#mike vennart

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R U ?

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Oceansize - Catalyst 

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Album Review: Vennart - Forgiveness & The Grain

Words: Ben Forrester It was only in September of last year that we were graced with an album featuring the inimitable talents of one Mr Mike Vennart. Teaming up with his touring brother Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro fame and Dave fucking Lombardo, Empire State Bastard came through with a monolithic debut that challenged the extremes of alternative music. And won! Having spent most of 2023 touring…

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Empire State Bastard Drop 'The Silver Cord Sessions' EP

Empire State Bastard have shared a new EP, ‘The Silver Cord Sessions’, featuring studio recordings of three tracks from their debut record. The three-track project comes ahead of the Simon Neil and Mike Vennart side-project’s month-long tour as special guests for Sleep Token. Their latest EP – which was recorded at Silver Cord Studios in New York, owned by Gorija’s Joe Duplantier, who produced…

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Favorite Music of 2023

Empire State Bastard - Rivers of Heresy The love child of Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) and Mike Vennart (Oceansize) is a truly epic metal monstrosity.  I'd heard bits and pieces of it that Mike doled out over the years via his Patreon and never thought a fully realized product would see the light of day.  Well, they did it, and they got Dave Lombardo to bash the skins.  That should tell you everything you need to know about this masterpiece. Empire State Bastard - The Looming [Official Video]

Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex This feels like the culmination of the last two albums (To the Bone, The Future Bites) coalescing into an experimental but solid whole.  It's best enjoyed in a single sitting instead of bits and pieces.  There's also an alternate version of this album (Harmonic Distortion) including outtakes and remixes that is just as enjoyable as the main album. 

Steven Wilson - Economies of Scale

Squid - O Monolith I wasn't immediately sold on Squid's first album (Bright Green Field), but after watching them play live they won me over.  This second album is just as intense as the first.  They know their strengths and play to them and the audience wins.  Each song is incredibly complex, yet somehow they pull it off live and make it look easy, every member playing with a musical ambidexterity that is breathtaking.    Squid - La Route du Rock 2023 – ARTE Concert

Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman I still remember vividly seeing Songs for the Deaf at the local Hastings Muisc store at a listening station and proceeding to listen to the entire album.  I stood there for an hour because the music rooted me to the spot.  I'd never had an experience like that before.  I'm sure the store clerk wondered if I didn't have anywhere else to go.  Needless to say I became an instant fan and have been ever since.  Queens of the Stone Age - Time And Place (Official Audio)

Knower - Knower Forever The first time I experienced Knower was back in 2016 and the video for "The Government Knows".   It was hilarious and strange and I couldn't get over how catchy it was.  I was compelled to seek out more from the group and began to appreciate the pure musicianship of Louis Cole and his gang of gifted musical cohorts.  Over the years he released solo albums and had an insane side project known as Clown Core that's a genre unto itself.  With Knower he's always had Genevieve Artadi as a musical partner and her voice fits the music perfectly.  This latest album is their best so far.  I'm The President - KNOWER

Hania Rani - Ghosts I think I first heard Hania based on the Youtube algorithm that thought I might like an insanely talented pianist and composer.  This was mid-pandemic 2020 and her album "Home".  It's one thing to hear the music, but it's quite another to see her perform solo and realize she's creating all of these soundscapes on the fly.  Ethereal, beautiful, and transporting music. Hania Rani - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)

The Fierce and the Dead - News from the Invisible World This was a recent discovery.   I know that I'll end up loving a group if I can't stop thinking about a song I heard.  In this case it's one called "Non-Player".  The entire album is great though, bouncing around between song styles and genre's.  I was surprised to find that it's the first with vocals, their past releases being instrumental. ▶︎ News From The Invisible World | The Fierce And The Dead (bandcamp.com)

IDLES - (Everything) I was late to the IDLES party by four albums, but I've now got my arms and legs tucked inside the ride and I'm holding on for dear life.  Not since Oceansize has a group affected me this profoundly.  It's all right there on display, no gimmicks, everything's genuine.  "If someone talked to you, the way you do to you, I'd put their teeth through.  Love yourself." I am beyond excited for the new album coming in February.  IDLES - DANCER  (Official Video)

Bonus Video (You're welcome): Donny Benét: Multiply (Official Music Video)

[daniellew150]

Things of 2023, Part 4, YouTube

I think I probably watch more YouTube than any streaming service.  Definitely some carry over from last year, but so good they need to be called out. 

PhilosophyTube

Just goes from strength to strength. The production values are way above what you would expect for an independent creator. I don’t think there is a single video Abigail has put out this year that I haven’t watched at least three times. Effective Altruism, Ethical AI and Plagiarism have all been stand outs, and I cannot wait to see what 2024 brings. 

