Jet Pack – Chasing Sunsets EP

Giving the ranks of alternative rock a rousing and vibrantly melodic addition in the shape of their Chasing Sunsets EP, UK band Jet Pack is an unexpected treat which ignored expectations to show themselves as an exciting, inventive, and impressively promising band. The excellent release undoubtedly suggests there is plenty of room within the imagination of the band still to emerge in their probable rise to the fore of melodic and emotive UK rock but also brings one satisfying and appealing appearances to fully enjoy right now.

Hailing from Cheltenham, Jet Pack was formed out of university in 2008 by a group of musicians linked by their mutual love for pop-punk as much as anything else. Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dennis Cook, lead guitarist Paul Roberts, bassist Richard Beattie, and Sam Haskins on drums, the quartet has exhaustingly travelled and played the lengths of Britain with their live performances which have included sharing stages with bands such as Hype Theory, General Fiasco, Attention Thieves, and Hildamay, as well as playing acoustic slots before Blink 182 at the LG Arena in Birmingham as well as similar appearances before Biffy Clyro and City and Colour. The band has earned at the same time strong plaudits for their sound and stage energy which they have brought into their new release.

The Matt O’Grady (You me at six, Deaf Havana) produced Chasing Sunsets EP starts with the excellent Back To Life, a track dancing with the senses and passions from its first second and impacting on thoughts and emotions just as long and eagerly. Vocals, resonating rhythms, and fiery guitars open up the track with enterprise and hungry energy, their combined enthusiasm and qualities securing instant attention and keen commitment. Infectious without being blatantly obvious in its hook, the song is a sizzling burn of the melodic prowess of Jimmy Eat World and the more abrasive confrontation of No Trigger honed into a pleasing and incendiary result by the accomplished foursome.

The following Now I Know How John Locke Felt and Heat Of The Moment continue the impressive start, both with a less forceful but no less hungry enterprise and melodic intensity. The first of the pair brings some great coaxing from keys within and behind the melodic haze of passion and great vocal harmonies which compliments and tempers the grazing touch of the guitars. It is an inviting and ardour recruiting stroll of skilful persuasion whilst its successor steps into a more deliberate slower gait where emotive expression and sonic rain showers the ear for an appealing heated temptation. Not quite as magnetic as the first two songs, the track still leaves a happy and elevated appetite for more.

The title track is a real slow burner, a song which initially left doubts and dormant reactions but as it continued its narrative sparked intrigue and increasing mesmerism. The initial acoustic wrap with the vocals of Cook laying the plaintive lyrical statement is underwhelming and sparks insecurity over its presence in what so far has been an impressive release. Once the vocals of guest vocalist Lauren Pryke steps forward into the mix with the shadows of melancholic strings in tow, things take an elevated turn with the atmosphere and breath of the song darkening yet equally blazing with a bright and entrancing wash. It is a cloudy almost muggy mix which covers the song and it is that enveloping tempest as much as the beauty of Pryke’s contribution and the glorious emotive strings which makes the final and long term convincing.

The final pair of All I Need with its towering rhythms from Haskins and the closing potent  epic tasting instrumental This Is The End close out the release in strong and compelling style, both without reaching the heights of the start of the release but strongly complimenting its impact and the pleasure given. Chasing Sunsets certainly sets up Jet Pack as a band with the destiny of their success firmly in their own hands  and shows they have all the armoury and ability to make it a successful one.

www.facebook.com/wearejetpack

8/10

RingMaster 05/05/2013

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard from

http://www.audioburger.com

Hello Lazarus – Moving Forward Over The Next Financial Quarter

pic KMT Media

You know you are onto something special when a release makes an impressive first statement in its initial persuasion upon the ear and then just gets better and more potent with each subsequent encounter. Such is the case with Moving Forward Over The Next Financial Quarter, the new EP from UK alternative rock band Hello Lazarus. The first of three EPs scheduled for the year, the four track triumph is a scintillating and gloriously expressive ignition for the passions and the declaration of a band destined to stretch the lines for and reshape British melodic rock on this evidence.

From Bristol, the trio of Adam Hooper, Luke Taylor, and Sean Shirwan-Begie, creates songs which breed punk pop infectiousness from within a deep reservoir of finely sculpted melodic rock. The resulting sound is one which can wrap tender emotive arms or more hungry urgently driven confrontation around the ear and from the proof of the EP alone, has the imagination and power to bring a consistently enthralling and provocative experience with a diversity of unique rewards from across every second of their expansive ideas. Equally grabbing attention with their live show which has seen the band alongside the likes of The Xcerts, Tellison, Flood of Red, Tubelord, and Vessels, Hello Lazarus brings a fresh presence and creativity to the ear. Their Scylla Records released as mentioned first of three scheduled EPs, is the initial step of a massively suggestive promise of greater things for the band ahead. One which provokes the notion of a nationwide awareness waking up to the band from if not to this Jake Robbins (Natives, Sharks) produced release, somewhere along the line of the subsequent unveilings if they are anything like Moving Forward Over The Next Financial Quarter.

The EP opens up with new video single When In Rome, a song which boldly barges through the ear with a muscular bass snarl and crisp rhythms from within a gently abrasing rash of sharp guitar lashes. Once the excellent vocals step up with their expressive narrative things settle into a slightly restrained air with voice, harmonies, and the ever provocative bass sharing attention whilst the guitars and drums frame their potency. The wholly infectious chorus is excellent its contagion not borne from obvious and easy hooks but pure passion and invention, and instantly recruits the listener into its emotive charge and catchy stroll. Arguably there is nothing which alone makes a lingering capture of passion and memory, no richly barbed hook or element which stands out, but the song is just a whole of immensely seductive and deeply penetrating elements with a mutual depth of quality and excellence combining for that impacting and long lasting temptation. It is a striking and emotively inciting song which by itself gives all the reasons why the band is causing a stir.

The following Get An Axe brings sterner sinews into play from the intimidating drums and again deliciously grumpy basslines, for another insatiable melodic escapade of near virulent contagion and energy soaking enterprise. With a stronger punk lilt than its predecessor, the track is an incendiary recruitment drive for heart borne melodic expression and eager air igniting energy, all moulded and bred through thoughtfully crafted and imaginatively enhanced ingenuity. The song leaves breathlessness behind, it’s again hard to ignore or refuse lure to join its cause exploiting and feeding on the now full greed devouring the release and its enslaving rewards.

Stallions is a gentler temptress, the instantly consuming breeze of harmonies and cascading sonic elegance offering a warm hand whilst the bass adds its own shadows to temper the blaze of light elsewhere. It is a crystalline glow within the release, its shimmering sonic kisses outshining the prowling bass and senses tripping drums strikes yet never dousing the fire of the darker elements and the threatening to escape brew of feisty intensity. The track shows the range and invention of band and songwriting, as does in its individual way the closing I Am No Explorer. It is another emotively sculpted piece of beauty with corners of darkness adding their haunting temptation. It is a stunning song, and though maybe not the top personal favourite upon the EP it is undoubtedly the most involved and involving treat.

Moving Forward Over The Next Financial Quarter is an excellent instigator of the passions as well as thoughts and emotions, a release which suggests Hello Lazarus can be as essential as the likes of 30 Seconds To Mars, and Lower Than Atlantis, and even Biffy Clyro.

http://hellolazarus.com/

9/10

RingMaster 28/04/2013

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard from

http://www.audioburger.com

Circle Of Reason: A Favour For A Stranger EP

From just the initial listens of A Favour For A Stranger, the new EP from alternative rockers Circle Of Reason you can feel this is a band with all the promise and ingredients to be a big force certainly in the UK rock scene ahead. The three track release is a compulsive slice of well-crafted melodic rock and boisterous energy honed with a fine progressive intent. The band has been compared to the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Silverchair, Muse, and Queens of The Stone Age, in varying ways to which you can easily add Biffy Clyro and Inme. Circle Of Reason have their own template of sound though which sets them apart from the majority of similarly gaited bands and leaves a sense of excitement for their future whilst giving plenty of pleasure in the now.

The Southampton band was formed in 2009 and has made a steady progress building a strong presence in the South West of England also reaching further afield. Renowned for their live shows which has seen them alongside bands such as Girlschool, Fighting with Wire, Freeze the Atlantic, Landscapes, Idiom, Rumer, and The Smoking Hearts across the UK, the quartet of vocalist/guitarist Simon Osman, guitarist Gary Slade, bassist Sam Cogher, and drummer Andy Milwain, have now set down a marker with the new release which has to be the platform for them to go forth and seize major recognition. It is an impressive aural base camp to venture forward with further invention from, exploration of headier heights in their own evolving creative hands.

The release consists of two previous video singles, which have garnered good play and attention from the likes of Kerrang! TV, Scuzz, and Lava TV, and a third track which is their new video single released to coincide with the EP. Chasing the Sun starts things off with big riffs and dazzling guitar play, a major feature of all three songs. Into its stride the song relaxes into a slightly reserved air as vocalist Osman joins the already intriguing song. He is a strong vocalist who especially excels when raising his vocal energies, though less striking when keeping it low key. He was also the cause of ignoring the majority of the song and release during the first couple of plays, as concentration could only be focused on who he sounded like. It is one of those frustrations which have to be alleviated with an answer before moving on, and thankfully, eventually it revealed itself. I have read him compared to Kurt Cobain (?) but actually he is a dead ringer for Paul Marsh from eighties band The Mighty Lemon Drops; of course that will mean nothing to most but just had to bring relief and closure to the ‘problem’. The song fires up throughout into strong melodic flames musically and in mass harmonies which leave the senses smouldering with contentment and glowing from the outstanding and precise guitar invention. Arguably still the weakness track on the release the excellent song is a deeply engaging piece of enterprise.

