Brighton Unsigned - April 2012 - Issue 6

© ISSUE 6 • APRIL 2012 • FREE

B[R]AND R U O Y G IN T C E T PRO SKIEF PROMOTIO NS

GUY LLOYD’S BLOG

MUSIC REVIEWS

LIVE REVIEWS

This Month

From May 1st to 31st

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LAST MONTHS GIG

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MUSIC REVIEWS PAGE 14 LEGAL SIDE OF STARTING A BAND

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JIPSY MAGIC

Brighton & Hove’s Lottery Funded, Non-Profit, Professional Recording Studios

- Jordan (Editor)

GUY LLOYD’S BLOG

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AudioBeach Studios

Hey, welcome to the sixth issue! We have our usual content as usual but if you’re in a band yourself, check out the current editorial on how to protect and copyright your material, may help you out there!

We have Jipsy Magic returning to play for us live at the next gig on April 13th at Latest Music Bar, come and check them out!

LIVE REVIEWS PAGE 4

FIND US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/BrightonUnsigned FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @BTONUNSIGNED For advertising enquiries please email Alex Clouter at advertising@brightonunsigned.co.uk or call 01903 267770 Editor: Jordan Thomas

Design: Steven Probets

Gig Photography: Simon Brice

Email: jordan@ brightonunsigned.co.uk

Proofreader: Alex Clouter

Cover Photography: Donna Clark

Writers: Cindy Cheng (CC) Jessica O’Loughlin (JOL) Lauren Dyson (LD) Shaz Simone (SS)

LIVE REVIEWS

Jessica O’Loughlin

LIVE REVIEWS Lolly and the City of Flies

DEAD WHISKY

Genre: Hard Rock

www.facebook.com/DeadWhisky

Lolly and The City of Flies supported the wonderful Ellen and the Echo (cast your minds back a couple of issues to their review at the Hydrant last year) at an intimate acoustic gig at the Cobbler’s Thumb this month. Lolly and the City of Flies have been around for a while and are one of those bands that are probably on the brink of being signed at any minute. In fact, if you haven’t already heard of them, then shame on you and your lack of local band knowledge. The band is man and woman; one with a hat and a guitar, the other with no hat, long blonde hair and a mandolin. I will leave you to figure out which one is which. Their music is mellow, down-beat, conducive to day-dreaming lullabies, sung in unison by both members in soft and sweet, nonthreating tones. They are in fact what two harmless flies trapped under a pint glass pleading to be set free might sound like. Their music is folksy, but real folk, not new wave anti-folk or singer-songwriter generic folk, but medieval, traditional, gypsy kind of folk. It is the kind of folk that at once soothes and haunts the soul whilst conjuring the spirits of yours or someone’s cultural ancestors. The mandolin is masterfully played by the female half of the band and the instrumental solos of this beautiful instrument are a rare treat. A very calming act to see live.

@ The Cobblers Thumb

get bored of or take a strong disliking to one singer. Secondly, the bassist played slide bass - a technique not often adopted by bass players but one that sounds brilliant when it does happen. Mark Sandman from the band Morphine is probably one of the leaders in this field. John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin fame also used this method on his custom made bass lap-steel. The boys played a great outro to finish off the gig with a heavy, growling instrumental full of wonderful dissonance. However, they played a short set and we at Brighton Unsigned would have liked to have seen more.

The Green Door Store’s Sunday Service, if you haven’t been before, is a great night for witnessing all the latest and greatest talent on the Brighton music scene. The night’s organiser, Bee Adamic, never fails to choose the cream of the crop.

on the Brighton scene in a venue near you very soon. The members are clearly not fresh out of college like a lot of the bands we review. They are a little bit older (not very old at all, just not eighteen) but with their age comes experience. This is very evident in their playing, this group are as tight as…a drum, to quote that well known and not as rude as it could be idiom.

Unfortunately, the band I had intended to see one Sunday night this month couldn’t make the gig. However, it wasn’t all a waste of time as I was introduced to a new band on the extended block, Secret Rulers. All the way from Hasting, these are a new, rock three-piece that will no doubt be playing

To watch a band play professionally, cleanly and confidentially is always a pleasure.

Their sound is of the hard-rock variety, they are probably not high enough on the scale of hardness to compete with a metal act but not low enough down to make them sound too manufactured or “charty”. A nice all-round, established sound I would say that is accessible to all tastes. This is a band that is worth following from the beginning as they embark on their musical odyssey together.

@ THE GREEN DOOR STORE

www.facebook.com/ SecretRulers

Dead Whisky kindly invited us along to the Prince Albert to witness them get down and dirty supporting Dublin’s freshest rock export ‘The Minutes’. The three-piece from Brighton are self-described as “dirty, sweaty, strip-club blues”, a description that could not be more accurate. Their sound is what Robert Johnson might have sounded like if he was born in our generation and had an inclining towards hard rock. They play stripped back, raw unrefined bluesy, garage rock. This is the kind of music that is best enjoyed in a dark and smoky, dingy, backstreet hovel whilst under the intoxicating influence of - you guessed it - whisky! The band has two features that make them distinguishable. Firstly, they alternate between two singers; this is helpful if you

Secret Rulers

www.soundcloud.com/lolly-8

Genre: Blues / Garage / Rock

@ The Prince Albert

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Genre: Vocal / Folk

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GUY LLOYD’S..

Genre: Country / Blues

Jake Mackay

@ Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar

LIVE REVIEWS

Country and blues style singer/songwriter Jake Mackay had an EP launch night at the great venue that is Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar at the beginning of the month. The night was hosted by Overhead Wires, the not-for-profit music label who are doing some great things for struggling unsigned bands at the moment. The label also works with Jipsy Magic who played at our January gig. Jake was celebrating the launch of his first EP Clouds Come Over. The gig was enhanced by the great band Jake had put together to play with him on the night. These included a drummer, a backing singer and the multi-

EP Review

From Afar

www.fromafarmusic.com 6

instrumentalist, Alfie Bernardi alternating between bass, harmonica and pedal steel.

The pedal steel really added that extra country feel to the night. Jake marries half plucked/half strummed folksy guitar styles with a deep yet soft and honest voice, like a gentle giant singing to you from a cloud. The songs are equally honest with heart-worn-on-sleeve, sentimental style lyrics. The acoustics of Sticky Mike’s really lent well to his sound and the venue was packed with avid supporters backing Mackay all the way. The set was a diverse blend of long instrumental interludes, powerful rocky pieces, classic rock solos, raw bluesy numbers and soft and gentle heart-felt country tunes. Songs like Sing Your Sorrows and A Thousand Ships feature catchy refrains that are equally memorable and easy to sing along to. The set finished with a kick and saw all of the musicians on stage rocking out, displaying their skills and locking it down to leave us with that all important good impression.

THEM PESKY BRITS ..BLOG ABOUT STUFF AND NONSENSE Well another Brits and yet another crushing disappointment. It’s to be expected really.

I go through this every year. I get really excited and then I realise, traditionally about half way through the show, that it’s just another glorified Top of the Pops.

Now TOTP was THE show back in the day but it was cancelled for a reason. Combine this format with a back-slapping awards ceremony, full of music industry people and it’s no wonder it falls a little flat.

FromAfar have been tearing their way up the Brighton music scene ladder in recent times, playing shows alongside bands such as Death of an Artist, Earthtone9 and Surfaces. These past shows made sure they are known by many who feast on local music before releasing this debut EP, which, given the high calibre of posthardcore they have brewed, shows a firm consideration for the genre’s fans.

Atheoryforyou is three experimental, frenzied tracks which have a tendency to delve into both hostility and ambient beauty.

Burning Trees has a raw passion, taking a drag of the emotive air surrounding bands such as Defeater and Dead Swans. Unlike the straightforward bludgeoning hardcore riffs of such bands, this EP has an erratic ‘At the Drive-In’ personality and a sonic similarity to The Fall of Troy and A Lot Like Birds.The emotive quality of Burning Trees can be summed up by its machinelike spoken word interlude: “if you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face, forever”.

