Autumn playlist!

Grab your warm knitted jumpers, cup of hot chocolate and thick comfy blanket and have a listen to this season's playlist. With some songs remembering summer, and some songs looking forward to the rest of the year ahead, there is something for everyone. I was hoping to find a song with the sound of crunching leaves, as that is the noise I associate most with autumn, but hopefully this music can make up for the lack of leaf smashing tunes out there. Please comment with your favourite songs on the playlist and just generally let me know what you think!

Link here:
http://stereoellie.blogspot.co.uk/p/autumn.html

The Summer Set, Natives, For The Foxes and Mayday Parade at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London October 4th

Surrounded by the boys from Natives after their show

I absolutely love it when you go to a concert to see one particular band but have a fantastic time because the other bands are surprisingly good too. Although it seemed three quarters of the very long queue leading up to the venue in buzzing Camden were there to see headliners 'Mayday Parade', my friend and I were there to see previous Artist of The Week, 'The Summer Set'. The venue was a good size, slightly bigger than the o2 Academy where I went a couple of weeks ago but small enough to still evoke the intimate feel. I'm not sure exactly how, but somehow I managed to end up very near to the stage with a brilliant view. The first band 'Natives' took to the stage and the crowd began rocking out to songs such as 'This Island' which was my favourite and I have since downloaded.  If you like You Me at Six, I am pretty sure you would like this band/song. The chorus is catchy and the drum beat is addictive. The lead singer really knew how to get the crowd pumped up, such as telling everybody to get down low on the floor then jump up when the chorus started which was very fun and a spectacle to see. Even though this is not strictly music related, I also wanted to comment on how cool their merchandise was as I happened to notice the well-designed shirts when I was chatting to the band after the gig.

Lead singer of For the Foxes, my friend Tamara and I

 The following band, ‘For the Foxes’, is signed to 'Hopeless Records' which is the same label that is home to 'All Time Low' and 'We Are the in Crowd'. This American band's music was a bit more summer indie pop/rock than Natives but vocalist Nick has a very rock sounding voice. The highlight of their set for me was when the band slowed it down and sang 'The River' with just Nick playing the keyboard to accompany. 'The River' is about a long distance relationship which Nick said is a very personal subject for the whole band as they are often away touring, and this was clear as the emotion came out as he sang.

Natives and For The Foxes were both talented, energetic bands that I really enjoyed and would love to see again, but by far my favourite band of the night were the ones I had been waiting a long time to see, 'The Summer Set'. Bursting onto the stage and instantly grabbing the audience with their well-known song 'Chelsea', I completely gave myself away to the music and I did not pause for thought as I sang along. They performed all of my favourites: 'Must Be The Music', 'Punch Drunk Love' and 'When We Were Young', along with a new song 'F*** You Over' which will be featured on their next album out next year. Brian's vocals sounded just as good as the studio recordings and Josh, John, Stephen and Jess did not miss a beat. It was then that all of those there to see The Summer Set joined together as Brian told the crowd to sing parts of songs back to him, the atmosphere was incredible as everybody used all of their lung power to fill the room. The set seemed to finish far too soon and I really hope I get to see a headlining show from The Summer Set sometime soon.

The crowd went crazy when 'Mayday Parade' came on stage, and although there is no denying they put on a good show, their music was not really my kind of thing. They have a very dedicated following and, again, the atmosphere was so good but I just did not connect with them as I did the previous three bands. However, when they took to the keyboard as well to sing 'Miserable At Best', I did really love it therefore I am not saying I did not like any of their songs, because I thought this one was beautiful.

Brian Dales of The Summer Set entertaining
the crowd at the Electric Ballroom

Overall, the sweaty, hot, exhausting night was brilliant and I enjoyed every minute of it. The crowd was so tightly packed and I felt squashed at all times but that was part of the fun of being near the front. I had to rush off quite quickly after the show to make sure I did not miss the last train, and so did not manage to meet The Summer Set but I did say hello to the guys from For The Foxes and Natives who were all really friendly. I would definitely recommend you check out all of the bands I saw at the Electric Ballroom on a cold night in October, and let me know what you think!

 

 twitter - @heyitselliejay

Joe Brooks O2 Academy Islington London

Chatting with Joe Brooks in London

On the 21st of September singer/song-writer Joe Brooks returned to London for a highly anticipated show after touring countries such as South Korea and America for a long time. The O2 Academy in Islington is a great venue with an 800 person capacity and a high ceiling that produces excellent acoustics for a considerably intimate gig. I arrived a little late to the venue but caught the second half of Tyrone Wells' set. Tyrone comes from Washington and although I had not specifically followed his music before I did recognise a few songs as he has been frequently featured in television shows such as Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill and The Vampire Diaries. It was clear that he has had a lot of experience in front of an audience because he had the ability to captivate everyone not only with his charming music, but also his story-telling in between songs. Personally, I think the highlight of his set was when he asked the audience to remain silent whilst he sang without the microphone. The created an amazing atmosphere and the whole crowd fell silent (with exception to an incredibly rude guy who shouted in the middle but then received death glares) as they listened to Tyrone's impressive vocals. I always love how concerts can bring a crowd of 800 people of different ages, genders and backgrounds together to share a love for music and in that moment, it feels like everyone is equal.

Hugging Joe Brooks after his set

As Tyrone departed the stage, I was left exhilarated and ready to get caught up all over again in the music. The stage was decorated with bulbs hanging from the ceiling and an antique rug on the floor which was fitting for the British, home-coming theme. Joe took to the stage and opened with his new song 'Till My Heart Stops Beating'. He played the acoustic guitar and was accompanied by drums and the keyboard. I had a good view of the whole stage and thoroughly enjoyed singing along and dancing, beaming every time I hear an introduction to my favourite Joe Brooks songs. Along with his well-known tracks such as 'Green Eyes', 'Kaleidoscope' and 'I Find the Light in You', Joe did some covers including 'Cough Syrup' by Young The Giant, 'Come Together' by The Beatles and a Jessie J medley. The passion and soul throughout the whole show was overwhelming and it has been a very long time since I have seen an artist get so lost in his love for music and performing. The emotion in the way Joe sang and played his music was echoed by the audience even in songs that many had not heard before such as 'Carousel' and 'Oh Toronto' which are from his upcoming record 'The Boy with the Broken Machine'. When Joe performed 'Holes Inside' (which he proudly told us went to Number One in South Korea) and everybody joined to sing the line "sometimes fate and your dreams will collide" it was clear by his expression that he loved being home in the UK very much and was as happy to see us as we were to see him. After the show, I was fortunate enough to meet the talent that I had just seen on stage only to find out that Joe is an extremely nice guy to talk to as well. His Southampton accent had elements of American creeping in which I guess is expected seeing as he lives in Los Angeles now and he spends a lot of time with his American band. I had a fantastic, unforgettable night and if you ever get the chance to hear this boy's vocals live you must not pass the opportunity.

If you follow me on twitter ( @heyitselliejay ) you were probably expecting an interview with previous Artist Of The Week Tom Mann, but unfortunately he could not make it down to the show however, never fear, I have been promised a written interview in the not too distance future so keep checking back!

Halfway To New York - Treading Water (EP Review)

I bought this EP on a toasty Saturday evening in July after an unexpected visit to my local pub where the band Halfway To New York happened to be playing. The group from London write and sing pop/rock music and feeling my foot tap as I stood and listened to their songs played live encouraged me to purchase 'Treading Water'.

Treading Water - The title track of the EP was my favourite song the guys performed. The bridge with the lyrics 'Who's the boss of me, who's the boss of you?' is a simple way to get the crowd singing along, especially after a few beers. I love the concept of the metaphor 'treading water' as I interpret it to mean that he is working hard to keep his relationship afloat and trying to not let it all fall apart, however the couple are staying in the same place and not moving forward and the song is debating whether that's right or not. The chorus is easily loveable and is a great introduction to the rest of the music on the EP.

