Not going to lie, I saw all of the teasing on social media and somehow managed
to miss that there was a new Everything Everything track on the way. I
hopped on the train back from London last week and took out my phone to catch
up with notifications from the evening... and... wait! A new EE song?! Cue
back-to-back listens all the way out of London, of course.
Did I ever mention how much I love this band?! In love with this track - it's
EE at their best, and the video is one of their best, too. The excitement, however, doesn't stop there.
Bad Friday is the first single to be taken from their upcoming album Raw Data Feel, due 20th May. They're even releasing a book (!) - Caps Lock On is a collection of lyrics, photos and archive material from the past 15 years. AND (more!) they're touring the UK in March and April. I think that's you just about caught up...
Head to the Everything Everything site here for album & book pre-order, and to check out the tour dates.
(more) albums of the year... part 4: in case you missed it, I'm sharing my favourite records of 2020 (main post here) this week. Seven albums a day across the week, in release order. Enjoy!
I had a copy of this in my inbox sent by my favourite PR in late 2019, but, as often happens, didn't immediately check it out. So little time, so many emails, etc. The release was delayed a few months due to ~everything~ and Siv had tours cancelled. Once I finally took a listen I was overwhelmed by how stunning it was, experiencing a wave of... woah, why didn't I listen to this sooner?! Living in Norway, Siv's content is often dreamily set against snowy backdrops, it can't really get any better. Favourite tracks here include Island, Anywhere Else and Fear The Fear. More of my thoughts on the record here.
The band's debut (and self-titled) album dropped in 2018, around the time that I saw them playing live on the last night of The Great Escape. The Brighton four-piece are masters of catchy sunshine-fuelled indie tunes, and this new record is no different - Think, Take Back The Track, Just A Minute, What Have You Got To Lose - so many tunes. The only sad thing is that they haven't been able to play the tracks live yet!
Like a few more on the list, I hadn't listened to Declan's debut record but immediately fell in love with The Key to Life on Earth. That's easily one of the best tracks of the year and the album deserves to be on the list for that track alone. It's a superb record, arriving in between The Magic Gang and Everything Everything... what a brill couple of weeks for indie music?! Other favourite tunes here include Rapture, Beautiful Faces and Emily.
One of my favourite moments of 2020 was in the run-up to the release of this record, when frontman Jonathan Higgs called in to BBC Radio 1 with Annie Mac to premiere a new track. He'd lost track of time and was at a supermarket when his phone started to ring. Cue running through the shop (with a bag of shopping from a different store) and answering the call, and then some muffled talking... before he returned to explain to Annie that a security guard had chased him out of the shop, assuming that he'd been shoplifting. Absolute favourite live radio moment of the year. Now, to the record: I LOVE this band and this is one of my favourite records of theirs. The last two are all-time faves, but they manage to up their game on each record. Nobody does lyrics like EE. So! Good! They bring me so much joy and I only wish that I'd been able to see tracks from the record performed live this year. (But on that note - they have been pretty creative, embracing technology, and even played a live show in VR...) Fave tracks here Planets, Arch Enemy, Black Hyena and Violent Sun.
This record is like nothing else on the list, or that you'll have listened to this year. I adore Cosmo's work and this is so so special. As with a couple of the other records on the list, I received this to review, completely out of the blue, a week or two before release. Apart from Cuckoo Song, the record is entirely without vocals, instead putting the songs of endangered British Birds at the forefront, blending them into a glorious chorus. It's a soothing listen from one of my favourite creators - a musical genius. Calming though it is, the record throws up important issues and puts these beautiful birds into the spotlight. It's hard to choose favourites, but I love this performance of Cuckoo Song live in the woods - playing birdsong back into nature. Magical!
Bear's Den & Paul Frith - Fragments (store / Spotify)
It's no secret that Bear's Den are a big favourite of mine, and I've been loving this since it was released a few months ago. A few years back, the band played a series of live shows where the genius Paul Frith reimagined BD tracks with a live orchestra (which I'm not at all bitter or distraught about missing out on....) Fragments is a collection of these orchestrated versions, with a selection of tracks from their three studio albums, and some brand new orchestral interludes. Generally a really lovely listen, but a particular dream of an album for a Bear's Den fan! Napoleon, Isaac and When You Break are live favourites of mine, and these versions are ace.
