The Thinking Men: Days Like This

The Thinking Men. Holding eggs.

The Thinking Men, who have previously appeared on Beat The Static when they released their EP Mirror Test a little while ago, released their new single Days Like This on 1 May.

The Norwich-based foursome channel their brand of alternative blues rock with a cheerful quirky touch, with traditional group country-esque vocals juxtaposing against some fairly mental solo vocals, which are incredibly gravelly yet upbeat and chipper at the same time. Almost as though a member of Slipknot decided to cover some Dolly Parton. But not quite.

It’s weird, it’s surprising, it even makes you laugh, but the fact that this band are going for something a little different is refreshing, and this track turns out to be a very catchy feel-good affair. Rather than sounding how they think they should, they go out and show some individual personality – how many bands do you know that pose for press photos holding an egg? Not enough, in my opinion…

Follow the band on Twitter @TheThinkingMen.

Nylon Sky: Man Down

Nylon Sky performing live. Photo courtesy of Crash Club Records.

Nylon Sky, a four-piece band from Guildford, have released new single Man Down prior to their second EP release on 9 April.

The band describe themselves as a genre-straddling mix of alternative rock and hip-hop, with a mix of rapped verses, heavy guitars and gravelly chorus vocals. From the opening guitar riffs, Man Down is full of attitude and effectively cruises through the different genres, paces and tones to make the track a varied and interesting listen, culminating in an impressive roaring finish.

It’s seems a shame that the strong start is interrupted with the slightly jarring opening rap, but luckily it becomes smoother as the track goes on.

A catchy song that is very likely to be a hit with anyone of the post-hardcore disposition.

You can also follow the guys on Twitter @nylonsky

Live Music: Pink Mist launch party, 16/4/11

Notting Hill, on a weekend during the Easter holidays, and on Record Store Day, when you’re trying to pinpoint an unassuming door that leads to Notting Hill Arts Club is a logistical nightmare. But well worth it, once you’ve descended the stairs and got yourself a well deserved beer.

Some Record Store Day bargains. Courtesy of Mike Fabio

The event was a celebration of many things; the triumph of ‘keeping it old school’ for Record Store Day, which saw droves of music fans queueing at record stores to take advantage of special offers and ensure that the humble record store stays alive in its fight against the MP3. It was a celebration of the newly formed Pink Mist record label; an amalgamation of existing labels Big Scary Monsters, Holy Roar and Blood and Biscuits. And it was a celebration of the exciting collection of bands they have signed, namely Teej, Rosa Valle, Hymns and Tall Ships. Finally, it was a celebration for my purse, because it was all FREE!

The dimly lit Notting Hill Arts Club, a delightful underground hole, made it easy to forget that it was still daylight outside, as everything kicked off early in the afternoon. With short, snappy sets there was also no fear of missing a song when necessity called for toilet runs.

Teej made for an energetic opener, with a mix of synthy electronica that has a hint of post rock that really lets you get lost in it. Finishing on a huge applause from an unusually enthusiastic audience so early into the gig, the guys looked a little embarrassed at the gusto. They shouldn’t, when you’re lucky enough to get it, accolade is to be lapped up.

Rosa Valle followed with their mix of progressive rock with a hardcore edge. They describe themselves as a ‘four piece math-mosh band’, which sums it up pretty well. They owned the stage and their loud confidence made it impossible to look away.

Hymns, fronted by Jason Willcock, whose vocals you might recognise from past project Blakfish, the two-piece maintain a dark, serious edge, and are fiercely passionate in their performance. So fierce that, at times, it made you wonder if they would make it to the end of the set or they were all screamed and sweated out.

Matt and Jamie of Tall Ships. Courtesy of Kasper Vogelzang

And finally, Tall Ships. I’ve already banged on about how awesome these guys are, both their performance at Swn Festival last October, and the release of their EP There is Nothing But Chemistry Here. They’re still awesome, and tried a few new things during this performance, with a bit of climbing and backing into the crowd, as well as showcasing a new single that had only been recorded the week before. It was full of energy and suggests promising things for their new releases.

