Ever been to a music gig? Want to go again? Want to know who is worth seeing?
Music gigs and festivals is a blog dedicated to telling you where and when the coolest bands are playing in NY and the UK. In addition to this I will also be sharing reviews about gigs and festivals I have attended which are definitely worth checking out.
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Showing posts with label Indie rock band. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indie rock band. Show all posts
If you are looking for humor, charisma and great indie songs than We Are Scientists are your calling!
We Are Scientists are an indie rock band from California who are superb live. They always have a great stage presence and give an extremely energized performance which never fails to get the crowd going. In addition to this, the band are are very witty/ funny and always have hilarious on stage banter.
If you have not heard of this band but like "The Maccabees," "The Futureheads" and "Mystery Jets" than this is certainly a band for you. They have five albums "Safety, Fun, and Learning," "With Love and Squalor," "Brain Thrust Mastery," "Crap Attack," and "Barbara." Their most successful album to date has been "With Love and Squalor" which sold over 100,000 copies in its first 6 months.
Songs which I suggest you to check out are "Nobody move, nobody get hurt," "This Science is dead" and "That's What Counts."
Overall I have to say this is a gig not to be missed.
Tour dates
22nd July. Thekla - Bristol
23rd July. Wedgewood Rooms - Portsmouth
25th July. XOYO - London
27th july. Kasbah - Coventry
30th July. Manchester Gorilla - Manchester
31st July. 53 Degrees - Preston
Cold War Kids are an American indie rock band from California. Together this four piece, made up of Nathan Willett, Dann Gallucci, Matt Maust, and Matt Aveiro have released eight EPs and four albums. Starting in 2006 Cold War Kirs released their debut album "Robbers & Cowards," followed by "Loyalty to Loyalty," "Mine Is Yours," and then their most recent (April 2013) "Dear Miss Lonelyhearts."
I first came across this band many years ago when I heard their single "Hang Me Up to Dry" which I instantly loved. Another single which I adore by these guys is "Hospital Beds," which is actually also been covered by Florence and the Machine.
In terms of live performances, it is safe to say Cold War Kids' music and style has evolved over time. Expectations of their gigs; lead singer Nathan Willett dancing around like a maniac, shows selling out, songs from old and new albums performed.
Cold War Kids have certainly built up a large fan base (particularly in the states) over the years. With the new album it comes as a relief that these guys are not planning on quitting the scene anytime soon.
Originally from Oxford, Foals have been a favourite of mine since I first heard their single "Cassius" on a night out all those years ago.
Over five years later Foals are continuing to release great indie music. I would add however their music has changed (and matured) a lot from their original material back in 2005. So far Foals have released several EPs and three albums; Antidotes, Total Life Forever, and the most recent - Holy Fire, which includes the singles "Inhaler" and "My Number." They have gone from strength to strength over the years, building up a strong fan base of teenagers and twenty somethings. In terms of seeing them live, expect packed crowds and mosh pits.
Tour dates:
3rd May. Terminal 5 - NYC
6th May. Upstate Concert Hall - NYC
13th June. Jilian's of Albany - NY
26th June. Glastonbury Festival - Pilton, UK
11th July. T In The Park - Glenrothes, UK
18th July. Latitude Festival - Beccles, UK
23rd-25th August. Leeds Festival/ Reading Festival - UK
Athlete, an indie rock band from London, first hit the music scene back in 2000. From the word go these boys have proven popular; their debut album "Vehicles and Animals" which included the hit singles "Tourist," and "Wires" went platinum.
Artists similar to Athlete are Snow Patrol , Aqualung and Travis.
I saw Athlete perform at the 02 Academy in Birmingham UK in 2009 and although I had a good time, I would urge you to think about tickets before you buy them. Athlete have become pretty quiet on the music scene since 2009 and so although Joel Pott (lead singer) is great live, they have very little in terms of recent/ new material. If however you are a fan of athlete and love their old material you will want to check out their latest tour - "Vehicles & Animals Anniversary Tour: Athlete."
