Thank you for the years of reading. I've appreciated every one of you and will continue to love and research music, but for now, I will not be continuing with TLB.
"You've Got To Hear This!"
2009 - 2016
"You've Got To Hear This!"
2009 - 2016
Thank you for the years of reading. I've appreciated every one of you and will continue to love and research music, but for now, I will not be continuing with TLB.
"You've Got To Hear This!" 2009 - 2016
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We're in the business of people at TLB so it's nice to hear the success stories as of when they happen, or in the case of Anna Pancaldi, are happening at this very moment. We saw her perform as a support act for Kimberly Anne last year at Camden's Barfly where here utterly gracious vocal captured our hearts. Since then it seems she has been going from strength to strength and it is about time you started giving her music the love it so thoroughly deserves. From touring in the US, to live TV performances, EP releases and being in a Levi's ad campaign, this girl really is hot stuff at the moment and so we are proud to be able to present her new single, Keep On Keeping On which is released on Monday (October 10th). Anna has had a pretty fruitful life which kicked off in Maldon, Essex. From a young age she was interested in the guitar, and at the age of 12, when her family emigrated to South Africa, the guitar came along too. By the time she moved back to England at the age of 15, she was a much more skilled musician and enrolled at the Colchester Institute to take a music diploma. You'd feel as though the rest was history from there, but it wasn't actually until an unlikely encounter at an open mic night came about whilst travelling that Anna realised her potential and started her path to the woman she is today. She continued with gigs and small venues, relocating to London after her travelling ended. Whilst it is no longer available (why Levi's why?), she auditioned and ultimately starred in a Levi Strauss & Co. campaign. This helped with her publicity massively, with the track reaching over 100,000 views and a publicity trip alongside the brand throughout Europe. From there, America was the logical next step, and Nashville, New York and LA came a'knocking! So how is it that you can go from a small venue in Camden to the shining lights of LA in under a year?! Well, you'd think we were scratching our heads too, but having met the girl and knowing that she is nothing short of brilliant in both personality, poise, and musicianship, it's not really a shock at all. Anna only managed a half hour set when we saw her a year ago, but we were mesmerised for the 1800 seconds we had with her. She made everyone laugh in between her set, and whilst she sang, a silent awe filled the room. After the headliner, we stuck around to have a chat and she made no issue with bounding up and saying hello ... and from there we reckon she has gone stride by stride to her position now. Keep On Keeping On epitomises Anna. It is a singer songwriter's haven, and showcases both her vocal ability, her raw talent, the prettiness she can convey, but the angst that she is capable of. Dwelling in both light and dark, there is plenty to sink your teeth into throughout, surprisingly with just an acoustic guitar as the leading instrument. The likeness she has to Ellie Goulding, KT Tunstall, and Jessie Ware, all of which are beautiful vocalists, is uncanny ... but there's something extra that she brings to the table that really makes her stick out from the crowd. As you delve deeper, there seems to be a tad more in the way of instrumentation and layers, which works very well indeed. We have percussion, piano and an angelic layer of vocals, all of which build this to its peak. Like a treacherous journey at the peak of a mountain on a particularly stormy day, you find the highs and lows to really eat away at you and, in some cases, tire you out from the sheer emotion, but from any perspective you can imagine, this is a stunning track that really portrays plenty of heartfelt feelings. Check out the brand new single below, now! (or if you prefer, here's Spotify, iTunes, Google Play and Amazon links) We're huge fans of Anna and feel that with the couple of years that she's had, we are in good stead to suggest that she could be one of the next big names in the Singer Songwriter industry. Keep on keeping on, Anna. Don't forget to check out her website here. You'll probably already be aware of Felix Jaehn as he masterminded the Ain't Nobody reboot alongside Jasmine Thompson which blew up last year. Well, he is back, and is stood aside our favourite new pop artist, Alma. We wrote about Alma but a couple of weeks back on her debut single Karma - a brave and brilliantly effective bast into the industry that you wouldn't begin to think emerged from an X Factor/Pop Idol contestant! Their new collaboration, Bonfire, is nothing short of Summer Sensation status and we suspect a similarity (or Bargain version) might have reared its beautiful head. The structure is perfect for the time of year. It starts slowly, creeps in almost, with plenty of underlying consideration. It slowly but surely gains momentum and doesn't shock you into the chorus ... which really blows you. Using deep