The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!
Volume 16 is a special edition where we run down our Top 50 Albums of the Year! 2023 has seen some amazing records released, but who will take the coveted number one spot?
Our News Report is still here also covering the latest from Vended, Slam Dunk Festival, Liam Gallagher & John Squire, Teddy Rocks, Brighten the Corners and LeeStock!
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with Telltale, Shooting Daggers and Fraser Morgan!
Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the sixth issue now for free!
Volume six includes an update from cover stars Dream Nails, reviews of Ash, The Subways and Muse live and a load more!
We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Mike Shinoda, Normandie, The Cadillac Three, Tesseract, Haunt The Woods, Millie Manders and the Shutup, LØLØ, Tropic Gold and BLACKGOLD!
Plus new live announcements from Within Temptation, Tenacious D, The Gaslight Anthem, 2000trees, Suede, Manic Street Preachers, Beartooth, Blackberry Smoke, The Sleeping Souls and Sean McGowan.
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with modernlove., Break Fifty and Noah and the Loners!
Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the fourth issue now for free!
Volume four includes an update from cover stars Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, reviews of new albums from Black Stone Cherry and King Nun, a live review of Theory of a Deadman plus a special feature on the upcoming Ash vs The Subways tour!
We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Neck Deep, Within Temptation, Europe, Lake Malice, Filth Is Eternal, Nervosa and Sum 41!
Plus new live announcements from Yard Act, James, Nothing More, VUKOVI, Lynks and The Longest Johns.
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with Spiritual Cramp, Butterfly Hurricane and Grove Street!
Ash and The Subways will combine forces for a special co-headline tour lat this year!
Also in a big news week for Ash, the group have announced that they will release a new album, ‘Race the Night’, on September 15th.
The band accompanied the announcement with the release of the title-track as lead single, and you can listen to the song below.
Ash – ‘Race The Night’
Wheeler comments: “Race the Night is the sound of the band reveling in the sheer joy of being a band after being separated by time and distance through the insanity of the early 2020s. Lyrically it’s all about seizing the crossroads moments in life with both hands. Take every chance as if it could be your last.”
Continuing about the video he says: “Race the Night video is the product from the fevered mind of long time friend and horror director Jed Shepherd. He’s taken a song about seizing the moment and had the band seized by a super fan who proceeds to force the band into doing her bidding. Enjoy the Misery…”
Continuing the fantastic live announcements this week in our News Report is a new run of UK and EU dates from The Struts.
Regarding the tour frontman Luke Spiller says, “Finally we are returning to the UK and Europe! We can’t wait to play you some new material and a new show we’ve been putting together for the last year. Get your tickets as fast as you can! Love you all! X”
As December Falls revealed a spectacular new tour this week which will see then head out later this year with support from both Dream State and Lizzy Farrall.
The tour is in support of new album, ‘Join the Club’, which is out July 21st.
We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and we begin with Kasabian.
The band have shared new single, ‘Algorithms’, which you can check out above.
On the track, frontman Serge Pizzorno says:
“Some tunes take months to write and some take 10 minutes. It’s as if they’ve already been written and all you’re doing is dictating your subconscious. That’s how Algorithms came together. I’ve been thinking how important gigs are and how they make us all so happy through the good times and the bad and especially festivals, those moments when people get on shoulders and it’s glorious chaos. That’s what Algorithms is to me, we’re not here for a long time just here for a good time. That’s what separates us from the robots. We live in the moment and if we’re lucky enough to feel that, then we are in ecstasy. What makes us special is that we can’t live forever, we have our time and then we are gone. It’s why real flowers are beautiful and plastic ones, are just plastic. Hope you enjoy the tune see you in the mosh pit”
The legendary Alice Cooper returned this week with news of a brand new album coming later this year.
Cooper confirmed that ‘Road’ will be released on August 25th, and accompanied that announcement with new single, ‘I’m Alice’, which you can check out above!
“For ‘Road’, I wanted the band to be involved in the foundation of all the songs,” says Alice. “I only see these guys when we’re on the road. So, I wanted them to be as tight as they are for the show but on all new material. When you have a band this good, I believe in showing it off, and this is my way of doing so.”
Coinciding with their massive Arctic Monkeys Stadium tour slot, The Hives have debuted new single, ‘Countdown to Shutdown’, which you can check out above.
The track features on upcoming new album, ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’, which will arrive on August 11th.
Duff McKagan this week announced the release of new album, ‘Lighthouse’, on October 20th.
McKagan also shared the title-track from the album, which you can check out above.
“The crashing….the cresting waves, the falling through of all that surrounds you. Life sometimes tosses us around, and we feel the want of comfort and the pull of home. A ship tossed like a toy through the Cape, sails ripped and the wood groaning with the scraping of its ballast….a soul trying with all its might to find peace and a center. Find a lighthouse. I have my lighthouse….its beacon swirling in the darkness with her warmth and promise of nurture, love, laughter, and all that is true. Won’t you be my lighthouse, give me light,…and bring me home.” – Duff
Black Water County debut ‘The Only Life Worth Living’
Black Water County – ‘The Only Life Worth Living’
Next up in our News Report are Black Water County who this week debuted new single, ‘The Only life Worth Living’, which you can check out above.
The track begins a string of singles leading to the release of a new album of the same name later this year.
“The Only Life Worth Living is about keeping an open mind, opening doors and moving forward,” explain the band, “The song summarises our feelings coming out of a hard couple of years for both the band and the industry as a whole. To us, it means full ‘balls-to-the-wall’ energy because life is too short.