When I saw them live, it was a very intimate gig and so I was right up close to the stage - this always makes me enjoy a gig that much more! Deemed by reviewers as the Pinnacle of Housewife friendly pop - this is a safe gig in which you will be promised a good live performance but very little else in terms of excitement and originality.
Tour dates:
8th May. The Junction - Cambridge
9th May. O2 Academy - Bristol
10th May. O2 Shepherds Bush Empire - London
11th May. HMV Ritz - Manchester
12th May. O2 Academy - Birmingham
Maps & Atlases, a four man indie rock band, made up of Shiraz Dada (bassist), Chris Hainey (drummer), Dave Davison (guitar & vocals) and Erin Elders (guitarist), first got together in Chicago back in 2004. To date they have released 2 EPs and a full length debut album "Perch Patchwork" (2010).
Although not particularly mainstream, this band have sure done a lot of touring; supporting the likes of Portugal. The man, Ra Ra Riot, and Foals. Although I only came across this band because a friend had told me to check them out, I must say I am quite the fan. As someone who loves a catchy tune and an uptempo beat, this band was immediately my cup of tea! I urge you to check them out - they're good!
Tour dates:
3rd March. The Ruby Lounge - Manchester, UK
4th March. Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, UK
6th March. Dingwalls - London, UK
7th March. The Green Door Store - Brighton, UK
8th March. The Louisiana - Bristol, UK
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
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
A popular alternative rock band from the UK, Bombay Bicycle Club are someone you should definitely check out.
Since winning Channel 4's "Road to V" competition in 2006, Bombay Bicycle Club has continue to fins success and achieve great things. To date, this band has released three albums; "I had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose" (2009), "Flaws" (2010) and "A Different Kind Of Fix" (2011).
Last year I was fortunate enough to see Bombay Bicycle Club live in New York. For a ticket priced at $10, this gig was an absolute bargain, and I loved how small the venue was. Bombay Bicycle Club was playing at the Mercury Lounge, which is just two long rooms; one filled with a narrow long bar which leads into an equally small room with a stage in it. I have never been to such an intimate gig before, but it was great as I was literally only an arm’s length away from all the action. It’s not often that there is no hustling through a crowd to ensure you have a spot where you can see the band.
I was surprised with the crowd – despite being aware you had to be over 21 to enter, it wasn’t a young crowd at all. I also found that apart from the immediate crowd of people by the stage, people were very subdued and vacant. This did not seem to affect Bombay Bicycle Club however, as when on the stage they transformed from these nerdy looking boys into becoming indie musicians that seriously rocked out on their guitars.
I was unsure before the gig to how Jack Steadman’s (the lead singer) voice would be during a live show, something I certainly didn’t need to be. His riveting, deep and wavering voice translated into his songs just as well as they do on their albums. His voice simply allowed more emotion to be transferred into each of the songs, which made them seem even more powerful when listening to them. Due to the waver in his voice however, there were times when the bass and the drums drowned his voice out, but this only happened on a few occasions. Something that was more noticeable however was the use of base guitars and drums, which surprised me as they seemed more of an indie-rock band than their more recent label as an acoustic folk band.
One thing however I did find was how awkward this band seemed. Between songs only Steadman ever spoke, and he either thanked the crowd for coming out, or simply said nothing and went straight into the next song. Despite being one of the quickest concerts I have ever been to, the energy given by the band was high throughout and the quality of the performance was such that you were left wishing to hear more.
Songs they sang included, Cancel on Me, Magnet, Lamplight and my absolute favorite Always Like This.
I would give this gig a rating of 7.5/10. I had a great time and they delivered a great performance, although comparing it to a band, such as Mumford & Sons, it was not quite there! I will add though, I was impressed that all the members happily hung around the bar at the end of the show and talked to fans for a little bit, something many bands don’t often do.
Tour Dates:
30th July. Webster Hall - NYC
12th August. Hyde Park Closing Ceremony - London, UK
24th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK
25th August. Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK
I can't express in words how much I love this band, and how ecstatic I was to hear they are back together again.
