Monday Music Spotlight: Tunes from the North

The UK has a pretty substantial music scene. We must have the highest number of cracking bands per capita than any other country on earth. And this level of musical prowess is only ever seen in mainstream media, so can you imagine how many hidden gems we must have lurking beneath the surface of the British music scene?  

We've showcased bands like Oasis, The Smiths and The Stone Roses, all hailing from Manchester. So what about the rest of the North and bands from Sheffield, Leeds and York?

I'm going to let you in on three groups who have some of the best songs to offer from the friendlier part of the country. You know, that part where everyone's a bit nicer and everyone has an obsession with gravy, whippets and flat-caps. That part. 

The Volts - Shes Dangerous

There's nothing wrong with a new take on classic rock. A refreshing British voice, deceptively simple yet catchy riffs and a pace you can dance to is all you really need, and The Volts prove it here. 

People have hailed these lads as melding a variety of genres together, touting them as garage-rock heroes who aren't afraid of pop-resembling vocals.

Long story short; these five lads whack out surprisingly polished, high tempo and high energy rock tunes, bringing down the roof in the process. I'd start getting a few quotes for fixing the ceiling if you're going to give them a listen. 

Puppet Rebellion - Test Pilot

If The Volts are a bit too much for you, try Puppet Rebellion. These guys have mastered the clean backing riff, and as a result, have garnered comparisons to Maximo Park, Interpol and Bloc Party.

They wield tight rhythms and structures that pull you in, grabbing your attention with a memorable intro, and maintaining it with a crisp and uplifting chorus. 

But if 'Test Pilot' isn't quite your cup of tea, (no idea why it wouldn't be), then give the above tune, 'Life is in Your Hands' a go. I mean, you'd be hard-pressed to find such a dedicated band; you can see why Puppet Rebellion are being readied as Manchester's next big thing. 

Fronteers - Hear It In The Rainfall

This Hull quartet seem to be rather adept at a multitude of musical sub-genres. This particular number seems to resemble the intriguing love-child of The Stone Roses, and the Arctic Monkeys, specifically around 2011.

Other tunes from the same EP, like the cracking 'Full Moon' for some reason reminds me of a mash up between the Gallagher brothers, and my personal indie-favourites, The Strypes. With their simple chords, and simply stellar solos, these four chaps manage to deliver an audio delight resembling a combination which I've always wanted. 

Seriously, their 'Streets We're Born In' EP is absolutely smashing, if you've got ten minutes to kill, get yourself on SoundCloud and give your ears a treat. 

So there you go, just in case you needed assurance that the North is the home of Britain's musical spirit, you have it now. 

Monday Music Spotlight: Mega Covers

Every now and then, a band can manage to make a song sound so much like their own work that you just assume that they created it. 

And with me being the uneducated philistine that I am, I often make such assumptions without double-checking. I barely know that something's a cover version unless some helpful soul has caringly written 'Beatles cover' somewhere in the tracklist. 

Muse - Sign o' the Times

On a few occasions, the prog-rock monsters have done some pretty top covers, most notably Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good', but not forgetting tunes like 'Prague' and 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You', originally by Mega City Four and Frankie Valli respectively. If only Matt Bellamy and friends could dig out their old vinyl collections and go on a covering spree...

If you compare this version to Prince's original, you may just be a fan of the heavier guitars and mental falsetto. You may not be too, I mean, it's hard to improve on Prince. 

Oasis - Cum on Feel the Noize

Oasis have done countless covers. They also came a long way from their early days as a Beatles cover band. I mean, you could probably write an article like this purely on Oasis covers, and I'm pretty sure someone already has. 

But anyway, this is one of those songs which seems to have accidentally become classic, utilising the guise of Britpop. Slade, and this particular track, was always a big part of the Gallagher brother's childhood, and you can tell; the synchronised vocals and Noel's screeching fills set this apart as one of the better Oasis tunes.

Extra points are awarded if you're all about the live version at Maine Road, of course. 

The Last Shadow Puppets - Moonage Daydream

Depending on who you ask, Alex Turner is either the North's greatest contribution to modern music, or an absolute dickhead. While these judgement often depend on the age of the person you ask, you can witness both of these paradoxical features in this lovely cover of the Bowie classic.

