Let's Go Safari! - EP ★★★

Let's Go Safari asked us to review their recent tracks, available to listen to on Reverbnation. An indie pop band with an electro twist, they have uploaded 6 songs: Song Of My Soul, Bright Lights And Carnivals, The Silver Spoon, The Ballad Of Rikki Tikki Tavi, Saying I Love You and Glad To Be A Grad.


Song Of My Soul starts with a nice cheery intro, a good start. The vocals are not what was expected for an indie band - they are smooth and nicely in tune with the backing instruments. Oddly, the vocals reminded us a bit of Panic! At The Disco's Brendon Urie in their slower songs (see album Pretty. Odd., particularly Northern Downpour).


Bright Lights And Carnival has an odd mix synth and electric guitar as an intro. We're not sure it works: the different tunes each are playing don't always fit together in the short intro, and the guitar sounds quite dull and unpolished in comparison to the naturally clean sounding synth.This could be a metaphor for how carnivals always have a mixture of sounds and beats, but still doesn't sound right. That said, the music and instruments change constantly throughout the song, which is quite interesting and keeps the listener guessing. The second vocalist gets more lyrics in this song, but we would suggest using him as a backing vocalist as the vocals aren't as strong as the lead but they harmonise well together.


With a title like The Ballad Of Rikki Tikki Tavi, we expected an upbeat, theatrical attempt at an electro-indie song, but unfortunately this disappointed us. The intro was a basic and uninteresting synth, and vocals went lower and slower. Granted when the rest of the instruments came in, it was a bit more like their cheerier songs, but it was not enough to make up for the initial disappointment.


The band's songs Song Of My Soul, The Silver Spoon and Saying I Love You are all quite similar in style, with an upbeat electro beat and lovely vocals which would appeal to fans of this type of music. Glad To Be A Grad is also similar, but the vocals are a bit different showing a little diversity and it has a good bridge section, redeeming the band from The Ballad Of Rikki Tikki Tavi.


To summarise, this is a good attempt from the electro-pop duo. With the exception of a couple of areas acknowledged above, they have some good songs which would do well within the genre. We would suggest to them to carefully consider their song titles in future, because random song titles can work - particularly when you have an unusual and playful band name and EP title - but only when they are supported with equally random music. Again, have a listen at Panic! At The Disco; they are a different genre with a different audience, but their album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out should show our point about song titles.

Sean McGowan - EP ★★★★

We were asked to review Sean McGowan's EP, McGovernment. A young guy out of Southampton, his acoustic EP has 4 songs - Life, Home Is Where The Heart Is, Be Counted and This Old Town, and can be found on soundcloud.


Life starts with a lovely acoustic guitar solo, making the vocals a surprise. Singing in the style of Professor Green (this song in particular reminding us of Never Be A Right Time) but a similar tone to Danny O'Donoghue of The Script, there is a uniqueness to Sean's voice. His lyrics are,  in a way, similar to The Script's We Cry, as he discusses life in England as he sees it.


Home Is Where The Heart Is starts with softer lyrics and more singing rather than pop-rap. Building up to a stronger bridge section with equally strong vocals, and would do well if released as a single. 


Be Counted starts off with a more upbeat guitar piece and faster lyrics, showing a bit more diversity from the young musician. Once again, he has clever lyrics and manages to put his points across well.


This Old Town is another faster paced tune, with a bit more of an indie feel in the cheery music and way the lyrics are sang (particularly over the chorus). The introduction of backing vocals is a nice touch, as is the almost acapella bridge. Definitely a radio-friendly song.


An acoustic EP is relatively risky, particularly with the style of vocals Sean is going for. However, we feel he managed to pull this off well and showed a variety in his voice that was unusual and endearing. The lyrics themselves were smart and stood out against the acoustic guitar, making the listener really hear what he was trying to say. Although this is not the music we would usually go for, we feel that is was easy-listening and radio-friendly given the current chart music trends. Aimed at the right market, we think this is good enough to take him far sooner rather than later.

Relevant Discord - EP ★★★★

Relevant Discord is a band based in Southern Oregon, U.S.A., with regular frontman Nicholas Depew and a rotation of other musicians. We reviewed Dual Singles, a well-recorded EP from 'the studio team that introduced the world to TOOL and System Of A Down,' namely Sylvia Massy and Rich Veltrop. You can stream and purchase the EP from their website.