Bloc Party are a British indie rock band that formed together in 1999. Between 1999 and 2009, Bloc Party were very successful, releasing three popular albums "Silent Alarm," "A weekend in the City," and "Intimacy." Although they had a string of hits, and won 'Indie Album of the Year' at the 2006 PLUG Awards for their album "Silent Alarm," the band announced they would be going on a hiatus to focus on side projects.
It was not until September of this year that Bloc Party announced they would be reuniting and releasing an album in fall 2013. In addition to the album, Bloc Party have announced a string of tour dates in the UK and N. America (see below) that I would urge everyone to check out.
Although I have only been fortunate enough to see Bloc Party live once, I was able to see Kele Okereke (lead singer of Bloc Party) live when he performed solo at Glastonbury music festival.
I had a great time seeing both the band and Kele live. With a string of great hits such as "Hunting For Witches," "The Prayer," and "Two More Years" and Kele's awesome charisma, the crowd and I were kept thoroughly entertained. Although they have been on hiatus recently, this should have in no way impacted their ability to put on a great show. Go and see them - it will be worth it!
Tour Dates
19th June. Garage - Glasgow, UK
20th June. The Ritz - Manchester, UK
21st June. Koko - London, UK
8th August. Terminal 5 - NYC (support band: The Drums)
9th August. Terminal 5 - NYC (support band: The Drums)
12th October. O2 Academy - Newcastle, UK
13th October. 02 Academy - Leeds, UK
14th October. Academy - Glasgow, UK
15th October. Academy - Birmingham, UK
17th October. Guildhall - Southampton, UK
18th October. O2 Academy - Bristol, UK
19th October. Warehouse Project - Manchester, UK
20th October. Corn Exchange - Cambridge, UK
I am a huge fan of this band, however since the release of their second album "Wall Of Arms" in 2009, The Maccabees have been relatively quiet in terms of new material.
The Maccabees, a five piece indie rock band from London, UK first got noticed with their debut single "X-Ray" from their debut album "Colour It In." Although, like mentioned earlier, this band has been quiet, they have recently announced they will be releasing their third album "Given to the Wild" on 9th January 2012.
Don't let their lack of new material put you off though. The Maccabees have still been performing a lot over the last year and have been the support act for a number of bands including Bombay Bicycle Club and The Drums. The Maccabees this year have been playing a number of warm-up gigs and have thus far proven to be better than ever. Most of their warm-up gigs were sell outs, and so I would definitely suggest buying tickets for their gigs asap.
In terms of their actual gig I can tell you it will definitely be a hugely energetic show with a lot of crowd surfing, mosh pits and sweating! You have been warned!
Tour Dates
14th June. Pembrey Country Park - UK
24th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK
25th August. Bramham Park - Leeds, UK
I have been fortunate to see this indie rock band from Colorado, US twice.
The Fray became a success back in 2005 when their debut album "How to Save a Life" became platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. Singles that helped to build the bands initial success were "Over My Head," "How To Save a Life," and "You Found Me."
Since the release of their debut album, the Fray have released the self titled album "The Fray" in 2009 and are due to release their third album "Scars & Stories" on February 7th, 2012.
I would definitely recommend seeing this band live. When I saw this band live I was surprised with how good Isaac Slade was as lead singer. His distinct raspy voice was just as good live as it is on cd. Although I was impressed with The Frays performance, I will say that something seemed to be missing - it all just seemed far to safe. Yes they have great songs, but in terms of excitement this gig would score low. Don't be put off though, if you are looking for a quiet, chilled night out listening to live music than this would be just the gig for you.
Tour Dates:
12th April. Radio City Music Hall - NYC
Lykke Li is a Swedish indie singer who first hit the music scene in 2008. Lykke Li incorporates pop, electronic, and indie rock into her songs by using many instruments such as violins, tambourines, trumpets, saxophone, and cellos.
Lykke Li has recently attracted many indie fans due her to fantastic cover of "knocked up" by Kings of Leon. Lykke Li has two albums to date, her debut album "Youth Novels" and the recently released "Wounded Rhymes."
If you like bands such as Robyn, Beth Ditto, Ellie Goulding and Bat for Lashes, than you should definitely check out Lykke Li.
