darkside-music-blog

[darkside-music-blog]

Review: Sports Team at Scala, London

To sell out a venue like Scala mid-week is no mean feat for an up and coming band. So we knew to expect something special from Sports Team as well as their supports.

The first band up were Cambridge based Ugly. Having seen them support Swim Deep the week before, we were very excited to see them when we knew some songs. Their performance was unreal for a first support slot. Their stage presence and distinctive sound made it seem like they were the headliners. The King Krule-esque vocals and funky guitar, the bands sound was truly incredible.

With the start of Fur’s set, we were taken from Ugly’s funky-rock to an indie dream-pop tone. The Brighton four-piece took over the room in a different way to the openers. Their dreamy-pop sounds took over the room, giving the night a completely different feel for half an hour.

Then it was time for Sports Team. Coming on to Robbie’s ‘Let Me Entertain You’ the six-piece took to the stage The energy of frontman Alex Rice is something that makes Sports Team who they are and also gets the audience to dance as much as he does. His slightly crazy stage-presence took him to the top of the speaker tower for the performance of ‘Kutcher’. It was a memorable moment for every person in Scala that night for good reasons, with the exception of two security guards who looked stressed from the moment he took his first step of the climb.  

The atmosphere created by the band was by far one of the best I’ve experienced in a long time and their already very impressive music sounds even better live. Having been announced as the support for Hinds next UK tour, we were expecting big things, and even then Sports Team smashed our expectations. Even if you aren’t a Hinds fan, they are definitely worth the money as it is probably our favourite show of 2018 so far!

[darkside-music-blog]

Review: Djuno release brand new single ‘No Glass Falls’

The Southampton indie quintet are back with their third single ‘No Glass Falls’.

Originating from Southampton Solent University, Djuno have been making a name for themselves around the South Coast. In the past year, they have played some amazing shows including a set at Common People Festival, a slot supporting Sløtface in October 2017 and next month they support Mallory Knox at Joiners, Southampton.

Achieving this so early in their existence demonstrates the immaculate quality of their debut singles ‘Hive’ and ‘Stop’, which were released in March. Amazingly, Djuno have managed to produce something even better than their first release. One thing Djuno songs are known for is incredible vocals. From the first line of ‘No Glass Falls’, lead singer Courtney Gray’s tone is simply flawless and it reminds me of YONAKA’s lead singer, Theresa Jarvis. Her powerful voice gives every song a remarkable depth, range and emotion and ‘No Glass Falls’ is another perfect example.

It is quite early days for Djuno, with this being only their second release. But if they can maintain the same level of quality throughout their future releases then they have a very promising future.

[darkside-music-blog]

Breathe Panel at The Western, Brighton

Having released one of my favourite albums so far this year, I was very excited to finally see Breathe Panel live, especially in such a small venue! 

By the time they took to the stage the upstairs room of The Western was probably at full capacity. From the first note of the first song, the soft-psych tones filled the room. Breathe Panel’s shoegaze style was as soft and enchanting live as it was on their album. The light and rhythmical guitar mixed with Nick Green’s flawless vocals create a truly remarkable atmosphere. 

Personal highlight was when they played ‘Hue’. It is probably my favourite song off the album and it was great to hear the song take over the small upstairs room of the Western. With such a catchy guitar line and captivating vocals, it really showed off the quality that oozes from their debut album.

It was hard to see why Breathe Panel were playing such a small intimate venue. The quality of their album was shown throughout their whole performance and they could definitely play much larger venues. It was a real treat for their home crowd to see them in a small venue, before their inevitable move to larger venues. 

If you haven't checked out Breathe Panel’s album or seen them live then make sure you do. 

[darkside-music-blog]

Review: Big Scary Monsters Big Day Out

Day festivals are one of our favourite ways to see live music. loads of bands over so many interesting venues without the camping! As soon as we saw Big Scary Monsters advertising about their day festival ‘Big Day Out’ and the lineup had been released we knew we had to go. It took place across 3 of the coolest venues we have ever been to, Moth Club, Paper Dress Vintage and The Empire Bar. 

Music kicked off at 3 in The Empire Bar with Binboy, a pseudonym of Tom Weeks (Gnarwolves). For the first act of the day, he delivered a set full of songs, Frank Turner-like in style, before finishing off with a very interesting Robbie Williams cover. 

