The Mac is Back

So today I got the best news ever.


My friend Calvin posted me a link for the new Maccabees album...


now I wouldn’t usually get this worked up over and album...nor would I of imagined in a million years that I would download the album for free before its release as The Maccabees are in my world on par with Jesus. No offence intended to anyone out there but I have ye little faith in the old big G.


I am currently sat in my university Library trying to reach a deadline for 12pm tomorrow and I have listened to 'Wall of Arms' 4 times in 3 hours.


I know I got a tad little bit worked up about The Horrors even though it still is a masterpiece but this Maccabees album is what I have been looking forward too since they released 'Colour It In' although that album ranks in my top five albums of all time it was released at a time where many people had already heard the majority of the songs in the build up.


What is different this time is that like White Lies they have only given away one or two songs for people to listen to which are 'Love You Better' and 'No Kind Words', each completely different and wonderful in their own right. This album is fresh, new and unheard materiel which nearly knocked me off my chair.


This 5 piece sound like they have matured into their sound and rather than try something completely different like The Horrors they have instead tweaked their songs to make them even more heartfelt than before which I didn’t think was possible.


I will be able to give more of a detailed review once I have maxed out the album but for now I am just sat here with a small smirk on my face wondering how anyone could of ever doubted they weren’t going to nail it...

P.s I wont be posting a song up on here from the album until after the release date as I feel guilty for even having it.X

Oh Johnny Two Bands

It was to my dismay that I found out the other day that one of my favourite groups Vincent Vincent and The Villains had parted ways after what seemed like a long hiatus. The group in which Charlie from The Rumblestrips started out in had always been a firm favourite with me because of how different they were to other bands around at the time. Bringing elements of 50/60's rock n roll they were Londons Finest. Seeing them support Good Shoes in Bristol was one of my favourite gigs of all time, it just cant be beaten.

Vincent Vincent has a new solo project coming so check him out on his myspace.Wonderful.

Vincent Vincent and The Villains Myspace

Vincent Vincent Myspace

Vincent Vincent and The Villains-Blue Boy mp3

Peaches & Mean

So after finally getting a chance to listen to the Horrors new album in full and to which I have since then put on loop for about 5 days straight, I can still safely say that it is the work of art that I thought it would be...and none of this Turner prize winning rubbish! I mean Andy Warhol scale art.

As I have said before I was never a big fan of the Horrors. Always over hyped and over dressed they seemed to have no real heart in their music when compared to bands around in the same period such as The Maccabees who just shone with passion. Not to lump them in the same category however or to dismiss them as they have obviously had big influence on bands such as SCUM and Ipso Facto.

The album Primary Colours brings out a new and creative side I never thought I would see from a band that cared more about how big their hair was than making something worth listening too.

Starting with an electro beat feel “Mirrors Image” is to perfect antidote for people who are used to listening to the franticness of the old Horrors, we are then sucked in by their new sound as we move onto 'Three Decades' which finally reveals how good Farris’s voice is. 'Who can say' which is a personal favourite of the album sounds more like Joy Division than anything else with distorted Guitars and an eerie keyboard building up for Farris to declare to the world “and then I kissed her, with a kiss that could only mean goodbye”.

The album picks up the pace quite a lot with ‘The New Ice Age’ and we hear a more ferocious Ferris than we have in earlier tracks. Scarlet Fields which another personal favourite tones down the mood and allows the band to show their true colours with Rhys Webb on keyboards bringing a touch of magic to the track. It is at this point that the album really comes together and in which I realised how much of a complete and well thought album this is.

According to Interviews they recorded in a studio in Bath which had no windows and which sent them nearly insane and it is clearly evident on this album.
I can only assume that the influences from this album came from Farris break up with the Ditzy and rather unimpressive Peaches Geldof who is now currently dating The Lead singer of the Virgins who are hotly tipped but have as much talent as Mr Casablanca’s has in one finger. The lyrics aren’t as dark as their previous album but talk more of loss and desperation which is evident in ‘I only think of you’.

The next two tracks which include the Title Track and the newly released 'Sea within a Sea' are a brilliant way to round off such a stunning album. 'Sea within a Sea' lasts for exactly 7.58 minutes and it contains everything in one track that was needed to completely change my verdict on The Horrors and make me take notice and listen. You should too...

The Horrors Website

The Horrors-Scarlet Fields Mp3

From Dole to Stardom...

After following his career for a few years now and being rather a big fan it was a pleasant surprise to be able to interview Eugene McGuiness and try and find out what his personality is really like...

N.D-You’re currently on tour with The Rumble strips. How’s that going?

E.M-Yeah it’s going really well they are really nice guys to tour with.

N.D-When performing Live what is your favourite song to perform?

E.M- To be honest I love performing them all, I obviously like performing the newest ones the most but if I had to pick one it would Moscow State Circus

N.D-My personal favourite is “a girl who my eyes shine for...” do you mind if I be a bit cheeky and ask you to play it tonight?

E.M- That’s funny, someone asked me to play that last night, I must be on to a winner with that one.

N.D-Your brothers in Swanton Bomb’s who are starting to get a name for themselves. Do you help out at all with them?

E.M- Yeah I helped out on the last E.P and he is in my band. We both play with each other when we can and it’s a lot of fun. He recorded with us on my album. I’m currently recording the next one. It’s mainly down to if we are both free and it works then we love playing together.

N.D-You are normally based in Liverpool but I read you moved to London?

E.M- Yeah I was at university in Liverpool and then moved to London for a year which was really great. I currently have a flat In Liverpool but I’m moving back to London hopefully before or after the summer. I miss it too much

N.D - Is Liverpool not enough then? Haha

E.M- No, No It’s a great city but London just has so much life about it and so many different areas. Most people that visit London only really go to the Tourist areas or the Hip places like Shoreditch, Soho and Camden but there’s so much more too it.

N.D- You are signed to Domino Records. How did that come about?

E.M- It all came about through MySpace. I was on the dole when they contacted me so I jumped at the chance.

N.D- Did you have any labels chasing to get your signature?

E.M- I wish. It wasn’t like that at all. No one obviously wanted me ha-ha.

N.D- Who are your main influences?

E.M- I would say The Beatles, Nick Cave as well as David Bowie that man is a genius. I’m sure he’s a Martian.

N.D- Who are your favourite bands at the moment?

E.M- I love Grinderman, the new Horrors stuff is amazing as well, they have completely changed from the last time I heard them.

N.D- With White Lies gaining massive success in the charts to you feel this puts too much pressure on bands like this when they are returning with a second album?

E.M- It all depends if they have the right people and if they have their heads screwed on. If they have that then they will just produce something as great. As long as they are still enjoying what they are doing that’s all that matters.

Eugene Mcguiness Myspace

Imagine my Horror...

I have never been a big fan of The Horror's. It is always been too much style over substance and I personally feel they have never lived up to their hype..

However after managing to get my hands on their new album a few weeks before its release it was to my upmost suprise and shock when I realised that they had made a beautifully crafted album filled with something that I would of never of thought they had in them.

Sea within a Sea which you can download at the moment for free from their website is a hauntingly yet wonderful song which lasts 7.58 minutes but is as far as possible that they could of moved away from their below average former self's

I will be reviewing the album in its full once I have given it a well earnt on repeat listen but to be honest so far they have been the biggest shock for of 2009.

Its always nice have a good suprise...


The Horrors-Sea within a sea mp3