FIVES: THE BEST WONDER YEARS SONGSThis week Lansdale, Pennsylvania’s The Wonder Years released their fourth album - ‘The Greatest Generation,’ a record that sees the pop punk quintet reach their creative peak in a number of ways. With a wealth of material in their discography, Already Heard's Sean Reid and Tom Knott took on the tricky task of picking out the five best songs from The Wonder Years. Find out what we picked and let us know if you agree or disagree?
INTERVIEW: MALLORY KNOXFollowing the release of their superb 'Signals' album, Mallory Knox have certainly become ones to watch in recent months. We caught up with the band to discuss joining Search & Destroy Records, how vital the festival season and touring are, what it feels like to be a part
of the expanding British rock scene and much more.
ALREADY HEARD RECOMMENDS: OVER THE OCEANOver The Ocean have crafted a compelling, brooding record with their latest effort ‘Be Given To The Soil.’ With intense specific precision and delicate accuracy that echoes the likes of Explosions In The Sky and Sigur Ros. Jesse Hill from the band to discusses how the
album came together, the importance of precision, being compared to post-rock pioneers and more.
VERSUS: BRING ME THE HORIZON - 'THERE IS A HELL...' VS 'SEMPITERNAL'After a top ten UK album and an outstanding UK tour with festival dates on both sides of the Atlantic to follow, Bring Me The Horizon are having a fantastic 2013 and are now featured in the latest edition of "Versus." It's ‘There is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There is a Heaven, Let’s Keep it a Secret’ vs the bands latest release, 'Sempiternal.'
ALREADY HEARD TRACK GUIDE: ALEXANDER - SAY HELLOWe catch up with Newcastle Indie Rock quartet Alexander to find out more about their debut album 'Say Hello' for a “Already Heard Track Guide” feature.
INTERVIEW: TITLE FIGHTHaving briefly returned to the UK for the Hit The Deck Festival before starting a European
tour, we caught up with vocalist/bassist Ned Russin to discuss the bands progression in sound, differences between UK and US festivals, their recent split with Touché Amoré,
having friends on tour and more.
FIVES: The Best Wonder Years Songs
This week Lansdale, Pennsylvania’s The Wonder Years released their fourth album - ‘The Greatest Generation,’ a record that sees the pop punk quintet reach their creative peak in a number of ways.
Throughout their eight years together, Dan “Soupy” Campbell and company have produced a wealth of material; four albums and several EP’s and compilation appearances to be precise. With so many stand out anthems of apprehension and pulling through the bad times, this edition of “Fives” proved to be a tricky one for Already Heard’s Sean Reid and Tom Knott.
Take a look at what Sean and Tom picked out as they delve into The Wonder Years’ discography.
What are your favourite songs from The Wonder Years? Do you agree or disagree with our choices? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.
Passing Through A Screen Door
The first single from the bands new album, ‘Passing Through A Screen Door’ captures all that is great about The Wonder Years; a bold, catchy chorus, introspective lyrics and tons of energy. As “Soupy” gives one of his most heart-wrenching lyrical performances as he questions “Jesus Christ, did I fuck up?” I can’t help but feel a personal connection; the second-guessing, the anxiety and wondering where did I go wrong is something I’ve experienced in recent times. It’s about being pushed to your limits and challenging your character as a person.
‘Passing Through A Screen Door’ is The Wonder Years at their most open, whilst musically it demonstrates their growth and progression from “whatever-core” you want to label their early material, to a structured, melodic and passionate band who are confident and who show realism in their songwriting. (SR)
Interview: The JCQ
Previously known as The James Cleaver Quintet, The JCQ play melodic and frantic post hardcore/punk rock noise with plenty of sing alongs, all performed by smartly dressed men. You may remember a Lucozade advert a few years back when a band was playing ‘Buck Rodgers’ by Feeder whilst riding down a hill… Yeah, that was them. And this is now.
With new album ‘Mechanical Young’ out in June, we grabbed a hold of Jack and Maud from The JCQ to discuss the new album, the name change and 5 words to describe their new album… And that’s Baby Godzilla soundchecking. Yeah, they play REALLY loud.
‘Mechanical Young’ by The JCQ is released on 17th June on Hassle Records.
