5 Seconds of Summer: the debut album.

This is now my third blog post featuring 5 Seconds of Summer and I still don't think I have a bad word to say about them. 3 days ahead of it's UK release I've managed to get a listen of the boys debut album and I am so glad I've been able to do so. I'm just over half way through my first listen of the self-titled album and I am yet to be disappointed. Yes, there's some ballads and some pop but there's also some serious rock & roll sounds throughout the album and it's awesome. It's definitely worth some attention and it will definitely be on repeat for a long long time. Single's 'She Looks So Perfect' and 'Don't Stop' obviously feature very early on in the album and although they are both great songs, they are almost forgotten by the end of the album because there are so many other songs which you instantly love just as much. Alongside the singles there's also songs such as 'Heartbreak Girl', 'Good Girls' and 'Beside You' which have been kicking about the internet and the live circuit for a while. I love all these songs but I have found new loves in the form of tracks '18' which I will sing along to as if I am 17, and not in fact 20, and 'Kiss Me Kiss Me' which the band teased fans with pre-album release.

So what does it actually sound like, other than my bias opinion of awesome? Well, it sounds like the sort of stuff that daytime radio will devour and that teenage girls will scream about. It also has hints of anthemic power with many "woah" sing-a-long sections and a few guitar solos that fit in with the bands of Kerrang! and Rock Sound. The album is also an ode to the bands which have clearly influenced and shaped 5 Seconds of Summer with similarities to bands such as One Direction but also bands such as Green Day (Social Casualty is very 'Minority'-esque). In a YouTube series entitled #FINALLYA5SOSALBUM, the boys touch upon writing with the Madden brothers (Good Charlotte) and Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low); names such as these are what make it clear that these boys are serious musicians and that they are a rock band. To be honest, it doesn't matter if you think their rock or pop because there is something for everyone on this album, even if it is enjoyed as a guilty pleasure. It's fun and it's catchy. It's a triumph for four Australian boys with an average age of 18 to make an impact as big as this on a worldwide scale. They're a band which are full of promise and this album reflects that entirely.

'5 Seconds of Summer' is available for pre-order now and will be released on Monday 30th June.

Anaesthetist - Enter Shikari

Today is a sad day for me. Tonight, Enter Shikari, my favourite band, will play their first UK show in 8 months at the Hatfield Forum. Why am I not there? Well, being a student has finally got to me and prevented me from doing the thing I love most, see bands live. At this point I would also like to mention I cannot go to the Blink 182 Brixton shows either, for the same reason. So as I sit here, with a heavy heart about the fact I can no longer afford to go to every gig I want to, I'm watching Enter Shikari's rehearsal video for brand new song 'Anaesthetist.' Sprung upon fans this morning, the band released the rehearsal video ahead of tonight's sold out gig as a teaser for those going and a taster for those who are missing out. I don't know whether to find this a comfort or not as come 8pm my jealousy filled mind will do all it can to not think about the reasons why I'm not barrier screaming back at Rou Reynolds.

'Anaesthetist' is classic Enter Shikari and is an exciting example of what the boys have been working on whilst away from the live circuit. The song doesn't really nod to their previous 3 albums, it's yet another evolution for Shikari, but it is still unmistakably them. Always unique, standing out as fore-runners in the genre experimenting game, the St Albans four piece have again created a crowd pleasing and radio offending track which needs to have a studio version released sooner rather than later! It is 2 minutes 46 seconds of dark and bassy sounds which make as much of an impact as the powerful screams of Reynolds does. The song also sees the return of a Chris Batten vocal, something which the fans always love. What is clear from the video is that it is going to be a great live song; I can imagine that tonight it will get an overwhelming reception and that fans will be shouting the lyrics back as if they'd had the song on repeat for weeks. If this is what we can expect from #ShikariAlbum4 then I am very very excited and I will wait in anticipation to see them at Reading at the end of August.

If you're not in Hatfield tonight you can catch Enter Shikari at Reading and Leeds festival at the end of August.

