The Vaccines- Come of Age (03/09/2012- Sony/Columbia Records)

     English Indie band The Vaccines, were formed in 2010 in West London and released their debut record ‘What Did You Expect from the Vaccines’ just last March. It peaked at number 4 in the UK Album Chart and spawned seven of the eleven track album as singles, including ‘Nørgaard’, ‘If You Wanna’, ‘Wetsuit’ and ‘Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’. The band have been compared to the likes of The Ramones and The Strokes, despite their fist-pumping Indie-Pop style.

    Having already peaked at number 1 in the UK Album Chart, has already awarded The Vaccines with fantastic commercial success. ‘No Hope’ is as festival-perfect as ‘Nørgaard’,and as Indie as ever, if a little dreary and half-hearted. Justin Young’s vocals also come across as drab and lazy, and ‘I Always Knew’ shows very little progression over the last year, and the band’s unfortunate complacence. They appear to have done the bare minimum with regards to varying their flair and the tracks are repetitive, but as catchy as eczema.

Artwork: 'Come of Age'

    ‘Teenage Icon’ is more produced than other tracks however, proving that The Vaccines care more for success through singles than the album itself, or the music they actually create. ‘All in Vein’ conveys a hint of Surf Rock, but tedious and underdeveloped lyrics; ‘You can’t hold a gun to my head/ ‘cause baby I would just refuse.’ (Surely that goes without saying in a relationship?) ‘Ghost Town’, certainly does what it says on the tin to begin with, with a gloomy intro and lifeless melody, and when played live, it’s about as energetic as road kill. The best thing about it is that it’s barely two tedious minutes long!

   Yet another lacklustre track, ‘Aftershave Ocean’ is begging for a response as to why the band refused to take more time to develop musically, and as people between albums. ‘Weirdo’ is very monotonous and Justin Young’s vocals are simply not strong enough to carry such a simply produced song. Out of the darkness of a dry, lifeless heap of tracks come ‘Bad Mood’, ‘Change of Heart Pt. 2’ and ‘I Wish I was a Girl,’ which still make use of classic Indie influences like the rest of the tracks, but less in the style of The Strokes and more of a Foo Fighters flair. It still lacks charm lyrically, but the instrumentation is, particularly the guitaring.

The Vaccines

    The track design of ‘Come of Age’ is appalling; soaring from some great Indie-pop singles, to mind-numbing compositions, and right back to bright and bubbly songs towards the end. Very little production-effort has been put into the five tracks that make up the middle of the album, which really lets it down. Along with weak vocals, mostly drab melodies and just one emotion-based track ‘Lonely World’,(which, in itself is excessively instrumental) ‘Come of Age’ is definitely nothing to write home about!

2/5

Two Door Cinema Club- Beacon (31/08/2012- Kitsuné)

     Formed just five years ago, Northern Irish trio Two Door Cinema Club have enjoyed vast success over the last few years with their debut album ‘Tourist History’, which was released in 2010. Singles from the upbeat Indie band’s debut did incredibly well, and the single from ‘Beacon’ ‘Sleep Alone’ has already peaked at 64 in UK charts.  

   With their less pop based, more chirpy, dance-worthy Indie tracks ‘Beacon’ reflects a new found confidence from the band with their own style. They know how commercially successful their last record was, and want to give their fans something new. ‘Next Year’ is a spectacular opener to another great album, telling a story of the hardship of loneliness when on tour. The experimental cocktail of electronic sounds in ‘Handshake’ is bursting with energy and instrumentals, and as radio and advert or jingle friendly as their previous work. It is fundamentally a harsh love letter, which shows a jump from ‘Tourist History’s’ classroom-whisper based lyrics.  

'Beacon's' Artwork

   Two Door Cinema Club have managed to pin-point the exact balance between being commercial, faithful to fans and unique, and ‘Wake Up’ is no different. It is as catchy as anything you’d expect from the trio and illustrates the fantastic work of Irish producer Garret ‘Jacknife’ Lee, who has previously worked with U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol and Editors. ‘Sun’ makes use of some brass; clearly an influence from a great producer and mixer.