     Sea Of Voices is a feistier proposition, striking sinewy riffs grabbing eager attention whilst Osman sweeps through the song vocally nicely backed up by the rest of the band with group harmonies. The song is a thumping stomp with the rhythms of Milwain forming a formidable frame for the basslines of Cogher to badger and guitars of Osman and Slade to incite and dazzle. The progressive intent of the band is at its creative fullness on the track with a wonderful though brief magnetically whispering aside of peaceful melodic grandeur stepping forward before the fiery climax. Everything is in perfect proportion in the songs, the riotous riffs, impacting rhythms, and emotive melodic beauty finding a seamless place in the overall impressive energetic contagion without bleeding into or overwhelming their companions, this song the thrilling example.

The release is completed by the latest single Silver Scene, a track which alone shows why the band is being talked so highly of. Again blending the sturdiest rock and metal riffs with a bruising intensity and infectious melodic invention all brought with unmistakable skill, the song is an irresistible weave of imagination and thoughtful songwriting. From first note to last it is an inventive lure for the passions and inciter of emotions, a mischievous conveyor of barbed hooks and impossible to refuse rock n roll. Other than an opening few seconds where the levels feel smothered compared to the rest of the song, it is a near perfect treat and like the other songs the basis for great anticipation of big things ahead for the band.

A Favour For A Stranger is an excellent EP which just gets better and better with every listen whilst raising hopes that Circle Of Reason has an album in the works for the near future. This is a band you should treat yourselves too very soon.

https://www.facebook.com/circleofreason

RingMaster 01/12/2012

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Threepenny Thieves: The Medals Aren’t Mine

Though arguably not the most instant of captivations, The Medals Aren’t Mine the latest EP from UK alternative/punk band Threepenny Thieves, emerges as one of the more intriguing and refreshes releases this year. It is a collection of songs which rile up and challenge whilst offering a boisterous feast of wickedness to enflame mischievous urges. It is raw and instinctive rock n roll which with an abrasive touch lights up senses and thoughts. It is honest and in the face, just as good punk rock should be, and fuses it with stirring alternative rock sounds to make each track a unique and unpredictable experience.

Threepenny Thieves, with a name inspired by the musical The Threepenny Opera, was formed in February 2011 as a three piece by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Mortie Pockett, who brought in long time friend Jake ‘Dreads’ McLewee on bass and drummer Nick Gray, who he met on his university course. The first year saw the band gigging and recording their debut EP Months, and notably the addition of Mikey Digby as second and lead guitar. The South England based quartet according to their bio makes music which is best described as ‘Biffy Clyro teaming up with The Cribs and fighting Two Door Cinema Club’. To be honest they are not the bands which spring immediately to mind listening to the EP but it certainly indicates the eclectic and diverse sound the band conjures up.

The release opens with Let’s Never Play Acoustic Again and immediately has attention firmly in its direction. The song takes mere seconds for its guitars to flare up with tight sonic play whilst the vocals of Pockett delight as they squeal and sing with a distinct expressive style. Though not openly infectious, the song has a tight grip on the ear with its thumping rhythms, energetically charged riffs, and guitar invention, whilst the vocals taunt with a caustic but appealing attitude. As this and the following Frozen Garage Joe chew and tease the senses, the sounds playing with their safety offer a mix of Reuben, ThisCity, and most of all My Red Cell. It is an absorbing and inspiring blend which once it has a connection thrills at every turn.

     Frozen Garage Joe surpasses the opener almost with its first sonic breath. The sense of something special coming is instant and once the discordance kicks in from the guitars, the immediate storm of dirty sounds and wicked intent is irresistible. Mid way in the song finds a stoner vein to heat and fire up the already riotous air of the song to make for a contagious and thrilling climax. The song especially as it makes its final crescendo, is very much like the aforementioned My Red Cell with Pockett having the same acidic and excited crusade of vocal harmonics which makes Russell Toomey from the other band so mesmeric.

Third song Genevieve is a slowly enveloping emotive ballad which taken on its own is an honest and strong piece of passion, but within the manic and bedlamic presences of other songs does initially feel an uneasy fit. It reveals another aspect to the sound and songwriting of the band though which with its closing climactic heart, ensures the song makes for an impressive selection even if it lacks the appeal of other songs.

Fighting Talk is a punk rock fury to again turn the listener into a breathless incited bundle of agitated enthusiasm, its attitude drenched challenge sparking only excited reactions. The track is a punchy taunt with an energy which is steely without having the aggressive and violent intensity to back it up, the sounds reflecting the great lyrical humour and tale.

