The Great Escape (2013) - Preview Part One

Official Website: mamacolive.com/thegreatescape

2013 will be my sixth Great Escape, I’ve learnt from being shut out of Metric’s seafront show on a wet, windy evening and now tend to look lower down the festivals billing for my acts. If you plan on seeing a London Grammar or a Chrvches this year, my advice is simple, get there early. Other the next couple of posts I’ve picked out a dozen acts from the 350 odd in the line-up as my “must-see’s”. The Great Escape is a vast, widespread festival with many treasures to be found (don’t forget The Alternative Escape when you are investigating bands), hopefully these tips will perhaps help you discover something that might just become your new favourite band. That’s the point of TGE to me, to check out new, emerging bands in venues no bigger than your front-room. It doesn't get much better than that…

Embers – Facebook / embersembers.com/

Friday 17th May - 12.30 - Above Audio
Saturday 18th May - 17.20 - The Mesmerist (Alt. Escape)

Here’s a band I’ve been itching to see live for over twelve months, finally I shall set that right. Embers have rightly caused a stir in the blogging community almost since day one, which then went into overdrive when a live video for the stunning “Hollow Cage” was released late last year. A track I earlier described as “a ground-breaking, a seven minute journey beyond comprehension that is truly, truly stunning". Embers’ dark, cinematic storms will render you speechless, wave after wave of epic, shimmering noise building upon intense, ferocious, joyous soundscapes. You’ve not heard of Embers but like Hope of the States? Thank me after the Manchester quartet have blown the roof off a Brighton basement.

Keebo - Facebook

Saturday 18th May - 12.20 - The Mesmerist (Alt. Escape)

A blog better than my own labelled Keebo as ‘a female Real Estate’, that could be pretty accurate. The London based quintet’s stand-out track to date is the wonderful “Native American” a track overwhelmingly bright, hypnotic and catchy from first listen. Keebo have a handful of tracks that combine beautiful floating vocal harmonies with sunshine splashed melodies, jam packed with layered guitars and a funky rhythm section. Jangle/fuzz/dream pop, call it what you will, with Keebo on heavy rotation summer seems just that bit closer.

Bird - Facebook

Saturday 18th May - 00.30 - The Basement

Liverpool three piece Bird are led the celestial voice of songwriter/bassist/guitarist Adele Emmas with Sian Williams providing stunning guitarscapes and complimenting harmonies alongside Alexis Samata on the doom-laden drums. Their live show is full of power and grace, equally dark and mystical with rich swirling guitar tapestries and superlative defying harmonies, like being transported to an otherworldly place of pure, spiritual beauty. (They do an excellent cover of Bauhaus' "Bella Lugosi Is Dead" too).

Check out their recent single “Ophelia” for proof of the trio’s combination of delicate ethereality and dramatic, otherworldly beauty. Perfectly haunting, ghostly and gorgeous – guaranteed to send shivers all the way down your spine.

Parlour - Facebook / parlourmusik.com

Saturday 18th May - 18.30 - Audio

Parlour is the new project of Angela Won-Yin Mak, previously of the now sadly defunct Carousels. I’m not sure if she’s played live yet but I know she’s gained a full band and has recorded some new tracks which hopefully we’ll get to hear at The Great Escape. So far there has only been the one track, the deliciously fuzzed-up “My Love”. That alone was enough to get me and various other shoegaze blogs hot under the collar, think thick guitars and gorgeous psychedelic daydreams or if you prefer a name check Rory Atwell plays drums. I’m always keen to see bands in their infancy and sniff out my new favourite love and Parlour are one of those acts I can’t wait to see.

This is the Kit - Facebook / thisisthekit.co.uk

Friday 17th May - Time Unknown  -  The Fountain  (Alt. Escape)- Facebook Event

I've had the privilege of watching Kate from This is the Kit soundcheck before, that and the intimate acoustic gig performed later the same evening were as beguiling an experience as you could wish for with music. An absolutely gorgeous feast for the senses that left me wrapped in a warm, calming blanket of fuzziness and happiness - Kate has a tranquil, soft voice and her songs are beautifully put together - check out the extraordinary "Earthquake" from her album Wriggle Out The Restless for proof. A show in a little Brighton pub promises to be a little special...

Fear of Men - Facebook

Thursday 16th May - 21.00 - Latest Music Bar (Alt. Escape)
Friday 17th May - 19.10 - -10 Below (Alt. Escape)
Friday 17th May - 22.30 - The Basement

As you’re in Brighton it’s only right to check out some local talent and amongst them this year (as in the past couple of year) are Fear of Men, as organic and swoonsome a band as you could hope to hear, from a self-released demo tapes to a recently released compendium LP Early Fragments. Their material resonates exquisitely around their trademark guitar shimmers and sweet vocals with wistful, tender melodies pulling you in as they flutter somewhere between hopeful and heart-broken, as perfect an indie-pop band as 2013 has to offer.