Vocalist Lance R’s performance is redolent of Misery Signal’s Karl Schubach. In opener Rome he delivers brutal, gut-slicing roars one minute and a clean, steadily intensifying vocal the next. Bastard Son, the conclusion to this debut, gallops until its hysteria crescendos and crashes into a wall of pathos, the repeated lyrics “the bodies they pile up” leaving you in a state of dark imagination. SS

votes. Clearly people do, just not the people I know. So what’s missing? What do we want to see at an awards ceremony?

I think we want to see some Rock N’ Roll.

We want to see some misbehaviour. We want celebrities and musicians make an arse of themselves. Yes, Liam Gallagher is and has been a bit of a knob at previous Brits. But at least he was entertaining.

Who can forget Jarvis and Jacko on full moon night?

Or Chumawumba, enjoying a John Prescott, with ice?

Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood with ‘Moonwalking? zero chemistry and If you like moons, charisma? We loved watch this...’ every second didn’t we?

That’s what we want to see. What did we have last night? Plan B slightly tipsy and James Corden desperate to hit the 10 0’Clock news.

There’s no doubt its got slicker but do we, the great British public want slick? The Grammy’s are slick. But it’s also incredibly dull. I like the fact that it’s gone back to the music. Last nights show at more live performances than ever before and some were excellent (Adele, Rihanna) and some were dire (Olly Murs).

But we don’t really care who wins do we?

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that

Come on musicians of Britain (imagine Tom Baker saying this), let’s shake things up next year.

Catch Guy’s blog at: guylloyd.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/guy_lloyd 7

James: The infamous Overhead Wires noise collective contacted us because they wanted a band to fill out their roster and we were a perfect fit. Personally I hate them. Professionally, they book us shows, pay for rehearsals and organise our tours.They made me say that.

Nick J: They have been working as hard as we have to push JM and get our music heard. From getting us radio interviews to arranging gigs and tours, Rich and George of Overhead Wires helps take us to the next step.

What are your inspirations and influences?

You’re with the promotion company Overhead Wires, how did this come about?

Jipsy Magic first played for us as headline back in the January gig and were met by an enthusiatic crowd, so I’ve invited back to Brighton Unsigned to be featured. They’re a bunch of talented and lively lads who are quickly gaining a large fanbase with their fresh take on the music style. No doubt soon enough, they’ll have bigger things in store for them.

What’s the story behind the band’s name?

Nick J: Well, we were playing around with different names for a while and had a few name changes a while back. We were simply throwing ideas at each other until somebody said Tipsy Magic. Instantly we loved the ‘Magic’ part but ‘Tipsy’ wasn’t quite right so we changed it to Jipsy.

Chris: We love the sound of Tipsy Magic but didn’t like the word tipsy, so we changed it to gypsy, realised we weren’t gypsies and we don’t play gypsy music, so we changed it to Jipsy and the meaning to happy.

Charlie: I didn’t know the mysterious origins of the name, however we like wizards.... and magic, but we’re not gypsies- so Jipsy Magic seemed to suit!

keyboard and I finally took my place in Jipsy Magic.

James: Well I met Chris Mace through his Charity Work which helps orphaned bass players meet new bands, and as a recently orphaned bassist myself (After being sacked from seminal PsycheProg band The Weather Underground), Chris tried to find me a new dad. He was unsuccessful, but brought me into his home and introduced me to the Jipsy Magic family band.

Nick J: Aahh… The Overhead Wires lads! It came about a little while back now when we played as a duo for them at one of their gig nights.

Chris: Personally I think joining forces with Overhead Wires is the best thing we’ve ever done. They are fantastic guys and support us in everything. In August 2011, they asked us if we’d like to be represented by them which was perfect timing as we had just formed our 5 piece line up. They’ve been so good to us as management and as mates, and now we feel as if we’re family and all working towards the same goal. Although I sometimes feel sorry for them when they’re trying to have a serious conversation with us and we spend the whole time messing around like a bunch of school kids. We love them dearly!

