The last time we heard from the Scottish indie quartet 'Quiet As A Mouse' was in January, when they had just released their video to the exquisite 'Oliviatown'. But, following gigs with the likes of Hinds and and the Palma Violets, the acoustic laden band are back to romance our ears with their divine EP: 'Memorybox'.
The EP opens with 'Snowflake', perhaps not the title of a song you think of in the lead up to summer but it really is a gem. It streams gentle, neutral, loving tones and is one of those great tracks that has such a petite opening before it explodes, in this case, into a pastel colored daydream. Following that is 'The Day The Cat Came To Stay'. This is 3 minutes of smiles: the title should make you chuckle, the upbeat tempo should make you happy and the need to 'dance on your own' to this track should make elation seep through your body like some sort of drug.
Whilst 'Letter In My Pocket' may make you think the band are on a jealous high as they ponder to poor old Charlotte 'Why are all your friends men?', it does feature a minimal rock infusion into their folk sound, making the song into a snippet of heaven. The EP's namesake brings the release to end and is a pure high point, it features a pop-styled intro and cascading notes which burst into color as they brush your eardrums.
We recently had the joy of asking Taylor Casey a few questions about his music and his new self-titled EP. The EP itself is smooth, groovy and easy going, Casey has basically created your summer soundtrack in 5 glistening songs.
Mytacism Music: Hi Taylor, lets start off with the thing that first thing that got you into music?
Taylor Casey: I took guitar lessons for about a year or so when I was younger and played mostly just for fun until my last few years in college. Like most artists, I pretty much was never satisfied with my singing voice. Somewhere around college I finally grew into my voice. From there it took off.
And what made you think that you would create such an irresistible EP?
Well thanks first off, I wasn't trying to create an irresistible EP - just trying to make music. I moved to NYC after graduating to take some music classes - one thing led to another and I was recording an EP about a year in. I didn't move to NY to record - but it was always in the back of my mind. I just thought it’d be years from now. What are your musical influences, listening to the EP there seems to be no end to the mix of genres and styles.
I like a lot of music - recently, I've been into the Alabama Shakes, Felice Brothers, Houndmouth, Jim Croce, Dylan, Dr. Dog, and Shakey Graves. Could you run us through what you each song means to you?
I mean, I could, but I feel that takes away from the songs. I really enjoy how different people are able to find completely different meanings in the same song. Sometimes, when I hear someone else’s take on a song of mine - it can influence what the song means to me.The words lyrics in each song really say everything I really want to say.
Would you want your fans to have the same ideas about your music?
I've always been a fan of musicians and songwriters who are able to use words to spread ideas and make people think. I respect them for that. It’s easy to write a catchy song with cliche lyrics. I’d hope that my songs would make those who listen to it think - also, it’s okay if they dance. Dancing’s good.
The EP sounds very smooth and easy going, does this reflect the production of the release?
I've always been pretty easy going. Most of my friends would attest to that - sometimes too much so. But yeah, I had some pressure to speed up the production process but I wasn't in all that much of a hurry. Patience was probably the biggest factor in the process. Because I spread it out over a few months - the songs continued to grow and change and be replaced with newer better songs. I didn't have a precedent to compare to for how things were done so I did it my own way. It was my first time in a studio. Where there any moments during this time which changed the EP's original path?
I was pretty adamant about taking my time in the pre-production stage - choosing my best songs, making them better, figuring out how I wanted them to sound with a full band. It made it so when I finally went into the studio, I knew what needed to happen and how do make it happen.
Away from the music and the inspirational quotes on Twitter, what else do you get up to?
I’m pretty into surfing - I definitely miss it since I moved away from CA. I’m new to twitter, but someone else is helping me run my account right now so it’s chalk full of quotes - I delete anything I don’t like though.
What are your plans after the EP release? Is there a full album on the horizon or any gigs we can catch you at?
I moved to Austin, TX about a month ago - been playing a few acoustic shows around and am currently in the process of putting together a band. Hopefully I can get a tour going in the near future. Full album’s the next step. And finally, do you have a last message for your fans?