Will Threepenny Thieves and The Medals Aren’t Mine be for everyone…it is unlikely as most inventive and boundary ignoring bands find a resistance to their imagination but if something different, well crafted, and individual is to your taste than this is a must investigate. Completed by a further three radio edits of its songs and a free download at the following http://soundcloud.com/threepenny_thieves/sets/the-medals-arent-mine there really is no excuse not to take some intensive time with the EP.

RingMaster 12/09/2012

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

The best and easiest way to get your music on iTunes, Amazon and lots more. Click below for details.

City Of Lights: Seasons Change

If you are looking for a new promising and enterprising melodic rock band to feast your ears upon than UK band City Of Lights easily and impressively fits the bill. August 27^th sees the release of their debut album Seasons Change, a collection of ten songs which capture the imagination with craft and elegance. Musically the band has pulled in comparisons to the likes of Biffy Clyro, Snow Patrol, and Coldplay, though bands like Doves also come to mind more often than not, the Leeds based quartet creating sounds which play upon the heart with refined melodies and expressive play.

The band began in 2011 when Paris based Matt Dunwell (acoustic guitar & lead vocals) linked up with long-time song-writing conspirator Sean Howey (drums & backing vocals) to create ‘their own brand of honest rock-pop that would ignite and engage.’ The pair were joined by Ashley Howey (bass /backing vocals), the brother of Sean, and soon were refining and evolving their sound around the UK. They then became a quartet with the addition of guitarist Alex Humphreys and continued to draw attention and a rapidly growing following as they lit up the North of England and London with their live performances. Seasons Change is the next step on their ascent and a thoroughly engaging step it is.

The album opens with the infectious Was It All Worth It?, an eager warmth of enticing melodies, glowing harmonies, and smiling enthusiasm. The song is a bouncy pleasure which has a restrained energy but a wealth of inviting charm. The vocals of Dunwell sit expressively within the well lit melodies of the guitars whilst the rhythms of Sean Howey are strong without forcing the issue.

This great start is improved upon immediately by the best song on the album, Did I Stutter. The track is a feisty breeze of driven melodies and energies springing from an emotive and thoughtful base. At times the song reminds of the Doves track Pounding with its rising intensity becoming explosive crescendos throughout to light up the senses wonderfully. The song is hungry yet respectful, inviting adoration rather than demanding though it is hard to imagine many who could not be enamoured without suggestion.

The release slips into a slower emotive breath and arguably a less dynamic presence within the ear, though the likes of Honesty and Wake Me Up drip contagious passion and heart. The vocals of Dunwell bring a stronger Scottish lilt especially with the first of the pair, which shows maybe the inner passion within the songs is personal and intense. For personal taste the album does not quite return to the height it opened with but it is impossible to be anything but impressed by the songwriting and fullness of these and following songs, the dramatic Out Of Sight and deeply mesmeric Landscape just two examples of the quality and pleasure the band create.

Stick & Stones and Wait For Me both bring further elevated warmth to the senses, the first with its crisp melodic beckoning and impassioned whispers whilst the second has a tighter intensity to its rock spine to bring further variety to the release. The song preys on the ear with a keen and muscular caress which expands into a coarse electrified energy to ignite the senses.

If the comparisons mentioned earlier appeal than City Of Lights will impress strongly and leave deep pleasure behind them, for others like us who those bands mentioned send shudders down the spine, Seasons Change will be a pleasing surprise. It will not become a deep partner for the ear but will be a refreshing companion when given the chance.

www.facebook.com/cityoflightsmusic

RingMaster 22/08/2012

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

The best and easiest way to get your music on iTunes, Amazon and lots more. Click below for details.

Always The Quiet Ones: Drought / Ghost In The Filament

Though only in August, our list of certain singles of the year has meant shoes and socks have had to be removed to keep a tally of our claims so far. Obviously it is too early to really make declarations though here we have a single which possibly leaves all in the shade. It comes from UK rock band Always The Quiet Ones and is formed of two tracks, Drought and Ghost In The Filament. Quite simply it is one of the most exciting and exhilarating things to come along in recent months and though we will keep a rein on claims it is hard to think to date of many singles which rival it.

Always The Quiet Ones first drew a wave of feverish attention with their debut EP Freakshow from not only us but from media and fans countrywide. It was a release which once it took hold led to a deep connection and near adoration of their sound though the new songs have ignited things to an even  higher intensity. Formed in 2010, the Liverpool quintet of vocalist Blas Barragan Jr., guitarists Joe Danher and Adam Lucas, bassist Chris Nicholls, and drummer James Lorenzo, took no time in owning audiences through their live performances which saw them sharing stages with the likes of Deaf Havana, Mojo Fury, The Safety Fire Axis Of, Turbogeist and Fighting With Wire. As mentioned their EP drew strong responses upon its release earlier this year with the band seeing heavy play on Total Rock Radio, XFM and Kerrang! Radio, as well as extensive press coverage. Already the new single has been eagerly featured on The Reputation Radio Show and upon its release August 20^th is sure to fire a real acceleration of acclaim upon the band.

