Hyde and Beast- Do have a listen

I have a confession to make. For Evolution Emerging I had the pleasure of interviewing Hyde and Beast before they headlined the Cluny 2. We had a great interview (well I enjoyed myself), I loved their original bands and I was already in the Cluny 2. However, I decided that it would be a better idea to go and see the Polarsets and Lanterns on the Lake in the Cluny instead. Whilst I enjoyed them both (The Polarsets especially were excellent) I have always been that little bit pissed off about missing Hyde and Beast. This feeling only got worse when I listened to the new songs they have put up since.

The two that are in question are (and the) Pictures in the Sky and Never Come Back. The laid back “mackamericana” sound that the guys produce is something that to me is very different for the Northeast’s scene. (and the )Pictures in the Sky, originally a song for Medicine Head back in the 70s, sounds like something straight out of an American Indie film, you could imagine someone like Zack Braff or Jason Reitman picking this up and putting it in their next project. Never Come Back, is different though. You can tell this is one they have wrote themselves, it sounds that little bit bluesier than (and the) Pictures in the Sky, right up until it breaks out into an all bells and whistles chorus that you can’t help but sing along to. It also has trumpets and god I love a song with trumpets.



So if the album is half as good as these two songs (and early reviews look like it is) we could be looking at the start of something brilliant. If you would like to see Hyde and Beast they are playing two gigs to celebrate the launch of their new album. In Laaandon they will be playing the the Social on Little Portland Street on Wednesday August 17th and then will be returning up north to play the Cluny 2 (fantastic venue for this kind of music) on August the 19th to celebrate the launch of the new album. I myself have already bought a ticket and will not be distracted from seeing them this time and neither should you.

Athletes in Paris- Heartbeat

The Athletes in Paris are very quickly becoming one of my favourite bands around. Their energy and unabashed use of their Geordie accent signifies all that is great about the Northeast’s music scene at the moment.

Their new single, Heart Beat, is an absolute triumph. The song eases you I before hitting you with driven lyrics that you can’t help but tap your foot too. They have produced a song that is bound to be a firm favourite among the quickly swelling ranks of their fans.

Their new single, Heartbeat is available here: http://athletesinparis.bandcamp.com/track/heartbeat but I really believe that to get this band you have to see them live. They are headlining the Split Transmission gig with the Lake Poets and I implore you to go. The details are here http://www.generator.org.uk/split-transmission which include details of the other bands that are going to be there (my tip is Mausi).

Cheers

Apologies

I know, it’s been a long time in between posts but in all honesty I couldn’t be arsed to write anything decent. However there have been some developments in the northeast music scene (as well as a couple of other things) which have inspired me to write again. If only I could remember the damn password for this blog…

Athletes in Paris- Borrowed time- 4th April

Its been a while since I wrote something, luckily the impending release of Borrowed Time by Athletes in Paris was enough to get me going.

A lot of hook related puns have been mentioned with this band and I am going to do my best not to mention them, so much so that every time I mention hook, catchy or the like I will donate £1 to Comic Relief.

Anyway, with their own brand of "pop-feva" they have won the hearts of everyone who has seen them using hook laden songs and an ability to create a party out of nothing. The infectious atmosphere they create at gigs has been carried into this single which coupled with a driving rhythm section and excellent lyrics creates a song that is bastardly catchy.

Apart from being memorable, the song is also very likable. Athletes in Paris hold their northeastern roots in their accents and attitudes, thus stopping them from sounding like another pretentious indie band trying to be something they are not.

The single, out 4th April, gives the band a great bench mark to work too and I can only hope that you get the chance to hear this in a club near you soon and to be hooked by it just like the rest of us.


Well thats me down a fiver.

Athletes in Paris

One of the bands supporting Mausi and preparing themselves for their debut single  are Athletes in Paris. The Geordie 5 piece had a quick chat with the guys from Winkball, talking to them about the band, what "pop fever" really is and where the name of the band came from.

The video is below and if you want to leave a video reply to the band then please log on to http://www.winkball.com/ or follow this link http://www.winkball.com/walls/33uD5jm23K-Y/mausi-single-launch/ or watch it on youtube at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwyugS9wuxI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Mausi Interview

Fresh from the Follow me Home single launch, Mausi give the lovely people at Winkball an interview from the Cluny. They talk about their hopes for the band, where the name came from and an embarrassing situation for one member of the band.

Over the following week, Winkball will be releasing a number of interviews with the other bands;
 Tomahawks for Targets, Athletes for Paris and Boy Jumps Ship. So watch your twitter and Facebook accounts for more info!