Fenne's debut record On Hold (2018) was (and is) a brilliant record and this is a superb follow-up. As with Brooke Bentham earlier in the week, this one is certainly for fans of the likes of Marika Hackman, Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Marten, and artists in that vein. I've written a bit this year about trying to actively seek out more music by women, on noticing my listening habits were orientated towards male artists. For anybody who still holds the opinion that men get more festival slots (etc) simply because they're making better music - you need to listen to these incredibly talented artists. Fenne's record is stunning. Line of Best Fit put it better than I could, commenting that the record is "a raw, cathartic, but incredibly gentle record." It fits so well. Favourite tunes here are Alapathy, Birthday and Solipsism. Look out for another familiar face in the video...
With their superb latest album A Fever Dream released back in August 2017, Everything Everything have been teasing us a new record via a series of studio photos on Instagram for the past few weeks. I absolutely can't wait to hear what they've been working on, but consider my huge need for new music from the band met - for the moment - with a stunning stripped back EP that they've recently shared online. Featuring rarely performed tracks from across their catalogue, the EP was recorded live in Portmerion at Festival No.6 in September 2018, a special collaboration with arranger and composer Joe Duddell and the No.6 Ensemble. Alongside the rarer tunes, the EP finishes up with one of my favourite songs the band have released, No Reptiles, taken from the record Get To Heaven.It's basically a big old stunner and you should all listen pronto.
You can listen to the Live with The No.6 Orchestra EP and download (for free or as much as you want to pay) via Bandcamp here.
After blowing my mind with their remix of Rae Morris' Someone Out There earlier this year, Manchester's Everything Everything have done it again, this time with the Pale Seas single Someday. I'm not often one for remixes, but they've taken the track, flipped it on its head and given it a pretty magical reworking, with lead singer Jacob's original vocals shining through a pop beat and otherwise almost robotic vocals. The track is going to be available in a limited run of 7" vinyl through the band's app and at shows - you can catch them live in London on September 2nd at The Five Bells - info here!
It's usually pretty dreamy when your favourite artists collide musically, and that's certainly the case for the new Everything Everything remix of Rae Morris album title-track Someone Out There. They've taken the most delicate of tracks from the record and given it a dark yet lively reworking, made all the better for frontman Jonathan's trademark falsetto duetting with Rae's stunning vocals. I adore this.
"I don't know where I have been lately, I found myself in somewhere strange."
I recently shared the new Everything Everything tune Breadwinner - it was taken from their surprise EP A Deeper Sea, which opens with the much slower, much more delicate but just as hard-hitting tune The Mariana, for which they've shared a new video. Speaking with the NME about the song, the bands singer and lyricist Jonathan Higgs explained that the title refers to the deepest part of the world's oceans, the Mariana Trench, and the song itself is "about male identity and suicide and the current crisis there is, whether you believe it or not, with being male [...] it's another way to talk about things like depression." Though I couldn't make the show because I work weekends, I'm feeling incredibly proud of the band for performing what I imagine was an incredible show at Alexandra Palace this weekend - especially after the first three shows of their tour were cancelled due to the weather a couple of weeks ago!
It's been just over six months since Everything Everything released A Fever Dream, by far one of my favourite records of 2017. They're kicking off a UK tour to promote the record tonight, and have treated fans to a surprise EP, entitled A Deeper Sea. Alongside a pretty cool remix of Ivory Tower from Tom Vek, and theircover of Don't Let It Bring You Down recorded at a BBC Maida Vale session last year, there are two brand new tunes, The Mariana and Breadwinner. Check out Breadwinner below - the lyrics, track and video are all as unusual as each other, and I'd expect no less from the guys. The Mariana is pretty beautiful too - check out the full EP on Spotify here.
What a year for new music! With new albums from big favourites of mine Everything Everything and Public Service Broadcasting, debuts from Flyte and Willie J Healey and a bunch of other brilliant EPs and singles in between, there's been a lot to enjoy across the year. I've whittled down my favourite releases to my top thirty tracks of the year, which you can listen to here or on the embedded player, and check out a few words on each track below!
BE GOOD - It's Cool but It Ain't You
My favourite tune from the Oxford band that have quickly become one of my favourite discoveries of the year!
