NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS – COUNCIL SKIES – ALBUM REVIEW
Upon the split of Oasis, not many would have pegged that come 2023, Liam Gallagher would be the more successful brother. That certainly wasnât the case in the immediate aftermath with Noel launching Noel Gallagherâs High Flying Birds to great success and Liam faltering with new group Beady Eye.
Over the next decade though Liam would offer a resurgent defiance whilst Noel would disappear down a rabbit hole, but now Noel is back with new album, âCouncil Skiesâ, hailed by the man himself as âgoing back to the beginningâ.
Recent work has seen Gallagher experimenting with elements of his sound (scissors anymore?), and this has coincided with waning interest in his new output from fans. A back to basics approach then would make some commercial sense for Gallagher.
Watch ‘Council skies’ on youtube
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – ‘Council Skies’
What you get instead on this album is a mixture of the two. You can see that Gallagher has taken a simplified approach to the creative process, but there are still remnants of his more recent direction in here.
Gallagher does appear stuck in a hole, whilst his brother continues to attract new younger audiences, Noel doesnât seem to have that appeal. So whilst he probably has the bigger desire for sonic exploration, he has a fanbase just craving another âDefinitely Maybeâ.
Those fans will enjoy this album, but theyâll also be unlikely to return to it all that often. âCouncil Skiesâ may be Gallagher hitting the reset button having felt the stagnation of recent years, and if so it will likely do the job well. That said at this point the only thing that fans are really waiting on is the reunion of all reunions. Gallagher though seems relatively happy in his current safe position.
Up next are Skindred who also have a new album, ‘Smile’, on the way August 4th.
This week saw the group reveal a new autumn tour which will see the band joined by Blackgold.
Regarding the tour drummer Arya Goggin says, âThere is a lot to Smile about when it comes to this TOUR! We are taking out an amazing new band called BlackGold too. They are bringing âNu Metalâ back and I think âDred fans will love them. Go check âem out!â
The Cult have announced three special summer shows in Cardiff, Halifax and Scarborough alongside a full EU Tour.
Accompanying the tour announcement is the release of The Cultâs fiery, expressionistic new video for âVendetta Xâ, the third single from ‘Under The Midnight Sun’.
The Cult – ‘Vendetta X’
As The Cult return to the stage to launch the next chapter of ‘Under The Midnight Sun’, Ian Astbury hopes that the albumâs new dimensions provoke reactions both primal and sublime in listenersâ consciousness – echoing what he himself experienced during its creation.
âAt the core of it all, music contains the vibrational frequency of how we once communicated before we could even speak,â Astbury says. âBird songs, animal calls, string theory, quantum physics, psychedelics⊠The record ultimately becomes about discovering and celebrating anew the beauty from those strangely natural moments that surround and inspire us.â
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from The Winery Dogs who have added October dates to their already announced June shows.
We move our News Report on now to the best festival announcements of the past week and up first is the Beans On Toast curated Foolhardy Folk Festival in Nottingham.
Joining Beans this year will be acts including Skinny Lister, Ferris & Sylvester, Truckstop Honeymoon, Tensheds and more!
Our other festival announcement comes from 110 Above presents OTHR Festival!
The slightly scaled back version of 110 Above will feature Circa Waves, Jack Garratt, Twin Atlantic, Black Honey, Lauran Hibberd, Fatherson, King No-One, Coach Party, Courting, Chappaqua Wrestling and many more.
We move on now to the best new releases from the past week and up first are When Rivers Meet you have shared their brand new single, ‘Play My Game’.
You can listen to the track above, which will feature on upcoming new album, ‘Aces Are High’, which arrives late summer.
Regarding the forthcoming album the duo say, âAs our music is progressing, weâre finding our sound even more. When we went in the studio this time, weâve never been so sure on what we wanted to createâwe had a really clear vision and have stuck to it.   âBefore we held back on being too rocky, but this time we allowed ourselves to create what we wanted to hear, without restricting ourselves. We also allowed ourselves to express the different colours to our music with tracks like âGoldenâ and âBy Your Sideâ, so this album has more extremes. We still call upon our influences from all the years but remain true to ourselves to create music we love.â
The new releases’ continue at pace in our News Report and next up is ‘The Raven’, the latest track from Black Orchid Empire, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from their upcoming album, ‘Tempus Veritas’, which will arrive on April 14th.