music, there's no covering the charming vocals of the young Finnish songstress, and only when she has ended her musings, will it be acceptable to enjoy the beat behind her lungs ... something which Felix fills brilliantly. Now, the reason we have given this a bargain status, as we briefly mentioned above, is because we noticed that Alma sounds undeniably like one of our all time favourite vocalists, Beth Ditto. Albeit in a very different setting, she just has a very similar twang to her voice and we feel as though this is the sort of thing the character could have brought to the table if she had met up with the likes of David Guetta or Calvin Harris at the time of her reign. Bad luck Beth, because it seems like Alma is taking over with this absolutely fiery track that we can't get enough of. Check it out below: Jamie T has been a favourite of ours for many years, and with an impeccable comeback last year in Carry on the Grudge, we wondered if he would fall back into the shadows for another 5 years or so. To our utter joy, he emerged this week and became Annie Mac's hottest single in the world right now with newbie Tinfoil Boy, and whilst the set up is completely different to what we're used to we, like many, have found ourselves falling for yet another of Jamie's tricks. He briefly spoke to Annie before playing the single and announced that this had been made without dubbing copyrighted material over the top in order to save some bucks, meaning that this has come as an absolute bargain. There's not much of the old Jamie around to be honest, maybe some of the darker and more sinister parts of Don't You Find or The Man's Machine, but not much else. He sings much more softly over this track, unlike the bolshy Londoner we have come to know. Somewhat like a coming of age period for Jamie, we expect that this record will be a much more sinister, but a much bolder and more sophisticated piece too. The production, as ever, has grown. There's something still beautifully raw about everything that Jamie does, which we hope he never rids, but even still, it seems a touch cleaner and crisper. The crescendo to the chorus, in particular, albeit much heavier than what we've come to know, and with a lot more elements involved, there's a crispness to it and we love it. This is very much something Jamie T can be proud of. We feel as tough we have grown up with him. At a young age being excitable, reckless and laughing at every moment, and then moving onto into our early adulthood, with that twisted side, but having deep opinions. Last year Carry On The Grudge felt like the latter stages of that phase of life, and this regeneration is yet another depiction of life when you're getting older ... we can't wait to hear more on the timeline of T. He is one of the most well noted DJs in the world and she is one of the most upcoming vocalists of 2016, but put them together, and all we have to say are dreadful things. It's such a shame, because on paper this single would be an absolutely huge piece of work and with it being the song for the Euro 2016 competition, you'd expect something to truly rave about ... David Guetta and Zara Larsson teaming up comes across like an unwanted Disney single, filled to the brim with unnecessary production and painfully bland execution!! Beginning on the same old processed beat from 2007, Zara soon follows up and you wonder how this is going to go. The verses are utterly dull. Zara doesn't seem interested in much more than the pay cheque she is likely to receive from such a big name, and the words fall out of her mouth like water off a duck's back ... and then there's that chorus. Like Mickey Mouse's love-child, Zara does up her effort, but the way in which it introduces itself is both strange and unwanted. Mixed with very unhinged backing music, she starts soaring without any prior warning or build up, into something thew cast of Frozen would probably enjoy ... only to be followed by the exceedingly vulgar DJ sound effects that Mr Guetta NEEDS to shove into our ears to let us know that he is indeed on this track. We're all for people having their own style of music, but to shove it down our throats is another thing and the ending on that chorus seriously feels as unnecessary and shoddy! Keep moving forward and things don't get any better. We mean there seems to be some structure now and a backing beat to at least hold up the lacklustre performance, but there's literally nothing decent about this underwhelmer and we pray this is not what Zara is remembered for. We've never been David Guetta's biggest fans, but we know he can do far better than this and Zara. Zara Larsson. She is one of the most upcoming and promising talents the vocal world currently has to offer so to lower her sights on this one is definitely beyond us ... we can only hope that her next effort is a damn site better. We've always been impressed with what City Sound has to offer and 2016 was not really much different. With the likes of Mike Skinner, Mystery Jets, Big Narstie and Get Inuit on the bill for the tiny price of £20-£40 (they were sold in tiers), and the concept of a festival flipped on its head, this City-fest is the perfect getaway for those who aren't about the camping life, but love seeing local and national talent for a small fee!