Next on the Empire Bar stage was Natalie Evans. Taking the stage with her vast array of instruments. Throughout her set she moved from instrument to instrument, performing with her harp, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and keyboard. Her voice is soft and delicate and everyone in the room is giving the young singer-songwriter their full attention. The opening two acts of the festival had certainly set an incredibly high standard for the rest of the acts to try and reach. 

We moved over to the Moth Club next, with one of our picks for the day, Orchards, being the first on the stage there. The glittery style of the venue really suited the glittery indie-pop that Orchards are known for. Lead singer Lucy Evers’ has a truly awesome stage presence and her live vocals are also flawless and suit their style perfectly. 

We then moved onto Paper Dress Vintage, probably our favourite venue of the three! We caught Bellevue Days first and absolutely loved their set. Slightly heavier than the rest of the music we had seen throughout the day but we absolutely loved the set. ‘Ripped Jeans’ was our favourite song from the set as it really showed off the lead singer’s ability to go from soft to loud and emotional vocals with such as ease. 

Next on the stage was Gender Roles, one of the main reasons we decided to come along to the festival. We had never managed to catch the Brighton punk trio before so we made sure we were there for their performance. Their fierce guitar, catchy bass and gritty vocals encapsulated the crowd for every song and showed a quality which deserved to be in far larger venues, so catching them in the small upstairs room at Paper Dress was a treat. 

Unfortunately, Gender Roles was the final band we could see but it was definitely a good high to end on. We would like to thank Big Scary Monsters for having us along to the festival and for putting on a truly excellent day of music!

[darkside-music-blog]

Review: Deco Release Brand New Single ‘Upside Down’

Having already released two incredible singles this year, Deco are back with another new single ‘Upside Down’. The Nottingham based indie-pop band had an incredible summer of festivals in 2017 and have now decided to make 2018 their year and release some truly fantastic music.

DECO are known for producing electro/indie-pop tunes, with previous singles ‘Chances’ and ‘Roam’ both receiving incredible reviews. The infectious and catchy indie-pop style they have mastered is paramount to the success of their previous singles and it is amazing to see them stick with the same upbeat sounds.

Although they have kept with the indie-pop style, ‘Upside Down’ brings out more of an electro vibe in comparison to their previous singles and it is sounding great. The chorus is both musically and lyrically very catchy. You will be singing along during even your first listen. Deco had a good 2017 gaining fans and getting their name out there, but 2018 is certainly going to be even better for the band, especially after the release of the infectious ‘Upside Down’.

[darkside-music-blog]

Flowvers at Boileroom, Guildford

After several Festival slots and one-off headline shows, Flowvers were off on their first headline tour! We caught their show at the Boileroom in Guildford for the second night of their tour and the first headline show.  

They have announced some incredible support acts for this tour, and we were in no way disappointed with the two supports for this night. The Family Chain were first up. The Brighton band have had several different members in the past, but they have had the current lineup since the start of 2018. The band are known for producing traditional indie music, with no spectacular dreams they just enjoy playing live and making music without the limits of any specific sound. Their set did not resemble a band who has only released 2 songs and had numerous lineup changes. It was full of catchy guitar riffs, emotionally-driven vocals and a professionalism that made them seem like they had been together years. Their latest release ‘Catholic’ stood out for us with the marching band like intro which builds up into the chorus which then shows off impressive vocals which are full of emotion. 

Glossii were next to take to the Boileroom stage, and all of a sudden the venue was crammed. The London-based post-punk band had the crowd dancing and jumping within seconds of coming on stage. The heavy rock riffs, intelligent, powerful and emotional lyrics and lead singer Sofia’s impressive vocals mean that their live sound is truly remarkable. After Glossii left the stage, the crowd started to thin out slightly, but the remaining crowd were clearly excited for the headliners.

