The band says, “Reading List is about confidence and learning how to deal with change. Lyrically this one was really personal to me, but I tried to write it so that it could be as relatable to others as possible, we all deal with change in our lives, whether it’s things getting in the way of seeing the person you love, losing somebody close or even not spending enough time reading as much as you’d like. I approached our friend Claudio to do the video and he did such a great job of portraying the exact vibe of the song to the video he produced, he’s such a genuine guy and I think his input and enthusiasm for the project really gave the video an extra dynamic.”
Armed with foot-stomping, beer-soaked folk tunes and ‘sing your heart out’ punk rock anthems, Jake and the Jellyfish write dance-able, sing-along songs about the frustrations of daily life, 9 to 5 jobs, environmental concerns and more. Who knew being grumpy could be so much fun?
Social commentary is a key part to J& TJ’s music, an overall sense of dissatisfaction resides underneath the surface of very relatable, catchy lyrics. Whether it’s a fuck you to lad culture “I won’t follow your lead, and I’m not one of the lads”, or being aware of your own flaws “We’re all hypocrites, just to greater or lesser extents” they wear their emotions on their sleeves and it’s evident in their live show.
5 years of touring in a beat up old postal van has added plenty of experiences to their sound. From breaking down in a small town in France with no breakdown cover and no money to get home to accidentally headlining the Woodlands stage in front of thousands of people at Kendal Calling; it all adds to the community spirit of the Jellyfish, they just want to have some beers and play some tunes at the top of their lungs.
Originally just Jake playing punk folk songs by himself, the band met at uni in Leeds and quickly became a unit rather than a one-man show. Deciding to play as many shows as possible, as quickly as possible, they met many friends along the way. And what’s more, fun than traveling the world and hanging out with your friends? Over the years their sound has gained more and more energy and yet has still matured.
In addition to performing shows all over, the band has played festivals like Rebellion, Mighty Sounds, Boomtown, Bearded Theory, Kendal Calling, Beat-herder and The Fest, and has shared stages with bands such as Red City Radio, The Skints, H20, Random Hand and Beans on Toast, which has enabled them to carve their own foothold in the DIY music scene.
LINKS:
http://www.jakeandthejellyfish.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/jakeandthejellyfish
https://www.twitter.com/jakeandthejfish
https://jakeandthejellyfish.bandcamp.com
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Shriekback – And The Rain
Seminal British alternative rock outfit Shriekback has announced they will release their new album ‘Why Anything? Why This?’ on May 25. As a teaser, they are previewing the first single ‘And The Rain’, along with a darkly intriguing video filmed by Howard Davidson (a.k.a. Hodah).
Shriekback was formed in 1980 by ex-XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews and bassist Dave Allen on his departure from Gang Of Four, in collaboration with guitarist Carl Marsh from Out On Blue Six. Under the auspices of the visionary Y Records label (home to The Slits, The Pop Group and Pigbag), the group found their voice experimenting in EMI Music’s KPM demo studio in London, refining a uniquely recognizable sound in 1982 on their first full-length album ‘Care’ and eventually achieving wider recognition with the singles ‘Lined Up’ and ‘My Spine (Is The Bassline)’. In 1983, they were joined by drummer Martyn Barker (King Swamp, Billy Bragg).
A move to a major label, Arista, allowed the band to fully realize their sound on ‘Oil & Gold’(1985), a milestone album that remains the band’s best-known (helped by the success of the single ‘Nemesis’) and the foundation of their popularity on the US college circuit and elsewhere.
‘And The Rain’ is dark and infectious, conjuring up steamy, swampy, Southern Gothic blues.This 14th studio album, which boasts a wide, organic and detailed sound, is already being described by early listeners as their best since the landmark album ‘Oil & Gold’. The sound is dense, woody and fibrous. Here we find evolved Bo Diddley beats and African blues”. However you describe it, this is Shriekback refocused, reinvented and reinvigorated.
Band members have also pushed themselves musically and sonically – Barry contributes a lot of guitars, Carl has essayed some slide guitar and keyboards and Martyn has brought in a whole arsenal of world percussion alongside his drumkit. Regular Shriekback listeners will hear more guitars and live drums and fewer loops and electronics. The sonic palette is very broad.
Written, performed and produced almost exclusively by the core trio, this is very much a ‘band’ album, crafted over time with the three core members working in their own studios, as well as in group sessions at Yellow Fish and Echo Zoo studios to capture live drums. But the writing and production on this release have been much more collaborative, with Martyn, in particular, having more input than previously.
New collaborator Scott Firth (of P.i.L) adds irrefutable bass to selected tracks, while Shriekback regulars Wendy and Sarah Partridge contribute their ever-invaluable backing vocals. Live drums were recorded by Ian Caple (who’s been with Shriekback since the beginning) at Yellow Fish in Lewes and Christoph Skirl at Echo Zoo in Eastbourne. The album was mixed and mastered by Stuart Rowe in The Lighterthief Bunker, Swindon – his fifth Shriekback album in this role, an indication of the value placed on his objective ear and technical skill.
