Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the second issue now for free!
Volume two includes reviews of October Drift and Philip Seth Campbell.
We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Demob Happy, The Struts, The Rolling Stones, Dream Nails, Militarie Gun, REWS, Haunt The Woods, Scaler, The Cadillac Three, Pendulum, Wargasm, Daytime TV, HourHouse, Black Water County, The Pearl Harts, Gama Bomb, The Hyena Kill, Amongst Liars, Dead Poet Society and Death Of Me!
Plus new live announcements from Enter Shikari, Keane, The Big Moon, Wayward Sons, Of Mice & Men, Meryl Streek and BIG SPECIAL.
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with PLAIINS, Unschooling and paradise fell.!
From Stadiums, to Arenas and now some of the best intimate venues in the UK!
Circa Waves have announced details of a special run of UK live dates from which a portion of the profits will be donated to local foodbanks in each town they are touring through.
The band had the following to say about the decision to show their support.
“We’re so happy to be supporting food banks on our next tour. In this current climate where the cost of living crisis is hitting everyone we know that being able to feed your family is no longer a given. We will be playing a handful of small intimate shows with a percentage of profits going to local food banks in each area. Can’t wait to see you there.”
Greta Van Fleet this week shared their latest offering, ‘The Falling Sky’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on upcoming new album, ‘Starcatcher’, which is out on 21st July.
“An unwavering warrior carrying on the endless, eternal, and impossible battle for salvation; these were the elements of symbolism associated with this particular track,” explains guitarist Jake Kiszka. “In essence our fate is sealed, alike the stars that fall from the almighty heavens to the earth. This philosophy is carried through in the story of a bluesman, at the crossroads of the universe.”
Bowling For Soup announce ‘Songs People Actually Liked – Volume 2’
Bowling For Soup – ‘1985 (BFS Version)’
Bowling For Soup have revealed details of new collection, ‘Songs People Actually Liked – Voume 2’, which focuses on tracks from 2004 to 2009.
You can check out a new BFS version of their hit single, ‘1985’, above.
Here are some thoughts from BFS main man Jaret Reddick about the upcoming Volume 2 of their Greatest Hits:
“Having a “Greatest Hits” is one of things you sort of dream about as a kid, but deep down, it’s more if a fantasy really. Now here we are realizing our second and we have nearly made it to half way through our career.
I was nervous about these songs. Sonically, on the originals, they were already “there.” But I think like everything in our band, the years add something to the luster, and it certainly happened here!
The songs are still intact with their original selves. But I think you will feel a different energy. In a good way.”
Holding Absence continue to build towards the release of upcoming new album, ‘The Noble Art of Self Destruction’, which is out August 25th.
Recently the group share new single, ‘Honey Moon’, which you can check out above.
The band shared, “‘Honey Moon’ is perhaps Holding Absence’s most beautiful song to date! A track inspired by the Pixies and Deftones – this is a lovesick poem that looks to the stars to portray a deep, isolated yearning for the love of another.”
Underoath have shared their newest stand-alone single, ‘Lifeline (Drowning)’, which you can check out above.
Speaking on the new single, Underoath said ““Lifeline (Drowning)” is a cry for help… I feel like we’ve all been there, be it as simple as miscommunication or a full on toxic relationship – that very feeling that you cannot tread water like this any longer or you may end up drowning. We wanted to create a song centered around the melody that could still hold the energy of a full blown heavy song.”
Caskets, who recently announced their new album, ‘Reflections’, for an August 11th release, have released an affirming new single, ‘Better Way Out’, which you can check out above.
Speaking of the track, frontman Matt Flood says, “Better Way Out is a song that relates to suicidal thoughts and tendencies. It’s a song about noticing and understanding the trials and tribulations of life, about rising above the feelings of depression and anxiety and knowing your self worth. To have somebody say that they see you and they hear you, or to have a community by your side while you go through these daily battles isn’t something afforded to everybody. So many of us can blindly walk through the barriers that we build inside our heads, alone without a shoulder to cry on or a friend to lend an ear.”
”No matter what you’ve been through and might still be going through… there are always routes out of your situation.” he states. “You are strong, you are beautiful, you are loved and you are enough. Don’t walk that road alone. We all need each other.”
Fixation have announced details of their highly anticipated debut album. ‘More Subtle Than Death’ will be released September 8th.
Fixation states: “We didn’t want to limit ourselves to one particular sound, although the album sounds like Fixation as a whole, there are songs that are more poppy, more heavy, more grandiose and symphonic and more straight forward rock songs. The subjects in the songs are things that frightens and worries us about the state of the world today. These are things that we want to see change in.”
You can check out the latest single from the band ‘Flat Earth’ above.
Grian Chatten has released his debut album, ‘Chaos for the Fly’, and ahead of the release he shared the last pre-release single, ‘All of the People’, which you can check out above.
On the single Grian explains: “All of the people is the stiff collar tight-fisted hand to the grindstone written where all is blue and everyone is a liar. It is a line of chalk scratched around the world.”
Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble this week announced his new band Almost Nothing and shared their debut single, ‘Anything Whatever’, which you can check out above.
The band have also revealed their self-titled debut album will arrive later this year with pre-orders here.
Dragonforce singer Marc Hudson has revealed details of his debut solo album, ‘Starbound Stories’, which is out August 25th.
This week saw Hudson share lead single, ‘Astralive’, which you can check out above.
Hudson on the single, “’Astralive’ is the first single from the album and takes the listener on a power metal journey through space and time. This song explores the cosmic mysteries of the universe and mankind’s eternal search for wisdom beyond the stars.”
Hudson adds, “It is with great pride that I can finally announce my signing to Napalm Records. I’m very grateful for the label’s belief in me as a solo artist and can’t wait to have Napalm on my side to show Starbound Stories to the world!”
Illinois pop punk 5-piece Wilmette has released, ‘No One Knew’, the next single off the band’s long-awaited debut full-length, ‘Hyperfocused’, out on August 4th.
Vocalist Aaron Hailey says, “It’s about the guilt of not being able to help someone through a hard time, and the helpless feeling that comes with being there while they struggle.”
Guitarist Griffin Guge adds, “We tracked this song exactly halfway through the recording process. It was a point where we thought we knew where the record was going until we got to this song.
There was a lot of room to grow on the track, and we definitely got excited to experiment with a lot of cool guitar sounds. One of my favorites of which is in the bridge. We used a variety of unconventional guitar techniques as well as pedals to quite literally make it sound like the song is breaking and the building you’re in is coming down. I think it was very fitting for the part.”
Major Moment – ‘Overcome’
Pop-Metal band Major Moment are back with their new single ‘Overcome’!
“‘Overcome’ was inspired by our music journey and is about prevailing over difficult times and persevering against all odds. But if we zoom out and look at our everyday lives, full of conflicts, health issues, losses, financial struggles, aspirations, wins and failures, we see a similar theme everyone can relate to, the one of pain and, as a result of overcoming it, personal growth. ‘Overcome’ is the anthem made for all creators out there struggling to get their voices heard, doubting every day if it’s worth fighting for.” – Vocalist, Sasha.
Crushed By Waves – ‘Won’t Get Out Alive’
UK alt-rockers Crushed By Waves have shared new single, ‘Won’t Get Out Alive’.
Crushed By Waves write from experience, with the new track being a statement of why they are putting everything into their art. The band explain:
“Won’t Get Out Alive is all about keeping the faith, pushing through the hardest times, holding on, and never giving up, even if it kills us. When we see our music can bring a room full of strangers together, the energy in that room is worth dying for, it actually gives us life.”
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we begin with a handful of new tour announcements and up first are Therapy?, who are currently celebrating the release of their highest charting album since 1998.
The group will tour ‘Hard Cold Fire’ later this year as they head out on the road once again.
This week was greeted by the fantastic news that the Music Venue Trust and National Lottery will be continuing their partnership with the ‘United by Music’ Tour!
One of the acts heading out on the road where Lottery players can take a friend for free are October Drift.
Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts unveil new live dates
The last tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts, who have unveiled a handful of July live dates.
Warwick says: “After the fantastic shows we played last year, I’m thrilled to get back out with my band The Fighting Hearts once again. I’m looking forward to playing songs from all aspects of my musical journey!!”.
Our News Report now looks at the best new releases from the past week and we begin with the latest single from Avenged Sevenfold. Check out ‘We Love You’ above now.
The track will feature on upcoming new album, ‘Life Is But A Dream…’, which will arrive on June 2nd!
There was also new music on offer this week from fellow rock royalty Queens of the Stone Age. The band unveiled their brand new single, ‘Emotion Sickness’, which you can check out above!
In a big week for the band they also revealed that their new album, ‘In Times New Roman’, will be released on June 16th!
This week also saw Asking Alexandria reveal the video for their new single, ‘Dark Void’, which you can check out above.
The track is the first taste of their as-yet-titled new album set for release this autumn.
“With the world seemingly getting darker and darker, it’s easy to see why so many of us struggle with anxiety, depression, loneliness” relays guitarist Ben Bruce. “This song is about fighting those demons that live in your head and trying your hardest to be your own savior. Finding that inner strength to pull yourself out of the darkness.”
“This theme is explored throughout the entirety of our upcoming album. We all have our own struggles and hurdles. We are all on our own journeys that present unique challenges and difficulties, but we all have our own inner strength to fall back on. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that there can be comfort in knowing that we aren’t alone. We all feel a little down from time to time. We all feel a little lost from time to time, but somehow, in some way, we are all in this together and hopefully our new album can help people through some of their toughest times.”
DevilDriver this week shared their latest single from new album, ‘Dealing With Demons, Vol. II’.
You can check out the video for, ‘This Relationship, Broken’, above!
DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafara says about ‘This Relationship, Broken’: “‘This Relationship, Broken’ explores the severance that happens between two long time partners when they leave each other after years of turmoil.”
Duff McKagan this week shared new single ‘This Is The Song’, which you can check out above. The track features on a new EP honouring Mental Health Awareness Week.
“’This is the Song’ was written in the middle of a panic attack” Duff McKagan says in a personal statement about the EP. “I couldn’t breathe and couldn’t see straight, and lately, I have thankfully found my acoustic guitar as a refuge. If I just hold on to that guitar, play chords, and hum melodies, I can start to climb my way out of that hole. For those of you who have never experienced something like this, count yourselves blessed. To those of you who recognize what I am talking about: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!”
Next up in our News Report are Caskets, who this week debuted their new single ‘More Than Misery’, featuring Telle Smith (The Word Alive).
You can check out the track above which features on newly announced album, ‘Reflections’, which is out August 11th.
Speaking of the track, frontman Matt Flood says, “More Than Misery is written around the conflict of being hypnotically entranced by someone or something that in the end, you know will only lead to toxic habits or bad intentions. Everyone has felt this and been in this situation in one way or another throughout their life. It’s about not wanting to be in this situation and feeling the struggle of bearing the weight of pressure it puts on your shoulders. How it can affect every other thing around you, from your mental health to the relationships you build around you.”
”There is light at the end of the tunnel though,” he states. “To even acknowledge the situation and build a foundation of support around you to come face to face with what it is that’s holding you back. If you just take a step into the unknown, you’ll see your life is more than just misery’
Ayron Jones is next up in our News Report with his latest single, ‘The Title’, which you can check out above!
The track comes ahead of new album, ‘Chronicles of the Kid’, which comes out on June 23rd.
“For a lot of people, the world is a dark place. It feels like a dark room with no windows, no doors, and no way out,” Jones explains. “When we’re faced with uncertainty, our instincts tell us to either take flight or stay and fight. ‘The Title’ is dedicated to those of us who choose to fight. It’s about this seemingly foolish idea of holding on to a sliver of hope that drives our obsession to be great, even when faced with fear of defeat. It’s about winning because you don’t know how to fail.”
Closing out this section of our News Report this week is Conquer Divide who have shared their new single, ‘welcome2paradise’, which you can check out above!
The band have also revealed that their new album, ‘Slow Burn’, will arrive on September 8th.
“This song is special to all of us for a lot of reasons” says guitarist Kristen Sturgis. “We really wanted to stretch our musical muscles and play around with time signatures. We recorded some of the production ourselves, including drilling sounds you’ll hear sprinkled throughout the song. Artistically, we really stepped out of our comfort zone, and we ended up with something really special.”
The song also takes a close look at a very important topical issue.
“It’s sad that humans don’t care about our environment” Sturgis continues. “I was especially inspired by a situation close to my heart. I live on the Great Lakes, which contain 20% of the earth’s freshwater. There is a 70-year-old pipeline called Line 5 that is in very rough shape and runs through the water where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet. The current is especially turbulent there. The pipeline keeps getting hit by boat anchors.
I am not here to preach anti-fossil fuels, as electric vehicles come with their own environmental tolls, and touring bands have to drive gas-guzzling vehicles to play for our fans. But if a spill happened in that spot, it’s in the worst possible place, due to the strong currents.
A Great Lakes spill could affect major cities like Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Windsor, Toronto, and Rochester, NY. Tourism, fishing industries, and boating would all be affected. And with all of the droughts happening around the U.S., it’s going to be everyone’s problem soon.
Right now, there’s just one small local organization trying to draw attention to it, but If I can do anything with this song release, it would be to shine a spotlight on something I care so much about.”
From the Black Country, Midlands, BIG SPECIAL share new single ‘SHITHOUSE’.
“’SHITHOUSE’ is about a rough time. The societal depression we are going through and its personal effects on people. It’s about looking at it from the outside and living it from the inside. Seemingly, no matter the moves we make, it all ends up a shithouse and sometimes all we can do is shout about it.” says singer Joe Hicklin.
Ålesund – ‘Rode Off Into the Sun’
Alt-pop outfit Ålesund reveal their new single ‘Rode Off Into The Sun’.
“I was so impressed by a friend who had been dealt a rough hand and instead of wallowing and seeing the glass as half empty, she just dusted herself off and charged on with making the best out of her life. It was inspiring to witness and became the main theme of the song”, says vocalist and lyricist Alba Torriset.
Butterfly Hurricane – ‘BARRICADE’
Alternative Rock artist Butterfly Hurricane has shared his debut single ‘BARRICADE’.
“A lot of my lyrics come from my battles with crohn’s disease and how it has affected my personal life and the lives of others. This song in is essentially me venting my frustrations on how I wish I could be someone else and just have a day not having to plan my life around this disease. It’s not all doom and gloom though, the struggle is part of the beauty. It’s helped me grow and realise what’s important in life”. –Butterfly Hurricane
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the 20th Anniversary of Download Festival which just got a whole load bigger! Yes 40+ new acts have now joined headliners Metallica (x2), Bring Me The Horizon and Slipknot across the special four day event.
Newly announced acts include Alter Bridge, Halestorm, Neck Deep, Bob Vylan, Jinjer, Hot Milk, The Amity Affliction, Empire State Bastard, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Deaf Havana and more!
Also on tap will be the likes of Architects, Evanescence, Within Temptation, Pendulum, The Blackout, Nova Twins, Disturbed, Placebo, Ghost and so many more!
Ahead of their appearances at this August’s Reading & Leeds Festivals, You Me At Six will perform two intimate warm-up shows in Leicester and Bournemouth.
Our News Report moves now to the best new releases from the past week and we get things started with the latest single from Bury Tomorrow!
‘Heretic’ featuring While She Sleeps frontman Loz Taylor debuted this week and you can check it out above. It was also revealed that Bury Tomorrow will join WSS at their huge Alexandra Palace show in September.
The track comes from upcoming new album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, which is out March 31st!.
Speaking on Heretic, lead-singer Dani Winter-Bates states “Heretic is here, and we knew from day one of recording that this song was something we wanted the world to hear immediately. It’s right up there with the most aggressive and visceral tracks on the album, with an inherently dark feel, both lyrically and musically, which allowed us to delve into some of the more brutal elements of The Seventh Sun. All in all, we’re extremely proud to showcase this track and can’t wait to see what people think.”
