The Lumineers

I love the Lumineers.

If Of Monsters and Men, and Mumford and Sons are your thing, than you have to check out this band. The Lumineers are an American folk band from Colorado. Their self titled debut album "The Lumineers" (which includes their hit single, Ho Hey) was released back in April of this year, and proved to be a great hit - going straight to number 11 on the billboard charts.

In terms of live performances, you can relax - this trio is good! Made up of Wesley Schultz on guitar and lead vocals, Jeremiah Fraites on drums and vocals, and Neyla Pekarek on cello, piano and vocals, these three provide the perfect ingredients for a great folk band. In an interview recently Jeremiah stated "We're not reinventing the wheel or doing anything that different, the songs are super simple" - simple they may be, but rubbish they are not. If their album is anything to go by, this band has huge potential to do as well as other successful folk bands like Mumford.

Having just announced they will be supporting Dave Mathews Band on their N. American tour, this band will also be embarking on their own UK tour early next year. 

I got my ticket. Have you got yours?

Tour dates:
17th Dec. Upstate Concert Hall - Clifton Park, NY
20th Dec. iHeartRadio Theater presented by PC Richard and Son - NYC
21st Dec. Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NYC (supporting DMB)
17th Feb. O2 Academy - Liverpool
18th Feb. Stereo - Glasgow
19th Feb. Manchester Academy - Manchester
20th Feb. O2 Shepherd Bush Empire - London
22nd Feb. The Fleece - Bristol
23rd Feb. HMV Institute - Birmingham
24th Feb. The Haunt - Brighton
11th March. O2 Academy - Brixton.

For more information regarding tickets and their N. American and European tour, check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2827981-lumineers/calendar?page=1

Biffy Clyro

One word to describe this scottish rock band: Phenomenal.

Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from East Ayrshire. To date they have released five albums: Blackened Sky, The Vertigo of Bliss, Infinity Land, Puzzle, and Only Revolutions.

Their "Only Revolutions" album (my fav) did particularly well, reaching number 3 in the UK charts and earning them a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. This album includes the hit singles "Many of Horror," "Mountains," and "That Golden Rule."

This band have recently announced they will be releasing their highly anticipated sixth album "Opposites" very soon. The first single to be released from their upcoming album is "Black Chandelier," which was played for the first time on Zane Lowes radio 1 show on 19th November. If you have yet to hear it, check it out: Black Chandelier

If you have not heard of this band, than shame on you. These boys are true performers and always put on a great show. Despite their success, Biffy Clyro always seem genuinely shocked by the fan base they have built over the years - it is because of this that I urge you to buy tickets asap, as their gigs frequently sell out.

Great talent shared with great personalities - Biffy Clyro always promise a fantastic night of live music. Buy tickets. I will be!

Tour dates:
20th March. Metro Radio Arena - Newcastle
21st March. LG Arena - Birmingham
22nd March. Motorpoint - Cardiff
23rd March. Motorpoint Arena - Sheffield
25th March. Manchester Arena - Manchester
26th March. BIC - Bournemouth
31st March. AECC - Aberdeen
1st April. SECC - Glasgow
3rd April. The O2 - London

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://www.biffyclyro.com/2013arenatour

Smoke & Jackal

So I am going to apologise in advance for this one, but for this post I will be deviating from the norm..

For each post mentioned on this blog I try to write about an artist/ band that is either currently, or about to, embark on a tour of some sort. Although this band has no upcoming gigs on the pipeline I cannot let them go unmentioned, they are just too good!

Smoke & Jackal is a rock band from Tennessee, that first got together in June of this year (2012). Made up of Mona singer and guitarist Nick Brown, and Kings of Leon bassist Jared Followill, this is a duo you MUST check out.

In a press statement released by the duo, they announced "coming together just worked." And worked it has. On October 16th Smoke and Jackal released their debut EP "EP1" which includes the tracks "Fall Around" and "No TELL." To hear all tracks from their EP check out: EP1.

Other Lives

I am a HUGE fan of this American indie band from Oklahoma. This band, who originally went by the name Kunek, has to date released two albums; their debut self titled album "Other Lives" and "Tamer Animals."

