Feast your eyes and ears on this simple catchy summer tune!
I was on holiday recently and came across this fantastic engaging yet simple video. It’s the promo for latest track called “Help Myself (Nous Ne Faisons Que Passer)” by French artistGaetan Roussel. It’s a seriously catchy number and I just love the simplicity of the video and I can imagine it’s sure to be a great summer tune! Check it below…
Some kids got lucky. Was it you?
So we’ve had a few competitions on the site recently so we’d thought we’d announce the winners together and rejoice in a triple celebration of super goodness.
So say congratulations to these lucky lucky people who have won some fabulous prizes.
2 X RELENTLESS NASS FESTIVAL TICKETS
Leah Thomas
2 X UNDER THE RADAR SUMMER BREAK TICKETS
Martin Kochanski
WHAT UP GANGSTAS TEES / BADGES / STICKERS
Ade
Bad luck to those who entered, keep an eye out for more Competitions and we’ll be in contact with the winners by email immediately. Check your spam box people!
Adios!
Bag yourself weekend passes to the UK’s action sport extravaganza!
Oh my! What a competition we have for you! The unbelievably generous folk at Relentless NASS 2010 are letting us give away a pair of weekend tickets to the action sports / music festival. You and your bezzy mate can head down to Relentless NASS 2010 on the 9th – 11th July by answering the following easy question…
What is Relentless?
For all info and clues visit: www.relentlessnass.com
Just fill in your answer below
Closing date is Friday 11th June, so get your answers over to us thick and fast – we’ll pick a random winner and notify them by Saturday 12th June.
We’ll be covering the weekend too, so we’re just as excited and hope to see you there! Good luck!
The Action Spectacular is back again next month!
We’re pleased to announced we’ll be covering the awesomeness over at this years Relentless NASS Festival 2010. With world class BMX, World Cup Skateboarding, FMX and inlining there isn’t a more jaw-dropping extreme sports festival in the UK. Pack that out with some excellent live music from Bowling for Soup, Chase & Status Live, Plan B, Tinie Tempah, Crazy Arm, Failsafe and Ghost of a Thousand and you’re onto a winning weekend all round.
You’ll be able to read reviews of our favourite bands and sickest tricks from our favourite riders and skaters.
For more details about the festival please visit the Relentless NASS 2010 site.
Were you at Relentless NASS 2009? Tell us about your own personal highlight! Did you rock out to N.E.R.D and did you catch the Horse Boarding and Roller Derby?
More bass in your face than you can imagine. And you could be there.
Having smashed the biggest clubs across the UK, including the legendary Ministry of Sound and Matter amongst others, the forward thinking youth brand Under The Radar is now proud to present its biggest party yet in the form of Under the Radar Summer Break!
Enter this competition and you and a mate can brace yourself for 5 days of rib rattling bass, sunsets and surf as thousands of students flock to Newquay’s silky white shores to see off the end of exams in style.
With the likes of Drum and Bass man of the moment Sub Focus (with MC ID), the mighty Pendulum, the true first lady of UK garage Ms Dynamite, bass loving grime pioneer Joker and Boy Better know heavyweights: grime boy Skepta and younger brother JME along with old favourite Shy FX already confirmed for the beach bonanza there’ll be no complaints from the bass heads! By day, you can surf, try your hand at zip wire-ing, coasteering or cliff hanging or simply lie back and catch some rays on the UTR private beach. So forget cheesy student holidays, as UTR Summer Break is the only place to celebrate this summer.
Just leave a comment below telling us why you deserve to go to the Under The Radar Summer Break e.g.
“I’d love to go to Under The Radar Summer Break because I need my pumping summer bass fix and to get my surf on!”
We’ll choose our favourite from all the entries and the one winner will receive both tickets. Closing date is Wednesday 9th June, so get your entries in quick! Good luck and get creative!
*This competition is now closed*
Check out www.utrsummerbreak.com for more details.
Please note this is an 18+ event, so all entrants to the above competition must be 18 on or before the 27th June and must present a valid form of ID upon arrival.
Exceptional live videography from the Manchester based creative team.
It’s very rare that you hear great punk/hardcore bands captured well in a live environment. It’s such a difficult thing to co-ordinate, the technical intricacies of the the guitar work and double bass drum fills, alongside the twiddling bass. Not to mention the anthemic vocals and the general passion filled atmosphere. And thats just the sound. The boys at New Speak Productions have mastered that audio black magic, and mixed it will some pretty impressive video footage to create a winning concoction.
They have filmed bands such as Propaghandi, Strike Anywhere and A Wilhelm Scream, Bouncing Souls, who we all know are as energetic and passionate in their delivery as in the musical content. Fix your beady eyes on some of their videos below.
You can get in touch with the boys on New Speak Productions Site
Or fan it up on theNew Speak Productions Facebook page
Or you can also get bloggy with them on the New Speak Productions Blog
80′s inspired music video by the metal-core champions.
I saw this video, whilst flicking through some satellite channels the other night. Brilliantly executed. Fine Tune. And has that Beastie Boy’s fight “For your right…” 80′s thing going on.
Killer grotesque 80′s 8 bit pixel art video. Eeeuurgh yeah!
FLAIRS – TRUCKERS DELIGHT from 3rd Side Records on Vimeo.
This my friends is the greatest animation I have seen for a long time. Created by relative unknown Jérémie Périn, this video is the title promo for the new Flair’s EP entitled Truckers Delight. Lionel Flairs is a cockney parisian electro popping hybrid who creates some very listenable 80′s influenced music. No wonder the video is a grotesque homage to 80′s pixel art and 8 bit gaming. It’s rather rude in a manga-esque way but works rather nicely. Check it and prepare to laugh your retro brain off. Oh and be warned it’s not for the easily offended…
3 of the best independent bands that you NEED to hear. Best of all, their albums are FREE! No illegal downloads here!
Beartrap is a DIY promotion and publicity company that’s focused on establishing a strong community with the people who are dedicated to making (or supporting) music for the sake of music. Beartrap strives to be a forum where people can question conventional ideas. Fostering a tight-knit community of friends and colleagues who continue to challenge the status quo and excite us with their music is my number one priority. We contend that everyone has something special to contribute to this underground, DIY culture; here’s your opportunity to share it.
They also have a not-so-fancy motto:
They recently contacted me to tell me about some ace new bands who I’ve been spinning ever since. What’s better is that these artists have released these records for free / on a donation based deal. Just check out what’s on offer. These aren’t your myspazz rejects, who are all promo shots with no substance. If you’re a fan of independent music, who work hard, play hard and rock hard then you’ll like the following acts.
There’s something to be said for an incredibly well-rounded indie rock record – the type of jam that doesn’t necessarily beg for any careful, concentrated attention but nevertheless draws you closer and closer with repeated spins. Bands who craft winning albums like that – Syracuse, New York’s Merit, for example – might not get the credit they rightly deserve, but they’re happy to plug away with solid, enjoyable tunes that have undeniable staying power.
For fans of: Bayside / Tsunami Bomb / Paramore
Merit on myspace | Download Arson is for Lovers
If you enjoy punchy gritty vocals and strong steady beats, you’ll like Friends of Friends. They sound pretty damn good on record and I can imagine they get the crowd going when the play live with their dual vocals and light uptempo riffs. What’s better is that they have sampled a Flight of conchords quote on one of their tracks. Can’t beat that really can you?
For fans of: Against Me, Living with Lions,
Friends of Friends on myspace | Download Deep Search
Hailing from the college town of Tallahassee, Florida, Lipona is a four-piece rock band that derives it’s sound from punk-rock and experiments with elements of ambient and post-hardcore music to create a unique “fast tempo” blend of powerful choruses, gang vocals and sing alongs.
For fans of: Belvedere, Slick Shoes
The fabulous folk-rock songstress reveals all about her new album, songwriting process and life in New York
Photo by Eric Luc
There are very few music artists out there as engaging as Mia Riddle. With just 2 records under her belt, she has demonstrated the ability to write beautiful sincere songs which have a universal appeal. She’s an enthusiastic traveller with her creations, who’s out to show the world that the good old-fashioned honest approach is what it’s all about. She just lives and breathes her music. We caught up with the fabulous folk-rock songstress where she reveals all about her new album, songwriting process and life in New York.
Hello from the UK! How are you?
Hey there! I’m great.
For the wider audience, can you tell us about Mia Riddle and the life she lives? You started writing music when you were really young right?
I am a transplanted Californian living a somewhat bohemian lifestyle in Brooklyn. Our band all lives within a block of eachother, so we hang out a lot at the bar downstairs. It’s really fun. I started writing music when I was a kid, and have been in a bunch of different bands. This one has evolved from a solo project to a 6-piece rock band. It’s been really organic, how that happened, and it took a lot of time. I think that process really defined the sound.
Photo by Eric Luc
You’re in the studio recording your new album at the moment. How is that going?
It’s been going really well. We went upstate to the country for six days and recorded all the instruments. We played it all live, so it definitely has a sort of vibrance and rawness that we haven’t captured before. I’m going to sing on it in October at some point, but it won’t probably come out till late winter/early spring.