I mean to start with, it's a cracking rendition, with Miles Kane even bringing out a saxophone presumably just because he can. You get the feeling that everyone at Glasto witnessing this is really into it. But, you can also tell that by a seemingly pissed Turner doing his best alcohol-fuelled karaoke version of the now sacred song. 

Regardless of which side you're on, it's a wonderful sentiment nonetheless. Although a haircut would probably do you wonders, Alex. 

Honorary mentions for this list include the numerous Oasis covers by Ryan Adams, (although he somehow managed to balls-up the lyrics, Noel Gallagher doing a cracking job at covering The Smiths, and even Royal Blood paying homage to Pharrell, (yeah, that happened). 

There's plenty of covers going around, so I may just play it safe and do a little spotlight on three more top cover songs. I may not. It's a mystery. 

Monday Music Spotlight: 90s Inspired Heavy Stuff

Before the likes of Miles Kane, Arctic Monkeys, The Stone Roses and Oasis, I was into music which could be best described as 'a tad heavy'. This isn't to say it was metal, or even hard rock, that caught my interest in music. Nah pal, it was more early Muse stuff, not so early Biffy Clyro stuff, and Queens of the Stone Age, with the odd bit of Rage Against the Machine for good measure.

These were the bands which took me from my early teenage phase of pop-music purgatory and surrounded me with something possessing a bit more volume and emotion. Of course, I'm not saying that enjoying pop tunes is a bad thing, I just happen to remember that time as one sound-tracked by songs which I now find cringe-worthy. Dark times indeed. 

So, if like myself back in 2007, you're desperately in need of some songs with the occasional distorted guitar, hopefully you'll find something here.  

Own Charter - Geometric Monster

Apologies in advance, but the video doesn't really do this song any favours. If you want it that badly, I'm sure that you know how to copy, paste and search.

When I found this on SoundCloud, I loved the track. I enjoyed how the heavy and dark riff in the verses was transformed into an uplifting chorus. It has everything you need for a rock song, until the video exposes the lyrics, which sound like a Swedish teenager tried to use Google Translate to look up affectionate terms to impress ladies. Unfortunately, this seems to be a recurring theme with Own Charter, (see 'Unknown Str.'), but in all fairness, the lads aren't native English speakers, so don't be too hard on them.

You don't need to know the lyrics. They're present, and that's all that matters really. This song would be cracking on a GTA radio station, simply for the instantaneous atmosphere it creates. 

Scary People - (It's Never Quiet on the) Western Front

Throwing impartiality out of the window for a moment, I'd just like to say that these lads are my favourite on this list, and a band that has stuck around from when I first began scouring SoundCloud for good tracks. 

These chaps from Scotland have managed to make a song which sounds half like your good ol' Rage, and half like Biffy Clyro, (and in light of their latest album, that's something we need). 

Songs like this prove that you don't always need astounding prowess when it comes to guitar playing; sometimes you just need some cracking, big and arguably simple riffs. Everything else is merely filler to get you to said riffs. 

These guys are just starting to kick out new tunes too, with their latest track, 'You're an Experiment' coming out a month ago. It seems that Scary People are doing something which alternative rock has needed for a while, and giving us a familar sound, with a few twists along the way.

FalseHeads - Wrap Up

For an article which has already compared one band to Biffy Clyro and Rage Against the Machine, you'd be right to think that any further songs couldn't get any more mental. However, life is also cruel, and you would be wrong, thanks to three London-based lads. 

When you get some critical acclaim from Iggy Pop, you know you're doing something right. The main riff of the track sounds like the triplet are about to go into a post-song breakdown, and it just continues to get more and more intense. The lads are certainly adept at championing their own brand of destructive punk-rock energy, leading the song to sound like a constant series of near-drops; the song always seems on the verge of breaking down into anarchy, but thankfully never does. 

And if you're after something a bit more relevant, you also can't go wrong with their latest number, 'Thick Skin'. Truly cracking stuff. 