A new project next as our News Report brings you How We End. Featuring Jen Majura (Ex-Evanescence) on guitar and Diva Satanica (Ex-Nervosa) on vocals, How We End promises to be an exciting new chapter.
Rounding out the group are Jake E (Cyhra, Ex-Amaranthe) on vocals, Tom Naumann (Primal Fear) on guitar, Mitch Kunz (bass) and Adde Larsson (drums).
This week saw the group arrive with their single, ‘My Fighting Heart’, which you can check out above.
Dead Man’s Whiskey have this week shared their latest single, ‘Masquerade’, which you can check out above!
The single is the first track to be taken from a forthcoming new studio album, ‘In The Storm’, due out September 29th.
Vocalist Nico Rogers says, â’This song has been a bit of a journey for us. In its earliest form we’ve had this song for a couple of years, although it’s grown a lot.
It’s brimming with a kind of dissatisfied energy we all had while we wrote it, in a way I think a lot of people will feel too. It’s a rallying cry against what’s happened to music right now, the three ringed circus of algorithmically generated hits that keep turning up. We know how far we are from those perfect cookie cutter artists and this song is about that dichotomy. We don’t want to conform, we make the music we love. Â I think that shows in the sound too, not just on this track, but on the album as a whole. It’s heavier, darker. Like we got a little older, found a new gear, and now we’re going full throttle in it.â
Norwegian metalcore act Fixation are now gearing up for their debut album with the release of a brand new single ‘Ignore the Disarray’.
About the new track the band states: âThis song is about those with a desire to control other people. It’s not about religion itself, but about those who use religion or their perception of reality to justify oppression, hate and control.âÂ
DEADLETTER – ‘The Snitching Hour’
DEADLETTERÂ share new single âThe Snitching Hourâ.
Lead singer Zac Lawrence comments: “Are we slowly but surely being tacitly tempted into a culture of casual betrayal? The messages we are fed, on the outside, might be read as being solely in the interest of public safety – but take a closer look, and perhaps thereâs a more insidious undertone to it all⊔
The Throwaway Scene – ‘Fake Death’
Sheffield emo rock outfit, The Throwaway Scene have released their brand new single âFake Deathâ.
âThis track is a slight departure from my previous lyrical stylings/choices with a view of exploring narrative that was less self-centered. I think vocally it just âfeelsâ different too âcos the delivery of the lines is a lot more direct than before. Due to lifeâs unfortunate timing we were recording vocals on the day we found out a family member had passed so Fake Death will always be quite a personal song.â – Vocalist, Oliver.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we begin with the best new releases from the past week and up first are the returning metal icons Avenged Sevenfold.
In a big news week, the group revealed that their new studio album, ‘Life Is But A Dream’, will be released on June 2nd. That release is preceded by their lead single, ‘Nobody’, which you can check out above.
The band stated, “Weâre thrilled to announce our new album, Life Is But A Dream⊠available June 2, 2023. Written and recorded over the span of four years, the album was inspired by the writing and philosophy of Albert Camus. Our good friend and brilliant artist, Wes Lang, encapsulated our theme of existentialism through visual art for the album packaging.”
British metallers Bury Tomorrow have shared the latest taste of their upcoming album, ‘The Seventh Sun’. You can listen to new single, ‘Begin Again’, above now ahead of the album release date of March 31st.
Speaking on ‘Begin Again’, guitarist Kristan Dawson says the track is ârepresentative of the change we have all faced in the past few years. It represents an element of renewal and appreciation of where we have been as a band and where we are yet to go. Musically, it serves as a contrast to the heaviness we have presented in the first three singles, but packs a punch in a more positive way.â
Australian punk rockers Trophy Eyes are back with new single, âBlue Eyed Boyâ, a track particularly close to home.