Amongst the highlights was Jacob Banks who, unsurprisingly, has one of the most mesmerising demeanours we've ever witnessed. His vocals were all you could have asked for and he knew how to keep a stage presence. Unfortunately his set was immediately after a "secret set" which happened to be a DJ who only seemed to play house music. We can't say that this didn't somewhat undermine Jacob, whose talent and poise deserve the attention of the audience in abundance. Everyone had been dancing to this house music, and were all of a sudden asked to slow down and listen to this incredible voice ... and unfortunately for Jacob, whilst we think he is exceptional, the organisers of the bill let him down. Despite this though, Jacob kept his head held high and belted out the likes of Worthy with conviction and strength ... this man is gonna be huge! Clean Cut Kid and Mystery Jets were close together on the bill, which is exactly what we would ask for and expect. Both bands were excellent and if you're a fan of either, this is something you should not have missed. In Westgate Hall, which has been used for the headlining acts for several years now, their sound is exactly what Canterbury should be looking for and ... in short, they absolutely smashed their sets. Noticeably, Mystery Jets also managed a secret set elsewhere at the Secret Garden venue where only 50 people could enter. Unfortunately we couldn't make that, but their main performance had us singing along and loving every minute. Mike Skinner's DJ Set was most definitely a highlight, although it did divide opinions. People who were there to listen to nothing but The Streets for an hour probably left disappointed, as it wasn't until the end that he geared things up that way, however, there was absolutely no doubting that he gave the place a new energy with his constant mixing, his passion, and his connection with the crowd. Too many DJs do not care for the audience they're playing to, but Mike kept excited, kept working hard and shook hands and took photos with as many people as possible which showed how much of a character he is. Finishing on Fit But You Know It, the crowd erupted, and even those who may have come away feeling as though they hadn't quite had their fix couldn't compose themselves when it came on. As with any community/music festival/project, City Sound has become a big event for the county every year, which is an excellent thing. However, with the event becoming a name, the introduction of new types of people can quickly become a problem. As the saying goes, you can't please all of the people all of the time, but we feel as though some of the musical arrangements and scheduling could have been better to make this an experience everyone could love. This year the project sold around 95% of all tickets, whereas in previous years we don't think they've hit nearly that high. Maybe City Sound isn't sure about who it is anymore? Has it lost its way with all of these new customers? The inclusion of Indie bands is what City Sound, for us, should be about, filling stages with as much local talent as possible and boosting them alongside incredible national talents too is nothing short of spectacular - if they keep this in mind, we hope they don't steer off the path they've made in years to come. Either way, and sending off, this is still an absolute bloody bargain and an incredible way to spend your bank holiday weekend.
Since Afterlife, we've had brother-sister duo XYLØ well and truly on our radar, and with the announcement of a free EP, we knew we wouldn't be passing this up. Promoting themselves on Noisetrade, America has six tracks that offer, in the words of lead singer Paige Duddy, "a mini chapter of our lives" and exist to prove the brilliance this duo can achieve.
It all begins on Bang Bang and, we'll be honest, this is probably our least favourite. Sounding a touch more like Iconapop than the dark and mesmerising originality that we fell in love with, there's an element of commercialism throughout this track. Singing of cocaine never really appealed to us, but if to catch you off guard were the goal of this track, then that it certainly did. We've always much preferred their slower, danker, and much more thought-provoking singles and, whilst this may attract a much more contemporary audience, the other five tracks on this EP are what make up this duo for us and why you should most certainly nab this free download whilst you can. Afterlife follows, and brings it all back in. The duskiness of the backing, before the pivotal vocal in the chorus keeps us enthused throughout. Like something Lana Del Rey might be able to piece together, there's a real woefulness throughout and the black and white tones are practically palpable throughout. The tempo is perfect. It's neither too fast, nor too slow and you don't feel as though these guys aren't sure if they're coming or going. They have set the pace at which you will sit and listen and love, and those three things are exactly what you can't help but do. We've been a fan of this track for some time now, and to have it sitting so highly on what is a truly beautiful EP is painfully correct - we adore it! Following both our least and most favourite tracks is America, and we suppose it makes sense that this is really where the review begins. We feel as though we can discard Bang Bang on the grounds that we were not the target audience, and that there's no real need for us to descend into awe when thinking of Afterlife as we've done it before. Fortunately, they have taken note from the latter when piecing the rest of the EP, as America is utterly dank, mysterious, sensational and foreboding! Entering on a crackling as though this were a crisp new vinyl, you're welcomed by