Hopefully that's managed to scratch your musical itch for a week, if problems keep persisting, you should probably see a doctor. Or just be patient and wait until next week, where the best cover songs will be on display right here.

Monday Music Spotlight: Indie Delights

Have you ever used any of the recommendation systems from Apple Music, Spotify or Soundcloud? If you've listened to any music within the past few years, I can only assume that the answer is an astounding "obviously". 

They're great in theory; instead of moping around on Facebook and asking friends for new tunes, you get barraged with hopeful tracks with no hidden agendas, no mates desperately trying to get you to listen to their favourite band, or worse, their own demos. But when these systems are put into practice, I'm afraid that they're far from perfect. I mean, if you go on Spotify and view the artist profile for say, Oasis, you can't venture off too far before you're led back to the same groups. In cases like this, it seems like there's no escape from the likes of Blur, Noel Gallagher, Beady Eye and The Stone Roses.

So, with this new series of posts, I'm aiming to tackle this nuisance which has plagued our chosen music software for far too long. I'm going to give you some no-nonsense recommendations which aren't based purely on genre, instruments or artist obscurity. Or at least I'm going to try to.

To start off, we're going to look at some fantastically inoffensive indie tunes which aren't worried about delving into the pop genre. Essentially, anything that sounds slightly like The Smiths will probably rock up on this list. Without further ado, have a gander at these tunes. 

Literature - New Jacket

To start with, I'm loving the name of this artist, it's straightforward, and as an English student, I ended up going straight to it. This kind of music sounds like the kind that any literature student would delight in, and not just myself.

This tune has everything you need for a catchy song, but the first thing that hits you is the generous helpings of reverb and echo from the constant guitars. 

More importantly, this song does something that I really appreciate, and it never removes guitars from the equation. Whereas a lot of modern indie tunes use the instrument to create a catchy intro, and then leave it alone until a chorus or solo, 'New Jacket' keeps them throughout, instead opting for different effects and strumming patterns. 

Admittedly, the outro does go on a bit, leaving you aching for another chorus which never arrives. But aside from that, it's a grand medium between indie and pop. 

The Horrors - Change Your Mind

This may be a spotlight chiefly for artists who've avoided mainstream attention, but that doesn't mean I'm staying away from established artists purely out of spite, no sir. 

I took a first look at The Horrors and was took straight back to a newly-founded band called Muse, mostly for their audacious hairstyles and their unique brand of excellent tunes which would perfectly fit teenagers going through a bit of an emo phase. 

Just like the other tracks here, it's a relatively chilled song. It also seems that the people at Literature also have the same guitar pedals, but that's far from a bad thing. Both tracks have similar sounds, but use them in their own distinct manners.

Of course, with an established band, you get a sense here that Faris Badwan, (cracking name, by the way) has a definitive knowledge of his vocal capabilities, something which isn't as present in 'New Jacket'. Although, any band that has a Vevo channel probably should be comfortable with what they're doing.

Bosco Rogers - The Middle

Apologies, I have no idea what I was thinking here. This is beginning to slip into alt. rock, but with a track which manages to sound like a cross between The Black Keys and Foster the People, (a combination which I didn't even know I wanted until now), I really couldn't pass it up. 

Bosco Rogers is one of those indie-rific names which is deceptively hard to say, (for me anyway), and the group seems like one which would go straight into inoffensive clean-guitar filled pop tunes, (see Fickle Friends), or into a monotonous brand of rock which sounds like the vocalist is encountering digestive issues, (potentially Don Broco. Apologies lads). 

Thankfully, as you can see by that fantastic thumbnail, this Bosco Rogers tune falls into neither of those categories. This is how you do a guitar section in a indie/alternative tune, and it adds to an equation which ultimately proves to be unusually memorable.

If I'm honest, it was down to this, or their latest single, 'True Romance', but thanks to the little bit of extra edge in 'The Middle', their older tune has come out on top. Not bad for just two guys. 

That's it for this week, but keep in mind that these three tunes haven't scratched the surface of potential recommendations. But luckily for you, I'll be wading through thousands of bits of Spotify, Soundcloud and YouTube, so just nip back in a week and see what else there is to tuck into.