The JCQ links: Website|Facebook|Twitter
Questions by Mikey Brown (@MikeyMiracle)
Deaf Havana Announce New Album (‘Old Souls’) & UK Headline Tour
Deaf Havana are set to mark their return later this year with a new album called ‘Old Souls’ and a UK headline tour.
‘Old Souls’ will be released on 16th September with the tour to follow in October.
In addition the video for first single from the album, ‘Boston Square’ can be viewed by clicking read more.
01. Boston Square
02. Lights
03. Everybody’s Dancing and I Want To Die
04. Subterranean Bullshit Blues
05. Night Drives
06. 22
07. Speeding Cars
08. Saved
09. Mildred
10. Tuesday People
11. Kings Road Ghosts
12. Caro Padre
October
Thu 17 Southampton Guildhall
Fri 18 Bristol O2 Academy
Sat 19 Birmngham Institute
Sun 20 Edinburth The Picture House
Tue 22 Liverpool O2 Academy
Wed 23 Nottingham Rock City
Thu 24 Cambridge Corn Exchange
Fri 25 London Roundhouse
Topshelf Records Sign Crash of Rhinos
After being selected as one of our 50 bands to watch in 2013, Derby’s Crash of Rhinos have signed to Topshelf Records in the US.
The band remain on BSM Records here in the UK.
A new album called ‘Knots’ is expected to be released later this summer.
Fans can hear a preview of whats to come in the form of ‘Opener’ by clicking read more.
Anamanaguchi Join Alcopop Records
New York indie rock chiptune band Anamanaguchi have joined Alcopop Records.
The bands new album, ‘Endless Fantasy’ is digitally available now and a free song (‘Planet’) is available to download/stream by clicking read more.
Emmure, Miss May I & More Announced for Impericon Never Say Die UK Tour
Emmure have been announced as headliners for this years Impericon Never Say Die UK tour.
Support comes from Miss May I, I Killed The Prom Queen, Betraying The Martyrs, Hundredth, Northlane and Rise Of The Northstar.
October
6th Birmingham O2 Academy 2
7th Glasgow Garage
8th London The Electric Ballroom
9th Manchester Club Academy
10th Cardiff Solus (University)
Tickets go on sale on Thursday 16th May.
Already Heard Recommends: Over The Ocean
Hailing from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Over The Ocean have crafted a compelling, brooding record with their latest effort ‘Be Given To The Soil.’ With intense specific precision and delicate accuracy that echoes the likes of Explosions In The Sky and Sigur Ros, the quintet take you on an honest, dark journey that demands all of your attention. Over The Ocean are not a band you play as “background music” as you become immersed in the their stunning sound.
After blowing us away with ‘Be Given To The Soil,’ we caught up with Jesse Hill from the band to discuss how the album came together, the importance of precision, being compared to post-rock pioneers and more.
Already Heard: Can you introduce yourself and your role in Over The Ocean? Jesse Hill: My name is Jesse Hill, and I play guitar and sing. I also write the lyrics.
AH: For new listeners, how would you summarise the bands sound?
Jese: This is always a difficult question for me, because I’m too close to the music to be objective. I would describe it as being dynamic and very moody.
AH: From hearing ‘Be Given To The Soil,’ the album has a strong post-rock feel with comparisons being made to Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, and Sigur Ros. Would you say that’s fair?
Jesse: That seems fair. We have certainly referenced all of those bands at some point during the songwriting process. The uncomfortable thing about comparisons like that is always the fact that we have a pretty straight forward vocal sound, which all of those bands have done away with.
AH: Can you tell us how ‘Be Given To The Soil’ came together?
Jesse: This album came together in around three or four months of writing. Some of the songs were arranged as a group, some I wrote more or less on my own and then brought them to the band to flesh out. We did quite a bit of writing for this record with me, Ben (the bass player), and Whittle (the drummer). Basically just the rhythm instruments. Writing songs this way helped us build frameworks for the other guitars to decorate. I think we’ll do more of this kind of writing in the future.
Album Review: Koji - Crooked In My Mind
Koji brings us his debut full length ‘Crooked In My Mind’, an acoustic based album supported by the Lauryn Hill band, La Dispute, Title Fight, and Balance & Composure. The man behind Koji, Andrew Koji Shiraki, is an advocate for many groups, like Invisible Children, and often involves storytelling, visual art, and media into his live shows to bring the focus to empowering youth with positivity. This motive shines through in his lyrics, and you are left feeling that every note and every word is deliberate.