‘Why Anything? Why This?’ will be released on May 25, 2018. While fans should keep an eye out for the album via digital stores and streaming platforms, the album is already available for pre-order from the band directly at https://shriekback.com/store.
LINKS:
http://www.shriekback.com
http://www.facebook.com/shriekback
http://twitter.com/shriekbackmusic
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMkzOIkm9sqOjch00BhHBg/videos
http://soundcloud.com/shriekbackband
http://open.spotify.com/artist/5zdhsKuFI263xttcgdoW3c?si=ygb7IlYKSASw5xefkBQfDA
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/shriekback/85136
http://shriekbackmusic.tumblr.com -
indifferentMonKeY – God or Machine?
indifferentMonKeY has released the video for the track titled ‘God or Machine?’. A few weeks ago we reviewed the single from indifferentMonKeY and now the video, in my opinion, encapsulates the darkly sensual and introvertedly rhythmic sense of self within the song. Belle’s voice is angelic with a touch of sin and her walk on the beach gives that longing for what once was in this world. Doing that with style is an originality just out of reach from most but firmly in the grasp of indifferentMonKeY. Future funk with a touch of the new reality.
Their debut E.P. ‘Inner Lockdown’ is due for release in April 2021.
About indifferentMonKeY
‘God or Machine?’ starts with a thunderstorm, the rain you can hear is real. The audio is a home studio where the vocals were laid down in a day, a real storm was overhead. Although the rain was pounding on the windows they decided to carry on recording, joking it would add to the atmosphere, on mixing the track, the elements proved to lend themselves perfectly to this brooding, beat-heavy gem. With stunning vocals from Belle and a superb mix/production, you could easily believe ‘God or Machine’ was a hidden track on Massive Attack’s legendary ‘Mezzanine’.
indifferentMonKeY was formed by songwriter/producer Joe Lowe, the sound is drawn from a number of influences and styles but is best described as ‘Heavy Trip Hop’.
The band kicked this year off in style having been played on BBC Introducing with Sean McGinty throughout the whole of January and the track will also be appearing on U.S music publication Relix Magazine’s CD sampler this coming March.
indifferentMonKeY are:
- Belle: Vocals
- Joe Lowe: Writer, arranger, and producer. Bass Guitar, Guitars, Strings, Vocals.
- Luke Wilding: Bass & Guitars
- Keith Ashcroft: Bass & Guitars (Guitarist on “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Gregg Alexander and Sophie Ellis-Bextor). Keith very sadly passed away suddenly a few months ago. RIP Keith Ashcroft. We’ll always miss you always.
- Drums: George Ashcroft-Smith
LINKS:
https://indifferentmonkey.com
https://dazyrcords.com
https://soundcloud.com/joe-lowe-626028563
https://www.facebook.com/indifferentmonkey
https://twitter.com/IndifferentM
https://www.facebook.com/DazyRecords-583724738473361
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCllGh8sArGdof2aQGHbHUPA/videos -
Berries – Wild Vow
Berries recent single sees the band further explore their unique take on riff-driven rock with even more grit and confidence. “Wild Vow” boasts big riffs and choruses and further highlights the clever musicianship, weaving guitar and bass lines and well thought out drum patterns that this exciting three-piece are becoming known for.
The band has had an infectious buzz around them ever since they dropped their first release “Lights” last year, followed by singles “Waiting” and “Siren”. Their tracks immediately caught the attention of BBC London Introducing and they were hastily invited into the studio for an interview with Gary Crowley who openly showed his support for the band urging listeners to “keep an ear and an eye out for them as they have a lot of promise!” The band’s tracks have also received regular airplay by Jim Gellatly and Shell Zenner on Amazing Radio, Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music and John Kennedy on Radio X.
Following the release of their debut EP Those Funny Things the band was approached by a member of Fender’s A&R team who expressed his interest in their unique and energetic playing style. They were endorsed with new gear and included in a playlist of Fender’s ‘Top 10 favorite new acts’ alongside Bryde and featured on Richer Unsigned. Their song “Siren” was then added to nationwide playlists in Richer Sounds stores, Samsung and Barclays. The band’s EP has been championed by Fred Perry Subculture, Gigslutz, Even the Stars and The Revue along with several other influential tastemakers and blogs. “Wild Vow” is their anticipated follow-up single.
The band has regularly featured on the Gigslutz girls show called ‘Get In Her Ears’ on Hoxton Radio and have also received great support from It’s All Indie who have mentioned them in in a recent interview giving a shout out to female musicians.
LINKS:
https://Soundcloud.com/Berriesband
https://Facebook.com/Berriesband
https://Twitter.com/Berriesbanduk
https://instagram.com/berriesband
https://Youtube.com/BerriesBand