“As times have become tougher our writing has reflected some of these struggles and we’ve found ourselves focusing on what really matters to us. This track was initially conceptualized pre-covid but was refined over many video calls during lockdown, forcing us to think outside our normal writing process. Because of this, we think that it has grown into a track that longs to be shouted from the rooftops and, now that we’re back out on the road, we’re so thrilled to be performing again to our audience, knowing that they’re stoked to be back out in the wild too.”
Dream Nails have announced details of their new album, ‘Doom Loop’, which will be released on October 13th via Marshall Records.
You can listen to the lead single, ‘Good Guy’, above.
“Doom Loop is an exploration of the repeated cycles we find ourselves in,” comments vocalist Ishmael Kirby, “from political injustice and patriarchal systems to the negative spirals of our minds. A doom loop is a crisis that starts to feed on itself. It feels like there is no escape. But there is. This album is a reflection of ourselves, the world we live in, and the one we want to create.”
“Specifically, Doom Loop delves into masculinity in its many forms” expands drummer Lucy Katz. “The good guy, the lads at school, the narcissistic politician, the incel, the sexual predator, the police officer. It looks into gender-based oppression from childhood; how isolation can breed violence against women and the rhetoric that spawns incels.”
Elaborating on the themes, guitarist Anya Pearson adds: “On the album we also celebrate masculinity by telling stories about butch and trans masculine identities. We show the shared responsibility we have in fighting misogyny. Empathy is hard to find in a divided world, but we seek it out, advocate for it, and ask how far it goes.”
The title of the riotous new single highlights the phrase as a fake ID used to lull people into a false sense of security. “It’s as if we couldn’t possibly believe there could be danger if someone describes themselves as the good guy.” says Ishmael. “It reinforces that gender-based violence and attacks are one-off occurrences, denying our lived experiences as women and non-binary people.”
Bassist Mimi Jasson recounts: “Incel terrorist Elliot Rodger killed six people in a stabbing and shooting spree in California in 2014. The final section of his manifesto, where the 22-year-old complained about not being able to get a girlfriend, Rodger declared ‘I am the true victim in all of this. I am the good guy’”
Heavy Lungs this week shared new single, ‘All Gas No Brakes’, which you can check out above.
The song is the title-track for their newly announced upcoming album which arrives 29th September.
Of the news, the band say: “Well, well, well… they said it couldn’t be done, but look what just kicked you in the ass. Our debut album is coming out. It’s a dancer and it’s a prancer, and hopefully it’s a life enhancer. We recorded it way back in 2021 with head wizard, Wiz, and his jester Stan for some extra magic and spice, and it’s been a long old wait, but only another 3 months and it’s yours!”
Commenting on the song, front man and vocalist Danny Nedelko says: “This high-octane, dance floor firecracker is all about giving it absolute beans. It’s about knowing you are the big cheese. You’re the main course.”
The official video was directed by good friends Holding Hands With Horses. “It’s a ‘70s B-movie, Paul Thomas Anderson-inspired depiction of a roller disco gone full Twin Peaks,” say the band of the visuals. “You are seriously in for a wild ride. 69% on Rotten Potatoes. The rewatchability of this one is off the scale. Let’s goooooo.”
Finally for this section of our News Report we have the latest single from Conquer Divide. You can check out ‘the INVISIBLE‘ above.
The song is taken from upcoming new album, ‘Slow Burn’, which is out September 8th.
“the INVISIBLE.” has many lived-in, emotional layers that paint a picture that takes you right back to your youth, especially if you are part of an alt scene and made to feel like an outcast,” the band explains, offering insight into the song.
“It confronts the dynamic between your true self and your desire to be accepted by the ‘cool kids.’ One day, you realize that you don’t need to seek validation from those in a sad state of affairs. They project their insecurities onto others because they lack emotional maturity and self-esteem.”
BIG SPECIAL share their latest single ‘THIS HERE AIN’T WATER’.
The band says “It’s basically an inward sermon, when you’re stuck in your head egging yourself on about how rough times feel. It’s about media and politics. It’s about self-medication. It’s about a lack of options. It’s about the thinning of the common understanding between the social classes of England, and feeling stuck, watching it all happen.”
Keep This Up – ‘Lost’
Keep This Up share ‘Lost’ prior to new EP ‘Paper Houses’.
The band says “Lost is a song about the pain you face in a toxic relationship – be it a friend, family or relationship. It’s hard to understand why we care when we shouldn’t sometimes and lyrically this explores those feelings whilst ripping through some post-hardcore riffs, nice harmonic melodies and a very fast breakdown.”
Raisin Awareness – ‘Never Ending Story’
UK pop punk trio Raisin Awareness unveil their debut single, ‘Never Ending Story’.
In the words of Jo D, the band’s lead vocalist, and guitarist, “When you actually sit down and think about how fucked the world is and that you’re part of that mess, it can feel overwhelming. Some of us have gotten very good at justifying our actions due to their convenience, or some of us simply stick our heads in the sand.”
“Lyrically, Never Ending Story comes from my own battle with feeling helpless about the state of the world and not wanting to give up hope that if we come together in solidarity, we will prevail
It hasn’t been a smooth road for The Subways to arrive at the release of ‘Uncertain Joys’, their first new album in eight years. Recent years have seen change, change in the world, change in the band and change in their personal lives.
For change on all those fronts, you could also read turmoil. The pandemic after all has played a role in the tumultuous world we all inhabit, this combined with the departure of drummer and founding member Josh Morgan from the band and a period of personal growth for front man Billy Lunn (including a stint at University) has left an uneven path to tread for a constantly underappreciated band.
