Continuing on with my thoughts on the BBC Sound of 2017 longlist. First up...

NADIA ROSE
Another one that you may know from her viral video for "Skwod". This was circulating on social media for quite a while so of course I went on to check her out - I reckon she could be very big! It's got me very excited for the future of female rap, better yet UK female rap. Artists like Nadia, Lady Leshurr and Little Simz are really just the beginning really.

Some of these aren't such new discoveries, but as I've been away from the blog a while I thought it only right to back track and chat about the people who've caught my attention since I last posted. 


FALSE ADVERTISING
I got the heads up about this band via email and quickly had a listen to their promo material. I'm not so sure what I was expecting but within 30 seconds I was more than convinced. HUGE live show potential. Their debut self-titled record is actually set to drop on the 4th of September so get your hands on that and get down to a show, because even with similar bands like Wolf Alice and Yuck around blowing our minds right now, I think False Advertising will have a lot to bring to the table once this hits shelves! Particularly, check out their tracks "Dozer" and "Wasted Away".


B A D P L A C E S
This Bristol based collective have come about really under the radar. 100% home-grown - no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even Bandcamp... just a simple Soundcloud with minimal information on what they're about. Hate to be cliche - but their music certainly does the talking for them. On their debut EP These Aren't Hits, hip-hop influences really come through on the instrumentals with these influences carrying over to their debut album - Isolacious (released just 3 months later!!!). Especially love tracks like "Confessions" and "Pillow Talk" while both abundantly different - both display huge levels of versatility, making it impossible to pin Bad Places down in just one genre. Get your hands on their music for free on their soundcloud. I'd definitely say - watch this space.



HYENA
To this day I can't remember what drew me to this band, but whatever it was, thank God! For a while I was worried that music (especially rock/indie rock) was becoming far too bland and generic. Hyena, whilst not doing anything particularly groundbreaking, have finally given me something energetic and not just the standard 4 by 4, cookie cutter, indie, "woop woop" music we're becoming far too content with. Love their track "Mental Home" - Royal Blood/QOTSA beat with Interpol vocals - yes per-lease. I predict that big things are due for these guys.






BLOOD YOUTH
There's a lot of potential for this band. I don't feel like they're where they could be just yet, but with only a debut EP out - Inside My Head - they've got plenty of room to grow! They've got a lot of push behind them, already landing a support gig with Architects so I'm excited to see how much they improve between now and their debut album! Until then get the new EP in your ears (sweet track - "Failure"). Expect to see Rocksound and Kerrang mentioning these guys quite a bit in the months to come so keep an eye out.






WINTERS END
Last but not least, only right that I feature some new music that I've discovered since I've been in Australia. This duo might have come about at just the perfect time - with Haim sort of off the map and London Grammar too, there aren't many bands in the spotlight that sound like them (and I'm still waiting on The Night VI's record). I digress, Winters End have huge potential and the kind of sound that could fill arenas! Their single "Mayfair" is an anthem - thumping drums and soaring vocals, it's definitely not the kind of song you could just ignore. I really hope that this makes a mark over across the Atlantic.

Sadly, this'll be my first and last live review for Save Your Breath. The guys have unfortunately decided to call it a day but not without first doing a string of farewell shows. I knew there was no way that I could pass this up, especially at the bargain price of <£10. So late last month I went to The Asylum, Birmingham to see them.

First up supporting was Welsh rockers - Cardinals. I'd heard of their band quite a bit actually despite the unexpectedly small Facebook following, so when they started playing I was listening out for some familiar songs. I didn't hear any but the songs I did hear sounded decent. The backing vocalists harmonies were a bit off throughout and some sections were a little shaky but all in all it was a great warm up set. I'd actually love to see what they'd be like in a headlining position because there was a lot of potential in their set and they seemed like good guys. There could have been a little more energy at points but nonetheless it was a good warm-up set.

