Paighton: Drive (Review)

Since I saw them live in August I've been looking forward to Paighton's new single 'Drive' and here it is!

Paighton are a 4 piece Country/Rock band from Nottingham.

Their debut single Drive.

Having heard Drive preformed live so I pretty much knew what to expect, but I was still looking forward to hearing the recorded version. Compered to their first EP Umbrella's Away it's a bit more country sounding and I'm not talking Taylor Swift country but the real stuff. It's really nice to hear some new country music as I think this is the first time I've reviewed the genre, rock on the other hand is something I knew quite a lot about. In this song it's just add a nice touch to the song, there's no over powering guitar or heavy beat that doesn't fit the song.
Andy and Joe's voices mix together wonderfully, Andy starts the song then Joe comes in their voices twist together and come apart again it's really quite amazing! Acoustic guitar, piano, bass and drums all work really well, I'm always either tapping my fingers or my foot to the beat. I can hear the bass which is not something I always do, I often lose in the mix of the other instruments but I don't here and it's really good to be able to hear it. I know Paighton are good with lyrics, as I've had Somebody stuck in my head since I first heard it in like May! "I see the church and crowds of people, putting faith in the unknown" There's such great meaning to the lyrics, I love hearing a band who write's like that.
I love a good original band and Paighton this great originality, I've not heard a band like them. With such a great mix of country, rock, vocals, instruments and lyrics.

Paighton come from the members of That Sunday Feeling and they're not the just the same with a new name, they're a new and improved!

Listen to Drive here

Check out Paighton's Facebook here

Also check out my live review of Paighton when they supported Stakeout in August here 

Em xxx

Keep The Change: Coming Home (Review)

Sorry I've been away but I'm back with in fact one of my friends favourite bands. 3 piece Pop/Punk band Keep The Change from Birmingham.
Their single Coming Home.
My favourite genre and one of my best friends favourite bands so let's say I was expecting something special. It starts off as very classic, fast pop punk which has me moving me feet. Will has a rather unique voice, he's quite high which means sometimes it sounds as he's fighting the music instead of singing along side it. That doesn't mean it's unclear as I always know what's he's singing. The lyrics are good and I'll be singing them for ages. The guitars are fast and catchy, the drums have a steady beat so the whole song has a great beat so you really want to get up and move to it. Not the most original piece I've ever heard but of course that's not a bad thing, it still one good song.
All together it's a great piece of Pop/Punk that you'll jump around singing for hours!

Listen to Coming Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x80W3AohN1Ut%3D0s
Check out Keep The Change's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeepTheChangeBand?fref=ts

Em xxx

Amaryllis: Amaryllis (Review)

Staying in England today with Rock/Alternative 5 piece band Amaryllis from London/Surrey.
This is their self-titled EP.

Vixen
The intro of the song first of all reminded me of You Me At Six, but as it goes on it seems to go heavier so even before the vocals I know I'm in for a great song. Sometimes in rock songs they can have these great intros and instrumentals but be let down with the vocals but that's not the case with Amaryllis. Sante's voice isn't too heavy  so you might think they'd get lost in the guitar but you'd be wrong, it's so well produced that everything to perfectly clear. The lyrics are what I'd expect from this kind of genre, they're not repetitive but tell a kind of story and I love it! At the end the guitars start in one ear and switch to both it's fantastic crash of guitars, drums and bass which is a fantastic way to end the song.
From the first time I heard Vixen I knew I was in for something special and I was right!

Little White Lies.
The intro starts playing only in my left ear (At first I thought my headphones had died) before going crashing into both. I love that Amaryllis have that long intro it gives the guitars and drums that chance to be own there own and not have to worry about over powering the vocals. I can't really fault this song it's another well produced, fantastically written, powerful rock song that I want to blast out of my speakers at the highest volume just so everyone can appreciate it's amazingness.

Between The Lies.
Is another great song, slightly slower compered to the speed of Little White Lies, still with great power, excellent production, clear vocals, great lyrics and two guitarist who obviously know what they're doing! There's not a lot else I can say, not because it's bad but because it's similar to the other songs so I'd just be repeating myself.

I really enjoyed Amaryllis EP with that mix of power and lighter vocals, it's not something I've really heard before but it really works. In fact it's probably the best rock EP I've heard in a while and I think you should totally check it out.

Listen here: http://amaryllisuk.bandcamp.com/
Check out Amaryllis Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AmaryllisUK?hc_location=stream

Em xxx

The Red: Fat Dancer (Review)

I'm back in England today but not just England Lincolnshire! It's not very often I get to review a band from the county I now live. Anyway this is The Red, 5 piece Fuck rock/Pop/Jazz and their debut single.
Fat Dancer.
This isn't normally my genre of music but when I listened to it for the first time I found myself tapping my foot and singing along!
Straight away it has one of those beats that you can't not tap your foot too, you'll find yourself dancing to it before you know it. The way Sam sings is quite unique to me, it's not just the same poppy voice that sounds the same as everyone else. In fact there's a uniqueness to the whole band which is one of the reason I started to listen to them in the first place. The lyrics are the kind that get in your head so you'll be singing them for hours after, they're simple and easy to learn as I was singing along before I listened to the whole song for the first time! The only thing is listening to it on repeat for so long (As I need to do) I found myself getting a little board. I've completely fallen in love with the guitar and I'd love someone to teach me to play like that!
I like the whole uniqueness about the song and it's so catchy despite it not being your normal thing you should totally listen, it's so worth it to hear these guys talent!

Listen to Fat Dancer here: http://thered.bandcamp.com/track/fat-dancer
Check out The Red's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRedPage?fref=ts

Em xxx

 

Stakeout: Young and Fearless tour (Birmingham date) Review

Recently I had the lovely pleasure of seeing Stakeout on their headlining Young and Fearless tour in Birmingham!

The night started with local supports were 4 piece pop-rock band The Callout. Not knowing them before hand I didn't know the words to their songs but they pulled off a really good performance as I was clapping along and enjoying myself. Their set wasn't long and it was all their own songs so the crowd didn't really sing along but The Callout started off a great night in style and I'll be checking them out in the future!
Check out The Callouts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecalloutofficial

Next on the bill were Birmingham 5 piece alt-rockers Speaking in Shadows. I saw SIS back in February when they supported Taking Hayley and I wasn't that impressed with their performance but they've defiantly proved me wrong! They had a great stage presence that got the whole crowed moving, Adam's vocals sounded really good and clear compared to when I last saw them. In one of the songs the crowd was even given our own line to sing, which is always great. They finished their set with their single Sweet Gemini which is one of the only one of their songs I knew so I was really singing, clapping and having fun.
I really great set and I would happily see them for a third time.
Check out Speaking In Shadows Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/speakinginshadows?fref=ts

Third were new 4 piece country/rock band Paighton, only releasing their first EP about a month ago this is the first time many people have heard them live. The members of Paighton are made up of the old members of That Sunday Feeling, who'd seen live twice and was never that impressed with their live performance but coming back as Paighton has given them a new life. They did mostly covers and only two of their own songs, one of them being brand new. Some of the covers I didn't know but had a great time singing along to the ones that I did including The Summer Of 69, they finished their set with the song Somebody which I knew very well and sung very loudly along to. A very good first impression from Paighton and I would defiantly go see them again.
Check out Paightons Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaightonUK

Finally headliners 3 piece pop-rock band Stakeout. Due to Matt (Lead vocals and guitar) being ill their set was cut a little shorter and despite all that they were amazing! For the first time they played a mix of both their EP's mixing the old songs with new songs and some covers thrown in too. Going from their intro into Chelsea, Never End, Hero, Sing It Loud then into a cover of Demi Lovato's Heart Attack. Which sounded amazing, hearing it performed by a proper band made that crash on the chorus sound fantastic! They slowed in down for The Outcome Of Saying Goodbye which has a lot of personal meaning to the band and it showed as they played it, I was singing my heart out or I would have been crying my eyes out. They also played their new single Heartbreak Overdue which is probably my favourite song by them so I had a brilliant time jumping up and down to it. They closed the night with a cover of Sex On Fire in which all the bands came on stage for a bit of a stage invasion which resulted in a blow up palm tree being in the crowd and Lee (Bass and backing vocals) getting us covered in water. Despite Matt being ill and the chance of the gig not going ahead everything went amazingly, they couldn't have done a better job!
I will defiantly be going to see them again but a bit closer next time hey?
Check out Stakeouts Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/StakeOutOfficial?fref=ts

Em xxx
P.s No it's not possible to put amazing too many times in one review!
 

