Top 50 of 2012: No.21: Plan B - Ill Manors (Some major)

Some people may be surprised that I’m a Plan B fan, let’s face it I don’t feature much ‘street’ music or whatever the kids are calling it these days, I don’t know much about the genre but I know what I like and Ben Drew’s output to date has been brilliant. I don’t care if he’s for real or whether it’s all an act, good music is often about telling stories, stories that suck you in and make you listen to the end and that’s exactly what his music does. So this not so much a new album but a soundtrack to his film of the same name, and like the film the soundtrack is pretty fucking dark, songs about drug dealers, prostitutes, violence and murder interspersed with dialogue from the film. This is also Ben Drew’s most ambitious release so far, with tons of guests and samples, the best easily being John Cooper Clarkes turn on ‘Pity The Plight’ which is amazing even for him. So while the war rages on over how ‘street’ ben Drew actually is, if you’re like me you won’t actually give a shit and just enjoy some really good music.

8.5/10

Buy here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ill-Manors-Plan-B/dp/B007JLJO3W/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1377076661&sr=1-1&keywords=ill+manors
Or get the blu-ray of the film well cheap here innit: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ill-Manors-Blu-ray-Riz-Ahmed/dp/B0087PEMXG/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1377076931&sr=1-2&keywords=ill+manors

Top 50 of 2012: No.22: Hawk Eyes - Ideas (Fierce Panda)

Including time under their previous moniker Chickenhawk, the band now known as Hawk Eyes have actually been going for a good 8 years, however a lot of people are seeing them as a new band, so whether the name change was a deliberate chance to reinvent themselves or not, based on how far they’ve come since, it was worth it. Previous EP ‘Mindhammers’ hinted at a more riff heavy sound and less reliance on the sludgy style they were known for previously, but this new album sees them come on leaps and bounds, not to say their previous output wasn’t brilliant, they’ve always been one of the best underground bands the UK had to offer. Kicking off with the best song they’ve done so far ‘Witch Hunt’ the album doesn’t let up with huge stoneresque rock, at times technical metal and always with heaps of catchiness, it’s almost impossible to pigeonhole this band because there’s so much going on. While a lot of bands try to do this Hawk Eyes succeed in not being diverse for the sake of being diverse and all the songs flow together, so if you’re looking for heavy but with a touch of melody, then Hawk Eyes could be your new favourite band.

8.5/10

Buy here: http://www.fiercepanda.co.uk/shop.php?release=429
Or here: http://hawkeyesmusic.bandcamp.com/merch

The Icarus Line UK Tour

Okay so the poster above is for last years but new dates announced for UK

October
 29th - Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London
 30th - Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes

November
 2nd - The Hope, Brighton
 3rd - Deaf Institute, Manchester
 4th - Exchange, Bristol
 5th - Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds

They've already released what may be the album of the year so make sure you check them out

Top 50 of 2012: No.23: BLAME - Gracious Malady (Dark Days)

There’s definitely a 90’s revival thing going on lately, be it bands reforming or bands taking influence, and let’s face it, the 90’s was an awesome decade for music so this can only be a good thing. Blame could easily be leaders of the pack for 90’s influence, and that’s not to say they sound like any particular band from that era, they just carry a vibe of bands like Lemonheads, Sebadoh or Sugar, even the album cover screams 1993. All of this would amount to nothing if they were just plain copyists, but Blame also has a hint of modern sound to them as well ‘Best I Could Be’ carries an angular vocal attack reminiscent of The Cribs, ‘Outsiders’ ‘Floods’ and ‘After Hours’ have huge anthemic choruses that will have you singing along on the first listen. Blame are a band that have appeared as if from nowhere fully formed and armed with massive songs and one of the best debut albums of the year, This album is really good, but something tells me there’s better to come. So support them as much as you can as they’re doing things on their own so far, and talent as good as this couldn’t and shouldn’t be ignored, so dig out your old flannel shirts and ripped jeans and get back to the 90’s.

8.5/10

Buy here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gracious-Malady/dp/B00A5BULCQ/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376565780&sr=301-1

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/blamemusic

Girls Against Boys New EP 'The Ghost List'

More and more amazing bands are reforming these days, the best lately have been Redd Kross, Ultrasound, Six By Seven, and I even hear Truly may finally return with something new soon. To add to that list now we have one of the 90’s best bands Girls Against Boys who are back with a new EP ‘The Ghost List’ on Epitonic records due 24th September.

Tracklisting is:

1. It’s A Diamond Life
2. Fade Out
3. 60 Is Greater Than 15
4. Let’s Get Killed
5. Kick

Giddy as a fucking kipper for this one!!

Pre-order here: http://epitonic.bandcamp.com/album/the-ghost-list-ep

Viva Viva - Dead In Yr Tracks EP (Fort Point Recordings)

It’s funny how I find new music sometimes, recently I’ve finally picked up a physical copy of the Officer May ‘Smoking In A Minor’ album, so after getting that I started looking into they’re vocalist Chris Warren’s other new band again Viva Viva, turns out they have literally just released a new EP, so being me I couldn’t resist. Now I’ve already got the full length 2010 self-titled album which was a great pop-rock album, but I’ve not managed yet to grab a copy of the mini-album ‘What’s The Kim Deal?’ (this will be rectified shortly) so there’s a big gap between what I’ve heard and new EP ‘Dead In Yr Tracks’. Like I said previously the last album was great, the new EP is literally amazing, brilliant pop-rock hooks, slight elements of funk, this is one of those bands that a hell of a lot more people should know about, in fact a lot more people should be aware of Chris Warren’s music in general, all four tracks on this EP take the band to a whole new level than before, and for those missing the rage that Officer May had in abundance, just need to check out closing track ‘Halfway To Hell’. So Viva Viva, not so much a new band, but definitely a band to check out, also recommended and linked below is Chris’ solo records on bandcamp, unfortunately the ‘American Vulture’ album seems to be missing in action, so the 100 people who got a handmade copy are lucky bastards indeed.

9.5/10

Buy here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-in-Yr-Tracks-Explicit/dp/B00EFASQ7U/ref=sr_shvl_album_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376474073&sr=301-3
Chris Warren solo: http://chriswarren.bandcamp.com/
Website: http://www.thisisvivaviva.com/
Bandcamp: http://vivaviva.bandcamp.com/
Shop: http://www.thisisvivaviva.com/p/merch.html

Top 50 of 2012: No.24: Black Moth - The Killing Jar (New Heavy Sounds)

I’m sure I had a download of Black Moth’s first 7” ‘The Articulate Dead’ and remember not being that impressed with it, listening to their first full album, either I was completely wrong (it occasionally happens) or they’ve improved tenfold since, not sure which but either way, this album wipes the floor with my memories. Considering the album kicks off with the storming aforementioned track my confusion increases because the huge Sabbathesque riffs and Harriet Bevan’s menacing vocals do not ring a bell from what I’ve heard before, but when an album kicks off with a song this good who cares? What you have is essentially Black Sabbath fronted by one of the best female vocalists the country has to offer, which wouldn’t account to squat if the songs weren’t also so fucking good, sometimes I feel like I’m biased towards local bands, but Black Moth are so good it can’t just be me.

8.5/10

Buy here: