There Goes The Fear are so super duper excited to be hosting their first official gig this coming Saturday (March 20th), we could actually, explode… Blog Off! will be taking place at the Roundhouse studios in Camden Town, London. You can grab all the details, such as ticket prices and starting times here.

Among the act’s playing on the night include indie synth superstars, Starlings (who we first introduced earlier in the year), as well as infectious electro pioneers Jazica.

We’re are also proud to be featuring upcoming duo Victoria & Jacob, on the bill.

Hailing from London, Victoria & Jacob are a robotic pair, making glacier electro with an ice creamy edge. The slow paces of the tin-foil synths have an edge of drowsy melancholy to them. The fairytail, bouncy vocals meanwhile (which NME quite correctly compared to a drunken Joanna Newsom!) allow for a silky contrast, resulting in an atmospheric morse-code mass of sound which is both ambient as well as eclectic (listen out for the temper-fuelled screams of Megadeath, if you don’t believe the latter choice of word!).

And remember to check out Victoria & Jacob, as well as Jazica and Starlings, live at Blog Off! this coming Saturday at the Roundhouse Studios, London. It’ll be ace.

I clapped my hands together rather gleefully when I first stumbled upon LYREBIRDS last week. The Brighton band proved an instant hit with me and I knew straight away that I had no choice but to share them with TGTF readers. So here I tap upon my keyboard enthusiastically, mighty excited to tell you of one of my favourite discoveries of the year so far.

It would appear guitar gloom is the way forward this 2010, with the likes of TAPETHERADIO and Chapel Club (who LYREBIRDS recently supported) all embracing those stormy, brewing sounds. And yes, this Brighton five piece we introduce today are really, no different, taking on those big, bad tunes which provoke the same old ‘Joy Division’ and ‘Echo and the Bunneymen’ comparisons. But hey, when you possess that deep, dark vocal drawl, Curtis and co are truly inescapable in print.

Amid all this name-dropping, I may as well mention White Lies while I am at it, because it’s undeniable, LYREBIRDS’ sound is incredibly similar to that of the Ealing trios’. But this certainly isn’t a bad thing – ‘To Lose My Life’ was one of my highlights of 2009. And anyway, I can pretty much guarantee that future material will distinguish LYREBIRDS from such comparisons.

But going on what we do have – I can already hear this isn’t one big White Lies tribute. You only have to listen to the wonderfully psychedelic ‘Human Symphony’ to realise this. Starting off like a humble acoustic version of ‘Space Oddity’, an onset of crooked guitars and explosive, near operatic harmonies ensue, truly blowing the house down with epicness. Believe me, if you listen to one song today, listen to this track!!

But it’s not just me digging LYREBIRDS. The band recently sent their demos to the demigod that is Stephen Street (yeh, yeh, that one that helped someone called Morrissey once, and that pair, erm, Albarn n Coxon or something?), who, upon listen, agreed to produce the band’s first single ,’Closer’. So, they’ve got a thumbs up from me and they’ve got a thumbs up from Stephen (who, come on, has pretty good judgement when it comes to new music), so seriously, hit LYREBIRDS MySpace page now! You won’t regret it.

There Goes The Fear have been avid supporters of Marina and the Diamonds ever since we first introduced her last February. Back then, Marina was pitched pretty low on musical radars. One year on, however, and Miss. Diamandis has signed to the big-wigs at Warner, and is releasing her debut album, ‘The Family Jewels‘, upon the country on Monday (22nd February). Not bad progress for 12 months, huh?

You only have to glaze your eyes over the numerous song titles on the back of the upcoming CD (‘Shampain’, ‘Hermit the Frog’, ‘Mowgli’s Road’, ‘Oh No!’), to realise that this is going to be a, well, quirky, journey of an album. So, cup of tea in hand, we all gathered around the record player to have a listen to this glittery serving from one of 2010’s biggest tipped artists.

One thing we love about Marina here at TGTF is her absolute brilliance when it comes to making quirky electro pop. This is reflected in a number of tracks on the album which you may have already heard floating around cyberspace. ‘Mowgli’s Road’ is a particularly colourful number, filled with animalistic “Coo coos!”, tribal percussion and cutlery-based lyrics (“Ten silver spoons coming after me!”). Yes, this terrifically catchy tune is exactly what Alice in Wonderland and Jungle Book would sound like if they were mixed into some amazing musical recipe. Similarly, ‘Hollywood’ – the song which has perhaps gained Marina the most radio-play – is destined for dancefloors. The sparkling synths and cliché American images provoked by the candy lyrics add to the pop monster that is the chorus of the track (believe me, you won’t be able to dislodge the hook that is “I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America!” once it’s in your brain).

Marina is also pretty great at taking the speed down a little. ‘Obsessions’, for example, is a truly heartfelt number, the passion particularly reflected in Diamandis’ emotive voice. The delightful “ba ba ba” breakdown midway adds a further hint of glitter and the final harmonies awash over one another perfectly come the end. Likewise, ‘I Am Not a Robot’ tugs at the heartstrings with it’s hopscotch piano and wispy strings, and showcases some of the best lyrics on the album while it’s at it (“You’re vulnerable, you’re vulnerable. You are not a robot! You’re loveable, so loveable, but you’re just troubled”). ‘Rootless’, meanwhile, is another slower paced track amid the album. Despite the carousel synths tinkling away in the distance, this tune protrudes with a noticeably sinister sound, which is really rather enjoyable amid the sugary pop of the rest of the album. Certainly a highlight.

As you may have noticed, four out of five of those tracks I have just discussed have already been put out by Marina’s lot as singles. Sadly, they do turn out to be the highlights of the record – the rest of ‘The Family Jewels’ ultimately drags quite a bit, and is admittedly not up to scratch like I would have hoped.

‘The Outsider’ sticks out as being one of the worst tracks on the album. There’s nothing captivating about this track. It’s too cutty and ‘all over the place’ – the chorus proving particularly annoying with it’s repeating of “Inside the outsider (on my own again)”. Meanwhile, the unrelenting ‘Oh No!’ is a poppy mash of playground vocals – over-acted and too sickly to bear at points.

‘Hermit the Frog’ is evidence of how Marina’s voice can begin to grate. It’s around this point in the album you begin to realise that Diamandis uses the same vocal tricks (powerful and operatic, to comedic and characteristic, to light and fluffy) throughout the record. If you like your Mika, you’ll probably enjoy the magical instrumentals and “dum dum dums” of this track, but if you don’t, you might consider the song a little, well, childish. Meanwhile, despite it’s pleasantness, the string concoction of a ballad that is ‘Numb’ basically sounds like ‘I Am Not a Robot’ ripped up and stuck back together a little different.

And that is certainly one of the major criticisms I’d point out about this album. Marina doesn’t innovate much when it comes to her sound, which is why ‘The Family Jewels’ may prove a little hard going. Which is a shame, as when it comes to the sole singles, Marina is clearly a brilliant electro pop artist who’ll no doubt gain a huge following with her inescapable hooks. But to me, this Diamond is better listened to in short bursts, as a whole album risks ruining her quirky sound. Stretched over 13 tracks, the same techniques start to resonate throughout, and it can all begin to tire by the end, particularly her voice. But don’t get me wrong, I am quite bummed about this, as prior to hearing the album, I was really all out for Marina. And I still am, as I know she has the ability to be awesome. She already is! There are many great tracks among this album. There’s just another fair amount which let it down. But hey, I still think she’s a million times cooler than Florence (so pow!).

Laura Marling is a 20-year old folk singer hailing from Hampshire. Admittedly, Marling is yet to have the full on mainstream success of other radio friendly indie-femme stars, but the pixie-like singer has never failed in being praised by underground fans, with her 2008 debut, ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’, even gaining a Mercury Prize nomination. This isn’t to say 2010 couldn’t be Marling’s year, especially when the likes of Mumford and Sons and Noah and the Whale are flinging folk back into people’s faces with renewed musical force (wow, alliteration!). So, equipped with a little more years to her name, and a new hair colour to boot, Laura makes her anticipated return this coming March with second album, ‘I Speak Because I Can’.

Laura has certainly grown with the follow up to her kooky but fragile debut. ‘I Speak Because I Can’ is a noticeably maturer, 10-track album full of country folk influenced tales – rich and touching in places, but lacking vitality in other areas.

Laura’s voice in particular showcases a newly rounded, strengthened tone throughout the record, which actually surprised me (in a good way!) upon first listen. The album kicks off with the bluesy ‘Devil’s Spoke’ (view the video below that includes hints of Marcus Mumford’s chin). A psychedelic build-up leads into excitable barn dance-esque instrumentals, stomping drums and Marling’s toasty vox. A perfectly thrilling opener, which walks into the contrastingly sombre ‘Made by Maid’. Here, Laura merely sings above a humble acoustic – yet the contrast with the previous hearty track means this mouse-like number floats along quite pleasantly.

Her country delivery continues to sway perfectly amid the banjo wails of the olde-worlde ‘Hope in the Air’, which projects an incredibly authentic, brooding folk sound. ‘Darkness Descends’’s layered vocals, meanwhile, add a chirpier scope to the album, with the song ultimately leading into an explosion of banjos and dancing percussion which is certainly appreciated amongst the melancholic speed of the rest of the album.

Two further favourites on the album include ‘Rambling Man’, which showcases Marling’s Dylan stylee wail along with her angelic harmonies with a female backing singer, and the beautiful ‘Alpha Shallows’, which has an intriguingly Egyptian-like recurring hook.

There are a few down-time tracks among the album, however. ‘What He Wrote’, for example, may be a purposefully quaint little number, but, despite its emotional charge, the acoustic plink-plonks and soft vocals risk failing in capturing the listeners’ heart and ears. ‘Blackberry Stone’ similarly may display Marling’s delicate vocals mixed with sublime strings, but the gentle voice and dainty acoustic combo does start to grow a little juiceless compared to the more eclectic, quirky tracks amid the record.

Not to conclude on a bad note, though. Marling has certainly come-of-age with ‘I Speak Because I Can’; you only have to listen to the lyrics to hear the mass of experience she’s had along the road of the past 2 years. The album is clearly influenced a great-deal by traditional country folk, and therefore possesses a particularly nostalgic sound at times that yes, some may put down as lack of innovation, but I put it down to embracing rich, musical brilliance. Of course, like most albums, there are a few number of tracks which may kick up a tiny yawn in the listener, but the majority of Marling’s upcoming record is a dalliance with ardently charming sounds.

‘I Speak Because I Can’, Laura Marling’s sophomore album-length offering, will be released in the UK on 22 March by EMI. Regular CD and special CD+DVD versions of the album can be preordered from Amazon.

TAPETHERADIO are an infectious indie trio from Deptford. The band have already supported Athlete, and are recently hot off the road having toured with Stereophonics in January. Now, look, I know that ‘indie trio’ and ‘Stereophonics’ doesn’t exactly send excitement rushing through the veins, but honestly, I urge you to read on…

…Because, despite that cliché genre bracket I just hit you with, this band are really, pretty good. Think the dry darkness of Chapel Club (who we introduced a few weeks back), mixed with the electronically epic riffs of The Editors, the nostalgia of The Cure and Joy Division, with one final pinch of fun ala Futureheads, and we’re nearly there with these Deptford darlings. Comparisons (and woah, I just made a lot of them!) aside, TAPETHERADIO genuinely create awesome tunes which, quite frankly, would fill an indie club dancefloor quicker than you can say ‘The Maccabees’.

They have an epical edge to them, too, which we always appreciate here at TGTF. The bass can really pound through a song, the drums are pretty damn slicing, and the soaring vocals really reach some super heights of passion at certain points. The chorus of Save a Life – “If I was with you tonight, I would save a life! Save a life!” – is just waiting for a packed Reading tent to sing along with it, while the White Lies-esque opening riff of The Message needs a huge starry lit stage to be truly appreciated.

So yeah, I really do like these guys, and it won’t surprise me if you will be hearing TAPETHERADIO on a, er, radio near you sometime soon. If I was incredibly rich and owned a record company, I would certainly consider signing these promising lads up, so, EMI, go listen yes?

It’s all about the young guns this 2010, with the likes of teenager Daisy Dares You pitching uber high on ‘ones to watch’ lists across the board. Today, we’d like to introduce a similarly small, soon-to-be-huge pop star in the form of 17 year old Sky Ferreira.

Hailing from California, despite her young age, Sky is already making massive waves. She signed to EMI last year, and is swiftly being hailed as a young Katy Perry in waiting. But, to be frank, I truly believe Miss. Ferreira has more depth to her than the I Kissed a Girl singer. With the dreamy electro distance of Ellie Goulding, mixed with the crunchy disco beats of Lady GaGa and the attitude-spilling punk of Daisy Dares You, oh, plus a pair of genuinely decent lungs (which Miss. Perry certainly lacks in my opinion), Sky’s eclectic music is pretty much set on appealing to a huge audience of ears.

Ferreira also seems to be down with a number of celebrities while she’s at it – her MySpace page boasting pictures of Sky alongside the likes of Taylor Swift and Will.I.Am. Oh and guess what, she even grew up with Michael Jackson (at least according to the anecdotes I’ve read in several interviews with Ferreira). On top of all that, there are even whispers of Sky having blagged a collaboration with the pop goddess that is Britney Spears – not bad for a 17 year old kid that hasn’t even released an album yet, huh?