Flowvers started a little unprepared, with a plectrum change and the setlists only being brought out after the first song. But this did not cause any drop in quality. The boys had clearly been excited for the headline tour for a while and you could see how much they enjoy playing live. I think a highlight for the boys was when their debut single ‘Fresh Air’ was sung back to them by most of the crowd and it took the boys by surprise. With most of their songs yet to be released, the reaction of the crowd to every new song was incredible. One of our favourite songs from the set was ‘She Don’t Talk About It’, with its catchy guitar riff and chorus which had the crowd jumping and dancing throughout. I look forward to the release of that song. For a band so young in both age and existence as a band, they have incredible stage presence and their music sounds even better than it does recorded. If you ever get a chance to see them then make sure you head down. From what I have seen, the boys are destined to have a very successful future as a band and it will be amazing to see where it takes them. 

I would like to thank the boys for letting me come down and take photos. I am also lucky enough to see them again at their Tunbridge Wells date!

Flowvers Set List

Intro

Sink

Nosebleed

Fresh Air

She Don’t

Difficult

Throw Away Generation

Brush

Long Way Home

Goodbye Summer

Glamorous

[darkside-music-blog]

Dials Festival 2018

Although Summer Festival season is over, it does not mean there are no festivals to look forward to. Many festivals still occur throughout the winter months, and yes they may not bring the same ability to tan or drink in the sun, indoor festivals can be even better than the outdoor equivalents.

Dials Festival is back for 2018, a festival based in Portsmouth which supports Solent Mind, a mental health charity based on the south coast. It is a great way to donate to a charity whilst seeing some amazing music (and what a line up it is).

There are so many amazing artists on the lineup we couldn’t possibly talk you through the whole thing, so we have picked out a few of our favourites, to try and help you choose who to see.

Lauran Hibberd

The incredibly talented Isle of Wight based singer-songwriter is having a year to remember. Having played several sets at festivals, having her first play on Radio 1 and just finishing a support tour with Eliza and the Bear, Lauran is certainly becoming a well-known name.

Her songs are well known for having story-like lyrics and an indie-rock tone and ooze quality rare for someone at the beginning of her career. She has a very exciting future ahead and you would be stupid to miss her.

Hotel Lux

A dissatisfied commentary of the real world and the horrible reality that people live in. That is the general feel of Hotel Lux’s music, not afraid to retreat from any topic, their sets are full of honesty and emotion as they produce powerful and thought-provoking performances.

Having supported the likes of Yak, HMLTD, and Shame in the past, their live performances have brought them a lot of attention and a show in their childhood town will be a spectacle.

Breathe Panel

Another exciting new band, who are coming off the release of their amazing debut album which came out in July. The mixture of shoegaze and psychedelia throughout their music gives them a relaxing tone. The depth in their sound is incredible with the lively guitar melodies and intricately assembled drum beats producing a truly mesmerising sound.

Their album has received amazing reviews as have their live performances. To see an incredible example of shoegaze in 2018, Breathe Panel are definitely worth seeing.

[darkside-music-blog]

Dark Side Release Review

On this edition of Dark Side’s Release Review we are going to be looking at one of our most anticipated albums of the year, the sophomore album ‘A Better Life’ by Spring King. They are known for being so consistent with the quality of their live performances, but can they deliver the same consistency with their albums.

With a Spring King album, I was never expecting a short intro including a saxophone, but it fits extremely well when you go straight into ‘Animal’. I always mention song order being an important aspect of any production and they have truly nailed it, each song flows into the next and it adds an extra layer to the already impressive sounding album. 

Compared to their first album, ‘A Better Life’ shows a slightly heavier and darker tone whilst keeping their powerful catchy choruses which are bound to get their crowds going absolutely insane. The addition of a quiet yet eery interlude at track 8 gives a horror-movie-like feel and maintains the dark tone the start of the album has set. 

‘Animal’, ‘Ready for War’, and ‘No More’ show off some of the best guitar riffs of the album, whereas ‘Let’s Drink’ has the catchiest chorus of all the songs. Going between heavy guitar riffs, some dark pop-rock and even a hint of glam-rock the album brings so much depth, especially with the added intro and interlude which only add to the dark sound portrayed throughout the album.

When it comes to second albums you always worry they are not going to be anywhere near as good as the band’s debut and it is going to be somewhat disappointing. ‘A Better Life’ is far from that, an absolutely unbelievable album which flows from start to finish. I never thought that their first album could be beaten but they may have just done it.

[darkside-music-blog]

Indoor Pets at Sebright Arms, London

With festival season coming to an end, we are back to indoor shows with a one-off Indoor Pets show at the famous Sebright Arms in London.