The first track on the EP is titled The Days Of Deferment. Starting off with just a piano playing a basic tune, it builds up to a strong guitar and drum intro. The vocals are well suited to the song, reminding us a little of 12 Stones. A huskier backing vocal (Nickelback-esk) compliments the lead as the chorus kicks in. There is a nice incorporation of orchestral instruments, primarily a violin if we are not mistaken, which works very well. The instrumental is another firm piece of music, making this a fantastic song.


The second track is The Refrain, a slower effort but with confident, clear vocals and definite drum beat during the first verse. The chorus is similar to the first tracks in that it is built up to and is powerful, with orchestral instruments thrown back in. It has a very interesting bridge section, where the vocals get harsher and the music is more dynamic.


This band would go down well with fans of Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence, even HIM. They have very nice and fairly unique lead vocals, as well as a rare use of orchestral intruments that were well recorded on this EP, and I can see the band doing well. It would possibly be advantageous if the band had more than one regular member, as currently it seems less like a band and more like a solo artist. Not a big deal and makes no noticeable difference on the EP, but could work out better for touring as people pay to see the whole band. Regardless of band set-up, the EP sounded amazing, and could only have been improved if there were more tracks or if it had been a complete album.

The Madding Crowd - EP ★★★

The Madding Crowd, a new band out of Manchester, asked us to review their new EP They'll Love You More For Who You Are Not, available for download and listening to on soundcloud. This EP consists of 5 songs, A Cloud On The Horizon, Darling, Oh Minister!, A Glorious Comedy and The Human Stain.

A Cloud On The Horizon has the classic long intro of drums and guitar, sounding quite rock, grunge even. This makes the vocals a surprise when they kick in - reminiscent of Oasis, even Arctic Monkeys with that lilt in the voice and slight indie squawkiness. Not necessarily a bad thing, something we have come to expect from Mancunians and indeed indie music, but surprising all the same given the instrument use. The song itself has a good chorus, but would not suggest it as a single from the record.

Darling is a much more upbeat track, starting in a way that reminds us of the Kooks and similar. A catchy tune that was recorded and mixed very well for such a new band, it definitely gets the toe tapping and would make for a nice single.

Oh, Minister! is another indie tune, with an interesting guitar solo in the middle. Sing-along lyrics would make this a good gig tune, and is of a style of music I think this band should pursue.

A Glorious Comedy starts with the sound of a static of a radio being tuned, and works into a guitar playing solo. A slow drumbeat kicks in for a long intro before the vocals. The vocals are distorted with an echo effect, which works well for this kind of song. Although not upbeat like the previous two, it does get more powerful throughout with a brilliant guitar push.

The Human Stain is a bit more punk than the previous tracks, and the chaotic mix of instruments with the fast-paced vocals is an interesting change to the previous tracks on the EP. Could be a winner if this band choose to go down the punk route.

In summary, this a a mixed bag of an EP. We feel that the band perhaps don't know their focus yet, and it is difficult to attach them to a genre. In our opinion, they should pursue the indie pop route as the vocals lend themselves to that style, with Darling and Oh, Minister! being favourites of the record. They could also do well if they were to lean towards punk. For a new band, this is a good start and their eclectic mix of songs should each be well received by different audiences.

Panic! At The Disco ★★★★

Barrowlands, Glasgow. 28/01/2012


[me] 8.00 - 8.30
Panic! At The Disco 9.00 - 10.30


Going to see any band usually has a fan excited, but for this Panic! At The Disco gig, we were feeling apprehensive. Why? Think about the history of Panic! -their debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out was an unusual but fantastic combination of post-hardcore lyrics and theatrical music, with a live show to match. Losing the ! for the second album, the band were automatically less dynamic. Excluding a couple of songs, Pretty. Odd. was much more restrained, heading down the indie route with dashes of folk thrown in. The performances also, although musically correct, lacked the character most Fever fans had come to expect. We deliberately didn't listen to third album Vices & Virtues before this gig as we wanted a surprise, to see how the band had progressed live as well as on disc. 


Starting the night were Australians lads [me]. Most of the band were in matching uniforms and let quirky frontman Luke Ferris lead the show. He had an impressive vocal range and was amusing to watch as he moved between the piano and front of the stage. Although not quite as good as Panic!, some of their songs reminded us of the headliners earlier work, giving that glimmer of hope that the show to come would be like the good old days. Handing out leaflets and badges throughout the night, they were definitely memorable. With their varied musical features and entertaining show, they were well-chosen as a support band for Panic!.

Panic! opened with Ready To Go from Vices & Virtues and our nerves washed away. Frontman Brendon Urie was bounding around, acting out the lyrics and engaging the audience. The crowd was jumping non-stop and singing along to the upbeat theatrical songs as Panic! flitted between their first and third album with the likes of Camisado, The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage and Let's Kill Tonight. The band then performed Nine In The Afternoon and That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed) from Pretty. Odd. before carrying on with their first/third album roulette. The encore was not as we expected, finishing with Nearly Witches rather than I Write Sins Not Tragedies, which had concluded the main set. This said, the whole performance was fantastic, showing Panic!s return to theatrical rock. The only thing missing was the circus-like stage, but with the show they gave there is no doubt that the next Panic! album and tour will be even more over-the-top.

Brand New ★★★★★

O2 Academy, Glasgow, 14/02/2012


The Xcerts 7.30 - 8.00
I Am The Avalanche 8.20 - 8.50

Brand New 9.20 - 11.00

Up-and-coming British band The Xcerts were first on stage. Having played T In The Park and Rockness, and selling out their own modest headline slot in King Tuts, they already have a fan base. They performed well at this show, with their rock-pop music going down well with most of the audience.

Next up were I Am The Avalanche. The 5-piece from New York have supported a lot of bands over the past few years including Bleeding Through and Four Years Strong, although they don’t seem to be well known here yet. Even so, it’s a good sign for them that almost all in the audience were bobbing their heads along to the upbeat tunes. They were lively and interacted well with the audience, putting a song out to their fans in the crowd which is always a winner. Definitely one to watch - go check them out.

Brand New were brilliant. Simple as that. Starting the night off with Archer, they slid effortlessly between their anthemic melodies, rock songs and powerful ballads. No song on the list seemed a particular favourite with the audience, with each one getting an uproar of applause at start and finish. Frontman Jesse took to the stage solo mid-set to perform a few songs acoustically, which had the audience captivated. They had no obvious encore, but finishing the night off with Degausser and You Won’t Know left everyone happy. A band to keep an eye on as I can only see them getting bigger with their mixed bag of musical goodness.

The setlist - think they changed 

order onstage though! 

Kerrang! Tour ★★★★

O2 ABC, Glasgow, 13/02/2012


While She Sleeps 7.20 - 7.50
letlive 8.00-8.30
The Blackout 8.40 - 9.30
New Found Glory 9.50 - 10.50

The night opened with While She Sleeps, a metal/hardcore band from Sheffield. Not many in the audience seemed to know their music, but the ones who did made themselves known with a lot of movement and singing along at the top of their voices. The band themselves were energetic and interacted with the crowd, and although they were perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, they got the night off to a very good start.

Next up were Americans letlive, one of Kerrang!'s favourite bands right now. Supposedly Glaswegian frontman Jason is a bit of an odd  one, reminding us a little of MSI's Jimmy Urine but not quite getting it right. They seem to have acquired a following nonetheless, with a large pit and many a person singing along. The most impressive part of their set was the final song, with the audience rushing to surf Jason from the stage to the bar and back again.

The Blackout were replacing Sum41, who had pulled out due to singer Deryck's injured back. They came on stage to Elton John's Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word, and simply stated, "sorry we're not Sum41!" Unfortunately, even with the apologies and excellent cover of Sum41's Fat Lip, the post-hardcore band did not receive a warm welcome from those in the crowd hoping for a pop-punk face off. The Blackout soldiered on regardless, singing favourites It's High Tide Baby! and Children of the Night which got the fans in the crowd bouncing. They were not afraid to banter with the crowd, with frontman Sean wearing a Susan Boyle t-shirt and trying the accent, and telling the haters to "F**k off" or put their iPod's in and dance away to something else until they were off stage. The best band of the night in my opinion.

New Found Glory were last on stage, and the audience were finally united. The pop-punk kings were on top form, hitting out favourites All Downhill From Here, Head On Collision and Dressed to Kill along with popular cover Kiss Me and Green Day's Basket Case. They had brilliant rapport with the crowd, particularly when joining in the popular Glaswegian chant "Here We" and changing the words, and when slagging Sum41 for their appearance at the Grammy's but not the tour.

The Kerrang! tour, as always, offered a variety of merchandise for each band, along with free t-shirts, skip caps, bags and posters to those who found the stall ran by a very nice group of Brighton lads. Although it was not quite the nostalgic pop-punk line-up many were hoping for, it was good mix of bands with something for everyone, and as New Found Glory quite rightly said, it's nice to open people's eyes to a variety rather than always listen to the same old.