'Unbecoming' by Jenny Downham

*This review will contain spoilers!*

"I'm not myself." Mary rubbed the back of her neck with the palm of her hand as if she had a headache. "Every morning I think I can do things, and by the afternoon it turns out I can't." 

When I found out that Jenny Downham was releasing her first novel in five years, I was determined not to read it straight away. 'Before I Die' and 'You Against Me' are two of my favourite books of all time, and it had been so difficult to cope for five years with no new releases - I wanted to wait until there was another one on the horizon before reading this one.
Alas, I have no self control. That, combined with the fact that I decided to read every book on the YA Book Prize shortlist, meant that it didn't take me too long to start 'Unbecoming', but I took my time reading it and I savoured every moment.
'Unbecoming' is a story about family, secrets and finding who you really are. Following three generations of one family, it's a great exploration into how the past affects the future, and how forgotten memories can be just as painful as the ones at the forefront of your mind.
Katie's grandmother, Mary, suffers with dementia. When her boyfriend dies Katie's mother is contacted to take Mary in, despite the fact that they've always had a strained relationship and have been estranged for the majority of Caroline's adult life.
Katie is happy to finally get to know her grandmother, even going so far as to volunteer to care for her during her summer holidays, despite the fact that her life is in a bit of a rough patch. She's struggling with her sexuality after kissing her best friend Esme, her father had an affair and her mother is trying to control her life, dictating what she'll do at sixth form and university. She focuses on trying to help Mary to take some of the pressure off, trying to fill in her 'blue blanks' - the gaps in her memory that cause her extreme amounts of pain - and attempting to figure out the puzzle that is her relationship with Caroline.
Meanwhile, Caroline tries to get Mary taken off of her hands as quickly as she can be. She contacts social services, and quickly starts planning visits to care homes, even though Katie protests and declares that it would be unfair. Mary left Caroline with her sister, Pat, when she had only just been born, before returning when Caroline was nine and taking a more hands on role in her life - because of this their relationship has always been very difficult.
It's hard for Katie to work out everything that happened in their past, because Mary can't remember and Caroline won't communicate. She snoops and pries, eventually uncovering some huge secrets in her attempt to get her mother to forgive her grandmother after all these years. In the process she finally understands that the truth can set you free, and she finds herself.
I'm struggling to review this one, because I loved the story and the characters but I wasn't too sure on the way it was told. I liked the fact that there were retrospective chapters filling in Mary's past and giving her memories, and I really fell head over heels in love with Katie and her confusion over whether she liked Simona - the waitress in Mary's favourite cafe, and the only openly lesbian person in her school - or whether she wanted to be her (I used to think the same thing about my girlfriend, so I relate to that feeling!). However, the book is told in the third person so that it's easier to switch between Katie and Mary, and sometimes it was disconnecting - I struggle to find a flow with books told in the third person, particularly when they also feature flashbacks.
I did appreciate the fact that Mary's story was told on an equal billing as Katie's, though. This wasn't just a teenager struggling with her grandmother's dementia, this was a woman trying to deal with the fact that she was losing her memory and that the words she'd always loved - writing letters to Pat and Caroline every day for years - were betraying her. It was heartbreaking, and I feel as though I understand a lot more about dementia than I did before I read this book: I didn't realise that it had such degenerative physical symptoms as well as the loss of memory, which makes it that much more upsetting.
For a book that dealt with so many different things (the stories of three characters, as well as Chris (Katie's brother with special needs), gaining autonomy from your family, mental illness and sexuality) it was wonderful - there wasn't too much of one aspect, and it wasn't overwhelming even though there was a lot going on. If the perspective had been different it would have been a five star book, because I cared about everything that was going on - I really wish I could have given it five stars, but I found it too jarring! If you're a fan of the third person perspective, I really think this is the perfect book for you to read, it was just my personal preferences that put me off of this one.
I'm already looking forward to Jenny's next book: hopefully it won't be another five year wait!

The Summer Set - Thekla, Bristol, 10/05/16

It's been a few years since I last saw The Summer Set, but their show was one of the most fun I'd ever experienced. You can beat a good pop punk show, especially when the singalongs are so catchy and addictive. 

So when they announced their new album 'Stories For Monday', and the tour that was coinciding with it, I was ecstatic that I'd be able to make it to one of the dates. I was even happier when I found out they were doing VIP packages that included a two song acoustic set before the show!

The band only flew in the previous night, following a headline show that they performed in California, so they were quite understandably exhausted. The acoustic set only featured Brian Logan Dales and guitarist John Gomez, with the other members of the band coming out to hang out with everyone after the two songs had been played.
Everything was running behind schedule (the entire evening ended up half an hour behind the planned stage times!) but they still took the time to explain the meanings behind the two songs that the crowd chose: 'When the Party Ends' and 'All My Friends'. Brian hailed 'When the Party Ends' as a sad song, but noted that a lot of their fans call it the most romantic song that they've ever written, while he joked that 'All My Friends' was about "every girl I thought it was a good idea to date", sharing that he wrote it with his friend Sean Foreman from 3OH!3. The last line in the song is "Promise that this is the last time that I listen to my friends", but Brian jokingly changed it to "the last time that I play this song on a boat" - Thekla is one of the only floating music venues in the world, so it's certainly a different venue to play.
Both songs were performed beautifully - the band have been together for nine years, so that's hardly surprising, but an acoustic environment means that you're completely exposed. For them to be as good as they were the day after flying all the way from America? That's the sign of an extremely talented band, and I'm glad that I was there to experience it.

Setlist:

When the Party Ends
All My Friends

I hadn't heard of SYKES before they were announced as support, but I really enjoyed their indie-pop sound. They lent a very chilled out vibe to the evening and were the perfect way to start off the night - particularly as their set started off relaxed and became much more energetic towards the end, naturally getting the crowd moving.
Sometimes with opening acts they try too hard too quickly, putting the most frantic songs at the start to hook people, but I think the way that SYKES crafted their set was ingenious. The first two songs ('Chances' and 'Gold Dust') were very laid back, perfect for driving late at night or playing in the background on a long summer evening. As a lot of the audience were still getting let into the building (doors opened half an hour late, despite the fact that it was pouring down with rain) they didn't miss the exciting aspects of the set, and instead it drew the audience in before hooking them later on with songs like 'Lifeline'. The most captivating moment of the evening was definitely the song after 'Lifeline', of whose title I'm not certain - vocalist
I haven't been able to find a few of the songs they played in their set online - I'm not sure if they're brand new, or if I'm looking in the wrong place, but if you attended the show and can give me any more of the titles please leave them down in the comments. The songs that I can't identify were actually the ones that I enjoyed the most, which is why I'm wondering if they're new - it shows a development in the style and sound that will get them more attention.
I was surprised at the fact that SYKES were from London, because they definitely seem like an American band - they have that confident, cool attitude that you often don't find in UK indie acts. They're already gaining quite a lot of attention in the states, which is probably how they secured this support slot (as well as their position on Warped US for the entire summer!) but I think this tour could do wonders for raising their profile in their home country. 

I've popped the lyrical segments that I managed to catch during the show into the setlist gaps - hopefully I'll be able to fill it in sooner rather than later.

Setlist:

Chances
Gold Dust
- (Want You Tonight)
Lifeline
- (Let's Go)
- (Grave Mistakes)
Best Thing

