The Grace Note Blog

  Call to the Faithful & Dear Monday Live Show On Thursday 23rd September I went to the Portland Arms in Cambridge to catch the amazing and loud sets from Peterborough rock band Call to the Faithful, and Cambridge indie-rock band Dear Monday. Call to the Faithful's Matt, Oscar & Will, performed an energetic and massive set starting big with their single from earlier this year 'Animals' followed by current single 'Thieves and Liars'. Unfortunately Ethan was unwell, so Simon from Das Kapitans stepped in on bass for the evening and the guys performed one of theirs in homage. Frontman Matt told me afterwards he went too hard on their explosive Rage Against The Machine cover and blew his voice out but you wouldn't have noticed as they ended the set with a blasting new one, due for release 1st October, 'It Doesn't Matter'. Full of rock anthems with big drums and guitar solos that were on point, these guys are smashing the Cambridgeshire rock scene....

  'Doom & Bloom' - Dude Safari Single Review I have found some amazing new music since I started this blog, and this band from Surrey are up there as one of my favourites. I won't shout out who introduced me to them as he's a big enough show off already, but seriously good call! Dude Safari have released a string of 5 singles since March this year and their latest 'Doom & Bloom' came out on 17th September.  'Doom & Bloom'  is a massive grunge rock anthem with big drums and guitars, amazing choruses and when the sweet "Doooooooom" hits as the chorus starts it reaches another level of fabulousness! Dude Safari said it best themselves when they described it as having "a backline louder than Godzilla's mating calls". I can't do better than that! Jamie has a unique and beautiful voice, and the bittersweet vocals on this one are full of emotions that really come out. This is the one of theirs that seen live will be the p...

  'Wasted Time' - Candid Single Review Coventry based indie band Candid released their brand new single 'Wasted Time' on 10th September.  With a massive intro this song grabs you from the start and the addition of the synth pop blending with the indie rock makes such a distinctively unique sound. The song is big and catchy, it gets you dancing and skilfully draws you in and keeps your attention from start to finish. The expressive vocals, the infectious drum beats and the clever guitar underpinning the powerful keys give the song its character.  The video is genius and takes this track to another level, I recommend watching this first as it will make you smile and relate to the song on future listening. The band say that after two years of lockdowns and misery they mean business now and the chorus itself backs up this claim with its lyrics "I don't wanna fight, I can't sit and waste any more time". With BBC Radio backing, festivals and a support slot f...

    'Fragment of Imagination' - Mellor EP Review Reading quartet Mellor (Gary, Sam, Kris and Josh) released their EP 'Fragment of Imagination' on the 27th of August. Five indie rock tracks full of clever and complex riffs, this whole EP creates an atmosphere for the listener that fits perfectly with the nighttime artwork they used.  The opening track 'Cool, Calm, Deranged' is about the media turning people into psychopaths. It looks into the glorification of serial killers and the violent dramas which lead to people becoming immune to fear and shock. Along with the heavy-hitting lyrics, it has a dramatic chorus, that strips back for a few bars before kicking in again, which I absolutely love.  Track two 'Version of a Life' is upbeat with strong, dominating guitar riffs and an atmospheric solo. This one is about sticking to a predictable routine, rather than being spontaneous and living your best life outside of your comfort zone, with lyrics like "h...

 Declan McKenna Zeros Tour J1, Cambridge Junction - 23rd August 2021 "Cambridge are the OG's... everyone in this room saw me busking in the street 5 years ago." Declan McKenna appreciatively told the sold out crowd on the first night of his Zeros Tour, kicking off in Cambridge last night. With the checkerboard stage set with glitter balls and confetti cannons, the atmosphere was electric! You better believe Declan was on top form wearing his glittery suit, and the set had everything that you could have asked for. This gig was a humongous deal for me as it marked my return to indoor gigs for the first time in 18 months, and I couldn't think of anyone better to do it with than Declan! He gave the crowd exactly what they wanted with a blistering start performing 'Beautiful Faces', 'Rapture' and 'Sagittarius A*' accompanied by the confetti cannons going off, making sure that the concert literally started with a bang!  Declan appeared to be full of ...

