Author Archives: Liam Walsh

The Rainband – Rise Again

Impact Date: OUT NOW

Rise Again is the new single from The Rainband and is released in tribute to MotoGP legend Marco Simoncelli on 17 June with profits going to the charitable foundation named in his memory.

With a live tribute to Simoncelli already in mind for their June gig in front of 60,000 race fans at Silverstone, The Rainband were approached by the newly formed Marco Simoncelli Foundation and agreed to write a song to help raise funds to build disabled care homes across the world, a cause close to the racing hero’s heart.

The Rainband were booked to play at Silverstone after event organisers got in touch following the band’s sell out hometown show at Manchester’s HMV Ritz at the end of last year.

Martin Finnigan, lead singer of The Rainband, said
:

“Being invited to open the British and Italian MotoGPs is a big honour for us. When we met Marco’s dad Paolo he talked about his vision for the Foundation. I agreed straight away to donate everything from the single to the work of the Foundation. It’s a great cause, in the name of a great man and I am proud we are involved. MotoGP champion and friend of Simoncelli, James Toseland plays keyboard on the single, another huge honour. It’s also wonderful that so many sport and music personalities have agreed to get behind the track including; Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Jensen Button, Bradley Button, Guy Garvey, Elbow, Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce, Ocean Colour Scene, James, Kaiser Chiefs, Simple Minds…”

Alex Hulme – The Start EP

Impact Date: 30th July 2012

Label: Cityscape

A beautiful song and a wonderful melody (Sir Paul McCartney)

It’s been a good year for Liverpool based, Alex. He has just graduated from LIPA (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts) where  he played for its patron Sir Paul McCartney. He has also supported a wealth of artists including Willy Mason, Willis Earl Beal and Emmy the Great, 2012 certainly seems like the start of something good for this 21 year old singer/songwriter. Alex’s first two EPs caught the attention of BBC DJs, and festival programmers alike, but Alex’s third EP, The Start, showcases his best work to date. We advise you to listen to the EP in it’s entirety, the final track Sparks has become a firm favourite.

“I’m tired of always hearing down beat tracks from solo acoustic artists,” says Alex, “I really want to write the songs that people sing along to, the ones that make you want to turn them up, jump around and enjoy life!” The title track of the EP does just that. The Start is a pulsing, pounding, feel-good, acoustic pop song with glorious boy/girl summer harmonies. This could just be your feel good track of the summer!

Blind Atlas – Brother Moon Animation

Impact Date: 13th June 2012

Label: Fallen Swine

Manchester’s own Anglo-American band Blind Atlas will release their debut album Kodiak Bear on the 18th June 2012.

Their live session for ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris’s BBC Radio 2 show was broadcast on 8th July.

Brother Moon will be the lead radio track from their debut album with another beautiful animation from collaborators Volkerfirma who have also animated a video for the title track Kodiak Bear. The animation will be released on 13th June a week before their album launch party. The song was engineered by both the Earlies and Blind Atlas themselves, with the Earlies again producing the track adding the haunting phaser and reverb to the vocals. The track also features Christian Madden of The Earlies on the Hammond Organ. 

Daystar – Sleeper

Impact Date: 11.06.12

daystarband.com

twitter.com/Daystarband

‘Great Stuff, and very Manchester, too’ ED O’BRIEN (RADIOHEAD) 

‘Daystar is a band I’ve been listening to a lot lately’ CLINT BOON (INSPIRAL CARPETS / XFM)

‘Wonderfully melancholy…already sounds classic’ THE SUN

 Manchester indie/rock five-piece Daystar is set to release their latest single ‘Sleeper’ on 11th June. Their rise over recent months has been impressive to say the least. With a sound drawing expertly from contemporary influences like The Smiths and The Stone Roses and with song craft reminiscent of legendary groups like R.E.M. and The Beach Boys, the band have rapidly developed a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming indie acts while supporting the likes of The Rifles and The Twang on tour.

Captured by legendary Liverpool producer Ronnie Stone (the man behind Mansun’s hit album ‘Attack of The Grey Lantern’), ‘Sleeper’ is a beautifully hypnotic and mellow song boasting chiming, shimmering guitars with front man Simon Monaghan’s sweet melodies soaring above. It’s an indie lullaby of real quality and, lyrically, a poignant rallying call to the lost souls who drift through life without ever fulfilling their potential. ‘Sleeper’ will be available on iTunes a week ahead of the release of the eagerly anticipated album ‘Daystar’ on the 18th June.

