Tuesday 17 December 2013

iTunes Single of the week Review #6

Hi,

So the iTunes single this week is "Holding onto heaven" by Foxes.

Foxes is a 24 year old pop and electronic singer from Southampton. She has one EP out called Warrior that came out in May 2012.


Review:
The intro starts with electronic twinkly notes, then she starts singing and we hear breathy, gentle, girly vocals that sound slightly croaky and distressed. Her voice is poppy but she is quite talented. When the first chorus is played it starts to get a bit charty, sounding like the generic mainstream artists. She does sing with surprising emotion and you can't deny that she has talent even if that sort of singing isn't your cup of tea. I love the last part where she sings with just piano chords and strings, I don't think her voice needs to be weighed down with all the poppy texture that it was before. The last bit sounds lighter and more free. The track ends with the same twinkly notes it started with, which I like.

Overall, I think there are some really great elements to this song, so I'll give it 6/10.

Sunday 15 December 2013

Today I've been listening to....... Pseudo Shark

Hi,

So today I've been loving the band Pseudo Shark and their EP Forming Opinions, which you can download for free HERE. (If you're new to bandcamp, press buy now and you can enter any price you want)


Background Info....
Pseudo Shark are a 4 piece indie/alternative rock band from Jackson, Tennessee, USA. The band consists of Aaron Park (vocals and guitar), Noah Moyes (guitar), Jacob Hayes (bass and vocals) and Kevin Morgan (drums). They have one EP (forming opinions) which came out in November 2013.


I love the gentle, soft sound of these guys. The guitar and drums together on "Saturday Song" sound like you're sitting on an English beach, and the vocals in "crowded room" are heartfelt and emotional. In all their songs lyrics are sparse and repeated but thought about and meant, which you can tell in their music. The lyrics are inspirational and really make you think. The guitar in "Away" sounds western and makes you think of a desert. These guys can take you through your past and around the world with their music, they are great and I'm sure they'd really appreciate a download of their album or a follow on twitter!



Saturday 14 December 2013

Top 3 Songs of the week #6

Hi,

This week I've been loving....
Starring Role by Marina and the diamonds
Two Devils by Dog is Dead
Lies by Chvrches

Starring Role is a gentle kind of electro-pop song. I don't normally like this kind of song but I love Marina's voice. There are wind chime sounds every now and again which give the song a kind of spooky, house abandoned with untouched food left at the table feel, which is a nice change from the usual fast poppy beats the rest of the way through. This poppy track suddenly changes to a gentle heart felt ending with this wind chime and alternating keyboard notes which go up and down pitches. This also happens at the beginning. Marina is really talented, this is a great song.

Two Devils is by Dog is Dead... yes I know I've been posting all over about these guys but they really are worth it!! This track starts with a spacey note that sounds like something falling from the sky. Then the moving guitar chords and Robert Milton's vocals start straight away and you know you're in for a good song! The lyrics are amazing here and really mean something to everyone, they have a powerful message different to everyone. I love when it starts to get more gentle and we are left with only guitar and occasional piano chords and the rest of the bands soft "ooooooh"s and Robert Milton's vocals start to get more tired and strained sounding like he's just been crying. There is so much emotion in his voice I just want to cry! Then they end with loud and powerful last two chords, I love this song!

Lies is another electronic song with an indie sounding vocalist. The singer is just so gorgeous, her voice is youthful and makes you want to give her a big hug! I love the lyrics and the story in this song. I love the froggy (can't think of another word to describe it) notes in the verses. I actually really like the addition of the electronic beats in this song, it really does add something good. I don't normally mention the video but the cinematography is worth a look, it's great! I really like the accent of the singer, she is amazingly talented. These guys are worth a listen (and a watch!).


Thursday 12 December 2013

Peace.......EP Delicious

Hi,

Just a short post for today! Recently I've really been enjoying listening to Peace's EP Delicious (EPs are all I can afford in the run up to Christmas!!). You can buy this EP from iTunes HERE


Background Info....
Peace are an indie-rock band with 4 members:  Harry Kossier (vocals, guitar), Samuel Koisser (bass), Douglas Castle (guitar) and Dominic Boyce (drums). They have one EP out and one album called "In love".


I love Peace's electric and clear cut guitar backing and when they add guitar following drum beats, it sounds like the drums are playing a melody. This is used in their track 1998. Ocean's eye starts with a threatening intro and between choruses it is added again. Harry Kossier's vocals are croaky and distressed and sound struggling. All their songs are meaningful and have been thought about. They change features of their songs all the way through but keep their main ideas the same, so you are never bored listening to their music. Their 80s alternative, indie rock, with gentle tracks added in make their sound unique and gorgeous. 

