Kathryn Williams and Anthony Kerr - Resonator

Coming in at ten tracks 'Resonator' is a samey, but relaxing release from Williams and Kerr that is the perfect gentle album to wile away the time with a drink of choice. Including a couple of interesting covers with 'Every Time We Say Goodbye' and 'The Very Thought Of You', the album never really lifts off gentle and sauntering, but if you want to chill out then you could do worse than this. (6/10)

Click here to find out more on Facebook.

The Computers - Live EP

Exeter band 'The Computers' have released a new 4-track EP which includes one studio single and three live tracks. The main number 'This Ain't Right', which comes in both flavours, is an incredibly catchy song with the right mix of punk and pop, with even more energy injected into it in the loud and brash live version. With vibes of 'Panic At the Disco' and the production of Mark Ronson, the call-and-response of the chorus is brilliant.

Returning to the live sound their original track 'Weighed Down' is bouncing live whilst their mash-up of the Clash's 'Train In Vain' and Ben E. King's 'Stand By Me' has to be heard to be believed.

A great little EP that both delivers a catchy, funky single and three well recorded and energetic live tracks! I look forward to their upcoming album 'Birth / Death'.

Find out more about the Computers on Facebook.

Cody ChesnuTT - I Stay Ready / Bullets in the Street and Blood

Soulful, Florida-based troubador Cody ChesnuTT (yes, those Ts are intentionally like that) releases a new single of two-sides. The second track is soulful, well produced and has a handful of cooks, but it's the first track that you'll want to spend your time with thanks to its simple, yet catchy, chorus, smooth vibe and Gregory Porter-vibe. Hear it below and find out more about him on Twitter.

Daniel Land - In Love With A Ghost

Daniel Land's latest EP after a three hiatus is released on November 25th on Bandcamp and elsewhere. Entitled 'In Love With A Ghost' the five track EP is a smooth, multi-layered delight with a strong production vibe and some well placed saxophone.

The highlight for me is the Bronski Beat sampling 'Holes on the Dancefloor' that gives their famous 'Smalltown Boy' riff an even more sombre vibe, complimenting the atmospheric, ambient and memorable chorus. Opener 'You & Me Against The Sky' is similar but a tad more upbeat, whilst the brilliantly titled 'Everyone's Got A Guy Garvey Story' rocks up the pace with a toe-tapping drum beat and a style that falls somewhere between Embrace and the Editors.

The EP wraps up with 'The Sweetest Lover' - a slower number but with a great, smooth vibe - and closer 'New York Boogie Woogie' which is the most overtly upbeat number on the piece, though still with Land's downplayed vocals.

If you want to chill-out to some well produced, atmospheric and haunting songs this autumn you can't go far wrong with this collection of gentle, aural adventures. (6.5/10)

Find out more about Daniel Land on his website.

KBPS Interview - James King and the Regals

James King and the Regals are a four-piece band based in Camden and they’ve just released their new single ‘Kemosabe Shore’ which comes out on 25^th November. We spoke to lead singer James King about his new single, hopes for the future and taxidermy ducklings. Yes, really.

So how would you describe the single?

It’s melodic and rocky. It’s one of those things that’s more meaningful than just a beat and some music. The whole reason it’s called ‘Kemosabe Shore’ is because the word comes from the Lone Ranger. In the Lone Ranger ‘Kemosabe’ means anything that Tonto wants. The whole point is that it describes this thing that has so many different meanings as your emotions change to it.

Are you a Lone Ranger fan or just liked the word?

I am actually quite a fan. I first watched it when I was quite drunk, when I’d come over and wasn’t sure what to watch. I just put it on after thinking it was a good idea.

Do you have any video plans for the song, Lone Ranger or otherwise?

I think the song deserves quite a high quality video so I don’t want to create a video until I have the funds to make it something epic. At the moment we’re holding off until that does happen, but if it was to be anything, it would be World War 2 themed, like Normandy beaches.

The whole song compares current everyday growing up and the struggles [everyone has] and most of them do seem uphill and never ending. And also the fact that you look back at it and you see pride in it, whereas during it you’d wish it would just end.

Your biography online said you are from Yorkshire but now live in London. As a fellow Yorkshireman, what made you leave England’s best county?

For musicians in general, I think London has a lot more to offer, and Yorkshire has more of a slower pace. I always get labelled as undiagnosed ADHD as I constantly want to do things all the time, so I couldn’t hack the slower pace. I had to move somewhere that doesn’t sleep. But I do like Yorkshire as you can retreat back to it after a hard year of working, and just relax for a few days!

Further to your release of the single, what are your release plans after that?

We’re going to work on a second single and once we kind of gain a bit more notoriety – so to speak – we’re going to work on the album. At the moment it’s not really on the books. We want to concentrate on live as it’s what we love doing.

