The Avett Brothers - Ain't No Man

1.    Who are the men decked out in their finery? 

The Avett Brothers are a genre-hopping indie folk rock band from Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. Making tunes since 2000 they have four long players to their name. Ain't No Man is the lead single from The Avett Brother's fourth studio album True Sadness (June'16).


2. What have they served up? 

Ain't No Man is a folk pop knockout. A foot-tapping, hand-clapping, sing-along with a little bit of funk. Folk at it's beneficiant best and pop's finest right here. 

3. Who do The Avett Brother's sound like?

Ain't No Man sounds like Bronze Radio Return. The Lumineers are similar.



4. What have the scribes said? 

"Stomping new anthem" - Consequence Of Sound. 

"An uptempo, full-bodied, harmony-heavy song" - The Boot. 

"Foot-stomping celebration" - NPR.

5. Which bands have influenced The Avett Brothers?

The Avett Brothers blend rock, punk, bluegrass, folk and country. Their influences run a gamut from Nirvanna, Tom Waits, Pink Floyd and Rory Coltrane to Beethoven.

6. Why should I give Ain't No Man a listen?

Ain't No Man is rootsy tune radiating love that forces you to sing and clap along with it's good-natured effervescence. 


7. Do The Avett Brothers have any more bangers?

Another Is Waiting rocks a little and Live And Die winds the bluegrass whimsy up to a stomping wigout.


8. Any more words? 

The new album True Sadness is produced by Rick Rubin who has worked for Metallica, Rage Against The Machine, Joe Strummer, Johnny Cash, Kanye West and Jay Z to name but a few.

"There ain't nobody here who can cause me pain or raise my fear

Cause I got only love to share"

Half Moon Run are an indie rock band from Montreal, Canada. Playing together since 2010 they have two long players to pin to their flag. Turn Your Love (Sept'15) was the second single from their second album Sun Leads Me On (Oct'15). Turn Your Love is a song Exclaim felt showcases the band's "eclectic styles and influences."

"I don't feel the strongest singing my own songs

And I used to baby"

The Stone Roses - All For One

1.    Who are these legends? 

The Stone Roses are an indie psych rock band from Manchester, England. Started in 1983 and still going strong they have two long players on their immortal roll of honor. All For One (May'16) is the lead single from The Stone Rose's third album, Third Eye, due for release this year. All For One is the first new music from The Stone Roses in 21 years.

2. What have The Stone Roses got in the tank?

All For One comes on with a swinging riff and sounding more direct, like Oasis, and with the same anthemic sing-along pay off. All For One is an upbeat, snappy tune with Ian Brown's detached trademark vocals providing the trippy vibe of yore. A stellar comeback.

3. Who do The Stone Roses sound like? 

The Telegraph compared aspects of All For One to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and The White Stripes. The Stone Roses have generally been compared to Oasis, The Happy Mondays, The Charlatans, Primal Scream and The Smiths. 

4. What have the press said about All For One? 

"Has undoubtedly got anthem potential" - Manchester Evening News.

"Stone Roses circa the 90's, but with a revitalised spirit" - Consequence Of Sound.

"A starry-eyed psycedelic jangle with some old school blues-rock swagger to it" - Stereogum.

5. Which bands had a hand in The Stone Rose's magic sound? 

Some of the key Stone Rose's influences are The Smiths, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, T. Rex and The Clash.

6. Why should I give All For One a blast? 

All For One is a belter that brings something fresh and something nostalgic together for the old fans while introducing new fans to a pivotal band of the nineties without alienating their modern sensibilities. A classy balancing act has been achieved with All For One and it's 'we are all in this together' message continues in the fine Northern traditions of solidarity and is ripe for all ears.



7. What are The Stone Rose's classics? 

Fool's Gold is the band's most successful song, a modest top ten or twenty hit around the world, a tight dance masterpiece led my a drum masterclass and the only ten minute song worth listening to. She Bangs The Drums is an intense, euphoric banger with the best bass intro to an indie rock song ever. Made Of Stone is a melancholic sing-along that still charges at windmills, has a fiery John Squire lead break, and is the best song The Stone Roses ever made.

8. Any more words? 

All For One was produced by Paul Epworth who has worked for Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Primal Scream, Adele and U2 to name a few. 

In 2004 one hundred musicians and critics voted The Stone Rose's debut album The Stone Roses (1989) the best British album of all time in The Observer, ahead of The Beatle's Revolver, The Clash's London Calling and Van Morrison's Astral Weeks.

"Inside of me, for all to see

In harmony, all one family"

The La's are an indie jangle pop band from Liverpool, England. Formed in 1983 they periodically reform but have only one piece of gold in the vault, the debut self-titled album The La's (1990).  There She Goes (1990) was one of four singles from the album but is far and away The La's most popular song and a minor chart hit in the US and a top ten hit in the UK. Consequence Of Sound said There She Goes has "one of the most memorable opening riffs in pop rock" and is "one of rock's most memorable and poignant love songs." While The La's largely eluded the adulation heaped on their peers, nonetheless, There She Goes is emblematic of the revolutionary, effervescent, milieu that British indie music enjoyed in the early nineties. 

"And I just can't contain

This feelin' that remains"

Tom Prior - Voicemail

1.    Who’s the chappie?

Tom Prior is an indie pop rock musician from North London making tunes since 2005. He has two short players to his name. Voicemail (Dec'15) rolls off the second EP Paint The Ceiling (Dec'15).


2. What’s spinning?

Voicemail has a slacker indie rock atmosphere. A meandering tune that crackles to life with sporadic guitar riffs.


3. Who does Tom Prior sound like?

Indie Shuffle are feeling The Arctic Monkeys and BORNS.


4. What have the venerable scribes of the fourth estate said about Voicemail?

“My favorite track” – Indie Shuffle.

“Blends rock influences with electronic synths” – The Playground.

“Seems to get under your skin” – Clash Music.

5. Which bands have had a hand in Tom Prior’s sound?

Mr Prior’s main influences are The Kinks, The Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, Kanye West and The Verve.

6. Why should I give Voicemail a fair crack of the whip?

Voicemail is catchy in a low-key kind of way.

7. Does Tom Prior have any more good tunes?

Take It All has a fat beat if that's what you're into.

8. Any more words? 

Nope.



Team Me were a Norwegian indie pop band from 2010 - 2015. They released two sizzling hot albums. Did We Lose Something Here ripped off the second album Blind As Night (2014) and was a stand out album track that Nordic Music Review called "a stomping anthem."

"I love to death and wait for mine"

Alice Jemima - Liquorice

1.    Who is she?

Alice Jemima is an indie pop musician from Devon, England. She has two short players to her name. Liquorice (April’16) bubbles off Alice Jemima’s second E.P. Liquorice (June’16).



2. What kind of devilry is spinning?

Liquourice is, as the name implies, damn sweet candy pop. Light, pacy, vocals propel the song with bubbling big bass and occasional flourishes of an addictive piano hook. Done and dusted in the magic three minutes and Liquorice leaves you hanging for more.


3. Who does Alice Jemima sound like?

Feist.


4. What have the press said about Liqourice?
 

“Head noddingly lovely” – Alphabet Bands.

“Utterly unique pop song” – Breaking More Waves.

“Merges sultry sweet vocals with contemporary electronic production” – Sunday Best.

5. Which bands put the whimsical in Alice Jemima’s pop?

Alice Jemima is inspired by music by Feist, The XX, Beth Orton, Lana Del Ray and Belle and Sebastian.


6. Why should I press play?

Liquorice is stylish pop.


7. Does Alice Jemima have any more lovelies?

There is plenty of love out there for her cover of No Diggity.


8. Any more words?

Alice Jemima is supporting Lady Hawke on her UK tour in June.

“Drink, dance, I’m up all night

Hate the feeling in the morning but I’ll do it again”

 

Feist is an indie pop musician from Calgary, Canada. She has four solo albums on her resume. 1234 (2007) skipped off her third album The Reminder that debuted at number 2 in the Canadian charts and once Apple picked 1234 up for a commerical it propelled Feist to worldwide fame and fortune and is a song Time rated as the second best song of 2007 and called a  “masterpiece.”

“Money can’t buy you back the love you had then”

Pop Cult - Feels Right

1.    Who are these foot soldiers of rock’n’roll?

Pop Cult are an indie rock band from Queensland, Australia. Feels Right (March'16) is the second single to soar off their as yet unnamed debut EP.


2. What’s cooking?

Feels Right slides along all retro trippy English inde vibes, heavy bass and background guitar flourishes. The chorus steps it on up and it goes a little gospel in the breakdown with handclaps. Familar but new.


3. Who do Pop Cult sound like?

Primal Scream, Teenage Fan Club and a splash of The Happy Mondays. Rolling Stone Australia were feeling Oasis and The Who. Trippers.


4. What have the press said about Feels Right?

“On the fast track to become Aussie indie rock royalty” – AAA Backstage.

“Oozing early 90’s rock, easy guitars and gospel type harmonies” – Rabbit Radio.

“The chorus is an absolute belter” – Adam Not Eve.

5. Which bands put the belt into Pop Cult’s belters?

Pop Cult’s main influences are The Velvet Undergound, Big Star, Teenage Fanclub and Electric Light Orchestra.


6. Why should I give Feels Right a rumble?

Feels Right pushes all the right retro-nineties buttons with fresh excitement and a message about rising up for the good fight.


7. Do Pop Cult have any more good ones?

The first single Gotta Keep Lovin' is a lovely little number with more easy-going English indie stylings.


8. Any more words?

Elliot Heinrich has said Feels Right is a “gospel jam, with a subversive social commentary. We’re encouraged to be passive and accept the way things are, but our generation have more power than ever to question and change things.”
 

“Do what feels wrong until it feels right”

Primal Scream are an indie rock band from Glascow, Scotland. Formed in 1982 they have eleven long players in the vault and are still going strong. Screamadelica (1991) is their most popular album, selling 3 million copies, and Movin On Up is track one on the album. Pitchfork called Movin’ On Up an “immense dance-rock single” and Sreamadelica “half strutting with confidence, half yearning for transcendence.”

“I’m moving on up now, getting out of the darkness”