From experimenting with new sounds (one that worked, and one that didn’t) to a video that will probably make you cry, here’s my top picks of music for the week ending the 12th October. Think you know the next big release to catch my eye (ear?) – I want to hear from you!
Lonely The Brave: The Blue, The Green
The new single taken from their debut album The Day’s War has been an immediate hit. Fans are calling this latest video one of the most inspirational and powerful yet, bringing many a tear to the eye. Lonely The Brave are currently on a UK tour with Marmozets and Allusondrugs, one I’m pretty devastated to be missing. ‘The Blue, The Green’ is going to pull on your heartstrings but it’s also a really great song.
Allusondrugs: I Should Have Gone to Uni
Following on from the new release of their tour buddies, Allusondrugs self-recorded, mixed and produced a new single, and unleashed the video last week. This was my first taste of the Yorkshire rockers, a fairly new band formed in 2012. ‘I Should Have Gone to Uni’ is a real stoner-anthem, with a Nirvana-esque punk-rock attitude (look-a-like alert!). Worth a listen, and definitely one to watch.
Issues: Mad at Myself
Issues have been on my metalcore radar for a while now, but honestly I’m really disappointed with their latest offering. ‘Mad at Myself’ is reminiscent of this year’s earlier release, ‘Never Lose Your Flames’, but at least that had a bit more grit to carry it through. They’ve experimented with a pick-and-mix of sounds and genres over the years, from the nu-metal feels of ‘Hooligans’ to one of my favourites with some straight-up metalcore in ‘Stingray Affliction’. Regardless of the latest sound they were trialling, Issues always maintained a powerful and unique feel. Now, they’ve fallen off the map as far as I’m concerned with these mediocre pop-rock sounding songs. They always had a stark contrast between clean vocals and screams but now the occasional screams just seem out of place, and their metalcore prowess has been left far behind. It’s an all too popular complaint that bands have lost their roots and ‘gone mainstream’, but it’s a lesson to be learnt. Bring back the old Issues.
Weezer: Everything Will Be Alright in the End
Launching last Tuesday, Weezer is back with a bang with their ninth full-length studio release. Over the past few years many of us have raised the question, ‘What happened to Weezer?’ They’re as old as me and have gone through a fair few stylistic changes over the years. The last few albums weren’t met with the best response, as they played around with pop production and all sorts of strange things. Fortunately, Everything Will Be Alright in the End has set them back on the right path. It’s a nod to the past, especially their dedicated fans, while still inching in to a brighter future for the band. They’ve delivered those classic rock hooks we love and keep the album moving, with a momentum that will hopefully carry them forward. Welcome back Weezer!
What new music has stirred your interests? Let us know in the comments below!