Part Two to follow soon...

Drop Out Venus - Death Is Screaming

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Drop Out Venus have released the first single from their forthcoming Glitz EP (which follows on May 20th), the frankly bizarre "Death Is Screaming". From a band never content to sit on the fence, the track pushes the boundaries of multiple genres and styles in one crazily wonderful three minute track.

The place I keep coming back to is Prince, I can't think of another genre-hopping act capable of merging a funk laden melody of 80's analogue beats, shredding guitar hooks, rap sections and disconcerting lyrics to such unpredictable results. That's a good thing.

Drop Out Venus have firmly announced themselves on my radar with this weirdly incredible track. Drop Out Venus play The Great Escape next week with a show at London's Sebright Arms on May 22nd...

Wilsen #4 - Dusk

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The name of this blog is aptly titled given I only feature music that I like, Wilsen is not just an artist I like though, I've been pretty much smitten with their beautifully atmospheric sounds from the moment I first heard the track I'm talking about (again) today, "Dusk", almost a year ago now...

Still as haunting and pure now as the first time I heard it, deliciously heart-breaking and devastatingly gorgeous it builds from gently picked chord patterns and lightly brushed drum strokes as layers of delicate, beautiful instrumentation are slowly introduced whilst Tasmin's emotive lyrics and ethereal harmonies send shivers down your spine.

After the release of the equally spell-binding "Anahita" earlier this year more and more people are starting to take notice of Wilsen and with "Dusk" the attention is only likely to grow. The band are currently on tour with Daughter in the US (that would be nice in the UK too!) and "Dusk" is released as a single on June 10th, backed by a cover of Grimes' "Oblivion", the album Sirens is available on iTunes now.

The National #5 - Sea Of Love

Facebook / americanmary.com

I've had what can only be described as 'one of those days', day long meetings where none of my actual work managed to get done and the gig I was thinking of going evaporating before my eyes. What better way to cheer me up than a new track by The National, "Sea Of Love" is instantly as addictive as the other two tracks we've already heard (and I've previously featured here - "Demons" and "Don't Swallow The Cap") from the Brooklyn bands forthcoming album Trouble Will Find Me, which is released May 20th - what better post The Great Escape hangover can there be!

The track is another exhilarating nup-tempo track which bursts straight out of the gates with a heavy percussive heart before jagged guitar hooks and it keeps getting better and better as the tempo increases like an out of control steam train to a 'typically National' climax of outpouring emotions - the accompanying video was simple but effective too, a single shot video featuring the band doing some mesmerizing old man dance techniques and a young kid doing amazing air guitar - watch it below

BoardWalk - New Music "Introducing"

Facebook  / boardwalkla.tumblr.com

Latest signings to Stones Throw BoardWalk, a duo from Los Angeles consisting of Mike Edge and Amber Quintero have only released one track to date, "I'm To Blame" (stream below), but it's the sort starry-eyed beauty that sweeps around you like a fuzzy, warm blanket.

The beautiful, woozy melody and Amber's soft, sultry whispers are as pretty as a flower and bound to draw comparisons with just about every romantic, dream-pop band you've already heard of, with elongated organ chords, reverberating guitar and gently restrained percussion lulling you half-asleep, "I'm To Blame" is pretty much impossible not to fall for.

I believe they are putting the finishing touches to their debut release, instantly one to look out for.

Editors #4 - A Ton of Love

Facebook / editorsofficial.com

Editors have been one of my favourite bands since I first saw them at the turn of 2005, their debut album The Back Room is a stunning collection of songs that stands the test of time while their third album In This Light and On This Evening highlighted another side to the band and is in my opinion their best yet, a few changes have happened over the past couple of years though, Chris Urbanowicz left the band and in have come Justin Lockey and Elliott Williams. Yesterday the first track featuring the new members hit the Internet...

"A Ton of Love" is the first preview to Editors fourth album The Weight of Your Love (due for release on July 1st via PAIS and is available to pre-order on a variety of formats including a signed, deluxe edition with a bonus CD with additional tracks - that's good enough incentive for me!) and to be honest if you took away Tom Smith's booming, signature vocals there's not too much that shouts 'Editors' out at you.

Easily the most upbeat song we've heard from the band to date it harks more to Simple Minds than Joy Division, big, bright rock made for big arenas. One track is too early to decide if that's a good thing or not but "A Ton of Love" instantly grabs you with both barrels and blasts you into submission with a mix of pop-hooks, swirling synths and heavy drum beats - a song that will make people sit up and take notice of the band again, of that, I am certain.