The promo for the release opens with the line ‘Pounding on your front door like the bastard love child of Tool and early Biffy Clyro…’, and you can definitely apply that to the song Drought though the swapping of Biffy Clyro for The Manic Street Preachers would be more accurate. The track opens with slapping beats on the senses from Lorenzo brought with the eagerness of kids playing the old classic prank though there is no running away involved. Group shouts bring the hairs on the back of the neck to attention as they scorch ears with tribal intensity, before things erupt in to a storm of feisty riffs and melodic incision to further rile up the passions. Things take a breath as the band settle into an emotive vein, the bass of Nicholls throbbing with a deep resonance amidst the sharp enticing play of Danher and Lucas. The vocals of Barragan Jr. are immense continuing on from their strong showing on Peepshow but with even greater expansive expression and control.  There is a definite James Dean Bradfield feel to his tone and delivery, the emotive feel and expressive power he brings to the songs immensely striking and impressive.  The track expands with angular strides in sound and energy as it explores its limits, its muscles and invention sprawling over the senses. The track ends as it begins to leave one breathless and fully agitated in the very best way.

Ghost In The Filament makes its introduction in a less dramatic way but with just as much infectious force with the guitars twisting and immersing the ear in sonic imagination. Again it takes a step back in intensity to let the bass stomp with its hungry breath whilst the vocals hungrily prowl and growl over the senses. Distinctly different from its companion but equally as mighty the track is a fiery captivation, its flames of imagination and intelligence igniting the deepest satisfaction. There is great rock music and there is the place where Always The Quiet Ones goes where the word brilliance seems the only appropriate one. The song as does Drought , leaves one on the edge of exhaustion and urgently eager to hear more.

Both songs show a band improving at a gallop and set to explode UK rock music into places it has not graced in a long time. Always The Quiet Ones really are that good and getting better all the time.

www.facebook.com/alwaysthequietones

Listen to Always The Quiet Ones on The Bone Orchard podcast from The Reputation Radio Show .

RingMaster 16/08/2012

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

The best and easiest way to get your music on iTunes, Amazon and lots more. Click below for details.

Late Night Fiction: Polar

Polar the new EP from UK melodic post hardcore band Late Night Fiction is one of those slow burners which needs a little extra time to unveil and expose its excellence. From receiving an initial appreciative nod without truly understanding its intent the release evolves into a stirring and perpetually intriguing gem. To be honest it never quite manages to ignite any ferocious or lingering fires within but is without doubt one of the more interesting and appetising releases of the genre and UK rock in general this year.

Late Night Fiction formed in 2007 as an acoustic duo of vocalist guitarist Phill Morris and guitarist James Thompson. Their need and desire for a heavier sound led to the addition in 2009 of bassist Reece Britton and ex-Alison Angus drummer Josh Meredith. Drawing on influences like Biffy Clyro, Yourcodenameis:milo, Hell is for Heroes and Brand New, the Hull based quartet released their debut EP Hands & Numbers the same year to strong responses. Shows with the likes of Grammatics and the Xcerts followed as well as sessions for BBC Introducing and their first single Horsefight. Since then the band has gone from strength to strength with this year alone already seeing the band playing alongside Twin Atlantic, , Dinosaur Pile Up, Flood of Red, run, WALK!, and Sucioperro. It has also seen Nat Lawson taking over with the sticks though Meredith is the man building the impressive song frameworks on the EP.

Released on their own Grey Man Records, Polar does not take too long into first song Black Watch to show that beneath the aggressive and high charged melodic scorching the band is not interested in merely making tidy, unassuming, and predictable music. This ensures songs which are at times volatile and insistently dynamic but also adventurous and continually surprising. The opener alone marks the songwriting as thoughtful yet unafraid to venture beyond its expected borders, something refreshing certainly in a genre which seemingly is veering towards wearing predictability as a uniform. The song ruptures the air with its first notes through striking and hungry guitars alongside openly earnest clean and shouting vocals. As the track surges with twisting switches from thrashing almost venomous intent to restrained melodic elegance which has its seeds in the acoustic intricacies from the roots of the band, it is a refreshing journey which leaps and gently strolls alternatively and persistently across the senses. It does not  get the blood surging through veins and the heart running fast but it certainly has one engrossed and grinning with delight.

The outstanding Exits, Pursued By A Bear steps into view next upon delicious atmospheric guitar weaves, their gait warming the air even with the exposure of coarse vocal grimaces within the otherwise smooth emotive delivery. As the song spreads its arms the bass of Britton virtually swaggers within the brewing ambience generated whilst Meredith leaves one on the verge of punch drunk with his powerful jabbing beats. Another exercise in musical adventure punctuated with explosions of incendiary energy and burning melodic intrusions, the song is a masterful piece leaving one deeply satisfied and with a desperate need to dive right back in to its heart to discover more of its textures and veiled invention.

