Latest News
HAWK release download track ‘Fire In A Classroom’!
"HAWK combine post-punk and folk in a spine-tingling brew that'll take potshots at your emotional wellbeing" - The Line of Best Fit
"...a searing post-rock epic..." - Gigwise
"I honestly can't stress enough how nice [Fire In A Classroom] is..." - The 405
HAWK have released a free download track, 'Fire In A Classroom', which is taken from their EP Clock Hands, released via Veta Records.
The track premiered on The 405 and you can download and stream the song for free via the band's SoundCloud page.
The video for EP title track Clock Hands premiered on The Line Of Best Fit and you can watch it now on the band's YouTube channel.
Clock Hands continues to explore the limits of light and shade. The title track combines soaring and ethereal vocals with a guitar and rhythm section that defy traditional melodic forms but retain an air of their folk heritage. Like a post-rock Daughter, HAWK’s talent for minimalist storytelling is evident on tracks such as ‘Fire In A Classroom’ and ‘Footsteps, but their ability to convey emotion through music and Julie’s amazing vocal range is just as strong. The intro to last year’s single and EP track Hush is wordless, yet is all the more powerful for it, and a spine tingling example of the band’s dark beauty.
Hush gained support from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit, Music Week (who tipped them as ones to watch in 2015), as well as Amazing Radio, BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson, and XFM DJ and Blur drummer Dave Rowntree. The track premiered on Gigwise, and you can stream and download it for free via HAWK's SoundCloud page while the haunting video that accompanies premiered on The Line Of Best Fit and can be watched on the band's YouTube channel.
Clock Hands is released via Veta Records and available to buy on iTunes.
Kill The Waves release free single ‘Better Days’!
Kill The Waves are giving away their latest single, Better Days, as a free download. The track is taken from their forthcoming album, The One That Could Have Been, released 20th April 2015 via Bloc+Music.
Effortlessly fusing pounding alternative rock and electronica with an unmistakable Scottish sound, Better Days is a fantastic showcase of the band's diverse and unique sound. You can stream and download the single for free via the band's SoundCloud page.
You can also watch the video that accompanies the single via the band's YouTube channel.
You can also stream and download album track 'Vow' for free via the band's SoundCloud page and watch the video that accompanies it via The Skinny's YouTube channel.
The One That Could Have Been defies convention as Kill The Waves pull on their vast array of inspirations to create a sound that straddles genres, with elements of ethereal electronica fused effortlessly with anthemic pop-rock, creating something truly extraordinary. There’s a depth to the band’s compositions rarely seen on a full length debut, boasting immaculately arranged strings, synths and guitars which are all held together neatly by Tim Kwant's impressive vocals as he jumps between octaves with ease. While there is no formal theme to the album, love, death and sacrifice are major inspirations behind their songwriting, as evidenced in tracks such as ‘Oak Tree’ and the techno-minimalist ‘Deadwave’. While it’s difficult to pigeonhole Kill The Waves as there are elements of lo-fi indie present throughout their work however, the band’s ability to create complex, syncopated soundscapes that fill the room bear comparison to the likes of M83 and Four Tet.
Kill The Waves are Tim Kwant (vocals, keyboard & guitar), Joe Williams (bass & keyboard), Dish Speybey (Cello, keyboard & vocals), John Luke Treadgold (drums), Heather Thikey (violin & keyboard) and Rob Williams (guitar), six friends from different corners of Scotland who came together through a mutual love of music. They’ve already graced the stage at T In The Park and have supported the likes of Wild Nothing, Pantha Du Prince and Son Lux. With a host of Scottish dates on the horizon, including a slot at Electric Fields festival, this debut album is only the beginning of what is sure to be an exciting year for the band.
The One That Could Have Been is released via Bloc+Music on 20th April 2015.
Introducing… Holy Pinto!
Holy Pinto are all set to unveil their latest EP Stenography, released 5th May 2015 via Monkey Boy Records / Get This Right.
EP opening track and single Tooth wastes no time introducing you to the band’s unmistakable indie pop-punk sound, with catchy melodies that will give listeners no choice but to tap along. You can stream the track via the band's SoundCloud page.