Next up was the band that seems to be taking the world by storm - As It Is. I'm still shocked as to how quickly they've blown up. I've been following Patty (lead singer) on YouTube for a while and it wasn't until after I'd bought this ticket that I even found out that he was in a band, let alone supporting SYB. So it's safe to say that I was excited to see them perform live in this tiny venue (before they go global). They were welcomed on stage by intermittent girlish screams and "tough guys" rolling their eyes, but the set was BIG!! Mid way through I thought "These guys will be playing Reading & Leeds this year 100% hands down." (you heard it here first). But yes these guys have the potential to not just play Reading but eventually main stage it. Great songs in their arsenal and awesome energy and stage presence. Their latest single "Dial Tones" was a highlight. I'd definitely advise catching a show ASAP if you can because before long you'll have to pay a lot more than £6 to catch them.

Finally, the whole reason for the occasion - Save Your Breath. This was one of the biggest glass shattering moments I've had in a long while. They hugely surpassed my expectations. I've been listening to them a while and as good as their studio material is, it is 10x better live! You can really tell that they've been a band for a while because they stole the show. They had amazing and comfortable stage presence, huge energy - everything just came so naturally to them. They opened with a favourite of mine - "Lessons" - I was juiced! They continued to play through hits, old and new, as the sweaty, tiny and packed room jumped and screamed with them. I've been to smaller gigs before but this felt like one of the most intimate. The lead singer of Cardinals joined them on stage for a song towards the end of the set and all of a sudden had tonnes of energy! Shouting and even crowdsurfing - I couldn't help but wish that he had that same energy during their opening set! Either way, during the last song Kristian joined us all in the crowd moshing and singing the lyrics to the classic "Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy" in unison. Certainly, if you have to go, that's the kind of note you want to leave on. BIG! They will be sorely missed... great musicians!

Overall Rating - 8.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night... 

The last day of the weekend and the saddest day too. Still in recovery from my 1am-9am shift that morning this meant that I missed The Story So Far's main stage set and I ran in late only to catch the last song of Tonight Alive's set..


TONIGHT ALIVE
I had been looking forward to this set for the entire weekend, especially after bumping into Jenna whilst watching Don Broco on the Saturday. So you can imagine how upset I was to run into the arena to hear them playing their last song "Lonely Girl". I could have cried. They sounded so good, they had a good crowd and Jenna looked amazing. I have to see them live soon!

YOUNG GUNS
After that little morning disappointment, I stayed at the main stage to watch Young Guns. They opened up with their latest single "I Want Out" which sounded really good live. To be honest, this was my second time seeing them live and they did sound better. Their new stuff sounded quite 30STM but I'm very excited for their new record.

JUNGLE
I still haven't listened to their new album in full but after listening to the singles, I knew that they'd be great live - I was right. They smashed the set and "Time" sounded huge. Great vibes throughout.

PAPA ROACH
Managed to catch some of their set before heading off to Clean Bandit and this may just be my 12 year old self speaking but they actually sounded awesome. Crowd was heavy, and a lot larger than I'd anticipated.

CLEAN BANDIT
After seeing Clean Bandit at Glastonbury I wasn't too excited to see them again in such a short space of time and I actually regret seeing them a little bit because they weren't even close to as good as they were at Glastonbury and it was basically the exact same setlist. However, they drew a crowd, had people cheering and they looked like they had a good time too so that's what counts really.

HAWK HOUSE
YES! I was super excited to see their name on the setlist after writing about them not too long ago here as a new discovery. Thankfully they didn't clash with anyone else that I was particularly buzzing to see so I went and checked them out. They were brilliant. Also, their pre-show DJ was magnificent.

A DAY TO REMEMBER
So I forgot to mention, Sunday was pop punk paradise. Had I been able to catch TSSF and Tonight Alive, the day would've been completely perfect. On the other hand, ADTR were fantastic - as well as their older tracks, the songs from Common Courtesy sounded huge! And to add to my surprise and happiness they played "Heartless".
 
