My Top 10's: Bombay Bicycle Tracks

10.) Beggars (A Different Kind Of Fix, Track 7)

9.) Overdone (So Long, See You Tomorrow, Track 1)

8.) Feel (So Long, See You Tomorrow, Track 8)

7.) Shuffle (A Different Kind Of Fix, Track 6)

6.) Always Like This (I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, Track 6)

5.) Ivy And Gold (Flaws, Track 4)

4.) Dust On The Ground (Flaws, Track 3)

Searchlight: Bully

Who are they?
Bully are a rock band who formed in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) who formed in 2013. The band consists of Alicia Bognanno (vocals), Stewart Copeland (drums), Clayton Parker (guitar) and Reece Lazarus (bass). Bognanno had an internship at a Chicago record shop, when there she started recording demos. She then moved to Nashville and formed her own band after playing with a band called 'King Arthur' for a while.

How can their sound be described?
The band have a very grungy sound to them with big guitar riffs, crashing drums and open lyrics. They also have a punk element to much of their music. In an interview with Gigwise the lead singer spoke about people likening their sound to the 90's. She said "there is no intentional replication of the Nineties feeling... a lot of the artists I like and that influence me come out of that era so it makes sense that subsciously it would turn out like that".

Review: Halsey- BADLANDS

Halsey (real name, Nicole Frangipane) is an American singer/songwritter who was born in 1994 in New Jersey. She was discovered and signed by the Astralwerks record label in late 2014 after beginning to write songs at the age of 17. She became a singer because she couldn't imagine anyone else singing her songs, according to an interview with Fuse earlier this year.

BADLANDS is her debut album after she previously released an EP called 'Room 93'. So far she has been touted as the new kid on the block in the pop world, but she's showing far more quality than many of her peers in my opinion.

The album opens with the track 'Castle', this starts with a kind of glitchy beat then her vocals come in, these can be likened to Lana Dey Rey in many ways. The track has a good beat that kind of rumbles and crashes along. The next track, 'Hold Me Down' has a similar style beat to it. The vocals are good, the lyrics are quite cryptic but it seems to tell the story of older men trying to make her do sexual favors. 'New Americana' is the most popular track on the album. This track talks about pop culture and how the current younger generation will change the world in the future. This is a catchy track with a good chorus, however I'm finding that it gets a bit annoying after hearing it a few times.

Review: The Weeknd- Beauty Behind The Madness

The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) is a singer, songwriter and producer from Scarborough, Onterio (Canada). He gained notable support from fellow Canadian, Drake, in the early stages of his career when they were both featured on the same blog. The duo have since collaborated on a number of tracks.

This album is The Weeknd's second studio album after 2013's 'Kiss Land', however he released three popular EP's before that. Although he is notoriously wary of the media, in a recent interview with Pitchfork he spoke about changing his sound for the new album, He said "I owe it to people to make music that makes me feel good and is also a little easier to understand".

The first track on this album is 'Real Life', this track has a powerful intro that gains you attention before it breaks down and the vocals come in. I like the instrumental of this track with it's warped, glitchy sounds. It then goes into the Labrinth featured 'Losers', this track is bittersweet with it's vocals and piano hooks. I really like the latter part of the track which has striking vocals with little instrumental input, before a big, bouncing beat comes in. 'Tell Your Friends' feels like quite an intimate track where he sings about stealing for drug money and other raw topics. Kanye West helped to write and produce this track which should make for good listening, however I'm not too sure about the structure and the way it kind of just keeps rumbling on.

Review: Beach House- Depression Cherry

Beach House are a duo from Baltimore, Maryland (USA) who formed in 2004. The band is made up of Victoria Legrand (vocals) and Alex Scally (guitar). They have a kind of dreamy sound to their music that's very recognisable. They use drum machines and the organ in many of their tracks.

Depression Cherry is the bands 5th studio album. In a recent interview with Here And Now, Victoria said that the new album is "full of many things. Love, pain, getting older, dealing with loss, letting go. It's really ultimately what the listener feels in response to it". This was in response to a question about the meaning of the album. One topic that is tackled though, and also included in the title, is depression.

The opening track of the album is 'Levitation', this contains a simple drum rhythm and organ sound with Legrand's airy vocals over the top. I like how melancholy the sound is and how it immerses you into a kind of imaginary world. The second track, 'Sparks' feels a bit too lackluster and open, it doesn't really have as much direction as I'd like it to. 'Space Song' is a really good track, I really like the chord progressions towards the start that set it up. I also like the synth hook that draws you in further coupled with the catchy chorus.

Review: Foals- What Went Down

Foals are a an indie rock band from Oxford, England. The band consists of Yanis Philippakis (lead vocals/lead guitar), Jack Bevan (drums), Jimmy Smith (rhythm guitar/synth/backing vocals), Walter Gervers (bass/sampler/backing vocals) and Edwin Congreave (keyboard/synth/backing vocals).

'What Went Down' is the fourth studio album that they have released. Previous releases from the band are 'Antidotes', (2008) 'Total Life Forever' (2010) and 'Holy Fire' (2013). Foals have received very positive reviews for their previous albums and singles and have built a large international fan base. They are also famed for intense live shows.

The opening track of the album is the title track, 'What Went Down'. This track is full of powerful riffs and poignant vocals. I really like how the track builds up with so many layers then slowly breaks back down again. The next track is 'Mountain At My Gates' which is the also the second single that was released from the project. This song is really catchy and has a recognisable melody to it that you can't help but nod along to.

Interview: Bloody Knees

I caught up with exciting new band Blood Knees, here is the interview:

Where and when did the band meet? 
"Sam and Brad met in primary School, da lolly man met the guys at Secondary School and Tom's known da lolly man all his life."
Can you describe the bands sound? 
"It's like so close to being so good." 
What were your main musical influences when growing up? 
"I think really boring stuff like Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age and Alkaline Trio. da lolly man really liked HIM."
Do you have a favourite venue to perform at? 
"ermmmmmmmmm one in Leeds. I can't remember what it was called. The venue was downstairs below a really nice restaurant. We got free food from the restaurant y'see. Underground Leeds Restaurant Venue." (The Wardrobe?)

Review: The Fratellis- Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied

The Fratellis are a Scotish indie/rock band who formed in 2005 in Glasgow. All the band members use stage names with the surname Fratelli, which was chosen because it's the criminal family's surname in The Goonies.

They achieved wide spread commercial success with their debut album, including two UK top ten hits with 'Chelsea Dagger' and 'Whistle For The Choir'. This success wasn't replicated to the same extent with their next album 'Here We Stand', and they took a three year hiatus from 2009. 'Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied' is the bands second album since returning from this break.

The first track on the album is 'Me And The Devil', this has a catchy opening piano piece and vocals. I like the chorus, with it's positive chord progressions and upbeat vocals. The second track on the album is where the folk/country sound that covers much of the album kicks in. This track is quite repetitive and annoying in parts, it also lacks the instrumental quality that can be seen on many tracks in the genre.