You can watch the video that accompanies the single premiered on Absolute Punk and you can watch it now via the band's YouTube channel.
The rest of the tracks on the EP begin with sharp, descending, staccato guitar riffs that continue to get heavier and more distorted as they progress, while guitarist and vocalist Aymen Saleh’s typically English vocals are on point throughout with honest and clever lyrics. ‘Swim’ and ‘Daughter’, the final two tracks on the EP, follow the same musical craftsmanship, with intricate guitar licks, well-crafted percussion and some rather quirky synth effects thrown in to make this release an irresistible package begging to be unwrapped.
Formed in late 2013 during their final years at college, Aymen Saleh (guitar & vocals) and Ryan Hurley (drums & backing vocals) holed themselves up in an abandoned mill in The Smiths’ hometown of Manchester and started writing music together. Inspired by bands such as The Front Bottoms, Death Cab For Cutie and Say Anything, they penned an erratically diverse set of songs; from happy to sad and from aggressive to breezy. After releasing two EPs within their first 8 months together, they took the time to establish themselves a touring act - travelling the UK many times over and very recently finding themselves in mainland Europe.
You can buy single Tooth via Holy Pinto's BandCamp page.
EP Stenography is out on 5th May 2015 via Monkey Boy Records in the UK and Get This Right in the US. Pre-order it on vinyl now via Monkey Boy Records.
The Actions’ EP ‘Indefensible’ out now!
"...an imposing introduction, all velvet noir and barbed production." - Clash
The Actions EP Indefensible is out now via Niteo Records and available to download on iTunes. The EP is being streamed in full exclusively by GigSlutz.
Indefensible is a collection of dark and atmospheric vignettes, with stylised guitar, vocals and percussion creating an ethereal world full of dystopian and existential imagery in which the listener can easily get lost. Silty’s voice transmits a dark sensuality that could bears comparison to Alison Goldfrapp or Portishead’s Beth Gibbons, except with a darker, harder edge. Nowhere is this more evident than EP title track, Indefensible, which blends punchy, distorted guitar with dream like vocals that could easily soundtrack a Lynchian dive bar.
Their video for EP track 'Counting All Days' was premiered by Clash Magazine's website and you can now watch it via the band's YouTube channel.
You can also stream 'Counting All Days' via The Action's SoundCloud page and watch the video for previous single and EP track Echo via the band's YouTube channel.
The Actions are currently pushing their boundaries of their sound to the limit, whilst working within the confines of what can be classified as a ‘song’.
This EP follows hot on the heels of single, The Echo, that was released in December 2014
and picked up support from the likes of BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson and Amazing Radio.
Indefensible is released via Niteo Records and is available to download on iTunes.
A Badge of Friendship: New Music Show On FUBAR Radio!
A Badge of Friendship will host FUBAR Radio’s Monday new music show starting April 13th 2015. The show will run every Monday from 7-9pm and will feature an array of special guests including bands and industry experts plus the odd non-music industry music fan too!
Armando Iannucci, Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones, US alt-metal band Torche and ex-Oceansize frontman Mike Vennart and comedian Dave Hill are amongst some of the guests confirmed for April and May with more to be announced soon.
Presented by Claire Lim, Paul McCallum and Ed Williams, the show will include new music and topical chat but, most importantly, the ABoF crew aim to put the fun back into music.
A Badge of Friendship founders Claire and Paul met in Glasgow via Paul’s friends Biffy Clyro. Shortly after, they moved to London together and started putting on DIY shows around the city including shows for The Twilight Sad, Hell Is For Heroes, Jeffrey Lewis and Sucioperro. Their thirst for new music took on new meaning when they re-launched A Badge of Friendship as a PR company in 2009. Ed Williams joined the ABoF posse a year later and the rest is history.
A Badge of Friendship are dedicated to pushing new and interesting talent to the masses and have worked on an array of campaigns from comedian Doug Stanhope’s DVD release to Last.fm, cult Scottish band Idlewild to cutting edge DIY labels like Berlin based collective Sinnbus and Glaswegian label BLOC.
With A Badge of Friendship on the scene, Mondays are all about new music on FUBAR Radio.
You can listen to the show live online or download episodes via the FUBAR app.