Friday, October 30, 2009

Name Dropping 101 ; Across The Pond

America's not the only place with rad music.

>>Twin Atlantic (@TwinAtlantic) ; Scotland
I recently found them through New Music Inferno (@NEWMUSICINFERNO), and I basically fell in love.. They're pretty much everything you'd want in an alternative band, plus a sick accent. "Old Grey Face (And the Way of the Magenta)" has more of an upbeat vibe to it, and "You're Turning into John Wayne" has a softer tone. "What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?" is definitely my second favorite by them, it draws you in from the beginning and holds your attention with riffs you'd expect to hear from a band like Senses Fail. I'm not sure my description will do it justice, so just watch the video fer their song "Lightspeed" below, it's my favorite by them :D Also, check out their album, Vivarium, on iTunes now.


>>Summerlin ; Leeds, England
They've got a really cool pop-punk feel that makes you want to party. "I've Got A Future and You're Not In It" is a great example of that.. and really, so are all the songs on their page :) Feel free to follow each of the guys on twitter! Their links are on their myspace page. Also, check out their album, So Make Your Move, on iTunes & their other merchandise on their bigcartel page (prices in Euros).

>>Me Vs. Hero (@mevshero); Blackpool, UK
I found this band while looking at Summerlin's page, and I'm glad I did. They're more punk rock, and their tracks have a lot of energy. "Cashing Cheques" is one of those songs that draws you in from the start, & keeps you listening with a killer chorus.

>>My Passion ; London
This band, who I also found through Summerlin, has a heavier sound. Check out their video for "Day Of The Bees" below.


>>McFly (@mcflymusic); London
Remember that movie Just My Luck from 2006? Remember that awesome band the main guy managed? That band is a real one, and their name is McFly. Not only were they in that movie, but their album (with the same title) came out that year, too. There are a bunch of great songs on that record, including "Five Colours In Her Hair" & "I've Got You" which they played in the movie. I love a bunch of their older stuff too, including one of my favorites, "Sorry's Not Good Enough." Look them up, their pop rock sound is bound to make you smile.

>>Heart In Hand ; Bournemouth, UK
Their song "Indelible Mistakes" starts out really sweet, but after about a minute, it starts to change. Around 2 minutes in, you get a true taste of what the band is like- a hard rock / screamo band that knows how to go crazy. Listen to their music, and make sure to stop by their online store.

>>Gallows ; Hertfordshire, London and South East United Kingdom
As I've said before, I'm not usually a big fan of really heavy music, but there's something about this band that makes me want to listen to them. I caught some of their set at Warped this year, and maybe that was all I needed- they were great. I missed them when they played nearby recently, but they're still on tour. Try to make it out to one of their shows if you get the chance (tour dates listed on their MySpace).

>>Muse ; England
Their vocalist has an almost chilling aspect to his voice that really helps set the band apart. The music as a whole has a similar effect, listening to "Invincible" will demonstrate that pretty well. "Plug In Baby" is basically love in song form.. to me, at least. "Thoughts of A Dying Atheist" is another of my favorites. I would strongly suggest this band to anyone looking for a different kind of rock song that still packs a punch.


>>You Me At Six ; UK
They're a genuinely good rock band with catchy songs. What else do you need? Sign up HERE to get a free download of their song "Finders Keepers". Be sure to try & catch them on the AP Tour with Mayday Parade, The Academy Is..., and more!
Here's their video for "Kiss and Sell":

Kiss and Tell

You Me At Six ( UK Headline Tour On Sale Now) | MySpace Video

>>Does It Offend You, Yeah? (@dioyy); UK
"Dawn Of The Dead" was the first song I'd ever heard by them, and let's just say it was a hell of an introduction :) Anytime I sing it, I feel the need to do so with an accent... I hate being one of those typical Americans who loves different accents, but hey, can you really blame us? All of their songs are really different, each with a different combination of alternative, synth, and rock qualities that make them pretty addicting.

>>Ellington (@JakeAshley); Brisbane, Australia
Need some truly adorable, smile-enducing music to fall in love with? Well, stop searching- you've found what you've been looking for. Ellington has a really sweet, soft-rock / acoustic sound to every song, but their sound isn't generic. If you happen to be in their area, catch Ellington with Save Us For Summer, Courage, and more on December 12th (Check the poster below & their myspace for more info).


>>Courage ; Queensland, Australia
They only have one song on their MySpace at the moment, but listening to it, you can't help but smile. Playing with Ellington on December 12th.


Bonus: BandCentral.com (@BandCentral)
BandCentral is a London based website made for the benefit of bands who like to keep things as simple as possible, but get things done all at the same time. The site allows bands to eliminate long email threads with band-specific message boards. There's also a band calender and a gig manager, and if you're forgetful, you can get SMS updates sent to you as a reminder. You can also create set lists and guest lists for each event. There's a "Fan Alert" feature that, combined with the automatic twitter/facebook/myspace status updates, will help let your fans know about upcoming shows, releases, and more. Of course, you can also keep track of your band's finances, create & update a to-do list, and upload files for easy storage & sharing. This site is pretty much any band's best friend, a great thing to have.

"BandCentral gives you your very own online 'Band HUB', which enables you to manage everything associated with a hard working band (gigs, promotion, files and finances etc..) all in one instantly accessible place."

(^demo vid)
Interested? Click here to try out the site & all of its features free for 30 days.



No comments: