So this is the first music video I think I've ever seen from this band but after what I've just seen my goodness I hope it's not the last!

AS ELEPHANTS ARE - Crown

Just as November comes to an end, let's see what things we've missed in the last few days...

BIPOLAR SUNSHINE NEW SINGLE "DAYDREAMER"
I'm still wondering when we're actually going to get an album or even an EP from Bipolar Sunshine to be honest. But at least we're getting singles out of this waiting game. This latest single here isn't my favourite of the recent bunch but maybe it will grow on me in time.


LOS CAMPESINOS! NEW SINGLE "WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES"
What better way to start off December than with a festive belter from Los Campesinos!? And hey what d'you know?! It comes as part of a Christmas EP here which you'll probably be playing from now until the 25th.


WAYWARD DAUGHTER EP LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT
If you're still confused on a Christmas present to buy for someone close, this would be a great shout. Wayward Daughter announced the launch for their Carry Me EP happening at The Garage, Highbury & Islington on the 16th of December. If it's anything like their last EP launch here it'll be BIG. I'd suggest grabbing ticket from here ASAP.


BEYONCE NEW MUSIC VIDEO "7/11"
To be honest, I'm sure 95% of the people reading this have already seen the video BUT in case you're one of the few who has been deprived of it somehow click here to make yourself smile. I wrote about the song about a week ago here and I still don't think it's a good song but this video is just so entertaining  that I can't overlook it anymore. Beyoncé is queen.


MALLORY KNOX NEW MUSIC VIDEO "WHEN ARE WE WAKING UP?"
I finally managed to catch Mallory Knox live last week (review coming soon) and they were everything that I expected and more and so was this new music video actually. Mikey's voice has improved in my opinion and I loved this sophomore album. This fantastic song coupled with this attention-holding video, yes. Check it out here.


IGGY AZALEA NEW LYRIC VIDEO "BEG FOR IT (FEAT. MØ)"
Even though I'm not really a fan of Iggy I am definitely a fan of MØ and all in all, this is a catchy single. I have to admit that in this song, MØ doesn't really sound like herself but as it's a pretty different genre to her comfort zone she had to switch it up a little. It's definitely the standard Iggy formula for a chart hit but despite the samey-ness I'm sure fans will still listen to it here.


NME AWARDS TOUR LINE UP ANNOUNCED
2015's NME Awards Tour is looking HUGE! Fat White Family, The Amazing Snakeheads, Palma Violets and Slaves all in one show?!?! No doubt that this'll sell out pretty easily. This year's line up here was still awesome but very versatile. Next year's four artists are each pretty similar and also pretty awesome. Check out the flyer here.


FIRST FEW FESTIVAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hopefully most people will have caught the first Reading & Leeds 2015 announcement this week, but in case you didn't, among the names mentioned were Metallica (headlining), Jamie T, Run The Jewels, Pierce The Veil and more. Then Glastonbury announced Lionel Richie for the Sunday earlier today. Finally, Field Day had their first announcement too with Chet Faker, Caribou, Django Django, Patti Smith, DIIV and more. Well, well, well 2015!


SLAVES NEW SINGLE "THE HUNTER"
Yet another reason to go and catch them at next year's NME Awards Tour, Slaves are killing it right now. If this single hasn't already, I'm sure that the tour will generate a lot of new fans for them. I love the bass intro to this track - they would be immense to see live. Have a listen here. Little bit prog rock - I like it.


AS ELEPHANTS ARE NEW SINGLE "BREATHE"
I feel like I haven't heard a lot from As Elephants Are in a while so it's nice to have something new from them to jive to. Also, another band that I'm waiting for a debut record from. I'm sure that that will be their catalyst - they already craft songs so well, a full length would be too golden to ignore. But until then, here's the new track.


WHILE SHE SLEEPS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "FOUR WALLS"
I just love how close this new record seems! Only two singles out and I already know this is going to be an album to write about. WSS's tour next year after the album release will be frenetic. Seeing them at Reading this year was already manic - on the back of these two spectacular albums - oh goodness! Have a listen to the new single here.


JUCE NEW MUSIC VIDEO "6TH FLOOR"
The three piece girl band literally bringing the old school back to the present. Of course almost every artist has had old school influences that work their way back into the mainstream, but JUCE are bringing it back with no changes. These songs sound straight out of the 80s - vibey. Listen and watch here.


THE NIGHT VI NEW SINGLE "FEARS"
Yay! I am loving this six piece at the minute and I don't think that that'll change too soon. All of The Night VI's songs just sound so silky smooth. It'd be lovely to hear them live. Always happy to hear something new from them be it an original or a cover. But until the next one here is the enchanting "Fears". Grab the EP it's from here.

Being exam season, May is never really a great time to write blog posts for me but before we reach the half way point of the month I thought that I'd better find some time to let you all know what new albums you could expect to hear in the coming weeks...

ONES WE'VE MISSED:


THE HORRORS - LUMINOUS
I've been interested in The Horrors since hearing their last album Skying and particularly the song "Still Life" from it. Now they've got this new album out and a bunch of summer festival appearances announced and I think I'm ready to call myself a fan. If you haven't already heard this album (out on the 5th of May), give it a listen.





