We Are Scientists' new songs

Earlier this month We Are Scientists announced via Twitter that they were releasing a 7' vinyl with two new A-side tracks: Something About You and Let Me Win. It's been confirmed that they will not feature on the new album, which as of yet does not have a release date. You can purchase the tracks here.

We Are Scientists @ Thekla, Bristol - 22/07/13

Introducing new song "Something About You" bassist Chris Cane: "This is one from our first album that we wrote back in the 70's." The thing I love most about We Are Scientists is their sense of humor and they did not let up last night. Ever since I first started listening to WAS I've been desperate to see them live. So when they announced a series of intimate gigs in the UK, I was delighted. 

Four-piece band from Essex Vox Empire kicked off the night with some impressive stage presence considering the audience was quite small at that point. Their  guitar driven indie rock went down well and I wouldn't be surprised if they go far. Following Vox Empire, Scottish band PAWS took the stage and delivered some angsty punk rock to a growing crowd. 

After the support bands we didn't have to wait long until WAS took the stage, kicking off with the beefy 'Dinosaurs' and going straight into 'This Scene Is Dead'. The crowd at this point really got into it and being right at the front, we could feel the band feeding off from this energy. A highlight of the gig was when Keith jumped into the crowd with his microphone and sang Texbooks. 

 Personally, my favourite thing about the gig was how much Keith and Chris were enjoying themselves.  From discussing drinking 'puppy's blood' (it was strawberry cider) to asking if anyone wanted to loot Bristol after the gig after joking that there was a lot of crime there.

They played crowd pleasers such as It's A Hit, Rules Don't Stop, After Hours, Chick Lit, and finished with The Great Escape. As well as the sing-a-long tracks they slipped in a couple new songs, one of which was called Slow Down.

After the gig, we waited outside in the hope to meet them, and we were lucky enough to! They were so lovely and down to earth, they chatted to us like we'd known them for ages. Their fill-in drummer (also named Keith) was also a *nice guy.* We discussed what the royal baby should be called to which Chris responded, "how about a classic British name, like Beowulf."

All in all, it was a brilliant night and I wish I could do it all over again. But, rumour has it they'll be touring the UK again in the autumn so I might be able to do just that!

The 2nd Law

My album rating: 7/10

The 2nd Law is the sixth studio album by the bombastic three piece Muse which is due for release in the UK on October 1st.  Bellamy tweeted what we could expect from the new album a few months ago: "Christian gangsta rap jazz odyssey, with some ambient rebellious dubstep and face melting metal flamenco cowboy psychedelia." We were wrong to think he was joking.

The album opens with the prog-rock odyssey 'Supremacy', a fantastic opener to the album, ones that almost takes you back to 2001 with the screeching guitar and falsetto. Aside from the opener, many of the songs on the album are radically different from anything they have done before, mainly 'Madness', and 'Panic Station' which is a highlight on the album for me. It's a funky, Queen-esque filled jam, and one that you've got to at least tap your feet to. 'Follow Me' is obviously inspired by Bellamy's new found fatherhood, but it also sounds like something you dance to at a club. 'Explorers' is a tender little lullaby that tells a sweet narrative. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme has written two songs for the album that tell of his battle with alcoholism, 'Save Me' and 'Liquid State', the latter is the heaviest song on the album. The album concludes with an apocalyptic dubstep jam,  'The 2nd Law: Unsustainable'  and the haunting instrumental finale, 'The 2nd Law: Isolated System.'

After the luke-warm reception Survival received,  as well as the odd choice for a lead single, a lot of people weren't sure what to expect from The 2nd Law, and although it's by no means their best album, it's the same crazy, over-the-top Muse we all know and love.

Come Of Age

My album rating: 7/10

The four piece quartet from London have become well known for their punchy pop tunes in just two years after posting two songs on the internet. Their quick rise to fame has meant that their second album has been much anticipated, and I feel it lives up to the high expectations that were set by the band's debut album. Having said that though, it doesn't have hit after hit like the first album did.

