Showing posts with label Elle Milano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elle Milano. Show all posts

Friday, 18 January 2008

Who To Look Out For 08'.

This is in reply to my previous post (Big In 08), these following bands are ones I really am looking forward to seeing what they do during the coming year. None have an album out yet, and I doubt some of them even have one in the pipe line…

Damn Shames – Scottish trio Damn Shames are getting noticed for the right reasons by many music publications at the moment. I am yet to see them live, but read and hear their live shows are usually quite something. To say I’m excited to hear what they have to offer this year is quite an understatement. I discovered them near the end of last year and have been quite obsessed with ‘Fear of Assault’/’Last Things’ single out on Abeano.

Let’s Wrestle - Second trio of this list, this time hailing from London, NME had them in their “Things for 2008” list last week so they are certainly gaining plenty of attention, about right too. Similarly to Damn Shames I came across them at the end of last year and even got a Let’s Wrestle t-shirt for Christmas from my girlfriend which I was pleasantly surprised about. Don’t expect too much seriousness from Let’s Wrestle when listening to them, in fact don’t expect any. ‘I Won’t Lie To You’ is one of my favourite songs from 2007, Let’s Wrestle are fantastic and I look forward to their EP due out in sometime soon!

Elle Milano – I bang on about Elle Milano so much, and I tell people about Elle Milano all the time. I really do adore this band and the sound that they make, and I have done for yonks. I was slightly worried about hearing new material because I thought it would maybe not live up to old stuff, but it certainly did. Then when they become a threesome I was worried it would affect them, but it hasn’t what-so-ever. I am so excited about the album which should be out soon, fingers crossed.

Cut Off Your Hands – Another band I can’t say enough good things about, both live and on record. Terrific live does not really do them any justice; you’d have to go see them to understand how good they are live. The energy that they provide is so exciting to watch and makes you realise how much they love performing. I expect an album out this year and I really do expect good things from the album.

Friendly Fires – ‘Paris’ went down pretty fucking magnificently last year from everywhere and anywhere. They have now become many websites / magazines tip for 2007, although one publication (that will remain nameless, but I bet you can guess which one it was) compared them to Klaxons. Clueless. Friendly Fires are more than a one trick pony though, and I think ‘Paris’ is just a sign of what is to come from these excellent St. Albans boys.

Late of the Pier – There is no way I would’ve been able to miss out Late of the Pier. ‘Bathroom Gurgle’ was my Track of 2007, and if the album is anything like that then it is going to be a killer album and one I can imagine being in Top Lists of 2008. I wait in anticipation, excitement and enthusiasm of how the album will sound.

Video Nasties – I hope there will be an album out this year, currently still unsigned Video Nasties have the songs to put together a fantastic debut album. If Video Nasties can produce anything similar to the Karl Blau E.P then they will unveil a masterpiece upon music fans everywhere.

Johnny Foreigner – After critically acclaimed E.P ‘Arcs Across The City’ Johnny Foreigner have a lot to live up to. They pretty much gained full marks from everyone for the E.P so to follow up with an album as good is some ask for this Birmingham band. If any band can do it though Johnny Foreigner ARE the band to produce the best debut album of 2008. I really hope they will deliver a truly magical album that makes the loudest racket you could ever want to annoy your flatmates with.

Toyko Police Club – I am classing ‘A Lesson In Crime’ as a HUGE E.P therefore they qualify for this list, the album which I think was finished either today or yesterday should be out in the summer (seems ages away). It is a difficult album to release because some fans will want ALL new songs and some fans will want some songs from ‘A Lesson In Crime’ and some new songs. So either way somebody won’t be happy, but Tokyo Police Club are a clever bunch and they will do what they think is right – and until then I wait eagerly to see what the track listing will be.

Black Kids – Finally I end with the most blogged about / hyped band of 2007, which is amazing considering they exploded in about October time across the internet. There WILL be a lot of expectation around an album from Black Kids, and the question is can they cope with the high expectation put on them? Obviously only time will tell, but I personally think they will produce a fantastic album that will live up to the hype given to them. Hopefully they prove me right because I would love to see this band succeed after all the “hype”.