Thankfully though, the band are now ready to unleash their new era on the world. Drumming stability has been returned with newcomer Camille Phillips now joining Lunn and fellow original Charlotte Cooper, a tour is lined up and ‘Uncertain Joys’ is here!
Yes, The Subways are back, which is exactly the sentiment I feel listening to the record. I’ve always felt that The Subways are both a fantastic rock band and also a superb pop group, with their songwriting able to harness the power of rock with the elegance of pop with aplomb. That ability clearly remains intact, perhaps even amplified! The elongated writing process for this album maybe the reason but this is a truly eclectic collection from the band.
Musically vibrant yet lyrically vulnerable, you can feel the love and care put into this album by its creators. Whether leading us into battle on ‘Fight’, taking aim at social media on ‘Influencer Killed The Rock Star’ or getting deeply personal on the title track or ‘Incantation’, the quality of songwriting remains intact but again it seems to have even greater depth.
A difficult period for the band has no doubt passed, and while other bands may have called it quits, The Subways have emerged an even stronger entity. ‘Uncertain Joys’ is a supercharged dose of classic Subways that is more than worth your time.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we start with tour announcements and the mighty Iron Maiden, who have revealed the ‘Future Past’ tour that includes a run of UK arena dates next Summer.
The show will feature previously unperformed songs from the band’s most recent studio album, ‘Senjutsu’, along with a focus on 1986’s iconic, ‘Somewhere In Time’ record, plus other classic cuts.
Says founder member and bassist Steve Harris, “Following the release of our latest album, Senjutsu, we updated the current Legacy of the Beast Tour a little by opening the show with the first three songs from it, with the Japanese Palace stage set.
As it doesn’t make a lot of sense to repeat this for a Senjutsu album tour, we thought about other options and we’ve decided to revisit Somewhere In Time as that tour didn’t feature in the various retrospective history tours we’ve played over the years. They were based on our 80’s concert videos and sadly we did not film that tour (blame the manager!!).
We have had lots of requests from fans over the years for many tracks on it so we are now going to play them, plus of course a few others we know you will like! It will also be particularly satisfying to finally get to play some of the more epic tracks on Senjutsu, it’s been a long wait! 2023 is going to be an exciting time and we’re really looking forward to seeing everyone again in the UK, Ireland and around Europe”.
Manager, Rod Smallwood adds, “This combination of the two albums we feel is very exciting. We know fans want to hear those epic cuts on Senjutsu for the first time live and we think that by combining it with an iconic album like Somewhere In Time it will make for another really special tour for fans old and new!
Of course, for a new album tour in Europe and the UK we will go back largely to the relative intimacy of arenas and we know fans will be very happy about that too!”
Depeche Mode announce London Twickenham Stadium date
Another iconic act to announce a show for early Summer is Depeche Mode, who will takeover Twickenham Stadium in June.
The Memento Mori Tour will support the band’s forthcoming 15th studio album, ‘Memento Mori’, due out in Spring 2023.
In speaking about Memento Mori, Martin Gore commented, “We started work on this project early in the pandemic, and its themes were directly inspired by that time. After Fletch’s passing, we decided to continue as we’re sure this is what he would have wanted, and that has really given the project an extra level of meaning.”
Dave Gahan added, “Fletch would have loved this album. We’re really looking forward to sharing it with you soon, and we can’t wait to present it to you live at the shows next year.”
P!nk this week unveiled her ‘Summer Carnival’ 2023 tour with stadium dates in Bolton, Sunderland and Birmingham alongside an appearance at BST Hyde Park in London.
Our News Report looks at festivals now and the line-up for BST Hyde Park grew considerably this week with not just P!nk but also Billy Joel being announced for next Summer.
They join the already announced Bruce Springsteen in London.
It’s on to the week’s best new releases now as our News Report continues, and we start with Alter Bridge!
As the band prepare for the release of new album, ‘Pawns & Kings’, on October 14th, they have debuted new track, ‘This Is War’. You can check out that single above.
Bury Tomorrow have shared new single, ‘Abandon Us’, which you can listen to above. The track arrives as they reveal that their latest album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, will be released on March 31st.
“We are proud to present, ‘The Seventh Sun’. It is an understatement to say we are excited to share the new era of Bury Tomorrow with you all and the first single from the album, Abandon Us, is the perfect way to showcase our intent for the next phase of our band,” say the six-piece. “Visceral and heavy, this track is for each and every one of you that has stood by us either from the beginning, or supported us along the way.”
Of the song’s origins, the band share, “it started with a demo simply entitled, Abandon. Taken from a time of loss, uncertainty and insecurity, the intent was to create a heavy track that mirrored these feelings. The lyrics highlight the frustration and anger at the current state of our society and how our so-called leaders seem intent on satisfying self-interest above the collective needs of humanity.”
The Subways this week debuted their latest single, ‘Black Wax’, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Uncertain Joys’, which is out January 13th.
Commenting on the track, front man Billy Lunn says: “Caught mid-wintertime during the pandemic, hibernating in the warmth of the band’s studio, I’d indulge in days’ worth of spinning my favourite artists’ records on my turntable. Following one particularly beautiful session, I felt compelled to express my gratitude for music itself. Not just the inspiration my favourite artists offer me as a songwriter, but all the various aspects music holistically offers us as people: the respite, the sense of belonging and being understood (and thus the validation), but also the mere aesthetic pleasure of the space between our ears being tended to.”