As soon as they announced Redfaces as their support, I was even more excited about the gig. I have had their latest single ‘Way Down’ stuck in my head for weeks after I included it in our Weekly Guide a few weeks back. This was the first time I had caught them live and they are a great example of Sheffield’s amazing music scene. Their set showed exactly why they have been tipped for having an exciting 2018 and I cannot wait for them to release some more music and go back on tour.

It was then time for Indoor Pets. Being a one-off show, I was expecting something new from the Kent-based band and they did not disappoint. Showcasing 3 brand new songs during their set, showing the same quality we have seen from their earlier releases. Their first song was interrupted due to frontman Jamie apparently “not knowing how to work his pedal board” but eventually we were off. The live room at Sebright Arms was packed for the show, but the crowd was somewhat mild compared to previous Indoor Pets show. But this did not cause any loss of quality from the performance. The band kept their lively stage presence and pure enjoyment from playing live through every song. 

During one of their most popular songs Barbiturates, they stopped just before the drop so that frontman Jamie Glass to promote his Twitter presence and his “entrepreneurial” side by giving out business cards. He is known for having one of the more memorable twitter presences and he definitely uses this to their advantage during shows.

With new music making its way into setlists and an album around the corner, it is a very exciting time for Indoor Pets fans, as long as Jamie has spent as much time writing and perfecting songs as he has on his Twitter identity.

Indoor Pets Setlist

Mean Heart

Electrify

Thick (Unreleased)

All My Friends

Hi (Unreleased)

Teriyaki

So Soon

Being Strange (Unreleased)

Barbiturates

Pro Procrastinator

[darkside-music-blog]

Reading + Leeds Festival: Our Picks

With Reading and Leeds festivals coming up this weekend we thought we would give our guide on the acts we think you should see over the weekend! 

Lady Bird (The Pit/The Lock Up & BBC Introducing Stage)

Lady Bird have been smashing festivals up and down the country all summer, and have shown exactly why Slaves snapped them up as the first band signed to their record label ‘Girl Fight Records’. They have a similar punk style to Slaves, the heavy rock riffs and clever lyrics make up a massive part of their set. The energy they exhibit on stage will only add to the atmosphere and I am sure that the crowd will be one of the liveliest of the weekend. If you see them early on in the day on The Pit/Lock Up stage, I am sure you will want to see them again later in the day on the BBC Introducing Stage. 

Reading Festival: Sunday @ 12:00pm (The Pit/Lock Up) and 17:55pm (BBC Introducing)

Leeds Festival: Friday @ 12:00pm (The Pit/Lock Up) and 17:40pm (BBC Introducing

Shame (Main Stage) 

With the release of their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Songs of Praise’, Shame are really having a memorable 2018. The post-punk outfit originates from South London and are famous for practicing at the pub Fat White Family called their home. Their album is one of our favourites of 2018 so far and is as impressive as the debuts produced by Wolf Alice and Slaves. This is going to be one of the biggest performances of their careers so far, and it is definitely not one to be missed. 

Reading Festival: Sunday @ 14:55pm (Main Stage)

Leeds Festival: Friday @ 14:30pm (Main Stage)

Yonaka (Festival Republic Stage)

Yonaka are famous for having one of the most powerful frontwomen in the music industry at the moment. Theresa Jarvis brings passion and energy to every performance and makes their live performances hard to compete with. Another key component of producing incredible live performances is to have quality set lists and Yonaka do not disappoint, especially as they have just released their best EP to date. ‘Teach Me to Fight’ shows off their heavy riffs, catchy choruses, and Theresa’s remarkable vocals. This year will be the best time to see them on a small stage, having released so many incredible songs, it will not be long until they start to rise up lineups. 

Reading Festival: Friday @ 3:50pm (Festival Republic Stage)

Leeds Festival: Saturday @ 3:20pm (Festival Republic Stage)

Spector (Festival Republic Stage)

The last time Spector played R+L, they were playing the Radio 1 Stage. Having taken 3 years from releasing any music they find themselves back on the Festival Republic Stage and are bound to absolutely smash it. Their setlist will be a mix of old songs and new and will show that they have never dipped in quality. Their latest EP ‘Ex-Directory’ received excellent reviews and I am confident that their performances over the weekend will receive the same. 

