Rock Ness Announces New Acts

Winner of NME’S Best Small Festival Award, Rock Ness 2012 promises to be the biggest year yet! Newly added acts include Pablo, Homework and Red Kites, along with the likes of Mumford and Sons, Biffy Clyro, Friendly Fires, Metromony and Mystery Jets.

Rock Ness will take place by the infamous banks of Loch Ness from Friday the 8^th until Sunday the 10^th of June. Tickets are priced at £159 for the entire weekend including camping, and £149 without, and day tickets will set you back £65. There are also various VIP options available.

For the full line up, visit the Rock Ness website: http://www.rockness.co.uk/artists/

Hop Farm’s ‘Create the Gate’ Competition

    Hop Farm festival has launched a competition for festival-lovers to have their artwork displayed on the main entrance this year.

     The competition is open to absolutely anyone and will be judged by the festival’s organiser Vince Power, playwrite and gallery owner Polly Stenman and former Hop Farm act Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. The winner will be announced just before this year’s Hop Farm on the weekend of the 29^th of June, at a private event at the Cob Gallery in Camden, on the 31sT of May 2012.

    There are no guidelines or themes whatsoever, so get creative!

    As well as being displayed on the main gate, the winner’s work will be displayed in a special exhibition alongside the festival’s artist in residence Hayden Kays. Also up for grabs for the winner are 6 weekend passes! The first runner-up will be awarded 4 weekend camping passes and their design printed on one of the bars, and the third and final runner-up will win 2 weekend camping passes.

   To enter, no experience necessary, email your name and age to hopfarmcompetition@vpmg.net and wait further details in the very near future!

Vagiant- ‘The Gospel According To Vagiant’ EP (08/10/2011 –Octopus/Domino)

           Vagiant’s themes range from substance abuse, blasphemy and their unusual mutual sense of humour. From spring 2011 to around the same time this year, the quartet has toured the world, including all over their homeland of France, as well as Russia.

'The Gospel According to Vagiant': Unlinked Artwork

    First track ‘Welcoming’ is an eerie, spoken, welcome to ‘The Gospel According to Vagiant’, which, as verbalised in French, cuts off Vagiant’s potential to be universal, with their preach-like opening. Whilst ‘Origins of Man’ is a straight up, rhythmic, Rock track, with angsty screams and a rhythmic domain, ‘Eternal Quest of Endless Beauty’ is full of screeching guitaring.

      But the track is all over the place musically, with spoken sections that do not combine well with the start-stop style instrumentation. The lyrics are also difficult to understand through the vocalist’s accent and thick, sludgy Metal quality. Vagiant have managed to pin-point the creepily dawdling Grunge genre with classic Rock guitaring.

Vagiant

    Vocals come across as whiney, and high-pitched in ‘How Bad is Your Karma?’ which, despite more great guitaring, makes use of swap and change speed selection, and the attempt at an anthemic Rock track through ‘Molerats’ fails to impress.

    If only Vagiant’s songwriting ability was as strong and hard-hitting as their song titles. And as they have yet to indicate their precise genre, the blend of Rock, Grunge, Metal and Indie elements do not fuse.

1/5

PIGS- ‘You Ruin Everything’ (11/04/2011 – Solar Flare Records)

   A New York City group, PIGS have unleashed their new record on the world, produced by Andrew Schneider.  ‘You Ruin Everything’ was released on the 11^th of April and the band claim it is powerful, very sharp and after playing live shows for over two decades, a blend of their efforts to date.

    Unapologetically tearing at your ear drums; ‘Give It’ is an ear-splitting blend of Heavy Metal, Screamo and Rock elements, to form PIGS’ style. PIGS manage to remain rhythmic despite their heavy formats, but vocals, particularly in ‘Whitewash’ are difficult to decipher, making the track lose all potential for hard-hitting purpose. The band’s songwriting is very variety driven, which helps showcase their various genre inputs, influences and skills, but as soon as vocals come into play, simplistic, steady drumming seems to be the band’s safe option to keep their songs flowing.

'You Ruin Everything': Artwork

    With his grungy, sluggish backbone, ‘Massive Operator Error’, PIGS, who claim to have chosen their name because it was short enough for the press to remember, illustrate their Sludge- Metal hold.  ‘Drained’ and ‘Outburst Calendar’ appear to continue the ‘fuck-you-and-fuck-everything’ approach PIGS have to music, with angry outbursts, different styles of songwriting and decent instrumentation and vocals, it is not difficult to see why ‘You Ruin Everything’ has caught the eye of many a Metal fan already.

      ‘Contribution Dilemma’ is a breakneck, heated and lurid track, which showcases what PIGS are all about; expressing yourself through anger. But when the band turns it down a notch, and makes use of a gentler tempo, without losing their grip on the listener, as they do for ‘Scrum’ and ‘Small c Celebrity’ listeners have the chance to comprehend their efforts as well as enjoy them.  

PIGS...and a dog

     Well produced but still very organic feeling, ‘You Ruin Everything’ comes to a close with ‘Mashantucket’ and ‘At Least its An Ethos’ (Parts 1 and 2) and PIGS manage to hold their own as well as their genre.  However interesting musically, the extensive instrumentals can come across as tiresome until a brassy vocal or thunderous guitar solo is thrown into the mix.

2/5

Masters of the Radio- ‘The Pleasure Age’ EP (29/09/2011 – MAKO Records)

     Masters of the Radio are a British Electronic Group fronted by singer-songwriter and producer Anthony Paul Stevens and featuring Phil Carr. With a repetitive, ‘80s vibe, and taking influences from artists such as David Bowie, Goldfrapp, The Human League, ABBA and Depeche Mode the band claim to create great music with a classic feel.