“Given that our first ever gig was on the hallowed stage of The Square in Harlow, which, following over a decade of Tory rule is now resigned to rubble, it felt only right to record my guitar parts with the guitar that had been built from the wood lifted from The Square’s bar. This guitar, built by local legend Murray Torkildsen, was lent to me by a very good friend, Adam Smith, who fought so hard to save The Square in its final days. It’s no coincidence that his handle online is Black Wax. Long live The Square. Long live music.”
Cult hero Jamie Lenman has shared the details of his fifth album, ‘The Atheist’, which will be released November 25th. This week also saw Lenman debut new single, ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’, which you can listen to above.
“I’ve got into the habit of saying, whenever I have a new record out, ‘I’ve been trying to do something like this for a really long time’, because they typically have very lengthy gestation periods with a lot of thought going in,” says Lenman of what fans can expect from the new album.
“This one is no exception – I’ve always loved mellowed-out indie rock like Gemma Hayes and Pete Yorn and I’ve always wanted to make an album with that sound. Trying to focus on simple songs, looking for any place we could add a bit of extra sugar – a little bit saccharine, but also slightly snide and in some places softly sad. The end result is – I hope – a bittersweet experience.”
Commenting on the track, which channels both his love of stadium rock giants Queen and his wife and long-term partner Lena, Lenman says: “It’s a song about what it actually means to refer to your partner as your ‘other half’. That’s how I feel about my wife and I. We started out as two separate people and over the past twenty five years we’ve grown into two halves of a whole person. She fills up my missing parts and I fill hers – not that she has as many as I do. I always feel when people are talking to me that they’re only really getting half the story if she’s not around, just like it says in the song. And not the best half, either!”
“When I was a kid I loved bands like Queen with all their pomp, and then as a teenager I turned the other way with Nirvana’s punk philosophy. I went through the post-hardcore thing with all the awkward timings and chonky riffs, and now I find myself leaning back towards those giants of stadium rock. I wrote ‘Lena’ to see if I could do something like Toto, with my best impression of Brian May’s guitar solos. It’s my love letter to all those classic power ballads – it’s so uncool, it’s cool.”
The track comes with an official video homaging that particular brand of nostalgic 80s music video which always centred around the star’s desire for an unattainable, idealised lover.
“I wanted to do it with heart and genuine emotion instead of just spreading some poor model over the bonnet of a porch,” says Lenman of the concept. “I wanted the viewer to see my wife through my eyes, as this amazing, dazzling creature that I just get to be around. We went to the beach on the hottest day of the year and tried to forget the camera was there. It’s nice for people to see all those old photos and how we’ve grown together, just like in the lyrics. And it’s nice for us too!”
From Ashes To New – ‘Until We Break’ ft. Matty Mullins
This section of our News Report comes to a close with the new single from From Ashes To New. ‘Until We Break’ features Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire, and you can check it out above.
Reciting lyrics from the song, Matt Brandyberry said, “‘Close our eyes ‘cause there is nothing to see. We’ll all be fine if all we do is believe.’ It seems we are increasingly taking the path of least resistance. Although, that is often the wrong path. Closing our minds to the truth because a lie is easier to believe…A short term solution for a long term problem. We are following our leaders one by one until we break.”
LA based Militarie Gun have shared their latest single, ‘Let Me Be Normal’.
Ian Shelton says: “‘Let Me Be Normal’ is a plea for normality despite no matter what you achieve or how much money you have, “normality” can’t really ever be achieved if you grew up in a messed up situation. There’s no unseeing what you’ve seen, something will always poke you in the ribs and remind you of the trash you come from.”
Doodseskader – ‘Alive & Not Well’
Belgium’s Doodseskader are gearing up for the release of their debut album, ‘Year One’, on November 18th with new single ‘Alive & Not Well’.
On the track, vocalist/bassist Tim says, “‘Alive & Not Well’ is things clicking for us.It was half Sigfried, half me. Half of it describes us struggling, but half of it also is us grabbing misery by the throat and facing it head first. It’s the fifth song on the record and I feel like this is the point where things started shifting and we realised that while the record served as a document of our hardships and us trying to come to terms with the past we’d put on display in MMXX : Year Zero, from that point on it’d be us using our honesty and this band as both a weapon and an armour. “Forty fucking five, I wear the number like a vest”. Fortune gave us a shitty hand. Now we’re slowly turning it into the fist that’ll strike back.”
ROLLA – ‘Ease My Mind’
ROLLA have preview their upcoming debut EP with new single, ‘Ease My Mind’.
Rolla commented, “‘Ease My Mind’ was written as a reaction to feeling the constant pressures of daily life, the same old routine and all that shite. I guess it’s kind of a cliché, but it’s an anthem to get you up and get you going and prove to people that you are more than just your daily grind, and that there’s more to life than just answering to your bosses. For a lot of people that whole other world is rock ‘n’ roll, it will always give you all the answers.
We recorded it at Rockfield, which was a week to never forget. It’s a cool old place, and it was a pleasure to work with local legend Nick Brine. Creative carnage at its finest.”
The 1975 drafted in to headline Reading & Leeds Festivals
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the latest festival news and we start with a controversial change to the bill at Reading & Leeds Festivals. Sadly, Rage Against The Machine have withdrawn from the events at short notice, with organisers drafting in The 1975 as their replacement.
All Points East add Mogwai ahead of two week event
Another festival on the horizon is the two weekend extravaganza known as All Points East. The organisers have also had to make last minute alterations with Mogwai joining the bill in place of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.