Well There’s Your Problem

Another channel that just keeps getting better. It was wonderful to see them break the 100K subscriber barrier, and they didn’t disappoint. My favourites this year have been the most recent one on the De Havilland Comet, Helios Airways Flight 522, and Therac-25. Hard to believe again how much effort goes into creating these (and the bonus Patreon episodes are worth every penny). 

That Pedal Show

What can I say? this has been a crazy year, Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Mike Vennart, Chris Shiflett, and that’s just some of the guests. The One Guitar, One Amp, No Pedals challenge. The Coronation Pickin’ challenge, are just a small number of the great videos, to put out around an hour long video once a week is insane, add in the Monday VCQ’s and it’s just awesome. I was also in a position to go on one of their Experience Days back in January, and it was mind blowing, to play some of that gear and really revel in the ability to play at volume was fantastic. 2024 is going to be the year I find a way to do that more often.  Well done Dan & Mick. 

The JHS Show

Not watched the JHS Pedals channel as much this year, but the NOTAKLON launch has to go down as one of the best product launches I think I have ever seen. 

Penfriend

I found Laura through the Obey Robots record, but her work as Penfriend is also brilliant, and her live streamed gigs are just a chilled out joy to watch. 

Colin Furze

Nutcase who is building a whole tunnel system under his house. Not much more to say really. 

hbomberguy

New to me this year, but his nearly 4 hour long video on Plagiarism on YouTube was amazing, the time and effort required to do so much investigation is crazy. Well worth a watch (if you have 4 hours to spare). 

So many others, but these I think are the cream of the crop for 2023. 

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New project Simon Neil and Mike Vennart

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vennart | radiomoths.com

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Jon Lee Martin artwork for the upcoming Vennart album - 'To Cure A Blizzard Upon A Plastic Sea'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOef0N1mbKU

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Oceansize - Effloresce

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Oceansize, I Am The Morning

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Empire State Bastard Share New Video For 'The Looming'

Empire State Bastard have dropped a new music video for their track, ‘The Looming’. It’s the third single taken from the debut album of Simon Neil and Mike Vennart’s side-project which has a wild new video that goes with it, which sees a warrior head out into a desert that looks like something out of ‘Dune’, before a raft of psychedelic visuals enter the frame. Have a watch of the video below,…

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I can feel lies within the gospels that I'm sold The tactless sentiments are a new pain.

Mike Vennart .- New Pin

[daniellew150]

Things of 2023, Part 3, Music

New music is still proving to be a bit of a struggle but here goes. 

Foo Fighters: But here we are. 

This is an amazing come back from a terrible loss. Heartfelt and poignant. I wasn’t expecting any new music so soon, but so glad it exists. Also very much looking forward to seeing them live again in June next year with friends and family.

Empire State Bastard - Rivers of Heresy.

Struggled to get into this one. It’s Simon Neil and Mike Vennart, but nothing like Biffy Clyro, extremely heavy. Need to listen to it more I think.

Obey Robots - One in a thousand.

I think this is probably my favourite new album of the year. Laura Kidd (Penfriend and She Makes War) and Rat (Ned’s Atomic Dustbin) join forces to make a wonderful record. Stand out tracks, One of these days, Porcupine and Let it snow. Just brilliant

Beabadoobee - Fake it flowers.

Not strictly new, but new to me, stand out tracks for me. Care, Charlie Brown. Great guitars and vocals. 

All Ears Avow - Feel the Push

Another new to me record, Technophobia is a great song, catchy riffs and some amazing singing. 

Brimheim - RATKING

This one should almost wait for next year, as only a couple of tracks are available so far, but Brand New Woman and Literally Everything are so good, looking forward to hearing the rest of the album.

Boris 

This is an odd one, don’t really have an album to pick as I only heard about them yesterday…. Japanese rock, been around for a long time and have a huge back catalogue, but what I’ve heard so far is great.  Akuma No Kama, Pink and Heavy Friends are brilliant.

Cavetown - Cavetown & Lemon Boy

Again these were new to me this year, when I was preparing myself to see them live back in February. Lemon Boy is a great title track and Devil Town is just delightfully silly. The gig itself was a lot of fun and would go see them again. 

[niallflack]

Album Review: To Cure A Blizzard Upon A Plastic Sea by Vennart

Album Review: To Cure A Blizzard Upon A Plastic Sea by @Vennart

Vennart release their new album To Cure A Blizzard Upon A Plastic Sea’on 14th September via Medium Format. The brainchild of former Oceansize and British Theatre front man and current Biffy Clyro live guitarist Mike Vennart the album is a varied and ambitious slab of alt rock going from pop rock to prog rock and everything in between. The record was produced by Mike Vennart and Steve Durose, once…