How does your live sound compare to your studio recordings?

The studio recordings were done really well by Pete Dowsett. He layered so much. If you listen to the track with headphones, which I recommend everyone does, you can get a real feel for all the layers in there, but when we’re live there’s only four of us so you can’t really do as much. You can if you use a backing track but we don’t want to do that; we want to give the live feel to it; something that’s not too polished and focussed on the stage presence.

Have you got any live dates planned?

We don’t at the moment; we’re focussing on the single release. Once that’s all on its merry way we’re going to think about booking a few dates. It’s mostly going to be London but I really want to book a tour in for next year, so I will be coming back to my lovely county of Yorkshire for a couple of dates, but that will be later.

With your band name, are you bringing back the classic style of naming as used by artists like Bill Haley and the Comets?

The whole reason it came about was because I made music as a solo acoustic artist and I fell out of love with it, as it’s a very hard industry, especially when you’re just one man and a guitar. There are lots of stereotypes at the moment. If a guy is stood up on the stage with a guitar he’s normally called Ed Sheeran or Ben Howard, so there’s no room for any individuality, so I feel like a lot of people get lumbered with that name and so start writing in exactly the same way. My whole idea was how to beat that, and it was to bring a little of what I loved when I was fifteen and in an indie band. I absolutely loved it; there’s nothing better than sharing stage time with other people. I’m not a massive fan of the limelight – I like to share it. It’s just a little bit more fun, and the writing process is much more creative. You can sit in a room at any time of day and work off each other’s ideas.

The name came about as my acoustic act was called James King and we thought about adding something to it [like] you have names like ‘Catfish and the Bottlemen’ coming about.

How can we buy your music?

You can be it on iTunes or Amazon so if you’re drunk at three o’clock in the morning and you’re making a silly purchase of maybe like a taxidermy duckling, you can also add our song ‘Kemosabe Shore’ to it to make it a little bit more worth it! You can also find us on Spotify, and the great thing about the song name is no one else is going to have a song called it!

Finally, what are your big ambitions for 2017?

I want to create a good music video [and] something that’s not been done before, not just where I’m mouthing words to a camera, something with a real interesting top-line and imagery. I also want to keep writing good songs and slowly improve. I feel like we’ve not yet truly defined our sound, which is a good thing; we want to sell a story to the fans and public! I want to get better and better and not sit on my laurels!

For more information on James King and the Regals, find them on Facebook.

KBPS Interview - Luke Carey

Luke Carey is an acoustic singer-songwriter from North London who mixes up the sound of Ed Sheeran with elements cherry-picked from rap and RnB, all delivered with a firm tongue-in-cheek and witty style. We caught up with Luke ahead of a live set at the inaugural Sofar Sounds event in Bradford to chat to him about his music, touring and why he has to like Star Wars.

You have a new EP out on the 25^th November called ‘Stencils’. How would you describe it?

It’s a mish-mash of all the different things I’m listening to at the moment, which is very varied, from hip-hop to singer-songwriter stuff. It’s very lyrics driven and I love messing about with words and having lyrics with a meaning.

Was it fun to record?

Absolutely! It took ages. I wrote 40-odd songs for it and each time I went back into the studio I was like ‘I want that one in’ and then ‘No, I want that one in’. In the end it was a load of fun.

Do you think any of those other songs with surface on another release?

Yeah. I think the reason that two of them didn’t get on was just my mood on the day!

Would you say your sound has changed since your first EP release?

I think it’s changed. It has developed and grown. I think that’s the idea for me. With each EP I release will show some development, and improvement, and change and this one does differ in that way.

You’ve released EPs called ‘Sketches’ and ‘Stencils’. Is there an art theme going on?

I think it’s more the theme about when you do EPs; it’s not necessarily like the finished album sort of stage, so the idea of sketches are the rough sketches at the start of something and the stencils are more defined and a bit more towards the completed project. The theme is less arty and more of the stages of development.

You have a big presence on social media. At the end of September you posted how you were recording a video. How is that shaping up?

It’s not yet [been released]. We’re saving it for when the EP comes out. It’s still under wraps. It’s a very upbeat tune, so it’ll be one of those type of videos.

How is your tour going?

It’s absolutely amazing. I just did Manchester last night and am now in Bradford. I’m loving it!

It’s revealed on your website that you were named after Luke Skywalker…

Yeah, my brother named me. I was born on May 4^th. To be fair to him, he couldn’t miss up on that opportunity, with the whole ‘May the 4^th be with you’ stuff!

Are you a big Star Wars fan?

I kind of have to be by default. I do like them and I have watched them all but I’m not massively into it.

Finally, what are your ambitions for the next year?