Dani continues “from the off, we knew this song merited a guest vocal spot, and Loz Taylor of While She Sleeps sprang to our minds straightaway. Already an absolute legend in our eyes, working with him on this track has only confirmed that status further. His voice incorporated perfectly and has undoubtedly taken the song to the next level – we couldn’t be happier.”
The Raven Age have announced that their third studio album, ‘Blood Omen’, will be released on July 7th. To coincide with that announcement, the band unveiled their new single, ‘Parasite’, which you can check out above!
‘Parasite’ is bolstered by a blistering solo from guest guitarist Andy James of Five Finger Death Punch. “I’ve known the lads in The Raven Age for years now,” says Andy. “I really like the direction they are heading with this third record and enjoyed doing a guest solo for ‘Parasite’. It’s a heavy but memorable track that hits you right between the eyes.”
For the Essex quintet’s “all-important third album”, as George Harris puts it, they have expanded on every level.
This motivation is written into the album’s concept. Following the theme of its two predecessors, the raven motif looms large, this time centering on the overthrowing of old masters, with the band’s Raven King character coming to prominence. Even in the artwork, things are bolder, a close up of The Raven King, says George, “taking his rightful place on the throne.”
The theme weaves itself throughout ‘Blood Omen’, kicking off with ‘Parasite’ as MJ explains, “There’s the legend about the ravens in the Tower Of London, that if they were ever to leave, the monarchy falls. Without being too political, ‘Parasite’ is hinting at these dark notes of the hierarchy, the bottom feeders that tend to run everything and then screw everything up. Our Raven King, he’s basically ascending to the throne to bring down the monarchy, bring down the establishment, weed out the parasites, as it were.”
“It’s a heavy track,” MJ continues, “We knew we wanted to come back with a real punch between the eyes. It’s the full introduction to our Raven King, and it touches on elements of everything to come. It really shows where we’re going on this album.”
The album also sees the recorded debut of new guitarist Tommy Gentry, the prodigiously talented axeman – whose previous work includes stints with Marco Mendoza and former Judas Priest six-stringer KK Downing.
“Tommy was in our sights from day one,” says George. “He’s, without doubt, the most talented musician I know. Not only is he an amazing guitarist, he’s a grade eight pianist, he can score orchestral music, and all that brings something to the table.”
‘The Price of Progress’, the latest album from The Hold Steady is out on March 31st. This week the band continued to preview the record with new single, ‘Sixers’, which you can check out above.
“‘Sixers’ was written in the first days of the pandemic,” says frontman Craig Finn. “It’s basically a song about knowing your neighbors. Two young professionals meet up in their building late on a Friday night and spend the weekend partying together. They try to find a love connection, but it’s not quite there. It’s hard to make friends when your job is so demanding. Tad and Steve chime in with some beautiful guitar harmonies.”
This week saw The View return with news of their first new album in eight years! ‘Exorcism of Youth’ will be released on June 9th and was preceded this week by the single, ‘Feels Like’, which you can check out above!
Frontman Kyle Falconer says, “Working with Youth on our third album ‘Bread and Circuses’ was one of the best experiences of my career so we jumped at the chance to revisit the opportunity with him in Spain. To be able to go into the studio again as a band with added experience was just magical.”
On the single Falconer adds, “This one felt anthemic from the get go. Even though under the surface it’s about somewhere everyone’s been in their life before: regret of losing someone amazing due to your inner demons and seeing them moving on with their life, when you’re stuck in a ‘nightmare not a dream.’ When I first sat down to write it I had Holden Caulfield from ‘Catcher in the Rye’ in mind. It’s playing out in his mind and it’s his own paranoia destroying him from the inside out when in reality she’s the perfect woman.”
Texan singer-songwriter Ryan Hamilton has shared his latest single, ‘Asshole’, which you can check out above. The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Haunted by the Holy Ghost’, which is out March 10th.
A music video for the track features World Champion Barrel Racer, Ryann Pedone & Conor the badger. Ryan says, “It’s not everyday you shoot a music video with a badger! Why a badger? Because badgers are assholes. They’re adorable assholes. Haha. So proud of this song. The self sabotaging title will keep it off most radio stations… which is a shame, because it deserves to be a big hit.”
The Dollyrots have released a brand new UK single titled ‘Still Holding On’ to kick off their first ever UK co-headline tour with Don’t Panic and special guest Royals.
You can listen to the track above!
““Still Holding On” is the first song we’re releasing off our newest recordings, from the first full album sessions since 2019! It’s a hint of a flavor for the next LP to be released later this year. Since we’ll be touring the UK this month we thought we’d give our friends here a treat and release it exclusive to the United Kingdom.”” says singer Kelly Ogden.
This week saw Millie Manders and the Shutup share their new single, ‘Rebound’, on Valentine’s Day! You can of course listen to the track above!
An ode to toxic online dating, as Millie explains: “Rebound reflects my experience with online dating, but most people I have spoken to have had similar and worse experiences with it. I wanted to write a song that was in solidarity with those on the receiving end of a rebound relationship and let them know they were never the problem.”
The comes ahead of the bands upcoming UK Tour in April.
The steady stream of fantastic new music in our News Report continues to flow from iconic Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. You can check out his latest solo effort, ‘Black Top White Lines’, above now!
This week also saw Pet Needs revealed as the special guests on Lottery Winners upcoming UK Tour. That wasn’t the only news for Pet Needs this week however, as they also debuted their video for ‘Ibiza in Winter’, which you can check out above!
New album ‘Primetime Entertainment’ available here.
Watch Episode 11 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Pet Needs!
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – ‘Episode 11’ – Pet Needs
Glasgow four-piece Spyres return with their new single, ‘Sleep Forever’.
Vocalist/guitarist Keira McGuire explains:
“Sleep Forever is a song about blocking out the realities of life and living in your own world, not wanting to grow up, becoming an adult which puts an end to teenage daydreams and fantasies.”
FUDGE.- ‘Y.F.F.G.’
FUDGE. release their new single, ‘YOUR FALL FROM GRACE’, taken from their forthcoming ‘THAT’S JUST IT, THIS IS NOW’ EP!
Commenting about ‘Y.F.F.G.’ singer Cam says: “It’s different to our usual songs but it’s a fan favourite and shows a very atmospheric, abstract vibe and I see it as a rebellious love song. The feeling I get from this song is the same as the almost surreal sensation you get when you’re on your own late at night or early morning. That may sound strange but some of you might get what I mean.”
Guitarist Otto expands: “I call this our quiet song. I wrote it whilst someone was sleeping in the same room as me, so I picked something sweet sounding and played it with compassion. Luckily, the outcome was one of our most palatable songs for the listener and, honestly, one that I never meant to write but am grateful that I did.”
Drummer Angus adds: “You get to hear Cam’s sensitive side on this song, which is usually hidden behind his radginess. It’s a lot smoother in its ebbs and flows and playing drums to this is actually quite a relaxing experience because, for once, I can sit back and let the song do the work. For that reason, it’s bigger than its constituent parts. A bit of a banger in other words.”
IKONIK – ‘Wall of Stone‘
‘Wall of Stone’ is the debut single from IKONIK, the brainchild of Copenhagen’s Katrine Wachmann.
“‘Wall of Stone’ is a song about commitment issues and being stuck in a relationship that is going nowhere, though knowing that vulnerability might be the only way to make a relationship work. Whatever the listeners get from this song I’m just truly humble, amazed and excited that IKONIK is off on its wings and ready to fly out into the world”.
Download Festival reveals 20th Anniversary line-up
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with festival announcements and where else could we start other than the monster 20th Anniversary line-up announcement from Download Festival!
Extended to four days this year the event will feature two unique headline sets from Metallica, the return of Donington icons Slipknot and a well deserved top billing for Bring Me The Horizon.