The excellent and expressive instrumental Smashy “Smashy Beast” Beast is just the band laying out their musical ability and vision to wonderful effect, the dramatic and highly tensioned heart of the song much more than a mere interlude between the other tracks.

     Dialetics and Relax Please complete the line-up of songs to equal and impressive success. The first is more restrained than the other tracks but has a rawness to rile up emotions just as effectively adding further variation and imagination to the songwriting whilst the latter is a seven minute encapsulation of what the band is about, its presence an inciteful and compulsive exploration of their limits. Though arguably the least accessible song it has the most depth and imaginative canvas for thoughts and emotions to play with on the EP. It also has a melodic hook at times which shouts out Altered Images, but  do not let that put you off.

Polar is an exceptional release which just requires some fuller attention before it truly shows its qualities. The rewards though are very satisfying and with the album Ethics scheduled for late 2012, Late Night Fiction is a band to watch very carefully.

https://www.facebook.com/latenightfiction

RingMaster 11/07/2012

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

The best and easiest way to get your music on iTunes, Amazon and lots more. Click below for details.

Broken Lungs: We’re In This Together EP

Not yet to reach their first year as a band, alternative rockers Broken Lungs release their debut EP We’re In This Together to inspire firm acclaim and even greater promise for the band ahead. The release may not be the finished article in some ways but stands ahead of a mass of releases from older and more mature bands in quality and melodic prowess.

Formed last August the Liverpool quartet of vocalist and guitarist Karl Eginton, lead guitarist Carl Fitzpatrick, alongside Alex Forde and Mark Highdale on bass and drums respectively, have worked hard and with a defined intent in forming and creating a sound which is as strikingly and keenly melodic as it is energised and passionate. The EP released June 11^th, marks their first step into the gaze and ears of the UK and it is not too much of a stretch to imagine the band and their melodic rock sounds making a big and deep impression.

The release opens with the eager and sure We Stand Tall. The song immediately lays out the melodic skill of Broken Lungs as the guitars light up the senses amongst firm basslines and attentive rhythms. Though the song arguably lacks a bite to match the likes of Foo Fighters who many have compared some aspects of their sound to, the track has an infectiousness which grows as it plays within the ear. Vocalist Eginton has a great smooth voice matching the clean cut melodies of the song and all combined the song is an impressive start to the release.

I’m Done With Desperation follows next with a harder rock spine and energy. With a great gravelly bassline the song ripples with a deeper intensity against the sharper and more intrusive melodic patterns elsewhere within the song. Though not as instant as the opener the song shows diversity to the sound of the band and their songwriting strength. Again personally more of a snarl to it would have been welcome but it is hard to place any real criticism at its feet.

Next the band brings another assured rock fuelled entry to the release in the shape of Try As I Might. The track is an eager melodic stomp across the ear with more than a tinge of anthemic essence to its breath. It plays with an air of Jimmy Eats World meets Biffy Clyro, teasing the ear with an energetic purpose and emotive slowed down melodic grace. The sound is seemingly familiar which adds to its appeal and captivation, the lure of the song almost siren like.

Closing with the more restrained Alleyways and acoustic Lost At Sea, two songs which show the softer elements of the band though they do not quite find the heights of the other tracks, the EP is an impressive debut and a release that marks the band as one to keep a close eye on. The feeling is though that as time passes and the band evolves one will be hearing plenty of and from them without having to look. UK melodic rock looks to be in promising hands led by the impressive Broken Lungs.

www.facebook.com/BrokenLungs

RingMaster 04/06/2012

The best and easiest way to get your music on iTunes, Amazon and lots more. Click below for details.

The Since Monroe Interview

One year since their formation UK indie rock band Since Monroe have garnered a strong and enthused attention and just as eager acclaim for their energetic and punchy rock, punk, and garage rock sounds. The Birmingham band is one that whether on stage or with their studio recordings leaves one wanting more, something their debut EP Lost Generation which they released on their own label Younitee fully proves. Seizing on the chance offered to find out more about the band we had the pleasure of asking Since Monroe all about them, the EP and more.

Hey Guys, thanks for talking to us.

Thanks for having us!

Would you first just introduce the band?

Trig – Vocals, guitar (25)

Andy – Lead guitar (27)

Matt – Bass (19)

James – Drums (27)

How did you all meet and what was the inspiration to start Since Monroe?

Trig: Andy and James have known each other a while and they had some ideas to start a band with catchy riffs and also a pop element. They had previously been in a band together before Since Monroe (Paradise Valley). When James realised that his Alan Partridge style vocals were not happening, they asked me to join. I knew the guys through mutual friends. Matt joined when the original bass player Ben left to pursue his music teaching career. Andy and James are the riffs, Matt and I are the melody makers!

So Since Monroe is not your first venture as musicians?