Everything Everything - Run The Numbers
It was difficult to pick just one track from the record A Fever Dream which the band released over Summer and which I'm almost certain is my favourite record of the year...
Banfi - Rosedale House
Again, whittling down the Banfi repertoire to just one tune when I've fallen in love with every track they've released so far was tricky but this is a favourite of mine.
Flyte - Faithless
In the run up to the release of the band's debut album The Loved Ones back in August I stumbled across this stunning Sofar Sounds session of the opening track Faithless and was taken aback by the songwriting and beautiful harmonies.
Ady Suleiman - I Remember
I love Ady's unique vocals and the beautifully nostalgic lyrics of this track - he's recently announced that his debut album is due in March and I can't wait to hear it!
Evergreen - Aux Echos
With a subtle name change under their belt, Evergreen followed up their superb 2014 record Towards with a new EP of tunes a month or so ago - Aux Echos is the lead single and I'm totally loving it!
Johnny Flynn - Barleycorn
The follow-up to 2013's Country Mile, new record Sillion is pretty brilliant and this tune quickly became one of my favourites of Johnny and his band The Sussex Wit!
Low Island - (Pause)
Unless you've avoided all of my blog posts and playlist updates for the year, it'll be pretty obvious to you that I'm quite fond of Low Island and believe that you all should be too. This is my favourite tune from their In This Room EP, released earlier this year.
Lewis Capaldi - Bruises
A beautifully raw track with an intensely powerful and emotive vocal, since the release of this stunning debut single back in March it seems that Lewis has been on an incredibly steep trajectory, selling out runs of UK shows in hours!
Brasstronaut - Raveshadow
I think that a lot of us owe Stornoway a great debt for getting these guys across from Vancouver to support them on their farewell tour earlier in the year - I instantly fell in love with their self-titled album which was released earlier in the year, particularly this tune!
Public Service Broadcasting - Progress
I distinctly remember my first listen of this tune while writing a section of my dissertation in my university kitchen, followed by replaying it several times for the rest of the day. It's taken from their recent record Every Valley which is one of my favourites of the year.
Sivu - Lonesome
Another exciting return this year from Sivu, following up his beautiful debut Something On High with Sweet Sweet Silent - well worth a listen!
Parcels - Overnight
I couldn't shake this song from my head once I'd make it our 'track of the week' over on the Tigmus blog back in June - it's produced by Daft Punk and is a total tune!
Seramic - Trying
Marcus Foster and co released the follow up to last year's Found EP in the shape of the I Got You EP this year - it's full of cracking tunes and I adore the closing track, which they performed in one of my favourite live sets of the year at Bushstock Festival (watch that here.)
Fleet Foxes - I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar
The band's show at O2 Brixton in November was nothing short of magical - this is the opening tune to their massively acclaimed new record Crack-Up.
Dan Croll - Tokyo
Following up the brilliant record Sweet Disarray, Dan Croll returned this Summer with Emerging Adulthood. I was torn between adding this track or Bad Boy to the playlist as I'm almost equally fond of them both, but remember completely loving this tune when I caught him at a Communion showcase earlier in the year.
Charlie Cunningham - Minimum
Another discovery I've made as a Stornoway support act (back in 2015) I was blown away by Charlie's skills with the guitar. Minimum is taken from his debut album which was released earlier in the year!
Get Inuit - Barbiturates
The first track to be added to my yearly playlist - love this fun Vevo Dscvr session from the Kent based band.
Willie J Healey - People and Their Dogs
Willie's show at Oxford's Modern Art gallery comes in as one of my favourites of the year as it marked the end of my three years at university, having handed in my final assignment earlier that day. Celebrations after the gig included hanging around with the band and Robin and Cat of Catgod at a pizza truck. Rock and roll.
Nick Mulvey - Mountain To Move
What a joy to have Nick Mulvey back in our lives and our headphones - his headline set at Bushstock Festival was a total joy to behold and one of my favourite crowds to be a part of this year!
Tempesst - Feel Better
Taken from their recent Adult Wonderland EP I love this smooth and summery tune from Tempesst - still gutted that I missed their recent headline shows!
Pale Seas - My Own Mind
Favourite tune from Stargazing for Beginners, the debut album from this Southampton four-piece!