Other big slots are taken by the likes of Alexisonfire, Architects, The Distillers, Disturbed, Evanescence, Ghost, I Prevail, Parkway Drive, Pendulum, Placebo, Simple Plan, Ville Valo and Within Temptation.
It doesn’t stop there and also playing will be the likes of The Blackout, Fever 333, Kid Kapichi, Nova Twins, Seether and Witch Fever.
Welsh rock fans are in for a treat when Airbourne bring the party on Saturday night at next years Steelhouse Festival!
The Aussies will headline the event which also features The Answer, Blues Pills, Kris Barras Band, Florence Black, The Cruel Knives, Austin Gold and more, with plenty more to be announced.
Crystal Palace Bowl in London will once again host South Facing festival next summer and this week Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and more were amongst the first acts revealed.
Peter Gabriel announces first EU tour in nearly a decade!
We stay with the live side of things next as our News Report moves onto the best tour announcements from the past week!
Peter Gabriel has revealed his first European tour in nearly a decade including UK dates in Birmingham, London, Glasgow and Manchester.
Gabriel said of the tour: “It’s been a while and I am now surrounded by a whole lot of new songs and am excited to be taking them out on the road for a spin. Look forward to seeing you out there.”
Primal Scream & Happy Mondays to team up in Margate
We continue our News Report with news that Saturday 5th August will see Dreamland in Margate taken over be a co-headline show from Primal Scream and Happy Mondays.
In celebration of their 40th Anniversary, James have announced a new UK ‘James Lasted’ Tour complete with 22-piece orchestra and gospel choir!
Tim Booth says “There are a number of great bands who have been around for 40. But to get here and to be having the best time of our lives. To be part of a supportive loving family that still has something to say and new ways to say it. To be turned on by every gig and song. To fall in love over and over again, Groundhog Day, with our bandmates and audience. Damn. That’s time well spent.
We should have recorded the orchestra tour first time round, as many of you have reminded us. Well, we’ve done it now. And here comes the tour. The Orchestra and Gospel singers expand our palette, heighten the tenderness, heighten the celebration and, despite their numbers, somehow leave us feeling more naked and raw. It will be different, probably each night, because we are James and Joe knows how to dance with us. And because you are different, each night. Please leave your phones behind, come and play in the moment.”
Jim Glennie says “Has it really been 40 years? In some ways it feels like yesterday and in others, many lifetimes. I’ve lived a blessed existence, being in a band I’m supremely proud of with musicians that would grace any stage. A family of brothers and sisters, willing to support each other musically and emotionally. We are bloody minded and independent to the core. Uniquely challenging, always pushing ourselves into the new and taking risks collectively and individually, looking for transcendence. With love, trust, and acceptance we grow. Somewhere in a parallel universe, James are the biggest band on the planet. Here’s to another 40 years.”
Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris will once again be taking British Lion on the road in the UK next January. Joining them for these shows will be Coney Hatch and Airforce.
Steve Harris comments, “We’re excited to be touring the UK again especially as we’ll be visiting many places we’ve not had a chance to play before. It’s fantastic that we’ve got long-time friends Coney Hatch coming over from Canada to join us. We had great fun when they were our special guests on the British Lion Canadian shows in 2018. And we’re happy to have our old mates Airforce back out on the road with us too. Everyone is really looking forward to this tour and we can’t wait to see everyone.”
Rockers Dirty Honey have announced a UK/EU Tour taking place early next year.
Prior to the tour, in January 2023, the band are set to release a brand new, re-recorded version of album track ‘Heartbreaker’.
“Some songs really come to life after they’ve been performed a bunch of times. You can really see an audience react to a line being sung a certain way or a riff grooving that you didn’t think of while recording in the studio. Over time we realized the song took on a new life on the road in both North America and Europe and we wanted to capture that energy….” – Marc Labelle, vocalist of Dirty Honey, talking about Heartbreaker 2.0
We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and we begin with Skindred!
The group this week announced new album, ‘Smile’, will be released August 4th. The band also shared new single, ‘GIMME THAT BOOM’, which you can check out above.
The track is based on a frustrating encounter lead singer Benji Webbe had with an overfamiliar fan.
“I was out shopping one day and I could hear someone building up asking me for a picture,” Webbe recalls. “The person didn’t care who I was with or what I was doing – they just wanted their picture. In this day and age, people want you and they expect to get you on tap, constantly giving you that ‘boom’ so they can get their Instagram Likes up. It’s important to remember that people can’t give you that ‘boom’ all the time. People think because they follow you on social media, they own you.”
Ahead of their UK Tour next month, The Dead Daisies have released new single, ‘Born To Fly’, which you can listen to above.
“Doug & I got together in New York earlier in the year and worked on a riff that I had written previously. Doug had a chorus that just fitted, we messed around with the melody and came up with the name ‘Born To Fly’. This is a straight-up rock song. For me it’s literal, I was born to fly. However we’re all born to fly in our own way.” – David Lowy
This week saw REWS share new single, ‘The World That Left You Behind’, which you can check out above.
“Ah! I’m ecstatic about finally releasing this song!! It’s got so much energy, riff’s for days and a great message!! I wrote it with a great friend of mine from NI, Cahir O’Doherty (New Pagans). It is a song that journey’s through how we can support those people in our lives who get carried away with negative thoughts and feel utterly lost and alone. Hopefully the song will provide a nice audio net for people to fall into at times of need, so they know they aren’t alone!” – Shauna
Dissonants have shared their huge new single ‘Grave Mind’.
‘Lyrically, Grave Mind is more conceptual than our previous work. I wrote the track from the viewpoint of someone on their deathbed looking back on their life and wondering if, now that it’s over and coming to a close, they can be happy and at peace. For this track we wanted to draw less from our own experiences and look at concepts such as mortality and happiness, and how one can affect the other’. – Frontman Benjie Allen.
M(h)aol – ‘Asking For It’
M(h)aol will release debut album, ‘Attachment Styles’ on February 3rd. This week they shared new single, ‘Asking For It’.
On the track singer Róisín said, “I wrote it initially in 2016 then revisited it in 2020. I was shocked by how much internalised victim blaming there was in the lyrics. I rewrote it, then we recorded it and it was released to raise money for Women’s Aid in 2021. The album version is a lot angrier than the 2021 one and almost satirical insofar as it’s highlighting how ludicrous the notion of anyone ‘asking for it’ is.”
Chasing Kites – ‘Shiver’
Bath-based indie-rock four-piece Chasing Kites return with their fourth single ‘Shiver’.
Speaking about the writing process, vocalist and lyricist Matt Donnelly explains, ‘’Shiver came together extremely quickly. I’d had the lyrics lying around for a very long time and felt they fit perfectly with the sonic side of the track when the melody was written. As we built on the skeleton of the song, our aim was to take us back into the realms of indie rock through powerful injections of energy in the choruses, while maintaining our commercial sound throughout.’’
Watch Episode 21 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests Dissonants
‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 21 – Dissonants
Welcome everybody to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We are starting this week with the best tour announcements from the past week and we begin with a special treat for Pendulum fans.
Yes, after their secret sets at Reading & Leeds Festivals, Pendulum revealed not one but two dates at the legendary O2 Academy Brixton for March next year.
Pet Needs have just released their sophomore album, ‘Primetime Entertainment’, and this week they announced the obligatory headlining tour to accompany the release.
Support for these shows comes variously from Tundra and Bridget..
The tour finishes in their hometown Colchester on December 16th with special guest Sean McGowan plus Ecto Peach and Oxbowlake!
Speaking about the show, Johnny says: “We’re headlining a 400-capacity venue in our hometown Colchester at Christmas. I moved here 7-8 years ago now. For local bands, if you play Colchester Arts Centre, you’ve got credibility. I never thought we’d headline that venue and If we can sell it out, that’d be incredible.”
We move our News Report now onwards to the best new releases from the past week and we start off with the return of Nickelback!
Yes the Canadians returned this week with new single, ‘San Quentin’, which you can listen to above. The track will feature on new album, ‘Get Rollin’, which will be released 31st March.