If you want to see some of the fans from the gig please click on the link below.
http://www.winkball.com/walls/33uD5jm23K-Y/mausi-single-launch/
Even leave a "wink" back if you want!

Mausi- Single Launch!

So what are you going to be doing this Thursday? Are you going to be gawping at the glowing box of doom in the corner? Or would you prefer to see the future of British music?

Mausi are celebrating their first single release with an official launch party supported by some of the best local bands in the northeast, in the best live venue in the Northeast, the Cluny.

Now I know I have already swooned about Mausi's new single "Follow me Home" (its brilliant by the way) so I have decided it might be a better idea to tell you about the support acts.

Tomahawks for Targets

If you just like them for the album cover then I can't blame you, but they are actually quite good. Their music helps paint a picture of a modernising north-east with a Geordie accent and an attitude. The four of them have only been going for around a year and need your support. So get on their facebook and download the album, its a good-un. Below is the surreal video for "Sputnik"

Boy Jumps Ship

This "Yankee-punk" (how I describe American style punk) four piece have somehow managed to pull out songs that would fit quite gladly into a Leeds festival set. In fact I can easily see myself thrashing about in a mosh pit with half a pint of cider listening to their stuff. It is easy to see why the likes or Kerrang and Rock Sound Magazine have cited these guys as having a chance to make it big this year. If your still not sure why not watch their video (below) for "Backstays and Hallyards,"  great song and excellent video.

Athletes in Paris

Finally, to round off what looks to be a great night of music, the insanely catchy Athletes in Paris will be playing here ahead of their very own single release in April. Whilst their back catalogue doesn't seems as full as some other bands, their "bastardly" catchy tracks can stick in your head. Their single "Borrowed time" has a chorus that will ring round your head for the rest of the day. Below is a video of a live performance they did and I hope to hear a lot more from them soon.

So for a feast of Northeastern musical delights, get down to the Cluny on Thursday the 3rd of March.

The Lake Poets

I know, a new music post everyday, but its slow at work so I have time.

Anyways, The Lake Poets are one of the most genuinely moving portrayers of beautiful music in the Northeast today. Martin Longstaff produces an excellent mix of melody and verbal dexterity with incredible ease. His songs are perfect for those who want a soundtrack to those lazy days where all you want to do is be happy and enjoy yourself. He is on tour with Leddra Chapman and Ben Montague and if you get a chance go see him. If you can't see him then do the next best thing and get his songs from the Lake Poets Website. A video from his Tunstall session is below.

A Plea: Frankie and the Heartstrings

This is a plea from a person who likes good music.

Do you like good music?

I thought you did, right now I ask of you one thing. Buy the Frankie and the Heartstrings album. If you don't know who they are or what they sound like then please watch the videos below. They have a truely original sound combining a northeastern accent with catchy riffs and hooks that will stay with you for days.

Their new album contains three real stand out tracks these being "the Hunger", "Tender" and my personal favourite "Ungrateful". These three tracks cover such a broad musical range that you will easily find one that you like. But they are cracking value for what you will spend and I implore you please get yourself on itunes or their website and get a copy. See it as a good deed for the week that you actually benefit from.

Come on lets see some canny indie music top the charts for once. Anything but Bieber.

Another new band- Vinyl Jacket

Vinyl Jacket

Witht the release of their brand new single, Vinyl Jacket have joined the ranks of great indie bands from the northeast. Their new single "Painting Stations" (available on itunes) is fantastic. It is a complicated mix of key changes, tempo changes and catchy hooks that will stick in your brain untill you fall asleep. And then your dreams will have it as a sound track. I imagine that particular dream would look something like the video that accompanies the single. See below and tell me if you agree.

As you can all see they are a great band with a fantastic sense of humour and they are someone we should all be backing! So get on to itunes and spend £1.50 on their single!

Music in the northeast- A new band- Mausi

The music scene in the northeast is vibrant to say the least and I think there are a few bands that you lot have to listen to. Here is todays band:

Mausi

One of the best bands I have heard in years and they seem to have the full package. Their new single is released on i-tunes on the 3rd of March and I suggest you download as its excellent. Infact why not have a listen, its below. They have been about in the northeast for a little while but they are now starting to make waves else where. With a small but quality back-catalogue which includes songs like the fan favourite "What you did boy" and "Should I" (my personal favourite), they create a fantastic atmosphere wherever they go and are a great band to see live. If you are after an unknown band to follow this year then please make it this one.

The Media: Advice

Over the past three years I have asked numerous professionals in all areas of the media and they have given me some basic tips on how to get into the media. Whilst I am sure that in good time you will all know these I thought I would save you the trouble and put it in a "handy" list.