not much more than a snare and some piano. Paige bravely steps up to the mic and buckets of talent ensue. Slower in its tempo, you may not be quite prepared for how brazen and bold this becomes - the chorus is not to be messed with and easily one of the most incredible soaring beauties we've heard in a while. BLK CLD (Black Cloud) has a slightly pop-ier structure to it, which can be quickly noticed from the effects on Paige's voice, which are masterfully collected by Chase. Time and time again you'll find tiny details that just accentuate the music before you, but always with enough subtlety to not raise suspicion - the chorus, once again, seems to be their forte as they come together to offer something far greater than the verse in stature and poise - another track, another triumph! Between The Devil and the Dark Blue Sea is quite possibly our favourite of the listing. Reminding us of Eminem's Small Soldiers, there's something utterly haunting about this track. The quick repetition of the drum beat, overlayed only by Paige's truly exceptional performance really does offer something quite special. It's funny though, as this is the first structure in which you might not be completely sure where the verse ends and the chorus begins, which we've held in high regard throughout this review ... nonetheless, it shows their versatility and multi-talented assets. We adore it. The finale, LA Love Song, continues their dark and mesmerising array some more. There's not a lot in the way of instrumentation for plenty of the start, although Paige's vocal seems relatively heavily dubbed ... but masterfully, and not as though it sounds off or horrible at all. Though maybe not with as much clout as Afterlife or BLK CLD, their trusty chorus uplift comes back into play here and offers the listener the knowledge that they know how to make a solid pop song ... something which we relish every time we hear the name XYLØ. Make sure to check out the EP below and download it here.
We're great appreciators of free music, especially when it is excellent. We can't say we had heard of States of Emotion prior to this, but they're certainly a little Indie outfit that we won't be forgetting soon. Their freebie, called Rag & Bone Men is a beautifully written piece that is flourishing with layers and calming musicianship. Like a well oiled machine, this feels very slick and as though they have spent time getting into their element, making sure they knew what sort of sound it was they were going for.
Slow in tempo, it almost has a sway attached to it that you'll instinctively practice, but the effect it has is most definitely mellowing and calming to the listener. The percussion is the most intriguing instrument throughout we think, there's something about it that really sticks out. As though it is a far harsher section than the others being used, or simply that it has a louder layer than the many others, it stands out, offers a different dimension, and when used effectively, like in the latter half of the song where they go in and out of music and vocal, snapping back into the music, it really gives it something extra. Vocally, we weren't completely sold at the first few seconds. However, the more you listen, as though he comes into his stride, it becomes a part of the picture in front of you and, with something any more bold or outrageous, it would have completely taken away from the final puzzle and we think this suits perfectly. Again, the way in which it has been used alongside the music really does offer it much more of a testament than if we were listening to something else. These guys sound as though they're going to be making some waves at some point soon, so grab a freebie whilst you still can!
A university venue is often expected to be a touch grittier and less professional than exclusive music venues, but the Gulbenkian in Canterbury has become renowned for its excellence, and whilst there were four bands there last night with varying rates of aggression, passion, sound level, and professionalism, the venue held up brilliantly well and held remarkably for everyone who came along to see Get Inuit + Friends.
There was a noticeable range of ability, going from Holy Pinto's sweet, but often somewhat unclean set, to the likes of Fish Tank and Get Inuit whom have clearly brushed up their sets to perfection. This is not to say that there wasn't something to take out of each performance, but we'll critique where critique is available - the build from one set to another was palpable ... making the organiser's jobe one which was done well. Holy Pinto started and their sound, unfortunately, is not outrageously original. They seem to know what it is that they'd like to achieve, which we enjoyed, but it felt like they could use a bit more practice ... however, we're aware that normally they are a two-piece, so taking this into consideration (they had three people last night), we think they are very capable musicians that will surely grow in the next year or two to make some really exciting revelations. We think lead singer and frontman, Aymen, doesn't quite yet have the stage presence but is a confident guy who, with a bit of honing, would be able to take charge of a stage. Vocally, we weren't too impressed either. Now, we don't suspect that these guys would ever go out of their way to use the likes of vibrato, but there seemed to be a lack in the vocal department, but there were times where some harmonies were used and they came across really nicely. We think these guys are worth keeping an ear out for in the coming years, but we'd like to see them come on leaps and bounds with some hard work in that time. Polar Beach were up next, and whilst they seemed a touch more polished than their predecessor, they still didn't quite have that professionalism that we had hoped for. Similar to the likes of Imagine Dragons, they had a much more anthemic sound, which was great to hear, but again, vocally there was something slightly amiss. We felt, on occasion, that there were some flat notes that could harbour comments and disregard from audience members, but believe, similarly to Holy Pinto, that in time these are the sorts of bits and pieces that can and will grow, making these guys a reputable band to come in the future. Fish Tank were the third support act of the evening, and they swiftly rearranged our preconceptions. We knew of Fish Tank a while ago, but had never really given them all that much of our time - we were stupid not to have done this. They were clean, crisp, exciting, confident, and have churned out some killer tracks since we last recalled their work. Every song they played got the audience prepped, with a building buzz surrounding them, it really felt like plenty of people turned towards their pop/punk/rock efforts last night. Somewhere in between Vampire Weekend, Hadouken, Enter Shikari, Get Inuit and a very original band you can't quite put your finger on, these guys really have picked up on the very best of their abilities and started to hone them to come up with something very much worth your time. It's been said a few times that Fish Tank are ones to look out for in the future, and we can confirm that you're nothing much more than a fool if you don't. The big boys took to the stage with a noticeably different aura to everyone else we'd seen this evening. Their confidence, rightly so, is sky high at the moment, but the humbleness of them too is really quite pleasant. These guys have really come some way and it became painstakingly hard to find something to critique. They are edging more and more into the darker realms of their music, going from a psych pop/punk band, much more towards a band that wouldn't go amiss on the same bill as Royal Blood or Pulled Apart By Horses. Unsurprisingly, they kept up appearances with impeccable performances of their much loved singles, Dress of Bubblewrap, Electrify, I Am The Hot Air and My Oh My, but also scattered the set list with some new tracks that might have kept people guessing. Even so, with the new and the old throughout the set, everyone was overcome with excitement and the passion that, Jamie in particular, but the whole band showed. Their admiration for the crowd did not go unnoticed either, with a young man, Lewis, being thanked specifically by Jamie and the band in hilarious fashion, for coming out and almost missing his train home for them. As we suspected, these guys are as slick as ever an are on their way to the top with what will be a roaring tour that started with little old us in Canterbury.
The latter half of the year threw Zak Abel our way with the song, Alchemy. Since then we have become more and more infatuated with every time we hear his stuff and when the name crops up as a feature, we know we'll soon have ourselves another favourite track. The North Londoner is an ambassador for modern Soul music and has managed to prove in his eight or nine current tracks that he is (or most definitely will be) a force to be reckoned with. Having been signed to Atlantic Records at the ripe young age of 19, and with two EPs now under his belt, it's only a matter of time before an incredible album and inevitable super-stardom greets him.
Joker Presents, the first acclaimed release, and a productional collaboration with Joker immediately shows what we're talking about. The opening track, Wise Enough, epitomises why this young man is brilliant. The deep thumping piano is ripped apart by the very first line "Now I'm Walking In The Sun", which is performed with enough enthusiasm to cause quite the stir. From there, you can tell this guy is something quite special. He commands each song and leads the way to his emotions quite unlike anyone else. Alchemy, which finishes this EP, for example, is a lot catchier in its rhythm, and would be much more associated with R'n'B and Hip-Hop than soul, but when the smoothness of Zak's vocal seeps on top, you can't deny that he sings in a way that offers his emotions whilst keeping away from the classic ballad approach (sorry Adele). One Hand On The Future is Zak's first solo release if you will, and is equally as eccentric, exciting and eclectic. In a matter of months he does seem to have grown and it is quite possible that his confidence has a lot do with this, but with six new tracks came six new endless possibilities. Starting with Running From Myself, the way in which Zak writes is perplexingly good - you're constantly entertained and there is never a moment where you don't believe it to be catchy, but there's something too that you connect with on a much more personal level than your Justin Biebers and Pharrell Williams. We reckon the next year or two are going to be very important for Zak, his career and his ever-growing fanbase. Tickets are currently going in London for astonishingly low prices so make sure to catch him in an intimate setting soon, before it's too late. Our final reason why Zak is this year/next year's one to watch is because a beautiful track called Deserve To Be Loved. This is a very stripped back and emotive piece that we were not expecting from the young Londoner. With nothing but a piano and his incredibly soulful voice he manages to perform one of the most heartfelt and impressive souls songs that you will hear for a very long time. We wrote about it here, and still find ourselves very much in love with it, and everything it stands for. Keep it up, Zak and we'll be seeing you in 2016!!
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