Don’t listen to whatever music is marketed to you - be in charge of what you want to listen to and take the time to find music that you truly connect with. It amplifies the satisfaction that you get from the tunes.
Milestones: a new, fresh faced pop-punk band from Manchester who are already edging onto the scene ahead of the release of their debut EP 'Equal Measures' in April. The band, consisting of vocalist Matt Clarke, guitarist Andy Procter, bassist Mark Threlfall and drummer Andy Makin, are also set to accompany some big names in the next few months such as Man Overboard and have just got back from accompanying Yeah Detroit on their Feb tour. You may be wondering how such a new band have come about such possibilities but as soon as you let their single 'More To More' pleasantly assault your ears with it's irresistible and defined pop punk vibes you will inevitably begin to understand why.
We managed to have a chat with the bassist Mark to talk Milestones:
Mytacism Music: First of all, what got you into music?
Mark: I've always had an interest in music, but I suppose going to see my first ever concert (Green Day in Birmingham in 2009) was what fully got me into music, I knew from that point that I wanted to be in a band, it’s still one of the best live shows I've seen to date.
How did you all meet? Could you indulge us in a history of Milestones?
We all met through crossing paths are some point or another during the run of our old bands, I’d been in touch with Matt (vocalist) a few times regarding bookings for one of my old bands, and had been on a few shows with Andy & Andrews (Drummer & Guitarist) old band. It was originally Matt, Andy and Andrew practising and writing, then I contacted Matt after him posting something online about needing a bassist, so I thought it’d be worth me asking what its all about. The rest of it is just history really, we practised loads, wrote an EP and got to where we are now.
Who has been your main musical influences when creating your debut EP ‘Equal Measures’?
There’s been a few bands from we've taken influence from in the writing process of the EP, there’s bands like Neck Deep, The Story So Far, State Champs, Real Friends etc who have really influenced the Pop Punk elements of the record, and then there’s the likes of You Me At Six, Deaf Havana, Young Guns, Don Broco etc, they're the sort of bands who influenced us heavily when bringing the straight up rock vibes to the record.
What was the process like when you created the EP?
The process was our guitarist Drew demoing a song, that would be the skeleton of the song in a sense. Then when we'd come to practise, we'd build the songs up until we were happy with them and were ready to take them into the studio, we'd then hit the studio with our producer Phil who'd help us fine tune the songs.
What does a day in the life of Milestones involved? What do you guys normally get up to?
A lot of our days are spent planning, organising, networking and sorting out general band stuff. We try and work as closely and efficiently as a unit as we can, so it is important we try and keep pro-activeness and creativeness ticking over at all times. With all sharing the same ethos that we do in Milestones, its something that is achievable.
Apart from making music, do you have any other hobbies or interests?
I don't really think I have any other hobbies other than making music, I'm quite fixated on the band, I wouldn't want to overwork myself by trying to keep up so many hobbies at once, the band is my main priority so I like to have as much time as possible for it.
Where do you see yourselves in the future? You're already set to be playing with some bands!
We see ourselves touring, writing, recording, playing shows and generally having a great time in the future, hopefully anyway. Our main aim is to have as much fun as we can, so we hope we can continue doing so in the future! We're already set to play with some huge bands which is crazy for us, in May we'll be playing with the likes of Motion City Soundtrack, Man Overboard, Trash Talk, Moose Blood, ROAM, and thats insane for us to say after only being an active band for a few months.
Thanks for chatting with us!
Debut EP 'Equal Measures' to be released April 6th
See the live at Empire Festival (17th May, Sheffield, The Hop)
The two piece garage punk rockers Slaves from Kent may have released their debut record Sugar Coated Bitter Truth 2 years ago in 2012 but their status as ‘rising stars’ still resonates 3 years on. After not releasing anything for a respective 2 years, Slaves returned with the 'Where’s Your Car Debbie?' EP in early 2014 followed by the single release of ‘Hey’ later on in the year which seemed to reignite interest in the band and then at the back end of 2014 they released the single ‘The Hunter’ which was greeted even more positively than ‘Hey’.