Matt: We’ve all got a wealth of experience. James has been in several bands (Governors of California), as has Andy and they were in Paradise Valley together. Myself and Trig (who is my brother) were in a band called Wiseacre. I also have a solo acoustic project with 2 EPs to date.

Just a year old the band seems to have grown and drawn eager attention at a rapid rate from almost day one. How has it been and felt being on the inside?

Andy: It has been quite overwhelming so far. We cannot believe the speed at which things have picked up, long may it continue!

Tell us about the eye catching and thought inviting band name.

James: Well I thought “Monroe” would have been a cool iconic name for obvious reasons and the rest of the lads idolise her.  But we decided it needed another word to it and “since” was the most interesting one I could come up with rather than obvious one’s like “Dead Monroe” (which is a bit morbid anyways), and many terrible others.  I think there’s only one Since Monroe which gives us a major score on google’s search engine.

Your sound has a deeply varied flavour which sees different people calling it different things. How do you describe your music?

Trig: 90s rock with a modern twist of pop, riffs and melodies. We just want to be the new Weezer! (laughs)

What are the major influences that have helped shape your music?

Matt: Bands like Foo Fighters, Weezer, Nine Black Alps and Arctic Monkeys. We aim to get a mix of pop and hard rock in all of our songs.

And for your personal playing styles?

Andy: Face melter!

James: Loud and energetic.

Trig: Weird chords and lots of feedback.

Matt: Melodic Bass, but can crank it up when needed.

You have just released your impressive debut EP Lost Generation. How has the response been so far?

James: I’ve been impressed with the positive feedback and great reviews we’ve been getting (including the one from yourselves), we find out soon how we are doing sales wise, fingers crossed!

Tell us about the four songs that make up Lost Generation.

Andy: Well DJ was written just as Valley was finishing, the idea came about from overhearing a phone conversation as well as a viral campaign by a fuel named brand of jeans.  The actual meaning of the song is pretty dirty I’m surprised no one has figured it out yet or it may just be our warped little minds.  The rest of the songs are little digs at the state of music at the moment with likes of X factor.      

Where do you get your inspiration for the songs, especially lyrically?

Trig: I like to write fun lyrics, but I also like to have a pop at other bands, people in the music industry and make tongue in cheek remarks. Lost Generation is about how music reality TV shows are getting far more attention and critical acclaim than artists who write their own material, which I think is killing original music.

How does the song writing process work within the band?

James: Well we have different ways of writing, sometimes me and Andy will work through an idea and let that evolve into a song or other times Trig and Matt will bring an idea to the table and that’ll turn into something after a bit of a jam, the basic ideas are always structured beforehand though.  It’s very rare for all 4 of us to be in the studio at the same time and come up with a song.

What is the most often seed to your songs, music or lyrics?

Matt: Definitely music, but we still take writing lyrics just as serious.

Is the quartet of songs on the EP the first songs you have written? I ask as I know you are writing and working on an album now too.

Trig: They are four of many songs that we have written, but I would include them as part of our 1^st era. I think the 2^nd era will be a little heavier!

How did you record the EP, as a lot of bands do as live takes to get that raw and energetic power you have on it?

James: You won’t believe this but it was recorded over two days in a practice room at a studio in Birmingham between Christmas and New Year, we made it our home for two days solid, the tracks were done individually but we’re glad we caught the raw element still which is hard to do when you go into proper production.  We have plans in place to try it a bit differently with the next release so we’ll see how that goes.

Tell us about the EP cover, any meaning behind it or just a simple fun picture?

Andy: It was an idea I had and I made it myself out of plasticise, the bear is a bit of an in-band joke.

Does the EP give us a deep flavour of the album or will there be many more surprises and directions involved?

James: The EP is just a taster, the free track giveaway is probably more of an indication of where we’ll be going, the pop will still be there though don’t panic!

And a release date for the album?

Trig:  With how well things are going at the moment we hope it will be the fall of 2012.

As you mentioned you are currently giving away a free track off the forthcoming album. Tell us about that and where people can grab the great track.

James: You can get the free track by going over to http://soundcloud.com/altpr/matchstick-house

From the vibrant and energetic tracks on the EP one gets the impression live you leave nothing in the locker?

Andy: Absolutely! Gigging is the best part of being in a band and we go for it on stage. You find it can take days to fully recover, especially for James with how hard he hits that kit, he needs to calm down a bit!

You come from Birmingham and one assumes there is a healthy scene for new bands there. What is the reality especially in finding gigs to play?

Matt: You’d think so; however, it’s pretty quiet. Birmingham has always been known for its Metal bands and that is the main scene you get.  It’s relatively easy to get a show its just getting the support which is a great effort. There are some great venues to play though like the Academy and the Flapper and Firkin.

Where is the best place for people to find out your upcoming shows?

James: Best place for people to check is out bandage tab over at our Facebook page which you can find by going to http://www.sincemonroe.com

Other than working on the album what have you in store for 2012?