There’s evidence aplenty of the band’s respect and admiration for the work of Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd and perhaps more than a passing nod to the classic harmonies of Brit-pop heroes such as Mansun and The Charlatans.

Lead singer Simon has a voice that exudes distinction and class, delivered amidst a sound that, while unashamedly steeped in familiarity, resonates with a fresh urgency and vitality that has won the band many high profile fans, including Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, Clint Boon (XFM/Inspiral Carpets), BBC Radio 2’s Janice Long (‘They Said I’d like this, they were right’), presenter Terry Christian and BBC DJ Gary Crowley (‘I’m absolutely loving this, I can certainly hear the Syd Barrett and Brian Wilson influences’).

Catch Daystar live at:

CLUB NME @ KOKO LONDON 1st JUNE 

THIS FEELING @ FAC251 MANCHESTER 16th JUNE

Jack Robert Hardman – Lights of London

Impact date: OUT NOW on iTunes

jackroberthardman.co.uk

twitter.com/jrhardman

‘Lights Of London’ is the second single by 22 yrd old singer-songwriter/producer Jack Robert Hardman through Pleasant Pursuits / Essential Music.

Packed full of pulsating rhythms and intricate melody lines, ‘Lights of London’ tells the tale of a relentless desire to reach the bright lights of the big city. Fusing Hardman’s distinctive vocals and trademark production style, the song paints a dreamy picture of life in London, looking from the outside in.

Since releasing debut single ‘Famous’, Jack’s quirky pop music has attracted great excitement and interest from music scene luminaries such as  Huw Stephens (Radio 1), Tom Robinson (BBC 6music), John Kennedy (Xfm), and his local BBC Introducing presenter Linda Serck.

Quotes: listen to what Huw Stephens has to say about Jack below…

“His sound and writing have grown in range, and daring every time we’ve heard him”
Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music

“Harks back to happier days like a pleasing meld of Belle & Sebastian and The Postal Service”
Middleboop

“Jack Robert Hardman should come with a warning label: his insanely catchy pop will stick in your head pretty much forever. He’s a supreme talent with a unique voice and take on life.”

BBC Berkshire Linda Serck

You can also listen to a sampler of Jack’s album from our SoundCloud page:

 

Top 100 streamed songs of 2011

Top 100 streamed songs of 2011 via the Official Charts Company.

Adele’s Rolling In The Deep tops the list, which has been compiled from data derived from the likes of Spotify, Deezer, Napster, We7 and Xbox Live Zune.

Both ad-funded and subscription platforms were taken into account.

The list follows the first Official weekly UK streaming chart, which was released yesterday. Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe took the No.1 spot.

The UK’s most streamed tracks of 2011, according to Official Charts Company data:

1 ROLLING IN THE DEEP ADELE XL RECORDINGS

2 GRENADE BRUNO MARS ELEKTRA

3 PRICE TAG JESSIE J FT BOB ISLAND/LAVA

4 S&M RIHANNA DEF JAM

5 THE A TEAM ED SHEERAN ASYLUM

6 DO IT LIKE A DUDE JESSIE J ISLAND/LAVA

7 MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE ADELE XL RECORDINGS

8 WHAT’S MY NAME RIHANNA FT DRAKE DEF JAM

9 ONLY GIRL (IN THE WORLD) RIHANNA DEF JAM

10 PARTY ROCK ANTHEM LMFAO/LAUREN BENNETT/GOONROCK INTERSCOPE

11 JUST THE WAY YOU ARE (AMAZING) BRUNO MARS ELEKTRA

12 WHO’S THAT CHICK DAVID GUETTA FT RIHANNA POSITIVA/VIRGIN

13 FIREWORK KATY PERRY VIRGIN

14 BORN THIS WAY LADY GAGA INTERSCOPE

15 ON THE FLOOR JENNIFER LOPEZ FT PITBULL DEF JAM

16 YOUR SONG ELLIE GOULDING POLYDOR

17 MOVES LIKE JAGGER MAROON 5 FT CHRISTINA AGUILERA A&M/OCTONE

18 FORGET YOU CEE LO GREEN WARNER BROS

19 WE FOUND LOVE RIHANNA FT CALVIN HARRIS DEF JAM

20 ET KATY PERRY FT KANYE WEST VIRGIN

21 THE LAZY SONG BRUNO MARS ELEKTRA

22 GIVE ME EVERYTHING PITBULL/NE-YO/AFROJACK/NAYER J

23 YEAH 3X CHRIS BROWN SONY MUSIC

24 I NEED A DOLLAR ALOE BLACC EPIC

25 LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE EMINEM FT RIHANNA INTERSCOPE

26 THE CAVE MUMFORD & SONS GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD/ISLAND

27 MARRY YOU BRUNO MARS ELEKTRA

28 WONDERMAN TINIE TEMPAH FT ELLIE GOULDING PARLOPHONE

29 L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. NOAH & THE WHALE MERCURY

30 ALL OF THE LIGHTS KANYE WEST FT DRAKE & RIHANNA ROC-A-FELLA

31 LIKE A G6 FAR EAST MOVEMENT/CATARACS/DEV INTERSCOPE

32 LEGO HOUSE ED SHEERAN ASYLUM

33 BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE CHRIS BROWN FT BENNY BENASSI SONY MUSIC

34 SWEAT SNOOP DOGG CAPITOL

35 SUPER BASS NICKI MINAJ CASH MONEY/ISLAND

36 WHERE THEM GIRLS AT DAVID GUETTA/FLO RIDA/MINAJ POSITIVA/VIRGIN

37 YOU NEED ME I DON’T NEED YOU ED SHEERAN ASYLUM

38 MIAMI 2 IBIZA SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA VS TINIE VIRGIN

39 JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH BLACK EYED PEAS INTERSCOPE

40 COMING HOME DIDDY DIRTY MONEY/SKYLAR GREY BAD BOY/INTERSCOPE

41 HOMETOWN GLORY ADELE XL RECORDINGS

42 LITTLE LION MAN MUMFORD & SONS GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD/ISLAND

43 BLIND FAITH CHASE & STATUS FT LIAM BAILEY MERCURY

44 I NEED A DOCTOR DR DRE FT EMINEM & SKYLAR GREY INTERSCOPE

45 WE R WHO WE R KESHA RCA

46 PASS OUT TINIE TEMPAH PARLOPHONE

47 PUMPED UP KICKS FOSTER THE PEOPLE COLUMBIA

48 TONIGHT (I’M F**KIN’ YOU) ENRIQUE IGLESIAS FT LUDACRIS POLYDOR

49 THE TIME (DIRTY BIT) BLACK EYED PEAS INTERSCOPE

50 CALIFORNIA KING BED RIHANNA DEF JAM

51 SKINNY LOVE BON IVER 4AD

52 BEST THING I NEVER HAD BEYONCE COLUMBIA/PARKWOOD ENT

53 FEEL SO CLOSE CALVIN HARRIS COLUMBIA

54 WRITTEN IN THE STARS TINIE TEMPAH FT ERIC TURNER PARLOPHONE

55 BLACK AND YELLOW WIZ KHALIFA ATLANTIC

56 THE EDGE OF GLORY LADY GAGA INTERSCOPE

57 HELLO MARTIN SOLVEIG & DRAGONETTE 3 BEAT/AATW

58 WHAT YOU KNOW TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB KITSUNE

59 CHASING PAVEMENTS ADELE XL RECORDINGS

60 TEENAGE DREAM KATY PERRY VIRGIN

61 DOWN WITH THE TRUMPETS RIZZLE KICKS ISLAND

62 GLAD YOU CAME WANTED GLOBAL TALENT

63 EARTHQUAKE LABRINTH FT TINIE TEMPAH SYCO MUSIC

64 SWEET DISPOSITION TEMPER TRAP INFECTIOUS MUSIC

65 CHAMPION CHIPMUNK FT CHRIS BROWN JIVE

66 COOLER THAN ME MIKE POSNER J

67 BOUNCE CALVIN HARRIS FT KELIS COLUMBIA

68 DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH NICOLE SCHERZINGER INTERSCOPE