Reading Festival: Sunday @ 17:50pm (Festival Republic Stage)

Leeds Festival: Friday @ 17:50pm (Festival Republic Stage)

[darkside-music-blog]

Indie Tracks 2018: Top 3 Performances

One of the smaller festivals on our calendar for the summer, but a great way to hear some fantastic new music and help out a charity at the same time. To get to the festival you had to get on a short train ride, immediately showing how it got its name. The festival is all in aid of the Midlands Railway Trust and is set at the Midlands Railway Centre.

With so many new bands, the choice for our top 3 performances of the weekend has been made extremely difficult, however, we have come to a decision.

1) Dream Wife - Main Stage @ 18:40 Saturday

Dream Wife are one of our favourite bands anyway, but the performance they delivered showed us why we love them so much. The sun decided to come out for them and it was one of the first times that the main stage was filling out. Their setlist included all of the hits off their incredible debut album including ‘Hey Heartbreaker’, ‘Kids’ and ‘Let’s Make Out’.

Also, I don’t think I have ever seen anyone as happy as guitarist Alice was when she was on stage, with her Grandma watching from the crowd, the smile never left her face. On the same day as Indie Tracks, Dream Wife had shown their support for the Slutwalk in Reykjavik which is a transnational protest march that shows support to survivors sexual abuse and fights against injustice and violence. They showed this during their performance with a powerful and almost anthem-like performance of ‘Somebody’, their song which tackles the idea that females are objectified and that they are more than their body.

Dream WIfe’s performance was worthy of the Saturday headline slot, they smashed their performance and I am so excited to see them on Halloween in London.

2) Color Me Wednesday - Main Stage @ 14:40 Saturday

This was the first time we had seen Colour Me Wednesday, and they did not disappoint! The all-female indie pop band have been described as “England’s best kept musical secret” and they are not wrong. Their indie-pop/pop-punk vibes and exceptional lyrics made me wonder why they had not been further up the lineup.

They have recently released their third album and you can see from their performances that they have loads of experience when it comes to performing. The effortless precision of their performance gives them a powerful stage presence and the crowd were engaged from the moment they stepped on stage.

3) Spinning Coin - Indoor Stage @ 18:00 Saturday

There is a lot of fuss about Spinning Coin, with a successful debut album last year and a support slot with Alvvays earlier this year, I was very excited to see their performance. Their 90s influences really show with a very grungy sound throughout their performance.

Before they started, I was not sure if the indoor stage was packed due to the concurrent rain or because of the hype around Spinning Coin. But after their performance I was sure it was because of them, they absolutely smashed the indoor stage and anyone who was simply taking shelter from the rain was very lucky to have them to listen to at the same time.

I would like to thank everyone at Indie Tracks for having us, especially Nat Hudson for organising everything for us before the weekend. I am looking forward to the announcement of Indie Tracks 2019!

📸: Henry Groves 

[darkside-music-blog]

Flowvers have announced brand new single ‘Long Way Home’

After their well-received debut single ‘Fresh Air’, the Portsmouth band have announced the release of their second single ‘Long Way Home’ on the 10th August.

Their debut single showed off their shoegaze and indie-pop style and it sounded great. An impressive debut single which makes their future look promising as a band, and we are very excited for their second single and upcoming tour. 

Their tour kicks off in September across a lot of the south including dates in London, Bristol and their hometown Portsmouth. 

You can see the tour dates and tickets HERE

You can find their debut single HERE

[darkside-music-blog]

Tramlines 2018: Top 3 Performances from Sunday

Starting with a little side note, we wanted to mention Sarah Nutty who sadly passed away earlier in July. Sarah was the Tramlines festival director who played a major role in the organisation of the festival in 2018 and has been influential in the festival since its conception in 2009. It was a truly incredible festival and none of this would have been possible without Sarah, so we wanted to make sure people remember Tramlines and Sarah Nutty together like they should have been for many more years.

Unfortunately, due to being away we only got to go to the Sunday of Tramlines. We still had an amazing time and are so glad we could spend some of the tenth anniversary at the festival!

Since we were only there for the day we thought we would choose our three favourite performances for you.