I’d love to play at Glastonbury next year, even if it was just a small stage in the early morning, just to go. I’ve said to myself that I don’t really want to go unless I’m playing it. That would be amazing if I could get onto that!

For more information on Luke visit http://www.lukecareymusic.com/

Interview - Dani Sylvia

Singer-songwriter, dancer and actress Dani Sylvia is back with a brand new single called ‘Omnisicent’ fresh from earlier success in 2016 with the equally great ‘Free’. We caught up with the singer to ask her about her new single.

“It’s kind of a weird on as it’s about something that’s quite sadistic. It’s about careers or lifestyles which are a bit precarious, where you can’t guarantee that they’ll work out. I trained to be an actress but then I switched over to music and there’s quite a lot of rejection in both and they’re quite precarious careers. It’s about that and ‘when is it going to happen’!”

With a career in acting as well we were keen to know what attracted Dani to music over that. “I still have an acting agent and probably will do it in the future but I started singing with a group called Urban Voices Collective and they’re gospel music, and I fell in love with that, and that gave me the confidence to pursue my own career in music and to write music myself.

“I’d always written music but never thought it possible, so over the past couple of years I’ve been writing, and I’m releasing an album, and I’ve done my EP earlier in the year. It was my love for singing and song writing in general that made me give it a go.”

‘Omniscient’ came back after a bad day in the office. “It was one of those nights where I sat down at my piano and was like ‘urgh!’. I have such an amazing career and I’m lucky to do it with all the amazing people I’ve met and I love it, and consider the rejections a part of it but it was just one of those nights where I felt sorry myself but I got over it!”

The video for the single is now up online, and Dani confessed the video, which she’s wanted to film for a while, came about quite randomly. “My friend Bobby messaged me saying that he had this amazing space free for two-and-a-half hours near London Bridge [the next day] – do you want to do a video? We came up with this concept overnight and did it all really quickly in the slot with all the dancers. I trained in dance when I was younger [which helped]. I’ve not done a dancing video before so I didn’t know what it was going to look like, but it was good to merge my skills.”

The tracks is taken from Dani’s EP ‘Monologues’ which came out last February. “It was really good to make a start on something I could give to people to show them what I’ve been doing, that I haven’t just been sitting around! I’m proud of it, but the next batch of material for my album is on the next level so I have progressed.”

The album, called ‘Tall Tales’, is coming together with half of the album being recorded at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick, with a planned release date of early to mid-2017. “That is amazing,” Dani confessed, talking about going in to record a song called ‘Tears at my Piano’ a month ago. “My keyboard player played on Freddie Mercury’s piano which was the one Adele used for ‘Hello’ so we were all really excited about that, just to touch it!”

Dani will be marking the release with a small tour around converted churches in London. “Nothing is better than live,” she told us. “The thing I like to do is connect with an audience and have that kind of raw, vulnerable state on stage. I’ve got an amazing nine-piece band, with full backing vocals, keys, drums and everything. I’m lucky to have that close family around me.”

Dani Sylvia has a good pedigree of live gigs having performed at the Proms, at the 02 Arena and even at the closing ceremony to the London 2012 Olympic games. “We [the Urban Voices Collective] did the Proms with Paloma Faith which was one of my favourite performances. That was so much fun!”

Taking in Dani’s new quill-featuring logo and the titles of her EP and upcoming album, we were interested to know if she considers herself a story teller. “Absolutely! That’s exactly what I’d like to be. I want every song to tell a story and be something that people can relate to. Storytelling is definitely my objective. I hope they all have a message and something to latch onto, and there’s a little homage to my acting side too as when you’re training you have to do lots of monologues to the camera, and also with ‘Tall Tales’ there’s both a link to stories but also I’m quite tall, so it’s a nod to that too!”

With a supporting slot for Peter Andre coming up this Weekend as well as a trip to perform at the Unsigned Music Awards where Dani Sylvia has been nominated for the best songwriter, the future looks incredibly bright for her. But what are her hopes for the next year?

“I want to be able to reach as many people as I can. I do have quite big ambitions so I hope it all comes off, but I’m going to work hard until it does. For 2017 I would just like more people to have heard my songs – alongside my tour and the album that’s my goal!”

You can find out more about Dani Sylvia online.

KBPS Interview: The Mono LPs

Ste Reid is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Liverpudlian band The Mono LPs, alongside Vicky Mutch, Chris Barlow and Daniel Beech. We spoke to Ste as the group release their latest single ‘L.O.V.E and H.A.T.E’.

“Love and hate are two sides of the same coin and I think the emotions, when they are strongest, escalate to the strangest of places, even to like war between two people, and that’s what the song is about, strong emotions between people.

“My father has the news on loop at his house when I go round, [showing] all the terrible things that happen in the world, and I think that was one of the influences of the song, seeing the world today and trying to make sense of it.”

