Introducing Youth Club

Picture Source: @weareyouthclub on Twitter

We are late to the party.

After attending Village Green Festival last weekend and not being able to fit into the tent this Southend four piece were playing, we knew they were something special.

Youth Club are an indie pop band from Essex that combine catchy hooks with upbeat guitars, creating infectious songs that leave you no choice but to dance along. This week we'll be looking at a few of Youth Club's singles, beginning with their most recent release 'Are You Wanting It All'.

Starting off with a laid back vibe created by clicks and a funky bass line, the rhythmic groove present in many Youth Club songs is given a slightly mysterious sounding twist. Typical to Youth Club, this song has a quite mellow dance groove in the verses with more uplifting phrases in the chorus aided by repeating brighter guitar patterns. Another interesting element to this track is its video which features silhouettes of the band throughout - something different.

Next, we're going a bit further back into Youth Club history with 'Pressure'.

The start of this track is rather unique, with drips and synthy beats punctuated by guitar strums introducing the song. This drip-feed of synths, drums and guitars flows into the musical accompaniment for the chorus and rest of the song representing, in my opinion, the confused/pressured situation. 'Pressure' has an arguably darker tone than most other Youth Club songs and a slightly more chaotic feel.

'We're wasting our time, never live up to the pressure.'

Half way through the pressure breaks.

'I know I know.'

This is a sort of calm oasis in the song. Overall, 'Pressure' has a good groove and reminiscent carnival vibes created by the mix of instruments and beats.

The final track we're going to talk about is 'DTLA' (short for Downtown LA).

With a defined beat and bass line from the start, DTLA definitely packs a punch. This upbeat track mixes guitar licks with a more R'n'B orientated vocal to once again create a catchy blend of indie pop. In particular, towards the end the guitar copies the vocal pattern in a solo type affair which was a nice addition to an already fantastic track.

If you're looking for more Youth Club tunes to jump around, sway your arms and move your feet to check out their 2014 EP 'Brothers'.


Until next time...

@wewantgoodmusic



Find out more about Youth Club here.  

IN PICTURES: VILLAGE GREEN 2017

It's that time of year again - festival season. Saturday 8th July saw the return of Village Green Festival in Essex, a fantastic grassroots festival for the whole family.

With a combination of undiscovered/unsigned bands and a few familiar names, it is easy to see why this festival draws crowds of all ages from across the region.

Some of our highlights included:

- Airways joking about how relevant their song 'Mate' is to Essex.
- Janet Street Porter masks the audience received from BAIT.
- The brilliant pop/rock energy brought by special guests Youth Club.
- This quote from intense rockers Suspects:

'This one's for all of us because going to work sucks - this is War Horse'.

Overall, Village Green is a great family day out that brings local talent and the community together - bring on next year!

Until next time...

@wewantgoodmusic

Village Green In Pictures

AIRWAYS

NOTHING BUT THIEVES

YOUTH CLUB (so good we couldn't fit in!)

HOLLOWAY ROAD

SUSPECTS

LONGY & THE GOSPEL TRASH 

BAIT

All photos taken using an iPhone 6s.

The Hummingbirds - 'Moving On' EP

Picture Source: PledgeMusic

Hailing from Liverpool, The Hummingbirds are a five piece Nashville inspired alt. rock band. Set for release on 28th July, their new EP 'Moving On' follows the success of their debut album released in 2016.

The four track EP begins with title track 'Moving On'.

Having never heard The Hummingbirds before, one of the first things I noticed was how their sound echoes other bands such as The Eagles and Oasis but with a Nashville-esque flavour, resulting in a truly unique sound. 'Moving On' is the track where these influences are most prominent in my opinion.

The EP links songs through the common narrative of love.

Nambyar

For those unaware of the creative, soulful singer-songwriter Nambyar here's a brief overview. Currently based in Amsterdam, Nambyar is half Fijian, half Dutch and has made a name for himself in Europe, with writing credentials including Swedish pop singer Erik Rapp's single 'Look Like Lovers'. 

Now, Nambyar has used his writing and production talents to produce two alternative R&B singles - 'Warm In The Winter' and 'Once More'.

Released earlier this year, 'Warm In The Winter' has a mellow groove featuring Nambyar's signature soulful vocal punctuated by understated beats. Starting with warm tones created by ambient analogue synths, this chilled vibe track is perfect for a relaxed playlist. Even the explosive chorus, featuring beautiful piano parts, maintains a perfect balance for this atmospheric electronic love song. 

The Maine: 'Lovely Little Lonely' Album

Last weekend I attended Slam Dunk Festival with the sole aim of finally seeing one of my favourite bands live. The Maine did not disappoint. Their set was everything a fan could wish for - great music with a couple of the hits thrown in, plenty of comedic moments and an abundance of audience participation! It was only when the band played one of their most recent releases ('Bad Behaviour') that I realised I hadn't written about their incredible new album yet. So here it is, my take on The Maine's 'Lovely Little Lonely' album.