Lykki Li is awesome live. Her great voice, constant engagement with the crowd and continual dancing around the stage leaves the crowd wanting more. If you want an enjoyable night of good music than this is a gig for you.
Tour dates:
30th Oct. O2 ABC - Glasgow, UK
31st Oct. Manchester Academy 2 - Manchester, UK
1st Nov. Roundhouse - London UK.
Nada Surf first fit the music scene in 1992 and have a number of great tunes including 'See these bones,' (see below) 'Always love' and 'Brightside.'This indie rock band are hugely popular and are due to release their seventh album 'The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy' later this year.
This band has great reviews for their live shows,and generally always make time at the end to meet fans. They always seem to connect well with their audiences and so if you are looking for an enjoyable night of good music, this is definitely for you!
Tour dates:
1/24/12. Bowery Ballroom - NYC
02/08/12. KOKO - London, UK
For more information regarding their European Tour dates check out: Nada Surf Tour Dates
Certainly high volume and high performing, but sadly not a gig I would go to again.
Paper Route are an indie rock band from Nashville, Tennessee who first formed together in 2004.They released their debut album "Absence" in 2009, and are currently working on a second album.
Songs to check out by them are "Second Chances," "Carousel," "Dance on our Grave (my personal fav!) and "Last Time."
Paper Route have certainly been busy over the years - touring with the likes of Paramore, Owl City and Passion Pit. Despite the touring however, Paper Route have yet to make it mainstream hence the fact tickets to see live were only six pounds.
One thing is for sure however, this was the latest gig I have ever been to - they didn't come on stage until 12.30am.
Although J.T. Daly has strong vocals and is a very energetic performer, the crowd didn't seem to warm to them too much. Despite Daly's constant attempt to interact with the crowd nothing seemed to work. I found the set list for their gig to be quite disappointing too - instead of playing their more well known singles, they seemed to play songs that had greater electro and rock elements to them. Reasons for this may have been due to the fact the venue was at a night club and it was a Friday night (big night out for Londoners!) - however it was still disappointing.
So overall I would say if pumped up electro rock is your thing than this is a gig for you. For me sadly I was left feeling disappointed and so will not be going to see them live again.
The Airborne Toxic Event are a five piece indie-rock band from Los Angeles.
If you like bands such as Silversun Pickups, The Gaslight Anthem and The Bravery, than The Airborne Toxic Event is someone who you should check out.
I highly recommend you go and see this band live. To view my review of this band click on: The Airborne Toxic Event Review. If you do decide to go and see them, I urge you to buy tickets quick as many of their shows become sold out within hours.
Tour dates:
20th-21st August. V Festival 2011 - Chelmsford, UK
3rd Nov. HMV Institute - Birmingham, UK
4th Nov. The Leadmill - Sheffield, UK
5th Nov. O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, UK
7th Nov. The Arches - Glasgow, UK
18th Nov. Terminal 5 - NYC
This Irish pop/ rock band is a definite must see! The Script have released two great albums, the self titled debut album "The Script," and the recently released "Science & Faith." The Script have had a number of great single releases including We Cry, The Man Who Cant Be Moved, and For The First Time.
If you like the bands OneRepublic, The Fray and Scouting For Girls, than this is a band for you.
The Script has received many rave reviews for their live performances and gigs. Due to their songs ranging from sensitive pop ballads to catchy rock songs, the crowd can always look forward to a night of top quality music. Also since the Script has a variety of different songs, you can always expect to see a pretty mixed crowd. Another reason to why The Script's live performances are so good is because of Danny O'Donoghue, the bands lead singer. Not only does he have a fantastic vocal talent, but he has a great showmanship which never fails to get the crowd going.
I would defiantly suggest getting tickets to see this band live.
Tour Dates
14th - 15th May. BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend 2011 - Carlisle, UK
4th June. Rumsey Playfield - New York, US.
10th - 12th June. Isle of Wight Festival 2011 - Newport, UK.