Band of the Week: This Wild Life

I have instantly fallen in love with This Wild Life. Originally a pop-punk four piece, California's This Wild Life is now Kevin Jordan and Anthony Del Grosso. After two years of trying to succeed as a band, a realisation dawned on them, that they're specialty is more acoustically tuned which lead to Jordan and Del Grosso parting ways with former bandmates. It was a bold move considering their original ways were big, loud and fast, but it was the best move they could have made as debut album 'Clouded' stands out in a small market of acoustic bands. What's also nice about This Wild Life is that they are best friends. The music is not forced nor contrived, it's not two guys playing music for fame or for money; it is two best friends who have a brother-like bond and it is this chemistry which makes them to succeed as a two piece, a feat which is difficult in such a large and vast music scene. Now signed to Epitaph Records and currently on Warped Tour across America, the duo are making their own mark the same way bands such as City and Colour have. Reminiscent of Dashboard Confessional, Jordan's voice is naked and vulnerable and his lyrics are bare and express emotion in a way that only Del Grosso's gentle acoustics could compliment. It makes for some truly hair raising songs. Despite their small nature, they're sound is big and it is impressionable. They are a band with the potential to grow and rob the hearts of many a listener. Although they don't look like you're typical acoustic heroes (tattooed and pierced in ways the males of metal bands are) they have the potential to be just that. It's an exciting time when you find a band as precious as This Wild Life, it opens the door to a whole new genre and sound, it is a discovery and it is falling in love.

Also, check out their cover of Bring Me The Horizon's 'Sleepwalking.' It is stunning.

Album 'Clouded' is available on CD and digitally now. The band can be caught supporting Tonight Alive across the UK in November.

Songs Of by The Story So Far

Walnut Creek's The Story So Far are a five piece pop punk group who have been representing a genre which is making a comeback since 2007. Pop punk died out a long time ago, in fact, it's almost become a bit of a gimmick, but over the past few years it's been making a serious comeback and it's bands like this one that establish pop punk as one of the most popular genres in the alternative scene today. The Story So Far have had two studio albums which were both massively successful. 'What You Don't See' and 'Under Soil and Dirt' are both packed with song after song which you love; every song is worthy of being on repeat, they really are that good. Despite this, they are a band that are fairly quiet in the UK; they're rarely over here on tour so any time they release new music, it's like Christmas has come early.

'Songs Of' is a five song EP comprising solely of acoustics from the bands previous records. It's not the usual The Story So Far sound we're all used to. Parker Cannon's vocals are a lot softer, reminiscent of the beautiful 'Clairvoyant' which the band released with friends Stick To Your Guns last year. All five tracks on the EP are awash with delicate guitars and the faint sounds of a cajon. How gentle these tracks feel is beautiful, it makes your hairs stand on end. There's elements of the EP that are similar to UK band, Basement, particularly opening track 'The Glass' as the lyrics linger, it's haunting. Stand out track and EP closer, 'Waiting In Vain' sees Cannon repeat Bob Marely's words "I don't want to wait in vain for your love" a lyric which I can hear many a crowd singing a long to. It's a beautiful end to a beautiful EP, one which I have fallen for much harder than I was expecting to.

Catch The Story So Far on the main stage at Reading and Leeds festival later this summer.
'Songs Of' is available to buy now.

Band of the Week: Catfish and the Bottlemen

Dressed always in black (occasionally breaking into a white tee) Catfish and the Bottlemen are a rock band from the north of Wales. Fresh on the scene, they have been catapulted straight to success with a lot of airplay from Radio 1; praise indeed for four lads from Llandudno. Having not released many tracks there's not a ton of songs to recommend but what can be said is these boys have style. First single 'Kathleen' went straight on the Radio 1 Weekly playlist and became an instant favourite among hipsters and indie kids everywhere. It's funky, it's catchy, it's got the makings of an anthem and it will definitely be a hit when played live on the festival circle this summer. Latest single 'Fallout' is set for similar success. Again it's landed a spot on the Radio 1 Weekly playlist and it has the same sing-a-long vibes that 'Kathleen' has. It was even Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record in the World.' Other singles include 'Rango' and 'Pacifier' and without getting monotonous, they too are awesome songs with a catchy vibe. There really is nothing to dislike about a band as cool and collected as this. They remind me of The Vaccines as they have that familiar attitude and balls to their music that gets you places in 2014. These boys are destined for main stages and screaming fans and I think we'll be seeing a lot more of them in the coming months.