We move our News Report on now to the best tour announcements from the past week.
Following their recent shows with both the Rolling Stones and Bryan Adams, West Country rockers REEF have announced a brand new string of UK headline shows for later this year.
Lead singer Gary Stringer comments, “I’m super stoked to be playing more shows this autumn and into the winter with REEF. We’ve had our most successful year in a decade and don’t want to stop rocking!”
Enter Shikari return with new single ‘The Void Stares Back’ ft. Wargasm
Enter Shikari – ‘The Void Stares Back’ ft. Wargasm
We turn now to the best new releases from the past week, and we start with a collaboration between Enter Shikari and Wargasm. ‘The Void Stares Back’ is the first new Enter Shikari single in almost three years, and you can listen above.
Lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds comments: “It is with elation, and more than a little nervousness, that we release this; our first track after over two years of dormancy. It is a roisterous journey made all the more so with the addition of our friends Wargasm. Thematically, the piece is about the forward march of social progress, and how, often, those with a more conventional archaic outlook on sexuality, gender, social design, economics etc, see those with differing ideas like bewildering, depraved creatures from another dimension.”
Wargasm add: “Shikari were a big part of our growing up, so it was an absolute honour to be asked to collaborate with such an incredible and well-spoken band. They stand for the right things – we’re a little more pessimistic. It was fun playing the darker devil’s advocate to Rou’s light…where we’re going, you won’t need eyes to see…”
Nothing More share ‘YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE MEANS’
Nothing More – ‘YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE MEANS’
Nothing More have this week shared the latest single from upcoming album, ‘SPIRITS’, which is out October 14th.
You can watch the video for ‘YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE MEANS’ above.
“We’re glad this song is finally getting out there so we can dig into the emotional and intimate side of the album,” says frontman Jonny Hawkins. “The lyrics and tone of this one feels like it hits in a similar way that ‘Go To War’ and ‘Jenny’ did. It’s going to feel huge playing this next one on tour.”.
The Subways debut new video for single ‘Love Waiting On You’
The Subways – ‘Love Waiting On You’
The Subways are another band with a new album on the way; ‘Uncertain Joys’ will arrive on January 13th. This week they shared the video for latest single, ‘Love Waiting On You’, which you can watch above.
Commenting on the gender-role-reversing video directed by animator Neil Whitman, front man Billy Lunn says: “When Neil initially presented us with the concept of the video as an 8-bit platform-style video game, our drummer Camille cleverly proposed that, given how the song is so obviously about yearning, why not instead have the rescuer and rescued gender roles reversed to change things up.”
“I saw myself as the Princess Peach character, with the love of my life (about whom the song is written) being my rescuer, fighting through the various obstacles and antagonists along the way. The sense of isolation, helplessness, and vulnerability within the song now made all the more sense to me.”
“Whilst it’s not always correct to assume that one person should come to the rescue of another in a relationship, my belief in the hopelessly romantic/pathetic notion that lifelong soul mates do in fact exist is woven into the very fabric of my being. And so, when at the end of the video my rescuer realises that it is only the will to love that is required to come to my aid, as opposed to having to fight through strife, battles, and failures, I knew that Neil understood the depth of my belief in this notion.”
“Our protagonist is trapped in his virtual cell waiting for the female heroine (the princess) to come to his rescue,” adds director/animator Neil Whitman. “I had great fun designing the band members as 8-bit characters as well as designing the princess and various levels for our heroes to venture through. Setting the game in mediaeval times helped me to subvert the usual tired traditions of the prince rescuing the princess and play around with audience expectations.”
The band have also announced their re-arranged tour dates.
The legendary Pixies shared their new single, ‘Vault of Heaven’, this week which you can check out above. The song comes from upcoming album, ‘Doggerel’, which is out September 30th.
Jamie Lenman has unveiled the video for his new single, ‘Talk Hard’, which you can watch above.
The first hint at a leaner and more mainstream leaning sound to come from his new material, commenting on the single Lenman says: “I’ve been trying for a long time to do something a bit more melodic, and Talk Hard is the first flowering of that. People tell me they can hear Weezer in there which is great as they’ve always been heroes of mine, particularly the first two albums.”
“Lyrically it’s about standing up for yourself, for making sure that your voice is heard by people you feel are ignoring you—be that your friends, your family, your boss or even your government. It’s about encouraging and empowering people, standing behind them and lending them your support. Very positive, after all the negative feelings from King Of Clubs.”
In a crossover into his alternate universe sideline stage-managing cabaret shows, the video for the track stars Lenman and hula-hoop performer Amazi Hoops. It was directed by Jen Hingley from Manchester alt-rock band False Advertising, who also plays guitar in Lenman’s live band.
“I consciously tried to not cook up any ideas of my own for this track so that Jen could have free reign without my interference,” explains Lenman of the concept for the video. “She came up with this tin can idea that I really liked. It seemed very similar to the kind of videos we used to make back in the band days, with a quirky concept and even a little mystery. We went and did it in one day, filmed in the same room where the band rehearse and the fields nearby, and it came out great!”
THE HARA have been busy making a name for themselves, including appearing on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist. Now, the group are taking the next steps in their career with the news that their debut album, ‘SURVIVAL MODE’, will be released March 3rd.
This week the band shared the first single to come from the record and you can listen to, ‘Rockstar’, above.
Southend’s Asylums this week shared their soaring power-pop single, ‘Understand the Psychology’, which you can check out above. The song features on upcoming album, ‘Signs of Life’, which is out October 14th.