Talking about the lyrics of songs, Ste confirmed the subjects behind the words are important but that they don’t necessarily have to be political. “They have to mean something. That’s the problem we’ve got at the moment with the music industry. We’ve managed to perfect a three-minute pop song that will become like an ear-worm but the agenda behind the lyrics have become so superficial that it’s not furthering music.

“When we write songs, it’s got to say something, even if it’s just about your daily life. It’s got to reflect what we feel. It can’t be just about going to a club and things like that. It’s got to be like a critique on society.”

As shown in the music video to their latest single, the Mono LPs mix a more modern sound with more classical instruments. “When I first started I was just a singer-songwriter on my own. I met Vicky in college and she was on a course like me, but she was having trouble finding a place for her cello to fit, as a lot of the people were just doing pop songs, and I thought I was Bob Dylan in the time, and felt we could mix it together. [From there] it developed further, and there were mutual influences, from David Bowie to ELO, those people who decided not to stick to the norm.

“Every instrumental can find its own place in music. To use each instrument in the way it was intended is fantastic but to push it to a place that sounds more interesting will hopefully further music to more interesting places.”

Talking about this balance of music, what does Ste think of using real instruments over synthesized ones.  “There’s nothing wrong with synthesized music but you’ve got to be interesting in the way you use it. It can’t be a replacement for live music. It’s got to be an addition and have a purpose in a song. On the album we’ve got some programmed bits but it was for a purpose, not just because we were being lazy.”

You can see the music video for the new single on this page, but we asked Ste what it was like to record that. “It was a very long day’s shoot! It’s amazing what goes into making a video. In the video there’s a good and bad version of the band so it had to be done by split screen and with effects, so we had to record everything twice and get changed, so half the time we are in various stages of undress trying to change over between the characters.

“It was fun but you never know quite what it’s going to look like until it’s done!”

The music video was filmed a multi-disciplinary venue in Liverpool called ‘Camp and Furnace’. “The room we picked looks a little like an American sports hall. We incorporated the geometric painting on the wall as the artwork for the single, tying things together.”

With the interview covering the art of music, I was keen to know if the band was named after a love of vinyl, which Ste confirmed. “Vicky’s dad was a DJ in the seventies and he’s got absolutely tonnes of vinyl, and it’s all over the house. When we were trying to think of a name, we were flicking through the vinyls, and we came across, I think, a Beatles album and on the top said ‘Mono LP recording’.

“I just thought, the Mono LPs… An early incarnation of the band, before our drummer joined, was a little more sixties-influenced in its purer sound but we’ve got a lot heavier recently when the rhythm section joined us.”

L.O.V.E. and H.A.T.E. is taken from the band’s upcoming album ‘State of Decay’ out on the 4^th November, a recording that has been a labour of love for the band. “It was never intended to be an album to begin with. It was just us recording the next single, then maybe we should record an EP as we had these four songs and couldn’t decide which ones to release as a single.

“We moved studios and producer and it just developed from there, as we had all these songs. [On it] we have songs from when we started as a band until now and though the cello line runs through them the melody lines and the subject matters change, and we wondered how the songs will stand the test of time next to each other, and whether they would decay next to each other.

“It was a slightly pretentious thought on how these songs would sit next to each other, and if they were to sound dated or cohesive. When we recorded in the studios we had the demos from the EP and our first single Emilia, our producer managed to re-record stuff, and tie in the rhythms, and it just became a really interesting project and we’re really proud of it!”

The Mono LPs also perform live and have recently performed at ‘We Shall Overcome’ at the Zanzibar club, a charity gig to raise money for the homeless where they headlined. In performing live, Ste told us the band like to embellish their studio recordings. “Live, we’re a bit rougher and rawer, and more rock and roll. In the studio we like to add in [elements] but in gig terms we’re a little more punk rocker, and I like to be a little more raucous! We’re like a power trio with a cello! We try to make it as big a sound as possible.

“It does sound the same as the album I suppose but with a bit more venom live!”

The live gigs continue with an album launch in Manchester coming up in November and a charity Christmas show where they will dusting off a Christmas song they released last year, and perhaps a cheeky Christmas cover. “The Slade one is the closest to our sound!

“When we pick covers we tend to go for bizarre ones that you wouldn’t expect us to play. We do like a lot of funk, like Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ [which in our hands] becomes a rocky, cello-led version, which believe it or not does work, you just have to listen to it!

“We’ve done versions where we change the chords of songs, so it becomes its own entity, but sometimes you could ruin the entity of the song.”

Looking to the future, Ste is looking forward to the album release. “We have become a lot more confident in ourselves and the industry than what we were, so in the six months we’d like to get back into the studio and get another album out.