In many ways Slaves are unlike anything that can be heard at the moment and I think their appeal is particularly dictated towards a younger listener. The two piece blend Isaac Holman’s devastating drums and of course his wonderfully raw, gritty, aggressive and distinctively Southern English lead vocals with Laurie Vincent’s highly enthused guitar delivered with an equal amount of aggression and intensity as Holman’s vocals as well as his own backing vocals particularly prevalent on the latest single. The end result is a culmination of a hard-hitting garage/punk band with a Plan B ‘Ill Manors’ vocal style.
Although perhaps not hitting the ground running like some of the other newcomers more recently, Slaves role in the current music scene still has potential to be considerably influential. The late developers’ announcements for several festivals already this summer as well as more to come I'm sure indicates their attractiveness to festival organisers and their predicted appeal to potential audiences. This is in addition to them embarking on the NME Awards Tour with Interpol up until now and from the 19th of February to the 4th of March with The Wytches, Fat White Family and headliners Palma Violets finishing at The Forum, London.
Officially released on 23rd March, Slaves’ latest EP in the run up to their recently announced second album ‘Are You Satisfied?’ scheduled for the 1st June bodes well for this future release. Built up of three tracks, the first of which is the title track which represents the same aggression and rawness that we've already come accustom to with Slaves except with the added falsetto style echo on the chorus working to great effect. Seemingly thinking back to their days back in their hometown in Kent, lead singer Holman rants about the ‘paper thin’ walls of their flat as well as their anger and irritation at hearing flatmate Tim making love to a woman a bit too loudly for their liking. All these elements combined make for a gritty, frustrating and vigorous 2 minutes and 55 seconds.
The other two tracks, ‘OK’ which they've clearly re-recorded and put on this EP after it appearing on the ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’ release previously and ‘I Shine My Shoes With A Dirty Vest’ make up the rest of the EP. ‘OK’ is relatively short and to the point but doesn't hold back on its intensity and boyishness with the thrashing or untidy guitar as well as Holman’s careless vocals and the suitably ‘shouty’ chorus. This is contrasted with ‘I Shine My Shoes With A Dirty Vest’ a track not even a minute and a half long arguably a bit of an experiment by the two-piece which combines a synth pop style beat with a very simple bass line with no use of any familiar intense Slaves style guitar. However, Holman’s style of vocal delivery is almost teenage or careless in nature with the use of spoken word towards the end even with an element of ‘The Streets’ about it.
Particularly because of the innovative nature of what Slaves bring to the current alternative music scene, they are definitely ones to look out for at the festivals this summer and if you're looking for a trashy, punk-enthralled live performance which won't shy away from any sort of mosh then Slaves are your match made in heaven. With their second record destined for release in early June as well, this young Kent duo can surely only have bright futures ahead of them.
Perma F are back with a new single; 'It's A War'. We reviewed the Swedish duo back in October (have a read here) and we were excited to find out they are back making more music to jam to.
The single release includes a remix of both 'It's A War' and 'Burning Angel', they are both all that you could want from a remix, loyal to the original but with an added foreign feel that sounds so good you have to keep listening to it over and over again.
Also included is 'Beautiful With Horns', a mix of rock and electronic sounds which work surprisingly well together. The end result is a rock song to party to, a track you can't help but move your body and sing along to. There's also an odd beauty to this song which draws you in and you can quite easily find yourself playing this on repeat as well, the heavier guitar gives it a hard edge which juxtaposes with the lighter electronic sounds, the mix of tones cook up a spectacular meal to feast on.
And on to the big act, 'Its A War', a song slightly more hardcore in comparison to the other tracks, the melodies mostly created by an electric guitar. Thats not to say no electronic sounds are included, they have just been given an edge which makes them feel heavier as if they are at war against something. This is a song to jam to and let out all the anger you've got so I would definitely recommend you have a listen.