On producing the current single from ‘Signs of Life’, Dave Eringa enthuses, “Understand The Psychology” is a great example of how Luke’s songwriting has developed – it retains all the power that Asylums have always had but welds it to a pop melody with Cobain-esque panache!”
Danish industrial metalcore quintet The Interbeing, are back with their new single, ‘Eternal Eclipse’.
“Eternal Eclipse is the final chapter on this album and we really wanted to symbolize the eclipse in the graphics in the video which starts and ends with an eclipse. The song is about the ultimate annihilation but also the need to revolt the eclipse and to overcome it. “I pray for no-one” is a repeating phrase which shows a rebellion against the religious perspective on life.
This song was fluent to write and record but the break-down piece in the middle was randomly written with our drummer who wanted a sub-level tone on the guitar. Finally we love the dystopian and melancholic vibes in the chorus and it is an epic resolution to close the album of Icon of the Hopeless.” -Dara Corcoran, vocalist
Krooked Tongue – ‘When the Beaches Bleed’
Bristol-based rock trio Krooked Tongue release new single, ‘When the Beaches Bleed’.
Speaking about the upcoming single, vocalist and lyricist Oli Rainsford says, “Beaches, to me, is the ultimate homage to something I’ve always been in awe of. Big wave surfing is next level crazy and it’s an art that carries with it, high risk. This song is a tip of the hat but also, I think, doubles as a notion to not be scared to take risks and also not to fear failure. It’s a cosmic ‘fuck you, try it again’ that we often need to be encouraged to carry out. Confidence is key.”
Regent – ‘Just A Revolution‘
Regent have just released their debut album including the single, ‘Just A Revolution’.
Frontman Ben Rooke explains,“This is a track I wrote when I first decided to get back into music seriously, and it came at a time when I was at my worst, taking lots of drugs and going through a bad break up.
The song is about moving away to the other side of town and into the countryside. It also quotes the start of Regent as a band/idea/thing I wanted to create.. I formed the band and current line up three years later, after getting clean from Class A drugs.”
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report! This week is dominated by incredible new releases, so that’s exactly where we begin; and where better to start than with superstars Muse!
This week the band shared their latest single, ‘Kill or Be Killed’, which you can check out above. The single will feature on their upcoming new album, ‘Will of the People’, which is out August 26th!
“‘Kill Or Be Killed’ is MUSE at their heaviest! We wanted to update our hard rock sound on this album and with KOBK we found a modern metal sound featuring double bass drum action and even a death growl. Lyrically the song takes influence from my favourite Paul McCartney song “Live And Let Die”, a dark take on how life’s adversity can sometimes bring out the worst human instincts to survival at any costs.” – Matt Bellamy
Red Hot Chili Peppers announce ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’
Red Hot Chili Peppers surprised fans this week with the revelation that they will be releasing a new studio album this year!
‘Return of the Dream Canteen’, will be available October 14th, and the band had the following to say:
“We went in search of ourselves as the band that we have somehow always been. Just for the fun of it we jammed and learned some old songs. Before long we started the mysterious process of building new songs. A beautiful bit of chemistry meddling that had befriended us hundreds of times along the way. Once we found that slip stream of sound and vision, we just kept mining.
With time turned into an elastic waistband of oversized underwear, we had no reason to stop writing and rocking. It felt like a dream. When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well we figured it out. 2 double albums released back to back.
The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed. ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ is everything we are and ever dreamed of being. It’s packed. Made with the blood of our hearts.”
The iconic Ozzy Osbourne continues to prepare for the release of his latest studio album, ‘Patient Number 9’, which is due for release on September 9th.
This week saw the debut of new single, ‘Degradation Rules’ featuring Tony Iommi, which you can listen to above.
New music was also forthcoming this week from The Murder Capital, who debuted new track, ‘Only Good Things’, which you can listen to above.
Speaking on the new single, frontman James McGovern says,
“This track for us has been an exciting evolution for the band. It’s so bright. It’s so colorful. This is a part of the narrative of the overall record that we feel reaches a real place of inner calm, inner peace but at its core, it’s a love song.
You get a song like this where, the protagonist in this song is quite simply asking – not pleading – just willing to ask their counterpart to rid them of their intrusive thoughts, the devils on their shoulders and to be truly vulnerable. We’re so excited to go to a place like this because perhaps it’s not what is expected of us.
It stood out to me during the creation of this record that it is more about the friends that are still here and celebrating those connections, those relationships and being unafraid of life and it’s many seasons. Where ‘Only Good Things’ stands within the record is at a moment where the sonic and the lyrical narrative especially, are of newfound joy.”
Another band with an album on the way is Dub War who will release ‘Westgate Under Fire’ on August 5th. This week they shared the latest single, ‘Art Of War’, which you can listen to above.
Speaking on the new single, Benji Webbe says, “Mikee “KRUPA” Gregory was reading the book ‘The Art of War’ at the time that I was working on songs for the album, I thought it was a great title and just wrote a lot of words about Newport & Nazis.
Frankie Lodge (mentioned in the lyrics) was a guy with mental difficulties who once sang opera in the subway in Newport. Frankie’s mural features on the back cover of the album as he’s another piece of Newport history.
Spike T Smith really stepped up and brought the magic on the drums on this track.”
More great new music as our News Report continues and we turn now to The Virginmarys. The duo this week debuted new track, ‘You’re A Killer’, which you can listen to above.