Hey, I guess I’ll let her off for her, interesting, rendition of The Beatles’ ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’ (unpleasingly mixed with Dr. Dre), because you know what, Ferreira’s spunky-pop pretty much makes up for it.

So it took Wolfmother a whopping four years to release the follow up to their self-titled 2005 debut. Ok, ok, so I guess some kudos has to go towards frontman Andrew Stockdale, as every single band member did leave him pre-recording Cosmic Egg, which must have proven a little difficult to say the least. But hey, the drummer and bassist did decide to jump off the Wolfmother band-wagon due to those dreaded “irreconcilable personal and musical differences”. AKA, one does wonder, Andrew’s completely annoying inability to progress beyond his obsessively 70’s rock turn outs?

As that’s exactly what Cosmic Egg was. That same old wham-bam mixture of Sabbath riffs and Plant wails. Yeh, it’s freekin’ rock and roll – Guitar Hero come to life – but it’s also pretty out-dated, and alas, the new record has split fans and critics alike. Still, erm, putting all that aside, TGTF recently grabbed hold of Wolfmother’s third single from the new album to see how the track stood out on it’s own.

White Feather kicks off with a riff basically copied and pasted from Rolling Stones’ ‘Start Me Up’, just hidden by some cheeky distortion. Then we have the return of Stockdale’s trademark squall surprisingly being backed by not so crazy, crunchy chops, but instead squeaky guitar licks, which slide around like flying fireworks in the distance. The typically epic drums are similarly lightened by welcomed use of a cowbell. A super huge solo hits midway, which is cheesy but monstrous, before the chorus arrives back for one last time, by which time it’s hook has surprisingly embedded into the mind. The classic rock pastiche is still turned to full volume, but hey, White Feather has certainly proved to be one of Wolfmother’s more bearable tracks.

Check out the official video to White Feather, which is released February 15th, below.

After a 5 year stop gap, Essex quartet Gorillaz are finally back with a brand spanking new album this 2010. Titled ‘Plastic Beach’, the upcoming record is set to feature everyone from Snoop Dog, Lou Reed, Kano to Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of The Clash (no doubt Paul’s involvement with Damon’s side-project, The Good, The Bad and the Queen helped this little collaboration). TGTF recently got their mitts on the latest musical slice from 2D, Noodle, Murdoch and Russel, and have since given it a darn good listen or two…

Titled ‘Stylo’, the first Gorillaz single to be released in four years is certainly an electronica sensation, yielding intrigue and discomfort. The track features input from the legendary Bobby Womak, who’s rich, soulful vocals rub perfectly against Albarn’s (or should I say 2D’s..) glacier voice amid the verses. The chorus proves similarly spellbinding with it’s unrelenting drum machine, galvanising synths and Albarn’s dizzy vocals, subtly brainwashing the mind as they circulate mischievously in the distance.

The robotic ‘Stylo’ certainly emits a twisted, sinister atmosphere, almost making for uneasy listening. But that is exactly why I love this track, and why I love Gorillaz. Judging by this digital firework of a number, the cockney cartoons are still well-up for releasing music that’s fantastically curious and entertaining, and alas makes ‘Plastic Beach’ one of my most anticipated albums of 2010.

‘Stylo’ is available digitally now, and ‘Plastic Beach’ is released on March 8th. Pre-order at Amazon now.

Caitlin Rose is a 22 year old country-folk star hailing all the way from Nashville, who chooses to cite Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan as just two of many influences upon her dreamily nostalgic music. Armed with a beautiful voice and an acoustic to go with it, TGTF were terribly excited to be handed Rose’s brand new EP, ‘Dead Flowers’, earlier on this week.

The EP kicks off with ‘Shotgun Wedding’. Said track proves to be a perfect foot-stomper of an opener, led by excitably picked acoustics and Rose’s falsetto twang which often echoes the wide-eyed vocals of Joanna Newsom. ‘Answer In One of These Bottles’, meanwhile, is a catchy Carter Family-esque ditty – the lyrics taking on a noticeably darker demeanour to the Virginia band, however, as it tells tales of alcohol and it’s ability to temporarily pass the pain.

Rose chooses to showcase her inner Patsy Cline while covering the legend’s ‘Three Cigarettes in an Astray’. Admittedly, Cline’s voice will be forever unbeatable, but you truly hear the power of Rose’s lungs here, as she belts out this woozy track with an equal amount of passion as Patsy did back in the 50s.

‘Docket’ is perhaps one of the more light hearted tracks on the EP, especially with it’s unexpected lyrics ala “The surgeon general can suck on my dick”. Intriguing! ‘Gorilla Man’, meanwhile, is similarly playful, with Caitlin’s hick vox jumping joyfully over a tap-tapping tambourine. Still these two tracks are perhaps the least compelling-bodied among the EP, proving that Rose still has time to grow in strength as an artist.

Caitlin drops a second cover among the EP as she takes on The Rolling Stones’ ‘Dead Flowers’. The rock is stripped from the country, with Rose taking the upbeat pace of the original track down a significant notch. This is not to say she doesn’t do the song justice, far beyond it. Rose in fact recites the poignant lyrics near perfectly, her rounded voice buttering over the acoustic calypso wails with pure ease. It’s a truly stunning homage, one which I’m sure Jagger and Richards would be beyond proud of.

The EP ultimately draws to a close, however, with ‘T-Shirt’, the second track on ‘Dead Flowers’ to feature Rose merely reciting over a clapping tambourine. Spouting lyrics of lost love, it’s a whole lot more emotional than ‘Gorilla Man’, and, as she drops the tambourine to the floor at the last breath of the track, ‘T-Shirt’ closes the EP on a stripped back, restrained note, certainly leaving the listener craving more from the wonderful upcoming star that is Caitlin Rose.

Lucky for us, Caitlin is set to release a full-length album later this 2010, so keep your eyes peeled for more music from Miss. Rose very soon.

MP3: Caitlin Rose – Shotgun Wedding

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Brace yourself, readers, for it’s swiftly approaching that time of year again, when hoards of fans and paparazzi line the red carpet-laden entrance to Earls Court in order to catch the biggest stars in music attending the annual spectacle that is the BRIT Awards. Admittedly, last year’s ceremony was an absolute flop, fronted by the drab ‘comedic’ duo that were Mathew Horne and James Corden. But still, it always proves interesting fun watching a half-cut Alex Turner tumbling round making sarcastic speeches to Kate Nash. So let’s check out the recently announced nominations for 2010, to see what could possibly be in store for ITV’s censor button this year.

Pixie Lott, Lily Allen, Leona Lewis, Florence and the Machine (pictured right) and Bat for Lashes will all be competing for ‘Best Female Solo Artist’ award this year. The contrastingly XY chromosome category that is ‘Best Male Solo Artist’, meanwhile, features the ’superstars’ that are Calvin Harris, Dizzee Rascal, Paolo Nutini, Mika and Robbie Williams (pictured above), who will also be receiving, rather intriguingly, the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music’ gong on the night.

Doves, Kasabian, Muse, Friendly Fires (pictured left), and, er, JLS, are all up for ‘Best Group’, while the latter two will also feature in ‘Best Breakthrough Act’ category, alongside Florence and the Machine, Pixie Lott and La Roux. One of the more decent moments of the night, however, will go to TGTF favourite Ellie Goulding, who will be receiving a coveted nod from the half-decent ‘Critics Choice’ award for her soon-to-be-huge electropop.

But that’s not all! Dizzee Rascal, Lily Allen, Paolo Nutini, Florence and the Machine and Kasabian are all going head to head for the ‘Best Album’ gong, while Alexandre Burke, Taio Cruz, Tinchy Stryder, Cheryl Cole and wasn’t-Christmas-number-boy Joe McElderry and his track ‘The Climb’ feature among others in the ‘Best Single’ category.

But it’s not all about the Brits, oh no, with Lady Gaga, Shakira, Ladyhawke, Norah Jones and Rihanna all up for ‘Best International Female Solo Artist’, and Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Jay-Z, Michael Buble and Seasick Steve competing for the male variant. Animal Collective, Daniel Merriweather, Empire of the Sun, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift have all been put forward for ‘Best International Breakthrough Artist’, and some of these names pop up once again in the ‘Best International Album’ category, with Animal Collective, Empire of the Sun, Lady Gaga as well as Jay-Z and Black Eyed Peas competing for said prize.

So, as you can see, a typical lack of music talent across the board as usual, but hey, the BRITs wouldn’t be the BRITs without it. You can catch a repeat of the nomination ceremony on Saturday 23rd January at 3.55 PM on ITV2. The BRIT winners will be announced on Tuesday 16th February, and the show will be broadcast live on ITV. Jay-Z, Cheryl Cole and Lily Allen are among the artists scheduled to perform.

Full list of nominees are available after the jump.
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