YOU ME AT SIX
Before coming I wouldn't have minded missing this set if I'm honest - I'm not massively keen on their new stuff and I've already seen them live BUT I'm glad I went in the end. They have improved heaps! Josh's voice sounded great and it was really nice to hear them play some old favourites that I'd actually forgotten about.

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS
After watching some live videos of them a few weeks ago I was super excited to see them. They 100% knew how to entertain a crowd. I was a little surprised that they ran through all their singles so early on but they played "Can't Hold Us" again at the end and it banged out just as hard the second time and both Macklemore and & Ryan Lewis were really charming which made the set that much more enjoyable.

BLINK 182 
LITERALLY THE SET TO END ALL SETS. Last set of the weekend and the set that actually cemented my choice to come to Reading this year in the first place. I have waited a long time to see Blink live and it was everything I'd dreamed and more. The crowd where I was standing was a little less enthusiastic than I'd have liked but this didn't dampen my experience much, I was fully immersed. The show had everything, lights, jokes, classics, and Travis Barker. When my mouth wasn't open singing, it was wide open in awe. Perfect set and perfect end to the weekend.

In terms of music, if you ask me, Saturday was my favourite of the three days, although it was a pretty close call. However, I really think that Saturday just spawned the some of the top performances of the weekend. To find out what I thought of the Friday click here. Now here's why Saturday was so good...


MARMOZETS
I did actually want to try and catch DZ Deathrays and Pulled Apart By Horses before heading over to Marmozets but unfortunately had to miss them. Marmozets definitely made up for this though. I started the day thinking that I would try and save some energy for the night but this set was fast paced and captivating from the get-go. Before I knew it, I was being thrown around in pits and screaming the (few) lyrics of theirs that I knew. This was how to make an entrance. After just this 30 minute set I already know that I'll be first in line to buy their debut. AWESOME band.

ROYAL BLOOD
And now for one of the best performances of the entire weekend - Royal Blood - new guys in town. I'd already seen them here at the NME Awards Tour but I was not prepared for the carnage to come. Their crowd response was MAD. As well as their crowd being fantastic the band responded with equal energy and I'm sure that at some point in the hustle and bustle I saw Benji get up from his kit and crowdsurf. They were brilliant, the new album is a masterpiece and these boys are going to go far.

LOWER THAN ATLANTIS
The amazing sets didn't stop there. Lower Than Atlantis' set was just as high powered and intense, even though most of the crowd were shattered after Royal Blood's set. LTA were much better than when I saw them play Reading 2012. Hearing the crowd sing the whole of "Another Sad Song" back to them was beautiful and of course, "Here We Go" packed a huge punch for the finale.

HOZIER
Although I listen to Hozier, I wasn't intending to go to his set, I actually thought that Wolf Alice would be playing, but it turned out to be him. I only stayed for a couple of songs and they sounded fine, the crowd, although quite small, were loving it.

CAGE THE ELEPHANT
After checking out Hozier, I headed back to the NME Stage to catch Cage The Elephant. they definitely played a crowd pleasing setlist - old and new favourites. Matt was energetic as ever and the band as a whole were super tight. However, I think I enjoyed their supporting set at Foals here a little bit more.

DON BROCO
I was surprised and I wasn't surprised at how big their crowd was. As big a following as they have right now, some part of me always thinks of them as a kind of undercover band. Nonetheless, they played a really strong set. I loved how they opened up with an acoustic version of "Yeah Man" and then went in with their heaviest juggernaut "Thug Workout". They just keep growing, and I'm excited to see what their sophomore record sounds like.

WHILE SHE SLEEPS
I was really buzzing to see this band live. Especially after missing their set at Reading last year (which I heard was "epic"). This set was non-stop! The crowd were pumped but I think the band were even more pumped! Everything was just super fast paced, it was over before I could take a breath - partly due to the fact that they were shut off because the crowd/crowd-surfers were getting to rowdy. However, I loved every minute of it. Major highlights - "Our Courage, Our Cancer" and "This Is The Six".