VUKOVI also have a new album on the way. ‘NULA’ arrives on October 7th, but this week the duo debuted new single, ‘I EXIST’, which you can check out above.
Finally in our new releases section of our News Report, we have Deux Furieuses.
In a big news week the duo debuted new single, ‘Know The Score’, which you can listen to above, and announced new album, ‘Songs From Planet Earth’, which is out November 11th.
We do have a handful of tour announcements in our News Report this week, so let’s get started!
Japanese genre-blenders Crossfaith have announced the UK & EU leg of their upcoming ‘Atlas Of Faith World Tour‘, celebrating 15 years of the band!
Speaking of the tour, frontman Kenta ‘Ken’ Koie, says, “We just got back from festival run in Europe and had such a great time out there. As promised, we’ll be returning back to UK & Europe and this will be our first headline tour since COVID.
I know that you guys have been waiting for it just like us so we are very excited to celebrate our 15th anniversary with all of you! We will play new songs and older songs as well, make sure to follow our discography and get sweaty with us! See you in the pit!”
Our final live announcement in our News Report this week, with no noteworthy festival updates, comes from Beans On Toast. The singer will return to the Clapham Grand next June.
Northern indie-pop artist Ellur returns with her new single ‘Close To You’.
Speaking on the single Ellur says, “’Close To You’ is a song about rejection and coping with it. I decided, last year, I wanted to write more songs that were about me and my relationship with myself. I think this process birthed some of my favourite lyrics I’ve ever written.”
3REE – ‘Demons’
Australian pop punk duo 3REE have teamed up with fellow Aussie and emo rapper Yung Gwopp for their brand new single ‘Demons’.
Speaking about the inspiration for the track 3REE drummer Sean Tighe says, “This song came to me in a dream, after a nightmare I had. I woke up in the middle of the night with the lyrics and melodies still distinctly in my mind. I immediately put it all down in a voice note and sent it to Mitch. It was that powerful.”
Continuing vocalist and guitarist Mitch Volcan says, “Sean sent me the voice memo and I quickly went to the studio with the verse he sent me and the chorus just came to me all in one go. It’s definitely from a dark place but it’s also the realest thing we’ve ever written.”
About the collaboration Yung Gwopp says, “When the boys sent me ‘Demons’ I was instantly a fan. I just knew I had to throw a verse down.”
Elessar – ‘GOLD’
Pop-Rock trio Elessar present their foot stomping new single ‘GOLD’.
“I wrote GOLD at a time when the entire world had been locked up, it’s about the good vibes only with friends who have inevitably moved on to their next stages in life, kids, marriage, houses. And how the pandemic lockdown made us realise how much we took our friends for granted. I’d have given it all up to go back to that one weekend when money and inhibitions weren’t an issue.” – Front man Ricky Powell.
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report. This week we are starting off with the latest festival news, and first up is All Points East in London.
The Victoria Park event this week added new acts to the Gorillaz headlined day on Friday 19th August. Heading up the latest additions are Turnstile who join the likes of IDLES and Self Esteem and a packed bill.
RISEFEST has this week revealed their line-up for the Saturday 10th September event. Headliners Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes will be joined by VUKOVI, WSTR, Zand and many more.
On to the latest tour announcements now in our News Report and it was a big news week for The Subways. The band will be hitting the road later this year including a date at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.
Not only that, the band also debuted new single, ‘You Kill My Cool’, which will feature on their upcoming new album. Listen to the track below.
Puppy this week debuted the latest single from their upcoming album, ‘Pure Evil’. You can listen to ‘My Offer’ above, ahead of the album release on May 6th.
Australian pop punk duo 3REE have released their brand new single ‘Set This Place On Fire’, featuring guest vocals from Sleeping With Sirens frontman Kellin Quinn.
“We’re living our childhood dream!”, 3REE say about their collaboration with Kellin. “It was amazing to collaborate with such an idol of ours.”
Continuing about how the collaboration came about 3REE drummer Sean Tighe explains, “When we were writing the song, we could hear Kellin’s voice as a perfect fit with Mitch’s. I simply messaged Kellin the song and asked if he’d be interested and how wonderful it would be. Kellin’s response was fantastic, saying “WOW! This song is a banger” and “I can track my vocals by the end of the week”. We had to pinch ourselves.”
About the meaning of the song 3REE vocalist and guitarist Mitch Volcan says, “We built the song around the lyric ‘When the fire burns out we all come alive’; writing with the aim of connecting with the listener with the sense of rawness, energy and togetherness that you face during dark times.”
‘PARIS WILL BE PAID FOR’ – ANORAK PATCH
With debut EP ‘By Cousin Sam’ out at the end of this month, teenagers Anorak Patch have shared new single ‘Paris Will Be Paid For’.
On the new single, guitarist Oscar said, “Paris will be paid for is a song of ours which combines pop hooks and more off kilter music. It’s at a constant tempo however it changes time signatures multiple times throughout the song. It makes it wonky and the more melodic parts can sort of too because of that.”
He adds, “The lyrics, like the music itself, are absurd and silly. Nothing is taken too seriously and is all very tongue in cheek and a joke. We find lyrics don’t often have to be about much, as long as the syllables fit and there’s a nice melody.”
‘TENNIS’ – COURTING
Liverpool four-piece Courting have returned with a new single titled ‘Tennis’.
Speaking about the single, the band says, “Tennis is a paypig’s personal redemption narrative, set in “the city”, and told in two parts. A twisted tale of two lovers’ back and forth, bound by cricket, bodybuilding, and money. A story as old as time.