How did you get together, how long ago?

How’s your next EP going?

Chris: Me and Jax (Nick Jackson) met about 4 and a half years ago through our good friend (now keyboard player) Nick Reynolds and started jamming and writing tunes.

Nick J: We then started Jipsy Magic in 2008 as an acoustic duo and were for a couple of years. We previously had a drummer and a bass player for a while but it never gelled so we continued as a duo.

NickR: Throughout the years they have experimented with a variety of different line-ups, and had unsuccessfully tried to incorporate myself into the band. Last summer, we finally had the idea to use my previous experience of playing the

Chris: The EP is going great, we’re in the final stages of mixing and are planning on releasing it around the middle of May. It’s been great fun to record and we can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s called ‘We Can, We Should, We Will’ which is our band motto and kind of explains how we work as we’ve done all the recording and mixing ourselves. We’re releasing it through Overhead Wires Music.

Nick R: Our EP is going very well there’s not much left to do but we do not want to rush it!! It’s been a very exciting process.

Nick J: The launch party is on the 18th of Nick Reynolds - Keys

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James: I’m really into Funge at the moment. It’s kind of a mixture between Funk and Grunge but not as good as either.

Charlie: I think we all have such a wide range of influences and that’s definitely heard in our songs.

Personally I like anything and everything from the Beastie Boys to Bloc Party and as a drummer, I’d have to say my favourite would be Jose Pasillas from Incubus.

Nick J: There are so many. My brother is a huge inspiration as he got me into playing guitar when I was 14. I grew up listening to the Beatles, Queen, Manic Street Preachers and Nirvana, so they all had an affect. I then got really into Red Hot Chilli Peppers as well as some more chilled out music like Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz.

Chris: I think together we have such a range and we always try to incorporate different styles into our songs which keeps the music interesting for listeners and also ourselves. I tend to listen to a lot of different styles from classic through to heavy rock/metal and everything in between, I’d say my most prefers style would be funk or anything with a groove.

Nick J: As a group we all come from different musical back grounds and styles and its like, all of them got chucked in a blender and the JM sound is the outcome.

Nick Jackson - Guitar/Vocals

Chris Mace - Vocals/Guitar

Charlie Gibbs - Drums

James Finburg - Bass

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May, it’s going to be banging! It has been hard work recording and mixing as we’ve done it all but I’m sure it will pay off.

Do you have a favourite place to play in Brighton?

Nick J: We’ve played all round Brighton, picking a favourite place is hard some have been so great. For sound I would say Sticky Mikes Frog Bar! Charlie: The Latest Music Bar for me, great sound and amazing atmosphere, really feels like the audience is close to you too.

James: I love the Zooberon. Quality bands, quality nights.

Chris: We played an acoustic set in a bus stop last summer, which was pretty cool. But to be fair every venue has its own special features and they all stick out for different reasons.

Nick R: My two favourite venues are Sticky Mikes Frog Bar and the Latest Music Bar. They have great acoustics and a fantastic atmosphere.

James: Blowing the stage lights at the Mucky Duck on our closing song and getting an electric shock was quite memorable.

What do you have coming up?

Nick J: We’ve got a few gigs in Brighton coming up and the EP launch and we also have a tour of Cornwall at the end of May, playing 4 dates in 5 days.

The future is bright!

James: We are headlining a gig for Brighton Unsigned magazine April 13th. If it’s anything like the last Brighton Unsigned show (January 13th), it will be a laugh riot.

Chris: We always appreciate it when people come to see us play and we always try to have as much fun as possible so if anyone’s interested in following what we’re up to, find us at www.jipsymagic.com

What’s your favourite moment as a band in Brighton?

Nick R: There have been a lot of good moments but the one that stands out for me is the gig we did at Sticky Mikes supporting Missing Andy it was a great night.

Chris: Most memorable moment as a band would have to be a toss up between the gig we played in Eastbourne and the Latest Music Bar. Both had awesome crowds and great vibes.

