Red Hot Chili Peppers-Brendan's Death Song

It is safe to say that RHCP are not as popular as they used to be, but that doesn't stop them making great music. "Brendan's Death Song" is the new single which shows they are just as good as they where when they wrote "Under The Bridge" which this song is very alike. The first minute of the song is mostly acoustic, just like the start of Under The Bridge, but then moves into the sound of guitars and a drum beat just like Under the Bridge. It then reaches a climax of extremely loud vocals from Anthony Kiedis and thrashing guitars, yet again just like Under the Bridge, but it just can't quite beat it! It took me 9 or 10 listens to this song to get hooked which shows it's not too catchy, but nevertheless Red Hot Chili Peppers are still making quality music today and that's all that matters.

Rating: 7/10


Listen to "Red Hot Chili Peppers-Brendan's Death Song" here>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smu6_m3FNMI

Marina And The Diamonds-Power & Control

Marina Diamandis is back under her stage name with a new single "Power & Control" but it just can't hack it compared to hits like "I'm Not a Robot", "Hollywood" and "Primadonna". In fact, I'm not even sure if I like this song that much. I mean sure, Marina's voice is outstanding don't get me wrong, but this is nothing special. I can't stand the chorus and I sit listening to this song without any expression of happiness or interest. It's dance beat is sufficient enough to make a decent song but I cannot describe this song as anything more than meh.

Rating: 4/10


Listen to "Marina and the Diamonds-Power & Control" here> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Rp_0hoNTY

Enter Shikari-Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here

I for one have really enjoyed Enter Shikari's album "A Flash Flood of Colour" as they explore hardcore with dubstep. Creating an enjoyable album for many and recruiting more fans made the band achieve national  recognition at last (well apart from Directioners who's favourite artists have been abusing music for years). With great success with their underground music like "Sssnakepit" and "Arguing With Thermometers" the boys from St Albans have followed up with new single "Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here" which is a little different from their previous work. They are still using dubstep, but the guitars stand out so much more and Rou's vocals don't stand out as much and there's less screaming as well. However, there is no WOW factor about this tune which makes it hard to name as an all time favourite. The song isn't the best from Shikari but it is iPod worthy. As Enter Shikari famously once said, "We are Enter Shikari and we've been abusing genre's worthless boundaries since 2003" and I hope they continue to do that.

Rating:6/10


Listen to "Enter Shikari-Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here" here>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8fq_1S0EsE

Gym Class Heroes-Solo Discotheque

Gym Class Heroes' recent album "The Papercut Chronicles II" has been praised for having more effort put into the album, but it has also been criticised for being so far away from their first two albums which Gym Class fans tend to prefer. With the singles (apart from Stereo Hearts) being quite mediocre that weren't too exciting or anything special, Gym Class had to have a single like "Solo Discotheque" to keep up Gym Class Heroes' good work. It is also one of their songs that uses guitars so much which you don't see enough from the US hip-hop group. "Solo Discotheque" even includes it's own guitar solo and some rapping from Travie McCoy making this a great track from Gym Class Heroes, but it does not have the addiction to make it as a hit.

Rating:7/10


Listen to "Gym Class Heroes-Solo Discotheque" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoaM3ZPtjYQ

Dog Is Dead-Glockenspiel Song

Dog Is Dead have became well heard of in past 6 months with critics comparing them to the likes of successful band Mumford and Sons. Their new single "Glockenspiel Song" continues this Mumford sound, but also blends with Vampire Weekend's relaxing tracks. I heard this track a couple of times before realising, "WAIT THIS WAS ON SKINS!" as they played this same song in the marquee in the finale of the fifth series of the popular teen drama. I am however not a fan of this song because of it's appearance on a programme, but because it is a happy song with so much innocence and gives a great summer feel (which doesn't help when you live in Scotland). The song leaks happiness from every instrument from glockenspiel to drums and from guitar to keyboard with the vocals also working well around the song making an unlikely, but well-sounding track. It's a really lovely song as well, but to say that it will rival the likes of Mumford and Sons is a big ask.

Rating: 7/10


Listen to "Dog Is Dead-Glockenspiel Song" here> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhLynJBw20

The Gaslight Anthem-Handwritten

It is crazy that I have only started to listen to The Gaslight Anthem. On Radio 1, Zane Lowe would always talk about "Thu Gasliiight Ayunthum" as he would say it, but I kept forgetting to give them a proper listen. After listening to their material from 2008 - when they broke into the UK - and their new single "Handwritten" I came to the conclusion that The Gaslight Anthem are a good band.  After hearing "Handwritten" the first time, I realised how much this song sounded like some of the 80s rock songs coming from the likes of Bon Jovi and Guns N' Roses but it has a more modern style to it. On the other hand, despite the originality of the song, I cannot get myself addicted to this song. The video makes the song  slightly better - telling the tale of how a vinyl moved hands over the years - but unfortunately you can't rely on  a good video.

