Search This Blog

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Gaslight Anthem Review


Gaslight Anthem, an American rock band from New Jersey, are one of my favorite bands.

This band has released three albums. "Sink or Swim," my favorite "The 59 Sound" and their most recent "American Slang." They have also just announced that they have began recording songs for their fourth album which they hope to release later this year. I personally feel "The 59 Sound" is the bands most successful album to date, due to their ability to combine rock n'roll with definte elements of hardcore, pop-punk and classic soul.

If you are a fan of artists such as Frank Turner, Bruce Springsteen and Brian Fallon, than Gaslight Anthem are a band you should check out!

I saw this band last year at the 02 Academy in Birmingham, UK. The two support acts Shark and Twin Atlantic, were nothing special and did little to warm up the crowd. Despite this, when Gaslight Anthem finally came onto the stage, the crowd instantly warmed up and sang along to all their songs. I have to admit, I was pretty surprised to see the wide mix of people that turned up to see them live.

The set which Gaslight Anthem performed was very good. They opened their gig with American Slang and progressed with the songs Great Expectations, The 59'  Sound, Boxer and Stay Lucky. I must add they gave an exceptional performance of Queen of Lower Chelsea and Blue Jeans & White T-shirts.

My personal highlight was watching the lead singer, Brian Fallon on stage. He looks completely in his element and sings with so much confidence and passion that the entire crowd is left captivated. 

The gig was very good and I would certainly suggest people to go and see them live.



Tour dates:
26th July. Hudson River Park - NYC
28th July. Hudson River Park - NYC
31st July. Upstate Concert Hall - NYC
8th September. The Paramount - Huntington, NY

For information regarding tickets or the rest of their tour check out:  http://www.songkick.com/artists/550811-gaslight-anthem/calendar?page=1

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics

Love this band.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics are an American indie folk band from LA. What sets this band apart from all other indie folk bands out there is the pure number of band members it has! The band consists of; Alex Ebert (vocals, guitar, percussion, piano), Jade Castrinos, Stewart Cole, Josh Collazo, Orpheo McCord, Nora Kirkpatrick, Christian Letts, Seth Ford-Young, Mark Noseworthy and Aaron Arntz - yes that is 10 members!!! On top of the ten mentioned there are also 8/9 additional members who help with general percussion and instruments.

Whenever I listen to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics I find myself smiling and jamming along to the beat. Their music is insanely catchy and uplifting, and leaves the listener with the impression of a band just having one big musical party. It is clear this huge band is doing what they love most - creating great folk music.

To date, this band have released two albums; "Up From Below," and "Here." Songs which have proven to be hugely popular from their albums are: 40 Day Dream, Janglin and Home. My personal favorites are Man on Fire, and Mayla.

In terms of live performances you can be sure of a great evening. Likened to being 'one big family' on stage, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics all perform with such enthusiasm and passion it becomes impossible for the audience not to join in. Expect an active (sold out) crowd - i'm talking singing, clapping, stomping...oh and sweating!! Hey it's party!!!

So if Mumford and Sons and Alabama Shakes are your calling than you would be a fool to ignore this band.

For a recent review of this band, check out: http://musicgigsnfestivals.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/gentleman-of-road-mumford-sons-review.html



Tour dates: 
26th July.  Xponential Music Festival - Camden, NJ

For more information regarding tour dates and tickets, check out: http://edwardsharpeandthemagneticzeros.com/tour/

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Gentleman of the Road (Mumford & Sons) Review


So last weekend I was fortunate enough to travel over to Dublin, Ireland to see Mumford and Sons live at Phoenix Park.

The sun was out, the beers were in and to the credit of all the acts, the day was great! The days lineup consisted of Ham Sandwich, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics, The Vaccines, Ben Howard, and of course the main act themselves Mumford and Sons.

First up were Ham Sandwich. I can honestly put my hands up and say before seeing them live I had never heard of them. Ham Sandwich is a five piece indie rock band from Ireland. Like with any relatively unheard band at these one day gigs, the crowd can be pretty unresponsive and tame. Although the band did have a couple of good songs, in particular their final song of the set "Ants," there was little more they could do to warm up the crowd!

Next up were Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics. If you know little about this band check out my previous post: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics. I loved their set, and was seriously impressed by how much stage presence the lead singer Alexander Ebert had. For me, and arguably the rest of the crowds favourite part of the set was their final song "Home." Everyone by the end seemed in great spirits, singing and dancing along with this american folk band. I for one will certainly be keeping a close eye on their upcoming tour dates.

Now for some British players - cue The Vaccines. Again for more information about this band, check out my previous post regarding them: The Vaccines. I was excited to see this band live after recently hearing how good they were at Glastonbury. I was certainly not left disappointed. Their hugely energetic performance was a nice mix to the relatively chilled out line up that played before them. They played a strong set, and included many of their popular singles which seemed to be a hit with the crowd.

Now for my fav - Ben Howard. Having seen him live in London three weeks ago, and twice before that, I knew I was in for a great set. His half hour set included the popular tracks The Fear, Only Love, Keep Your Head Up, Blackflies, Old Pine and his new single I Forgot Where We Were. Although it was evident that Ben Howard was a huge hit with the crowd, I must say from previous performances, he is a lot stronger when playing at smaller venues.