They've been compared to The Ramones and 50s rock n roll and I think Come Of Age further backs this up. The lyricism is awfully self-deprecating and urgent, which isn't always a bad thing, Justin himself said that he loves primitive song writing that's all about the melody. The highlights for me include Bad Mood and I Always Knew, both laced with catchy choruses and solid riffs. 

Although not the most intelligent of records (it doesn't pretend to be) it's a great album to slap on in the background.

Madness

My single rating: 5.5/10

It's hard for me to be honest about the new Muse single since they've been my favourite band for almost four years now. When I first heard it I was very disappointed and couldn't even listen to the whole song. After a week or so though it grew on me and I don't know why that is. Maybe just because it's Muse and I feel I have to love all their music no matter how terrible it is, or maybe because it really is a catchy, fun song. 
There's some wub wub beats to enjoy (?) and Bellamy's voice sounds different somehow, sort of forced in the first couple of verses. The song picks up in my opinion after the little guitar solo, the way the "I NEED TO LOOOOVE" lyric is sung sends goose pimples down my spine (especially after hearing it live.) 
All in all, Madness is a nice little song overall, all be it a strange choice for the lead single of The 2nd Law.

p.s Sorry I haven't posted anything here for over a year, that's probably why this review isn't really a review, more a rushed opinion and even more biased than usual. Hope to write more since I've got nothing but time on my hands at the moment. :)

Portamento

Short and sweet interview of The Drums' new album, Portamento. Written for Electric Banana. 

                                                           


                                                              My album rating: 4/5

                                                                

New York indie-rockers The Drums burst into the music scene last year, bringing with them the annoyingly catchy tunes 'Best Friend' and 'Let's Go Surfing.' Clearly influenced by bands such as The Smiths and Joy Division/New Order, from their sound, to the lead singers Ian Curtis-esque dance moves.

Their self titled début album was full of indie pop treasures that their fan-base grew to love, and they will not be disappointed with the new album, 'Portamento'. It could almost be seen as part two of their début album, it is full of tunes fans of The Drums will be familiar with, sing-along choruses, 80s inspired poppy guitar and synths, and sweeping, relatable vocals, “I want to buy you something, but I don't have any money”. Portamento also sees The Drums evolve as a band, as the second half of the album sees the band steering away from radio-friendly indie-pop. The edgy, dark tones and the soaring vocals of 'If He Likes It Let Him Do It' see The Drums experiment with their darker side.

Perhaps at times the album could be perceived as being rather samey, but the tracks are different enough to not become tedious. Portamento is an album that fans of The Drums are sure to be pleased by, and sceptics of the band will have to accept that they are showing signs of growing and developing as a group. We look forward to seeing them evolve further.

Famous First Words

My album rating: 6.5/10

Viva Brother, who used to be known as 'Brother', before an American band of the same name threatened legal action against them, have rose to fame very quickly in the last year. They formed in Slough in January 2010 and have since then gained a lot of attention, especially from NME who claimed they are "The return of the great British guitar band." As usual, NME jumped on the band wagon and have been bigging up Viva Brother ever since they began to get noticed. However, they gave Famous First Words a 5/10, calling it extremely average and an Oasis tribute. Is there any truth in this?


Well, clearly Viva Brother have had a lot of inspiration from the 90s britpop scene, especially from Oasis and Blur. The polished guitar riffs and vocals come from Blur, while the attitude resembles that of Oasis. All artists get there inspiration from somewhere, but the key to reviving a sound is making it fresh and creating something new. Viva Brother have managed to do this in the form of scarily catchy tunes and simple, yet effective lyrics. You'll be humming New Years Day for weeks to come.


After all the raving hype surrounding them before the release of their album, and now seeing the album getting such harsh reviews, it's hard not to feel sorry for them. We were lead to believe that the Slough quartet were sent from above, intent on bringing music back to the laddish guitar rock era of the 90s. In reality though, they brought us a collection of melodic, singalong indie-rock tunes that certainly don't take any risks, but are far better than similar acts (The View and The Courteeners, to name a few) and more likeable.