ISSUES
I'd only heard a couple of their songs before seeing them here and I wasn't too fussed about them at first if I'm honest. Even after seeing them, I don't think that I'm going to make a huge effort to check them out more but they played a really strong set and the crowd was loving it. It seemed like they had a very big following because most of the people in the crowd knew the words to their songs.

ARCHITECTS
Another set I was buzzing for - even though I've seen them, I think that it's because I've seen them that I was so excited to see them again. And after their latest album Lost Forever//Lost Together how could I not be? They played almost every song that I wanted them to and I could feel that it meant a lot to Sam and the band which made the performance just that right level of intense.

ARCTIC MONKEYS
Originally I was going to describe this as the perfect headline set, but then I saw Blink 182. So in terms of headliners this weekend, Arctic Monkeys were almost perfect. They played one of the best setlists of the entire weekend. Although it ended up being an emotional farewell in some ways, there was no better way for them to say goodbye. Every song sparked a huge reaction from the crowd and in my opinion I think that they were actually better than they were when I saw them headline Glastonbury last year here (but the crowd wasn't as good). lovely end to an amazing day of music.

Okay so it's been just over a week now so I think that I've had enough time to gather myself and get back involved with the real world after one of the best weeks of my life. This year for Reading Festival I decided to volunteer with Hotbox Events. It was definitely worth it I would say. The shifts were tiring and painful and made me regret it at times but I met some awesome people, got some great perks and got to watch mindblowing shows, for free. YES.

However, this did mean that I had to miss a few acts when I was on shift so first I'll talk about the acts that I would've seen had I not been working and then I'll let you know about the ones I actually caught.


GERARD WAY
So I was never really a big MCR fan back in the day but I was slightly intrigued to see what a solo Gerard set would sound like. I would've gone along just out of curiosity. I heard a little bit of it from outside the arena and it seemed to sound a lot like MCR's old stuff anyway.

WE WERE EVERGREEN
A friend that I made volunteering at Hotbox was telling me about this band and she actually happened to know them personally. From what she said, they sounded like a good group of guys and just an interesting band. It would've been nice to check them out.

LA DISPUTE
I've been wanting to see this band live for a while. They're one of the more different artists that I listen to and if memory serves I don't think that I've ever seen a show like I'm sure theirs would've been. One day, I suppose.

DARLIA
Every time I've been near this band I haven't been able to see them, for one reason or another. Missed them in Birmingham, in London, at Glastonbury and now Reading. It's becoming tiresome. I just want to see some good grunge music, is that too much to ask!!

MALLORY KNOX
Another band that has managed to escape me somehow. Even after meeting their lead singer, I haven't managed to catch them live yet. After learning all of the lyrics in their debut record Signals I've been waiting for the chance to scream them with other fans, looks like I'll have to wait until their sophomore album Asymmetry...

JIMMY EAT WORLD
SO MANY GOOD ROCK SHOWS! I love when Reading & Leeds comes around because it's every Pop Punk/Rock/Hardcore/Post-Hardcore/Dance fan's dream. Great line up. I would've loved to see Jimmy Eat World after their latest album, but would obviously have been excited for the older hits.

ENTER SHIKARI
If I'm honest, I'm not even into them much any more but I would love to see them just because of the pure carnage. These guys really know how to put on a show.  I didn't feel too bad about missing them since I saw them at Reading in 2012 but, it would've been fun nonetheless.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND
So this is where my day started. In fairness, I actually wanted to see Brody Dalle instead but, after just coming off my shift the first instinct was just to run straight to main stage. Vampire Weekend were okay but it wasn't the most spectacular way to start the weekend (no pun intended).

SBTRKT
I caught a little bit of a his set before running off to Paramore. IT. WAS. BRILLIANT. Such a good vibe in the tent. He played a few new songs to start off with but luckily just before we left he played "Wildfire". If this upcoming album is anywhere near that calibre; I am beyond stoked.

PARAMORE
So this was either the fourth or fifth time that I've seen them live and probably the strangest experience. Basically, Paramore was perfect, the set was perfect but the crowd was abysmal, absolutely shocking. Although the sound cut out, it was just before "The Only Exception" so they started singing it acappella then it came back seamlessly in the middle - beautiful. Then it started raining a little as the sun was setting and they played "Let The Flames Begin" followed by "Part II" - PERFECT. The crowd was just unreceptive.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
READING 2014 WAS HEADLINER HEAVEN FOR ME. I was ridiculously buzzed for this set. Josh Homme in the flesh and if I'm honest, Michael Shuman in the flesh too! I was giddy. Their setlist surprised me though, a few of the songs that they played I wasn't really expecting at all. Like "Do It Again" or "Burn The Witch" but it was an amazing set either way. It actually got better and better as it went on and obviously "Song For The Dead" made for an enormously erratic finale.

Safe to say it was an entertaining Friday night..

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.

It's no secret that Queens Of The Stone Age are one of my favourite bands (especially seeing as I wrote about them here just yesterday), but I was listening through their albums again a few days ago, and rediscovered this banger...

QOTSA - First It Giveth

LET IT BE KNOWN...

This year hasn't just picked up where 2013 left off but has somehow managed to rise up where 2013 fell down in the space of less than two months! Are you kidding me?!! The latest festival line-up announcements all have me convinced - I'm not sure what kind of conspiracy has happened this year,  either every festival has decided to book fantastic artists or all artists have decided to step it up and become awesome. Either way, here's what I've been giddy about so far...

ISLE OF WIGHT
Now, previously I had not really seen Isle Of Wight as a festival that I had to be at and it had never really come out on top for me when choosing festivals. But here's why I mentioned it first - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings Of Leon, Biffy Clyro, Rudimental, Swim Deep, Deap Vally, Peace, The Horrors, John Newman and The Strypes... And that's not even the full line-up yet, are you freaking kidding me?!


READING & LEEDS
R&L is always in the toss up for me when deciding which festivals to go to and again this year is no exception. On just the second announcement, they already have - Blink 182, Arctic Monkeys, You Me At Six, SBTRKT, Warpaint, Architects, Royal Blood, Disclosure, Metronomy and Of Mine & Men. If that's just the second announcement, I know that it can only get better to be honest.


BESTIVAL
Bestival is a festival that I always liked the idea of but I never found myself getting tickets to when it came down to it in the end. This year might just have to be the year though, with artists like - Outkast, Foals, Beck, Disclosure, Major Lazer, London Grammar, Wild Beasts, Sam Smith, Caribou and Laura Mvula - how can I not be excited?


WIRELESS
Another festival that has always had a line-up that I liked, but never enough to actually acquire a ticket. However, as 2014 is proving, it's a whole new ball game entirely. Artists already on the bill include - Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Basement Jaxx, Ella Eyre, Drake, Rudimental, Azealia Banks, Chance The Rapper, Outkast, Bruno Mars and John Newman. In other words - yes, yes and yes.


PARKLIFE
This festival has never really been on my radar until this year. The price (£80 weekend) especially is enticing me as it is seemingly the festival with the most value for money at the moment. To be able to see - Snoop Dogg, Foals, Rudimental, Disclosure, London Grammar, Kendrick Lamar, SBTRKT, Warpaint, Sam Smith, Ella Eyre, Bipolar Sunshine, Bonobo (DJ), Jamie XX, Annie Mac and TEED - all for under £100... you must be having a bubble?


All of this, and Glastonbury and V Festival still have yet to make a main announcement. Even festivals abroad like Open'er, Outlook, Unknown, Primavera Sound, etc.. are pulling out the big guns this year. The only thing that I can say on all this is, ROLL ON SUMMER 2014!