We named the song Tennis as a logical (but unrelated) sequel to our two previously released sports-related songs. To us, this felt like a natural ending to that idea. Dynamically, the second part of the song is supposed to represent a shift in tone for the character in which they realise their own worth and leave the situation that is set within the first part of the song.”
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report! We are starting off this week with the latest tour announcements including the above from Fontaines D.C..
Yes, it was a busy news week for the band as they revealed a lengthy trek around the UK and Ireland including a huge show at London’s Eventim Apollo.
Not just that, they also debuted their new single, ‘Skinty Fia’, from their upcoming album of the same name which arrives April 22nd. Check out the track below.
The legendary Nine Inch Nails this week added 3 additional shows to their UK stopover in June. The band will now play Glasgow, Manchester and London in addition to their already announced dates at The Eden Project.
The Amazons announce UK Tour and debut new single ‘Bloodrush’
Another band having a big news week was The Amazons. The band revealed a UK Tour, including a date at the Roundhouse in Camden, taking place this Autumn.
They also had a new single to debut, and you can listen to ‘Bloodrush’ below. The track will feature on their upcoming new album, ‘How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?’.
Maximo Park announce the Sïngular Tour and new single ‘Great Art’
This week saw Maximo Park announce the ‘Sïngular Tour’ featuring only singles that will take place this coming Autumn.
Coinciding with the announcement, the band debuted new single, ‘Great Art’, which you can check out below.
Singer Paul Smith comments on the new single:
“The song is about the insidious nature of Conservative ideology, and a response to people who say, “at least we’ll get some great art out of it!” We’re excited to have new material to play alongside our other singles on the Sïngular tour – we’ve always written songs crammed full of hooks, so that’s our ideal medium in some ways.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers debut new track ‘Not The One’
Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Not The One’
We move on now to the latest new music releases from the past week as out News Report continues. First up is the latest track from Red Hot Chili Peppers ahead of their upcoming album ‘Unlimited Love’.
That album arrives April 1st, but you can listen to new track ‘Not The One’ above.
Nothing More also had new music on offer this week with their latest single, ‘Turn It Up Like’. You can listen to the track above, which will feature on their upcoming new album.
Frontman Jonny Hawkins spoke about the inspiration behind the song in a statement, saying, “This song is a reflection of how we all felt for the last two years, online. Fear and hate have become our god.”
Reef debuted their new single, ‘Best of Me’ this week, and you can listen above. The track will feature on their new album, ‘Shoot Me Your Ace’, which is released April 29th.
“We want this album to make people just feel good about living, to appreciate life, to give them inspiration to play guitar or drums or sing or whatever they’ve got going on right now,” comments bassist Jack Bessant. “We’ve made a killer rock’n’roll record. And we want to go out and rock.”
We head across to Standon Calling now as our News Report switches focus to the weeks festival announcements.
This week saw the day and stage splits for the event plus 40+ new acts such as Declan McKenna, Razorlight, The Mysterines, Crawlers, Snapped Ankles and more.
They join the already announced Madness, The Subways, Yard Act, Primal Scream and Bob Vylan.
Another festival adding additional acts this past week was Victorious Festival.
New acts include Bombay Bicycle Club, The Longest Johns, Embrace and Bessie Turner.
They join an already packed line-up including Stereophonics, James, Primal Scream, Paolo Nutini, The Wombats, Ocean Colour Scene, Kula Shaker, White Lies, The Subways, We Are Scientists and Editors.
Splendour Festival will return to Wollaton Park in Nottingham this July, and this week the event finalised its line-up with new additions including We Are Scientists, Coach Party, The Skinner Brothers and Deco.
They join the likes of Richard Ashcroft, Supergrass, Razorlight, Ocean Colour Scene, and The Magic Numbers.
First up is ‘This Is For You’ the new single from young rockers Classless Act. The single guest features The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins.
Classless Act’s lead singer Derek Day expressed his excitement over the band’s latest single, saying, “It’s a dream come true for Classless Act to be a part of the Better Noise family. And the boys and I have been working really hard to give you something to shake your ass to. Now, summer’s here and the time is right for a couple of guitars, some bass and drums and a whole buncha me. Let’s get to it!!”
Collaborator Justin Hawkins shared his thoughts about hopping on the track, “One Tuesday night in February I gazed up onto the Swiss night sky. There, to my surprise I witnessed the beaming of The Hawk signal onto a passing cloud. After months of inactivity, I was called into action. My mission? To provide a face melting guitar solo to Classless Act’s ‘This is For You.’ I grasped my Gibson 335, headed into the hawk cave and within 24 hours the solo was born.”
‘JENNY’ – RATS
Next we have ‘Jenny’ the latest single from young indie starlets RATS.
Frontman Joe Maddocks says, “‘Jenny’ is a story about a student who is forced to go to uni by her parents, but she has bigger dreams that soon turn sour.”
‘STARTING OVER’ – THE LAZY EYES
Finally is ‘Starting Over’ from Aussie psych-rock four-piece The Lazy Eyes.
In their own words, the band explain, “This song was written back in our high school days like the other songs are on the album. I remember having an inkling for the verse on acoustic guitar and thinking “meh” so I just left it be. After a while though, the song came back to me after jamming on the piano. I fleshed it out (admittedly with some pretty cringey lyrics back then) and whipped up a GarageBand demo for the boys. After that, we put it on Soundcloud and it was building some traction… soon after we wiped everything in the search for a new start, you could say we were ‘Starting Over’.”
