“ANIMAL” is the darkly gorgeous new single from a collaboration made in heaven, or maybe a warped heaven that borders very closely with hell. That team-up features the hugely talented and very “out there” bennytheghost working in perfect alignment with equally talented and gifted KiNG MALA. The song is dark, and funny and would work incredibly well on a horror film soundtrack. If there was any justice in this world this song would be a huge hit everywhere. bennytheghost has been bigged up by many tastemakers including Zane Lowe and Elton John. Lyrically the track tackles, to some degree, the state of the world and the plight of the young folks who will inherit it in all its broken shittyness. He says of the song “I take massive inspiration from JOJI who’s songs are also incredibly dramatic and heartbreaking, while his character is so goofy, aloof, mysterious and funny. A dichotomy that houses those two opposites is so compelling to me; that’s where I want to live.” Give this one a spin and it will become a major part of your listening in the next few months!
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The White Roses, one of Yorkshire’s finest bands have just launched an EP, ‘So Close (yet so far)’, and on the first couple of spins, it feels like a proper grower! The EP opens with the title track, an instrumental, and it is either a brief part of an unfinished track or as I see it a kind of overture. It certainly segues nicely into the first vocal track “This Town”, a banging song that should fill the floor at every student disco in the coming months. Next up is “2:23” which has the makings of a power ballad and Ellie’s vocal here is emotional, yearning and, evokes the best of Stevie Nicks. There is some excellent guitar work from Jack on “If I Could” which is a classy slice of indie pop that drives along like a 21st-century Altered Images. I love the screaming and distorted guitar sound on the fade. Talking of fade the fifth track is called “Bound To Fade” and this one reminded me of some of late-80s pop rock sensation Shakespears Sister’s finest moments. This one was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. The band had this to say about that experience, “It was such a surreal experience creating our own music in the same space as our literal heroes. Who would have thought that this little indie band from up north would end up here? It was truly surreal.” The EP closes with a poppy, acoustic ballad called “Skeletons”, the perfect chill-out after a gorgeously infectious journey through some of the White Roses’ finest moments to date! They are probably not the finished article yet, but this band improves with every release and every gig. The future is bright white for the White Roses!
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Lloren’s gorgeous new single “Mad Woman” evokes the dark side of Lana del Ray and Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”. The darkly, enticing ballad washes over and into you with a sublime majesty. Lloren’s voice is emotional, yearning, ethereal, darkly angelic, and with a clarity like none of her contemporaries. Lyrically she seems to deal with the weird line between men and women which appears to let men get away with almost anything. I was haunted by this incredible tune on first listen and it seems to refuse to leave my head!
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I first encountered the Virginmarys through witnessing a blistering set from them on the Main Stage at Leeds Festival in 2016. Now this rather excellent British band, from Macclesfield, are about to release their fifth album ‘The House Beyond The Fires’ on the 1st of November. “There Ain’t No Future” is the second single from the album and it oozes class. These boys encompass classic rock, punk, blues, metal, and grunge to note just a few. This band has a true social conscience and wears it on its sleeves. The song is a dark and heavy rock banger that turns its anger up to Rage Against Machine levels and has riffs and backing vocals that Led Zeppelin would be proud of. Meanwhile, Ally Dickatay’s voice makes his rage, passion, and empathy super clear all this is supported by Danny Dolan playing his drums so hard that he might accidentally summon millions of long-dead spirits from their eternal sleep!
Photo by Debbie Ellis
Ally said of the new single “This is a track for the uninspired, for the unheard, those who crave truth and all that’s real. Those struggling day to day to make ends meet, yet still have love in their hearts to fight the good fight. Those who see the system is broken and choose not to punch down. We’re really proud of this track, musically, we haven’t released a song like this before, it’s a further glimpse into an album we consider our best work to date“. If the new album is just half as good as this single it will be stunning. The lyrics are passionate, and compassionate and throw rightful barbs at the powers that be and society in general. For example, the power in these four lines is spectacular. “No intervention, just dead air and tension, No redemption, no sick pay, no pension. Put up or shut up, subliminal lessons, The hills are alive with the sound of depression.” The Virginmarys are truly a band for our times and you need to listen to them!