LYKKE LI - I NEVER LEARN
I have heard a number of good things about Lykke Li, this year especially but have never been so moved to listen to her material. However, with the release of this new album, I feel like it may be time to jump on the band wagon so to speak. It's been available on iTunes and Spotify since the 5th of May so there are no excuses now.






AS ELEPHANTS ARE - HAND PRINTS EP
The boys made all of the songs from this EP available on their soundcloud prior to its' release but it will be nice to hear it as a whole finally. From the songs that I've already heard from it, I can tell that it is something that I'll have playing quite a bit this summer. It's also been out since the 5th of May, check it out here.




ONES TO LOOK OUT FOR:


LITTLE DRAGON - NABUMA RUBBERBAND
I am lucky enough to have received an advanced copy of this album already and so I can definitely vouch and say that it is worth the listen - especially if you've not heard any of their material prior to this. I feel like this album is the most commercial of the four but still has a classic Little Dragon feel. Great listen - keep an eye out on the 12th of May.





BO NINGEN - III
Another band that I've been meaning to check out but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Judging by the title I assume that this is their third album so before I miss the rest of their career, I'd better do my research while I can. If their song "Henkan" is anything to go by, it'll be a very interesting listen. The album hits shelves on the 12th of May.





THE BLACK KEYS - TURN BLUE
I've developed a bad habit of overplaying all of The Black Keys' albums thus far so it'll be a nice treat to have something new of theirs to listen to. It's also perfectly in time for me to learn all the words ahead of their Glastonbury appearance in June. Their recent single "Fever" from it is a corker. Another album to add to the list on the 12th of May.




COLDPLAY - GHOST STORIES
And Coldplay are back with the follow up to Mylo Xyloto the album received huge critical acclaim but I thought it was kind of overrated here. Either way, this new album seems to have taken a completely different turn with more ambient songs like "Midnight" and "Magic". Will be interesting to hear what this sounds like on the 19th of May.





SBTRKT - TRANSITIONS
SBTRKT is releasing the album Transitions in 3 different parts available for digital download or on vinyl here. I'm completely in the dark as to what it might sound like especially in contrast to the 2011 self-titled record. I guess I'll just have to wait and be surprised on the 19th of May.





WOLF ALICE - CREATURE SONGS EP
I have been excited about this EP since hearing their absolute banger from it "Moaning Lisa Smile". Wolf Alice are such an explosive and exciting band and I can't wait for their debut album (it will not disappoint). Until then I have their fantastic EP's to tide me over and they just seem to be getting better and better. Get your hands on Creature Songs on the 26th of May.




ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN - METEORITES
Echo & The Bunnymen haven't released an album in five years, and with this release it will be a twelfth album to add to the already fabulous collection! Safe to say - I AM EXCITED! The 26th of May is looking like a great day of music for me right now.





SAM SMITH - IN THE LONELY HOUR
I'm in two minds about Sam Smith right now to be honest. While he has fantastic vocals and very catchy songs, whenever I see a live performance by him I'm just not impressed, be it with his vocals or (mainly) his stage presence. Either way, those things will develop with time - for now, I just know that he'll put out an enjoyable record on the 26th of May.

Here's a recap of some music moments that have happened this past month now that it's coming to an end. I'm sure that May will have many more moments to offer us but until then...

PHARRELL WILLIAMS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "MARILYN MONROE"
Pharrell has the habit of grabbing people's attention and especially with his latest album GIRL. So when I heard that he'd released another single from it, with a video - I knew it'd be an instant sensation. Over 8 million views in 5 days...? I think I was right. Have a watch here. WARNING: That ridiculous hat makes several appearances.


ROYAL BLOOD NEW MUSIC VIDEO "COME ON OVER"
Now I know that this song was available quite a long while ago but they have just released a new music video for it and as always with Royal Blood, it's electric. Check it out here. Royal Blood have also been super busy this month, playing on Jools Holland here and releasing a video of what they got up to in March here.


LINKIN PARK BUILD UP TO "THE HUNTING PARTY" ALBUM
Over the past couple of weeks, Linkin Park have released a few snippets about their upcoming album The Hunting Party. I've heard them mention that it's supposed to be going back to their heavier (Hybrid Theory/Meteora) roots - thank God - and so I'm excited. Here is the album trailer, here is the tracklisting for it and here is the first single from it "Guilty All The Same (feat. Rakim)". Check out their Faceboook event page for more updates. Time to get excited!


AS ELEPHANTS ARE NEW SINGLE "WENT WRONG"
As Elephants Are are actually in the middle of releasing a new EP - Hand Prints - and so have been premiering new songs from the EP via souncloud for the past few weeks. This is the latest song that they have revealed to the public and it is quality! Have a listen here.


BEN DEAR NEW SINGLE "NOW IS THE TIME"
The Acoustic Shack has been helping worship songwriters put out their music for quite a while now and also making new worship music available to the public. Ben Dear's song is the latest thing that they had on their page - here - great song.