Everyone’s daydreamed about having a soundtrack to their life… right?

‘Single but Defective’ is thirteen honest, acoustic basted tracks with a peculiar excellence. Gotta Work is the sound track to those sleepless nights, the dreaded realisation that you have to leave for work in four hours making matters just that much worse. Stuart Newman approaches such subjects with not only honesty, but realism. He belts the lyrics out with a genuine quirk and a ‘well that’s the way it is’ mentality.

www.stuartnewmanmusic.com 10

Cry Wolf is the soundtrack to your banal, fickle answer to the question “how are you?” not sure if you’re dancing on sunshine or moping around like a flamingo that’s had the pink sucked out of it. A-Negative is the album’s gloomiest moment. It is the two-minute, slow slog soundtrack to your lowest low. In comparison High and Mighty has an upbeat nod to it, but that is a real contrast to its emotive lyrics. Stuart is an impressive, truly original musical artist. For sake of comparison, if you enjoy Bright Eyes, Sparklehorse or Radiohead, this debut album is a must. SS

The Common Tongues The Common Tongues are a Brighton-based 5 piece; an amalgamation of guitar, violin and three clean voices that weave seamlessly together to consider disillusionment, a developing self-consciousness and loves that didn’t quite make it.

www.facebook.com/commontongues

Formed in early 2010 by friends Tom Anderson and Oli Hinkinsthe, the group had local success and a good run of festivals before landing in the top 5 ‘best new acts in Brighton’, courtesy of the Brighton Music Awards.

The Common Tongues add gentler tones, reminiscent of Johnny Flynn and Stornoway, to the roots of their stomping folk and bluegrass. The sound is exuberant, charming and full, and the harmonies ring with a fragility that kicks you in the chest. It is the type of music that necessitates movement, forging a joyous link between the experience of listening and the sudden, rhythmic actions of hands and feet.

‘Jumping Ships’ is their wonderfully addictive first single, begging you to re-listen as it muses upon an enchanting old lover; embracing a glorious vocal reverb that conjures images of offthe-cuff performances in churches and empty cottages. The central lyric claims that, ‘I have a way with words’, and it is hard to disagree when the poetic spirit of the storytelling is so distinguishable. Live versions of ‘Lover’s Note’ and ‘Embers’, too, stick out as handsome and jubilant, confirming that The Common Tongues are anything but the adjective they adopt.

Male-female duo Dead on the Live Wire describe themselves as ‘rough and ready’: a phrase that seems to be fitting, but only begins to sum up their experimental, industrial complexities. The pair originally hails from Edinburgh, but has drawn their sound southwards to the coast in celebration of all things mysterious and exuberant.

Their rattling, post-punk, techno inspired twang is disconnected and yet strangely enchanting: almost as if the pair are alternately prodding you in the side and whispering right up close to your ear. It’s uncomfortable, but the perversity in you sort of enjoys it.

Tracks ‘Blanka’ and ‘Nico’ are good examples of this uncanny sensory experience.

Sounding as if they could have been recorded in a tinny, apocalyptic future, the music situates itself boldly, if bizarrely, between the clever spunk of The Dead Kennedy’s and the theatrical playfulness of Electric Six. When considering tracks such as ‘Missing Persons’, it is hard to totally grasp whether the two are trying to entertain or antagonize you, but either way, the sense of novelty is invigorating. It has vigor, cheek and attitude, and is admirably sure of itself.

I can’t imagine that Dead on the Live Wire perform anywhere other than underground caverns draped in red velvet and animal fur, but if they do, it will be somewhere in Brighton, so keep a look out. You will probably leave wild eyed and sweaty, which I suspect might be their intent.

Reviews by Molly Taylor (Skief Promotions)

www.soundcloud.com/deadonthelivewire

S tu a rt Newman

www.skiefpromotions.org

Dead on the Live Wire

EP REVIEW

Buying your boyfriend’s Christmas present on Christmas Eve an hour before the shops shut; cue Mission: Impossible Theme, by Lalo Schifrin.