This week Black Star Riders shared the latest look at new album, ‘Wrong Side Of Paradise’, which is out January 20th. You can check out new single, ‘Pay Dirt’, above.
Frontman Ricky Warwick comments: “Rock’n’Roll is my lover, friend, enemy, ally, religion and saviour. Rock’n’Roll is my life.Christian Martucci and the late Todd Youth wrote the music for this. And when I heard it, it stank with defiance and attitude. It didn’t need changing, just some words to echo the power of the chords.It’s an ode to Rock’n’Roll… But also a dig at those that don’t learn their art and don’t play from the heart!”
About the album Ricky adds: “I am very proud of this record, Black Star Riders’ fifth release and the first with our new and exciting relationship with Earache Records. As with all BSR albums, ‘Wrong Side Of Paradise’ is an anthemic statement of intent, driven by ferocious guitars and thundering drums. I can only write about my own personal experiences, my families, my friends and how I see a world that is unraveling and changing faster than we can comprehend. That being said, I’m a firm believer in the power of positivity, something that echoes throughout this album”
In addition to the new record, Black Star Riders will embark on their 10th Anniversary tour, starting from 13th February 2023.
Ricky Warwick further comments: “Can you believe 2023 is 10 years of Black Star Riders? … How time flies while you are having fun! We decided to do something special to commemorate this occasion. For the UK tour only, to coincide with the album’s release, we will be bringing back the legendary Scott Gorham (guitar) and Jimmy DeGrasso (drums) for the dates to make them extra special!”
Our News Report continues with the latest single from The Cult, ‘A Cut Inside’, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from new album, ‘Under The Midnight Sun’, which is out on October 7th.
Leading to 2020, The Cult had been on a rolling cycle of releasing albums, touring, and recording. As the world shut down and everyone was forced to reprioritise the way they approached life and work. “When the world stopped, I had this moment to write in real time, to calculate,” says Ian Astbury.
When lockdown lifted and the group could meet to record, they teamed up with Dalgety. “I was compelled by this vision, this anomaly, this memory, of being under the midnight sun. Tom helped us bring a new musical shape and frequency to our process.”
Pixies up next in our News Report as they shared new track, ‘Dregs of the Wine’, this week, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from upcoming new album, ‘Doggerel’, which is out September 30th.
BlackFrancis says the song is about, “Living in Los Angeles in the ‘90s with my then-wife, hanging out with Joey and his ex-wife, lots of trips to Las Vegas, a lot of drinking, little bit drug taking, some genuine good times.”
Flashforward to the present day. Joey Santiago was jamming at home on his guitar and the initial idea behind the song may well have been lost to the moment.
He recalls, “I guess I was in kind of a zombie state, just playing. After I stopped playing I put it down and went, ‘Well, that was a fucking waste of time, what a piece of shit I am.’ I beat myself up a lot, but my girlfriend, unbeknownst to me, was recording me. She played it back to me and I go, ‘Fuck! Hold on a second here! This stuff is good!’”
Smith/Kotzen release ‘Got A Hold On Me’ live video
Smith/Kotzen – ‘Got A Hold On Me (live)’
The duo of Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen will release ‘Better Days… And Nights’ on September 16th.
This week they shared the live video for ‘Got A Hold On Me’, which you can check out above.
Adrian Smith comments, “I think everyone in the band was extremely happy with how our very first tour turned out. We were all naturally a little anxious as we’d never played live together before but once we got out there, everything fell into place really easily and we all had a tremendous amount of fun. I can’t wait until we can do it again and get to play in many more places next time round.”
Richie Kotzen adds, “We spent a lot of time discussing which of the songs from the live show to include on this CD. We wanted to capture an accurate snapshot of the special vibe we all felt on the tour and I think we’ve achieved this in the songs we’ve selected, and hope our fans will agree. We’re looking forward to seeing everybody again on future tours.”
This week also saw Maximo Park share their latest single, ‘Merging Into You’, which you can check out above.
Singer Paul Smith comments on the song:
“Merging Into You’s organ sound reminds me of some of our early songs, which ended up on the flipside of our first singles. The song is a romantic look at the first, tentative moments of a relationship, enhanced by Du Blonde’s brilliant voice. We’re all fans of Beth’s music and she added a different texture to our sound, along with Faye MacCalman’s swooning sax that carries the song to its close.”
Stray From The Path share video for ‘Needful Things’
Stray From The Path – ‘Needful Things’
Stray From The Path celebrate the release of new album, ‘Euthanasia’, with the debut of the video for ‘Needful Things’.
The band will shortly play an intimate UK Tour to celebrate the album release even further.
Speaking of tour, guitarist, Tom Williams, says “We are stoked to return back to the UK and mainland Europe to do some small and intimate album release shows for our new record, ‘Euthanasia’. By the time we get there, it will be almost three years since we’ve been back. We’ve dropped ‘Guillotine’ and ‘III’ and our UK/EU people have been wanting us back ASAP, I’m glad we can get back there for them. We’re bringing with us a brand new album, two amazing up and coming bands in Vatican and Guilt Trip, and three years of too much time spent away from some of our favourite places on earth.”
As our News Report continues we look towards Wednesday 13 who this week debuted new single, ‘Insides Out’, which you can check out above.
The track comes ahead of 9th album, ‘Horrifier’, which is out October 7th.
About the track, Wednesday 13 says: “Our latest single ‘Insides Out’ is a very heavy song, so it only made sense to make a video to match the sound! Torture and violence is the main theme of this song, and we continue along the lines of the last music video with another horror movie theme here too.”
Beth Orton is another artist with an imminent album release. Her latest effort, ‘Weather Alive’ is out September 23rd, and this week she released her latest single. You can check out ‘Fractals’ above.
Orton says of the song, “The track is a beautiful example of the nature of collaboration, where people come in as they are,” she says. “You’re hearing the first take. I would never have been able to conjure that music without these musicians.”
Oakman have announced that their new EP, ‘SCP’, will be out September 30th. This week also saw the band share the video for the title track, which you can watch above.
“It is finally the end of a period. We are very excited to be able to give you the last pieces of this new baby,” says lead singer, Marine, about the new EP. “The last few months have gone by quickly and have been quite intense but it’s also a relief because we cannot wait to get our heads into what will be the next part of Oakman. We hope you enjoy this EP and we hope you can feel the sincerity of the emotions we wanted to share with you. Soon, this EP will belong to you.”
About the song, the band says, “Marine was watching a show during lockdown called “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”. The main character reminded her of a character she had played when she was doing theater. After the foundation of ‘SCP’ was written, she wrote the lyrics about these two characters. ‘SCP’ is a sarcastic and second degree track about the fear of loneliness and not being loved at all costs with a neurotic side.”
Grave Goods share the song ‘Die’ from their debut album, ‘Tuesday. Nothing Exists’, out now!
Speaking of the single, drummer Sarah Grimes said, “Lois sent us the idea for DIE as a sort of electronic track, and when we were all together we worked out how to make it into a live band sound and add our own stamp to it. Whilst recording at Invada we felt that the build up towards the end of DIE needed more layers, so Lois and Phil tried out a couple of synths and settled on a sound that worked – it’s the only song that has synth.
During the last 15 minutes of our recording time Phil added extra layers by messing around with some guitar feedback – the final sound to be recorded on the album, which is kind of special when you think about it especially as DIE is the closing track of the album.”
Harpy – ‘Medicine’
Harpy is back to share her brand new single, ‘Medicine’!
“Sometimes we don’t want to be saved. Sometimes we want to feel the pain, to revel in the misery. We do things that are bad for us, because sometimes they feel good… so good that we go back to them again, and again, and again. That’s what Medicine is about.” – Harpy
Creature Cult – ‘ughly’
Creature Cult are a duo from Colchester, Essex consisting of Connar Ridd (vocals/guitar) and Jonn Downham (synths/backing vocals). The present their latest single, ‘ughly’.