“At the moment Vicky and myself are writing some music for a production of ‘1984’ by George Orwell and we might make this side project into an album as well. There are lots of fingers in pies and we’ll see what comes of it!”

Find out more about theMono LPs on Facebook.

KBPS Interview: Avakhan

Avakhan are a female-fronted Swedish electro indie band with, according to their Facebook page, the melodrama of Florence And The Machine and the tight-indie sentiment of Sky Ferreira and Marina And The Diamonds. Ava, Kristoffer and Joakim make up the band, having met in Stockholm, and we got to speak to Ava and Joakim about their great new single ‘Just Let Go’.

“It’s a song that was written one and a half years ago and I have been involved in doing the production and the finishing touches on it,” Joakim told us. “It’s a fast, happy, beaty single combined guitars and synths, and it has a pretty simple but straight-up, good melody!”

Ava also revealed the song came about during their time at a party. “We had a really bad hungover and we ended up on the rooftop. It was the morning, and the sun was rising, and we wrote the song in about twenty minutes, and then went down to the studio to work with Joakim!

“[The song is about] how some people affect you, and do some bad, and crazy stuff!”

The reaction and feedback to the single has been positive. “People love the production and the melody, and think it’s very addictive and easy to sing along to!”

Avakhan released their debut album in 2008 and we were keen to know if their sound has change since then. “In the beginning we were pop influenced by jazz and soul but now we’re more influenced by Florence and the Machine. I have a background as a jazz singer so it was quite natural for me to have that kind of approach to put some jazz into the music!”

“At the beginning we were listening to a lot of jazz,” Joakim confirmed. “We started around that, building up a band, with eight people in a band, with brass and percussion and rappers, so it was a completely different act back in that period. We made the first album more in that style and we did some touring in those kind of clubs, around Stockholm and Sweden. From that time it’s a huge difference!”

Joakim was involved a lot in the production, and we wanted to know if that made shaping the sound of the record easier. “When we did the hangover demo I wasn’t quite as involved then, on the roof, but as a producer you want something that lacks any influence or colours, so I just got the guitar and vocals and then we started to make the single with the beat.

“I recorded the drums, bass and guitar live and added some synths. The vocals were two or three takes so it was a very fast production, so we had no clue where we were going to end up, but we had the idea that we wanted a fast, up-tempo single with a simple song line.”

Avakhan are now looking ahead to a new album in early 2017. “I think we are going to follow the same pattern. We’re not going back to the jazzy style! We are writing and record songs, and moving forward pretty face. I hope the record will be out in the spring.”

The recording and rehearsing has been fun so far for them. “We don’t have a concept or an idea from the beginning, it’s more like a feeling!”

“It’s more about what works live in the rehearsal room,” added Joakim. “What songs we pick for the actual album depends on what feels best playing with the four of us.”

Avakhan have live dates coming up in Stockholm including one in Mid-October. “We hope to book some gigs in the UK as well after being in the studio.”

Joakim confirmed that the band’s live sound is similar to their studio work. “When we do the production we base it around the four of us and then we might add some synths and keyboards on the backing track, but the goal is to be make the live sets quite record like!”

Looking ahead to the future Avakhan have big plans for more touring. “We want to go and play live a lot, as that’s what we love to do. The process in the studio is very exciting but to be on stage is the best!”

Electric Six – Fresh Blood for Tired Vampyres

Even as a long time and huge fan of Detroit rockers Electric Six, I’m beginning to lose track of the numbers of albums they’ve had thanks to a succession of side projects, Kickstarter releases and live LPs, but here we are on this year’s main album release and it’s number twelve, ‘Fresh Blood for Tired Vampyres’. And whilst the title refers to new members injecting some new energy into the band, this new album ends up feeling like it’s not quite as fresh as you’d hope, which is a sad thing for me to say as a big fan, especially when compared to the recent Kickstarter-funded soundtrack to their TV pilot ‘Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit’ which was such a great collection of tracks.

Coming in at thirteen tracks and forty-five minutes, things start off quite promisingly for the new release even if opener ‘Acid Reducer’ is only an instrumental and therefore lacks the energy that many album starters have brought to the table. It’s a solid electronic soundscape to open with and doesn’t outstay its welcome at one minute long, but it’s up to first track proper ‘The Number of the Beast’ (no, not that one) to carry the start, and it’s a catchy piece of electronic-rock with a memorable lead up to the chorus and some karaoke-friendly lyrical riffs, plus the electronic vocoder-effects and tempo shifts work well, as do the tongue-in-cheek mathematical references. It’s not their best song – some of the lyrics are a little forced – but it balances the band’s cross-section of genres, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and love of a hook well.