Trophy Eyesâ John Floreani says the song âwas written about a trip I took back to my hometown. One friend in particular, maybe my best friend, had recently moved back and regressed into their old ways. Iâd mourned the death of this friend long ago, as did the rest of us in our small social circle. To see him again brought me great childhood joy yet simultaneously an overwhelming sense of dread.
I was reminded of something my mother told me as a young boy when my grandmother died; âif you see her now, like this, itâs the only way youâll remember her. Best hold on to the good times, youâll always have those.â
Far From Saints, the new project featuring Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones, have shared their latest single, ‘Take It Through The Night’, which you can listen to above.
The group also this week revealed the news that their self-titled debut album will be released on June 16th.
The members had the following to say:
“It took nine days to record and four years to get it to you! Your record collection will love it!” – Kelly
âItâs a labor of love to make a record these days, because you never know whatâs going to happen with it frankly, and the outpouring of good vibes and comments, so far, has been really cool to watch.â – Dwight
âThis is kind of the first time Iâm anticipating not feeling somewhat sad around an album release. Iâm comfortable with who I am now as a person, as an artist, and I hang my hat not on the praise I receive, but on the work itself. Iâm proud of this record, and its part in the greater cycle of creativity and inspiration. Iâm grateful to be part of that.â – Patty
‘Blackout’, the new album from From Ashes To New, is out on July 28th. This week though saw the band share the latest single from the album, ‘Hate Me Too’, which you can check out above.
âSo many of us fall victim to the classic toxic relationship,â says vocalist Matt Brandyberry. âFeeling like you canât live without someone but knowing youâd be better off if you could. Oftentimes these feelings are mutual, but neither of you can see it. Sometimes we just need an anthem to remind us that being stuck isnât always the only option and violence never.”
Next in our News Report is ‘Blood In The Water’, the latest single from Ayron Jones, which you can check out above.
Jones announced this week that his second album, ‘Chronicles of the Kid’, will be released on June 23rd.
“As a child, I vividly remember sitting in church and hearing the preacher speak about generational curses,” Jones explains. “For me, the concept of the weight of trauma traveling through time and space, affecting many generations until treated is an idea I take seriously. ‘Blood in the Water’ is my way of actively choosing to heal and transform this trauma by creating new stories and identities for not only myself, but also my familyâs future generations. I understand that energy can never be destroyed nor created anew; it can only be shifted. Therefore, while I cannot choose the life I have been given, I can strive forward and choose to take control of the futureâ to break these curses now and forevermore.”
“It was the height of the pandemic and like everyone else, I was stuck inside watching the world pass by while having no idea what the future held,” Jones remembers. “Then it happened, the phone rang and I got the call telling me my song went No. 1. Just like that, I’d become one of the biggest names in rock and roll, but I couldn’t leave my couch. I had no idea how much my life had changed until August of ’21, when I went on tour for the first time since signing my first major record deal. That’s when it all hit me. ‘Chronicles of The Kid’ is the story of the truth – my truth. With my voice as my pen and my guitar as the page, the album is an audio journal of self-discovery told through tales of, temptations, triumphs, failures, sacrifice and the price of fame.”
We move our News Report on now to the biggest and best festival announcements from the past week and we get started with Bingley Weekender!
The event revealed their first wave of acts this week including headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Ian Brown and Travis.
They’ll be joined over the weekend by the likes of Jake Bugg, Razorlight, James Bay, The Zutons, Kate Nash, Little Man Tate, Jealous Nostril, King No-One, New Model Army, Lottery Winners and BERRIES.
The inaugural Maid of Stone Festival takes place this July and this week the event confirmed Glenn Hughes as headlining the event alongside Airbourne.
Orange Goblin have also joined the likes of Skindred, The Hunna, Kris Barras Band, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Elles Bailey and Florence Black on the linup.
Plus The Treatment and The Hot Damn! will be playing a special opening party on the Friday of the event.
Liverpool get ready for No Play Festival this August!
The stunning line-up revealed this week includes Yonaka, VUKOVI, Higher Power, Conjurer, Graphic Nature, Lizzy Farrall, Gen & The Degenerates and more!
Our News Report now turns its attention to the best tour announcements from the past week and up first is the above run of dates from Ocean Colour Scene.
