July 2008
This month rather than have just me rant about unsigned acts and future hits I have stumbled across during the last month I have instead sourced tipsfrom music industry friends and acquaintances with their finger firmly onthe pulse.Below is their verdict on what unsigned acts we should all bechecking out this month.
Mike Walsh XFM.(Head of Music XFM)
For starters check out Liverpools Kids on Bridges www.myspace.com/kidsonbridges. Describing themselves as an alternative emotronic and experimental outfitthis band are a pure fusion of styles and sounds. Tracks to check are theexcellent and quirky anti pop song "Transparent". Also worth searching out are Manchester indie band "Delphic" www.myspace.com/delphic. The stand out track on their myspace is "Doubt" agreat beat driven infectious groove supports a well crafted song which wouldof fitted perfectly on to Factory records if it was still around.
Solomon Parker William Morris Agency (Vice President Music International)
My choice has to be Dan Priddy www.myspace.com/danpriddy from Bedford who isunsigned, funky as hell and knows how to deliver a great vocal. His keyswork is similarly superb which makes him the all round finished article. He has just had his music used in a Nike Ad and since doing so hes just takenon great management too. Tracks to check "Breaking Up Story". Trevor Madison (Production and Promotions co-ordinator Brightons Concorde 2). The most exciting live band I've seen in a long while at the Concorde 2 iswithout a doubt Your Friends are Architects from Eastbourne. Www.myspace.com/yourfriendsarearchitects. After seeing them play at XYZ unsigned and the way the crowd reacted tothem, they put me in mind of another great live band I really like at themoment BATTLES. Track to check. "Figure".
Phil Jackson BBC Southern Counties (presenter unsigned bands show)
For sheer break through potential and signed to a small buzz label New Slang (so I am not sure whether this counts) check out Brightons punk band BangBang Bang, www.myspace.com/bangbangbangtheband. I caught them at a Battle of the Bands gig in Eastbourne last summer andoff back of it I booked them to play at our John Peel gig last October. Since then they've put out a single on New Slang records and they made itto number 2 in the indie charts a few weeks ago. Not bad hey. Track to listen to "This Way That way".
Sat Bisla A&R Worldwide Vice President
London, England-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Simon Rhys Kaye, akaSy Kay has been the artist to most capture my attention recently www.myspace.com/littlewonderband. Kaye¹s sound could best be described as a modern day Monkees mixed withelements of the great Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople fame and John Lennon. For a taster listen to the epic and excellent "Right Here all along".
Jonny Goodwillie ILS (Independent label scheme)
It would have to be The Wonderfuls .www.myspace.com/wonderfuls. They mix a wide variety of influences from The Doors and The Eels through toGomez, The Black Keys and Beck, the bands ethos revolves around greatquality hook laden songs, mixed with uplifting harmonies and the tightest,grooviest rhythm section. There's only one track to check out on their myspace - "Sinking Like AStone".
Beachdown festival
http://www.beachdownfestival.com/
August 22nd ,23rd, 24th, 25th.
Lastly I wanted to round off this months column with a quick mention ofBrighton's Beachdownfestival a new festival that I have been fortunate enoughto of worked on and booked the talent for. The line up includes The MagicNumbers, Fun Loving Criminals, Gogol Bordello, Roisin Murphy , Reverend andthe Makers , Terry Callier , De La Soul, Nouvelle Vague , Josez Gonzalez ,The Men They Could nt Hang, A Certain Ratio, The Young Knives, The Maccabees, Lightspeed Champion ,The Beat , The Alabama 3 (Acoustic Set) , Jah Wobble,Roy Ayers and Bah Samba , Fink , Horace Andy, The Infadels, Azymuth ,Hercules and Love Affair, Imperial Leisure , The Heavy , Bonobo, The Brakes, Peggy Sue and the Pirates, Long Range, Duke Special , Gloria Cycles ,YourFriends Are Architects , Long Range ,Black Grass, Leon Jean Marie ,and manymany more. Plus DJ Sets from Mr Scruff, Terry Hall , Don Letts, Pat Mahonyand Keith Chegwin presenting a 2 hour special Multi Coloured Swap Shop.There is also a Brighton New band stage as programmed by BrightonsIndependent Label Schemes Jonny Goodwillie featuring the best new andunsigned bands from the Brighton area.