This band is amazing, hope you love them as much as I do!!

Tuesday 10 December 2013

iTunes Single of the week #5

Hi,

So this week's single was "3005" by Childish Gambino.

Childish Gambino is a 30 year old hip-hop rapper and musician from Los Angeles.
Review:
The intro is electronic abrupt beats which carry on all the way through. At the beginning he sings and the texture is thin, then he starts to rap and the backing stays as the simple beats. At the first chorus spacey drawn out notes are added and more percussion betas, that sound very wooden. This song is catchy and even if you don't like hip-hop or rap you have to admit that this guy has talent. This song is poppy, but not as much that makes it un-listenable, or so much that you can't appreciate the talent of the singer. At the end all other sound is suddenly stopped and there is a melody that sounds like it is being played from inside a room padded with cloth. I like this effect but it's not a revelation.

Overall I think this guy has talent but it is too hip-hoppy for me to listen to it for too long. So I'll give it 5/10.

Sunday 8 December 2013

#BritishBloggerSelection: Skincare

Hi,

I didn't take part in this last week as the theme was "Favourite make-up brand and why" and I'm not a big make-up person, it's just whatever's cheapest for me! This week's theme is "Skincare", so this post is my morning and evening skincare routine!! WARNING: Picture heavy!!

So let's start with morning.....
1) I shower every morning and in the shower I use Treacle moon Raspberry kiss shower gel which smells amazing and has a great colour!
2) In the shower I also use Superdrug tea tree facial scrub which leaves my face feeling all nice and tingly and gets rid of blemishes really well!!
3) Then once my face is completely dry I use simple cleansing toner which clears up my face and leaves it feeling pure and fresh
4) I get really dry skin so I use E45 for skin conditions which is a really heavy moisturiser but it does the job!
 5) Then I use one of my many body butters. I have a H&M body treats body shimmer which smells woody and is shimmery but not too much and the scent lasts almost all day. I also have a Cath Kidson bluebell body cream (but it has almost run out, awww), which smells amazingly floral and fresh and feels amazing on your skin but I find it doesn't last very long. Last but not least I have my favourite ever Body Shop Raspberry body butter, this smell is so gorgeous and feels amazing, it is strong but not overpowering and lasts for ages. I love love love this!!



And onto evening.....
In the evening I just use my toner and huge amounts of moisturiser again, and pray that my skin will be ok in the morning!!
Throughout the day.....
Throughout the day I use my favourite hand cream which is Cath Kidson bluebell hand cream. This is gorgeous and lasts for ages, it keeps my hands soft and feeling lovely for about 3-4 hours.

So that's it, hope you enjoyed!!

Saturday 7 December 2013

Top 3 Songs of the week #5

Hi,

Click on the song title to have a listen!!

This week I've been loving...
The Furthest Star by Amy Macdonald
Landfill by Daughter
Put me to Work by PAPA

The Furthest Star is an amazing gentle song. Amy Macdonald has an amazing voice. This is simply constructed but with a gorgeous outcome. The lyrics are meaningful and beautiful, paired with the acoustic guitar, keyboard and strings is just gorgeous! There are far out spacey sounds all the way through which adds to the sense of being trapped which is given throughout the track. The way Amy drifts her voice to less and less while still sounding full is amazing! This song is definitely not to be missed!!

Landfill starts with drum beats that sound like a walk to an execution. The guitar chords add to this sense of dread. The first part of the first chorus is sung without music. This makes daughter's amazing talent stand out with every word sung and every breath took. Her breathy, high pitched vocals really add something special to the drum beats and guitar chords. The lyrics and music can mean something to everyone, which is the mark of a truly talented songwriter! This girl is unbelievably talented and creative, do not leave this site without listening to her!!!

Put me to work gets straight into the upbeat fast tempo beats and electric guitar sounds. Which sounds amazing paired with the nasal, closed jaw sounds of the vocalist. The bassy electric guitar sounds and piano melody between verses make this song really memorable! The crashing symbols sound hard and raw with the guitar. The heavy bass notes play all the way through and add another level to this track. The vocals are reserved but placed with the crazy, dramatic backing music add something that wouldn't be there otherwise. More amazing guys that should not be missed here!!