The Italian trio, My Invisible Friend, make psychedelic/shoegaze/dream pop greats where every song is a new journey on which your mind must depart on. On the 5th of January they released their first self-titled EP, one which has inevitably attracted a fair amount of attention.
Their EP opens with 'O.N.S', a song lead by a glitchy guitar and vibrating electronics.This would sound like The Dandy Warhols if they swapped their instruments for synths and added feedback to their guitars.
'Eyes' is one of those songs where you can immediately picture it live; a faint pink and purple light display shrouded in smoke as a backdrop for an immaculate performance. Its a song you can completely lose yourself in, like Alice down the rabbit hole. As soon as the song starts you begin to fall, pondering latitude and longitude until eventually you come out, releasing you're still doing your maths homework even though you felt like you were somewhere completely different. You have to love a song that creates you you're very own Alice in Wonderland experience, right?
Ending the EP is 'Dear Mary', a tracked ruled by a haunting voice and a beat akin to that of a heart. This is reaching a psychedelic feel, yet morphs into a rock tone as the song builds up into an overflow of sound and feel. The crescendo heightens your senses and makes our hairs stand on end. This is the perfect track to end the EP.
Formed in 2009, Jet Black Sunrise are a five piece indie pop/rock band comprising of Matt Cronin (vocals, keys), Nick Fede (vocals, guitar), Jay Schneider (vocals, bass), Matt Smith (vocals, guitar) and JC Zwisler (vocals, drums). They have have previously released an LP and an EP and have recently released a second EP titled 'Departures'.
The EP opens with a track named 'In Flight', a graceful beginning track which features light piano notes that build up to a powerful vocal and musical crescendo. The remaining minutes of the track boast a robust riff and raw vocals while the electric notes of a guitar gives it a prominent rock feel.
The second track, 'Rockview', contains gentler acoustic guitar notes which take centre stage throughout the song. The chorus is one to jam out to while the stunning guitar instrumental injects shots of colour into the song.
'Granite' has a very rhythmic beginning that is accompanied by echoing guitar notes. I feel that 'Granite' has a very winter feel, not because of the mention of snow but because it is the sort of song you imagine yourself listening to while sat by the fire as the skeleton like trees watch from the window.
'Gone' is akin to a slow lullaby presenting melodic, genial acoustic notes, while 'Run Away' encompasses a strength-giving beat, lyrics which hold your heart still and a climatic ending that shoots warmth through your veins.
You can buy the EP on Bandcamp or you can listen to it on their website.
Barry & Liebe are a two piece acoustic band from Co. Monaghan and they have recently released their delicate and alluring debut EP Mariposa. While playing wedding music for the past few years, the pair have a wide range of ability with a range of instruments which include the piano, organ, 6 & 12 string guitar and different whistles which all give their songs a compelling sound.
The first track on the EP is 'Dear Beautiful Dreamer', a heartfelt dedication to a close friend who has passed away. The melody is made up of more basic components, featuring mainly a piano, guitar and violin, which allows you to focus on the strong, canorous voice of Liebe. 'Dear Beautiful Dreamer' was also the song which induced the creation of the EP after a fellow musician told them to get it recorded at an open mic night.
'You Know What' is the second track and it is also my favourite. It's a rhythmical song which gives off a powerful flow of emotion while the tinkling piano interlude gives it a softer, classic feel. Somehow the band has mixed the classical piano with folk to create an irresistible melody.
The last two tracks on the EP are 'Reveal' and 'Wonder Why'. 'Reveal', a mainly vocal song, is a very raw, passionate composition with a calming, surging music backing. 'Wonder Why' is about 'the one that got away'. The track has gentle melodies and vocals which create a caressing sound, almost as if they are calming the upset over the one that got away.
You can listen to most of the EP on Soundcloud here.
This EP is definitely one to invest in while the band is certainly one to keep an eye on.
If you want to buy the EP, you can do so here.
The bands Twitter is @BarryLiebeMusic and you can find a link to their Facebook age here.