Alongside their August dates, the group will now also be out on the road this December including a date at the Eventim Apollo in London.
MAN WITH A MISSION are next up in our News Report as the group reveal a brand new tour including three stops in the UK this June.
Regarding the tour MAN WITH A MISSIONâs Jean-Ken Johnny (guitar / vocals / rap) says, âWe are so excited to announce our WOLVES ON PARADE TOUR is coming to the UK, Europe and North America in May & June! Itâs been years since we last toured internationally and weâve missed playing for you all so much! Canât wait to catch up with you all!â
Brighton based Electronic Post-Hardcore duo fakeyourdeath have dropped their sophomore single âconsumeâ.
“consume explores the idea of materialistic greed and how, as a society, we are fed this idea that without things we cannot be happy. but ultimately thatâs a lie. itâs a narrative spun by the powers that be and consume was written to see the truth and challenge that way of thinking. consume depicts our disgust at a materialistic culture we all hate and yet want to be a part of.â – Vocalist, Candi Underwood
Northern Captives – ‘Anxiety Dreams’
UK Alternative Rock outfit Northern Captives release their brand-new single titled âAnxiety Dreamsâ.
âItâs written as an internal monologue battling anxiety by accepting its existence and not allowing it to direct your decisions or impact what you do day to day. We often speak to ourselves in ways weâd never dream of talking to anyone else. It’s important to check in with yourself and make sure your internal dialogue is positive.â – Vocalist, Sam Cook.
JACKALS – ‘DIG IN’
Northern noise hounds JACKALS have unveiled their new single ‘DIG IN’.
âDig in is based on the idea of drug addiction but narrated by the drug itself, the song personifies the drug and its direct effects on a person. When you let drugs into your life they can sort of take on a whole persona unto themselves and we wanted to shine a light on that and show how destructive these can be. Like that one toxic friend you’ve had that keeps trying to worm their way back into your life.â –JACKALS
Over to Oxfordshire next for Truck Festival where Royal Blood again top the bill alongside Two Door Cinema Club, alt-j and Thursday headliner The Wombats.
They’ll be joined by acts such as DMA’s, The Vaccines, Self Esteem, Circa Waves, Pale Waves, Squid, We Are Scientists and more.
To Yorkshire next and Sheffield’s Tramlines returns to Hillsborough Park this July with a huge line-up including headliners Richard Ashcroft, Courteeners and Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott.
Also on the bill are DMA’s, Bloc Party, Blossoms, Kaiser Chiefs, Sea Girls, Circa Waves, The Enemy, Pale Waves, The Zutons, October Drift and Black Honey!
The line-up announcements come thick and fast in our News Report this week with 2000trees also adding a further 50 bands to the line-up including the mighty Skindred!
Deaf Havana, The Bronx, Empire State Bastard, Kid Kapichi, Lynks, The Xcerts and many more also join the like up topped by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes!
Wollaton Park in Nottingham will once again host Splendour Festival this July. The festival this year will be headlined by Madness and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Also playing will be the likes of The Kooks.
Yes with all these festival announcements in our News Report this week, we are set for some Beautiful Days next summer! Headlining that very event will be Suede, Primal Scream and Levellers.
Also playing will be Johnny Marr, The Proclaimers, Gaz Coombes, Reef, Ferocious Dog, Beans On Toast, The Joy Formidable and many more.
The fantastic Cambridge Folk Festival has also revealed their names this week with The Proclaimers, Rufus Wainwright, Imelda May, Grace Petrie, Kiefer Sutherland, The Longest Johns and Stornoway all set for Cherry Hinton Hall.
Teddy Rocks, which takes place in Dorset and helps to raise money towards research and direct support for children with cancer, set their full line-up this week.
Newly announced acts like Ferocious Dog join a bill featuring Feeder, Jake Bugg, The Amazons, Those Damn Crows, Kid Kapichi, Mason Hill, Dream State and MOSKITO.
The traditional Teenage Cancer Trust shows at the Royal Albert Hall will once again return in 2023 with headline acts Underworld, Wet Leg, Courteeners and Kasabian.
We move our News Report over now to the best tour announcements from the past week. First of all is the above mix of dates from The Who.