READING AND LEEDS ANNOUNCE 52 MORE ACTS
Just when I thought that the line up couldn't get any better - they went and announced over 50 new acts, most of which, have got me ludicrously excited! To name a few names - The Story So Far, Tonight Alive, Brody Dalle, Mallory Knox and so many more! See the current line-up here. With line-ups like these, all I can say is this will be an immense summer!


BEYONCE NEW MUSIC VIDEO "PRETTY HURTS"
Well technically it's not new as it came with the actual hardcopy of the album BUT it's new to the public and it is absolutely stunning. This was my favourite song on the self-titled. I will never forget the first time I heard it, it definitely struck a chord with me the first time and hearing it again accompanied by this video... all the same feelings are coming back. One of Beyoncé's best in my opinion. Watch and listen here.


LAYLA NEW MUSIC VIDEO "BLACK MUD"
Layla has released the video to the title track for her new EP just in time for the release yesterday. The video is really interesting, and if I'm honest, I'm completely shocked that not more people know about her. Brilliant songwriter and brilliant vocalist. I would definitely suggest getting your hands on her EP here and maybe pass it on to a friend after! Excluding that, here's the video - share this with your friends too!


RUMOUR HAS IT...
There have been a lot of rumours spreading around the interwebs recently - an Oasis reunion, a Pharrell and Missy Elliott collaboration and rumours of Metallica being the last headliner at this year's Glastonbury. I suppose we'll have to wait until next month to find out?!


PS: Catch up on stuff you may have missed earlier this month here.

The day after I saw As Elephants Are here at the Hare & Hounds, I was back in Kings Heath again to see Mr. Scruff & Floating Points bang out a crazy six hour, funk laden, dj set of wonderment - and that's exactly what I got.

I got to the sold out show about half an hour late and there were only about 20 people there tops - with every passing hour the room filled up more and more. By hour four, I was having to snake my way through the crowd to get anywhere; elbows and hair whacking me as people were dancing. I don't think I've ever continuously bopped my head for so long in my life. When hip-hop artists used to talk about music/songs that'd "break-ya-neck" - this is what they meant. By hour two, I felt like a bobble-head toy on a dashboard.

Mr. Scruff and what I can only assume was his apprentice of sorts - Floating Points, were knocking it out of the park. Hit after hit after hit - I definitely saw the shazam app being whipped out a few good times. As the night went on, the room got wilder, the music got jazzier, the dance moves got crazier and the people got a hell of a lot more tipsy - the vibes were just glorious. That was a huge factor of the night actually - just a lovely vibe - people were merry and carefree upstairs, whilst downstairs, couches were laid out, outdoor heating was on and @thatblokewilson drew up some amazing live illustration. All the while, interesting conversation being exchanged between groups of friends sharing a drink or going for a smoke - it was really mellow and I loved that. 

I can't really even call this a gig to be honest, it was just a really really long dj set, but it was most certainly a good'un. Mr. Scruff and Floating Points' banter and camaraderie behind the decks also made me smile. Just a great night overall!

Overall Rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night...
*Disclaimer: it was very dark, and so it was near impossible to get a clear picture*

Last week (14/03/14), I went down to Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath (a place that I'm finding myself far too often), to see As Elephants Are. I can't remember the last time I was in a room with so many rolled up t-shirt sleeves, oversized jumpers and Fenders - you could just smell the indie. Songs from Bombay Bicycle Club, The xx and Tame Impala playing during the intervals said enough. I'd never heard of either of the support acts prior to the gig so was looking for something to catch my attention.

New Bays stepped on stage and definitely caught my attention. They smashed their (surprisingly long) set. I knew that they must've been a local band - the crowd was absolutely loving it - a few brave souls dancing at the front and everyone else bopping about and swaying in time with the music. Their final song "They'll Never Know" really left a lasting impression. It was a tough support act to follow so I was hoping that second support act LIME's set didn't turn sour (pardon the pun)...

Considering how indie the whole atmosphere was, the promoters made a bit of a mistake booking LIME for this gig. They came thrashing in with their slightly more noise rock/punk fast paced riffs and startled the crowd. Before the end of the third song they'd managed to clear out at least a quarter of the room, one lad taking out earplugs as he left (not very hardcore \m/). LIME's set wouldn't have been out of place at last week's Eagulls gig but for this gig it was hard for a noise rock sounding band not to stick out like a sore thumb. Although they were a little sloppy at times they played a solid set and other people's opinions aside - I actually liked them. Kind of timid, but they just got on with it and played good music. Always nice to come to a gig and get something that you weren't expecting.

As Elephants Are came on soon after and definitely showed us why they were the ones headlining. They were super confident and just great really. Even though New Bays drew a bigger and more enthusiastic crowd that night, As Elephants Are smashed it. Also, despite a bit of feedback from the lead singer's two mics - yes, two - there was just a great vibe. They played through hits "Crystal" and "Kingdom" amongst others, and their drummer!! I have never seen a drummer play a right handed kit, left handed and hit every single beat so perfectly - even whilst having somebody adjusting their kick drum mid set. All in all it was just a really good set. The crowd was really more merry than hyped I'd say, but it was nice.

Overall Rating - 7/10


Here are some pictures from the night...