Music Reviews » The Music Mag

Blue me away!

Played in a classic, but creative way, from amazing guitar solos, drums riffs and other too cool for school playing, to stuff like a trumpet solo, using a Guinness glass as a mute!

The musicians are players who work all over the world, many supporting household names. Some have been on the scene since the 60′s. The playing is sublime and you dont just get a night out, it’s a spectacular !

Where can you find such amazingness? Sunday at the Castle, (452 Finchley Road, London NW2). The venue has room for all, but an intimate feel. Get comfy, kick back and enjoy some of the best Blues.

This band really gets people a-swingin’ and a-swayin’.

Sax Appeal with Tasty Riffs

Cool solo riffs with some unusual instruments playing the blues, like steel drums and other percussion, made this a great evening. The powerful female vocalist sang some atmospheric, gutsy blues.

Sax Appeal

PRIMER – Water Review

[PRIMER] are a 4-piece female fronted rock group from the West Midlands. Formed in 2007, the band as seen several member and sound changes before settling on their distinctive, inimitable style; a mix of Celtic inspired vocals mingle with strong, expressive guitars whilst powerful, intense drums and an emotive, resonating bass push through to drive an original, unique sound with a difference that is not to be missed.

Their single ‘Water’ starts off with crunchy and fast paced guitar riffs, pleading with you to jump up and down in a frantic manner. These are followed shortly by some very deft drumming and sultry singing.

The vocals are very interesting and not what I’d normally associate with the backing of the fast paced guitar and drumming. It actually reminds me slightly of Coheed and Cambria in their more punkier days. However I do feel the vocals are perhaps slightly too contained and aren’t stretched enough to evoke the angst connected with the lyrics.

Having said that the guitar and drumming is fantastic! And I believe with another record the song has the potential to be a hit with fans and newcomers alike.

Find out more about Primer on their website – here

Love and Zombies – No Way Out Review

No Way Out is the new single by love and Zombies due for release on January 24th: their first new release for over a year, but boy has it been worth the wait.

The verse is catchy, without sounding poppy, and builds up fantastically to the chorus. The breakdown in the middle of the song had us nodding our heads in agreement before rocking out again to the ever present power of heavy guitar riffs and light speed drumming.

Love and Zombies nifty slogan ‘kill the hipsters’ sums up what this band is all about in three words. We love finding new music without pretentiousness, and that is exactly what you get with Love and Zombies.

Their artwork is also top notch

Their new single No Way Out is due for release on January 24th but you can play it here for free. If you like it make sure to support them and buy it on release.

Links: Love and Zombies Website

Ed Liegh – It’s Just (single) Review

Can a song be chilled yet qwerky at the same time? Before I listened to Ed Leigh I wasn’t sure. But after listening through his soundcloud account I now know the answer is damn straight…

Click play to listen:
It’s Just by edleigh

I chose the track It’s Just’ to review because it’s the track that caught my attention the most.

‘It’s Just’ starts with a beautifully mellow vibe, building and introducing some good overlapping vocal tracks. I could easily see it being included on an Ibiza chillout album of some sorts. It’s a very well put together and well produced piece of music, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

My one qualm with the track is that similar tracks I’ve heard in the past tended to last for double that of ‘It’s just’. I understand the popular length of 4 minutes, but wonder if perhaps something even more special could have been made if given a bit more time for creativity.

I will be looking out for more from Ed, as I suggest you do too.

Arch 1 New Year and Beyond

I opened the mysterious-looking metal door…behind which was a curtain opening out into a compact little club that feels like someones front room.

The band played blues, many classics, but what was really amazing was that many of the musicians were multiskilled, the bassist also created a stunning laser lighting concept and handled smoke machines. One of the guitarists also sang and then went on to play some stunning riffs on a sax. The owner sings and also
works the bar and so it goes on. The quality of the music was a good blend of classic blues, the musicans were of an excellent calibre and it was enjoyable to watch in such an intimate atmosphere, created very individually by both the architecture of
being under an arch and also the interesting decor. Its very cosy, unpretentious and entry was free, drinks were reasonably priced and tea and coffee are served there.

Tucked away just round the corner from Star Lane DLR, this is one of Londons largely undiscovered hidden treasures. This venue also has regular events such as jam sessions and lots of other stuff going on throughout the year.