This band, over the years, has built up quite the strong fan base. Having toured with the likes of Rosebud, Radiohead, and Bon Iver, this band have certainly not gone unnoticed. Although this band has yet to become mainstream, don't be put off, their music is amazing. 

Songs to definitely check out by this band are"Black Tables," "Tamer Animals" and "Desert."

For this gig you should expect acoustic performances, very little interaction and a band that uses an assortment of different instruments. Although the music of the Other Lives is certainly not upbeat or even dance worthy it is both powerful and hypnotic, and will leave you feeling moved and transfixed.

Other lives are currently embarking on their N.America tour and will be heading back to the studio to begin work on their third album, which they hope to release sometime in 2013. 

If the music from the twilight saga is your calling, than this band is for you. Deep, dark and incredibly indie, I urge you to give em a go! They really are very good. 

Tour dates:
28th November. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC
29th November. Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY

For details regarding tickets and the rest of their N.American tour check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2353203-other-lives/calendar?page=1

The Staves Review

I first posted about this band in July when I came across them randomly on youtube.

I had known The Staves were going to be supporting Bon Iver on his tour, and so I was very excited to finally see them perform live.

The Staves are a folk band made up of three sisters; Emily, Jessica and Camilli Staveley - Taylor, from Watford, England.

In 2010 this trio appeared on the Tom Jones album "Praise and Blame," and later appeared on Fionn Regan's third studio album "100 Acres of Sycamore." Although they have yet to release their own album, The Staves are looking to release one by the end of the year. After supporting Civil Twilight on their North American tour, The Staves have proved to be very popular, and as a result have gained a lot of positive reviews and attention from both the fans and the media.

These three sisters remind me a great deal of  the other sister act "The Pierces." Both bands are able to successfully combine their incredible vocals and harmonise them to make beautiful and meaningful tracks. Their songs are very soulful and it is clear that a lot of thought goes into the lyrics of their songs.

Although I was really impressed with The Staves vocal talent, and was a huge fan of many of their tracks, I have to say I found them incredibly awkward to watch. Despite touring with the likes of Civil Twilight and Bon Iver, the girls looked very uncomfortable and not at all in sync with each other. Between tracks the nerves would show when they tried to have 'banter' with the crowd. Hopefully as the girls tour more this awkwardness on stage will subside, and they will be able to give the performance i know they are more than capable of producing.

Awakwardness aside, The Staves have lovely voices and many great tracks. If you are a fan of folk music than this is certainly a band you should check out.

Tour Dates:
28th - 29th July. Cambridge Folk Festival - Cambridge, UK
17th Aug - 19th Aug. Summer Sundae Weekenderr - Leicester, UK
6th - 9th Sept. Bestival 2012 - Newport, UK
8th Nov. Wembley Arena - London, UK (supporting Bon Iver)
9th Nov. Manchester Arena - Manchester, UK (Supporting Bon Iver)
10th Nov. The SECC - Glasgow, UK (Supporting Bon Iver)

For more details regarding tickets and tour dates check out:http://www.ents24.com/web/artist/147168/The_Staves.html

Two Door Cinema Club

I'm a Huge fan of this band.

Two Door Cinema Club are an indie band from N. Ireland. Forming together in 2007, this trio have gone on to achieve unbelievable success. Their debut album "Tourist History," which was released on March 2010, won the 'Choice Music Prize' for Irish Album of the Year. Songs from the album that I recommend checking out are "Undercover Martyn," "You're Not Stubborn" and "Something Good Can Work."

On September 3rd, Two Door Cinema Club released their highly anticipated second album "Beacon."  Within its first week of release, "Beacon" went straight to number one on the Irish Album Charts. So far only the single "Sleep Alone" has been released from this album, however they have recently announced the follow up single will be "Sun" (18th Nov).

This band has grown a very large and loyal fan base, so don't be surprised if their gigs are sold out. This lively band, with their well polished set, will certainly have you dancing and bopping away to their infectious upbeat tunes. So date, Two Door Cinema Club have proven to have enough raw talent and energy to pull off a great show regardless of the venue and/or crowd size.

This really is a must see band. Check them out,  you won't be left disappointed.

