Gorillaz- the fall review

The mighty animated music invention, Gorillaz,revealed their new album The Fall on Xmas day. A diary of their North American tour 2010, the album was put together on an IPad, using over 15 applications and a couple of instruments. The album is predominantly mid-tempo, an ambient introspective whirlwind of electronics with no distinctive vocals, a meditating compilation of noise, which will push you into a transcendental state of fairy lights and illuminations. The Fall hasn’t charmed me as magically as Plastic Beach but the credit these music masterminds deserve doesn’t lessen. 

Skrillex review

2 am, a fresh can of coke and a rolled cigarette, nothing to do but review. As a dub scrooge, I refuse to let the wobs and screws of dub step possess me but this guy will inevitably get all your wits banging. Therefore he is worth a mention and a spoon full of respect. Released on Deadmau5’s mau5trap label, Skrillex (Sonny Moore) came from a hardcore screamo band, making him part of a tsunami of American producers washing into dubstep from other genres. But Skrillex is a beat maker of violent chaos and wobbling basslines, silly toy melodies coated with piercing abrasive muck, making his work exclusive. The beauty of his synths and trademark collage of vocals differentiate Skrillex from his peers. It was hard to ignore this young producer when he raised eyebrows and marked his talent with Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. A truly special release, the critics are telling all the kids to have a listen, even if they don’t taste electrics. 

Matt Cardle review

Matt Cardle has taken a heart tugging ballad washed it clean of emotion with bleach and has hung it on your mothers washing line with her pink frilly bloomers. many of horror.

BMTH & BFMV live

I question the reluctance I had when I was sat in burger king munching on a cheeseburger, tossing up whether to go to the CIA to watch Bullet For My Valentine. When I got there, the arena was packed, yet not sold out, swarming with people of all ages, elder mohawks and baby moshers. Soaking up the enthusiasm from the crowd, all my disinclination was subsiding and I was ready. Bring Me the Horizon ran on stage, apparently making a record of receiving no ‘boos’ and blasted their way through a rousing set. The dead were moshing to their malevolent break downs. A love them or hate them scenario, personally I don’t think Oli Sykes is so bad with his strangulated roaring, it’s unique?... Later, a bottle battle starts amongst the heart of the crowd when anticipation spills for the headliner. The house lights dim, the red curtain falls and we are faced with a giant Welsh flag. An explosion of flying bodies and pyrotechnics welcome home Bullet For My Valentine, who grace the stage with high speed riffs which pluck on our bones. Parading around various platforms, Matt Tuck sang his vocals effectively and succeeded in giving Michael Paget a few solo spotlights too. The set list consisted of old and new material, featuring oodles of songs from their 2010 release Fever. Humble, veteran and prepared, these boys are made of heavy metal.

Deaf Havana & Feeder live

Upon entering the O2 in Birmingham, there were only scatters of people occupying the academy. Deaf Havana took to the stage and began to entertain the small audience congregating below them.

Enter Shikari & 30 Seconds to Mars live

 Awaiting the next band having missed the first act,funeral party, I’m clinging onto every bit of remaining optimism, after travelling up the country and paying an excessive price for a ticket off a cheeky northern tout in a last minute plan to see the gorgeous Mr Leto in the flesh. But as I cosy up in the crowd congregating in the Manchester Central arena the atmosphere tells me this is going to be an ambitious show worth all the effort.

Flo Rida review

New release. Flo Rida’s Only One Flo (part 1) reeks of desperation. This is a failing attempt to feed empty tracks through the airwaves. Sloppy noise, like bright pink mushy peas, this albums lacking any temptation or urge to make my hips move. My thoughts are with the diehard clubbers having to make some sense out of this with their bodies. Not a total car crash, Club Can’t Handle Me is on my IPod and its positively buzzing. No really it is sneakily uplifting. Evidently his ideas stopped flo-ing ( Sorry I couldn’t resist) After his number 1 hit Low  back in 2007 and scoring with Right Round, it’s obvious now that he’s in the backseat of this car whilst his guest rapper is in the passenger seat and his producers behind the wheel. His ability to manufacture ‘hit songs’ without any direct role or effort is impeccable, especially when you name drop the infallible combo of Dr.Luke, Max Martin and Benny Blanco or Ludacris and Gucci Mane or David Guetta and The-Dream. Can anybody add spice to this bland material? His predictable variety of repetitive back beats, auto-tuned sing along vocals and ribbons of rap remind me of that girl pulling out all her sexiest moves to catch the boys eyes, failing miserably, this album is a verification that Flo Rida is just as disposable. 

Woe, Is Me review

The music in the metalcore scene is becoming as bad for reproduced generics as the UK chart. I can admit my own standards are lowering, the slight hint of unique-ness and I’m searching online for their gig tickets. Maybe I’m part ‘scenester’, you can’t beat a decent breakdown, jaw dropping screams and plastic auto tunes. Recycled for its debut recipe, this is metalcore but who gives a flying fuck, in this genre, it may be nothing you aint heard before but you haven’t heard it done this well, since, umm, the band you discovered last week. Br00talz. Woe, Is Me recently released their new video for [&] Delinquents from their album Numbers which was released summer’10. A short and sweet album which features a viciously fun cover of Ke$ha’s anthem Tik Tok. Blood pumping material, the Atlanta septet bombard you with creative structure, growls and contrasting clean vocals. The repetitive weighty breakdowns poise with the help of some electronic and melodic guitar, a perfect potion of dissonance.

Gorillaz review

Confined by a lackadaisical mood this morning. Phased by stale smoke, a dizzy head and aching bones. In other words, I am hung over. In contrast, there’s snow outside. Random little flakes are still falling. It’s pretty soothing. Cigarette. IPod > shuffle >Gorillaz- On Melancholy hill. Coincidence or fate? Either way I kiss my IPod with approval. I just listen whilst looking out over the valley and the little boxes made of ticky tacky. Sinking into their fictional universe, I begin to question why I haven’t given these animated characters a good listening to before. Oh sure I was stunned by Dare and Feel Good Inc. et cetera but they never quite gave my ears that fulfilment. THAT satisfaction. This song is doing the job though. Layered like a cake, the pleasant four chord melody levels well with the plinking pizzicato strings, which strum on your taste buds. The vocals are as musing as the lyrics like delicate icing and the spongy drums make the base. My toes are numb. I am epically chilled out, because of the song or the snow? I don’t care. I could reluctantly turn into ice right now whilst the electric string riff tugs me into a fantasy full of soft clouds of synth and whistles.  

cause you are my medicine, when you’re close to me

Kanye West

[Insert generic rant about a new pop phenomenon*] 
fuck it. Here goes.

The reviews are calling Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ‘his best album yet’. A rock-star manifesto apparently.  He has diamonds pouring out of his mouth and a lifestyle where spiritual void meets the American dream. This album is a trophy of an egocentric, smart, self-mocking, frenzied star. 
I type this with gritted teeth.

Evidently our attention spans are minimising and our easily pleased expectations are becoming simple but Mr. West is demanding for more, in an opposite approach to Oliver.After listening to the album I switch on the radio. Already feeling challenged, I begin to feel like a ridiculed twat. West has successfully mocked my ears into realising no other artist booming out of this box can be settled for after his hardworking efforts. The particular track that captured my attention was Lost In The World which, surprisingly, features one of the most admired artists in my ITunes, Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) Brief: Justin escaped to his father’s remote forest cabin in Wisconsin to recover after suffering with mononucleosis and a crashing end to his band and relationship. His music is full of emotion and played entirely by himself. His melodies glide over you but with a slight itch on your heart. Kanye West frames his demons, revamping the heavily autotuned acappellaWoods into a universal mix up about his past exhausted after parties. Basically, Mr. West invades Justin’s mythical woodland retreat into his own surreptitious hell. Moving on from that bad romance, another track- All Of The Lights features Rihanna, Fergie, Kid-Cudi, John Legend, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, La Roux’s Elly Jackson,Alicia Keys and Elton John. Oh sure it’s a wonderful A-List collaboration with brass trimmings and schizo d’n’b breaks. Listening to it is like constantly sipping at a rim hugging froth on top of a never-ending dirty pint consisting of bathroom products (...wow... resting. case. now.) Reaching the crumbs in my pouch of bacci, I’m going to put a full stop to this entry. Despite my urges to rip him apart for using magically gifted artist’s work for his own kitsch remixs, I have respect for Mr. West. He has taken sprinkles of erotic disco, glossy bass and the devouring powers of hip hop into a division of his own, a division that is so socially mighty and arrogant.
In 2006 Kanye West sparked controversy by appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone in an image of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns, & to be brutally honest, he’s still wearing it.

*Just roll your eyes.

A Day To Remember review

7 am. In need of a thrill. ITunes Store. 

Are you sure you want to purchase and download 

“What Separates Me From You”?
Buy.

A Day To Remember have successfully managed to deliver hardcore to the public. Subtly unique, the band posses a few tricks that separate them from their associates. With a firm grip on fucking decent melody, the Florida band swing from punishing pop to hardcore riffing, producing a real black beauty.  Deep dark growling and haunting riffs kick in but just as your head begins to bow, the chorus tugs on you pleasingly with its tasty jaded lyrics making your whole body want to move around. Hair flying, hands beating, knees bending, body rocking. The album mainly consists of this theme of poptastic metal, with the exception of 2^nd sucks which thrills your wits, certainly not appropriate for the faint hearted. However is this album too commercially driven with its pop foundation? Their talents are highly creditable. Their abilities extend from patching two separate ideas together like this and offering contrasting lyrics alongside too, making them more satisfying than a steak and chips. The creativity with arrangements and production deserve a few gold stars to say the least, considering no two versus choruses or breakdowns sound alike. Surely this is moving away at rocket speed from the generics. 

Need I say more on that note..? No? Course not, because this album is already pumping through your veins stronger than the nicotine you inhaled from your last pack of cigarettes. Brutal yet graceful, like Tinkerbell in a Metallica t-shirt and a studded belt, like Sid Vicious in a tux. I fucking rate this album.

Hello

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels,

the round pegs in the square holes, 

the ones who see things differently.