Tuesday 30 September 2014

September Round-Up




Hi everybody! (Hi Dr Nick!)

Over the last couple of months I've been trying out more of the whole writing thing. As a result of this I'm going to try altering the format of the round-up posts a little. I still want to keep the round-ups because they include gigs and albums and other tidbits that don't quite fit in anywhere else.
So, behold, the new-look-but-it-will-probably-never-look-exactly-like-this-again monthly round-up!

Banks - Goddess
Finally, it's here, LA based songstress Banks' debut album 'Goddess'. It felt like everybody on the planet was waiting for this album and it also felt like everybody on the planet spent the week following its release listening to nothing but Goddess. Despite including a few previously released tracks like 'Waiting game' and 'Before I ever met you', these don't detract from the incredible songs we haven't heard before. With an 18 track long debut some may be anxious about making it through in one sitting; there's no need. The 26 year old Californian's voice is more captivating than ever. Banks takes us on a journey of her life experiences through joy and heartbreak and it is nothing but a pleasure to listen to.

Other notable albums/EPs this month:
Emarosa - Versus
Maroon 5 - V
Josef Salvat - In your prime

Paolo Nutini and Rae Morris at Roundhouse, Camden
We're all aware of this whole iTunes festival saga aren't we? Good. For me, the most exciting thing about iTunes Festival are the artists who are selected as support acts each night. This year these acts included the likes of MNEK, Gorgon City, Charlie Simpson and Foxes. We were lucky enough to see Rae Morris along with her headliner Paolo Nutini. I've been a fan of Rae Morris for a while and it was great to see her for the first time in a venue like the Roundhouse. Her voice and set sounded incredible noteably recent single 'Cold'. The room was fit to burst by the time Paolo Nutini took to the stage and rightly so. Showcasing songs from all three albums to date Nutini rattled through big singles as well as a few obscure album tracks. It was a shame that older songs such as 'Jenny don't be hasty' and 'New shoes' had been given a strange live revamp that none of us were really expecting. That was all forgotten though with the opening bars of his most recent single from third album, 'Caustic love', 'Iron sky' which sounded absolutely breathtaking. A perfect pairing of Rae Morris and Paolo Nutini resulted in a 10/10 evening in Camden.

Neon Trees and Tides at Islington Academy
Neon Trees. You know, Neon Trees? Neon Trees, they did that 'Animal' song and 'Everybody talks'. Yes, that Neon Trees! Tides scored themselves a pretty sweet spot as the only support act on this Monday night. Not only that but 90% of the crowd were their perfect target demographic. Tides do that super catchy pop rock thing that you can dance along to. Think Rixton, the second coming. A few more shows like this and this four-piece will be well on their way to mainstream success. I didn't quite know what to expect from Neon Trees and it's fair to say I was overwhelmed. Frontman Tyler Glenn pranced around the stage belting out the group's synth laden pop rock hits spanning three albums with the rest of his band right behind him. It was a shame the way Glenn voiced his frustration with their label in the UK about how their most recent album 'Pop Psychology' was released and marketed over here, but at the same time they were so grateful that they were still playing shows in the UK and that so many people had come out to see them on a Monday night. A great live act and ones definitely not to miss next time they're over here.


Top five tracks of the month:







September Favourite(s):

Video: Slipknot - The devil in I


iPhone app/game: Criminal Case














TV show: Glue













Dining experience: Chipotle, forever and always

Vine discovery related to best dining experience:


Cockatil: Passionfruit mojitos and this one with half a passion fruit on the top of it






















News: The Boileroom in Guildford is here to stay



September playlists: YouTube / Spotify / Deezer

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