Thursday 5 December 2013

Today I've been listening to..... Mystery Jets

Hi,

Today's post will be about a band called Mystery Jets. Today I've been especially loving their EP "Half in love with Elizabeth". You can buy it from iTunes HERE



Background info:
Mystery Jets are an English indie rock band, formerly based on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, London. The band was formed by Henry Harrison (lyrics, piano), Blaine Harrison (vocals, guitar and keyboards), William Rees (guitar, vocals) and Kapil Trivedi (drums). The band have 5 albums: Making Dens- 2006, Zootime- 2007, Twenty One- 2008, Serotonin- 2010 and Radlands- 2012.

I bought this EP because Florence + the machine has a version of one of their songs on it, but I loved these guys as well so I have also bought their album Twenty One (which is definitely worth a listen!) Their indie-rock sound and gorgeous acoustic and electric tunes go so perfectly with Harrison's nasal and closed throat sound which I love! "The back door" has classical tunes made up from string section and symbols which sounds great but is indie with the metaly, twangy, clicky sound of the acoustic guitar. "Half in love with Elizabeth" is a great catchy tune that has you up on your feet dancing!! The twangy bass, electronic keyboard sounds and drum beats make it sound a bit ll over the place but in a good way! I love their accent when they sing, you can listen to this song for hours on repeat and not get bored (well I can anyway!). These guys are definitely worth a listen!! 

Tuesday 3 December 2013

iTunes Single of the week review #4

Hi,

This week the iTunes single of the week is "Love. Regret. Forgive. Forget" by The First.

The First are a 5 piece rock band.


Review:
They get straight into the heavy bassy, confused drum beats that sound like they've been singing all day and we've only just started listening! I like this but I prefer it when there is an intro and we are entered in gently. This is definitely a rock track (which I seem to be having a thing for at the moment!). The singer is good but they are just your average rocky pop band, nothing particularly stands out for me, but saying that I think these guys might be big. Nothing really changes throughout this song, it sounds like they play on a loop and you listen to a bit when you feel like it. The guitarist is talented and there are some electric, wobbly bits which show this off which are good.

Overall I think this song is good, but nothing special, I'll give it 5/10.

Monday 2 December 2013

First Aid Kit... America

Hi,

This post is about two amazing sisters who form the band first aid kit.

First aid kit are a Swedish band who play mainly indie folk. They have one EP out called "Drunken Trees" which came out in 2008. They have two albums out: "The big, the black and the blue"- 2010 and "the lion's roar" - 2012. They have soft indie tones and folky acoustic guitar sets that give them a unique sound. Their gorgeous harmonies sound so natural and delicate, like they're straight from the woods.

One of my favourite songs of theirs is America. You can listen to it HERE. It's a gorgeous indie-folk song that sounds like you're sitting in Paris in the moon light. It gives me goosebumps listening to it, the harmonies are amazing, they are just so talented. There are only acoustic guitars and cellos which is amazing. It sounds so delicate and fragile, but full of sound, emotion and it just fills you're whole body!

These two girls are so amazing, not something to miss!!

Saturday 30 November 2013

Top 3 Songs of the week #4

Hi,

This week I've been loving...
Sex won't fill your heart by those who seek
Stay awake by London Grammar
Benjamin Twine by George Ezra

Sex won't fill your heart is a gorgeous indie-rock song by "Those who seek" which I reviewed HERE. The intro is amazing guitar work with twangy sounds over each other which has a great effect. When they get going the symbols crash all over the place and the guitar is full of stopping and starting with hard electric beats. There is a bit where there are spoken words behind the singing which has a great which has a great effect. This song makes you want to get up on stage and dance and sing with these guys! Its just great!!!

Stay awake starts with spooky acoustic guitar chords, the sound of the sliding fingers down the guitar sounds great. The piano chords follow the guitar which as a great sound. When you first hear the vocalist you immediately think WOW she has an mazing voice and as you listen on you realise just how good she is. There are electronic beats behind this which I don't normally like with this sort of song but here it works really well. Nothing really changes throughout the song but this just adds another spooky and dramatic level to the song. London Grammar are a really talented group!

Benjamin Twine is starts with George Ezra's distressed and croaky voice which you don't expect to be matched with his face but still he sounds great. This song is indie folk but feels very slightly reggae (you'll know what I mean if you listen to it). This is a simple song with a thin texture of only guitar, maraca shakes, finger snaps and a bass betas which I'm pretty sure is a double bass. This song is upbeat and makes you tap your head along to it! You should check out George Ezra's performance at the BBC introducing at Glastonbury HERE.