An acoustic-based album can be difficult to pull off, but Koji has no trouble crafting a dynamic album that avoids monotony and is instead full of interesting and unique lyrics, melodies, and rhythms. ‘Distance/Divide’ is sultry, with melancholy lyrics that give a touch of dramatic emotion while keeping it mysterious. Vintage sounding guitars give it a throwback vibe that sets it apart. ‘Creeping’ highlights Shiraki’s clear, powerful voice and meaningful lyrics whilst incorporating strong instrumental melodies.
Album Review: Still Bust - A Few Things We Might Agree On (A Few Things We Might Not)
For a band that has been together ten years, a debut album seems a little overdue. Just reading a few tales of Still Bust’s illustrious career tells me these guys have something about them that sets them apart, all this by stories that have nothing to do with the music. I’ve never really listened to much of this genre before, but I can see why it gets the attention it does, and Still Bust contain the angst ridden energy I’d expect from any band of this genre.
Looking at the song titles shows that there’s either been a lot of thought gone into naming these songs, or not much at all. Some of the most ambitious titles I’ve seen for a band, especially for a hardcore punk band with some songs not even breaking the minute mark. ‘If You Don’t Like Video Games (You Probably Have Other Interests)’ suggests that while it took ten years for this album to come about, Still Bust obviously have the talent necessary. If you’re a fan of these guys, I doubt this is a disappointing release, no Chinese Democracy I’m assuming. All the adrenaline I’d expect for a debut that seems long overdue. The riffs hold substance and are what stand out to me most, especially in the interestingly titled ‘Tastes Like Asbestos (From Little Richard Came)’.
Album Review: Golden Tanks - R.D.H.B.
Punk rockers Golden Tanks don’t do things in half measures. Their short and sweet EP ‘R.D.H.B.’ is a blinder, really encapsulating the band’s genre and producing an energy fuelled, ballsy set of tracks.
From opener introduction ‘859’ the commotion arises, with punchy riffs, aggressive screams and hard-hitting percussion coming together to create a fierce riot, already confirming that Golden Tanks know exactly what they’re doing. This could be said for the whole of the EP, including stand-out title track ‘R.D.H.B’ which takes on a rock ‘n’ roll vibe with an infectious rhythm that repeats in sections throughout; a perfect head banger. Closing track ‘Fangs’ is just as captivating in its own right, reiterating the ferocious side of the band with dark, elongated roars in amongst the trademark vocal structures. The continued energy fuelled rhythms round up into an abrupt ending, leaving a very memorable and admirable mark on the punk rock radar.
Album Review: Old Gray - An Autobiography
Old Gray are finally getting a UK release of their debut full length record ‘An Autobiography’ on Dog Knights Productions on the 20th May and it’s been well worth the wait. Recorded with Will Killingsworth (Orchid, Ampere) at Dead Air Studio – it’s an album that is instantly emotionally attractive to listeners, much like the original records of their influences.
Old Gray had been receiving a lot of praise for this record before I got the chance to sit down and listen to it. I didn’t hold my breath, for fear of this being another fad band that’d come and pass, much like they tend to do, especially in a screamo capacity. When I finally listened to this record however, I was completely blown away. Not only did I become instantly emotionally invested in this band – I believe it’s one of the most well constructed screamo records I’ve heard in a long long time and off this alone, Old Gray are here to stay.
Live Review: Takedown Festival - Students’ Union, Southampton Uni - 11/05/2013
It had been one hell of a trip but we finally made it Southampton Uni, easily parked up and headed to get our wristbands. It quickly became apparent that the whole set up and feel of Takedown Festival was much like that of Slam Dunk, but on a much smaller scale.
We kicked of Takedown festival with Bristol based band A Tale of Two Cities at the Small Town Records stage. These guys had a huge sound and were giving it everything they had especially the bass player who constantly drove the energy with his bouncing as he passionately sang along to every word; there were a few cheers from the audience, which gradually got bigger throughout ATOTC set, but unfortunately a “whirlwind of pure, flawless energy” didn’t lift the roof like Already Heard had expected. This may have been due to the daylight flooding into the venue that may have taken the edge off the “gig” vibe. Highlight of the set was latest single ‘I Plead Guilty’, instantly hitting the audience with an infectious guitar hook, with a chorus of interwoven vocal harmonies on a bed of hypnotic guitar riffs powered by the relentless rhythm section; this was the track that showed the potential of ATOTC. (3/5) (HM)
Interview: Mallory Knox
The last time we caught up with the Mallory Knox boys was at Hevy Fest, where the rock five-piece where just about set to release their debut full-length ‘Signals.’ Some wouldn’t quite believe just how much the band has achieved nine months on, so we had loads to catch up on when we grabbed 10 minutes with Sam Douglas (bassist/vocalist) and Joe Savins (guitarist/vocalist) at this year’s Hit The Deck Festival.