They will be embarking on a European tour soon, which includes some UK dates, check the dates below and the band website for how to get hold of tickets:
28th Sept – NWOCR Live, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton 2nd Nov – Cinemac Cinema, Macclesfield **Headline Tour 3rd Nov – Bodega, Nottingham **Headline Tour 4th Nov – The Garage, Glasgow **Headline Tour 5th Nov – The Cluny, Newcastle upon Tyne **Headline Tour 6th Nov – The Waterfront Studio, Norwich **Headline Tour 8th Nov – Bear Cave, Bournemouth **Headline Tour 20th Nov – Café V lese, Praha **Headline Tour 21st Nov – Durer Kert, Budapest **Headline Tour 23rd Nov – Legend Club, Milano **Headline Tour 26th Nov – X-TRA Musikcafe, Zurich **Headline Tour 28th Nov – Blue Shell, Cologne **Headline Tour 29th Nov – Molotow, Hamburg **Headline Tour 1st Dec – Rahuset, Kobenhavn **Headline Tour 2nd Dec – Badehaus Berlin **Headline Tour 3rd Dec – Feierwerk Orange house, Munchen **Headline Tour 4th Dec – Kulturclub schon schon, Mainz **Headline Tour 5th Dec – Willem Twee poppodium, Den Bosch **Headline Tour 7th Dec – Exchange, Bristol **Headline Tour 8th Dec – Oslo, Hackney London **Headline Tour
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Delilah Bon’s sophomore album is about to hit the streets, will it be one of those difficult second albums? Read on to find out! Album opener “Hey World” kicks off with Delilah introducing herself to the world over a synth-like orchestration and repeating a piano pattern reminiscent of Eminem in his prime. If you are new to Delilah this might me more to you, but either way it is a perfect start. next up is the previous single “Maverick” from March this year on International Women’s Day. It is another incendiary blend of rap and metal on which Delilah is in explosive form. Once again misogynists will be pissed off, but who gives a fuck about them? Delilah has this to say about “Maverick” “It is a song about self-worth and reclaiming your confidence, reminding yourself that you belong in the rooms you don’t always feel welcomed in. It’s about looking yourself in the mirror and believing in your power without needing the approval of others.” As always Delilah is absolutely on point as the definition of maverick in my dictionary is “an unorthodox or independent-minded person“, Delilah Bon is clearly both of those!
The title track “Evil Hate Filled Female” came out in May this year. It is an anthemic metal masterpiece with buckets of punked-up funk underlying it. Some of the drum fills sound like a full-on machine gun attack. Meanwhile, Delilah’s words spit more venom than an Inland Taipan. If Delilah’s anger and passion could be bottled it would power the planet for ages. She unleashes her deepest rock growl on this track and it will scare the living fuck out of misogynists, homophobes, and all haters! The metal riffs are more metal than most metal bands could even hope to achieve. The “la la la” hooks were so obviously created in pop heaven. Some of the music in the verses has a warped far-eastern horror film soundtrack feel to it. If music could kill sex offenders, abusers, and misogynists then “The Internet”, would be a lethal weapon. Delilah has some sharp punk and rap influences but since her arrival, she has developed into one of the most original artists on the planet. This was the fourth single from this album. It is a brooding dark beat with the best Delilah ciphers so far. Speaking in the guise of female-hating keyboard warrior Harry Dick Delilah bares her fangs and aims her venom at the vile individuals that spout pathetic and worthless hate. For lines like “All these people offended by transgenders send your children to church to god-loving sex offenders” it is way above the competition and the glorious dig at professional sweaty nonce Prince Andrew is sublime. I love the way that Delilah continues to turn all the shit she takes and uses it to fight back.