Thursday 28 November 2013

Those who seek

Hi,

So today's post will be about  band called Those who seek. These guys have one EP out called "Because really, we're just animals". You can have a listen to it on their bandcamp site HERE!




The band's EP has all ranges of genres including a punk-rock track "Look to the skies". I don't usually like this type of bass heavy confused drum beat music, but these guys are an exception. I really like their track "Run from me" which you really don't expect after hearing their first track. This a slower song with mellow opening verses showing the vocal talent and multi-genre writing ability of the band. It progresses into a captivating chorus and some amazing guitar work. The track "sex won't fill your heart" is full of crashing symbols that sound like waves breaking. This song is more indie-rock which is great, probably my favourite. Their last song "Veritas Occulta" is more rock again, still extremely heavy. This song has a fast tempo and building guitar chords with drums crashing all the way through. The song includes fast pace beats and a destructive bassline which are surprisingly catchy!

I love these guys and it would be great if you could check out their facebook page: HERE

Tuesday 26 November 2013

iTunes single of the week review #2 & #3

Hi,

Sorry that I couldn't do the review last week, I just didn't have time! So I though today I would do a review of last weeks and this week's single! Last week it was Tonight by Wilkinson and today it was Riptide by Vance Joy.

Wilkinson (also known as Mark Wilkinson) is a drum & bass and dubstep producer from London. He remixes songs and produces records. He only has singles out.

Review:
This song is electro-pop, and let me warn you now I have never liked anything electro-pop! Every now and again a woman's voice is put on with effects like echo, fading and wobbly (technical term for you there!) which does add something. The spacey far out beats that sound like they are being heard far away which I relatively quite liked but this didn't last for long. The whole song is very samey and boring. It just sounds like computer game sound effects. At one point it breaks down into more R&B, faster beats, sometimes with some actual pitch changes!

Overall I really don't like this track, way way way too electronic and samey. Ill give it 2/10 for the spacey bit!

Vance Joy is an Australian singer/songwriter from Melbourne. He has one EP out called "God loves you when you're dancing" (I just love that title!!)

Review:
This song is an upbeat beachy sounding track. The first chords sound like you're sitting in a beach shack (in a good way). But his crackly, closed jaw, sometimes breathy vocals sound gorgeous and unexpected against everything else. I love that everything stops for a beat before the chorus. At the end the music stops and he is one beat behind singing "wrong", this is a gorgeous effect that makes you think. I love the chorus with only guitar chords and the tambourine, this whole track is so catchy and makes you tap your head and feet!

Overall, if you haven't already guessed I love this song!! I'll give it 9/10.

Sorry this is a bit late but hope you enjoyed!!



Sunday 24 November 2013

#BritishBloggerSelection: Favourite Clothes shop

Hi,

My first #BritishBloggerSelection post!! So the theme is your favourite clothes shop and mine is definitely Topshop! I love the clothes but I can hardly ever afford them. This will sound silly but I love the music they play there, I just think that its nice to have the right atmosphere and I love wandering round humming along looking at all the clothes. So for this theme I thought I'd do my Topshop wishlist!


My first lifestyle post, hope you enjoyed!

Saturday 23 November 2013

Top 3 songs of the week #3

Hi,

Right so.....

This week I've been loving...
Holes by passenger
White blank page by Mumford and sons.
Kiss the grass by The paper kites

Holes is a powerful lighter indie-rock song that really sticks in the head (which was great in my English lit exam...). This grabs onto some of my more poppy tastes but passenger is just amazing. I love the lyric "mortgage to pay and four kids to raise, keeping the wolf from the door, well the wolf's just a puppy and the door's double locked so why you gotta worry me for?". I love that the music stops for the well the last part of that line. There are some really meaningful bits I this song. I love that its mostly just an acoustic guitar and piano chords, but then when more singers join in for the last chorus then a trumpet is added which just works so well. This feels like everything's being brought together. God I love this track!

White blank page in one of my favourite Mumford songs. I love Marcus's distressed and deep growly voice which goes great with the piano chords that add another level of tension of menace to the track. The song is relatively gentle in the first verse, then in the chorus they really get going and start getting angry and loud and powerful, everything is accented. Staccato waltz beats played by the drums and banjo give more anger to this part. The violins in the instrumental between verses have a folky and traditional sound, these guys are genius!!

Kiss the grass is a slowly moving simple track that makes you feel tired and relaxed at first word. The music behind the vocals is simple, just guitar changing chords every 4 beats and an electric guitar following the vocals after a while with an added female voice harmonising to the initial sole male voice. Texture is added and taken out throughout the whole thing. But there are constantly the 4 beat guitar chords giving stability to the piece. I love the softness and tranquillity of the paper kites, great to fall asleep to!