• Work for free- obvious but effective, everyone I spoke to that worked for the BBC started their answer to "how did you get into the media" with "well, I was working for free and...". Basically if you work for free they can learn to trust you without any economic risk.
• Network- Networking and the media go together. Simple. The hard truth about a lot of the media is that it is who you know not what you know. Try to make contacts with as many people as possible but remember if they seem like arseholes/arse kissers, they probably are so try and distance yourself.
• Speculative letters/emails/articles- Most media jobs are not advertised so the best way to hear about jobs is to create a dialogue between you and some media companies. At the very least they could give you some advice and may point you in the right direction.
• Create- If no one is giving you a job then go and make one for yourself. Set up a blog, a video company, write sketches etc. Whats the worse that will happen? It shows you have drive and it helps to give you some experience.
• Work hard- I mean it, work your arse off and people will notice.

Whilst these do not guarentee jobs they should help you get on your way.

I think that covers most things but if anyone has anything else to add then please do.

Cheers

Johnny

Why anywhere but London?

Afternoon all,

I thought I would explain something. Why would someone who wants to be in the media not want to work in London?

Whilst there are a number of reasons, I have decided to narrow it down to 3 main issues I have with it.

Cost
Rent, food, clothes, everything costs more in London. Unless you have a guaranteed job or "Mummy and Daddy" help then you will really struggle to do all the internships required to make it in the industry. Man can not live on beans alone and even that will cost you double what it costs everywhere else. I mean how can someone live somewhere that charges you £4 for a standard pint of lager? They even charge to use the toilet! I am sorry but I hope to live in a world where you can defecate for free. So with the massive cost in tow I don't think I could ever afford to work for free in London.

The Atmosphere
Now I know for a fact that this is not true of all London, I have met some cracking cockneys in my time but it seems that in London they have a higher than average amount of pretentious arseholes. This would prove a problem to me as I tend to have quite a short temper and pretentious arseholes have such punchable chins. Now don't get me wrong, even in Newcastle we have our own selection of pretentious arseholes but they are nicely confined to certain areas of the city. So if you feel the need for that sort of punishment, you can just pop your head in and die inside. However, in London, due to the increase in the amount of pretentious arseholes, you find them in more places and so they are far more difficult to avoid. London, like most capital cities, also has an inflated opinion of how important it is. They feel that everyone should care about what goes on in its hallowed streets. Sadly, everyone north of Watford and west of Reading couldn't care less about the state of multiculturalism in Islington or what idiot that they have put in charge of their city. We barely care about what goes on in our own towns let alone one that is hundreds of miles away.

Its not the North
Sad reason to end on but I imagine that any Cockney/Londoner would say something similar. You grow up in a particular area, you gain a particular feel about a place and then after years aclimatising you find that everything else seems somewhat alien. If a place doesn't feel like home then can you ever be comfortable? Can you ever really do your best work?

And that is the main reason I wouldn't move to London. Even though I am not a Geordie, to me Newcastle is home. It is where I feel comfortable and I would rather try and bring work up to Newcastle than get lost in the smog.

An Explanation

Well this is my first post...where the hell do you start these things?

Ok, I am a recent Media graduate based in the Northeast of England. I work for an up-and-coming video communication company and generally life is good. However, as the greedy capitalist pig that I am, I want more. So I am trying to start the long and slippery ladder that hopefully leads to being a television producer.

"Why a producer?" I hear you ask. Why not a writer, an actor or a director? Well the answer is simple.

I am not good enough.

Whilst this may seem a little to self deprecating it is in fact true. I am an ok writer, the stuff I write doesn't make me want to end it all but it doesn't move me in the same way other writers do. I am an ok actor, I can portray what is asked of me, I know how to look angry(ish) but I don't think I can make people believe that I really mean it. I feel I would also be an ok director but I lack experience and the correct training.

After reading this back I realise it may sound like I am settling for a job as a Producer. But it is something that I want above all of those. I feel in this role you get do to aspects of all these things but it does not all come down to a talent in one area or another.

So my plan is to use this blog as a sort of "I am bored at work so I will write what I think" diary. I will tell you how I get on, what I end up doing, what I feel about certain events and so on. I also hope that you will share any knowledge you have with me and we can thus help each other.

Well that's the plan anyway.

So,if you see me as some pretentious, lower middle class prick who should be happy with what he has got then I apologise and say to you that you probably shouldn't read this. It will just make you angry. And we don't want to raise that blood pressure again do we? However, if I haven't already alienated you or you are in fact interested in what I have to say then brilliant.

Anyways speak soon

Johnny