Great bands, great music, great day. Long live Pink Mist.

Brand Spanking New: Eureka Stockade Album Review

Eureka Stockade's album cover; rather more chilling than their music

Cambridge; famed for punting, quaint old buildings, and some very intellectual looking students wandering about the place.

Perhaps Cambridge-based indie-rock band Eureka Stockade will be added to the list. Band members Andy Brown, Rob Toulson, Nathan Jones and Paul Richards released their first self-titled album through Cracking Tunes Records on December 6.

Despite their fairly modest composition of, in their words, “four scruffy musicians, a couple of guitars and a rhythm section”, their music is a lot more polished.

Eureka Stockade; Andy, Rob, Nathan and Paul, the 'four scruffy musicians'

The album is a pleasant mix that crosses several genre boundaries; rock, folk, acoustic, with nods to some huge acts that no doubt bear a considerable influence on the band’s work. For instance, tracks All Alone and Heroes Fall has some great vocal work that has echoes of R.E.M‘s Michael Stipe, whereas Violence is much more punchy, as the title suggests, and is definitely reminiscent of Manic Street Preachers.

There is a good variation of tempo and atmosphere within the album, which features quieter moments; Without You is laid back and folky, and Sharks takes it down a gear further, with an evocative and raw combination of forlorn vocals with a gentle piano background, played by Kelly Lambert – just one of the guest performers to appear on the album.

It’s a strong first album that, granted, will probably not gain a cult indie following, or a Mercury Music Award as the tracks are clearly geared for the mainstream, but that’s where the money is, right?

Eureka Stockade’s album is available on Bandcamp.

Brand Spanking New: Pocket Satellite, ‘Paper Aviator’ EP

Front cover of the ‘Paper Aviator’ EP

Folk-rock band Pocket Satellite are a complicated mix of numbers; one band, five members from four different cities playing 15 instruments. They met at an open mic night, and the band was born over hot chocolate on a quiet Thursday evening in Sheffield. Sounds like a quaint ending of a Richard Curtis rom-com.

It was just the beginning though, and the new-found band released their debut EP, Toy Train, in spring 2010, and now their follow-up EP Paper Aviator will be released to the masses on January 17.

The six track EP has some real gems on it, and refreshingly experiments with different tones, speeds and instruments – well, they do have 15 to choose from. What About Snowglobes combines beautifully delicate vocals and pretty instrumentals to really give a sense of festivity and nostalgia, while Man On a Boat instantly launches into an energetic thigh-slapping hoe-down.

In a sea of folk-rock bands around at the moment, these guys genuinely seem to be a little bit different, and the ethereal vocal work on all of the tracks is just amazing to listen to.

Give a click and check out Pocket Satellite’s track Man On a Boat, for FREE!

Review: Aaron Shanley ‘Let The Sun In’

Aaron Shanley's album artwork

Adding to the folk-rock ranks that seem to be slowly taking over the world, artist Aaron Shanley, has released a new album, Let The Sun In.

Aaron, hailing from Belfast, is has released the record through Love Gum Records; his own independent label. Not bad work considering he’s still only 20 years old.

As for the album itself, there is a lot of what you might expect from a folk-rock record; acoustic guitars, tambourines and catchy melodies. Aaron’s unfussy vocals mix well with the varied instrumentals, and if gentle folk-rock is what you’re into, it definitely delivers.

Track Sarah Rose is perhaps not the strongest starting point for the album, but as the tracks progress there are some promising Damien Rice-mixed-with-The Shins moments; Cotton Fields, Today I and Let The Sun In are endearingly pretty.

So far, title track Let The Sun In is the only one to be released so far, which, with its gentle acoustic guitar and piano accompaniment is incredibly chilled out, with some nice mixed vocal harmonies. The lyrics are refreshing, conjuring up nostalgic, ethereal images that fit the mellow mood of the song. It’s a good soundtrack for a lazy Sunday morning in bed.

After touring the U.S and Canada this summer, Aaron has got more time on the tour bus to look forward to with a UK tour coming up soon.

To keep up to date on what he’s up to, follow Aaron on Twitter.