Tour dates: 
24th Jan. 02 Academy - Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
25th Jan. 02 Apollo Manchester - Manchester
26th Jan. 02 Apollo Manchester - Manchester
28th Jan. Southampton Guildhall - Southampton
29th Jan. Rock City - Nottingham
31st Jan. Solus - Cardiff, UK
1st Feb. 02 Academy - Birmingham
2nd Feb. 02 Academy - Birmingham
4th Feb. Music Hall Aberdeen - Aberdeen
5th Feb. Barrowland Ballroom - Glasgow
7th Feb. O2 Academy Leeds - Leeds
8th Feb. O2 Academy Brixton - London
27th April. Alexandra Palace - London

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates (European), check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/804901-two-door-cinema-club/calendar?page=1

Bloc Party Review

When I saw Bloc Party last month, it was confirmed why they are one of my all time favorite bands.

To put it bluntly, they were: AMAZING!!

I was fortunate enough to get tickets to their sell out show at the O2 Academy in Birmingham. The evenings set list was: Octopus, 3x3, Hunting for Witches, Positive Tension, Kettling, Waiting for the 7.18, Song for Clay, Banquet, Coliseum, The Prayer, V.A.L.I.S, We Are Not Good People, Real Talk, One More Chance, Flux, Helicopter. Encore: Ares, This Modern Love.

One thing that I appreciated was the diversity of the crowd. There were the older fans, the twenty/thirty years old who remember the bands original music from the albums "Silent Alarm" and "A Weekend in the City," and finally the younger folks who were into the mosh pit and sounds of their latest album "Four."Just a note; due to the intensity of the crowd (and the mosh pit) it was virtually impossible to take any snaps of the band so I am afraid there are no cool shots of the band in action..sorry!

Kele as ever was great on stage.  A hugely charismatic guy, with distinct deep vocals, Kele effortlessly worked the whole crowd. The atmosphere was electric, with every soul in the venue squashed together with the hope to get closer to this epic foursome. It came as little surprise to me that the loudest response/applause from the crowd came when Bloc Party played their older tracks; The Prayer, Banquet, This Modern Love and One More Chance. For me the highlight was when they performed Banquet. I may be slightly bias due to it being one of my favorite songs but the packed out venue crowd seemed to be in a frenzy - everyone singing and dancing and quite frankly not caring who the hell was watching. It was brilliant.

I can honestly say if I had the chance to buy tickets to see Bloc Party again I would do so in a heartbeat. Although a long time coming, I can finally say  I have seen this awesome band live - and boy were they good!! 

Tour Dates:
4th Dec. Apollo - Manchester, UK
11th January. Wellmont Theatre - NJ

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates (N.America and European tour) check out: http://blocparty.com/#live

Joe Purdy

I love this guy. 

Joe Purdy is an American folk singer from Arkansas who to has released ten albums: "Stompingrounds," "Julie Blue," "Only Four Seasons," "Paris in the Morning," "You Can Tell Georgia," "Canyon Joe," "Take My Blanket and Go," "Last Clock On the Wall," "4th of July," "This American," and "Joe Purdy."

Although I have yet to see Joe Purdy live, I am a huge fan who hopes to be able to one day. For me Purdy's music is immensely heart wrenching and emotional. I can always rely on a Joe Purdy album when I'm seeking that perfect downtown and chill sound.

Even if you have not heard of this artist before, it is likely you have heard some of his music. Purdy's songs are frequently played on many popular American television shows such as Greys Anatomy and Lost. Songs that I particularly like by Purdy include "I Love The Rain The Most," "Ode To Sad Clown" and "Wash Away."

Joe Purdy is certainly one of those truly underrated artist. Despite not receiving the same level of credit and attention as similar artists of this genre, like Ray LaMontagne, Purdy continues to tour and give exceptionally great performances.

With his guitar and signature long beard, Purdy doesnt rely on any gismos or impressive sets. Instead Purdy captures his audience by singing simple but intimate folk songs that tell a story. I would definitely urge you to see this guy live if folk music is your calling.