Explaining the track further, Connar said, “I had to leave a job recently because I was told I didn’t dress the way they wanted me to when I was dressed perfectly fine. If someone without piercings and tattoos and bleached hair would have worn the same thing I doubt there would have been an issue. I’m bored of being made to feel like an alien for just trying to be who I am, this song is exactly about it. It’s about paranoia to leave the f*cking house because you’re thinking about what homophobic comment someone is gunna say when you’re queuing in the corner shop. About feeling exhausted to be yourself because people try and make it hard for you to be. But there is a community for people who stick together and stand tall, a community where difference is celebrated and we are all ‘freaks’ together, and this song is a f*ck you to the people who try to take that away.”
Jonn adds, “I was recently sitting at a bus stop and had a group of guys hurling the foulest homophobic comments at me simply because I was wearing makeup and dressed in a faux-fur coat. It’s both crazy and sad that there are people who still have these sorts of views towards others simply for being or looking different to what’s considered ‘normal’. It’s not okay”
Festival season is in full swing, the weather is warm, and the women are setting the standard for football, in many ways life is good. Of course in many other ways things are tough right now.
Music has always been an escape from reality, and we certainly need a distraction right now, so as Y Not Festival open their gates for the first time in three years, it’s time for tens of thousands of fans to let their hair down and celebrate. That is once they can actually get in, with some enormous queues upon entry dampening early spirits.
Now, the last and only time I attended Y Not Festival was the fateful 2017 event which ended in cancellation midway through. I wrote a scathing review for another publication and swore never to return.
Well, watching from a distance the festival has put out some stunning line-ups since then, and organisational changes appear to have improved things and returned the events reputation to pre-2017 levels. This year is in fact billed as their first year back as an independent festival.
Having decided to give the festival a second chance on the basis of their 2020 line-up, I’ve since witnessed the line-up change multiple times for the worse based on my personal preferences. There is no doubting however the overall quality of the line-up at a tough time for festivals.
I’m interested to see how the event will progress and whether it can change my opinion of the festival after the 2017 debacle, so the huge entry queues on Thursday and Friday aren’t the best start.
Thankfully once inside, things pick up quickly! The general layout is well thought out in the main arena, with the main stage, the second stage (The Quarry) and numerous other attractions in the main section of the arena, and the third stage (The Giant Squid) and various other stages and attractions located in a smaller area.
This almost creates two distinct festival areas, with a busy walkway connecting them. The only issue here is that later on in each day this thoroughfare does bottleneck and makes movement very difficult. At one point on Sunday night, this reaches a near dangerous level as fans flood the area trying to catch an Oasis tribute band on one of the smaller stages.
Whilst I quite liked the two separate areas concept, in future additional access would need to be installed at the other end of the second area to avoid any disastrous incidents and make crowd movements flow better.
Now on to the music! Thursday is an add-on day and those to fork out and arrive early are given a splattering of acts to enjoy.
The first such act that we catch is Lucy Spraggan who does a great job in getting the audience into the spirit of things. Spraggan has the crowd singing along to the likes of The Proclaimers cover ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’, and fan favourites ‘Last Night (Beer Fear)’ and ‘Wait for Me’.
Next, The Hunna grace the main stage and also deliver a crowd pleasing set. The band’s momentum seems to have stalled slightly, but that upwards trajectory is set to relaunch if the reaction to new single, ‘Trash’, is anything to go by. ‘She’s Casual’ and ‘Bonfire’ serve as a reminder of what the band is capable of, and leaves the audience fully pumped up for our Thursday headliners.
WATCH ‘TRASH’ FROM THE HUNNA ON YOUTUBE
The Hunna – ‘Trash’
Those headliners are indie stalwarts The Kooks. The band have been celebrating their debut album, ‘Inside In/Inside Out’, whilst they have also recently released a new album, ’10 Tracks to Echo in the Dark’. It’s no surprise then that 15 out of 21 songs tonight come from those two releases.
The new tracks manage to hold up well with the hits such as ‘Ooh La’, ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’, ‘Always Where I Need To Be’ and ‘Naïve’. All in all this equates to a fun headline show which sets the standard for the weekend to come.
Friday on paper is the best day musically for me heading in with a great mix of the new and established acts that Y Not Festival has managed to book so well.
It’s a new act we start with on the main stage as Lauran Hibberd brings her charismatic indie pop to Y Not Festival. The early risers are treated to a glimpse of a star in the making and those that make the effort don’t regret it. Hibberd’s debut album, ‘Garageband Superstar’ is out this month, and based on today’s showing it will be a breakthrough record.
Hibberd has featured previously on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist, and next we headed to the ‘Giant Squid’ stage for the first time to catch fellow playlist alumni Daytime TV.
Daytime TV showcase their incredible debut album, ‘Nothing’s On But Everyone’s Watching’, as they quickly blast out the likes of ‘We Can’t Be Friends’, ‘Hush’, ‘Ugly’ and ‘Zombie’. This is another band with a great future, and today they deliver the goods for the early crowd.
Watch our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests Daytime TV
‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 14 – Daytime TV
Continuing the run of fantastic young acts we catch MarthaGunn in the ‘Giant Squid’ and The Skinner Brothers in the ‘Allotment’. Two very different acts, but two more acts that make the very most of their time on stage, clearly winning over any fans not already converted.
We then return to the main stage for another newer act, but one that already feel established. The Snuts burst onto the scene with their debut album, ‘W.L.’, and have dominated festival stages this year. Today fans are treated to a look at what comes next with new songs ‘Burn the Empire’ and ‘Zuckerpunch’ sounding massive. Expect The Snuts to continue to climb festival bills over the next few years, and don’t be surprised when they are eventually headlining the likes of Y Not Festival.
The Pale White continue what has been a consistently brilliant day of music with a powerful set in the ‘Giant Squid’, before we head to the ‘Quarry’ for the first time this weekend.
Festival favourite and all round legend Beans On Toast assembles a huge crowd for a sing-a-long session. The heralded folk singer serenades his crowd with favourites such as ‘The War on War’, ‘M.D.M.Amazing’ and ‘On & On’. Really, there should be a law that dictates that Beans On Toast appears at every single festival.
Watch The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Beans On Toast
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 3 – Beans On Toast
Even before the major issues struck in 2017, one gripe I had about Y Not Festival was the apparent disorganisation in relation to set times. I worry next that perhaps this issue hasn’t been fixed as Manic Street Preachers fail to appear for their advertised start time. Eventually a message appears on the screens citing technical difficulties, and the band finally arrive almost an hour late on stage.
This of course has a knock on effect to our headliners Stereophonics, and also means when the Manics do arrive, they quickly depart again only playing for half their originally scheduled time. The technical difficulties seemingly continue to dog the band throughout their short time on stage, which causes more set changes on the fly. A lesser band may have given up, but Manic Street Preachers force their way through.
Stereophonics are a safe bet as a festival headliner, guaranteed to deliver the goods and give the audience a good time. That’s exactly what they do to close out Friday night, with a set mixed of hits and deep cuts from throughout their distinguished career.
The double header of of Welsh icons Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics was a major selling point for many fans, so it’s disappointing that the technical issues leave a sour taste in the mouth.
Saturday soon arrives and we start off on the main stage for another double header of established acts. The Futureheads and Levellers bring the crowds in early as the festival rights the wrongs of last night. Both bands deliver solid sets which the audience lap up, and the party is in full swing as we head deeper into Saturday afternoon.
We refocus next however back to the fresh new acts that help to make this festival so appealing. Do Nothing, King No-One and the excellent The Mysterines all draw big crowds to the ‘Giant Squid’ stage and all three acts are able to produce perfect festival sets to the delight of the packed tent.
Sea Girls are one of the bands leading the new wave of indie and they are next up on the main stage, where they are greeted by an army of their fans. The band and fans then reciprocate energy for the next forty-five minutes and the result is a very enjoyable watch.
