Blossoms
The Old Fire Station, Carlisle, 9th
June 2015
The Stockport band head north for a pleasing intimate gig.
It would be an impressive feat if you found someone who proclaimed Cumbria to be a thriving
music capital. Heck, it seems like in tour managers’ eyes no one even exists in
that obviously desolate, empty region above Manchester and below
Glasgow. Perhaps this is the reason for rock five-piece Blossoms attracting a
reasonably small audience when they oh so bravely dared to venture into this previously
unmarked territory for tonight’s gig. Tonight’s gig, however, showed that an
unsold-out venue for them is really rather undeserved.
The venue in question is newly opened, transformed into an arts centre from a
working fire station. One of the band’s catchiest songs, Cut Me and I’ll Bleed, kicks in to start the show, and to the
staging area do the crowd only then move in. Next is a breeze through songs
which emit a nostalgic, almost psychedelic feel, including Smoke and new track Charlemagne.
The paced is slowed and the acoustic guitar is out for melodic love tune My Favourite Room.
“Is anyone going to T in the Park tomorrow?” asks frontman Tom Ogden, to the room’s gaggle. “Too expensive, eh? Us too.” This isn’t strictly
true, as fortunately for Blossoms they do not have to fork out £200-odd for a T
ticket; instead they are actually playing it. This follows a string of
prestigious performances, including support slots for Courteeners
and The Charlatans at Heaton Park and Castlefield Bowl respectively.
Ogden introduces each member of the band in turn throughout the set; Charlie Salt on bass and backing vocals, lead guitarist Josh Dewhurst, Joe Donovan on drums with their signature sound being pumped through the songs with the help of Myles Kellock's keys. The five-piece, once labelling themselves as a 'Stockport supergroup', seem to don a uniform of dark clothing
and stick-thin legs. Future single Blown Rose is played ahead of the provocative ‘60s-style You Pull A Gun On Me. Infectious debut Blow closes the set, complete with an
extended, passionately-performed instrumental.
Friday, 10 July 2015
Summertime is new album time
This week marks the global launch of a brand-spanking new music
release day. Yep, shift over Monday, because it’s finally Friday’s chance to
shine. Whilst, in fairness, this isn’t particularly life-altering, it is a
reminder that in a world of streaming and, most recently, Apple Music-ing, the
album is still an important and much loved part of our music consumption, so
here are just a few great ones to get ready for this summer.
1. Best Friends – Hot. Reckless. Totally Insane.
Release Date: 10th July
Known for their rousing riffs (and simply beautiful cover artworks), the Sheffield band put forward a pleasing debut that takes us on a ride through dreamy summer tracks to percussion-packed bangers. If you’re swift, you can grab the very limited first pressing of the vinyl, which comes in a mesmerising blue pattern.
2. Tame Impala – Currents
Release date: 17th July
Leaders of today’s psyche-rock scene Tame Impala are back, and, boy, are we excited. Let It Happen and the stripped-back ‘Cause I’m a Man emulate a continuation of their endeared sound, but suggest for their third LP the five-piece have explored new paces and some new levels of groove, and effectively pulled it off.
3. Mac Demarco – Another One
Release date: 7th August
Another album from the Canadian singer-songwriter? Well, if you must. Available to fans just ahead of a short but sought-after string of UK tour dates, Demarco’s latest offering is sure to be just as melodic and as captivating as his previous ones. When pre-ordered on iTunes, it even comes with a whopping seven bonus instrumental tracks, if you’re yearning for more.
4. The Strypes – Little Victories
Release date: 21st August
Considering they’re all still in their teens, it’s rather impressive that the Irish foursome are already onto their second album, and yet here it is, in all its revved-up, bluesy glory. A slightly more mature, polished vibe comes off the band’s most recent songs (see A Good Night's Sleep and a Cab Fare Home and Eighty Four) compared to those off their debut, Snapshot, so hopefully this record will see them be up there with the elite of their field.
5. FIDLAR – Too
Release date: 4th September
Currently, only one song from this album has been revealed to the world, but listen to 40oz On Repeat just once and you will be rushing to pre-order it immediately because the skate-punk yanks are finally back with a bang, bringing their trademark catchy repetition and thrashing choruses with them.
6. The Libertines – Anthems For Doomed Youth
Release date: 4th September
We’ve done our waiting, almost twelve years of it in fact, and within our sights is a day many of us believed would never come - a new Libs album. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will know that Pete Doherty is at long last clean after having gone through rehab in Thailand, where (what we hope to be) a masterpiece has been written and recorded. Teamed with a video looking like a scene from an Inbetweeners reunion movie some twenty years down the line, latest single Gunga Din is an instant anthem, and will be track-listed alongside fresh tapings of songs both new and old, the latter including Seven Deadly Sins and You’re My Waterloo. Needless to say, the world is waiting and is ready to give its verdict - will it be a tired-out flop attempt to resurrect the past, or comeback brilliance?
1. Best Friends – Hot. Reckless. Totally Insane.
Release Date: 10th July
Known for their rousing riffs (and simply beautiful cover artworks), the Sheffield band put forward a pleasing debut that takes us on a ride through dreamy summer tracks to percussion-packed bangers. If you’re swift, you can grab the very limited first pressing of the vinyl, which comes in a mesmerising blue pattern.
2. Tame Impala – Currents
Release date: 17th July
Leaders of today’s psyche-rock scene Tame Impala are back, and, boy, are we excited. Let It Happen and the stripped-back ‘Cause I’m a Man emulate a continuation of their endeared sound, but suggest for their third LP the five-piece have explored new paces and some new levels of groove, and effectively pulled it off.
3. Mac Demarco – Another One
Release date: 7th August
Another album from the Canadian singer-songwriter? Well, if you must. Available to fans just ahead of a short but sought-after string of UK tour dates, Demarco’s latest offering is sure to be just as melodic and as captivating as his previous ones. When pre-ordered on iTunes, it even comes with a whopping seven bonus instrumental tracks, if you’re yearning for more.
4. The Strypes – Little Victories
Release date: 21st August
Considering they’re all still in their teens, it’s rather impressive that the Irish foursome are already onto their second album, and yet here it is, in all its revved-up, bluesy glory. A slightly more mature, polished vibe comes off the band’s most recent songs (see A Good Night's Sleep and a Cab Fare Home and Eighty Four) compared to those off their debut, Snapshot, so hopefully this record will see them be up there with the elite of their field.
5. FIDLAR – Too
Release date: 4th September
Currently, only one song from this album has been revealed to the world, but listen to 40oz On Repeat just once and you will be rushing to pre-order it immediately because the skate-punk yanks are finally back with a bang, bringing their trademark catchy repetition and thrashing choruses with them.
6. The Libertines – Anthems For Doomed Youth
Release date: 4th September
We’ve done our waiting, almost twelve years of it in fact, and within our sights is a day many of us believed would never come - a new Libs album. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will know that Pete Doherty is at long last clean after having gone through rehab in Thailand, where (what we hope to be) a masterpiece has been written and recorded. Teamed with a video looking like a scene from an Inbetweeners reunion movie some twenty years down the line, latest single Gunga Din is an instant anthem, and will be track-listed alongside fresh tapings of songs both new and old, the latter including Seven Deadly Sins and You’re My Waterloo. Needless to say, the world is waiting and is ready to give its verdict - will it be a tired-out flop attempt to resurrect the past, or comeback brilliance?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)