From the fly buzzing sound that introduces this song to the weird horror vibe of the music to the deeply personal and inspirational lyrics, “Finally See Me” is Delilah Bon at her best. The song deals with Delilah/ Lauren being bullied at school and appears to be a paean of her triumphing over those who bullied her by becoming the incredibly talented artist that she now is. She passionately stands up for the bullied, the misfits, and the outcasts and she deserves huge respect for that. Musically this shows her starting to cipher as well, if not better than, Eminem. Meanwhile, this track has a feel of Jonathan Davis, Korn frontman about it. Delilah takes on old-school rap bragging style with “I Am The Best (Ask Your Momma)” and it works perfectly, this epitomises perfect rap with a sublime pop style. She has just released a video for this song and it is one of her best film moments! I was reminded of Eminem by the beats and instrumental hooks used on “Villain” but lyrically it is pure Delilah. This one has a dark musical tone and the music moves nicely into a creepy clown carnival vibe toward the end. “My Girlz” is a bouncy, brass-laden track with Delilah delivering one of her best rap performances to date.I also felt that this had some hidden Beyonce style lurking in the background.
I can imagine all the grown-ass misogynists getting their panties in a twist if they ever hear “Grown Ass Men”. When Delilah is angry everyone needs to fucking listen! “Freak Alert” has a great electro sound underpinning it and a repeated bass pattern that stays with you long after the track has ended. What is it with high-profile artists, well almost any artists, being so fearful of speaking out against the likes of Epstein and his ilk? Delilah has no such fear and she lets us know on the stunning “Epstein”. Meanwhile on “Volatile” she is brutally honest about how this world makes her feel but on top of that she ciphers about what is wrong with the state of the world. When her rhymes express anger the Bon bile is directed at misogynists and haters everywhere. (“Cos Mr Industry thinks that every woman’s the same”). This song is a slow and dark metal rap that only Delilah Bon can do as adeptly as this. It describes many of her negative experiences in the music industry. Sadly we don’t live in a perfect world, but if we did then “Drop Dead Delilah” would be a huge hit. I love the carnival sound from the keyboard. If you like a warped undercurrent of electro-ska punk and horror comics then the album closer “Committed A Crime” will be right up your street, it is weird, wonderful, and shows just how good Delilah is.
Delilah Bon’s sophomore album, “Evil, Hate Filled Female”, tops the heights of her first and is easily a contender for album of the year! Sexist pricks in the music industry and in society should fear the level of venom directed at them throughout the record, but sadly they will not, so it is up to all of us who believe in fairness and equality to join the Bon Bon Battalion and fight for it. Delilah is an inspiration to women and oppressed minorities everywhere, despite her own fears. Let us all stick up for those who are oppressed and can’t stick up for themselves. Let us be there for Delilah too. Minorities, those of you who have been abused and put down, we’ve got your back, and we stand up for Delilah’s punky, rebellious clarion call. Men, we know you mean well when you say, “It’s not all men”, but that doesn’t change anything does it? I am an old white male and I support equality for women, LGBTQ+, and all decent humans.
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I am always interested in seeing a band that I have never seen before and Plastic Factory are new to me. Are they named after the Captain Beefheart song of the same name I wonder? But I have seen and enjoyed both support acts before. First up it was Eugene Gorgeous, they are like a swampier, slightly less frenetic, but definitely still a tad bluesy Dr. Feelgood. They have some great songs, particularly the cannibal track. That one was hilarious, entertaining, and like no other band. There is a slight undercurrent of Nick Cave in their sound. They can be quite funky at the same time as showing their post-punk chops! Eugene Gorgeous creates gorgeous music for gorgeous people and not-so-gorgeous people too!