Rating: 6/10


Listen to "The Gaslight Anthem-Handwritten" here> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf-rEslupnY&feature=branded

Two Door Cinema Club-Sleep Alone

Two Door Cinema Club gained a huge fanbase in 2010 when their indie album "Tourist History" entered the charts and set many teenage girls into a frenzy with a catchy beat and slowly successfully won tonnes of male fans through many adverts and computer games such as Fifa which featured "I Can Talk". Now they are back after an indie-pop filled album which won over many indie kids around Britain. Their new album, "Beacon" will be out later this year, but their first single "Sleep Alone" has been released today and they have kept up form, but sadly, they haven't topped the best songs from their debut album. This new track still has a good beat to it similar to "What You Know" but it just doesn't have enough to top it. Sure, it's still worth a place on your beloved iPods, with the drums beating fast before the guitars burst into life at the chorus and Alex Trimble singing in his unique voice makes this track easy to tap your foot to and sing to, however, I hate to say it but I have a feeling that Tourist History will be a better album than Beacon. I hope I'm wrong but it might be second album syndrome for the Northern Irish boys. Don't kill me Basement People.

Rating:7/10


Listen to "Two Door Cinema Club-Sleep Alone" here> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8eGJz4t-V4

The Dark Knight Rises

Finally after what seemed like forever counting down the days, The Dark Knight Rises finally hit the UK cinemas yesterday and I could not wait to see the most anticipated film of the year. The plot to the third film in the Nolan trilogy shows Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) at one of his lowest points. It is eight years after the events of The Dark Knight and Wayne is still hiding away from the public, relying on a walking stick to help his crippling leg. He is then fooled by Anne Hathaway's sexy and seductive new character Selina Kyle (Catwoman) who robs him, showing the true stealth of this cat burglar and Hathaway showing she is a better Catwoman than Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry. She has a love/hate relationship with Batman at the start, she worked against Batman at first - helping Bane get to Batman - but their relationship grew stronger as the film progressed, which ended with a kiss. However, Hathaway's performance did not make this film so great, it was Tom Hardy's role as the hulking villain that is Bane. Heath Ledger as The Joker will probably always be the best Batman villain there is, but Tom Hardy's Bane was terrifying. Usually in superhero films you can tell what is going to happen and what the villains are planning on doing, but Bane mentally attacked Batman (just like The Joker did) and physically attacked him, showing that it would be very hard to tackle this great beast as Bruce Wayne is getting older and weaker he is getting stronger rivals and casting Bane with the English accent - which worked well - was a smart decision by Christopher Nolan. The brute force of Bane worried me sometimes as I wondered how Batman would get himself out of this one. During the film Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) is kidnapped and taken to Bane where after struggling to get away is left in hospital, leaving the investigation of Bane's terrorist plots to police officer, James Blake, who is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was once an orphan and brought up through the orphanage that Bruce Wayne formed. He steps into a pivotal role in the film and although at first James Blake's role seems unimportant, a great twist makes his character important. Then we have French actress Marion Cotillard who plays Miranda Tate, an executive board member for Wayne Enterprise who encourages Wayne to get back out into society and for some part of the film his love interest. Without Collitard's character, the ending would not be so special. The great thing about this film is that every character has a purpose. Even minor characters in the third film such as Michael Caine (Bet you said that in a Cockney accent) and Morgan Freeman (You're saying that in his voice, aren't you?) playing Alfred and Lucius Fox, we would not understand how hurt some of his closest friends are emotionally, and without Fox, Bruce Wayne's return might never have happened. Although at the start Wayne is weak and is broken down by Bane, he grows stronger as he is imprisoned in a prison that is almost impossible to escape from, then with great determination, he escapes and returns to Gotham City all to stop Bane from destroying the city and leading a huge revolution against the police and the government. The action  in the film is incredible with moments like the American Football match where the ground disappears from beneath the players and the robbery of the Stock Exchange Market which makes this film a stand out - with the other two Nolan Batman films - to most films out there. To conclude on what has been my favourite trilogy, just before Batman Begins, many of my friends thought Batman was a cheesy superhero, and I agreed, but nowadays, it is rare to dislike Batman after such great films which made superhero films cool again. The one thing that saddens me about the film is no more Nolan, and that scares me because for the next Batman films to be better, the director will need to be Jesus-because it will take a miracle.