FIL BO RIVA - Head Sonata (Love Control)
I was chuffed to catch Fil at The Great Escape back in May and can't wait for his debut album, set for a release early next year to coincide with a UK and Europe tour in April and May.
Catgod - I'm Innocent
From their Someone Love EP - I can't wait to be reunited with my Oxford pals Catgod at their London gig this week!
Park Hotel - Going West
I don't always find the time to check out tracks that are submitted to the blog for sharing/reviewing but was really glad I listened to this one which quickly became one of my favourite tunes of the year!
Lucy Rose - No Good At All
Taken from her record Something's Changing, for which Lucy Rose released an eye opening mini-documentary of the same name about her music, her fans and playing around the world to fans she's met online.
Dazy Crown - Peanut Butter Dreaming
A band I had the pleasure of working with on some shows back in 2016 for Tigmus, I love this tune from their I Don't Need a Jacket EP.
Cosmo Sheldrake - Come Along
Cosmo played what was probably my favourite support set of the year opening up for Johnny Flynn at the Roundhouse. His effortless control of the room and his introduction to various unique samples completely drew me in.
Charlie Fink - I Was Born to Be a Cowboy
After meeting the rest of the Noah & The Whale members several times over the last couple of years, I finally met Charlie this year as he released his solo record and performed it as a unique live music stage production at the Old Vic in London.
Arcade Fire - Creature Comfort
I almost want to admit featuring this tune simply because the title makes me think of the hilarious Creature Comforts animated TV show - but it's also a cracking tune from the band's new record Everything Now.
It's been two weeks since Manchester's Everything Everything graced us with their fourth studio record A Fever Dream, earning themselves an early shout for my favourite record of the year. They scored an incredible number five in the album charts and a tour of instore gigs at record stores around the country helped to earn the chaps the top spot in the Official Record Store Chart - these achievements are exactly what they deserve for releasing such an exquisite record! Check out the title track being performed live earlier in the year here... a favourite of mine from the album!
I was lucky to catch them play to the tiny but totally rammed Rough Trade Nottingham last Tuesday, just a couple of days after the record was released. The sweltering heat of the store's upstairs venue space and extortionate central Notts car park prices were both worth enduring for the set, with the band playing a few tunes from the new record and following them up with live favourite Distant Past. I've seen them live before a few times and wondered whether the smaller venue and the fact that the crowd wouldn't all be familiar with the new tunes might change the vibe, but the band gave as much energy as to the crowds at their huge slots at Reading and Leeds last weekend (special shout to their keys player Peter Sené who always gives 110% on stage and is a joy to watch!) The set started with the album's opening track Night of the Long Knives which I can see becoming a live favourite very quickly and which built up the momentum and volume for the rest of the set, with singles Desire and Can't Do featuring alongside the total powerhouse Ivory Tower and another of my favourite tracks Run The Numbers. All in all it was a total joy to watch the guys playing again and even more wonderful to meet them briefly at the signing afterwards and to tell them how great they are and how much I adore the record!
Everything Everything performing at Rough Trade Nottingham on 22nd August 2017
If you'd like to catch Everything Everything play tracks from the brilliant new record A Fever Dream, be sure to grab tickets to their biggest UK and Ireland tour to date in March. It'll see them play in Dublin, Norwich, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Glasgow, ending on a hometown show at O2 Apollo in Manchester and a mammoth London show at Alexandra Palace. Grab your tickets from the band's website, general sale started today!
Unless you've been living under a rock you'll probably have noticed that the impeccable Everything Everything are back in our lives with new tunes taken from upcoming album A Fever Dream which isdue out in just a couple of weeks (nobody panic!) Following up the first single Can't Do the guys premiered a corker of a tune entitled Desire on BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday night and it's been circling in my head since. They've just released the music video, which is equally brilliant and directed by Dave Tree, and the live performance element is making me fairly impatient for a tour announcement... They're one of the best and most fun bands I've had the pleasure of seeing and I can't wait to hear the new tracks performed live! Their last record Get To Heaven was my joint favourite record of 2015 so you could say I've got some pretty high expectations of this album but it's incredibly reassuring to hear Alex say on BBCR1 that "I think this is the best thing we've done", with Jonathan describing the track as being about "wanting something so much you don't care about the consequences of getting it" - check out the show here from around 31 min!
