This new single from Montreal based singer songwriter Guilhelm has pop, punk and a slacker laid-back Weezer type vibe. A summer anthem for 2025 with a wonderfully positive “I know I’m not gonna die” vocal hook. Guilhem described the song “This song explores the different ways to overcome a hangover in some sort of quest for self-improvement. It’s about inadequacy and self-destructive behavior, but it also expresses a hopeful, yet uncertain, desire for a better future“. The video, finely shot by Alex Charron, exaggerates that cool laid back vibe too. I love the song and I love the video. Guilhem’s new album ‘A Good One’ hits the streets on 5th September. It was mixed and mastered by the one and only Frank Turner, a great favourite here in Mayhem Towers!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
On 6th August 1970 the 10th National Jazz, Blues and Pop four day Festival was held at Plumpton Racecourse in Sussex, England. Featuring, Family, Groundhogs, Cat Stevens, Deep Purple, Fat Mattress, Yes, Caravan, The Strawbs, Black Sabbath, Wild Angles, Wishbone Ash and Daddy Longlegs. The following year it moved to Richfield Avenue in Reading, and the rest as they say, is history! In 1971 the kind of fledgling festival featured Rory Gallagher, Genesis, and Wishbone Ash again, among others. My first Reading Festival was in 1975, so if I go to the Leeds Festival in a few weeks, and I might, then this would mark 50 years of the Festival for me 🙂
This wasn’t the 10th Festival, but what a great clip!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
This is the 25th entry in the Mayhem Virgins series where we showcase artists that have never featured in these pages before. This time it is the turn of Fishing 4 Compliments’ a five-piece band from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Their music revolves around the impassioned, soulful and emotional songs of lead singer–songwriter Eileen Wattam with support from rhythm guitarist Ashley Wattam, lead guitarist and backing vocalist James Alexander, bass guitarist and backing vocalist Steve Dyson, and now former drummer David Sharp. Their music is a fabulous lively mix of blend of folk and pop, with occasional happy tinged jangly indie style guitar sounds. The tunes have excellent melodies and hooks that will catch plenty of compliments (apologies for that terrible pun on the name!). The songs, the music and particularly Eileen’s voice conveys every emotion from introspective and sad, to anger and passion, via ecstatic happiness.
The band members have an eclectic range of influences which include The Beatles, XTC, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, The Cure, The Smiths, The Sundays and The Cranberries to name but a few. I can definitely hear a few of those influences in their songs, but there is also so much originality in this band and their music. Dave Beech of RGM Magazine once referred to them as “utterly irresistible” and frankly it is hard not to agree with that.
Their rather splendid debut album, ‘Off The Isle of Somewhere’ was released in April 2020. That was after ten years of playing gigs across the north of England. It was produced, mixed, and mastered by Joseph and David Dunwell of The Dunwells, a Leeds based indie-folk band, who also contributed backing vocals on some tracks. That album explores folksy sounds as well as a rockier seam in some songs.
Eileen kindly sent me their new album for review; it is out on 30th September and is titled ‘Lost In Good Intentions’. Based on the two tracks from the collection released so far, “Ghosts” and “Hard To Please” it will be a corker. Will be? What am I saying it is a bloody corker, there will be a fuller review on these pages next month! The new album was also produced by Joseph and David Dunwell. If you like Beautiful South, Paul Heaton or Eddie Reader you will love Fishing 4 Compliments, but if you just love good music give Fishing 4 Compliments a spin! Check out some of their fine tunes on Spotify (below) while you wait for the new album.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
Back in April we reviewed, “BLAIR!”, Industry Standard’s debut single, we bloody loved that one, so there was a lot of excitement here at Mayhem Towers when their latest hit the world. It is wonderfully titled “C.J.O.S. (Circle Jerk Of Sadness)” and is rather different, but just as explosive, as “BLAIR!”. This new track is a post apocalyptic plea hopefully telling us to sit up and fucking do something about our world. Maybe more people will listen and actually try to do something to save our planet. But the first United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP1 was in 1995, later this year COP25 will be held in Belém, Brazil. So 30 years and 25 conferences and still the earth is dying while the rich and powerful do absolutely fuck all! OK, I am told that killing the rich might be a little extreme but let’s at least tax the bastards.