On a Light Note...Bassist / Laser Tech Jim

Inego – Your Style Defeats Me (single) review

Manchester based INEGO’s debut single ‘Your style defeats me’ is a beautiful, flowing and catchy number.

The vocals are top notch; reminiscent of a more well spoken My Morning Jacket, especially during the verses.

It’s a laid back but very cheery, upbeat pop-rock number – and would be perfect listened to on a summers day whilst driving around with the roof off, allowing the wind to blow through ones hair.

INEGO – YOUR STYLE DEFEATS ME by Inegomusic

The Music Mag predicts big things for these guys, so make sure to check out their soundcloud account and to keep looking back on The Music Mag.

All We Are – Self Titled EP

Review:
All We Are – Self Titled EP

With a European tour under their belt and another on the way, we were expecting something special from All We Are’s debut EP. The self titled release of four tracks is accompanied by artwork that sparked a bit of nostalgia in me.

“I Fantasize” is a slow burner with a catchy riff with soft and mellow vocal harmonies throughout. The combination of male and female vocals and minimalist instrumentation is an interesting concept that is a pleasure to listen to. “Tunnels” has received airplay on BBC 6 Music and is the kind of track I could imagine being played in bars and venues everywhere as it makes for very easy listening. “Come Back Safer” has a striking resemblance to Snow Patrol’s “Set The Fire To Third Bar” at first but soon builds up into a song in its own right. Repetition and sometimes whaling vocals are a bit disappointing but the track has a delicate but great ending. The closing track, “Sooner Or Later”, has a feeling of The Ronnettes about it with the addition of continuous harmonies and striped back verses. This music is definitely an acquired taste. For fans of Fleet Foxes, Belle & Sebastian and Bon Iver.

The EP can be streamed below and downloaded online. Look out for All We Are’s second EP which is due to be released in conjunction with their next UK and European tour this Autumn.

click here to listen

Written by Heather Fraser

Arms – Kids Aflame Review

ARMS
Kids Aflame [Melodic 2008]

ARMS: An experimental fuse of raw audio and memorable riffs fronted by Harlem Shakes guitarist Todd Goldstein. Known for his ‘noisy’ avant-garde approach, Goldstein has a rare gift for shaping buzzing pop songs without falling victim to the ever-preying mediocrity that seems to haunt America’s contemporary indie circles. The album, Kids Aflame, is a satisfying compilation of lively songs which most alternative bands would claim in exchange for their beloved Fender Strats.

‘Whirring’ is undoubtedly the alternative anthem of the album, with its foot-tapping rhythm which is shaded by Goldstein’s catchy lyrics and strident bass. A song which would undeniably blend into an indie club’s DJ set, not unlike ‘Shitty Little Disco’ a brave venture into a darker form of pop, mingling bleak lyrics with repeated pinnacles of instrumental grandeur.

The popular single ‘Kids Aflame’ completes the collection, an upbeat mix of ukulele and melodica with that all-important humming background choir. This ballad-inspired song recalls everything that is most powerful about ARMS: Goldstein’s gift for alluring lyrics and flair for arranging strong instrumental compositions. Goldstein’s distinctive lilt compliments these captivating lyrics perfectly, and not without a hint of bitter hostility which the musician-cum-cynic has cultivated ably.

Kids Aflame is a quality album worthy of any experimental artist, especially one whose music falls into the indie genre without tripping over that all-too-familiar stale sound of indie banality.

http://www.myspace.com/armsongs

Written by Sharon Beth Burke.
You can view all of Sharon’s articles here.

Glastonbury 2009 – Unreviewable

For the past four days I’ve been trying to work out how best to write a review for my Glastonbury experience; by day, separate music/everything else sections, ‘hot or not’. but without writing pages of text full of “this was flippin’ ‘awesome” repeating at the end of each sentence, it’s impossible.

So I think it’s generally just going to have to be a quick roundup with a series of ‘moments’, along with a quick breakdown of who stood out musically as well. If you don’t mind sticking around for that, read on.

