Sofar Sounds

For those of you who are unaware of  Sofar, than I urge you to check it out NOW!!

Sofar Sounds first began in North London in 2009, when three artists played to a room (usually a living room) of music lovers. Since its launch, Sofar has gone on to achieve great success - not only hosting events in London and other UK cities, but in 37 countries around the world (incl. Turkey, brasil, US, Ireland and Australia).

Such a great concept, it is not surprising Sofar has become so popular. The set up is very simple; after you register via their website and select the dates you wish to attend, you just have to wait for an email confirming your place. It is important to note that although Sofar try to give as many people the opportunity to attend  an event, they are hugely popular and so don't expect to get an invite after your first attempt.

If you are successful Sofar will then send you an email, two days before the event, with the address of the venue. What is exciting about this is you have no idea where this venue is (since it is someones house) or who is playing.

Previous  well known artists who have played at Sofar include: Dry The River, Bastille and George Ezra.

At the beginning of this month I was lucky enough to get tickets to attend a Sofar event in Hackney. A very cool venue (a warehouse converted into a home), myself and 100 other die hard music fans sat together and watched three great live acts - Beans on Toast, Too Many Ts and Gorgeous George.

A night full of live music, laughter and sing alongs, I really can't stress how fun the evening was. Check it out. I can promise it will be well worth your time.

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

Villagers

You need to check this Irish band out.

I first came across the Villagers when they were shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2010 for their fabulous debut album "Becoming A Jackal." Now, two years later, with the release of their second album "Awayland" (Jan, 2013) Villagers are finally receiving the attention that they so rightly deserve.

This indie folk band is made up of front man Conor O'Brien, Cormac Curran, Danny Snow, James Byrne and Tommy McLaughlin. If you like the artists; Dry the River, Low Anthem and Fionn Regan, than Villagers should be right up your street.

When it comes to putting on a live performance, these boys are no rookies. Having toured with the likes of Tracy Chapman, Bell X1, and Elbow, Villagers know what it takes to please a crowd, and please a crowd they do! They have grown quite the fan base over the years, and so it comes as no surprise their shows are often sold out. Hugely popular in Ireland, this band just keep on getting better and better. There is no doubt most of their success is down to the talents of Conor O'Brien, who as the lead singer, uses his voice superbly to deliver the beautiful and sincere lyrics of the band.

If you are still unsure about this band, check out their EP "Hollow Kind" which was released back in 2009 - it is really very good!

Tour dates
11th June. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC
26th June. Glastonbury Festival - UK
11tth July. T In The Park - UK
15th August. Green Man Festival - UK
23rd August. Leeds/Reading Festival - UK

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2393580-villagers/calendar?page=1

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 

Dry The River

Another harmonious folk band for you all.

Athough I have definitely exceeded the quota for recommending folk music this month, I couldn't resist one more. Dry The River are an indie folk from London.

With the support from the BBC and extensive touring around the UK, Europe and N. America, Dry The River finally got their break and signed with Transgressive Records in 2010. In 2011 they released their debut single No Rest, and followed this by releasing their debut album "Shallow Bed" on 5th March 2012.

I love the fact that despite Dry The River being a folk band, their appearance suggests nothing of the sort - boasting the grunge look expect skinny guys wearing vests, with disheveled hair and a lot of tattoos. I Love it!

As far as their live performances go - they are good! Lead singer Peter Liddle has unbelievable vocals which during the numerous harmonies, ooze conviction and emotion wonderfully. This band although seeming relatively 'new' to the scene, are by no means amateurs when it comes to performing. Dry The River, who have toured with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, are great at interacting with their crowds and showing off their  light-hardheartedness, despite their sombre music.

Most of their gigs sell out so I urge you to buy tickets fast - I have!

Tour Dates:
11th August. BT London Live - Hyde Park, London
25th Aug. Edinburgh Festival Fringe - The Electric Circus, Edinburgh
27th Aug. Electric Circus - Edinburgh
20th Sept. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC
16th Oct. The Junction - Cambridge
17th Oct. Wedgewood  Rooms - Portsmouth
18th Oct. Gloucester Guildhall - Gloucester
18th - 21st Oct. Swn Festival - Cardiff
20th Oct. Oxford
23rd Oct. Central Station & Yales - Wrexham
24th Oct. The Kazimier- Liverpool
25th Oct. 53 Degrees at University of Central Lancashire- Preston
26th Oct. Fibbers - York
27th Oct. The Leadmill - Sheffield
29th Oct. The Sugarmill - Stoke-on-Trent
30th Oct. HMV Institute - Birmingham
31st Oct. Komedia- Bath
1st Nov. O2 Shpherds Bush Empire- London

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