Thursday 21 November 2013

My iTunes wish list

Hi,

So today I'll be showing you my iTunes wish list. This is my Christmas wish list which I started a couple of weeks ago after I had my last music shopping spree. Click on the album title to see it on the iTunes website and listen to previews.

And in no particular order......
All the little lights by passenger
Shangri La by Jake Bugg
Happiness by Hurts
Dead & born & grown by The Staves (wouldn't open on iTunes, sorry)
Snowglobe EP by Jesca Hoop
Aventine by Agnes Obel
Emily and the woods Ep by Emily and the woods
Wake the earth by Honey Trees
Eye to eye EP by Emily and the woods
In love by Peace
Pure Heroine by Lorde
Pathways EP by Billy Locket
Fire within by Birdy
Like I used to by Lucy Rose
Days are gone by HAIM
Invisible empire by KT Tunstall
If you leave by Daughter

Can't wait to buy this lot!!

Sunday 17 November 2013

#BritishBloggerSelection

Hi,

So the lovely Ellie from Little vintage camera has set up a project. This is a group for British bloggers to join. It doesn't matter what type of blog you have as long as you are British!

Join #BritishBloggerSelection


How this works: Each week on Saturday she'll send you a theme to blog about and from there you blog about whatever you want related to that theme! You don't have to participate in this every week, just participate when you feel ready! No one's forcing you to do it every week!

If you want to join in contact her (littlevintagecamera@gmail.com) with your blog URL, blog name and your first and last name and from there you are added into the group!

Hope you get involved!!



Saturday 16 November 2013

Top 3 songs of the week #2

Hi,

My second top 3 songs! Hope you enjoy!!

This week I've been loving:
My boy builds coffins by Florence + the machine
Get Low by dog is dead
Fri-end? by Kate Nash

My boy builds coffins is a beautiful and haunting song with light drum beats and harp strums that make it sound almost Caribbean. The lyrics make you think and aren't obvious what they mean at first listen, you can really tell they have been thought about. Florence has recorded her own voice harmonising and when you get past the first chorus they are added and it sounds really amazing. Florence + the machine was the first music that I properly got into and I just love her so much!

Get Low is a simply constructed track but with a great outcome. The lyrics are so good, I love the first line you hear: "a fear of the dark is a walk in the park when you're wasted". They are so believable, genuine and relatable. I love the waaaahhhh guitar chords after each chorus, they make it sound 90s and electronic, but not so that it is unlistenable. All this makes it a memorable and meaningful song! Dog is dead are probably my favourite band at the moment, love these guys so much!!!

Fri-end? is my favourite song from Kate Nash's album girl talk. Her bass heavy tracks are rocky and most are upbeat . This one is a real girl power rock song. She has a much lighter version of screamo which works really well. This is another album and artist that I am obsessing over at the moment. I love the lyrics, they are simple but effective. This grrrrrrl (Kate Nash fans will get that) is amazing and stands for some really great things. Bit of an idol at the moment!!

So there you go, hope you liked my post!


Thursday 14 November 2013

Today I've been listening to..... Dog is dead

Hi,

Just a short post for today. I've been loving Dog is dead's album "all our favourite stories". You can buy this album from iTunes HERE.

I've been listening to...


Background info:
Dog is dead is a five piece indie-pop band from Nottingham. The band consists of Robert Milton (vocals, guitar, bass guitar), Rob White (vocals, guitar), Joss Van Wilder (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Lawrence Cole (vocals, saxophone, bass guitar) and Daniel Harvey (drums). They have had 3 EPs (Dog is dead- 2009, Your childhood- 2011 and Confessions 2011) and one album out (all our favourite stories- 2012).



I absolutely love this band, I love their songs like "get low" and "two devils" which have powerful messages in their lyrics and their more upbeat songs like "glockenspiel song". My favourite of theirs is probably teenage daughter. I love Robert Milton's vocals and the saxophone in this track. I really think that every element comes together to make a memorable and really amazing piece of music. These guys are just ace!!

Tuesday 12 November 2013

iTunes single of the week review #1

Hi,

Every Tuesday iTunes brings out a single of the week which you can download for free from iTunes. So, every Tuesday I'll have a listen and review it. This week it's "roots" by Orla Gartland.