Here we go…

Everyone may say that Glastonbury is like no other festival out there, and although ‘they’ always seem to say that, they’d be 100% correct; the only way to really know how it goes down is to go there yourself. No amount of irritating BBC presenters (Peel will always be irreplaceable) bringing you highlights will get you nearer to the truth either, although to be fair I have made full use of the highlights since returning.

The first thing is the sheer size of the place. I’m quite amazed that we managed to get around it in whistlestop motion and see most of what was on offer, although next time I’ll be a little more relaxed about where I end up. To give you an idea of the scale of the place, it took us about 1hr30mins to walk from our car park (north-east of the area) to our camp (set in the south). Also there’s about 30+ tents/stages/teepees all showcasing a ridiculous amount of musical genres and performances so that you’ll never be more than 5 mins walk from some action.

In a nutshell, the festival consisted of:

The Healing fields full of sandpits, hammocks, lotus lounges, 24hr organic cafes, palm reading and Buddhist readings. Craft areas where you can make your own lantern, bongo drum, clay pot, pipe, hanging baskets paint murals and glass beads. Arcadia which had motorbikes buried vertically halfway in the ground as makeshift seats, a Mad Max-style distopian circus with a fire-blowing central tower plucked from some future Mega-City One, a tequila bar consisting of just a bar, barman one shot glass and the bottle of plonk, and crumpets served by strumpets. Trash City had a stage laid out as a pinball machine with tables styled as flippers. The Stone Circle providing (perhaps not surprisingly) a miniature Stonehenge, 30ft high wooden dragon sculptures and a hill providing some of the best views of the festival. An area seemingly based on Blade Runner, Shangri-La, had a stage in the middle with alien-like women in white twirling around electrical lit whips while creepy blokes dressed in full black PVC walking on stilts but on all-fours scared the shit out of me.

N.B. An abbreviated paragraph does no justice though.

Moments:

* Not wanting to go to sleep simply because of the fear of missing out on something – it truly is a 24/7 (or 24/5.5 for the cynics) affair

* Saying to my lass how Pendulum have never played Tarantula live when having seen them before, for them to then go ahead and bang it out there and then

* 7am Monday morning and sitting on a swing chair at a cafe blasting out ‘Born To Run’ by Bruce Springsteen. A seriously wide-eyed guy then asking us how much for the chair? Having said it wasn’t ours to sell, we then proceeded to watch him ask another 30 people in the cafe before giving up and leaving

* Lily Allen‘s ‘Smile’ with it’s d’n'b and slowed-down ragga portions

* 8am Monday morning and watching a naked bloke ‘high on life’ shout joyously about peace and love while rolling around in the mud while a about 20-25 people videod/took pictures as his embarrassed other half tried to calm him down. So funny, but I felt so sorry for her…

* Deadmau5 playing ‘No Sudden Moves’ by Glenn Morrison and sending me into pure bliss

* Rolf Harris, 79 (I can’t believe that!), battling with his beatboxing mate

* Walking back to the tent from The Park at about 5:30am Saturday and surveying the ‘damage’ from the first full Glasto night

* Howard Marks‘ story about when he pulled a whitey

* Wandering through a narrow Blade Runner-esq Shangri-La backstreet, turning a corner and walking through a small doorway to a small 15×15 foot room playing some of the dirtiest funky electro house I’ve ever heard

* Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. He and Deadmau5 made my summer

* Tom Middleton‘s set in The Snug, a miniscule two-teepee venue, listening to Underworld, Groove Armada, Janis Joplin remixes and afro-beats

* Falling asleep for a nice 30min nap in the baking sun up above the teepee fields with views of the sunset across the entire site

* After Prodigy on the Sunday night, encouraging an up-for-it guy to space-hop his way back to the tent. We kept him company for fifteen minutes, and I hope he made it. He deserved to triumph for the enthusiasm alone

The music:

Nick Cave (enthralling), Glasvegas (path to the top), Deadmau5 (blew my head), Lily Allen (set up the main stage), Tom Middleton (danced my booty away) and Rolf Harris (79 and still the man) all impressed.

Lady Gaga (lip-synch extraordinaire), Spinal Tap (something missing) and Prodigy (very short set) didn’t.

In summary:

Enchanting, manic, soothing, ballistic, euphoric. The one thing I had to constantly remind myself about is to not get used to the surprises. Fucking incredible.

Joy and Love x