Running for the bus; cue Chariots of Fire, by Vangelis. Heading home in torrential rain after a shit day at work; cue Don’t Worry Be Happy, by Bobby McFerrin. Happily driving your car before being cut up by (if they weren’t previously they are now) a complete moron; cue Break Stuff, by Limp Bizkit.

Skief Promotions

GOOD MUSIC • GOOD EVENTS

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Protecting your b[r]and

What you should do

ACUMEN LAW gives us a through insight on legal issues when starting a band and how to protect your music

It is important to protect your brand as early in your career as possible. A trade mark law specialist can arrange the registration of your trade mark for a relatively small fee. In the long run this fee will seem like exceptional value for money when the alternative would be potentially lengthy and costly legal proceedings to prove passing off. A final consideration is that with the growing importance of the internet, it is also highly advisable to buy your band name as a domain name so that others cannot take advantage of your very valuable internet traffic.

Creating a brand In order to be a successful band you need to create a brand. The name you choose is therefore very important. A distinctive and memorable name, combined with a recognisable logo and a good product (the band itself), should set you off on the right track to establishing a successful brand.

NEXT MONTH ACUMEN LAW GIVES YOU THE LOW DOWN ON BAND AGREEMENTS

Protecting the brand If you are going to spend a lot of time and money developing as an artist and promoting your brand then you want to be sure that you have the exclusive right to use your name and logo and that nobody else is using it already. What bands often overlook is any kind of protection of the band name. So what kinds of protection are there?

Copyright

ACUMEN MEDIA LAW are specialists in legal and business affairs. For further information on how to go about registering a trademark or protecting your intellectual property rights and for all media and entertainment law requirements please contact us on 08458 678978 or visit our website: ACUMEN MEDIA LAW. Our free Legal Sound Check offers you the opportunity to meet with one of our specialists for no charge.

Trade Mark A much better way of protecting your band name and logo is to register them as a trade mark.

This is an inexpensive process and means that the name and logo are placed on a register which is available for all to see. Registration notifies the world that you own that band name and logo and that nobody else is allowed to use it without your permission.Trade marks are territory specific, so it is important to register in any country that you intend to market your brand.

Passing off If you don’t have a registered trade mark and somebody does start using your logo, then your only option is to sue them for ‘passing off ’. Passing off requires three things. First you must prove that your goods or services have become well known. Secondly, you must show that the person you are accusing has misled the public into believing that their product or service is connected to your product or service. Finally, you need to show that as a result of this, you have suffered some sort of damage. Clearly, this can be a time consuming and expensive process.

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Any artwork, music, lyrics and recordings that you create are automatically protected by copyright as soon as you ‘record’ them. Essentially what this means is that as soon as your idea is committed in a permanent form (e.g. on paper/computer etc.), you become the legal owner of the work and of the intellectual property rights in the work.This only applies if you actually created the artwork and did not simply copy somebody else’s work.The downside of copyright is that if you ever want to rely on it for protection, you have to prove that you created the work before anybody else (which can be tricky if you don’t have a date-stamped copy of the work). Another drawback is that names are not protected by copyright.

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MUSIC REVIEWS

WONDERBUS

Genre: Blues / Rock / Swing

Genre: Ambient / Pop / Post Punk

Wonderbus are a quirky and different band, with their genuine dress style and vibe sending you back into the 60s and early 70s. Previous to the formation of Wonderbus, most of the band members were originally based in Leicester, with an impressive experience of gigging round the UK and appearing on Channel 4 and playing for Mark LeMarr’s show at a BBC radio station.