Released in April 2017, 'Lovely Little Lonely' builds upon the success of The Maine's previous album 'American Candy' incorporating memorable hooks with rhythms that drown you in the desire to dance.

A clean, typically Maine sounding guitar and clear vocal introduces the album with a tambourine lifting the song. As soon as the drums hit you know you're in for a treat - the summer vibe exerted so perfectly by The Maine has begun. This is 'Don't Come Down', a song about living in the moment, appreciating the good times and not getting caught up on the bad times whilst surrounding yourself with the best people to enjoy each day.

One thing that The Maine do extremely well is create catchy choruses that will get stuck in your head for the foreseeable future - this isn't a bad thing. 'Bad Behaviour' is one of those songs that you can't help but hum and tap a foot along to as soon as you hear the ring of guitar and crash of drums that start the track. Seeing this performed live was everything you'd imagine it to be - everyone jumping and singing in unison with not a care in the world. As the lead single from 'Lovely Little Lonely', 'Bad Behaviour' doesn't hold back from the beginning and tells the story of a romantic encounter with a girl that could be disadvantageous for both parties.

INTERVIEW: MODEL AEROPLANES

Over the weekend I was given the pleasure of interviewing Dundee band Model Aeroplanes at CloseUp Festival - this is what happened.

[G] = Grant Irvine

[K] = Kieran Smith

[B] = Ben Buist

[R] = Rory Flemming-Stewart

(  )  = My comments during editing


Let's get straight into it, how did you guys get started? How did you guys meet?


[B] Never been good at anything else.

[G] We met in high school, the boys were the year above me and in first year we started jamming.

[R] I think Kieran bullied Grant in the corridor once!

[K] 'Cause he was a first year and I was a second year, it's just what you have to do.

[G] Yeah, he'd step on my heel so my shoe would come off - he's a coward though. We're mates now though so it's fine. But yeah so we met at school and started writing songs, bunking off classes...

[R] Bunking off! (weird hand movement)

[G] Like to write - we're pretty bad ass just to let you know - so we'd go to the music rooms and just sit and write songs when we were meant to be in classes.


That's cool, so it happened naturally.


[All] Yeah, yeah

[G] Yeah it happened really naturally, didn't help our grades though!

[R] I don't even know what I got. I can't even remember what highers I got...I've lost the certificates as well, don't know how to find it online.

[G] I left school with less qualifications than I started with - somehow.

Bellevue Days: 'Sad Boy' EP

After seeing these guys live at a gig last week, I felt they had to be mentioned in this week's post. The immense energy and love for their craft presented on stage transfers to their music. This is Bellevue Days, the 'Sad Boy' EP.

Hailing from Croydon, UK, Bellevue Days are a four piece rock band with a unique sound.

'Down down down it didn't exist' - the EP kicks off with a strong vocal that demands attention.
Accompanied by a pulsing electric guitar, the thunder like crash of drums hits - this is 'Ripped Jeans'.

The first thing you notice about Bellevue Days' songs are the contrast between loud and quiet. After the initial drums comes a period of refreshing quiet, just a guitar and vocal providing an emotive twist to the song. A chorus of voices singing/chanting 'Ripped Jeans' then join even bigger drums than before to finish the track until only the faint clink of glasses can be heard, conjuring up a picture of a crowded bar.

'Ripped Jeans' seamlessly flows into 'Pepper Tea', a song that starts off with a relatively more mellow vibe than the previous track. A smooth guitar and determined vocal set the scene, ready for a build up of drums and guitar parts, only to return to the simple drum/bass beats seen at the start. This was one of the song's highlights in my opinion as you're expecting an explosive chorus, only to find out that this comes later. 'Pepper Tea' is one of those songs that makes you sway then lose your mind.

I particularly liked the start of this next track - 'Something New'. Beginning with a deep, clean guitar, three drum punches lead into the whispered vocal providing a different tone to the rest of the EP. Airy group vocals and guitars ring but don't quite prepare you for the explosion of drums that happens next. Favourite lyric: 'Amongst the anarchy we'll find something new'.

We're almost there, last track but one is 'Gratefully Gracious' - another track that starts off with a whole new tone of its own. A simple solo guitar introduces the track with hushed vocal phrases giving the impression of a chilled, quieter, perhaps more reflective track. This image is shattered a few seconds later when the familiar racing drums and clean guitar patterns return.

Finally, 'Made From The Devil, Heavy Metal' ends the album in typical Bellevue Days style but a much quieter version.

We hope there are big things to come from Bellevue Days in the near future.


Until next time...

@wewantgoodmusic


To find out more about Bellevue Days click here.