The iconic group will be accompanied by an orchestra and support on most dates will come from UB40.
Performing with The Who and an orchestra had been a long-held ambition for singer Roger Daltrey âHaving not toured the UK for six years, itâs great that at this time of our careers we have the chance to go to places that are not on the usual touring map Edinburgh Castle and Derby, as well as the other cities across the country that we havenât been to for decades, will make this very special for me. This opportunity will give our UK Who fans the chance to hear our current show, which, with the addition of an orchestra, takes our music to new heights.â
Pete Townshend âRoger initially christened this tour with an orchestra Moving On! I love it. It is what both of us want to do. Move on, with new music, classic Who music, all performed in new and exciting ways. Taking risks, nothing to lose. Iâm really looking forward to bringing this show to the UK.â
Another musical icon, Gary Numan, will be playing three very special shows at the Electric Ballroom in Camden this April.
Revealing the dates, Numan said “In my career I have played, so far, 997 Gary Numan shows. To celebrate reaching the 1,000 milestone I’ll be playing three shows, 998, 999, and 1,000, at the Electric Ballroom in London on April 13th, 14th and 15th. These will obviously be special nights for me, but made all the more so as my daughter Raven will be the support. Raven has finished writing her first album which is currently being recorded with, and produced by, Ade Fenton. For me to be able to celebrate these three momentous shows with the fans who have made it all possible, and for those same nights to be Raven’s first ever three shows playing her new music, is almost more than my tiny heart can stand. I hope to see you there.”
Jamie Lenman had a big news week with details of a Spring Tour accompanied by the news that a new EP, ‘Iknowyouknowiknow’, is set for release on May 5th.
That news has included the debut of new single, ‘Words of Love’, which you can check out below.
Jamie Lenman – ‘Words of Love’
Commenting on the new track, Lenman says: ââWords Of Loveâ is a very old song that I’ve been trying to get on a record since some time between the second and third Reuben albums, but it never fit anywhere until now. Even so, I still had to shave off a few of the post-hardcore edges to make it fit with this project, so if you think you can hear a little mid-noughties vibe in there, that’s why. For a long time this was on rough track listings for the album, but in the end we decided it would be nice to give it a starring role on the EP insteadâotherwise it would have been fighting for attention.â
âThematically it’s about somebody’s reaction to a past infidelity, their inability to get over it or even recognise their own culpability. In that way it’s very much the flip side of âLet’s Stop Hanging Outâ, where the person is reacting to the same situation in a much more accepting way. In fact, I wrote the middle eight section at the same time I wrote LSHO, when I was in college. So they share some of the same DNA.”
The new single comes with a new video, once again directed and filmed by Lenman live band guitarist and visual collaborator Jen Hingley.
âThe video came out of nowhere, because we’d had the tour and then Lenmania and then Christmas to deal with,â explains Lenman of the concept. âSuddenly it was the first week of January and we needed it the next week. I said to Jen on the Sunday night: ‘We’re gonna drive up to Manchester on Tuesday morning and drive back home the same dayâwe’ll have about six hours in between, so let’s just book a room, fill it full of lights and instruments and see what happens!'”
Pre-orders, tickets and all things Lenman are here.
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from the unstoppable October Drift! As the band continue to celebrate the release of their sophomore album, ‘I Don’t Belong Anywhere’, the group have revealed a fun of dates in April/May.
The band said, “Over the moon to announce our Spring headline UK tour dates and our first ever headline shows in Ireland and Northern Ireland. This is going to be our biggest an best tour yet”.
Hundred Reasons will imminently release their first new album in 15 years as ‘Glorious Sunset’ arrives on February 24th.
This week the band shared the final pre-release single, ‘So So Soon’, which you can check out above.
Frontman Colin Doran who had the following to say about the sentiments behind their latest song:
“My 7-year-old son has Cerebral Palsy and goes to a mainstream school. The school he attended at the time of writing this (he’s at another school now) was pretty bad and hid information, lied, and generally did a terrible job of looking after my son and his needs. They always gave the impression that things were fine but effectively were just making sure they were OK by covering up issues. My son is the light of my life and beyond incredible every single day and I wanted to draw light on how people with disabilities are still treated terribly in society by people who should just be better educated, more understanding, thoughtful, and kind.”