What A Way To Go - Halfway To New York are story tellers in their music and especially in this track. I really like the bass line and the lead singer, Sam Burkey, has a mature voice that reminds me of Brandon Flowers from The Killers. The first verse is really attention grabbing and I think it's one of few songs where the verse is catchier than the chorus.

Out Of Time - This is my favourite song on the album because it has a brilliant chorus that after one listen I can sing along to. Since purchasing the EP this has been a track I listen play very frequently. The dramatic bridge that builds up to an awesome instrumental is so good live and the soft ending is a fantastic contrasting way to end the song.

We Were Wrong - After three songs it was clear to me that this EP was a great find and the guys of Halfway To New York are fantastic writers. I would say this track is the rockiest due to the heavy electric guitar playing and long notes held in the chorus. If you get a chance to see the band in concert, I am sure you would agree that this song is better live.

Going Home - An obvious final song to play, this mid-tempo song is a kiss goodbye to a wonderful night of music. 'Going Home' was obviously written to please crowds and that it does, with an easy to sway to song and verses that show of Sam's vocals. I think is the best song on the EP in terms of production.

Comment if you check this EP out (its only five pounds!) or happen to run into these guys doing a show like I did and let me know what you think.

Artist Of The Week - Basic Vacation



Basically, Basic Vacation are a must-listen to new band.

I tend to start my 'Artist Of The Week' blog posts with how I first discovered each artist. I have a passion for finding new music and developing my views of it so when I come across a band I get excited. If you want to share my feelings a great way to check out new music is listening to random bands that follow you on twitter and browsing through the 'Recommended' videos when you are listening to a band you already know and love. Sometimes the bands are not brilliant or not your kind of thing, but occasionally you can come across a real gem and quickly become a fan.



 This week's Artist Of The Week is Basic Vacation and I first heard of these guys after some sad news that the drummer (Mike Montalbano) of the fabulous rock/pop band Hollywood Ending parted ways with the rest of the boys. However, it just goes to show when one door closes another one opens as Mike then went on to join Basic Vacation from New York/Philadelphia. The band are quite different from Hollywood Ending as their music is more indie pop, I would personally describe their music as refreshing and fun. Basic Vacation is a very new band and so far only has one song called 'If You Want To' but if this song is anything to go by, their future music is going to be really great. The song has a sprinkle of summer sparkle and a huge helping of catchy lyrics that make me want to dance to it all the time. The three boys in the band are all very friendly on twitter and they have the potential to go far. Currently, the guys are doing house parties across the USA and I must say I am very jealous of the American fans as what could be better than having an awesome band perform right in your front room with all your friends?

Summer Playlist

Picture credit - Tumblr

My Summer 2012 playlist is now available on the side bar so check it out and comment what you think. Hope everyone has an unforgettable summer!

http://www.stereoellie.blogspot.co.uk/p/summer-2012-playlist.html

Artist Of The Week - Anson Li

Anson Li

I first discovered Anson when he followed me on twitter, usually I am slightly skeptical about listening to random follows on twitter however I am very glad that I gave this one a chance. Anson is an American teen with a huge smile at all times and his influences are the likes of All Time Low and Mayday Parade however his original music has a fresh, pop vibe. He is another artist that 'wows' teenage girls all across Youtube with his covers of artists such as Maroon 5 and Allstar Weekend. Anson is not that well known yet but I love how he still connects with his fans on twitter and his passion for music means he is not going to give up until his songs are being listened to across the globe. My personal favourite song that he wrote himself is 'I Swear'. The track has a basic beat and the beginning reminds me of a slower 'I Like It Like That' by Hot Chelle Rae. I think sometimes less is more with a rhythm and if you're looking for a fun, easy-listening song this is perfect. Much to the annoyance of my family, I have been singing this song around the house all week as it got stuck in my head within minutes of listening to it on Youtube. Anson Li's own songs are available on itunes so check them out!

www.youtube.com/user/ansonofficial