Everything Everything release their fourth studio album A Fever Dream on 18th August - get pre-ordering here (they've even got signed goodies on their official store!)
It seems to be a great time for some of my favourite artists coming back with new music and last week was no exception as total legends Everything Everything returned with the absolute tune Can't Do. Their last record Get To Heaven, released in 2015, was my favourite record of the year so I'm really looking forward to hearing it's follow up - A Fever Dream is out on 18th August. They're in the midst of a mini warm-up tour before a couple of festivals, but hopefully a full tour to promote the album will be announced shortly! Check out the (pretty strange) video for Can't Do below...
Like what you're hearing?! Pre-order A Fever Dream here.
April has been a super busy month for me musically with 12 gigs (and the first of those wasn't until the 9th), some great EP/album releases and announcements, and meeting a bunch of great artists/music fans. I've just created the third of my monthly playlists, which, in keeping with the personal nature of the blog, is a collection of eighteen of the artists I've been enjoying listening to this month. Take a listen on Spotify below...
A little explanation as to why I've chosen each artist/track:
Water Pageant Overlaps - it only seems right to open the playlist with the last band I saw this month, at their hometown album launch last night. I had a great time running the door/selling CDs for them at the beautiful Art Jericho in Oxford (cue terrible photo.)
Matt Woods Impression - Matt played at the Communion New Faces tour, and was my highlight of the night for sure. A beautiful and heartfelt set, and this track was a highlight for me!
neverlnd We Don't Talk Like We Used To - I saw these guys play twice this month, first at a pretty busy Truck Store, and then at their headline relaunch gig. This is the second of their monthly free tracks (and you can download it here.)
The Vaccines Minimal Affection - a musical highlight of the month, I got to see these guys play at the Royal Albert Hall (my first visit to the venue!) as a friend won tickets. It was superb to finally see them live, playing tracks from all three records.
Bear's Den Magdalene - one of artists on the playlist I haven't seen live this month (but I did spot one of the guys on the underground last week..). They announced this month that their new album Red Earth & Pouring Rain is set to be released on July 22nd. This track is one of my favourites off of the first record!
Lewis & Leigh Devil's in the Detail - this duo supported Neverlnd at their launch show, and I saw them back in January too. I've been really impressed both times and (possibly because it has the same name as a track by one of my favourite bands) this track has stuck with me.
Rukhsana Merrise Money - Rukhsana was another of the artists on the Communion tour, this is her latest single, and there's a great Mahogany session of the track here that just got released.
Jack Garratt Surprise Yourself - over this last year at university I seem to have won a lot of things and the latest was tickets to see Jack playing up the road at the O2 in Oxford. After seeing him support Mumford & Sons last year it was great to see him play a sold out solo show. He's recently released a fantastic video for this track, with members of the public facing their fears, which you can watch here.
Adam French More To Life - a catchy track from Adam, another of the four acts on the Communion New Faces tour.
James Walker Right Person, Wrong Time - I've seen James playing keys and singing backing vocals for Adam Barnes a few times, and he's decided to release some solo music, setting out on a solo tour a week ago. This track is from his new Modern Medicine EP.
Jonny Payne Toronto - after running the door for his Oxford headline gig in Feb, I was glad to catch Jonny again this month, this time playing solo at the RSD celebrations at Truck Store. A great set (featuring this track) and he's also a really lovely dude too!
The Beach Thieves - the final act on the Communion tour, and while it wasn't very busy, everyone seemed to be pretty besotted...
Tom Odell Wrong Crowd - the title track to the follow up to Tom's 2013 record Long Way Down, which is set to be released on June 10th.
Joseph & Maia I Know - I saw this New Zealand duo supporting Adam Barnes in London, and loved their story of escaping a record deal, quitting their jobs and essentially travelling from city to city playing shows every night for around a year, wherever they get the chance. Loving this track which is on their recently released album Sorrento.
Dizraeli It Won't Be Long - one of my favourite gigs of the month, it was great to run the door for Dizraeli and Jakaboski. I saw Dizraeli play a Sofar just over a year ago and loved this track at both shows! Would've included a track from his new EP but it isn't up on Spotify yet... but there's some cracking live sessions of some of the tracks from it on his Youtube here.