Next up in our News Report is ‘kill[h]er’, the brand new track from Stand Atlantic, and of course you can listen above!
âSelf sabotage is a bitch,â states Bonnie Fraser. âSelf doubt kills and denying good and genuine parts of yourself because youâve been conditioned to think theyâre not good enough is a form of murder. it’s a reminder to myself not to give in to that shit. personal growth is important but donât deny who you are. sometimes i find myself thinking back to who i used to be and missing that person.â
Ahead of their upcoming UK Tour, Dub War have shared the video for their track, ‘Celtic Cross’, which you can check out above. Their latest album, ‘Westgate Under Fire’, is out now!
The band comment:
ââCeltic Crossâ sends out a message of defiance and hope, and features the amazing drummer Tanner Wayne, who many of you will recognise from the Swedish heavy metal band In Flames. From 1st March, we will be touring England and weâll be hitting some great intimate venues – come and see what we got to say!â
Continuing the slew of great new releases in our News Report this week is ‘Nightmare’, the latest single from From Ashes To New, which you can check out above.
The track comes from their as-yet-titled fourth album due out this summer.
“Betrayal by someone we trust happens to the best of us,â says Danny Case. âWe befriend someone, let them in, build a connection and then all of a sudden they turn into someone unrecognizable. Someone you once trusted and cared for so deeply is now a backstabbing enemy. In a heartbeat, the person you once thought you knew is now gone. There arenât many things in life that cut quite as deep as betrayal. Erasing that person from your life and moving forward is the only way to wake up from the nightmare.â
Slow Readers Club share new single ‘Lay Your Troubles On Me’
Slow Readers Club – ‘Lay Your Troubles On Me’
There was also new music on offer this week from Slow Readers Club as they shared their latest single, ‘Lay Your Troubles On Me’, which you can check out above.
The band commented, ââLay Your Troubles On Meâ was born out of a jamming session in our rehearsal room. We were jamming around the verse idea at rehearsals and then went for a brew break. When we came back we started on another idea but soon realised it was the same notes but with a completely different groove and feel. We didnât want to lose either version and we loved the idea of the tune getting progressively louder and intense so we combined them. Working on this one in pre-production Joe helped us make the crescendo work well with a cool synth sound.
Lyrically itâs a song about recognising someone going through difficulties, reaching out and offering support. The vocal melody mostly came in the practice room but the high melody âhold on for dear life the ones you loveâ over the crescendo came in the studio.â
The track features on upcoming album, ‘Knowledge Freedom Power’, which is out February 24th.
Hamish Hawk will release new album, ‘Angel Numbers’ on 24th February and this week saw Hawk share new single ‘Rest & Veneers’ with Samantha Crain.
Hamish had the following to say about the themes behind the song:
“Rest & Veneers is a love song, in the softer, quieter sense of the phrase. It doesn’t deal in high romance, in grand gestures, or the movements of celestial bodies. It’s about the everyday kind of love and affection that shows itself in those small kindnesses, those spared thoughts and graces between friends. It’s new territory for me lyrically, and it takes me to a really good place when I listen to it, plus I’m in awe of Samantha Crain. The song is a relaxed moment on the record, and I’m so pleased its getting its own time to shine.”
Samantha Crain also commented on their collaboration:
“When Hamish sent me this song, I was absolutely floored. This is the kind of song I would have wanted to write. Such a simple subject matter but it really explores the complexity within that seemingly simple emotion. It’s my favorite song I’ve ever gotten to collaborate on a recording of.â
Beans On Toast will be back out on the road very soon, so this week he aptly shared his new single, ‘Back out on the Road’. You can listen to the track above!
Closing out this section of our News Report this week is ‘Be Yourself’, the latest single from Stay Free, which you can listen to above.
The track is described as “an anthem about avoiding the all of the pressure the world and the media put on you to be a certain way and to just follow your own heart and be true to your authentic self.”.