Track three ‘Mood Is Improving’ starts off in a rather sombre, downbeat fashion but the tempo begins to shift up and leads to a much more energetic chorus that lifts the tones up a little, even if the chorus is basically repeating the title. Its music style is more interesting than the final product. The verses don’t quite have the same spark as the chorus but the music holds it together well.

Up next are two of the best tracks on the album. ‘I’ll Be In Touch’ is more like classic Electric Six, mixing up a memorable chorus with some solid production, especially in the shift forty-seconds in, and a fun swagger. ‘Lottery Reptiles’, though not quite as great as the previously released remix, is one of the best numbers on the album with a more stripped-back rock feel and plenty of hooks slotted throughout its three-and-a-half minute running time. Sounding like it could be great live this has a strong sing-a-long feel to it.

‘Dance With Dark Forces’ is another one of the better tracks on the album, the poppy-club feel working really well, the lyrics and vocal tricks refreshing, and there’s even time for some production wizardary near the end to show off something a little different and it feels like the first song on the album where everything gels in a slightly more unusual way.

‘(Be My) Skin Caboose’, which lifts a little at the start from ‘The New Shampoo’, is another highlight of the album, the jazzy electronic music and shift into the chorus working well together and it’s a fun, poppy number with some pleasing funk to proceedings.

‘My Dreams’ is the best track on the album thanks to its funky, fast-paced and catchy chorus and its slow build up from the start through several tempo shifts. Though its explicit lyrics at time feel unnecessary, its energetic style is great and there’s time for some well-orchestrated electronic break downs. If one track was to be taken from the album to appear on a future best-of compilation it would be this one.

However, from this point the album takes a bit of a down-turn. ‘I Got the Box’ has its moments, mainly in the chorus, but it feels a little by-the-numbers for the most part. ‘Lee Did This To Me’ is a bit more energetic with a strong sense of fun in the lyrics next to a strong guitar riff playing through it but is otherwise a little forgettable, though it’s the best in this batch of songs thanks to its guitar work and daft lyrics.

‘Greener Pastures’ is definite filler and ultimately skippable, but at least ‘The Lover’s Pie’ adds a bit more pizzazz back to the album even if ‘The New Shampoo’ does seem to have influenced things again. From the electronic stuttering intro through to the funky bassline, this is a well-produced song with a neat jazzy breakdown.

Closer ‘Space Walkin’’ with its opening vocal effects and stripped-back style feels like a better entry onto the album and wraps things up positively, thanks to its evocative lyrics and commitment to the sound, though its not the strongest album closer.

Though there are some great songs on the album – primarily ‘Lottery Reptiles’, ‘Dance with Dark Forces’ and ‘My Dreams’ – I’m afraid to say that ‘Fresh Blood For Tired Vampyres’ will likely go down as my least favourite of the dozen albums so far. Lacking in any really memorable songs this feels like the band on autopilot, which is a shame in the wake of their great Kickstarter album from earlier in the year which is superior to this in songs and sound. This feels like the first album that doesn’t make me want to put it on repeat, which is a shame, though it does improve after a handful of spins. At times what seems to be a theme around ‘blockers’ becomes a little tired as that word appears time and time again across songs.

‘Fresh Blood for Tired Vampyres’ still has its stand out tracks but it doesn’t really jump out to me as a particularly exciting album though the three tracks I highlighted should make great inclusions into future live sets. Sadly in this case there doesn’t seem to have been enough fresh blood here to re-animate the vampyres.

(6/10)

Kaiser Chiefs – Stay Together

It was always going to be difficult for the Kaiser Chiefs to follow up their excellent ‘Education, Education, Education and War’ album, arguably their best LP yet and an incredible concept album without a duff track. For their sixth album the band have experienced their most radical departure yet, forgoing their familiar hook-based indie style for a much more pop-club vibe mixing up the sound of Girls Aloud with the Pet Shop Boys, in a style change that suits them but takes a bit of getting used to.

Almost titular opening ‘We Stay Together’ starts in a confusing manner as if the producer has accidentally missed off the first few seconds of the song, but picks up once the main musical hook comes into place to create a catchy, up-tempo opening number that sets the mood for the rest of the album. The electronic riff and production effect that makes up the start proper is well produced and suits Ricky’s voice, and once we get to the chorus the familiar energy and hooks of the band are clearly still all present and correct, and there are plenty of sing-a-long moments in this potential live-favourite especially the ‘And there’s a light on’ moment. Even a surprise backing vocal appearance by a Macy Gray sound-a-like (Sarah Thompson) adds to the moment.

After this new opener we get the two singles we’ve heard so far. ‘Hole In My Soul’, up next, is my favourite of the two. Relentlessly up-tempo and with a big and dance-y, chorus it’s hard not to be won over by its bombastic approach, huge production vibe, the strings and building drums, and karaoke feel, and feels like the best mix of the old Kaiser Chiefs sound with the new Xenomania one.