'The Pleasure Age' EP

     Although heavily electronic, ‘Easy Now’ also illustrates a soft, subtle sound. However, if you’re looking for something hard-hitting or emotionally heavy, Masters of the Radio are certainly not for you. But with a harmless Spandau Ballet sound and curious use of trance sound effects and musical techniques, ‘Close To You’ is very moderate, which also makes it appear ineffective at times.

    All of Masters of the Radio’s work is written and produced by Antony Paul Stevens, ‘The Pleasure Age’ showcases what the band are all about. Although the first two tracks could be interpreted as limp, the upbeat and gleeful ‘The Last Feeling’ is Masters of the Radio’s best portrayal of what they can really do; good songwriting, raw, Indie-style vocals and sturdy ‘80s back beats and sound effects. Although heavily induced by other bands, artists and their qualities, the band still manage to illustrate their own flair.

    ‘Caribbean Love Rise’, interestingly enough, makes use of steel-pan sounds and Caribbean charms in an utterly electronic form.  Retaining the same repetitive arrangement and edgy vocals, which ironically seem innate to the vocalist, in a very effortless, yet passionate way.

    Despite being exceptionally induced by several aspects, Masters of the Radio have a very rare attribute; they are unusual but likeable, and even somewhat unique. With more of a shapely sound and experimentation into their skill; Masters of the Radio have a great, retro driven future ahead of them!

2/5

Codex Leicester- ‘A Mad Man’s Lullaby’ EP (28/05/2012 –Self Released)

     Codex Leicester is a four piece band who formed in late 2010, who fell upon their name from The          Codex Leicester, a collection of largely scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci. Of Leonardo's 30 journals, The Codex Leicester is the most famous. Hailing from the four corners of Britain and now based in the sunny City of Leicester, Codex  Leicester is a Pop infused Indie Rock band who have already gained support from left-field specialist radio luminaries John Kennedy  (XFM), Adam Walton (BBC Radio Wales) and Jon Hillcock (XFM & NME Radio). Their debut EP ‘A Man Man’s Lullaby’ is set for release on the 28^th of May 2012 and the band perceive it as a snapshot of what is still yet to come from them.

'A Mad Man's Lullaby': Artwork

        It is clear from the outset that Codex Leicester are terribly unsure of who they want to be as a band, in terms of image and sound, as their rapid, mildly screamo style comes into play with ‘Strong Like Bull’. However, the song does utilise some interesting sound effects and drumming techniques. Unusual guitaring and stop-start drumming form ‘Hey Hey Hot Legs’, which, along with an odd song name, showcases more dire vocals and lyrics. It is obvious the band have yet to decipher between coming across as an anthemic, festival-appropriate Indie Rock band, a Pop Rock band or a screamo band.

     The whiney guitar noise drags the end of ‘Hey Hey Hot Legs’, but ‘Van Sant’ continues in much the same way; with several effective components, especially in terms of instrumentation, but an emotionless, dull approach when it comes to songwriting. ‘Oh Wichita’ is a speedy track that is so rapid at times that it appears overly hasty, making the lyrics, and therefore the song’s purpose difficult to pin point.

Codex Leicester: Promo Shot

Codex Leicester begins ‘Concrete Stetson’ with unusual voice-echo techniques before vocalist launches into another screeching verse. The band’s attempt at faded gang vocals is curious but does not bode well with the heavy metal backbone of the track, and ‘SS Supersleeper’ (I have no idea either) brings ‘A Mad Man’s Lullaby’ to a close by seemingly shouting random words against beautifully rhythmic instrumentation, that given more gentle and tender vocals, could work well.

     Collectively, Codex Leicester appear to have been influenced by a large number of bands, artists, styles and musical approaches, which has caused them to get lost in the process of forming their own sound. Yet with some promising elements, and softer vocals, there is no reason why the band couldn’t hit listeners on an emotional level and really broaden their fan base.

1/5

Stay Free- ‘Black to Grey’ EP (Summer 2012 –Self- Released)

     A four piece melodic Punk Rock band from North London, Stay Free recorded this self-released debut EP with Johnny A Carter and Paul Yeadon, who have worked with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and The Plight. Stay Free has promised ‘Black to Grey’ will be available for a free download very soon.

'Black To Grey': Artwork

     As rhythmic and melodic as early Foo Fighters tracks, ‘Dambusters’ really conveys the vocalist’s Lincolnshire roots, giving the band some authenticity. Although the instrumentation is interesting and effective, the lyrics fail to amaze or nab any kind of emotional connection. Vocally, the track depicts the rawness of the Stay Free, and ‘War’ sparks a similarity to 30 Seconds to Mars, with a more approachable Northern twang; ‘We’ll be judged by the sins of our fathers!’ For such an organic band, Stay Free is very assertive in terms of sound and style, although their work can come across as somewhat repetitive.

      With a little funding, professional production and pin-pointed identity, the band really does have some potential, as they have the perfect balance of inspiration from other bands, and their own sound. ‘Heathens’ illustrates some hard hitting guitaring and welcomed songwriting variety. Title track ‘Black to Grey’ is a let-down vocally-speaking, as the attempt at spoken and gang vocals, as well as harmonies and different voice layers do not quite work as not all voices involved are hard-hitting or melodic enough.

Stay Free

     It is unfortunate that Stay Free have not had any professional input into their debut as there are some elements of ‘Black to Grey’ is made up of some authentic elements. Yet at times, the band are let down by ineffective vocals, so-so lyrics and repetitive at times.

2/5