Victory Samosa have a complete arsenal of original pop-rock hooks. There is so much to like in their music which draws on some of the finest British artists. At times there were elements of the early Dire Straits, Rockpile, and Nick Lowe. Their songs are classic and well-thought-out story songs that are hard not to like. When they really put the pedal to the floor they sound like a more edgy Killers. Will Evans’ voice has hints of both Elvis Costello and John Lennon. I am still hoping that there will be a Victory Samosa album someday. Oh, and I have to say that the man on drums for Victory Samosa seems like the happiest drummer in the world. A truly great band!
Plastic Factory were here to give a formal launch to their album ‘Forgotten Dreams’ which was released a couple of days previously. They have a jingle jangle indie style with some cool ’60s vibes thrown in, think maybe the Byrds and the Hollies. The featured harmonica adds a fabulous extra dimension to some great songs. “The Bluest Eye” is based on Toni Morrison’s first novel, published in 1970, and is a stand-out track. Maybe I need to read the book now! “Tough Decisions” was a fine slice of funky rock which was like a polished Stranglers demo just missing the organ work of Dave Greenfield. My favourite track of the night was “Hollow Gesture”, a song which I believe is a smart takedown of that ridiculous clap for the NHS thing during Covid. The crowd participation, which was obviously clapping, was ace on this one! The closing cover choices were sublime and perfect; “Let’s Stick Together” (Bryan Ferry) and a magnificent take on the Feelgood’s “Down By The Jetty”. Plastic Factory played a blinder and I got to make two Dr. Feelgood references in one post, so all in all a great night of music!
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HerOrangeCoat has released the second song from her forthcoming EP, ‘Ballads for this Age’. It is called “Ballad 2 (Skin Off My Back)”. It is a divinely dark slice of modern folk. It feels like a deeply personal song and Georgia delivers it with controlled emotion and finesse. This is a majestic and heavenly tune and suggests once again that the EP will be beyond sublime!
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Molly Rymer’s new single is all about being 25, I think I can just about remember that age. But Molly’s lyrics woven around a gorgeous tune evoke so many feelings of becoming an adult and being on that precipice just beyond youth. At times her delivery reminded me of a young Joni Mitchell. Listening to “Twenty-Five” late at night with a chilled glass of wine made me feel high on happiness and incredibly chilled. Molly oozes talent and this gorgeousnew song strengthens that view!
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After a five-year hiatus, Welsh rockers ALFFA return with a hard-as-nails heavy punky anthem called “Breathe Free.” The song is all about inner strength. dealing with your deepest emotions and accepting who you are. ALFFA are Dion Wyn Jones (Guitar and vocals) and Sion Eifion Land (drummer) and this is what they said about “Breathe Free”, “This song invites you on a journey of self-discovery, reminding us all that embracing and celebrating our true selves is the key to true freedom. “Breathe Free” is not just a song for us; it’s a call to break free from internal struggles and celebrate the power within“. This is a band I would love to see live!
Click here to listen to “Breathe Free” on Spotify!
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NOANNE has launched a spellbinding rocker of a single. It is called “Everything I Hate About You” It has a mesmerising guitar riff that seems to conceal an inner darkness. It has emotion and passion, and the sound haunts you long after the song is over. The song is about a woman who has taken drastic measures against a deceitful lover. The lyrics are full of anger, bitter resentment and strangely love too. NOANNE is from Prague and this is what she had to say about the song. “I wanted to create a track that not only captured the visceral energy of rock ‘n’ roll but also conveyed a deep, emotional narrative and reflect the intense feelings I was experiencing at the time of writing the single—anger, frustration, and a touch of ironic humor. The result is a track that is raw and dynamic, yet filled with lyrical depth. It’s a sonic journey that mirrors the tumultuous relationship described in the song, taking listeners from the peak of rage to the depths of introspection. This blend of high-energy rock with thoughtful storytelling is something I hope resonates deeply with my audience.” The video is a magnificent slice of film noir that fits the tune perfectly. NOANNE takes some of her inspiration from Led Zeppelin and David Bowie. There is nothing not to love about “Everything I Hate About You”!
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