Tour Dates:
13th November. City Winery - NYC

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates for his N. American tour check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/14496-joe-purdy

Bell XI

This Irish Indie Rock band, named after the first supersonic aircraft Bell X-1, are someone to check out.

Since their arrival onto the music scene in 1999, Bell X1 have released a number of studio albums; "Neither Am I," "Music in Mouth" "Flock," "Blue Lights on the Runway," and "Bloodless Coup."

Bell X1 managed to break the US after their single "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" was featured during 'the' lesbian kiss scene in The O.C. Since this feature, Bell X1 began to really build up their fan base, causing them to tour more and more around N.America and Europe. If you have yet to hear about this band but like the band Radiohead and/or artist Ryan Adams, than this band should be right up your street.

According to Billboard, other than U2, Bell X1 have the most airtime on irish radio for any Irish band.  Over the duration of their music career, this band have been nominated for many awards including the Meteor Music Awards and Choice Music Awards.

Bell X1 are certainly a well oiled band when it comes to their live performances. With the success of the bands first live rooftop gig held at Facebook's headquarters in Dublin, Bell X1 are going from strength to strength - note the success of their recent 2012 N.American acoustic Tour. For me, an acoustic/ raw performance can be the difference between a good performance and a great one. With charisma, vocal ability and tour experience all behind them, this band is sure to deliver a string of great gigs.

Check them out...you won't be left disappointed.

Tour dates:
22nd November. Empire Music Hall - Belfast
23rd January. King Tut's Wah Wah Hut - Glasgow
24th January. The Ruby Lounge - Manchester
25th January. Bush Hall - London


For further information regarding their tour dates and tickets check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/78581-bell-x1/calendar?page=1

Bon Iver Review

I absolutely love this band.

Bon Iver is an indie folk band who first formed back in 2007. The bands debut album "For Emma, Forever Ago" was released in 2007 and includes the tracks "Flumes," "The Wolves (Act 1 and 11)," "Skinny Love" and "Lump Sun." In June 2011 Bon Iver released their second album "Bon Iver." This album proved to be equally as successful as their first, with over 100,000 copies sold during its first week in the US alone.

If you like bands such as Fleet Foxes, Tallest Man On Earth, and Iron & Wine, than this is a band for you.

I have been hoping to see Bon Iver live for a number of years now, so when I was fortunate to get tickets to their Manchester gig I was ecstatic. Having got there early enough, I was able to get prime standing position (3 people from the very front) and boy was it amazing.

I can say without any doubt that this is by far one of the best live performances I have ever seen. The vocal and musical ability demonstrated by the band was breathtaking. The set list for their manchester performance was; Perth, Minnesota (WI), Brackett (WI), Towers, Flume, Creature Fear, Hinnom (TX), Wash, Woods, Calgary, Blood Bank, Holocene, Lisbon (OH), Beth/rest. For the encore, they performed; Skinny Love, and For Emma. (I was a little disappointed they didn't perform their hit single "Wolves").

With all nine members in their positions, this hour and half gig was everything I hoped. True to their album, the sounds created by the band were intense and highly emotional. Justin Vernon was fabulous - a great character who had the entire arena crowd eating from the palm of his hand. He put everything into each song, and created awesome banter between tracks,

I can't stress how truly magnificent this show was. If you have the chance please check them out - they are definitely worth it. For me the highlight of the show was Bon Iver performing skinny Love and Flume - two great singles, and personal favourites of my mine.

House of Essex

As someone who is all for hearing about new music/bands, I introduce to you: House of Essex.

This  american eclectic rock band first got my attention when they sent me a message on Twitter. After looking up House of Essex, it became clear this five person band from New Jersey is both diverse and hugely talented. Between them, these musicians have toured around the world, played with Bruce Springsteen and Carly Simon, and worked for a number of hit broadway plays, such as Hairspray.

The band includes lead vocalist Tim Welch, bass and vocalist Gregory Jones, percussionist David Longworth, harmony vocals Lora McFarlane, and lead guitarist Courtney Sappington.

When listening to the tracks of House of Essex you will instantly hear the strong influence of rock, jazz and soul. Although not a band for everyone, this band certainly deserves to be checked out! The music generated by this band reminds me a great deal of artists like Santana and Bruce Springsteen, and I would even have to add - listening to Tim Welch reminds me a great deal of Chris Cornell.