12th June. Seaclose Park - Newport, UK
8th - 10th July. T in the Park 2011 - Kinross, UK
12th July. iTunes Festival 2011 - Camden, UK
14th July. Thetford Forest - Suffolk, UK
17th July. Brighton Centre - Brighton, UK
20th - 21st August. V Festival 2011 - Staffordshire, UK
For more information about tickets or about the rest of their American and Europe tour check out: The Script tickets
Both these bands are awesome and a must see! Arcade Fire is an indie rock band made up of seven musicians from Quebec. They have released three albums "Funerals," "Neon Bible" and "The Suburbs" and won many prestigious awards, the most recent being "Best International Album" and "Best International Group" at the 2011 BRIT Awards. If you like bands such as The Strokes, Broken Social Scene and/ or The National, than Arcade Fire is a band for you. One thing that must not go unsaid is their excellent reputation for consistently delivering outstanding gigs. With this in mind I urge you to buy tickets quickly as they usually sell out fast.
The supporting acts for Arcade Fire are Beirut, The Vaccines, and Mumford & Sons. I have to admit that even if the headliner was rubbish I would still try to get tickets to this gig simply to see Mumford & Sons again!
I love everything about Mumford & Sons; their songs, their charisma, their attitude, and their voices. I have seen Mumford & Sons live twice, once at Glastonbury Music Festival and once in New York. They defiantly didn't disappoint! Each gig was performed flawlessly.
Not only are these four Londoners great live singers, but they have great personality's which always come out during their shows. This is a band that can certainly work a crowd, to the extent that they had the whole crowd eating from their hand, creating a euphoric atmosphere. During both gigs Mumford & Sons performed their popular hits Sigh No More, Little Lion Man and The Cave as well as new material such as the unreleased song, Below My Feet.
Since finishing their US tour, Mumford & Sons have been working on their next album - so I urge you all to get tickets to see them as it is certainly a gig not to be missed.
This is a great indie rock band from London, UK. White Lies formed in 2007 but only started growing in popularity with the release of their songs "Unfinished Business" and "Death" in 2009. If you are a fan of bands such as The Klaxons, Editors, Interpol and Fear of Flying then this is a band you need to check out. White Lies have two albums, "To Lose My Life.." which hit number one on the UK Album Charts, and "Ritual" which was just recently released in January of this year. The lead singer Harry McVeigh has a very distinct voice which allows you to instantly recognize their songs. Generally their songs, although quite dark, are very uplifting and inspiring.
Even though I have not seen this band live, I am an avid listener of their music and will definitely be looking to see White Lies live in the future.
My number 1 band to listen to is Bloc Party, an indie rock band from London, UK. I started listening to this band in 2003 when I came across the song "Banquet" which is my favorite of all Bloc Party's songs. I have seen this band live and thought they were incredible. Watching them live was awesome as they performed their songs with so much energy that they had the whole crowd buzzed and the atmosphere was electrifying. The main performer of the band, Kele was definitely the natural performer and so when it was announced that the band were going on hiatus and he was going solo I was excited to see what he would do.
I have not been left disappointed. Kele Okereke released his first solo album "The Boxer" which includes the songs "Tenderoni" and "Everything You Want." Whilst I was at Glastonbury Music Festival over the summer Kele performed a great set. He sang both his own stuff and material from when he was in Bloc Party such as "Flux." This is definitely a gig not to miss out on.
Tour dates:
19th March. The Plug- Sheffield, UK
19th - 21st Aug. V Festival - Staffordshire, UK
This band is from Brighton, England and are a popular indie-rock band. On January 31st The Go! Team released their fourth album "Rolling Blackouts" which included the songs 'Lazy Poltegeist,' 'The Running Range' and 'Buy Nothing Day.' If you have not heard of this band but like listening to "Belle and Sebastian," "LCD Soundsystem," and "Crystal Fighters" than you really should check The Go! Team out. Although I have never seen this band live I am a great fan of their music and would definitely look to go to one of their gigs in the future.
Tour dates: 24th Feb. The Waterfront - Norwich, UK 25th Feb. 02 Academy Sheffield - Sheffield, UK 26th Feb. 02 Academy Leicester - Leicester,UK 27th Feb. Millennium Music Hall - Cardiff, UK
