Electro pop has grown out of favour in the alternative scene, a gradual shift in tastes and convenience has seen us streaming less and less genre music with song classification adopting a more mood-based, representative format in which the listener assumes an active role in the process. Artists are responding and the result is a […]
Our path towards Sŵn Festival, the multi-venue festival that is going to take over the Cardiff music scene for the weekend of 18th, 19th and 20th October, touches base in neighbouring Bristol yet again, as I discuss musical oddities, the state of the post-punk scene and dark humour with Alastair Shuttleworth, vocalist for self-described satirical […]
Brighton based alt-pop band Safe To Swim have once again created an infectiously uplifting track in their new single ‘Why Does He Wanna Know?’. Having already released an absolute banger this year – ‘Make Things Like They Used To Be’ – it was exciting to see what the band’s latest offering had in store for […]
MF Tomlinson’s name invites immediate comparison to iconoclastic mask-wearing rapper, MF Doom, whilst his debut track, ‘Nature Boy‘ shares its title with the legendary song of the same name, composed by eden ahbez, made famous by Nat King Cole and covered by everyone from Nick Cave to Lady Gaga. Clearly then, Mr Tomlinson is unafraid […]
Summer festival season is gearing back up, it’s that time of year where we abandon city skyscrapers and trek to the countryside for an extended weekend of partying in the fields and singing our lungs out to our favourite bands, gathered with our nearest and dearest. In July, Derbyshire’s idyllic Y Not Festival returns – […]
London-based artist Gillian Maguire, or to give her stage name, MAGUIRE, follows up two impressive single releases so far in 2019 (‘Behind the Screen’ and ‘Fallible’) with her debut five track EP, Préludes. A classically trained instrumentalist from the age of sixteen, her calling card is her line in dexterous, instantly memorable piano lines that […]
On Repeat: the place where we round up the most exciting new music releases. Five tracks, all recently released, featuring artists we can’t get enough of right now – so, almost certainly, you’ll find at least one song in this bunch to add to your playlists.
There’s something interesting happening in Ireland. Here’s another music scene that seems to have picked up pace in the last couple years, with a number of young bands emerging, and to some extent establishing themselves, with a clear intention to try and do something different and find their own voice. This is also the intention […]
Some songs were made for a montage. This one was. Hannah Nicholson’s latest single ‘How’s the Weather?’ could have come straight from a Christmas TV ad, and I dig it. It’s warm, not gushy. It’s simple, but not bare. I love it, and I think you will too.
Sŵn Festival is coming back to Cardiff next October, and from the first wave of artists announced it already looks like this year’s line-up for the original Welsh multi-venue festival is going to be one of its most exciting. As the festival approaches, I’ll be talking to some of the artists that are going to […]
Plague Vendor are back, and their new release, the aptly titled By Night, is an uncompromising, restless ride that manages to feel raw and scathing in spite of being, at a closer look, clearly very finely tuned. The ten tracks of the album are, for the most part, uniform in length, most of them ranging […]
We love ourselves a little LYRA here at Bitter Sweet Symphonies, so the news of new music from the Irish chanteuse got us very excited.
Occupying the second Bank Holiday weekend in May, Neighbourhood Weekender returned for its sophomore run with a packed schedule of live music, performance and fairground fun. The festival benefits from its central location and easily accessible site, taking place in Warrington’s expansive Victoria Park the event is uniquely staged and administered. Covering all forms of […]
‘This Love‘ is the second release from South-East Londoner Alice Barlow (aka. Arlo Day), who since the start of this year has begun to carve herself out a niche as one of the more innovative singer-songwriters to watch out for in 2019. Having gained comparisons to the likes of Conor Oberst and Julien Baker, in […]
King Charles has always been enigmatic – never directly definable. His music, his image, his style (even his hair), forever transforming and renewing. The 2012 debut album, LoveBlood introduced a debonair, characterful performer with a touch of the eccentric, flash forward to 2016’s follow up, Gamble for A Rose and a completely different scene and […]
London-based artist Vivienne Chi is on fire this year, with each new single we are falling more in love with her as an artist, latest release ‘Hard To Get‘ is a perfect example of Vivienne’s writing smarts, how to combine intricate, personal insights with a catchy beat.
Sometimes to find your path, you need to get away. There’s truth to b found in the belief that your surroundings influence your state of mind, your thoughts, your experiences, your way of living. Harking back to the very foundations of Lostboycrow, when Chris Blair uprooted life from Portland to Los Angeles, he found his […]
After falling in love with their last single ‘Mirror,’ we were so excited to learn Manchester’s VALA released new single ‘Summer Air;’ a ’60s dream pop haven filled with gushing guitar melodies and hypnotic harmonies.
Sometimes, you don’t get the song. But that’s why you keep listening. Tom the Lion is a curveball in musical terms. The first time I listened to ‘Tanks’ I couldn’t figure it out. But give it a second listen. You might find something you like. I did.
What’s the true test of a band’s quality? Is it being phenomenally likeable? Is it having wild energy intravenously fed into every performance? Is it having great ideas packed with musical intricacies? No. The true test is showing the band’s track to a friend and seeing if they’re humming the melody after only one listen. […]