And finally, the headliners of the evening, Mumford and Sons. Again having seen these four times previously I was confident this was going to be good. Opening with their new single Babel. the irish crowd all seemed to go wild. Others song featured in their set included "I Will Wait," "Holland Road," "The Cave," "Little Lion Man," "Ghosts That We Knew," and "Hopeless Wanderer." I thought their set was truly brilliant. Not a band to ever let a crowd down, these four boys soon has the jam packed crowd on their feet, singing, swaying, jumping, dancing and cheering along. Although I thoroughly enjoyed their entire set, for me one song particularly stood out to me. For their final song of the night they made the standard move of inviting all the previous acts back onto stage to sing a cover together. Although this was predictable the song they chose to perform was not so much. Galway Girl. As someone who loves Dublin and frequently goes over to see friends, this song was perfect (i cant quite say my irish friends were as impressed however...).

So overall I have to say I had a truly fabulous day. Although Ben Howard was slightly disappointing I would still without a doubt go and see him live again (for a 5th time) and seriously can't stress enough how good his new album is going to be. Mumford and Sons proved again to many why they have become such a hugely popular band all around the world. For me though I was most pleased to have seen Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics -  Having never seen them live before and being such a big fan, I was truly stoked.

Mumford & Sons

Ben howard 

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics 

Ben howard

Mumford and Sons 

Mumford and Sons and co. 

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Bat For Lashes

This English indie singer and songwriter is certainly someone to check out.

Bat for Lashes first hit the music scene in 2006 with her debut album "Fur and Gold." It was during this time that Bat for Lashes was shortlisted for a Mercury Prize, and nominated for two Brit Awards; Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Female Solo Artist.

In 2009 Bat for Lashes released her second album "Two Suns" which once again got her nominated for Best Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards, and shortlisted for the 2009 Mercury Prize. Although its been a while, Bat For Lashes has recently announced that she will be releasing a third album "The Haunted Man" on the 15th October. The first single to be heard from the soon to be released album is a beautiful heartfelt ballad called "Laura."

Natasha Khan, who goes by her stage name Bat for Lashes, has been likened to artists Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Cat Power and Annie Lennox.

Bat for Lashes' live performances have been described as being a "visual and sensual experience." If you can handle a lot of arm swaying and allow yourself to become detached and be drawn into the fantasy, than this gig will be right up your street.

Khan puts a lot into her gigs, something that has not gone unnoticed by her continually growing fan base. Check Bat for Lashes out, it will be worth your time!

Tour Dates
13th August. O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London
30th August. Webster Hall - NYC
31st August. Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY
6th September. Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NY
8th September. Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - Wantagh, NY

 For more information regarding tickets and tour dates for the rest of her European tour check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/130039-bat-for-lashes/calendar?page=1

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Ben Howard Review


Only securing the tickets a week ago for the gig, I was pumped to be given the chance to see Ben Howard perform again.

Having already seen Ben Howard perform live (in NYC), my expectations of this gig were high - and boy did he deliver!

The set list for the evenings gig was: Everything, Black Flies, Old Pine, I Forgot Where We Were (new single), Only Love, The Wolves, The Burren, Burgh Island, Keep You Head Up, and The Fear. For encore Ben played: Keiko (new single), Oats in the Water, and Promise.

A totally chilled out guy who lets his music do the talking, this gig is solely about the music.

Playing a mix of singles, from crowd favorites (Keep Your Head Up/ Wolves), to my favourites (Black Flies / Burgh Island), to brand spanking new material (I Forgot Where We Were), the crowd were treated to a really great night of live music.

For me the highlight of the evening was his performance of new single "Keiko." This song reminds me a great deal of "Depth over Distance," in terms of harmonies and playing style on his guitar. Just him on stage, accompanied by his guitar, this song was raw and highly emotive.

It is safe to say from hearing the new material, the new album (due out sometime in the winter) is going to be just as good as the hugely popular debut album "Every Kingdom." Another single which is new and definitely worth check out is White Lights.

Something that stands out to me when watching Ben perform live, which I feel plays a huge part to his success, is his genuine appreciation and humble attitude to all the support he gets from his shows. There is no doubt this guy is popular - the packed out crowd at the Hammersmith Apollo cheered from start to finish.

To read my previous review of Ben Howard live in NYC check out: Review NYC

To read my original post about Ben Howard check out: Ben Howard


I am due to see Ben Howard perform in Dublin next month, and just between me and you - I cannot wait!!

Tour Dates
13th June. Isle of Wight Festival - Isle of Wight Festival, UK
26th June. Glastonbury Music Festival - UK
6th July. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - London, UK
14th July. Phoenix Park - Dublin, Ireland
29th July. Central Park - NYC
17th August. Boardmasters Festival 2013 - Cornwall, UK
15th August. Green Man Festival  - Powys, UK
17th August. Custom House Square - Belfast, UK

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/1212276-ben-howard/calendar?page=1

Alt-J

I am a huge fan of this foursome.

, pronounced as Alt-J, are a British indie pop band from Cambridge. Their debut album "An Awesome Wave" has proven to be a great hit since its release back in May of this year. Before this release however Alt-J had recorded a 4-track EP which included the singles "7," "Matilda,"  "Fitzpleasure" and "Breezeblocks."

This band has been compared with the likes of Hot Chip, Bombay Bicycle Club and Dry the River.

Alt-J have received some truly rave reviews for their live performances both in the UK and across America, and so all that is left to for me to say is give these new boys on the block a go - I promise you, you won't be left disappointed.

Tour Dates:
11th July. T in the Park - Balado Airfield - UK
18th July. Latitude Festival - Henham Park - UK
23rd August. Leeds/Reading Festival - UK
14th September. Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom - NYC
15th September. Rumsey Playfield, Central Park - NYC

For the rest of their Summer 2013 tour dates, and ticket information check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/4555533-altj/calendar?page=6