Chappaqua Wrestling have announced their debut album, ‘Plus Ultra’, will be out April 14th and shared new single ‘Wide Asleep’.
The bands says, âWide Asleep is a complaint to ourselves for being consumed by the echo chamber of social media. Our mobile phones are the portal which lead us to misread and miscommunicate stories and topics, often leaving us more confused than we were in the first place. Wading through muddled points of view, mistargeted ads, senseless airtime of the Royal family, weddings of friends youâd rather forget, addictively numbing reels, leaving us blinded by a little hand-sized screen. It makes us detached and unmoved by anything, all whilst being asleep to the world around us. Hopefully, our preaching will teach us something ourselves as we try to focus on the present.â
Continuing about the album they say: “Plus Ultra documents the journey through our friendship, from school to where we now find ourselves commenting on what is around us. Roughly translating to ‘Nothing Lies Beyond’, a Latin naval term adopted by those exploring uncharted waters, we present a collection of our best works to date, each lyrically distinct but venturing into new territories that life presents; mass media, Tory austerity, mental health, homelessness, the deprived NHS and the release that music gives you from it all. Come with us to make sense of what lies beyond in this world through questions, power and statements that we stand by.â
Gold Fever – ‘DB Cooper’
Gold Fever have shared their second single, ‘DB Cooper’.
Fronman Oscar JD Sault says â âDB Cooper is written from the perspective of someone who believes theyâre destined for significance but misuses the present through hedonism. I wanted the track to feel precarious, like a train about to come away from the tracks. As if to mirror how one can wander too far from discipline towards indulgence.â
Bitter Kisses – ‘Pr*y’
Bristol’s Bitter Kisses have shared their debut single, ‘Pr*y’.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the single the band state, âPr*y was partially inspired by a fever dream in which Lady Gaga collaborated with Queens of the Stone Age to produce a new Earth Wind And Fire song.
When writing Pr*y we wanted to create a track which could ambiguously explore the difference in meanings of the words âpreyâ and âprayâ, and how they each apply to dangerous or unhealthy relationships. One person could worship another, while at the same time being preyed upon by the subject of their love. The meaning of the lyrics can change depending on which version prey/pray you want to hear whenever theyâre used in the song.â
Welcome everyone to the final News Report for 2022! We hope that you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year! Our action packed News Report will return in January, but before then we have plenty of delicious music news to dissect!
Up for this week, we look at the best tour announcements from the past week and we start with Kiss. The band has revealed that their ‘End of the Road’ World Tour will continue into 2023 with a new UK Tour announced starting in Plymouth and ending up in Glasgow.
This *could be* your last chance to catch the band live! Tickets are here.
Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has revealed a full UK & Ireland Tour for next spring. The tour will showcase upcoming debut album, ‘Put Your Foot Down’, which is out April 28th.
On Friday, Colchester’s Pet Needs played a huge homecoming show which served as the 2nd ‘Fractured Party’. As the show concluded, the band announced the 3rd instalment will take place on December 16th 2023.
We move now on to festival announcements and up first is the return of Brits Week in aid of War Child. February will see bands playing intimate shows across the country with a focus on London.
The Hunna, The Snuts, Sea Girls, Frank Turner and Bob Vylan are amongst those on offer in 2023.
Another event doing a fantastic job in raising money for charity is Teddy Rocks festival in aid of research and direct support for children with cancer.
This year the event hosts Feeder, Jake Bugg, The Amazons, Those Damn Crows, Punk Rock Factory, Kid Kapichi, Dream State, Mason Hill, The Bottom Line and many more.
Penn Fest in Buckinghamshire also unveiled their line-up for next Summer this past week, including headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Bastille.
They’ll be joined by the likes of Johnny Marr, Gaz Coombes, The Skinner Brothers and Embrace.
The final festival news in our News Report this week comes from Firestorm Festival. The event has added Massive Wagons to the top of their Friday bill for 2023.
They join the likes of Royal Republic, The Virginmarys, Mason Hill, Hollowstar, Kris Barras Band, Black Spiders and Scruffy Bear.