Mumford & Sons ft Baaba Maal There Will Be Time - following a number one in South Africa, Mumford released this collaboration on vinyl for RSD, and have just announced it'll be released as part of an EP entitled Johannesburg, out in June.
Everything Everything No Reptiles - having seen these guys live three times last year, I was just as excited to see them again supporting The Vaccines, and they played a superb set.
Adam Barnes Tennyson - Adam played a beautiful sold out show at Bethnal Green's Gallery Cafe a week ago, I love this track which closes his One Day We'll Be Fine EP and seems like a lovely way to finish off the playlist!
If you like what you hear... share the post/playlist!
I was supposed to be going to a house gig put on by the lovely folk at Sofar Sounds Oxford last night, but when a friend offered me a free ticket (as she'd won a competition) to see The Vaccines and Everything Everything at the Royal Albert Hall, I couldn't really turn it down!
Tim Lovejoy was hosting the evening, and Pumarosa opened (watch the video for their track Priestess here), with The Horrors Tom Furse DJing between sets. It was my fourth time seeing Everything Everything and they continue to amaze me, filling the beautiful venue with their fantastic tunes, a lot of which were taken from latest (brilliant) record Get To Heaven. Recorded a snippet of the title track of that record, which is below...
It was my first time seeing The Vaccines live, but I've been a big fan of their music since the first record (What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?) and they've had great success since then, with 2012 release Come Of Age and last year's English Graffiti, and they played three nights at O2 Academy Brixton in November. The set was full of tracks from all three records, a tour of some superb tracks, with a particular highlight being a beautiful solo rendition of No Hope to open up the encore. Everyone seemed to be having such a great time, and the night was for a brilliant cause, making up one part of a week of shows for Teenage Cancer Trust (I wasn't aware, but they've been putting on shows for the charity for 16 years now, and it's their biggest fundraising event of the year), with John Bishop hosting a comedy show the night before, Simply Red tonight, and New Order, Bring Me The Horizon and David Gilmour still to come. There's always a great buzz at charity shows, particularly one of such a scale, and I love being involved in something so fun that's making a difference. Definitely a gig to remember, and it'll probably be one of my favourite shows of 2016! Here's a clip of them performing first album track Wetsuit....
More info about Teenage Cancer Trusthere, and the upcoming TCT shows at the Royal Albert Hallhere.
Last week saw my gig tally for the year reach 45 as I took in three shows, first Oxford Sofar Sounds, then Festifeel, and Everything Everything at Under The Bridge.
Always a pleasure to attend and to photograph, this month's Sofar Sounds show in Oxford was a wonderful evening of live music and brilliant company. Held in a primary school hall just out of central Oxford that the team managed to make feel really special - we had Lail Arad, Hattie Briggs and Òkina, alongside Adam Barnes (the first act I've seen at a Sofar show that I've been a fan of beforehand - really loved getting to see him play again, he and his band are incredible artists) and Chris Ayer, who has been playing alongside Adam on his UK tour. Some of my shots from the evening are in the Flickr album below - take a look!
If you're interested in attending a Sofar Sounds show in Oxford (or closer to you - they're held in around 160 cities) get more information and sign up to be informed of shows here, they're really special nights and I'd definitely recommend it!
The second gig of the weekend was Festifeel, a festival curated by Fearne Cotton and in aid of CoppaFeel! (info), a breast cancer awareness charity which has a focus upon encouraging young girls to check their breasts regularly, promoting early detection of the cancer. The festival was held at House Of Vans in London, where I spent a fairly chilled out afternoon with one of my flatmates watching a documentary about the charity's founder, Kris, who discovered she had breast cancer too late and set up the charity to promote awareness - seeing her around on the day was pretty inspiring. We also saw some live comedy and watched some other festival attendees learning to skate, before getting into the midst of the crowd and catching sets from Lucy Rose, Slaves and Everything Everything. Whilst the crowd was quite the opposite of the seated and captive audience of Thursday's Sofar show, and minutes in I was soaked with beer, and being shoved around during Slaves set (hadn't listened to them before but was impressed and knew to expect a rough crowd..) it was a fun evening and Everything Everything blew me away, cue some terrible quality phone photos..