    The rhythmic, polished and gig-perfect ‘Someday’ is quirky and explosive, but lacks emotion lyrically. ‘Sleep Alone’ perfectly overlaps different tempos and rhythms and is a textbook Indie single in the best way possible. With its seamless and epic backbeats and acapella sections, Two Door Cinema Club’s progression is unavoidable. ‘The World is Watching’ utilises old-school style harmonies used by the likes of The Beach Boys, all wrapped together with the input of unspoiled female vocals from Valentina. String-based segments add a new dynamic twist into the mix, especially when conjoined to high pitched electronic sounds.

Two Door Cinema Club at NME magazine this month.

     The constant mood and rhythm change in ‘Settle’ and ‘Spring’ both portray a more sophisticated and mature style, and ‘Pyramid’ is driven by the most beautiful, dancey back beat. Title track ‘Beacon’ begins with thumping bass, not dissimilar from The Vaccines’ ‘A Lack of Understanding’, but it quickly evolves into a gentle, echoing Indie song with adaptable and emotional lyrics; ‘Standing right in front of you is where I need to be’.

    Although it can be a little repetitive at times, ‘Beacon’ smashes the stereotype of second albums being difficult to compose due to an overload of pressure from fans. But Two Door Cinema Club have retained their ridiculously catchy beats, great electronic riffs and crisp, well produced tracks.

4/5

Maroon 5- Overexposed (26/06/2012 A&M/Octone Records)

     Overexposed is the fourth studio album of Los Angeles based Funk Rock band Maroon 5. After the phenomenal commercial success of single ‘Moves like Jagger’, which peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and number 1 in the US, expectations are high for the success to transfer to Overexposed.

    The band describes the album as their poppiest record to date since their debut a decade ago with ‘Harder to Breathe’. Adam Levine’s distinct vocals burst into play on ‘One More Night’ that propels the pop basis of the record into action. With strong  Reggae Pop influences and Adam Levine’s taste of solo limelight as a judge on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ has sparked many a rumour of the band splitting, and this album may be a taster of what we can expect in the future.

Artwork

    Released on the 17^th of April, as the lead single from Overexposed, ‘Payphone’, featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa peaked at number 1 in the UK charts and is an upbeat track of relationship loss. It also brings Maroon 5’s Rock roots back into play. Its lyrics of pain and regret; ‘If happy ever after did exist, I wish to be holding you like this…’ are relatable yet commercial, and has been labelled the new ‘She Will Be Loved’. I don’t know about that, but it is certainly emotion fuelled.

     Ever wondered what a sentimental Black Eyed Peas song sounds like? ‘Daylight’ is the answer! It retains the personal lyrics that band Rock fans adore as well as the trendy back beats of great Pop songs. The bittersweet track was co-produced by Levine himself and depicts influences from the likes of Coldplay’s frontman and lead vocalist Chris Martin. ‘Lucky Strike’ reverts back to Maroon 5’s collective origins but also illustrates the inputs of Pop producers Max Martin and Benny Blanco with its upbeat, if a little fragmented and repetitive.

    The Man Who Never Lied is so rapid it comes across as rushed and overly compressed, and Love Somebody is somewhat overproduced which takes away from Adam Levine’s striking vocals. In tracks like this, it’s difficult to tell if the rest of the band is involved at all, and what has been formed is hardly spectacular. It is as if Maroon 5 enjoyed the commercial success of ‘Moves like Jagger’ so much that they’re doing anything they can to recapture it throughout Overexposed.