Single, 'Fallout' is available on iTunes now and on Vinyl from July 7th.

Band of the Week: Royal Blood

Amazingly, Royal Blood are a two piece rock band formed in Brighton, UK just last year (2013). I say amazingly because the sound they produce is massive considering it's only one year old and it's coming from just two individuals. Mike Kerr provides bass and vocals whilst Ben Thatcher provides drums and my god, it's a treat for the ears. Being so fresh to the industry, the duo do not have a particularly big catalogue of songs. Officially, there has only been three released singles, first of which is 'Out Of The Black,' a lovely little taster of the edgy sound the boys can create. Second single, 'Little Monster' is probably their most famous track to date. It has been used for adverts and has become quite the hit. It has a recognisable rock 'n' roll feel and like all of their songs, it makes you want to turn the volume up full blast and air guitar around your room. Newest single, 'Come On Over' is another great record with a great vibe and is musically on point. It's easy to imagine the pair live, filling venues and putting on a real show. The band have been backed by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, which is massive praise seeing as Arctic Monkeys are leading names in the rock genre these days. In the coming months, the boys are playing a number of festivals world wide including Download, Rock Wertcher, Lollapalooza and Reading and Leeds. After this summer they're also doing a string of dates in the US which really establishes that Royal Blood are something special. They're sound is raw and gets you in the mood to thrash about, what more could you ask for from two Brighton lads?

Latest single, 'Come On Over' is available now.

One Direction, Wembley Stadium, 07/06/2014

June 7th 2014 turned out to be the sunniest day the UK has seen a while. With a forecast of thunderstorms I began my journey to London in the rain, apprehensive of how this would dampen my day. It rained for a while and I was convinced that having to queue in such weather would ruin my 1D stadium experience, but a miracle happened. By midday the sun was out and the clouds had gone. It became sweltering and my spirits had been lifted. I was once again super excited to see 1D. I didn't get to Wembley until doors had just opened but it worked out well. I barely had to queue and although I was quite far back, I was happy. What didn't make me so happy was having to hear endless Olly Murs and Little Mix videos whilst waiting for 5 Seconds of Summer and One Direction to perform. It was a tad monotonous and made me fairly impatient but by the time 5SOS came on, those annoying adverts seemed worthwhile.

5SOS, a previous band of the week of mine, are 4 boys from Sydney, Australia, trying to break the pop scene with a more rock 'n' roll feel. They're all super cute, with special mention going to drummer Ashton who rocked a green bandanna perfectly. They played a 30-40 minute set which included the single 'She Looks So Perfect' and new single 'Don't Stop,' both of which had me smiling and pleased the crowd immensely. Plugging their debut album, which is due for release on June 30th, they also played some new songs, all of which were really good. This taster of new material for the fans was a treat and I'm pretty sure lead to a lot of pre-orders for the band. Not only this but they played a few covers. Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' went down well with most but for me it was The Romantics' 'What I Like About You' (a song for which most of the crowd was an original, not in fact a cover) that was the stand out song from the set. The boys played so well considering that they're a relatively new band to be playing a live circuit of this magnitude, however you can see that there is still room for improvement. Stadium's are not yet for them. Like One Direction, starting small and working their way up will serve them well. Having said that, their physical set (seen in the photo) was pretty cool and their chemistry was adorable. I will definitely be seeing this band again.

After another painful 45 minutes of adverts and Olly Murs singles, One Direction finally came on stage. I have never heard screams like it. The sheer noise which young girls can produce when put together is unreal; it didn't even sound like screaming, I thought I had gone deaf. They managed to drown out the majority of opening song 'Midnight Memories.' It was ridiculous. Although the unrelenting screams of Directioners was a problem, as the set went on the boys came into their own and they could finally be heard above their fans. I was in Green standing which meant I was at the disadvantage of being further back than others. As a result I have a sore neck from tip-toeing and stretching to see Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn as they performed at the end of the runway. After a while, this didn't matter. Fangirl mode kicked in and I was 7 meters from Harry Styles. 7 meters. Harry Styles. I was a mess and this was something I didn't expect. Having said that, he is utterly beautiful in the flesh as he is on camera, what was I expecting!? Whilst we're on the topic, all of them looked lush... I can't help it, it feels obligatory for me to comment on how gorgeous they all are! It's odd to think about how 5 boys have such a hold over fans but they are truly captivating, not just in looks but in presences also. Looking around there were lots of signs and banners, some crude, some funny and some meaningful. The girl next to me broke down in tears during 'Moments' and I saw another girl holding a sign which simply said "Thank You" and whilst I do not feel the extreme affinity to this band that some fans do, I could understand why this band mean so much to fans like these. Their music and their connection with their fanbase is what has propelled One Direction to stadium level after just four years and it is this which keeps the hopes and dreams of their fans alive.