Rating: 10/10

The Vaccines-Teenage Icon

Although Teenage Icon has been leaked at festivals and gigs for a couple of months now, it was hard to have an opinion on it as every video I watched consisted of fans screaming and the muffling sound of someone’s blurry shitty camera, making it difficult to listen to. But finally I can listen to what can only be described as one of The Vaccines best songs to date, with a catchy chorus and a fast beat. Many could argue a three line chorus leaves the listeners wanting more  but it somehow works really well with Justin Long summing up the meaning of the song with the short “I’m no teenage icon/I’m no Frankie Avalon/I’m nobody’s hero” telling people that he doesn’t see himself as worthy enough to be somebody that teenagers look up to, thus creating a perfect hook. Freddie Cowan shows off a lot on this track with an adventurous approach with a brilliant guitar solo and an upbeat riff. Bassist Arni Hjorvar plays a consistent steady beat which is unfortunately overshadowed by his bandmates' perfect performances. The drum beat kept my head bobbing for the whole song thanks to drummer Pete Nicholson.  After hearing this song just three times I can easily say I'm hooked on this track and I am buzzing for this new album. Justin needs to cut that bloody hair though.

Rating:9/10

Watch the video for “The Vaccines-Teenage Icon” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFUKrsDDChE&feature=plcp

Twin Atlantic-Yes, I Was Drunk

Vivarium was an enjoyable album, but Twin Atlantic’s new album “Free” has won me over. The Glaswegians have put a lot more thought and meaning into their most recent album and their new single “Yes, I Was Drunk” is no exception. Frontman Sam McTrusty confessed that this song was a fictional story he made up which he then squeezed emotion into and created one of the best songs of the album. Just like other Twin songs “Carribean War Syndrome” and “Crash Land”, the Scottish boys show their listeners that they do not have to make fast songs to make a good song. The sound of the guitars create a beautiful, slow, crunching sound that adds to a very meaningful song. McTrusty’s voice starts very soothing and seems to leak emotion as the song progresses. The only part of this song that I particularly don’t like is the repetition of “So I let go” which started getting a bit repetitive and irritant after hearing it three or four times over. With songs like this though, Twin Atlantic are close to be being the best Scottish alternative rock band still out there. Watch oot Biffy.(That's "Watch out Biffy Clyro" for our English readers).

Rating: 8/10 Watch the video for “Twin Atlantic-Yes, I Was Drunk” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUWoTzsbxOM

Bloc Party-Octopus

I think Bloc Party have realised that going back to your roots is sometimes a great path to take, especially when you are making a return to the music scene. The new awaiting album, “Four” -funnily enough being their fourth album- looks promising with moments of “Silent Alarm” in their new song “Octopus” yet they manage to cleverly make a unique song with a great use of guitar throughout, which their last album “Intimacy” lacked. The only thing about this song that hugely frustrates me is the quiet, muffled sound of Kele Okereke’s voice which is almost overwhelmed by his bandmates which I found hard to listen to at times. However, Octopus is well worth the listen as it revisits the band’s old sound and shows why this song has enough to beat Intimacy single-handed.

Rating:8/10

Listen to "Bloc Party-Octopus" here> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkeUFRK4i7w

The Killers-Runaways

It has felt like forever since The Killers released their last album “Day and Age” which was heavily criticised as it was so different from the previous albums, but now they are back. This time with a new single called “Runaways” which comes from the hugely-anticipated album “Battle Born”. Oh haven’t they just returned to their best! This sounds similar to their earlier albums, yet unique enough to avoid the label “unoriginal”. At the beginning the song slowly builds up until it reaches a huge climax with a clash of drums and guitars together making a beautiful sound which can only be described as 80s rock. “Runaways” takes a while for most listeners to find it catchy, but it shows The Killers are finally back to their best, which they haven’t been for 6 long years. If the album is anything like this song, Battle Born will be a great album which I cannot wait for. They are back.

Rating:9/10

Listen to The Killers-Battle Born here> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LOeImx0kW4

The Coopers-Summer's Child

Recently, I discovered this new unsigned band called “The Coopers” which produced a great feel-good summer song called “Summer's Child”. Summer's Child is an upbeat folk  song which may be appreciated by fans of Bombay Bicycle Club and Bon Iver. This song differs from The Coopers’ other material as it is not as lively, but who said that lively is always good? The song seems to drag through, desperately wanting to end and has a basic structure to it,  however “Summer's Child” is a very catchy song. Although it will not set the world alight, it will raise questions over why this band is still unsigned.  


Rating: 6/10
Listen to The Coopers-Summer's Child here> http://soundcloud.com/the-coopers/thecoopers-summerschild