Debut single ‘Parachute’ is similar. I remember on first listen struggling with the change in direction but now, several months on, it’s easy to be whipped up by the building riffs and production and though it’s still a little over-powering compared to their previous material the poppier vibe suits them and the catchiness is still there, even if it’s closer to Girls Aloud’s ‘Untouchable’ than the band will probably care to admit.

So how does the rest of the album fair? ‘Good Clean Fun’ is a foot-tapping mid-tempo song with a fun pop-dance vibe and a solid chorus, even if plentiful references to sex feels like a weird subject matter for the band. Sounding most like something from their debut album, there’s also a surprising ska and reggae feel to the track.

From here the album takes a bit of a dip. The relentless drumming, autotune and lack of any real hook make ‘Why Do You Do It For Me?’ a little on the average side, though the chorus does grow and show its colours by the end and the electronic breakdown is something fresh, though it just feels too over-powering and over-loud.

‘Indoor Firework’ continues the feel of auto tune and stronger electronic focus and though the chorus has its moments the rest of the tracks feels a little scattergun and the song leans too much towards the filler side.

‘Press Rewind’ begins with what sounds like an ode to William Shatner and is the most Pet Shop Boys on the album and weirdly, though it’s the least Kaiser Chiefs sounding number on the album is actually better than the previous tracks, its soaring chorus, quirky rhyming lyrics, vocal cut-aways and extended instrumentals offer something that’s more dedicated to the cause.

‘Happen In A Heartbeat’ switches back to the over-loud, over-produced, simplistic club tunes and is pretty skippable, quickly outstaying it’s welcome. But at least that’s better than ‘High Society’, the worst track on the album with Ricky singing in a weird semi-falsetto and clipped vocals that make him sound like he’s impersonating a chicken. There’s something a little addictive about the style and swagger but it’s a tricky listen and a little too off-the-wall for my personal tastes.

‘Sunday Morning’ is almost as weird but is a much better listen with a fun, obscure vibe with Ricky’s accent making for something a bit different. It’s not great, but you can admire the style.

Official closer ‘Still Waiting’ is a better ender with a soaring chorus and a stronger familiar feel, and ties things together well, drifting off in a strong fashion.

We are then treated to a bonus track which kicks off with some gritty electronic drums but it’s not a really noteworthy track lyrically, with only its unusual production of note and Ricky’s attempt at sounding like Dire Straits, putting on yet another unusual accent.

In a nutshell ‘Stay Together’ is a mostly successful change of musical direction, but only when the songs keep a foot in both camps on the two singles and the opener, or doing something more drastic like on ‘Press Rewind’. Elsewhere the album feels distinctly over-produced and over-whelming, and most importantly very un-Kaiser Chiefy and the second half is a sharp decline in enjoyment.

There’s enough here to enjoy as a catchy, hooky album and it’s an experiment that has sort of paid off – and I admire their balls in doing it - but I hope it’s a return to their tried and tested formula next time.

(6/10)

Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter

It’s no secret that over the last few years, thanks to acts such as Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and Kacey Musgraves, plus on these shores Ward Thomas and the Shires, I’ve become a bit of a country fun so I was happy to give the debut album of Nashville-based singer-songwriter Margo Price a shot.

‘Midwest Farmer’s Daughter’ sounds like a typical country album from the title and that’s pretty much what you get. Coming in at ten tracks and forty minutes, Margo’s country-drawl is familiar and the lyrical content of tough upbringings (“Hands of Time”) and XYZ are well-trodden topics, but it’s all delivered in a fun, friendly and catchy style. The lengthy opener “Hands of Time” with its steel-twangs has echoes of Kacey Musgraves, mixing a retro sound with more modern lyrical references, though with a stronger focus on the older style than Musgraves.

‘About To Find Out’ is a bit more upbeat mixing in more modern references amongst the more traditional style but having time in its three minutes for an extended middle-eight and piano breakdown. ‘Tennessee Song’ is one of my favourites on the album with a foot-stomping chorus and sing-a-long lyrics sheet. ‘Since You Put Me Down’ has a fifties-style swagger with its hefty double-bass and some gutsy lyrics and some well-produced extended instrumentals.

‘Four Years of Chances’, track five, is probably my favourite on the LP. Channeling Dolly Parton in her heyday, the reference to the title both literally and more metaphorically builds into a catchy hook that feels like the centre piece of the album.

‘This Town Gets Around’ has a ho-down style tempo and is another catchy number whilst it’s into slower territory for ‘How The Mighty Have Fallen’ which takes inspiration from Elton John and the Walker Brothers in its style, drum work and mix of strings. ‘Weekender’ is a bit more country both in music and lyrics, whilst ‘Hurtin’ (On the Bottle)’ is more mid-tempo but still full of swagger and delight. The album closes on the brief ‘World’s Greatest Loser’, a stripped back number that offers a sweet and touching end to the piece.

Overall ‘Midwest Farmer’s Daughter’ is a must for country fans. It doesn’t really break new ground and its lyrics are pretty familiar in the tropes of the music genre. Though it doesn’t have the same distinctiveness of more modern sounding acts like Kacey Musgraves it bridges between the styles well. Price’s voice is very listenable, the instrumentals well put together and the production clean and crisp, and there’s enough variety of tempo, style and vision to hold your interest.

(6.5/10)

KBPS Interview: Goldsands

Liam, Tom, Matt, Ramsey and James make up Leeds-based band Goldsands whose Facebook page defines their music as a mixture of “jazz harmony, pop melodies, atmospheric synths, vocal harmonies, hooky guitar riffs and emotional intimacy”. We caught up with the guys as they enjoyed their tour of the UK, fuelled by chocolate fingers passed around during the interview, to ask them about their atmospheric new single ‘A Place Far Away’, which was described by Matt from the band.

“Musically it starts off slow and intimate then builds up and then there’s a section right at the end where everyone can sing-a-long. It’s quite cinematic. It’s written about a film, and inspired by that, which is why it’s cinematic.”

Inspired by ‘Lost In Translation’, the movie with Bill Murray and Scarlet Johannsen, we inquired further about why that film inspired this song. “My brother recommended the film. I was watching it very late at night and I was very tired and usually I would fall asleep but the story just captured my imagination, and it came out pretty quickly the next day when I decided to write a song about it.”

The band confessed that such sources are big inspiration for them as songwriters. “I’ve written songs about Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Drive, Interstellar; I like writing songs about something really powerful. When you watch a film you can hear music with things, and I feel like it’s all connected, and that’s why sometimes it’s easy to write music to films, especially when you see a great story and it’s inspiring.”

But would they take up the opportunity to make music for a film if they could? “If they offered it to us I don’t think we’d turn it down! We’ve really enjoyed doing that kind of thing!”

‘A Place Far Away’ was initially self-produced by the band. We asked them if this helped keep the record true to what they wanted it to sound like. “Looking back on it a producer might have held us back in a way as we’ve each got such a clear vision of what we want to sound like, and we all work together to create that, and I think it shows in the end product. We spent so much time on it; we spent nine days recording it, mixing it and making it perfect, agonising over the smallest detail as we wanted it to be so perfect.

“Personally I was sceptical going into it without a producer as a lot of time it’s good to get someone in there to hone your thoughts but I felt like it gave us more freedom to experiment and nothing was holding us back with production; it all worked really well and we enjoyed it.”

Goldsands are in the middle of a tour which started in London last Thursday and has so far included Birmingham where they got a great turnout, and was also a headline slot. In fact the only issue is the band not having a van. “We’ve been squished into the back of a tiny car! But it’s part and parcel of being in a band!”

With the members so close on the travel we asked if they got on in such close proximity. “We get on most of the time. I mean we bicker, but James and Ramsey are like a married couple!

“We get on with it considering how much time we spend together. When we recorded the single we literally were together 24-hours a day, but it made us stronger as friends and connect with the music better.”

The band described their live sound, which you can see on their current tour, as full of energy. “Our tunes are really immersive on the recording so we try and replicate that live. We tend to pick up the dynamics and make it more exciting for a live show. We try to be really animated on stage, and dramatise it, as it is quite dramatic and cinematic music.

“We try to leave no gaps in terms of sound in our set. We just want it to be almost like one big piece of music!”

A video is lined up for their new single and is due out early November, and will capture the cinematic feel of the band. “It’s being filmed at Left Bank Church in Leeds and there will be contemporary dancers doing a choreographed dance to [the song]. We’re really looking forward to that and getting it out there!”

Looking ahead, the band are hoping to record an EP in January at the same location, which they had a great time at, and again will be self-produced. “We want to experiment with a couple of things; maybe get people in,” they said about it, with hopes for it to be out in February alongside more live dates.

Before our time was up with the band we caught up about their visual identity and the light-house on their logo. “It’s a pretty literal connection but we thought it was a lovely little emblem, and something you can associate with us. Most great bands have something you can associate with them: The Rolling Stones have the tongue, the Stone Roses have the lemons, and we wanted to make something for us like that.”

Finally what are the band’s dreams for the future? “We want to get into regular festival slots. An ideal goals for us would be Reading and Leeds and more ambitious would be Glastonbury. If we set the bar high it makes you work hard and we’ll get something out of it.

“We’re gigging at the end of this year and next year as well, to let people hear our music and see what we’re about, and develop a fanbase, and go from there, taking every day as it comes.”

Click here to find out more about Goldsands.