Their set was packed with favourites. They played a large array of songs from latest album 'Midnight Memories' as well as favourites from second album 'Take Me Home' and also a couple from their debut album 'Up All Night.' It was a perfect stadium setlist despite the fact one of my favourites, 'Still The One' wasn't on it. It had the sing-a-long's, the slow ones and the ones to jump around to, it was great. Stand out songs were 'Happily,' 'Diana' and closer 'Best Song Ever.' The band were amazing and played faultlessly and the boys voices sounded like they were straight off the record. I couldn't quite believe how sterling they sounded live, and how much they had improved since I saw them on their last tour. It was quite something. Their voices echoed around the stadium and the fans voices echoed back; it was breathtaking. I can only imagine what it must have been like for the five of them, who were formed across the road in Wembley Arena, to perform to such an amazing crowd in such a famous place. They were very vocal about how they felt about having such an opportunity. Continuously they thanked the fans, over and over, individually and together; they kept reiterating how much the moment meant to them and how thankful they were. It was nice to see that success has not made them egotistical maniacs but that they are still grounded despite recent debacles with the press and other rumours throughout their career. They are still the same five boys they were when they were put together only they are now adults, and it is this that makes them the spectacle they are. They are performers and musicians. They are idols and they are heroes. They are amazing and I am so glad I got to experience the Where We Are Tour the way I did. It was glorious.

You can pre-order the 'Where We Are Tour' DVD now which is due for release on December 1st.

Setlist

Midnight Memories
Little Black Dress
Kiss You
Why Don't We Go There?
Rock Me
Don't Forget Where you Belong
Live While We're Young
C'mon C'mon
Right Now
Through The Dark
Happily
Little Things
Moments
Strong
Better Than Words
Alive
One Thing
Diana
What Makes You Beautiful

You & I
Story Of My Life
Little White Lies
Best Song Ever

Band of the Week: Dance á la Plage

Dance á la Plage are a four piece formed in 2011 at Leamington Spa College. They're four young guys with a feel for the indie scene drawing upon the sounds of bands such as Two Door Cinema Club and Little Comets. If you want music that makes you smile and makes you want to dance, Dance á la Plage are probably who you should look up. I first found out about the band after seeing guitarist, Harry Elkington, dressed as Jesus (yes, he really does look like the Messiah) at Reading Festival, blessing and exorcising various members of the public. Of course, my memory is a tad fuzzy from that weekend (a lot of alcohol was consumed) so just how I came about discovering his band I am unsure, but I'm glad I did. Considering they've only been a band for three years, Tom, Tom, Harry and Joe have already compiled a nice set of catchy hits all of which become instant favourites.

Early single and my favourite of favourites is 'Matilda.' The single is super catchy and fun and as I've already mentioned about their music, it just makes you want to dance. The song can be found on the band's 2012 EP 'A Short Stay At Clarence Pier' along with a few other tracks. Since this EP, the band have also released 'Flying High' a short trio of tracks including 'Electric Concentric' another track which I highly recommend. With the release of this material, the band went on a 10 day tour of the UK which is pretty awesome considering the band are yet to find the big following they deserve. More recently the band have been doing the odd gig here and there and have just released their single 'Hope.' Like 'Matilda' this single is catchy and is definitely one to sing a long to. Vocalist Joe Hamilton's voice is so lovely though that it's almost a shame to sing a long to songs such as this, especially if you have a voice like mine. Whether you're singing along or not, Dance á la Plage are a band to pay attention to, especially with summer coming as compiling their songs leaves you with a lovely soundtrack to the sunny days ahead.

'Hope' can be bought on iTunes now.