I'd nearly forgotten The LaFontaines existed: I saw them opening for The Blackout nearly four years ago, and they only released their debut album, 'Class' last year. Forming in Glasgow back in 2010, The LaFontaines have been taking their time - but this year they followed the album with their first release for Record Store Day (the double A-side single 'Paper Chase/Class') and it's solidly marked them as ones to watch.
If you haven't heard of The LaFontaines, they're a unique and almost indescribable band. Having two vocalists isn't rare these days, but when one of them (namely Kerr Okan) adds a reggae-rap style that rivals The King Blues, and their co-vocalist (John Gerard, who is also the band's bassist) has a tone that's smooth as silk... It's a combination to be reckoned with.
I wasn't sure how the crowd was going to react. I mean, compared to The Summer Set and SYKES, The LaFontaines are definitely the odd ones out on this pop-heavy billing, both due to their rap sensibilities and their heavier sound. But John is taking more of a shared approach to the vocal than he used to, and that adds to the appeal of the band's sound. Kerr's full-on rap assault can be a bit daunting, but having the catchy choruses to break up the wall of sound is relieving - particularly on 'Under the Storm', in which John stole the show.
Even the older material received a really great reaction. I could remember 'Pon de Floor' from the last time I saw them, which surprised me - I didn't think my memory was all that great! - and the instantaneous jumping proved that while a lot of people might not have known who they were, they had easily converted them into fans. Compared to SYKES with their chilled style, and The Summer Set who are pros at the catchy singalong, The LaFontaines were the band who got people dancing and easily warmed everyone up.
Kerr also had the crowd laughing throughout their set, because he's a very funny frontman. As I mentioned earlier, Thekla is actually a boat - Kerr apologised in case he became sick during the set, claiming that he was "very fucking seasick" (despite the fact that you really can't feel the boat moving) but he insisted, shouting "it still feels like it's rocking to me, so clear the way!". He also promoted the fact that the band were selling merch (including the leftover stock of that RSD vinyl I mentioned earlier... Guess who caved and bought pretty vinyl?!) but the crowd at the back of the room were talking too loudly, so he shouted "the people at the back are talking and this is the most important speech!" getting a lot of laughs from the audience. Despite the fact that it was obvious a large chunk of the room weren't paying attention, Kerr didn't let it phase him - I've never seen anyone happier to be on a stage, based off of his beaming grins. Taking multiple pictures during closer 'Shark', it was obvious that Kerr wasn't taking it for granted - neither were the rest of the band, because they were trying hard and playing brilliantly, not wasting a moment.
They might have been taking things slowly for the past few years, but I wouldn't be surprised if big things started happening for the band following this tour. It's exposing them to a wide range of new listeners, and their style and sound went down a treat at this first show: if the rest of the tour dates go as brilliantly, I think this tour belongs to The LaFontaines.  

Setlist:

Slow Elvis
Under the Storm
Class
Pon de Floor
Junior Dragon
King
Castles
Paper Chase
Shark

I will admit, I didn't listen to 'Stories For Monday' before I came to this show.

"But Alyce, you were only just saying how excited you were about it!"

I know, I know. But I thought it might be nice to hear the songs for the first time in a live environment, so I could really experience them. The band have been quite vocal about the fact that this album nearly didn't exist because they officially broke up for a couple of weeks last autumn, so I thought I'd wait to see the songs that saved them in action on a stage.
The acoustic set earlier in the evening was a wonderful treat, and hearing the new songs acoustically was brilliant, but they work best how they were originally intended: catchy riffs, insane drum beats and Brian Logan Dales using his voice to its full potential.
As soon as they opened with 'Figure Me Out' - the song that they used to launch the new album - I had chills. It's definitely a song that unites people and it's easy to relate to ("I believe there's more to life than all my problems, maybe there's still hope for me to start again") but hearing everyone screaming the words back was an intense moment.
The main thing you need to do at one of The Summer Set's shows is sing along. Okay, it's also nice if you dance and have fun, but their lyrics are crafted to be screamed to, particularly when you look at songs like 'Jukebox (Life Goes On)', 'Chelsea' ...and 'Boomerang', even though the band hate the song and Brian announced it with "Let's get this one out of the way!". Even the new songs were getting a brilliant reception, which is impressive when you consider the fact that the album was only released just over a month ago: the reaction didn't dampen during 'The Night Is Young' or 'All My Friends', and if I hadn't known better I would have believed it was older material. The Summer Set write instant classics.
There's no doubt in my mind that the real hero of this evening was drummer Jess Bowen. She was in a car accident two days ago after their show, didn't have time to see a doctor before the flight, and was playing the show last night before her appointment today. Being a drummer, she needs her arms and back to be in good condition, but she was in a lot of pain! I was surprised she managed to make it through as many songs as she did (I'd been expecting a lot more of their set to be cut), and Brian praised her for being "up here and kicking your ass" despite her injuries.
They took out a couple of their newer songs, but because they'd already fitted so much in (as well as the three mentioned earlier, they put in 'Change My Mind', 'Jean Jacket' and 'Missin' You') it was still a wide range of songs from the new album, and I know I'm going to love listening to 'Stories For Monday' in full. All of the songs appeal for different reasons: there are the emotional ones that you can really feel, the ones you can sing and dance to, and the ones that are so repetitive I'm experiencing earworm syndrome from one listen.
The Summer Set are definitely clever when it comes to putting a setlist together. They're touring the new album so that took the priority, but they managed to squeeze in songs from all of the other albums that they've released - none of their eras were neglected, and they definitely play songs that the fans want to hear as well as songs that they want to play. I don't think I've ever seen a band happier to be on stage (particularly guitarist Josh Montgomery, who was proud to announce that the UK was his favourite place in the world).
I had to miss the last song and a half of their set to get to my train, but I've got it on good authority that they finished with 'Lightning in a Bottle' without stopping to go off stage before their encore, so it was a different show - hopefully Jess will be feeling better and the rest of the UK tour will go without a hitch.  