Tickets are available from the website above for what promises to be a greatweekend.
Mike Walsh XFM.(Head of Music XFM)
For starters check out Liverpools Kids on Bridges www.myspace.com/kidsonbridges. Describing themselves as an alternative emotronic and experimental outfitthis band are a pure fusion of styles and sounds. Tracks to check are theexcellent and quirky anti pop song "Transparent". Also worth searching out are Manchester indie band "Delphic" www.myspace.com/delphic. The stand out track on their myspace is "Doubt" agreat beat driven infectious groove supports a well crafted song which wouldof fitted perfectly on to Factory records if it was still around.
Solomon Parker William Morris Agency (Vice President Music International)
My choice has to be Dan Priddy www.myspace.com/danpriddy from Bedford who isunsigned, funky as hell and knows how to deliver a great vocal. His keyswork is similarly superb which makes him the all round finished article. He has just had his music used in a Nike Ad and since doing so hes just takenon great management too. Tracks to check "Breaking Up Story". Trevor Madison (Production and Promotions co-ordinator Brightons Concorde 2). The most exciting live band I've seen in a long while at the Concorde 2 iswithout a doubt Your Friends are Architects from Eastbourne. Www.myspace.com/yourfriendsarearchitects. After seeing them play at XYZ unsigned and the way the crowd reacted tothem, they put me in mind of another great live band I really like at themoment BATTLES. Track to check. "Figure".
Phil Jackson BBC Southern Counties (presenter unsigned bands show)
For sheer break through potential and signed to a small buzz label New Slang (so I am not sure whether this counts) check out Brightons punk band BangBang Bang, www.myspace.com/bangbangbangtheband. I caught them at a Battle of the Bands gig in Eastbourne last summer andoff back of it I booked them to play at our John Peel gig last October. Since then they've put out a single on New Slang records and they made itto number 2 in the indie charts a few weeks ago. Not bad hey. Track to listen to "This Way That way".
Sat Bisla A&R Worldwide Vice President
London, England-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Simon Rhys Kaye, akaSy Kay has been the artist to most capture my attention recently www.myspace.com/littlewonderband. Kaye¹s sound could best be described as a modern day Monkees mixed withelements of the great Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople fame and John Lennon. For a taster listen to the epic and excellent "Right Here all along".
Jonny Goodwillie ILS (Independent label scheme)
It would have to be The Wonderfuls .www.myspace.com/wonderfuls. They mix a wide variety of influences from The Doors and The Eels through toGomez, The Black Keys and Beck, the bands ethos revolves around greatquality hook laden songs, mixed with uplifting harmonies and the tightest,grooviest rhythm section. There's only one track to check out on their myspace - "Sinking Like AStone".
Beachdown festival
http://www.beachdownfestival.com/
August 22nd ,23rd, 24th, 25th.
Lastly I wanted to round off this months column with a quick mention ofBrighton's Beachdownfestival a new festival that I have been fortunate enoughto of worked on and booked the talent for. The line up includes The MagicNumbers, Fun Loving Criminals, Gogol Bordello, Roisin Murphy , Reverend andthe Makers , Terry Callier , De La Soul, Nouvelle Vague , Josez Gonzalez ,The Men They Could nt Hang, A Certain Ratio, The Young Knives, The Maccabees, Lightspeed Champion ,The Beat , The Alabama 3 (Acoustic Set) , Jah Wobble,Roy Ayers and Bah Samba , Fink , Horace Andy, The Infadels, Azymuth ,Hercules and Love Affair, Imperial Leisure , The Heavy , Bonobo, The Brakes, Peggy Sue and the Pirates, Long Range, Duke Special , Gloria Cycles ,YourFriends Are Architects , Long Range ,Black Grass, Leon Jean Marie ,and manymany more. Plus DJ Sets from Mr Scruff, Terry Hall , Don Letts, Pat Mahonyand Keith Chegwin presenting a 2 hour special Multi Coloured Swap Shop.There is also a Brighton New band stage as programmed by BrightonsIndependent Label Schemes Jonny Goodwillie featuring the best new andunsigned bands from the Brighton area.
Tickets are available from the website above for what promises to be a greatweekend.
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