1. Black Honey - Library stage @ 18:45

Having recently announced the release of their debut album, released 2 new singles and frontwoman Izzy having a drastic change in hair colour, you could say that this was a brand new exciting chapter for the band, and they were ready to make 2018 the year of Black Honey’s world domination.

The band has a sort of stage presence which would exist even if they stood there doing nothing. As soon as they take the stage the confidence oozing from frontwoman Izzy’s performance gets the crowds attention immediately. Their setlist contained new singles ‘I Only Hurt The Ones I Love’ and ‘Bad Friends’ as well as unreleased ‘Midnight’ and some older singles. Every song was well received by the crowd and many even stayed behind after to buy some merch and talk to Izzy. We have been fans of Black Honey for many years and they have made me even more excited for their debut album!

2. Jake Bugg - T’Other Stage @ 19:45

Our second favourite performance was that of Jake Bugg. The extremely talented singer-songwriter performed a set of old and new songs to a full tent. The crowd was absolutely loving the performance and you could see the diversity of fans that he has attracted, especially as there were numerous parent and child pairs single along together.

Jake Bugg seemed shocked he was headlining a stage at such an event, thanking the crowd for turning up after almost every song. But with the sheer quality of all of his albums especially his first two he deserved the slot on the lineup and the crowd that turned out for him. Competing with new indie-rocker Tom Grennan for a crowd is no mean feat, especially with the success Tom Grennan is having at the moment. But even so, Jake Bugg still managed to fill the tent, showing that the music he is creating is still loved by his fans and it was incredible to see so many people singing along to not only the classics like ‘Lightning Bolt’ but also to some of the newer songs.

3. Little Comets - T’Other Stage @ 15:45

This might be a little bit of a biased choice from me, being such a huge Little Comets fan anyway. But even so, every time I see them it shocks me at how good they actually are live.

Without their well-trusted member Micky who had broken his ankle, regular keyboard/effects player Matt Saxon took over on the guitar. Even so, they sounded incredible as always and their newer songs were received as well as the older classics. Little Comets are another band with a distinctive lead vocalist, and I would say Rob has one of the best voices of all time within the indie-scene. They are now in the process of making their fifth album and they are still sounding as good, with the same distinctive sound and the crowds are loving every second of their time on stage.

📸: Henry Groves

[darkside-music-blog]

Mercury Prize 2018 shortlist has been announced!

We are at that point in the year where we are finally given the shortlist for the Hyundai Mercury Prize. Selected by a panel of independent judges they have put together a list consisting of the 12 best albums released in the past year.

Albums on the shortlist are:

Arctic Monkeys – ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino��� Everything Everything – ‘A Fever Dream’ Everything is Recorded – ‘Everything is Recorded’ Florence + The Machine – ‘High as Hope’ Jorja Smith – ‘Lost & Found’ King Krule – ‘The Ooz’ Lily Allen – ‘No Shame’ Nadine Shah – ‘Holiday Destination’ Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – ‘Who Built the Moon?’ Novelist – ‘Novelist Guy’ Sons of Kemet – ‘Your Queen is a Reptile’ Wolf Alice – ‘Visions of a Life’

Here is our guide to this years shortlist.

Our Favourite to Win - Wolf Alice - ‘Visions of a Life’

There was always a little bit of worry for Wolf Alice fans that the band would not produce an album as good as their critically acclaimed debut. But the band showed us really why we had no reason to be worried. The album shows off so many different styles and they nail all of them. The many different genres on the album was not to everyone's taste as they claimed it made the album sound messy and unorganised, however, the mix-up of all the different genres makes for an excellent listen and the album does flow from song to song. It is one of our favourite albums of the year, and as a whole offers a completely different sound. after making the shortlist back in 2015 for ‘My Love is Cool’ and not being chosen as the winner, they thoroughly deserve the prize this time around.

Controversial?  - Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino

Well, who would have predicted this album from Arctic Monkeys? A piano-driven album showing off a more mellow side of Alex Turner and Arctic Monkeys. It sounds like a soundtrack to a sci-fi thriller. After the success of AM, you can definitely see why they decided to take such a massive change in musical direction. It is a hard act to follow and fans and critics would have easily been disappointed with another same sounding album struggling to reach the quality of its older brother. Instead by creating something completely different, some fans will still be disappointed and dislike the new direction immediately. But the true Arctic Monkey fans will have given a listen and made an opinion without comparing it directly to their previous work. It is to be expected that it still wouldn't be everyone’s cup of tea, however, the album shows off Alex Turner’s diverse musical talent and over time even more people are growing to like it. It id Arctic Monkey’s 4th nomination and with 1 win already are they going to join PJ Harvey as only the second artist to have multiple wins?