  'Culture Non-Stop' - The Skinner Brothers EP Review The Skinner Brothers dropped their new EP 'Culture Non-Stop' on Friday 6th August. An indie band with an arena sound, The Skinner Brothers tell stories of football, drugs, booze, sex and love! Four explosive and individual brand new tracks make up an EP full of swagger and attitude! First up is the title track; 'Culture Non-Stop' - from the start you know this is the Skinner Brothers as Zac's distinctive vocals draw you in. With fuzzy guitar riffs and driven by the drums, this song is an upbeat swipe at the bullshit! It has an addictive quality to it - I could happily have it on repeat - and as the song itself says "I need the music in my system to feel high".   With the second track 'Told You So' we have more of a dance vibe with a definite summer festival feel coming from the guitar riff and the bass. This will fit in perfectly with the news announced yesterday that they will be perfor...

  Zuzu talks: Singing in her accent, Adventure Time and The Sims Merseyside musician Zuzu first started writing songs at the age of 7 and by 18 she had a publishing deal. Her debut single 'Get Off' was released in 2016, with her first EP 'Made On Earth By Humans' following in 2018. She released her latest single 'My Old Life' on 30th July, the second single from her upcoming debut album 'Queensway Tunnel' due for release on the 12th November. Zuzu's instantly recognisable vocals draw you into a sad song where heartbroken, the subject of the song drives to the edge of the Mersey and throws in her phone. A beautiful, chill song about being in a terrible place in life, with sweet acoustic guitar and mellow drums. Zuzu said the video for 'My Old Life' is inspired by her seeing 'My Bed' by Tracey Emin in the Tate art gallery. I was lucky enough to get the chance to speak to Zuzu: ‘ Timing’ is obviously your first single off your upcoming d...

 Latitude Festival 2021 With so many festivals this summer being cancelled, fortunately Latitude Festival, presented by Cinch, returned to Henham Park. With full capacity, it took place on the 22-25th July after joining the third phase of the Event Research Programme as a test event. As Latitude said "restarting festivals is crucially important to the wellbeing of everyone in society" and I was lucky enough to get the chance to go! It felt so surreal yet so normal walking into crowds of people without masks on, with loud music everywhere - the atmosphere was just electric. I had a brief moment of doubt when I first arrived, but pretty quickly it felt as though the pandemic had never happened, and we'd just picked up where we left off! The highlight for me was Sports Team, who stepped in to replace Alfie Templeman, and performed on The Obelisk Arena. Their set was energetic and fabulous and they have the natural ability to engage and entertain a large crowd from start to f...

  'Enemies To Lovers' - Katie Wood Single Review Goth Pop artist Katie Wood released her 4th single 'Enemies To Lovers' on 16th July.  Inspired by the 90's cult TV classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'Enemies To Lovers' takes on an anti-hero perspective and explores the often exciting topic of the enemies to lovers trope.  Katie says she finds inspiration from TV and films, and they love film scores; "I saw a resemblance in relationships I've had to Buffy and Spike's. Their love is complicated and its never easy. There is undeniable chemistry that I wanted to capture in the music. By no means am I romanticising the violence in their relationship, however there's just something about them together. When it's good, it's hot!" - I love the topic of this song - more people should write songs about stuff like this! Continuing the nostalgic theme with dreamy synths, muted guitar hooks and distinctive vocals, this song is perfect for a n...

'Ripping Us Apart' - Waiting Till Marriage Single Review  Waiting Till Marriage are Adam (Guitar/Vocals). Brandon (Guitar/Keys), Liam (Bass) and Ieuan (Drums), an indie rock band based in Liverpool. They released their debut single 'Ripping Us Apart' on 25th June.  The song starts with a great head bopping, summery intro that has you dancing from the off, you are straight in singing along with the "aha, aha".   Then the realisation that you're singing along to lyrics such as "I'm taking back everything I said, the past few weeks have been a train wreck on my heart". The guilt hits that you're actually partying to this poor guy's misfortune "It seems like you're ripping us apart for the fun" A story of heartbreak that they've managed to make into a bouncy and upbeat summer party vibe! Genius! Uplifting hooks are played on both guitar and bass, then with a powerful bass solo included which i always love, the syncopated...