Orla Gartland is an 18 year old singer, guitarist and ukulele player. She plays acoustic, folk, indie pop and indie folk. She only has one EP out called "Roots".



Review:
This song is indie pop with futuristic sounding electronic beats and acoustic guitar chords which work really well together. She has a really youthful sounding voice which is similar to birdy and Taylor Swift. Her lyrics are good and the music suits her voice well. The song starts off with only guitar and beats which sounds good and clean, but then as the song gets going the texture builds with backing singers and piano and more percussion which feels good. But I liked it best with the thin texture.

Overall I like this track but I don't love it. I think her voice is just a little too youthful and her songs a little too poppy for my tastes so I would give it 7/10.

Do you think this is a good feature? Let me know in the comments!

Monday 11 November 2013

Pledge Music

Hi,

Today my post will be about the fantastic site, Pledgemusic. PledgeMusic is an online music platform, launched in August 2009, for artists to pre-sell, market, and distribute music projects including recordings, music videos, and concerts. Its a bit like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, RocketHub and Sellaband. The website is solely for raising money for artists. Fans "pledge" for something that hasn't come out yet, the pledgers will pay the artist and receive whatever they have pledged for at the end of the project. So for example I pledged for Katie Sutherland's new album "Canvas", I paid £32 and after about 6 months (once she had brought out the album) I received a t-shirt, signed bag and album. Throughout the pledge she posted free downloads of demos, pictures etc. that were only accessible to pledgers.


Example of pledge project/ what the site looks like

This is a really great way of finding and buying new music and supporting the artists that you love. So I urge you to get on the mailing list, it's completely free and all you have to do is sign up to get emails about trending artists and people you might like. I strongly recommend Jesca Hoop, Sadie and the hotheads and Canterbury. 

So that's it, hope you enjoyed my post and that you sign up to pledge music!!

Saturday 9 November 2013

Top 3 Songs of the week #1

Hi,

So today's post will be my 3 favourite and most listened to songs of the week, I'll do this every Saturday. Click on the song to have a listen.

This week I've been loving:
California daze by Peace
Half in love with Elizabeth by mystery jets
Buzzcut season by Lorde

California daze is from their EP delicious. I love the dulcet guitar riffs and the way the rest of the band harmonize behind the main vocalist with ad lib. I love the lyrics and the distressed sounding way that Harry Koisser sings them. Amzing song, amazing band!

Half in love with Elizabeth is from mystery jet's album Twenty One. I love this up beat track full of light drum beats and electronic keyboard sounds. The lyrics are amazing and I love the way they sing with their Twickenham accent. Love these guys!!

Buzzcut season was iTunes single of the week a few weeks ago so I got it from there. This is a powerful track, she manages to make a memorable song with a limited backing track. This girl is only 17 and still has an amazing range and a beautiful, haunting voice. Expect a review of her new album "Pure Heroine" pretty soon!

So that's it, hope you enjoyed my post! Do you know these artists, let me know your favourite of their songs in the comments!


Wednesday 6 November 2013

Review of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic zeroes

Hi

So, my first ever blog post! It will be a review of Edward Sharpe & the magnetic zeros' self titled album. You can buy the album from iTunes for £7.99 HERE




Background info:
ES&TMZ are mainly an indie folk band although they have gospel chorus harmonies and raw exuberant pop similar to the beatles. They formed in 2007 and since then they have had 3 albums: "Up from below" brought out in 2009, "Here" which came out in 2012 and debuted at number one in the independent music charts. And finally their self titled album which was brought out in July 2013. They use a huge range of instruments including trumpets, accordians and a tenor uklele in their music as the band has 12 members (although only 2 women!). These guys were highly promoted by Mumford and sons (who I love!!) so I thought I'd have a listen.

Review:
Their most popular song "Better days" was slightly jazzy and bluesy with gospel feeling parts. I thought it was a bit too bibley (yes, that is now a word!) and I didn't like the voice of the singer. I found a lot of the songs like "let's get high" breezey and easy listening. The song "in the lion" was definitely my favourite, it reminded me a lot of HAIM, followed by "when you're young" which sounded like mystery jets. The trumpets were a really great edition to this song even though I normally really don't like brass. The songs "life is hard" and "two" were my least favourite because they sounded as if they had come straight from a musical. There are so many different types of music in this album that I'm not sure I'd spend £8 on it (being the broke teenager that I am), there were some songs that I loved and some that I really didn't like. There was even a country/folk sounding one, which I really didn't expect.

Overall I'd give this album 5/10.

So that's it, hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think of ES&TMZ in the comments!