That's it, he says after realising how long this post is. Feel free to agree and disagree with me, opinions are always welcomed and acknowledged by myself.

Monday, 3 December 2007

Believe Your Own Hype. Always.

ELLE MILANO.

Elle Milano is (now) three-piece from Brighton and they make music which can be described as art-rock. Heavy guitars and screaming vocals are what Elle Milano is about. Don’t be worried by the screaming vocals, I don’t mean screaming as in Gallows. Just a scream now and again, I’ve heard that horrible genre given to Elle Milano beginning with an E. Emo. Yes. I can’t see the emo in Elle Milano (I can see Help She Can’t Swim, but they aren’t emo) but then again I am not emo so perhaps I don’t know what emo actually is.

Anyway that’s quite enough of emo’s, focus back onto the brilliant Elle Milano. Once upon a time they were four-piece, however they lost guitarist Alex and are now just a three-piece however I understand they are looking for a new guitar player. The Elle Milano catalogue is absolutely massive however live they don’t play certain songs anymore, for reasons only they know. Previous songs such as ‘Ringtone Advertising Director’, ‘Melanie You’re Melting’ and ‘Private Thoughts’ that don’t appear on the live shows showed so much promise from Elle Milano when I first heard of them. They went extremely quiet for so long (due to University) but did release the magnificent ‘Swearing’s For Art Students’ which contained ‘Men Are Bastards’, ‘Believe Your Own Hype. Always’, ‘Amphetamine Skyrocket’ and ‘Swearing’s For Art Students’. This EP showed so much potential and got me so excited about them that I couldn’t contain myself.

18 months later everyone was wondering what was happening, then the announcement of a new single made me enthusiastic once again. ‘My Brother, The Astronaut’ is much like the ‘Swearing’s For Art Students’ EP, it contains that snarl and sarcastic tone of voice and heavy riffs. It made me thrilled about this band (again) and new demos such as ‘Carousels’, ‘Stepkids in Love’ and ‘Curiosity Killed the Pop Star’ provide me with excitement about the future of this band. With an album expected in the New Year (January 2008 has been touted as the date) I think 2008 will be a BIG year for Elle Milano.

Elle Milano – Carousels

Wednesday, 17 October 2007

I'm So Distracted..

This update is a bit late admittedly however better late than never is what I always say! I saw Blood Red Shoes this time last week (well not at this exact time obviously), they were brilliant. No. They were AMAZING. At Reading I stood there watching them thinking “my god, why have I not latched onto this band yet”. However better late than never (ha) and now I am in love with them, the drummer is fucking frantically fast and just amazing. He pounds them drums so hard I worry about the sticks snapping. The girl is pretty bloody good too!

The gig was at Bush Hall which I’ve never been to before, it’s a lovely venue and looks like a theatre. First on was Tinseltown, who I have mentioned previously on my blog – I definitely think they have a lot to offer as a band however some songs were a bit flat live. Saying that I think they have some great songs so still think they can change my opinion of them live!

Elle Milano were next up on stage, and as expected they were ace. I’ve seen them twice since being in London and they have never let me down. I expect big things from them for the rest of this year and next year, with the album out in the New Year, 2008 must be the year for them. All the new songs sound just as good as the old ones, and the old ones sound just as good as they did two years ago, if not better.

Blood Red Shoes blew the two previous bands away though (hence why they were headlining, duh). They make music which is loud, hard, fast and in your face! Just how we want it really! They also have the vocals to back up the music, with both members: Laura-Mary (Guitar) and Steven (Drums) singing it just compliments the great noise they make. I can’t get enough of this band, I can listen to the songs all day long and just tap my foot away to every beat and chord, and they make me want to rock out (insert rock hand symbol here).

If you’ve never seen Blood Red Shoes, you should definitely go see them even if you’ve never heard one song before because I guaran-damn-tee (as The Rock would say) it that you will fucking love them.

Blood Red Shoes - ADHD
Blood Red Shoes - Stitch Me Back