Hell Is For Heroes share ‘I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’
Hell Is For Heroes – I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’
New releases are up next in our News Report as we bring you the first new music from Hell Is For Heroes in 15 years. You can listen to their new single, ‘I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’, above.
On the week of her highly anticipated âDEADGIRLâ mixtape release fearless Doom Trap artist Mimi Barks has unveiled her new track âASHESâ.
Talking about the meaning behind ‘ASHES’, Mimi Barks shares, âWomen who posed a threat during the dark ages were accused of being witches, intimidated, burned alive, and sentenced to execution. Today, ever since the Age of Enlightenment, a creative, strong-willed, and self-assured woman still gets burnt to the stake verbally by those led by their own anxieties.â
XL LIFE – ‘Baby Steps’
XL LIFE shared new single ‘Baby Steps’ featuring Bob Vylan!
On working with Vylan for the new single, vocalist Traxx says:Â âWe always felt a kinship with Bob because of his message, his boldness, and his morals, so with this song we took the opportunity to have him on the album and co-sign each otherâs work. We will support him to the end.â
Commenting on the relevance of the new single, vocalist Traxx says:Â âWe knew this song had to be made, because we had all been going through some heavy stuff outside of the band. The band has been stop-start/stop-start the whole time, trying to prioritise our health and coming up against some really traumatic circumstances, so this song had to address that. The healing journey. Baby steps. Holding onto the promises.â
Fountain Island – ‘Pretty Little Nightmare’
Pop-punk newcomers Fountain Island reveal their contagious new single, ‘Pretty Little Nightmares’.
The band remark about its creation: ââPretty Little Nightmaresâ explores the bittersweetness of the first time with a loved one, and the realisation that one day it will just be a memory and can never be experienced again. The track takes cues from Blink182âs âI Miss Youâ, with its melancholy gothic tone whilst retaining the youthful pop feel.â
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report. We start off this week with a handful of 2022 festival announcements including the above from Tramlines Festival!
The event will be headlined by Sam Fender, Kasabian and Madness. They will be joined by a packed supporting cast including on the Friday – James, The Snuts and Working Men’s Club.
The Saturday will host The Vaccines, Little Man Tate, Self Esteem, Inhaler and Lottery Winners. Sunday meanwhile will feature The Wombats, The Coral, Sports Team, Yard Act, Do Nothing and The Goa Express.
In It Together Festival has been announced to take place in Margam, Wales next June. The event will feature headline performances from Two Door Cinema Club, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Clean Bandit.
They’ll be joined over the weekend by the likes of Editors, Lottery Winners, Scouting For Girls, Soul 2 Soul, Spector, The Hoosiers, The Magic Gang and The Vaccines.
As our News Report moves along to tour announcements, we get started with Placebo. The band recently revealed that they will release a new album, ‘Never Let Me Go’ on March 25th.
Now the band has unveiled a slew of tour dates across Europe and the UK including two dates at O2 Brixton Academy in London. Tickets and pre-orders will be available here.
Placebo also debuted the second track from the album this week. You can check out ‘Surrounded By Spies’ below.
Greta Van Fleet this week revealed the ‘Dreams In Gold Tour’ for 2022. The world tour will include dates in London and Manchester with UK support still to be announced.
Another band announcing tour dates for 2022 this past week was The Treatment. The band revealed a lengthy trek around the UK for next spring entitled the ‘Devil In The Detail Tour’.
Support comes from Piston and South of Salem and tickets are available from here.
It’s time now to focus on the new music releases from the past week and what better way to start than with Stereophonics. The group continue to prepare for the release of new album, ‘Oochya!’ on March 4th.
This week saw them debut the latest track from the album, ‘Do Ya Feel My Love?’ which you can check out above.
Salvation Jayne debut ‘A Mouthful Of Magnificent Spite’
Salvation Jayne – ‘A Mouthful of Magnificent Spite’
Finally this week a band who recently featured on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist. Salvation Jayne this week debuted their latest single, ‘A Mouthful of Magnificent Spite’.
You can listen to the track above, which is the title track from the groups upcoming debut album. That album arrives on February 18th and you can pre-order here.
Salvation Jayne also revealed a UK Tour to celebrate the release with the dates below, and tickets here.