Naturally, with all the separate experiences to gather as one, you get this talented and original mix of music. I cannot place my finger on how to describe their genre specifically, but in their own words, they describe themselves as “Full tilt motor groove fresh from the soup queue” which gives you a sense of their quirky style and attitude. Wonderbus also have quickly gained a lot of fans and ground in Brighton since I saw their first gig in November and it is no surprise that they have managed to achieve this so quickly. We majorly look forward to their next EP which of course, we’ll review in a future issue of Brighton Unsigned. JT

I came home from a particularly busy day, where the clouds were overcast and the traffic was bad, and Eager Jester was just what I needed to hear. Bearing vocals mature for the singer’s age, Lovepark’s soothing music worked on me like having a hypothetic back rub, easing out the knots with each note.

www.myspace.com/wonderbusofficial 14

Lovepark

The Cure-inspired riffs come in short, quirky bursts and break up the songs, livening it up in places. While the smooth vocals and echo-y, atmospheric quality is reminiscent of Glasvegas, it is as though they had been recorded in an empty hall – just the singer and the mic, then lifted up and intricately preserved in a glass box ready for the studio.

A mellow resonance is achieved with Lovepark, which is ideal for unwinding. Almost As One suggests “there is no concept of time now” and everything around you blurs as you find yourself staring calmly transfixed at the same spot, smiling away gormlessly like you have no cares in the world. My only critique is that something more upbeat would not have gone amiss. However, it is a small, magical wonder how music so fluid and serene has been created by such a young band when fooling around, talks of girls, games and what to have from the take-away menu must also be rife… probably only achievable by a proficient, cool and collected kind of group like this. CC

www.soundcloud.com/lovepark

Genre: Cretin Rock / Noise Punk

This band is messy and they’re not going to cater for the population of Brighton that are into their neat conventional indie or their twee wimpy folk. This band are going to cater for the lovers of old –skool Nirvana before Nevermind was created and they were tidied up to appeal to the masses. They’re also for the lovers of Pearl Jam when they were raw and emotive, before they started charging fifty quid for an arena ticket.

Ragweed is punky, grungy and dirty… I love it. It’s about time someone played some more grunge. It is a dying genre. Their songs are structured and catchy but also somehow untidy and rough around the edges. It’s got that punk anger to it and teenage angst. Widget is my favourite because of the fast punky drums; I actually found myself gently but quickly banging my head to them.

This band is creating a raw metal and punk infused grunge that is surprisingly hard but nice on the ears. Makes me feel angsty and cool, like I’m a teenager again sitting in my bedroom planning a way to screw the system. I love the messiness it feels authentic and the fuzziness makes me feel fuzzy. There’s been a lot of attempts to recreate the Seattle sound of the 90’s and many have failed, but Ragweed sends you in a time warp to the decade of plaid shirts, yoyos and no auto-tune. LD

www.facebook.com/Ragweedrock Like Yellowcard have a violinist and The White Stripes didn’t have a bass player, FranClassic, too, have something unique to bring to the stage. Joining Fraser Forbes’s vocals and Dan Wheale and their acoustic guitars, is Roman Scott – their beatboxer.

Fitting the pieces together, you are left with a sound that combines folk, funk and hip hop. How the band members came up with the concept, be it accidentally, experimentally or purposefully, begs intrigue and that eureka moment is something shared between the band that they can hold close to them. We are left as that important, final jigsaw piece and all we have to do is enjoy and support.

Jake Risbridger Photography

MUSIC REVIEWS

Genre: Acoustic / Dub / Funk

Beautifully Blank is certainly the first part of its title and consists of emotion and moving crooning; successfully avoiding being the second part of its title. The hopeful Smile is melodic, sincere and uplifting, without that cheesiness that you might initially expect.

I’d left their music playing out loudly during one of my numerous cup-of-tea-and-a-snack breaks and I came back up the stairs clutching my mug and finding myself softly singing along to the familiar Sheila. Surprised, I quickly realised that FranClassic had done a brilliant cover of the Jamie T song – so natural and un-offensive to the original that my ears didn’t reject it and I wasn’t crying out with the outrage at the ruining of one of my favourite songs.

www.facebook.com/FranClassic

With vocal tones like those of Ed Sheeran and charming, easy-listening songs with an urban edge – it would be fitting for the band to gain rapid popularity following in the aforementioned artist’s wake. CC

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WRECKTHEPLACEFANTASTIC IN DYNAMICS

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IN DYNAMICS