If you are interested by what you have heard then I urge you to check out their EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/house-of-essex-ep/id564391025

Tour Dates: 
9th November. Hat City Kitchen - NJ
13th December. Sullivan Hall  - NYC

For more information about this band, check out their website: http://houseofessexband.com/HOE/Welcome.html

Noah and the Whale

Noah And The Whale are a folk band from London, UK.

This band first hit the music scene in 2006 and have since proven to be very popular. To date, they have released three albums "Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down," "The First Days of Spring," and "Last Night on Earth," and have performed at numerous festivals including Latitude, Glastonbury and V.

I would say that since the departure of Laura Marling in 2009, the group definitely changed the style of their music. Instead of more traditional sounds represented in songs "Give a Little Love," "5 Years Time" and "Mary" from their first album, Noah and the Whale have become a lot more main stream and indie.

The lead singer Charlie Fink has a very distinct and unique voice it always makes it easy to identify a Noah And The Whale song. Noah and the Whale are a melancholic group that sing mostly about love, making it the perfect choice for a chilled out session on a Sunday afternoon. Due to sounding as good live as they do on their albums, this gig may not be the most action packed, but it does promise to deliver some great tunes and quality music. 

Tour dates:
24th Nov. St John at Hackney Church - London

For details about tickets check out: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Noah-The-Whale-tickets/artist/1245643

Goodnight Lenin Review

I saw this band from birmingham when they supported Dry The River at the HMV Institute.

Before seeing them I can honestly say I had never heard anything about them or their music. Although a relatively unknown band, Goodnight Lenin has grown quite the fan base, with gigs frequently selling out. In addition to performing at gigs, Goodnight Lenin have been playing at a number of festivals including the Wood Festival and Glastonbury.

I really enjoyed these boys performance. A folk-esq band with the enthusiasm and spirit of Mumford and Sons when they perform, these boys definitely deserve a chance. With strong vocals and a vast array of instruments there was nothing dull about their set. When listening to the boys I was reminded a great deal of Low Anthem - in terms of both vocal and music style.

Give them a go - you may be pleasantly surprised.

Tour Dates:

20th Nov. The Castle - Manchester 

21st Nov. The Bodega - Nottingham 

23rd Nov. The Great Gatsby - Sheffield 

26th Nov. Kasbah - Coventry

27th Nov. The Boileroom - Guildford 

28th Nov. The Cookie Jar - Leicester 

29th Nov. Sebright Arms - London

1st Dec. Birmingham Cathedral - Birmingham 

2nd Dec. A Nation of Shopkeepers - Leeds

For more information regarding tour dates and tickets check out: http://www.goodnightlenin.com/live

Dry The River Review

I finally got the chance to see this band live, and boy did they deliver a great show.

I was fortunate enough to get tickets to see Dry The River perform live at the HMV Institute in Birmingham. To check out previous posts about Dry The River, click on the following link: http://musicgigsnfestivals.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/dry-river.html

The evenings set list included: Shield Your Eyes, New Ceremony, History Book, Demons, Weights & measures, No Rest, Bible Belt, and Lion's Den. For their encore, they performed my personnel favourite single Shaker Hymns (see video below).

For me, the highlight of the night was definitely the encore performance of Shaker Hymns. Not only is this a truly great single, but the five boys performed it unplugged on the main floor, amongst the crowd. With lights only coming from crowd members phones,  this was one stripped performance like no other. Peter Liddle's  high, torturing but purely beautiful vocals were on top form, which combined with the onstage banter  and high energy from the rest of the band, made for the perfect evening of chilling and emotive music.

I would definitely suggest seeing this band live if you have the chance to. Despite being relatively unknown and charging only 8 pounds for tickets, this band sure did attract quite the crowd. What was surprising to me however was the diverse following that they seem to have accumulated - the old, the young, the rocker, the businessman, and student, all there together to experience the show.

For information regarding tickets and dates for their European, tour check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2437361-dry-the-river/calendar?page=1

Unplugged performance in crowd of Shaker Hymns

Dry The River