Should have been included?

With only 12 albums able to make the shortlist, there are always going to be albums that deserve to be included that unfortunately miss the cut. With the likes of Young Fathers, Shame and The Wombats all missing out on the cut, I would not have liked to be on the judging panel and have to choose only 12 albums.

If there is one album that we feel deserved to be included it would be:

Shame - ‘Songs of Praise’

For us, ‘Songs of Praise’ was one of the most underrated albums of the year. There were so many people who loved it, but we also found that not enough people had even realised it existed. It lead to them performing on Jools Holland and several festival slots around Europe but still it felt like we were telling people how good it was, expecting them to have heard it when they hadn't. Lyrically they have produced a masterpiece and musically it shows off extreme levels of talent as well. This is our favourite debut album in the past year and we feel it definitely deserved a spot on the shortlist.

What albums do you feel deserved to be included on the shortlist. Tweet us @DarkSideMusic__ 

[darkside-music-blog]

On The Headphones: Pivotal - Within Circles EP

Although technically not a new release, I have spent the last few months waiting for Pivotal to release their EP ‘Within Circles’ onto Spotify so I can get them in my playlists and not have the constant change over to Soundcloud every time I want to listen to them!

They are having a great time at the moment playing loads of shows and also getting to play the main stage at Common People Festival. They are really making a name for themselves on the south coast.

I have reviewed Pivotal before when I was at their showcase set at the Joiners, trying to earn themselves a Common People slot. Their live performance truly deserved the and showed a stage presence and sound that is rare for bands so early in their existence.

I always worry that bands who are so early in their career will struggle to show the same quality recorded as they do live. But their EP is a great listen and now it’s on more streaming platforms it won’t be long until they start getting even more recognition. Their dark post-punk tones sound like they’ve been written for a new coming of age film soundtrack. With lead singer Lee’s distinctive voice, which I have previously compared with that of Ed Smith’s from Editors, their sound is truly incredible!

Go check out their EP ‘Within Circles’ HERE

📸: Henry Groves @ Common People Festival

[darkside-music-blog]

Our 5 Picks For Tramlines 2018!

UK Festivals have managed to produce some amazing line ups this year and Tramlines in Sheffield is no different! We are going to be there for the Sunday, but we thought we’d give our guide on the 5 bands we think you should see

1. Bang Bang Romeo (Saturday 13:30 Main Stage)

The Sheffield band have to be high up on your list of bands to see this weekend. The 3 piece fronted by incredible female vocalist Anastasia have recently played Isle of Wight main stage and they absolutely smashed it. Tramlines is in for a real treat on the Saturday, so make sure you get down early!

2. Little Comets (Sunday 15:30 T’other Stage)

Little Comets have made masses of amazing music over the past 7 years and are now currently in the process of making their 5th album. With new singles ‘M62’ and ‘The Punk is in the Detail’, it will certainly be a set made up of new songs and old. If you have never seen them live or listened to them before then they are definitely worth checking out. Their distinctive style has been mastered over the years and they are producing music with the same musical and lyrical quality as they always have. They are so good, our editor Henry will be seeing them for the 9th time on Sunday.

3. Spring King (Sunday 18:30 The Leadmill Live Stage)

Spring King have had a busy 2 years since the release of their debut in 2016. With loads of headline shows and festival appearances, it doesn’t feel like they have had much time to thing about a new album. But they have announced their second album will be out this summer and with 3 new singles ‘Animal’, ‘Us vs Them’ and ‘The Hum’, a festival set will be one of the best places to catch their new music before committing to a ticket for their tour. They are know for having ridiculously energetic crowds and and I am sure Tramlines will be no difference.