Pictures by Lou Smith
While billionaires, filthy rich tech bros, oligarchs, dictators and would-be dictators continue their own obscene circle jerk while counting their money and rockets the rest of us are left to rot so that this vile group of people can wank themselves into oblivion while covering each other in their, probably gold flecked, salty discharge like some kind of bukkake Armageddon. Perhaps that is why Trump is so orange.
Picture by Simon Milner
Anyway as for the song it is a controlled chaos driven punk attack. According to lead vocalist Gaby, the song is “a panic attack disguised as a joke” which deals head-on with themes like climate collapse, existential burnout, and dissociation, and “watching it all happen with a milkshake in hand”. The anxiety here is off the scale but there is also a brilliantly crafted injection of very dark humour. When was the last time a Greek mythological figure got mentioned in a punk song? Has it ever happened? Cerberus gets a part in this lyric. He is the monstrous, multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld, preventing the dead from leaving and barring the entrance to the living. Lines like “A masterpiece of human emissions” and “even the ants are tired” might be short but they use the language supremely well in a way that oozes frustration.
Picture by Nasser Yebovi
If anyone chose to merge line dancing with punk, this song would be a perfect fit. Imagine replacing the classic punk Pogo dance with a violently punky Morris dance, without the bells, obviously. Incidentally I fucking hate Morris Dancing, but a screaming, raucous, high octane version in the mosh pit is something that many of us would love. That kind of celebration of all that is good about the world might just help to avert our minds, albeit briefly, from the shitty state of the world. Bottom line though this is a stonkingly good song that deserves massive exposure.
Industry Standard are the previously mentioned lead singer Gaby (Gabriella Gonzalez) and three punk powerhouse musical henchmen: Phillip Stakem whose riffs are like small megaton explosions, Oliver Jackson’s bass playing split an atom and Tim Sketchley plays his drums so hard the echo bounces off the moon. I reckon if you love Scene Queen, Delilah Bon, tiLLie and Casseyette you will worship Industry Standard.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
“L‑Shaped Couch” is the fabulous new glitter ball of a single from the phenomenon that is Scene Queen. It is a stunning, pop based move away from her signature bimbocore sound. It is a delightful divergence into a sparkling disco sound. This song would not be out of place on a classic disco playlist, but it still retains the essence of who Scene Queen is. In addition to the funky synth sounds there is also some chunky guitar riffage. Her vocal is full on pop and would give Kylie a run for her money. There’s a thought, how about a Kylie and Scene Queen collaboration? In the meantime put on your best disco trousers and glitter flecked tank top and get down to some discocore from Scene Queen.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
Here is the Mayhem chart for June 2025, rather late (just like last month) I know, but better late than never right? Regular readers know the chart is based on my streaming listening habits. These are gathered over the last month by obscurify.com. My taste in music remains 99% more obscure than the rest of the UK! The chart remains contemporary-ish (but if a classic artist releases something new they might feature in the chart). However, last month’s top three “Legacy” artists were David Bowie, Stevie Wonder and Johnny Nash. Obscurify also suggests the most obscure artists I have listened to for March and they are Liz Davinci, Dead Rat Society and Kindelan. Bowie, Dead Rat Society and Kindelan have retained their positions from last month. Kindelan also appears in this months song chart with “Cigarettes”.
Party Nails the top artist for June. Bruce Springsteen and Getdown Services are the only two acts that remain in the artist chart from last month. Two artists appear both in the artist and the song chart, they are Party Nails, number one in the artist chart and number two in the song chart with “Same Old Song”. The second is Molly Rymer number eight in the artist chart and number three in the song chart with “Say The Same (Acoustic)”. HerOrangeCoat makes it to the top of the song chart with “Daytime TV”. 60% of the artist chart is female and the song chart is 100% female! So without further ado here are those charts in full! Click on the Spotify link below to listen to the famous (or infamous) five! Twenty one minutes of great music!
Mayhem Artist Chart June 2025
1 Party Nails 2 Bruce Springsteen 3 Valerie June 4 Kate Nash 5 Lorde 6 Little Simz 7 Getdown Services 8 Molly Rymer 9 Pulp 10 Tropical Fuck Storm
Mayhem Song Chart June 2025
1 Daytime TV – HerOrangeCoat 2 Same Old Song – Party Nails 3 Say The Same (Acoustic) – Molly Rymer 4 Fell In Love With Godx (She Was Really Fit) – Peach|Melba 5 Cigarettes – Kindelan
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
Last Sunday I was one of the lucky people that experienced Kindelan’s intimate gig at the Vinyl Whistle record shop in Leeds to support the launch of her new double‑single ‘After Before’. The release features two tracks, “Cigarettes” (After) and “Wish I Wrote A Love Song” (Before). Before I tell you about her set let me give a shout out to the Vinyl Whistle. It is a wonderfully cosy and welcoming record shop/ bar hybrid in Headingley. I will return, obviously I bought some vinyl on this visit, four albums to be precise!
The gig featured just Laura and a guitar and that outstanding voice. Many of her recent releases, particularly her EP ‘you can reach me if you try’ from 2023 feature her soulful, unique take on 21st Century R &B. But when everything is stripped back to that distinctive Kindelan voice and her guitar playing it is hard to drop into any genre box. I have likened Kindelan to Jeff Buckley in the past an in this setting it shows clearly. Her latent talent for telling stories through songs and never being afraid of the silence in a song shows her in the same talent bracket as Buckley in my opinion.
Laura opened with a brace of recent Kindelan classics, “The Other Side” and “Hazel Frustration”. Her between song chat is always, personable, eloquent, fun and interesting. I love the way she shares how her songs were born, what triggered them and what helped them develop. The new songs, “Default” and “Big Sky” sound very promising. “Can’t Sleep” was dedicated to overthinkers everywhere, while I may not be an overthinker it describes someone very close to me.
When Kindelan finally treated us to the two songs from ‘After Before’ there was a beautiful air of positive expectation which was met in bucket loads. “Cigarettes” has an undercurrent of pent-up anger and a dark side that Laura plays so well in some songs. It strips feelings down to very raw levels that deal with heartbreak, and lost love and intimacy. Meanwhile “Wish I Wrote A Love Song” keeps a mist of regret of a relationship that was in the end not right. It is a melancholy view on the hope that existed in the beginning.
Vocally, Kindelan struck a fine balance between poise and raw feeling. She spent her notes, filling spaces with soulful warmth. This nuance made the songs breathe—each guitar pluck and vocal inflection had emotional weight. It might be basic jazz‑soul, but the performance was anything but ordinary. The fans in the shop responded with whoops and an applause that only let up because we wanted to hear the next song. This set was stylish, charming, buzzing with passion and intimate. This was yet another fabulous Kindelan performance. This was the fifth or sixth time I have seen Kindelan play live and she is an artist that gets better every time!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
Cardiff-based punk quintet Panic Shack, who exploded onto the scene back in 2018, will unleash their much-anticipated self-titled debut album on 18 July 2025 via Brace Yourself Records. This energetic slab of perfect punk energy was produced by Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Yard Act). The album opens with a classy combination of punk and pop sound in “Girl Band Starter Pack”. It was the second single from the album. It has sharp riffs and a thunderous bass line and keeps the band’s spirit of rebellion and fun. The album’s lyrical themes embrace passionate feminism and tight friendship. In the first single from the collection, “Gok Wan”, the band rages towards malignant media beauty standards with no apologies, this is a riot grrrl feminist anthem for theses times. Current single “Thelma & Louise” is a wonderful love song, but not in a lovey dovey valentine sense. I think it is about the joy of a platonic friendship.
So many of their lyrics are conversational. In “Pockets”, literally a song about having no pockets, the line “Got my vape in my bra / Drink in my hand” is literally something that vocalist Sarah Harvey said on a night out. “Unhinged” is about swiping through dating app Hinge, and the mostly, white lies people tell on there. Misogynists will almost certainly be afraid of Panic Shack, and I have no sympathy for them at all. Sexual harassment is on the receiving end of a musical powerhouse right hook from the band on “SMELLARAT”. The industry plant brigade showed their showed their cards early in Panic Shack’s career, around the time “The Ick” was released, accusing them of simply cosplaying being working class. Frankly that is utter bollocks! I doubt that anyone who had not grown up in a working-class environment could write a punk classic like “Tit School”. This is my current favourite on the album. The lyrics are perfect, take “I didn’t go to Bedale’s / Instead I got free meals,” for example.
The band consists of Sarah Harvey (vocals), Meg Fretwell (guitar/backing vocals), Romi Lawrence (guitar/backing vocals), Em Smith (bass/backing vocals) and Nick Williams (drums) and together they are on fire. When Sum 41 said all killer no filler they could have been describing this monumentally great debut album. The album is fun, funny, furious and simply fantastic. Punk this good can hit harder than a heavyweight boxing champion. It is riotous, rebellious and roars like a hungry punky pop lion. This is a banger that is definitely a contender for album of the year! Thank you to Eddie at Vinyl Eddie for sending this record my way!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
Those delightful people at The Modern Record asked me to review Simple Minds at the Piece Hall in Halifax last Monday and that was an opportunity I did not intend to miss. Check out my review on the Modern Record site by clicking here. All the ace photos are from rock photographer extraordinaire John Hayhurst!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
On a baking hot July evening, the Fulford Arms in York was lit up with an electric mix of energy, activism, and genre-hopping joy for this year’s Jamnesty gig, a fundraiser in support of Amnesty International. (If you would like to donate, just click here) The lineup was packed with local talent and rising stars, each bringing something distinctive to the stage, a fiery combination that nearly blew the roof off. It was also great to see so many staff and students from Huntington School on the night and on the stage!
The evening opened with El & Ewan, a duo whose stripped-back acoustic set delivered a punch of raw honesty. Armed only with guitar and their voices they gave us a delightful set of gorgeously performed, mostly, sad songs. They both seemed a little nervous, but that didn’t stop them from playing a simply gorgeous cover of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know”.
Next up, the Sparrows took the stage with a richer, bluesy, dirty garage rock sound. There were covers from the 60s to the 90s from artists that included the Stone Roses, Johnny Cash, Oasis (sadly), James and the Beatles. “Sit Down” was a mega hit with the crowd as they swayed, then stomped, then whooped. A huge shout out to the drummer who was, frankly, phenomenal! A great set from a fresh band.
The tone shifted both dramatically and delightfully with The Fruity Pebbles, who brought neon energy and a funk-pop vibe that was danceable and addictive. They had the room bouncing from their first song. Beneath their wonderfully playful façade was tight musicianship and a band that clearly seemed to have rehearsed well. Their take on Abba’s “Voulez Vous” poured funk into an already funky tune and the emotion was off the scale as they closed with a powerful take on Robbie Williams’ “Angels”.
Next it was a chance for deep groove to meet grit as the Apocalypse Disco lived up to their name. This was a fusion of funk, disco, and dystopian theatrics. Think Giorgio Moroder meets Nine Inch Nails in a synthy warehouse rave, or perhaps the Prodigy on speed. Frontman Robin led a hypnotic performance of “Alive” that turned the Fulford Arms into a sweaty dance floor, the ceiling was dripping sweat too. The apocalyptic groove ran deep as the duo showed that they were easily the most danceable protest music of the night. Namaste motherfuckers!
Then came Fendry, whose headline set proved exactly why they’re one of the UK’s most talked-about rap acts right now. He gave the early part of his set to the mightily talented Rashevos (I hope I spelled that correctly).After that Fendry commanded the crowd from his first rhyme to his last cipher. He has confidence, style, skill and just the right level of arrogance. He has the talent to be as big as Skepta or even Eminem. Fendry is a rapper and grime artist originally from York, but now based in Wembley, London. His recent rise has been through the PenGame rap battle circuit and a string of energetic singles, he continues making waves in the underground scene. He is undefeated in several battles, including wins against JM and Domi Dusk. He gave the crowd a bold, beautiful end to a night of music that meant something.
Jamnesty 2025 at the Fully wasn’t just a gig, it was a statement. The Fulford Arms provided the perfect DIY venue vibe, and the acts each channeled the spirit of resistance, rebellion, and release in their own way. Whether it was acoustic melancholy or disco-punk anarchy, the message rang clear: music can, and will, fight back! Our world needs more nights like this, if you fancy organising your own Jamnesty event then click here for more information.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog.You can also follow us onInstagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
