Florence and the Machine release new track off upcoming album

....and boy, oh boy am I excited about this?!

Florence and the Machine have announced that their third album 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' will be released on 1st June 2015 and is produced by Markus Dravs who has previously worked with the likes of Arcade Fire and Coldplay. 

This album is something that myself and many other fans have been waiting a long time for; Florence and the Machine's last release, 'Ceremonials' ,was released October 2011. I was unsure whether the new album would be as spectacular as the previous two, however, from the sounds of things I certainly anticipate that the finished product will meet expectations. 

Florence and the Machine also kindly released the track listing for 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' which is as follows:

Ship To Wreck
What Kind Of Man
How Big How Blue How Beautiful
Queen Of Peace
Various Storms & Saints
Delilah
Long & Lost
Caught
Third Eye
St Jude
Mother

The band have posted their new video for 'What Kind of Man', along with a lovely little note on their Facebook, both of which you can view below.

What are your thoughts on the new track & album?

What Kind of Man - Florence and the Machine

Is Morrissey Vegan Yet? Iceland Show Cancelled After Venue Refuses to Turn Veggie for a Night.

Morrissey has cancelled his show in Reykjavik, Iceland after the venue refused his wishes for the concert hall to be meat-free on the night. 

In a statement he said: "I love Iceland and I have waited a long time to return, but I shall leave the Harpa Concert Hall to their cannibalistic flesh-eating bloodlust"

As many will know, this is not the first time Morrissey has attempted to make venues comply with his Vegetarian beliefs and he has previously succeeded however, will this be the last time or should we expect similar situations to occur on his upcoming UK tour? 

I am indeed a Moz fan myself but, my real question in all of this though is one that many have pondered upon; If Morrissey's beliefs about vegetarianism and animal rights are so strong that he is willing to disappoint so many fans by cancelling a show, then why is he not a vegan?

He has previously worked alongside PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) on many campaigns and has made his feelings about animal cruelty very clear in the past; even his merchandise reflects his opinions:

Of course this is on my wishlist! 

Personally as a vegan, I appreciate the message that Morrissey gets out there regarding animal rights and I think it's great that he does not shy away from speaking his mind however, this latest step may be a step too far in my opinion. I myself have got a ticket to see Morrissey when he plays Birmingham and I am extremely excited therefore, I cannot help but feel sorry for the fans that are now missing out due to Morrissey's ridiculously high expectations! 

We still love the work you do though Moz! 

I would really love to know whether there are any specific reasons why Morrissey is not Vegan, perhaps he just loves cheese too much?! 

You can catch Morrissey on tour in the UK in March:

13th Nottingham Capital FM Arena 
14th Bournemouth International Centre
18th Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
20th Leeds First Direct Arena 
21st Glasgow SSE Hydro 
27th Birmingham Barclaycard Arena

My Top Album of 2014; More Than Life//What's Left Of Me

This was a reasonably difficult decision as there was a lot of good music to come out of 2014 however, there was a clear winner for me;

More Than Life - What's Left Of Me  
Released in April 2014
This was a highly anticipated album for me. More Than Life have always been one of my favourites and I was so gutted when they announced a split after their last release, Love Let Me Go in 2010, luckily I managed to catch them on their 'last ever European tour'.

When they updated their Facebook status in 2012 I was over the moon;

The first track released off What's Left Of Me was Do You Remember and at first I was unsure as the style was quite different in comparison to More Than Life's previous records however, I soon learnt to appreciate the song as it's own thing rather than comparing it with the likes of Daisy Hill or Brave Enough To Fail. The online responses to the new track seemed to be very positive and everyone seemed to be excited for the new album release.

What's Left Of Me was released in April and blimey, I was blown away. This album packs such a punch and each track is filled with emotion. The album is quite dark and seems to sound more along the lines of previous More Than Life releases. The lyrics clearly relate to real life experiences and this allows listeners to relate to the tracks and feel closer to the music in general. I bought the album on vinyl and listened to it on repeat for a few days; it is one of those albums that is not just background noise, it's an album that I will put on and just listen to without any other distractions. There is not a single track on this record that I dislike and I feel it was certainly a good move for the band. 

The cherry on top of it all was when More Than Life announced a couple of dates and I managed to grab a ticket for the show at The Borderline in London. The show certainly hit all expectations and the band were more than up to scratch despite having some time off. but you can read a bit about that in my 9 weeks 9 shows post! 

You can check out More Than Life on their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morethanlifeuk?fref=ts

Or stream What's Left Of Me on Holy Roar Record's Bandcamp: http://holyroarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/whats-left-of-me

Do you have a favourite album of 2014? 

Mr Wilson's Second Liners

Due to lack of plans, I went into Chelmsford town with my 'rents on Saturday to do some shopping. 

Whilst in town, we noticed all of these unusual activities going on, street performers and Morris dancers etc. however, the one act that stood out among the gathered crowds was Mr Wilson's Second Liners. 

This colourful 'marching band' put a whole new spin on the bog-standard bands that you see in the street. Sporting outfits in bold colours, different types of hats and beards, Mr Wilson's Second Liners played a mixture of different dance tunes using your everyday brass and percussion instruments; Some of these covers include Massive Attack and New Order. 

The band got the crowds dancing and certainly brightened up your average, grey Saturday in Chelmsford town centre. We later discovered that the events were all linked to a Uni open day.