Maroon 5

    With its Michael Jackson style, ‘Ladykiller’ also boasts a guitar solo of sort. But there is nothing organic about this track in the slightest. And ‘Fortune Teller’ is no better as it harnesses Maroon 5’s flair with the likes of Britney Spears of Rihanna, which, unsurprinsgly, doesn’t merge well. Although ‘Sad’ brings Maroon 5 fans the lyrical talent they expect from the band, it still comes across as a solo track, despite its sense of passion. Many Maroon 5 fans also adore the blend of Pop, Rock and Funk, as well as sexual frustration, difficult relationships and break-ups that the band do so well, which comes alive in ‘Tickets’ and somewhat in ‘Doin’ Dirt’.

     The feeling and sensitivity injected into ‘Beautiful Goodbye’ brings a sense of relief to the Pop rollercoaster that most of Overexposed is made up of, that is, before ‘Moves Like Jagger ’ featuring Christina Aguilera appears as the final track on the record. However, it is full of Funk and vigour, and ridiculously joyful.

   Overall, the album is hit-seeking but doesn’t quite nail the criteria of successful Pop music, or the Rock/Funk field Maroon 5 are famous for.

3/5

Ducking Punches - I am Arturo Bandini? (EP)

    A self-proclaimed hard-working band, Ducking Punches are currently on a European tour, which includes the 2000 Trees Festival.
 
    The Punk / Folk group gently entice the listener to appreciate the subtle folk sounds they utilise. The input of female vocals, especially in Burnt Matches comes across as so angelic that the track could be comfortably played in a church. Athough the vocals are great, the instrumentation is really atmospheric and easily captures the emotion of the listener. The band'sMumford and Sons vibe is very current, giving them great potential for future sucess.
  
     The simplistic melody Ducking Punches give them a very natural and approachable quality, especially with anger and irony based lyrics, such as "You're the worm in the apple". Being fundamentally Indie, Ducking Puncheshave a great commercial appeal to a wide audience and the input of gang vocals reflects how hard the band have worked on the production of this EP, as well as how relaxed they are musically. It is as if the flair comes naturally to them.
  
    Through the astonishing sucess of the likes of Frank Turner over recent years, there is a fantastic available market for Indie and Folk lovers to fall in love with this band. Chirpy lyrics and wonderfully rythmic melodies build up to melodramatic riffs blended with the effortless vocals, made authentic by a Peterborough accent. 
  
    I Am Artuto Bandini? has been availiable since the 6th of July this year and Marching Among Giants reflects how hard Ducking Punches have worked on this EP, as well as the fact that the lead vocalist often gigs on his own as a solo artist, relfected in his strength throughout the record.
   
     With their angry and emotionally driven style, the group have composed the tracks through their simple love of the Indie and Punk styles of music, moulded by their rich talents and hard work together. 

Blink 182 @ o2 Arena, London (08/06/2012)

    Eleven years ago, Pop Punk heroes Blink-182, Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker took to the charts with their debut album Cheshire Chat, in 2004, the same year Barker actually joined the band. The o2 Arena, London, with its 16,000 capacity venue held host to hordes of Blink fans of all ages who were welcomed with a fantastic night from the Pop Punk trio.

    With support from Four Years Strong and All-American Rejects, both of which really warmed the crowd of and were perfectly selected for the audience in hand. It’s clear, after their 2005 break-up, and re-launch four years later, as well as postponing the show for a year, fans were more than welcome to finally welcome the trio to the stage. The wide range of tracks on the setlist proves the promise that Blink would play as many songs from their latest album Neighborhoods, as it was the reason they gave for putting the tour off last year. And after all this waiting, the crowd is chock-a-block with anticipation.

Blink-182

    The lights and visual displays the band and their management have created for the tour were incredible, as just the right amount of enhancement to the set. The grey and black colour scheme, humours images and monstrous confetti match the much improved live musical ability of the threesome.

    Opening with ‘Feeling This’, ‘Up All Night’ and ‘The Rock Show’, Blink 182 are as spectacular at the start as they are at the end of the start. Despite the members well and truly meeting middle age and parenthood, their talent and light-hearted spirit that have carried them through all these years, dragging fans with them, shines through. Although the crowd isn’t as frantic and sweaty as younger Pop Punk audiences, it only reflects how the fans have matured along with the band, but still love to enjoy old Blink classics like ‘What’s My Age Again?’ and ‘Down.’