Andy: Just to get our sound out there as much as possible and keep playing the shows, it’s our best chance of doing anything musically anyways.

Do you set yourselves targets or just let things evolve as they do?

Trig: A bit of both really. When we first started we had targets such as writing and recording demos. Then that evolved into the EP and then the progression started and doors opened to other opportunities, i.e. radio play and a festival slot at Gosport on June 3rd.

Any bands you would especially like to share stages with?

Trig: Nine Black Alps and Biffy Clyro are up there. We have enjoyed sharing the stage with our friends the Plastic Glasses on numerous occasions.

Once more great thanks for talking to us. Any last words you would like to share with your fans?

James: Please buy the EP so I can get myself a new pair of jeans (just joking), on a serious note for anyone who has brought the EP we’d like to say a huge thank you and please come check us out at a show, empty rooms put frowns on Trig and Matts’s faces

And finally leave us with a song that has inspired and lifted you the most no matter what the day and life brings.

Build me up buttercup…..

Read the review of the Lost Generation EP @ http://ringmasterreviewintroduces.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/since-monroe-lost-generation/

The RingMaster Review 24/04/2012

The best and easiest way to get your music on iTunes, Amazon and lots more. Click below for details.

The Static Jacks – If You’re Young

Reviewing Into The Sun, the single from New Jersey indie rock band The Static Jacks which came out a few months back, we commented that “the single is a joyous duo of rich and exciting sounds and though the songs may not have your jaw dropping in awe at something brand new but they certainly will excite ears and enthuse hearts”. Well with those words also apply to the new album from the band with an amendment. If You’re Young does stop one in their tracks with the awe not so apparent in the single, sweeping one up in songs and sounds which stroll along their own unique and adventurous path. Good though the single was it gave no real indication as to how impressive this album was going to be. If You’re Young is immense, a master class in creative songwriting, melodic manipulation, and the breeding place for an infection as potent as any virus.

From New Jersey and formed in 2009, the quartet of vocalist Ian Devaney, guitarists Henry Kaye and Michael Sue-Poi, and drummer Nick Brennan have already made a distinct mark with debut EP Laces in 2009 and numerous shows and tours with the likes of Futureheads, Biffy Clyro, Young the Giant, and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Their sound is single minded and full of determination to do things their way which results in a confidence and surety which oozes out of every note, chord and song. The band sit somewhere between pop punk and an alternative indie sound, bringing the best and uniqueness of both into their own majestic creations.

The album erupts into an instant tremendous pleasing of the senses from the very start with Defend Rosie meeting the ear with firm beats, enthused hand claps and a persistent riff that smacks of mischief. Enthusiastic and urgent, the punk toned song sets their stall out from the off, exciting with feisty rhythms, guitars and basslines which carry as much defiant attitude as Devaney and his lyrics, and big hearted melodies as sassy as the girl of your dreams. From a tremendous start the band simply accelerate things with the wicked sweet tease that is Girl Parts. With an excellent additional female vocal to the inspired and emotive tones off Devaney the song is gorgeous, and confirmation of the fact The Static Jacks have an expertise at writing pop songs that few rival.

The level across the album never wavers with Into The Sun with its Pete Shelley like melodic hook and the likes of the anthemic Blood Pressure, a song which rounds up the senses into a triumphant ball of emotional rebellion, and the soaring melodic grace of Relief, all lifting up the heart and soul with sounds that warm and energise the day. The third of these songs ripples with light sparkling melodies, glittering guitars, and a passion which fills every pore from every line and reflection.

As good as any album is there are always moments that strike the most effectively and alongside the opening duo of songs it is within the mighty outbursts of My Parents Lied and Walls (We Can’t Work It Out) that The Static Jacks show they are creating music that will take them to heady heights. The first begins with a subdued voice and guitar welcome before giant beats join the fray, yet still the song holds back evolving into a canter at most whilst its crystalline melodies radiate. Subtly the intensity increases to match the angst in the vocals of Devaney. Slowly it expands into waves of crashing guitars coaxed by incisive yet reserved melodies, all blending into a fine and inspired union.

Walls (We Can’t Work It Out) is the best song on the album, dare one say the perfect song. It has everything from stunning harmonious vocals, melodies which push away any dark and rhythms that are born of primal instinct, evolution, and an insistence that cannot be denied. It is tumultuous with riffs which muscle their way into the ear alongside the consuming drums, a bass which has more belligerence than a teen asked to clean their room, and energy as potent as nature herself. The only complaint is that it is so damn short.

The album ends on Drano-Ears, where the band takes a dip into the eighties. With a soulful sound and heartfelt emotive feel which reminds of the likes of The Bluebells and House of Love, the song is a galloping flow of soft and caressing melodies and stately elegance. It completes what is a delicious collection of well crafted and completely enjoyable excitable music. The Static Jacks are coming for your heart, are you ready?

Ringmaster 05/03/2012