I have a video however, it is not the best quality, so you can find the band on YouTube but also they have a website which I will link below. The band are available for bookings & will definitely be on my list for special occasions.

http://mrwilsons.org.uk/

Superheaven, Nai Harvest & Concave @ The Old Blue Last 05/09/2014

It's Friday night and Superheaven are kicking off their European tour at The Old Blue Last, an infamous, trendy but somewhat dingy pub in Shoreditch. The main venue is upstairs and intimate, however this only adds to the atmosphere and as tonight's show has sold out there are plenty of squashed punters. 

The first band up is Concave; a four piece from Wales who seem excited enough to be here. Concave steam through a thirty minute set made up of catchy tunes with a punk/emo feel about them. The band appear to already have a following however, they seemed to have gained a few more fans tonight, including myself! 

Next up are Nai Harvest and the Sheffield two piece have brought in a large crowd. The band jump straight into it with Rush, a song off their E.P Hold Open My Head and this is well received with the crowd participating in singalongs and bouncy movement. Nai Harvest have come far since forming and do not disappoint tonight, the room has a great atmosphere and Guitarist/Vocalist Ben has a stage presence with moves that are in keeping with the band's Indie/Rock persona which encourages crowd participation. Spirits are high, reinforced by stage diving and crowd surfing. The band mention that a new album is due to come out next year and play a couple of tunes from said album, which certainly hits the crowd's expectations. Nai Harvest really pull out all the stops and Buttercups, their latest release off the flower split with Playlounge (available from Dog Knights Productions) goes down particularly well which is a good indicator that the album release next year will be a eagerly anticipated. The band shows buckets of enthusiasm and are well rehearsed but not robotic; the creativity just flows. Nai Harvest are touring Europe this month and are due to hit America in October. 

Luckily I had the opportunity to have a chat with Nai Harvest so unfortunately missed the first couple of songs but, Superheaven (previously known as Daylight) are on stage at 22:00 and regardless of the name change they still have a strong following. The American band have a Grunge/Punk vibe and their set is heavy but oozes emotion. The crowd acrobatics continue and spaces between songs are filled with humorous small talk. Gin fueled heckling from a couple of female admirers invites witty responses from the band. Moisture is dripping off the ceiling and the four piece could certainly do with a larger stage as movement is almost impossible, despite this the band go down a storm and I can certainly see why this show was a sell out; an impressive start to the tour. 

I managed to catch Ben from Nai Harvest after their set for a speedy Q&A:

What are you currently listening to?

The first Cloud Nothing's record from 2011, the new Twin Peaks album; Wild Onion and Teenage Fanclub discography from 1995, just always that! 

If someone has never heard Nai Harvest before, what song would you suggest they listen to first?

I guess our new single Buttercups because it's off our album that's coming out next year so it's probably the most relevant to listen to.

Describe Nai Harvest in one word?

Fuzzy.  

So there you have it, listen to Nai Harvest, buy their records, go to a show, their fuzziness will not disappoint! 

Reading 2014: 'Gnarwolves Cru, Fuck you'

The bank holiday hits and everyone needs something to do, right? This year I joined all the school leavers and GCSE passers (or not) and spent my Saturday at Reading Festival. 

With my itinerary already planned I headed backstage at 10 o’clock to greet Gnarwolves who seem rather chilled considering they are about to play a show that could change their career path more than any other show so far. Opening the main stage at Reading and Leeds is something that these Cornish - migrated to Brighton - punks never thought they would achieve let alone being offered this spot only three years after forming. Their self titled album is yet to be released however, pre-orders are flying out the doors.
Midday hits and the nerves have finally kicked in, Gnarwolves take to the stage as I take a spot on the side balcony; what a view! Such an incredible turn out with dedicated fans sporting various Gnarwolves tees and a couple of fans have even taken their time to create banners which do not go unnoticed. 

Thom, Charlie and Max steam through a forty minute set opening with Melody Has Big Plans and ending with Limerence; both tunes off their latest EP; Funemployed. The crowd stay with them the whole time and although stage dives are near impossible, the endless circle pits and crowd surfers soon make up for it. 
The band give it their all knowing that this could be a make or break moment for them; there are certainly some important people watching and Gnarwolves do not fail to make a good impression. 
Vocalist/Guitarist Thom Weeks' comment 'This is madness!'  is more than enough to show how this band are feeling in this monumental moment of their career. 

The band could not be faulted for their sheer effort and enthusiasm. The set list is made up of a real mixture of songs from all three EPs and a couple of songs from their debut album are thrown in, including their latest release,Smoking Kills; it has only taken a month since the music video was released for the dedicated Cru to learn the words. 
Every song played is a fast paced banger, even the songs that seem to begin slow build up to exactly what the fans want; fast beats, heavy bass lines and raw vocals. 

In a moment of excitement, Charlie drops his bass at the end of the set and heads directly for the crowd only to throw himself into the arms of the loyal Cru; who says you can’t stage dive at Reading, well, kind of. 
As the band leaves the stage, the crowd begins to chant 'Fuck You' inspired by Gnarwolves themselves and their 'Gnarwolves Cru, Fuck You' catch phrase.

I caught up with bassist, Charlie, after the set who told me: "That was the most unbelievable experience; I think I'm in shock.

"We are so used to playing in tiny pub venues and even then we are often amazed by the turnout, but this was just something else entirely, main stage; madness!"

After this midday, opening performance the future can only look bright for Gnarwolves and I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more from them in the future. 

Gnarwolves’ debut album is available to pre-order here:
CD/LP: http://smarturl.it/gnarwolves-preorder 
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/gnarwolves