You also did some sessions for my new favourite website www.daytrotter.com! What was the best part of that experience and is there anyone else on there you’re particularly digging?
Daytrotter is awesome! It was such an honor. The best part of the experience for me was the essay that Sean wrote – he really cares about the music so much. My favorite Daytrotter session is still the Bon Iver one. It’s unreal.
Photo by Eric Luc
Technically, your song structures are so richly layered with hooks and melodies, but you manage to bring it together with one unique sound. What’s your usual process when you come to writing the songs?
It’s usually a pretty fast process. I’ll write a song in an afternoon or two, then after I’ve mulled it over for a couple of days, I bring it to our drummer Jeff, and we come up with the drum part, and then present it to the band, and we all start working out the final arrangement together. This is all a new thing in the last year, the process is a lot more collaborative than it used to be. I love that, everyone is so good at what they do, we’re really bringing everyone’s experience to the table.
Your approach to music is one that I feel is so romantic and genuine, with quality songwriting about real moments and experiences. You all seem to just enjoy what you’re doing together and appreciate life as it comes. I get the impression that the music is almost like a product of the laid back lifestyle that exudes from you? Would I be right?
Haha! I guess so….but I’m also one of the most uptight people around. I’m a little stress-ball, so it’s a balancing act. I just try to be as honest as I can, and tell stories with the best words that I can find.
Photo by Eric Luc
You’ve been here a few times over the years, but when are you coming back to the UK? You should definately come to Liverpool! Where else in the world would you love to tour?
We’re hoping to come back to the UK next spring, and we’d love to go to Liverpool, I’ve never been. I’d also love to tour more in Europe, we had a great time a couple summers ago in Paris.
Which other bands / acts are you currently enjoying?
All my friends in Brooklyn are making such cool music, it’s a great time to be here. Motel Motel are phenomenal, Scary Mansion’s new record is going to be great. Matt Pond PA, Holly Miranda, Abandoned Lighthouse, La Strada, Au Revoir Simone are all making great sounds right now.
Who would be your all time favourite band you would love to play live with?
I’ve always wanted to open for Pedro the Lion, if he would let me sing some backing vocals with him I would die. Also the Breeders, and if we were going really big, Neil Young or Fleetwood Mac would be epic.
How do you ‘chillax’ when you finally get time out?
It’s funny, when we finally get a break from working on music around here, I always really want to go play music.
Bryan Bruchman
What visually stimulates you and those around you?
I grew up in the desert, and when I went away to university it was the first extended period of time that I spent around forest and nature. I think that seeing that kind of beauty on a daily basis is really good for you; now that I live in a less-than-beautiful city I try to get out to the country as often as possible. That dichotomy of city and forest figures really prominently in what I write.
I think your own CD covers have also been great pieces of art, particularly the bemused tiger heads on your first album.
Who does your artwork and do you have much involvement in the design process.
That’s nice to hear. My best friend Daria Tessler did the Tigers art, as well as that of the previous two solo EPs. Tumble and Drag’s art is from a painting by my friend Stian Rassmussen, in San Francisco. I really like to have art made by my friends, and I do the layout and design parts myself. The next album is going to have a crazy illustration by my friend Helen. It’s such a huge part of the album-making process for me; when all the songs are laid out and you can find a common thread between them, and then find a title and a piece of art that speaks to that, it’s really satisfying.
Tigers by Mia Riddle
Also, if you don’t mind, could you explain the concept behind the video to Open Wide. I have to say it’s beautifully shot and the dog is adorable!
Sure, that video was written and shot by our good friends Arlene Mueller and Marcin Nadolny, this brilliant Polish filmmaking couple. It’s a story about a lonely girl in the big city, looking for solace in the uptight little world she’s created for herself. Meanwhile the grit of real life is closing in and ultimately shatters everything, and she’s left in the rubble of her once-pristine apartment, eyes opened, possibilities suddenly everywhere. Which is awful and also exciting. Making that video was the highlight of the year; we and our friends did it all ourselves, built the breakable wall, borrowed the motorcycle….it was a truly epic experience.
What’s really ticking you off at the moment?
Overdevelopment of our neighborhood, being broke, the impossibility of getting health coverage.
What are your “buzzing” and totally happy about?
The new record, the change in the weather, the intense concentration of good music and creativity that always happens in the fall in New York.
Finally, what would would Mia Riddle do to change the world we live in?
Raining pancakes. That would be a big change.
Preview and buy ‘Tumble and Drag’ on Amazon
Follow all the latest Mia news on the Mia Riddle Site
![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.alwaysthinkin.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