'You're Welcome' - Modern Guilt EP Review London garage rock band, Modern Guilt released their EP 'You're Welcome' on 25th June.   It is an EP of guitar anthems with catchy hooks and riffs throughout - pure brilliance! The EP showcases the band across five tracks and includes their singles 'Hoping for the Hoping' and 'Get Along'.  My first observation is that the intros to all of these songs are so strong and amazingly addictive, although completely different, each one draws you into the song and has you invested.  'Double Denim' the opening track starts with static radio noises and mellow string sounds and synths. It then explodes into a heavier retro rock feel, with the guitars and strong vocals, featuring a fantastic guitar solo. Having watched the video that they have just released for this song, the retro feel of the song is embedded even more in my mind. 'Hoping for the Hoping',  I love a song that uses 'ooo's' -...

'Celexa' - Pizza Crunch Single Review  Pizza Crunch released their new single 'Celexa' on 18th June. I have been a massive fan of theirs since I found them through their amazing last single 'Coma-Inducing Gibberish' back in February! Hailing from Scotland they have a brilliant blend of indie rock, punk and this one even gives me a retro feel from the guitars. The drums and bass drive this song along, with cool guitar tones and clever witty lyrics, I love it! Ewan seems to be able to put so much expression and charisma in his vocals you literally get his point purely from his tone! If you need a dance and to be able to smile whilst you're doing it then Pizza Crunch are the band for you.  Referring to the prescription anti-depressant Celexa, the band have highlighted dependency and likened the effects of a love interest to this. "Dependent again on Celexa, gasping for air without Celexa, scrapping to avoid the teeth of the abyss, and nothing else exists w...

  'Never Knew' - The Blams Single Review East London trio, The Blams released their debut single 'Never Knew' on 11th June. Sonny, lead singer and guitarist, wrote the song about "wanting a relationship to work even though the other person isn't invested or good for you"  Magnificently referred to in the lyrics as "Emotional Manslaughter" the song describes all the things that are said when you know the other person is slipping away and you start to overthink it all; "when you look at me like you never knew", the insecurity with "you knew you'd never love me, you knew you never would"  and later in the lyrics he still questions whether "could you still be the one or is it too late?". The song has an indie grunge sound and you will get a Nirvana-esque feel I'm sure - especially at the more subdued start of the song, with the palm-muted guitar and more controlled vocals.  This creates a perfect contrast as the ...

'Somebody' - Emily 7 Single Review  Dublin based indie rock band Emily 7 released their latest single 'Somebody' on 4th June.  'Somebody' has an immediate catchy vibe about it, reminiscent of 60's rock n roll, but with definite 90's indie influences. It's impact is full of energy with massive drums, exciting guitar riffs and brilliantly delivered vocals that express every word!  "Everybody's got somebody, I need someone, someone like you to come around today, someone like you come and take my blues away"  It is a song you have to dance with your mates to, you'll be singing along to this chorus and feeling it! Scott, Kyle, Daniel and Brandon have absolutely smashed the indie music scene in Ireland with 'Somebody' reaching #1 on both the iTunes single and alternative charts on release day.  They have had an amazing response with press, reviews, lots of radio play and the latest, a tweet from Liam Gallagher: When I spoke to Kyl...

  'Curtains' - Daydream Runaways Single Review Daydream Runaways are Ben (vocals), Nath (bass), Cam (guitar) and Brad (drums), an indie pop/rock band from the UK's South West. Following on from the success of their EP 'Dreamlands' and the singles from that which were supported by BBC Introducing, the band are exploding out of lockdown with their new single 'Curtains' released on 4th June.  In a change of direction from their EP, Daydream Runaways blend their pop side with a big splash of rock in this new indie anthem. With powerful vocals and strong, punchy guitars, bass and drums they make a massive head bopping track. The contrast between the verses and chorus is pure class and makes this a treat to listen to. To me the verse lyrics look at moving forward, leaving behind the past and looking for better; "We all search for the reasons, to wake up in the mornings" and "We all live in hope, waiting for tomorrow". However we are told, in th...

  'Two's A Crowd' - Idle Lies Single Review Indie rock band Idle Lies released their latest single 'Two's a Crowd' on 28th May. This is their first single since they were joined by new vocalist, Ross Neville-Jackson and builds on the success of their previous songs as a four piece. Sam Leonard (guitarist) wrote the song in its entirety during the first lockdown and the band managed to learn and rehearse it over zoom, one of many issues faced by musicians in this last year. The five piece from Liverpool also include Lucas Pidgen (drums), Joe Green (bass) and Shantanu Kindu (vocals & rhythm guitar).  'Two's a Crowd' is dominated by the stunning guitars, including the repeating riff that you hear in the introduction, which gives the song an air of melancholy. The striking lyrics and vocals add to a stunning overall impression of a thoughtful, creative and most importantly, very catchy song! The track was recorded by Sam Pierpoint at Soundback Studio...