    Fresher tracks like ‘Wishing Well’, ‘After Midnight’, ‘Heart’s All Gone’ and ‘Ghost on the Dancefloor’ go down a storm however and the crowd look alive from start to finish. The improvement in the bands technical live skill is immense, even since shows just a couple of years ago, proving that they really work to please their fans. The band’s quirky, childish humour fit seamlessly with fan favourites such as ‘I Miss You’, ‘Blow Job Song’, ‘Dumpweed’, ‘Violence’ and ‘Always’.

       Although the sound is not fantastic in the o2, Blink 182 always know how to keep the crowd interested and cater to all. ‘First Date’, ‘Man Overboard’, ‘Fuck a Dog’, ‘All the Small Things’ and ‘Josie’ bring the set to a close, after which Mark Hoppus lightly explains that the band will go off stage for a while and pretend the show’s over, keeping the jokey, young feeling alive. The encore, with a classic Travis Barker drum solo of ‘Can the Drummer Yet Some’ reflects that he’s easily the most talented member of the band, despite his apparent quiet personality.

   Ending with ‘Carosel’, Damnit’ and ‘Family Reunion’, as well as floods of slow-falling confetti, Blink 182 have really brought the house down and show they really deserve their heroic status.

Prometheus Makes £500,000 From Advance Tickets

      The BFI IMAX is already set to break advance ticket booking records after making over £500,000 for Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus’.

    ‘Prometheus’ is directed by 74-year-old Ridley Scott, is about a team of explorers who discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth. It premiered in London in Leicester Square last night and stars Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Logan Marshall-Green and Guy Pearce.

     More than 32,000 people attended the first public screenings at midnight last night at the IMAX. The pre-sale figures are set to beat mega hits like ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’, Part 2’ and ‘Avatar’.

Ridley Scott

    The film’s budget was reported to be around £130 million and is not directly related to ‘Alien’, although it started out as a prequel.  It does, however share “strands of DNA” to ‘Alien’, according to Ridley Scott. ‘Prometheus’ was shot all over England, Spain, Iceland and Scotland last year using 3D cameras.

   However, the very first reviews of the movies have just been released since the premier last night. Critics such as The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw have expressed negative opinions about the most talked about Sci-Fi film of the summer. He described the film as "more grandiose, more elaborate - but less interesting" than the 1979 hit ‘Alien’ and he continued, "in place of scariness there is wonderment; in place of tension there is hugely ambitious design; in place of unforgettable shocks there are reminders of the original's unforgettable shocks."

   But Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy praised the flick as a “visual feast of a 3D sci-fi movie that has trouble combining its high-minded notions about the origins of the species and its Alien-based obligation to deliver oozy gross-out moments." He also said that it is "a film that caters too much to imagined audience expectations when a little more adventurous thought might have taken it to some excitingly unsuspected destinations."

    The visual effects and artistic elements of ‘Prometheus’ were praised by many and only time will tell if the public think the film’s worthy of the hype!

Tune In: Origins FM

     If you love your drum & bass, Origins FM delivers the very best rave anthems right from the world’s premier original underground 24/7 station HQ in London.   

    Unlike more mainstream stations, Origins focuses entirely on the music, and DJs never interrupt the tracks. But when they do speak to listeners, it’s personal, informal and all about the music. Playing material from some of the biggest house jungle and drum & bass artists, DJs like DJ Ska, DJ Akner and DJ Infinity.

   MCs also take charge of the shows like MC CD and MC Ryder Mike, and along with the DJs, deliver all your D&B needs. Shows vary from straight-up jungle, to liquid D&B to heavier and alternate D&B and amazing club nights, and the biggest events and parties are promoted constantly, so you’ll never miss out.

    With events including the likes of Jumping Jack Frost and Artificial Intelligence, Origins brings the biggest and best music and nights out!