Our Saturday night is then spent back in the ‘Giant Squid’ for two bands that personify the festival. First up is a hot new band on the cusp of greatness in the form of Yard Act. This is a band that has been touring solidly and making a name for themselves. Today they put the spotlight on debut album, ‘The Overload’, which gets the entire tent bouncing along.
Lastly is an established act of indie folklore, We Are Scientists! The band finish out the night with a fan pleasing set full of favourites such as ‘It’s A Hit’, ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt’.
WATCH ‘THE GREAT ESCAPE’ FROM WE ARE SCIENTISTS ON YOUTUBE
We Are Scientists – ‘The Great Escape’
It’s during this time that the heavens open for the first time. Back in 2017 it was the Saturday night when the festival organisers decided enough was enough, come Sunday morning the last day was cancelled and a disorderly evacuation of the site commenced.
One massive criticism of the event that year was a lack of foresight with heavy rain predicted well in advance, the site saw little or no preparation for the weather. It’s great this year then that prior to the rainfall we see straw spread at key points in the arena.
The result is that despite a night of rain, the arena is still in good nick come Sunday morning and we are able to continue with the high quality entertainment. Kudos then to the present organisers for taking proactive action rather than waiting until the horse has already bolted!
So, onto my first Y Not Festival Sunday! We again are on the hunt for new talent early on and catch both Marty and Cucamaras in the ‘Quarry’ and Baby Queen capturing the imagination of the main stage. All three showing that the future is bright.
Sunday really sinks it teeth in on the main stage with back to back performances from Amy MacDonald and Jake Bugg. Two more established acts with stacked back catalogues, two more artists that are able to deliver polished and well received sets as the shine really starts to break through.
After some sing-a-long action with MacDonald and Bugg, it’s back to the fantastic new music offerings as The Hara and Rews in the ‘Giant Squid’, and Vistas and Dream Wife in the ‘Quarry’ all deliver blistering performances which really rile up the audience.
Soon there is a great moment on the main stage where The Vaccines get to announce the incredible result of the Football mid-set. The atmosphere is electric as fans celebrate with more great music.
For us that great music sees us conclude our weekend back in the ‘Giant Squid’, firstly with Blood Red Shoes, who have released one of the albums of the year in ‘Ghosts On Tape’. Their belated set is an intense and ferocious explosion of rock which instantly enters the race for performance of the weekend.
Watch The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Blood Red Shoes
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 4 – Blood Red Shoes
That honour is hotly contested as across four days of music we somehow haven’t seen a bad performance. The pure quality on offer despite the multiple line-up changes since 2020 is a testament of the work of the booking team for Y Not Festival.
The last band of the weekend for us is Black Honey, who decide that the crown for set of the weekend belongs to them. They deliver an energetic yet majestic performance that is the perfect way to end what has been a great weekend.
I must admit scepticism coming into the event, and whilst I hoped that a great weekend would be had, I wasn’t sure. The organisers have rectified the issues of 2017 and have earned themselves a clean slate from me.
Whether you just want to chill at the main stage, or go hunting for the best kept secrets in the tents, Y Not Festival had it all this year. The ghosts of the past have been put to bed by the acts of the future!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report! We start out this week with a run through of this weeks best tour announcements, and first up is a huge European Tour for Sum 41.
The band will be celebrating 20+ years of both ‘All Killer No Filler’ and ‘Does This Look Infected?’ this Autumn. For UK fans, the show will be hitting Alexandra Palace in London, with support from Simple Plan!
“We’ve been having such a great time on our tour with Simple Plan in the States and cannot wait to bring the party over to Europe,” shares vocalist Deryck Whibley. “We’re so excited to celebrate the anniversaries of some of our favourite albums along with other hits and favourites with you on the “Does This Look All Killer No Filler” tour!”
Next up is Dub War who this week shared their latest single, ‘Vibes In The Place’, which you can listen to above.
Speaking on the track Benji Webbe says, “Vibes In The Place was one of the first songs we wrote when we got back in a room together. It features that old little Yamaha ha ha ha ha keyboard that we use live right up to this day. What’s particularly special about this song is that a massive friend and fan mixed this track – Mr Rick Will. Rick was down to mix the whole album but due to one thing or the other we went with Richard Jackson.
For me this song is inspired by Talking Heads – I’m sure many will say ‘what are you on about’, but for me it’s definitely got a flavour of David Byrne (I guess it’s the part where I say ‘hold the door’!)
“Vibes In The Place” definitely captured Dub War from back in the day – this track is one of the songs we actually wrote with a drummer in the room, Mikee “KRUPA” Gregory.
This song captures the live element of Dub War and once it’s known by the ‘War lovers, it will for sure be a live favourite..
Sadly after mixing this song, Rick Will past away… So this is a track that means so much to me, Jeff and Richie.”
The track will feature on new album, ‘Westgate Under Fire’, which is out August 5th.
There was also new music this week from Gun. The band debuted new single, ‘Backstreet Brothers’, which you can listen to above.
The band will be releasing a new album, ‘Calton Songs’ on October 14th.
Jools Gizzisays, “When the pandemic hit we realised that it was the perfect time to try and counteract the bleakness that was all around. It felt like we couldn’t write anything, or of course tour. Out of that darkness came a desire to completely rework these songs that we know the fans love, and bring a different, stripped down vibe. ‘Better Days’ was the first one to get the treatment, and that really brought all our enthusiasm back and relit the creative fires”.
Dante Gizzi added, “It’s ironic that those feelings of negativity led to something so positive, a celebration of our career up to now. It turned into something great, and “Backstreet Brothers”really sums up that unalloyed enthusiasm that has been brought back into the heart of the band”.
The Wonder Years share new single ‘Summer Clothes’
The Wonder Years – ‘Summer Clothes’
There is plenty of new music to share in our News Report this week and next up is The Wonder Years.
The group has shared new single, ‘Summer Clothes’, which you can check out above. The tracks comes ahead of a new album later this year.
Vocalist Dan Campbellexplains: “it’s a love letter to a time when your sadness was most conspicuous by its momentary absence, when the low hum quieted enough for you to realise it was nearly gone, when you did stupid, dangerous shit because, well, why not?”
Another band supporting My Chemical Romance on their UK Tour, is Witch Fever. The band have been building their reputation and recently featured on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist.
This week the band announced their debut album, ‘Congregation’, will be released October 21st. They also released the title track as a single, and you can listen above.
On the single, Amy Walpole said, “This is Alisha’s personal fave! It marks a new step in our development as songwriters as it’s something different from what we’ve done before. We allowed ourselves to experiment with space and dynamics and we love it!”
Walpole says on the album, “As our first album we’re really excited to just get it out there. We feel that it’s a step above what we’ve done before as we had a chance to experiment with sound and structure. It was our first opportunity to explore writing a body of work which was challenging but has been so rewarding!”
She continues, “It pushed our creative process because we also had to think about the songs sitting side by side on an album! We tried to break out of what makes a typical ‘witch fever’ song whilst still being true to what makes our sound what it is.”
Listen to ‘Fantasy’ above, and check out the band on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with the episode dropping on May 23rd!
“The pandemic and the lockdown was a long period of questioning. When you try to realize your dreams, your projects, you put so much energy into it that nothing can stop you,” says the band. “But when everything stops, it’s a hard blow. And this time, it was the whole world that stopped! So you start to question your life, your choices and even think about giving up and you say to yourself, ‘that would only be proving the people who never believed in you right.’ So when you finally realize that you can’t give up who you are, you start to find a new energy where this time you want to fight even harder to reach your goals because ‘this time you want it all.’”
Eli Hurts, the project from songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Eli Hirsch (courtship), has released a new single and music video for the song ‘Runts’.
“When I played this riff for the first time I was sure I stole it,” says Eli on the new song. “I don’t think I did, but who knows. I love this song. I really wish I wasn’t a runt, and in some areas, I’m not but in many I am. There’s not much to do about it except embrace it. and find other runts. and take over the world. I love you my runts”
Sunsleeper – ‘Currents’
Indie rock outfit Sunsleeper have a new music video for their track ‘Currents’.