Lucy Rose
Slaves
Everything Everything
On Sunday evening I was lucky enough to see Everything Everything again at an intimate and free show for Q Awards at Under The Bridge, a really lovely venue with great sound snuck away under Chelsea's Stamford Bridge. Playing a slightly longer set than Saturday night's festival set, and even coming out for an unplanned encore of first album track My Kz, Ur Bf - it was clear that the band were having as great a time as the audience, all beaming with pride to hear the audience singing back tracks from all three of their albums (no mean feat as their lyrics are inherently difficult to grasp.) I've been listening to them for a couple of years now and loved their second record, Arc, but I believe their latest record Get To Heaven is probably one of the top five albums I've ever heard. You can vote for it in the Q Awards category for best album here.
Up close and personal with Everything Everything last night.
Overall a really fun week of shows, looking forward to seeing The Hoosiers twice this week as well as (as long as I don't get inundated with university work..) Little Mammoths, Frances and Oxjam in Reading or Oxford on Saturday!
Following suit with their other fairly bizarre videos is the new Everything Everything video for their track Spring / Sun / Winter / Dread, a track taken from their recently released (and brilliant) third studio album, Get To Heaven. The track, with the band's typically unusual lyrical style went down really well when I saw the band back in April (video) and is one of my personal highlights of the record.
A couple of weeks since its release, I'd hope that anyone and everyone would have bought and listened to the latest offering from Everything Everything already. In case you haven't I thought I'd write a little post encouraging you to. This year's Glastonbury coverage reminded me of where I first listened to the band, trawling the online streams of the festival in 2013, where I was impressed by the band's set. I shortly bought their second record Arc which became one of my favourite albums for a while, followed by their debut Man Alive.
The latest record, Get To Heaven, features the singles Distant Past and Regret, and is an absolute triumph. Barely off of my turntable for the week following its release, the record was worth the wait, and captured the energy and talent of the band, held together by the unique lyrics of the band's main songwriter and frontman, Jonathan. Back in April I saw the band play a relatively small comeback London show at Oval Space, where they premiered many of the new tracks (as well as playing the hits such as My Kz Ur Bf, Photoshop Handsome and Kemosabe.) Live, the tracks sounded fresh and exciting and gave me really high hopes for the record, which have most certainly been realised. Highlights of the record for me include the title track, and the almost chant-like Spring/Sun/Winter/Dread, as well as No Reptiles for its quirky lyrics, but there isn't a single track on the record that I'm not enjoying.
To summarise the record is definitely, in my eyes (and from what I saw of its reception on Twitter, those of many others) worthy of a nomination for the Mercury Prize, and one of my favourite's of the year.
When they released new track Distant Past, I already had high hopes for Everything Everything’s new record, Get To Heaven (out June 15th.) These hopes were realised when I saw the band play a superb set in London earlier this month, playing 7 or 8 tracks from the new record. One of these tracks was a song called Regret which was pretty impressive live, oozing single material and showcasing the diverse singing style of the band’s lead, Jonathan Higgs. The track premiered last night on Radio 1, and you can listen to the audio above.
Last night I saw the brilliant Everything Everything for the first time, playing a fairly small and quirky East London venue, Oval Space. After discovering the band through a live-stream of their performance at Glastonbury a couple of years back, I bought their second record, Arc, which quickly became a favourite. Their first record is just as great, and the set was interspersed with favourites from those, but was dominated by new tracks from upcoming Get To Heaven, including the already released crowd pleaser Distant Past. The new tracks went down a treat and for me, the record, out mid-June, can't come quick enough!
Take a listen to Distant Past, the latest offering from the fantastic Everything Everything, taken from their third record Get To Heaven, set to be released on 15th June! As a follow up to the superb second record Arc (you might know the tracks Kemosabe, Cough Cough, and Don't Try), I've high hopes for this album, and actually quite like this track. It captures their unique chant-like lyrics and harmonies, and blurs them with an almost 90s-dance melody, which makes the track catchy and I envisage quite a festival crowd pleaser with that chorus! The band have announced showsin London and Manchester in April, offering presale access if you pre-order the record through their website before the 25th Feb.
Just stumbled across this video that I thought was worth sharing - Everything Everything playing My Kz, Ur Bf for Mahogany Sessions. Love these guys but aside from this track I've only checked out their latest record, Arc (which is superb, if you were wondering.)Consider their first album added to my wish list!