Back To November: Without Reason (Review)

I'm in Wales today, Cardiff to be exact with 4 piece acoustic band Back To November!

This is their EP Without Reason.

Falling.
I reviewed Falling a few mouths ago when it was just a recording in a garage and it was amazing then, but now it's been probably recorded it's even more so!
Two acoustic guitars and two lots of vocals, simple yet effective. With not electric guitar or drums there's nothing to cover the vocals and you can hear them perfectly, and not only can Joel and Dan sing but their voices fit together. It reminds me of Tom and Danny of McFly were they both sing lead and their voices mix so well together. I really love the lyrics as I can't stop singing them "I'm falling for you, you I knew you'd never understand the way I feel about you baby"  As it's the first song the band wrote together it shows a lot of potential.

I Won't Give Up.
Is a slower song which really shows off the talent these guys have! It's a bit Ed Sherran sounding with a bit more of a country sound. The lyrics are really fantastic "I won't give up on us even if the skies get ruff" it's honestly one of the most simple and beautiful songs I've heard and I could imagine falling in love with it.

Tickle Tears
With the add of the Ukulele I can't help tapping my foot and moving with the song. Trickle Tears is a little different to the other songs as we've also got the add of a drum, it also shows another side of Back To November that's not just a simple acoustic song but a little bit more. It's more upbeat, still as catchy, still with those fantastic vocals and a really great guitar solo from Edan. As much as I love this band I was worried I'd be getting four songs that sound very similar but I've been shown that's not the case and Back To November have more to them than it might first seem.

Hazel Eyes.
Dam it Back To November! This song is beautiful, the emotion in the vocals, the lyrics, the simple guitar and slight drum has given me goose bumps and I think I may actually cry... Which is saying something as not many songs can do that for me. Falling had me singing, I Won't Give Up had me wanting to fall in love, Tickle Tears had me dancing and Hazel Eyes had me crying. It shows a lot of talents to be able to some so much emotion in just fours songs that I can feel so different about each one.

I knew Back To November were a band to watch when I first heard that first recording of Falling months ago and now wow! They've really become one amazing band and I'm proud of them.  All I know now is I need to get myself a copy of Without Reason!

Listen to Without Reason here: https://soundcloud.com/backtonovember/sets/ep-without-reason

Check out Back To Novembers Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Back-To-November/163761770394732

Em xxx

Jocelyn: Miss America (Review)

I can't seem to get out of America lately! As I'm back to Iwoa with 4 piece pop/rock band Jocelyn.
This is their new song Miss America.
I love a good piece of classic pop rock and this is a brilliant example. It's in the same style as Jocelyn older work, which is currently not a bad thing as they've build up quite a fan base with their catchy pop rock.
The guitar riffs, are upbeat, catchy and clear! I really like being able to follow the riffs and changes all the way through the song. I love the guitars so much that I'm having trouble tearing myself away to focus on the other parts of the song. The vocals are really good, I was singing along before the song was over for the first time. They're upbeat, I like how I can hear Alex's ascent as he sings and clear, if you know me you'll know I find clear vocals important and these are perfect I can hear every pitch change. The lyrics are what I'd expect from this kind of song "She's my Miss America, the one that got away, I was too good for her, now she's too good for me." But good all the same.
I only had one problem with the song, having on repeat for so long I got a little bored. A song can be great the first few times but after a few more it can get repetitive, a good song summer song all the same though.
Miss America is a great song and exactly what I'd expect from Jocelyn, so it's not the most original but that doesn't make it bad as I love the song for what it is.

Great band, great song be sure to listen! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG3vLwAOjAU&feature=youtu.be

Check out Jocelyn facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreJocelyn?fref=ts

Em xxx