“The music video reflects the theme of feeling stuck in a routine. The character grows increasingly distraught with their mundane cyclical lifestyle, until a chance encounter helps push them out of their comfort zone,” shares vocalist Jeffery Mudgett.
“The song is about feeling stuck in a cycle that we have no ability to break. Grappling with the fact that life is like currents, forever undulating from crests to troughs. Nothing is linear, especially not existence,” says Mudgett.
Mexican Dogs – ‘When It’s Gone’
‘When It’s Gone’ is the latest offering from rambunctious Liverpool trio Mexican Dogs.
Frontman Gaz Wilcox explains of the track:
“”When It’s Gone” is about when you think you don’t have enough in life, but then you lose what you had and realise you actually had everything you needed. The track shows a heavier, more alternative side to the band, and this gusty sound goes down well at our live shows. As a band we do try to make each song different from the next — it’s important to us as it keeps things fresh and makes writing music exciting.”
Welcome to a bumper edition of our weekly music News Report! A plethora of festival announcements to get through this week, so let’s get start with Download Festival!
New additions this week included Skindred, SKYND, Dirty Honey, Kid Brunswick, The Velveteers and the incredible Yonaka.
They join a massive line-up headlined by Kiss, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro. Other highlights include A Day To Remember, Korn, Shinedown, Volbeat, Rise Against, The Pretty Reckless, Airbourne, The Darkness, Funeral For A Friend, Creeper, Boston Manor, Trash Boat, Holding Absence and many more.
This week also saw Y Not Festival reveal their second wave of acts including Thursday headliners The Kooks!
Also added this week were Jake Bugg, The Hunna, We Are Scientists, Blood Red Shoes, The Mysterines, Noisy, Daytime TV, MarthaGunn and more.
They’ll join the likes of Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, Nothing But Thieves, Levellers, Pale Waves, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Black Honey, Yard Act, The Futureheads, Dream Wife, Beans On Toast, Lauran Hibberd, REWS and many more.
Slam Dunk Festival updated their line-up this week following a couple of drop-outs. Joining the bill are Streetlight Manifesto, Stand Atlantic, Cassyette, MC Lars and more.
The event will also feature Sum 41, Alexisonfire, Neck Deep, Dropkick Murphys, Beartooth, The Used, Deaf Havana, Hot Milk, Cancer Bats, Nova Twins and many more.
Nottingham’s Splendour Festival this week revealed the event will stretch to two days this year with acts including Richard Ashcroft, Supergrass, Razorlight, The Magic Numbers, Ocean Colour Scene and Happy Mondays.
New festival Wide Skies & Butterflies set for North Norfolk
A brand new music festival is heading to the Raynham Estate in North Norfolk. Taking place this August, Wide Skies & Butterflies will feature headline sets from The Vaccines, Hot Chip and James!
They’ll be joined by the likes of Editors, Everything Everything, Levellers, Scouting For Girls, Natalie Imbruglia, Toploader, Lauran Hibberd and MarthaGunn.
Our smorgasbord of festival goodness continues with Gateways Festival who revealed their line-up this week including headliners Jake Bugg and The Charlatans.
Also onboard for the event are The Subways, Ash, The Sherlocks, Dream Wife, Lottery Winners and many more.
Bowling For Soup debut ‘I Wanna Be Brad Pitt’ and announce new album
Bowling For Soup – ‘I Wanna Be Brad Pitt’
Another band releasing new music this week was Bowling For Soup, who returned with new single ‘I Wanna Be Brad Pitt’.
That’s not it though, as the band also revealed that new album ‘Pop Drunk Snot Bread’ will arrive April 22nd!
Listen to the single above, and pre-order your album here.
Fatherson debut ‘Better Friend’
Fatherson – ‘Better Friend’
Fatherson continue to build towards new album, ‘Normal Fears’, which arrives April 1st with new single, ‘Better Friend’.
Speaking on the single, frontman Ross Leighton says, “”Better friend is about losing touch with people when you’re growing up and wishing you were better at staying in touch. Sometimes life gets in the way, but if the last few years has taught me anything life is better with the people you love.
It’s an anthem about friendship and an apology for letting it slip. It was the first song that I wrote for Normal Fears in my old bedroom in Kilmarnock and it really felt like the first normal fear I had going into the record. It became this reference point for melody and groove that the rest of the record built on.
I think everybody has felt a bit out of sorts before and gotten themselves into a space where they lose touch with people that are close to them. This song for me is a reminder to just get back in touch and start to rebuild. I love it!”
Listen to the track above and pre-order your album here.
One of the most important artists emerging over the last couple of years Bob Vylan have continued to preview their upcoming album ‘Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life’.
The album arrives April 22nd and can be pre-ordered here. Before then you can check out the latest single, ‘Health Is Wealth’ above.
North London singer/songwriter Louis Dunford shares brand new single ‘The Angel’ from his forthcoming second EP ‘The Popham’.
Speaking about the track Louis says: ‘I wrote this song about my home town. Anyone who’s lived in North London as long as I have will recognise the people and the places I’m talking about in the lyrics. Some that are still here and some that are not. It’s my family and friends favourite song I’ve ever written. Everyone’s London is different. I tried my best to capture ours’ .
‘GIVE IT TO ME’ – CLASSLESS ACT
Los Angeles rockers Classless Act will be joining huge tours with both Dorothy and the Motley Crue/Def Leppard/Poison/Joan Jett Stadium US Tour on their schedule. Check out recent single ‘Give It To Me’ on our Playlist.
‘IT’S ART’ – BLACKGOLD
Described as masked misfits bringing nu-metal vibes, the mysterious Blackgold emerged from the shadows this week with debut single, ‘It’s Art’.
Check out all tracks on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist’, and remember to also check out our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast wherever you listen to or watch your Podcasts. We have multiple Episodes coming this week and just talked with recent Playlisted acts Youth Illusion and Scruffy Bear!
We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
Whitesnake, Foreigner & Europe combine for huge UK Tour
We start our weekly News Report with the classic rock tour of 2022. Not 1, not 2, but 3 iconic rock acts will be joining forces in May next year for an enormous UK arena tour.
Whitesnake, Foreigner and Europe all on one bill means that there will be plenty of anthems to sign along to. Tickets will be available here.
This week was a big news week for The Raven Age. Firstly, the band revealed December tour dates including a date at Powerhaus in London. Tickets can be found here.
Secondly, the band announced that their new album, ‘Exile’ will be released on September 17th, with new single ‘No Man’s Land’ out now. Pre-order the album here.
Finally the band will play a special livestream event, ‘The Year The World Stood Still’, on Thursday 16th September. The band will be joined by a string quartet and pianist and the night will include a live Q&A with The Raven Age. Tickets available here.
Another tour announcement this week saw Black Orchid Empire reveal a run of dates for October this year. The tour will finish up at the legendary Black Heart in Camden. Tickets are available here.
The fantastic Music Venue Trust continue to work tirelessly to #ReviveLive music. This week the line-up for their special run of shows in combination with The National Lottery got bigger. One act set for a run of shows is Rews who will play five shows in September.
Against The Current this week announced the ‘Fever’ tour will be hitting the UK in 2022. Starting off in Brighton the UK leg will conclude with a show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.
Reading & Leeds Festivals announces headliner change and new additions
In our sole News Report piece of festival news this week, Reading & Leeds Festivals have updated their line-up ahead of the events next month. The BBC Introducing stage is back and will feature sets from the likes of Lauran Hibberd, Calva Louise and some special guests.
There has also been a rejig of the line-up with a number of acts no longer able to appear due to logistical reasons. They sadly include headliners Queens of the Stone Age. The good news however is that Biffy Clyro will be stepping in to once again headline the double event.
Finally this week, Valeras have released another new track, ‘The Other Side’. More information from the band here.
This song also leads the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist on Spotify. Also added this week are ‘Candyland’ from Unprocessed and ‘damn’ from Ada Lea! Listen, follow and discover your next favourite act here.