  'Matryoshka' - Permo Single Review Scottish punk mavericks Permo released their single 'Matryoshka' on 28th May.   Matryoshka is a set of Russian wooden nesting dolls, decreasing in size placed inside one another, and like the dolls this song has its layers! It starts with a powerful intro, the big drums and then a punchy guitar, making way for a driving bass and the punk vocals to make their appearance.  Commenting on the track bassist Hamish said "Matryoshka is a blistering tirade aimed at the self-centred, egotistical members of our generation who insist on polluting good conversations with their one-upmanship and exaggerated anecdotes."  It takes a no-holds barred attack at those people who like to share their big success stories however far-fetched they may be! With lyrics like "Big swagger, big shagger, think you're Mick Jagger but the truth is you're a joke" and "Layers and layers so full of yourself" its a reminder that se...

  'Scary Faces' - The Riot Vans Single Review Glasgow punk rock band The Riot Vans released their single 'Scary Faces' on 21st May. Charlie, Aidan, Jack and Adam are newly signed to Disobedient Records - and this is their first release with the label.  The punchy start to the song instantly grabs your attention and will get you jumping even before the  powerful vocals kick in! The distinctive driving guitars and drums in this track are what gives it the catchy, upbeat feel.  The Riot Vans perfectly blend their punk vocals with a ska feel to the track and it is definitely going to be a winner live in the mosh pits.   Commenting on the track the band said "Scary Faces is effectively an amalgamation of things we thought sounded cool". I couldn't agree more!  You can listen to 'Scary Faces' on Spotify  here.

  'We're All Going Mad' - Ashley Stacey Single Review Following the success of his single 'Palace Pier' earlier this year, South East London singer-songwriter Ashley Stacey released his latest single on 14th May 2021 with the accompanying lyric video going live yesterday. 'We're All Going Mad' is the conclusion drawn from lyrics focusing on the stress of a modern society including "No service with a smile",  "Capitalistic mindset, unsustainable lifestyles"  and the pre-occupation with social media we all have leading to a lack of in person social contact "Tied to your phone, time spent alone". The driving bass, guitars and energetic drums joined by a horn section, lead to a big old rock n roll anthem that is begging to be heard live this summer.  Ashley released his debut album 'The Sun Still Shines On You' in September 2020, he has had radio play including BBC Radio Kent and has been added to This Feeling's ...

'Enemy' - King Blonde Single Review King Blonde are a 4 piece from Derby, they released their latest single 'Enemy' on May 14th. 'Enemy' continues their dark and dreamy indie rock journey, following on from their previous singles, Low Light (15/1/21) and Noah (8/3/21). With powerful vocals, big drums and captivating guitar hooks 'Enemy' will have you throwing shapes in the kitchen. Although mine are nowhere near as good as the talented dancer they got for the accompanying video.  Their previous PR campaign for 'Noah' involved encouraging motorists to give them a pip whilst standing on the streets with a King Blonde sign! If this isn't commitment to the cause then I don't know what is. With radio play for 'Enemy' already on BBC Radio Introducing Midlands and 'Low Light' being named as Track of the Week by BBC Radio Derby back in February, King Blonde are smashing it this year! You can listen to 'Enemy' on Spotify  h...

 'My Mind' - Sages Of The Subway Single Review Cambridge based indie/alt pop band Sages Of The Subway released their latest single on May 14th.  'My Mind' sees Dean, James, Nath and Tom take a step towards a more synth pop sound resulting in a cool, sophisticated track with a brilliantly catchy chorus and vibey guitar solos and riffs.  "When the night is through, I wake up and I start the day again, like all of this is new, I'm stuck out in the past it's all I know, I try to get away, I want the feeling here to always stay"  A sultry, reflective song to "get you out of my mind".  This is going to be an essential at the clubs and house parties as we move forward, I don't think you could listen without dancing. Having already had air play on BBC Introducing Radio Cambridgeshire, 'My Mind' is a dance inducing, infectious anthem that is going to take us through a summer of music. You can catch Sages Of The Subway live at the O2 Academ...