69 SOMETHING GOOD CAN WORK TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB KITSUNE

70 STARRY EYED ELLIE GOULDING POLYDOR

71 END CREDITS CHASE & STATUS FT PLAN B VERTIGO

72 F**KIN’ PERFECT PINK LAFACE

73 JUDAS LADY GAGA INTERSCOPE

74 THE FLOOD TAKE THAT POLYDOR

75 BUZZIN MANN FT 50 CENT MERCURY

76 HEY SOUL SISTER TRAIN COLUMBIA

77 CRYSTALISED XX YOUNG TURKS

78 JUST A DREAM NELLY UNIVERSAL

79 CHEERS (DRINK TO THAT) RIHANNA DEF JAM

80 DYNAMITE TAIO CRUZ 4TH & BROADWAY

81 FOR THE FIRST TIME SCRIPT PHONOGENIC

82 DOG DAYS ARE OVER FLORENCE & THE MACHINE ISLAND

83 WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL ONE DIRECTION SYCO MUSIC

84 MANY OF HORROR BIFFY CLYRO 14TH FLOOR

85 NOBODY’S PERFECT JESSIE J ISLAND/LAVA

86 WHAT THE HELL AVRIL LAVIGNE RCA

87 SEXY AND I KNOW IT LMFAO INTERSCOPE

88 RAISE YOUR GLASS PINK LAFACE

89 SKINNY LOVE BIRDY 14TH FLOOR/ATLANTIC

90 WITHOUT YOU DAVID GUETTA FT USHER POSITIVA/VIRGIN

91 ISLANDS XX YOUNG TURKS

92 LAST FRIDAY NIGHT (TGIF) KATY PERRY VIRGIN

93 DAYDREAMER ADELE XL RECORDINGS

94 EYES WIDE SHUT JLS FT TINIE TEMPAH EPIC

95 WINTER WINDS MUMFORD & SONS GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD/ISLAND

96 CALIFORNIA GURLS KATY PERRY FT SNOOP DOGG VIRGIN

97 AIRPLANES BOB FT HAYLEY WILLIAMS ATLANTIC

98 STEREO HEARTS GYM CLASS HEROES/ADAM LEVINE DECAYDANCE/FUELED BY RAMEN

99 MOMENT 4 LIFE NICKI MINAJ FT DRAKE CASH MONEY/ISLAND

100 KATY ON A MISSION KATY B RINSE RECORDINGS

Top 50 Biggest Selling Singles of the 21st Century

The Top 50 Biggest Selling Singles of the 21st Century are:

01 ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE/EVERGREEN WILL YOUNG

02 SOMEONE LIKE YOU ADELE

03 UNCHAINED MELODY GARETH GATES

04 I GOTTA FEELING BLACK EYED PEAS

05 IT WASN’T ME SHAGGY FT RIKROK

06 MOVES LIKE JAGGER MAROON 5 FT CHRISTINA AGUILERA

07 (IS THIS THE WAY TO) AMARILLO TONY CHRISTIE FT PETER KAY

08 HALLELUJAH ALEXANDRA BURKE

09 SEX ON FIRE KINGS OF LEON

10 DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS BAND AID 20

11 CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD KYLIE MINOGUE

12 JUST THE WAY YOU ARE (AMAZING) BRUNO MARS

13 WE FOUND LOVE RIHANNA FT CALVIN HARRIS

14 POKER FACE LADY GAGA

15 THAT’S MY GOAL SHAYNE WARD

16 PARTY ROCK ANTHEM LMFAO/LAUREN BENNETT/GOONROCK

17 PURE AND SIMPLE HEARSAY

18 PRICE TAG JESSIE J FT BOB

19 LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE EMINEM FT RIHANNA

20 ONLY GIRL (IN THE WORLD) RIHANNA

21 BLEEDING LOVE LEONA LEWIS

22 CRAZY GNARLS BARKLEY

23 CAN WE FIX IT BOB THE BUILDER

24 WHEN WE COLLIDE MATT CARDLE

25 FIGHT FOR THIS LOVE CHERYL COLE

26 WHOLE AGAIN ATOMIC KITTEN

27 BAD ROMANCE LADY GAGA

28 HERO ENRIQUE IGLESIAS

29 GIVE ME EVERYTHING PITBULL/NE-YO/AFROJACK/NAYER

30 SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW GOTYE FT KIMBRA

31 JUST DANCE LADY GAGA

32 USE SOMEBODY KINGS OF LEON

33 FORGET YOU CEE LO GREEN

34 THE A TEAM ED SHEERAN

35 A MOMENT LIKE THIS LEONA LEWIS

36 ROLLING IN THE DEEP ADELE

37 GRENADE BRUNO MARS

38 CHASING CARS SNOW PATROL

39 RULE THE WORLD TAKE THAT

40 DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ JOURNEY

41 FIREWORK KATY PERRY

42 STAN EMINEM

43 HERO X FACTOR FINALISTS

44 ON THE FLOOR JENNIFER LOPEZ FT PITBULL

45 MEET ME HALFWAY BLACK EYED PEAS

46 DILEMMA NELLY FT KELLY ROWLAND

47 THE CLIMB JOE MCELDERRY

48 JAR OF HEARTS CHRISTINA PERRI

49 MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE ADELE

50 IN FOR THE KILL LA ROUX

 

Bibelots – The Revolution Will Be Digitised

Impact date: 11th June 2012

bibelotsband.com

“Swaggering but never cocky, Bibelots mix electronic pulses with big choruses, coming off

like an early incarnation of Kasabian with added attitude. “                          Clash Magazine

In 2010, East London’s Bibelots won an opening slot at the prestigious Snow bombing festival in Austria, and were quickly spotted by John McClure of Reverend and the Makers. By the summer of that year the lads had started their own club night at Buffalo Bar, Islington and were starting to really make a name for themselves, along with support slots for such heavyweights as Detroit Social Club, Chapman Family, The Rifles, Starsailor , Dinosaur Pileup and Ocean Colour Scene, Miles Kane and Kasabian.

Already crowned HMV Next Big Thing for 2012, ‘The Revolution Will Be Digitised’ is receiving support from Geoff Lloyd at Absolute Radio, Amazing Radio & BBC Introducing and the band recently performed the track live on ESPN’s Talk of the Terrace.

Check out the video for “The Revolution will be Digitised”;

Darktown Jubilee – Breakdown

Impact date: 25th June 2012

darktownjubilee.com

If you’re not one of the more than 3,500 people who’ve already watched the excellent video for Manchester’s Darktown Jubilee‘s Breakdown on YouTube over the last 5 days, you won’t know that it stars the ace Salfordian actor Steve Evets (Looking for Eric, Pirates of the Carribean), or that it was directed by multi award-winning film director Jason Wingard (Grand prize winner of the Virgin Media Shorts competition). You probably won’t know that the video’s storyline is set against the backdrop of last summer’s riots either.

Breakdown is the first single from Darktown Jubilee‘s debut album ‘The World, the Flesh and the Devil’. Big things are likely to happen for these guys, so you might want to remember where you heard about them first.

Daystar – Don’t Need This

Impact date: 12:03:2012

daystarband.com
twitter.com/daystarband

Ed O’Brien (Radiohead) ‘Great Stuff, and very Manchester, too’ , 

 Clint Boon (Inspiral Carpets / XFM) ‘Daystar are a band I’ve been listening to a lot lately’

‘Don’t Need This’, the latest Daystar single, is set for release on February 27th. Captured by legendary Liverpool producer Ronnie Stone, the raking, shimmering guitars, cascading bass-lines, laidback somersaulting drums and the sweet, soaring melodies of front man Simon Monaghan demonstrate unflinching feeling and belief. In his own words; “This song is about the pretension and conformity of the murky underbelly of the Manchester club scene and the social whores who frequent it”. There’s evidence aplenty of the band’s respect and admiration for the work of Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd and perhaps more than a passing nod to the classic harmonies of Brit-pop heroes Mansun and The Charlatans.

Daystar’s rise over recent months has been impressive to say the least. With a sound drawing expertly from contemporary influences whilst effortlessly tapping into the feel-good aspect of sixties mod culture, the band have rapidly developed a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming indie acts.

Daystar songs charm through the noble art of storytelling whilst creating eclectic soundscapes that conjure fond recollections of classic tunes by The Smiths, The Stone Roses and The La’s, along with song craft reminiscent of legendary groups like R.E.M. This has earned the band many high profile fans, including Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien , Radio 2’s Janice Long (‘They said I’d like this. They were right.’), Terry Christian and BBC London/6 Music’s Gary Crowley (‘I’m absolutely loving this, I can certainly hear the Syd Barrett and Brian Wilson influences’).

To mark the release of ‘Don’t Need This’, Daystar will be playing live shows at:

Manchester’s Dry Bar (18th February)

Manchester, FAC251 (16th March).

London TBC

http://soundcloud.com/ask-me/daystar-dont-need-this