Read on to find out more about their signing to Search & Destroy Records, how vital the festival season and touring are, what it feels like to be a part of the expanding British rock scene and much more.
Already Heard: So the last time we caught up with you was Hevy Fest last summer, how have you guys been since then?
Sam (Douglas, bassist/vocalist): We’ve been pretty busy! Since then we’ve released our debut album ‘Signals,’ which had been a long time coming; somehow and in some way it managed to get into the Top 40 Official Chart which was like the most surreal thing for us, ‘cause you know, what did we beat that week? One Direction, Jessie J…
Joe (Savins, guitarist/vocalist): We nearly took over Emeli Sandé!
Sam: Yes we nearly took over Emeli Sandé! We had a number 1 rock record that week as well; so yeah when you actually look back and you think of what that was it was insane! We also managed to go on tour with one of our favourite bands ever, Finch, we played Brixton Academy; so yeah it’s been quite the surreal 10-12 months which has been amazing.
AH: How has Hit The Deck Festival treated you so far?
Joe: Yeah Hit The Deck has been brilliant, we did it last year and when we played The Basement we never anticipated that we’d make the jump to the main stage; but to do it today and to look out to see the room so full with everybody singing it was very surreal. It was a very proud moment for us. Sam: Especially with a venue like Rock City as well, arguably one of the most prestigious venues in the UK, so yeah it kind of took us back a little bit. It wasn’t too bad and then you realise what you’ve been doing and it’s kind of like “fucking hell, we were playing The Basement and now we’re playing to a full [main] room.” It was really strange but really cool at the same time.
Live Review & Photos: The Story So Far, The American Scene, Gnarwolves and Neck Deep - NQ Live, Manchester - 07/05/2013
The warmest day of the year thus far in Manchester is perfect for the line-up of tonight’s show. Skate weather, skirt weather, fun weather. The sun makes everyone ten times more cheerful and as I descend into the depths of NQ Live, the exuberance from outside travels down into the venue.
Neck Deep are the opening band of tonight’s show and I find the fact that they’re on this bill at all entirely shocking. Essentially, Neck Deep are the British The Story So Far (with added Americanised vocals too – despite hailing from Wrexham) I don’t see why we’d need the same band twice. I feel like maybe I’m too old, or too cynical for this band – or maybe they just really are as terrible as I believe them to be. The younger people in the crowd this evening definitely seem to be “getting” something I’m not but that’s entirely fine with me. If I wanted to listen to this music, I’d just listen to TSSF and be done with it. There’s no need for this band to exist. The only thing it proves to me is that the force of social media can be terrifying. Try writing music that isn’t rehashed rubbish, play some shows and earn your dues, the coat tails of your current hype will soon die down and I, for one, will forget about this band as immediately as I was made aware of them. (1/5)
View on Flickr. Photos by Carrie-Anne Pollard.
Gnarwolves are easily band of the evening for me. From the first chord the crowd is entirely involved. ‘History Is Bunk’ sends everyone into a frenzy of stage dives, fists in the air, and screaming along at the top of their lungs. Gnarwolves are a hard-working band that deserve every bit of praise that they get and tonight is no different. Playing the new tracks ‘Limerence’ in particular is already my favourite song of theirs, with its 90’s emo guitar opening and shout along “woah woah money or not, I got my head held high and somewhere to go”. I had it stuck in my head for the entire evening following this. Essentially, Gnarwolves, if you aren’t already aware, are a band you need to get into now as it’s the perfect time before they take the leap into the big time and you miss your opportunity to see them play in a smaller venue like today. (5/5)
Free Gunning For Tamar Single (‘Another Season’)
After being included in this months Already Heard Monthly Staff Playlist, Gunning For Tamar are offering their new single (‘Another Season’) as a free download.
The track can be downloaded here, whilst you can see its music video by clicking read more.
