leila and maria. It includes a couple of reworks of older material like ‘Call out my Name’ and ‘Hey Hey (Feel It Coming) and they sound great. the album was produced by Jimm Zorn, who has done a great job in making the band sound great but still leaving the scuzzy, dangerous edge. they can even slow it down a little on ‘Waiting For the rain’ which features a killer melody line.

the material here is constantly great, no filler at all. Gundogs have made every song on this album count right to the last track ‘Constant as the sun’ which can easily be described as epic. Gundogs are another fine example of a UK band kicking absolute ass. You can pick the album via itunes and other digital retailers and the bands Facebook page and I seriously urge you to do so. Words: Paul esp

dave McPhersonthe haRDship DiaRies 8/10

Dave mcPherson is better known as the vocalist/guitarist and songwriter in Inme. ‘the Hardship Diaries’ is his first solo album, he has released 7 solo acoustic EP’s, a few rarities collections and a live EP, all of this outside of Inme, the guy is seriously talented and obviously quite a prolific songwriter.

the album is a very stripped back, acoustic affair and sounds like it was mostly recorded live. the album follows a loose concept as it broken down into the seasons, spring, summer, autumn and Winter with 3 songs in each. If you are a fan of well written, acoustic songs with lyrics that are clever and actually mean something; then this is for you. Dave is a very clever lyricist and definitely has a knack for writing a catchy tune, ‘Hearts Need Blood’ is a great song, with a very raw and honest vocal.

‘Before I Even Had You’ is another top track with a memorable chorus. You cant deny or argue with Dave’s talent, he can certainly pen a tune and if you are a fan of acoustic music you should definitely pick this up. Words: Paul esp

iaM:yourherothe Rest is noise 7/10

the UK is full of so many good bands who just are hiding in the smaller venues of the country and I like to think we try to dig some of them up into the light before anyone else gets there and reveal their beautiful music to you.

Iam:YoUrHEro is one of those bands (we featured them in our Introducing section on the website not long ago) and their EP is here. the rest is Noise is beautifully melodic and leaves in the noises I love to hear in a record. the simple scrapping of fingers over guitar strings and the ring of a cymbal after it’s been hit. (cont)

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Whilst most bands would attempt these days to ‘clean’ those noises, Iam:YoUrHEro leaves them firmly in place and it adds a level of passion to each song as it shows real musicians, playing real instruments.

this EP mixes melodies and vitality. It’s a win for England and it’s totally worth the purchase!Words: Anneka Sillitoe

BrigadeWiLL be WiLL be 10/10

one of Britain’s gems, Brigade return with their third album, this time funded by pledge music. the album kicks off with a rock anthem, ‘200 scratches’. and the tracks that follow are just as full of riffs and rhythms.

the album seems to have a strong sense of itself and a real purpose. my favourite track of the album is ‘sting, sting’ which whilst having catchy guitars also has a real grown up sound to it. It’s a beautiful example of how Brigade have progressed since their last release.

the final track of the album is ‘Find Your own Way Home’ which is what I would call a classic Brigade track.

It has riffs galore, a sing along chorus, that beautiful trill and then in comes the choir. It’s a big end to a big album.

Frankly not getting this album would be a heinous crime with draconian consequences. Words:Anneka Sillitoe

Paretopaint them siLveR 8/10

scotland’s music scene these days is rich with variety and class. Pareto are another band to talk about when discussing how amazing scotland seem to be on the rock scene these days.

Paint them silver is a truly fantastic piece of rock musicality from start to finish. the 5 track EP packs a real punch and is catchy as hell at the same time. acquiring ex-sucioperro guitarist David aird has helped give the band a more layered and fuller sound. and the vocals are layered too.

this EP sticks to it’s theme to layer and produce a more supersonic sound. It’s an all round joy to listen to from when opening track ‘miracle of...’ starts to when the last note of final track ‘Collapse’ rings out.

a definite must buy and more scottish titans to watch out for in the future. Words: Anneka Sillitoe

saMantha darnellthe aRt of bReaking heaRts 10/10

samantha Darnell is an american singer/songwriter and this is her latest EP. Her sound is hard to pin down, it’s a golden mix of pop and alt rock with a bit of vintage feel, I know, sounds strange huh? But it really works, mainly due to the stunning songwriting and the amazing voice that samantha has. First track ‘Don’t say You Love me’ is a stunner, with a massive chorus, and is catchy as hell. It has a great organic production.

title track ‘the art of Breaking Hearts’ is a twisted pop classic and samantha sounds nothing short of menacing in her vocal. If there was any justice, ‘Butterflies’ would be a summer number 1 around the world. It’s an absolutely brilliant track and my favourite song at the moment. ‘I Didn’t steal Your Girlfriend’ continues the trend of pop classics by being a great song with a killer bass line.

Current single ‘over You’ ends this EP in style. It’s an almost pop/punk sounding song with a kick-ass chorus. so if you like your music with a little extra style and substance you should really check out samantha Darnell and this EP.Words: Paul esp

nikki sixx this is gonna huRt 8/10

ALBUM

the album opens with a rocking title track. as a standalone this track would be simply fantastic,but the fact it’s part of a bigger story in the whole album and then an even bigger story with Nikki sixx’s accompanying book is simply stunning.

the lyrics to this album are beautiful and it’s plain to see how they’ve capture exactly what Nikki wanted to portray in his book. as you read each chapter and listen to each song, you get a sense of not only the world through his eyes in your mind, but through the display of intense artwork scattered throughout the pages.

If there was any doubt that this album was gonna be anything but fantastic then by the end of the album, it’s clear to see that sixx am mean busy and that Nikki sixx puts as much passion into every project he’s involved as he does with the one he’s known for most.

Check out the sixx am album whether you’re a fan of books or not, it’s an album not to miss.

book

Nikki sixx’s new book ‘this is Gonna Hurt’ is a chilling look at life as seen through the eyes of the man himself. a series of pictures and stories tell of how photography helped shaped his view of the world and has enabled him to share that with the people around him.

His pictures are beautiful and artistic. Whilst at times some would question the integrity of what he was photographing or even the images themselves, the stories that accompanies them allows you inside Nikki’s mind. and that level of understanding he places on you sets any doubts away and allows you to see the beauty as Nikki sees it.

there are some shocking stories in the book (as seems to come with a Nikki sixx book), but that’s part of what adds to the man that we all see on stage behind his bass guitar. strip all that away and you learn he’s a photographer at heart. a man in love with looking at the world a bit differently to everyone else and that appeals greatly to anyone who longs for something that they can put their name on and leave behind as their mark on the world... something a bit different from everyone else. He’s different from everyone else and this book allows you to see that, hey, it’s alright to be different... if anything, it’s something that makes you beautiful... no matter how much sometimes it may hurt.

Check out the book, your life won’t feel complete without the understanding that pain and beauty can make for a very interesting tale and some amazing photography. Words: Anneka Sillitoe

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