4. Tom Grennan (Sunday 19:45 The Leadmill Live Stage)

After his debut album got into the top 5 on the album charts and breaking the world record for most shows played in 12 hours, Tom Grennan must be absolutely loving life right now. We think this is definitely the year to catch on some smaller stages before his success and talent rightfully get him the main stage and big venue performances he deserves. The Leadmill Live Stage will probably be full way before he even comes onto the stage, so this is a set that is definitely worth turning up a performance or two early for to make sure you get a good spot!

5. Black Honey (18:45 Sunday The Library Stage)

Having just announced the release of their debut album, Black Honey are gearing up for a mad festival summer to promote the release. The first two singles from the album ‘Bad Friends’ and ‘I Only Hurt The Ones I Love’ have been released and their live shows have been constantly praised, especially because of frontwoman Izzy’s amazing stage presence! They are one of our favourite bands at Dark Side Music and we think they are going to smash the Library Stage so make sure you are there!

You can still buy tickets HERE

[darkside-music-blog]

which albums should you be looking out for this summer?

With more and more albums being announced and pre-sales going live, we thought we would tell you about some of the albums we are going to preorder and the albums we think you should consider purchasing pre-release as well.

1) Black Honey - Black Honey

The incredible Black Honey have finally announced the release of their debut album. The self-titled LP is set to be released on 21st September and we cannot wait.

Known for their live and memorable live performances with frontwoman Izzy Bee having an incredible stage presence and distinctive voice, they are definitely a band to listen to if you haven't before. The 2 latest singles from Black Honey, ‘Bad Friends’ and ‘I Only Hurt The Ones I Love’ both received excellent reviews and show slightly different sounds to the Black Honey sound. With ‘Bad Friends’ showing a more pop-like tone whereas ‘I Only Hurt The Ones I Love’ is the typical Black Honey sound we have come accustomed to.

With 8 of the songs on the tracklist being brand new and never released it makes for a very exciting release from the Brighton four-piece. When it was announced we all went a little bit crazy with excitement, it has been something Black Honey fans have been waiting for and it is finally here.

Tracklisting

I Only Hurt The Ones I Love 

Midnight 

What Happened To You? 

Bad Friends

Blue Romance

Crowded City

Hello Today 

Baby

Into The Nightmare

Dig

Just Calling

Wasting Time

You can preorder the album HERE

2) Slaves - Acts of Fear and Love

That is right, the Kent duo are back with their third album ‘Acts of Fear and Love’. Featuring single ‘Cut and Run’ which has started off some sort of dance craze amongst Slaves fans.

Since releasing their second album in 2016, Slaves have been playing lots of shows, Laurie has been putting more attention into his art and Isaac seems to have bought a mouse. But they have also managed to squeeze some writing into their busy schedules and have finally announced their much anticipated third album.

Personally, I thought that their second album was a disappointing follow up to their critically acclaimed debut, however, their latest single ‘Cut and Run’ is a catchy rock tune, reminding me slightly of their 2014 hit ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’.Could this album be as good as their first? We certainly think it could be and we absolutely cannot wait for its release!

Tracklisting

THE LIVES THEY WISH THEY HAD

CUT AND RUN

BUGS

MAGNOLIA

DADDY

CHOKEHOLD

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

ACTS OF FEAR AND LOVE

You can preorder Slaves new album HERE

3) Spring King - A Better Life

The alternative rock quartet from Manchester have also announced the release of their new album. After their extremely successful and well-received debut ‘Tell Me If You Like To’, it is going to be an incredibly hard job to make an album as incredible for the second time.

I was lucky enough to meet them and interview them for student radio and they are one of the most hard-working bands out there at the moment. With the production talents of drummer/vocalist Tarek Musa, you know that they are not going to release anything short of amazing.

They are also known for their loud and lively performances and getting crowds who match their energy. Like most bands, they love performing live and I am sure their new album will again make sure the crowds have songs to jump around to and try and make the pits even bigger.

Tracklisting

Static (Intro)

Animal

Ready For War

Let's Drink

Paranoid

The Hum

Lightning (Interlude)

Us Vs. Them

Echo Chamber

No More

Radioactive!

Have You Ever Looked Up Into The Sky?

Thicker Skin

Thunder

You can preorder Spring King’s new album HERE

As you can see, it is a very exciting time for new albums with three amazing bands releasing albums at different stages in their careers. The debut from Black Honey, the sophomore album from Spring King and the third album from the successful and experiences Slaves.