Setlist:

Figure Me Out
Jukebox (Life Goes On)
Boomerang
The Night Is Young
The Boys You Do (Get Back At You)
Rescue
Maybe Tonight
When We Were Young
All My Friends
Chelsea
Heart on the Floor
Change My Mind
Jean Jacket
Legendary
Missin' You
Lightning in a Bottle

TOP FIVE WEDNESDAY: Top five characters I'm most like

(Top Five Wednesday was created by GingerReadsLainey. Find out more at the Goodreads group!)

Whenever I'm reading a book, I always find that I'll connect more with one character than all of the rest because we have similar personality traits. I really loved these books, and that was mostly because I could see myself in the characters.

5) Lara Jean Song

I also used to write letters to the people I loved in an attempt to get my emotions out and understand my feelings better - the only difference is that I was stupid enough to send them on purpose! 

4) Alaska Young and Miles Halter

I relate to Alaska because of her obsession with reading and her depression, and I relate to Miles because of his unrequited love and the surety of his emotions. I see myself all over this book.

3) Faith Sunderly

I only read 'The Lie Tree' a few days ago, but I really related to Faith. She's a strong feminist and she doesn't believe that boys should be allowed to do anything that girls can't, despite the fact that she's living in the Victorian era. 

2) Toria Bland

Toria moves to a new school and falls head over heels in love with the lead singer of a local band. That sounds just like something I would do! But she then starts experiencing feelings for her best friend, Polly - it's a rollercoaster, but I relate to it so well.

1) Ivy Milbourn

All Ivy really wants to do with her summer is read. She has a male best friend and she doesn't want anything to happen between them. She takes everything to heart and doesn't think she's good enough for anyone, no matter how hard she pushes herself, because she doesn't have an innate and undeniable talent. I'm very much like Ivy.

I hope you enjoyed this Top Five Wednesday! What character are you most like?

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Ten non-bookish websites I love

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish!)

This topic is probably my least favourite Top Ten Tuesday I've ever participated in. I mean, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU VISIT WEBSITES THAT WEREN'T ABOUT BOOKS?!
It was only finding myself face to face with this topic that made me realise that book blogs and websites have taken over my life in an unprecedented fashion. So I set myself the challenge of finding ten sites that could go on this list... It was actually a lot of fun to explore the internet more than I normally would.

10) Episode Calendar

You can personalise your own TV watching calendar, so you can see at a glance exactly what new episodes are being released each day. You can then tick off the episodes as you watch them, so you know exactly how far in you are!
This site was a revelation for me. I would forever be starting new shows and forgetting about them a couple of episodes in, but now I keep up to date!

9) Twitter

I was trying not to include Twitter/Facebook or emailing sites, because they're just standard fare really - everyone wastes their time replying to emails or refreshing their feed to see which of their old school friends is getting married/having a baby/has a new dog.
But Twitter is a bit different, because I find so much of my news on there. With the reverse chronology of the feed, breaking news is very easy to come upon - Twitter was invaluable for providing information during the Paris attacks last November, and is a great tool to find news on awards nights (particularly for the Oscars!).

8) Pinterest

Pinterest is one of those sites that I SHOULD be addicted to. It should have taken over my life at this point, with the wide range of pinboards that you can create and follow. However, I don't find myself using it actively all that much - I just scroll down and look at all of the pretty pictures for hours on end.

7) Flavorwire

Okay, so Flavorwire DOES have a book section, but I mostly visit them for their film and TV content - any new shows being announced, renewals or cancellations, they'll be able to tell you straight away.

6) Oh! That Film Blog

I only found this site this week, but I'm already so impressed by the attention to detail and the consideration that goes into each of their film reviews. If I'm not swayed by the promotional material for a film I don't generally mind seeing spoilers if it will convince me to go and watch it - I think this site will come in handy in the future.

5) Comics Alliance

This is another recent discovery, but I'm already head over heels in love. I know it's kind of almost a bookish website, but I think the content is just so fascinating - particularly this insightful piece regarding the lack of big screen LGBTQIA+ superheroes.

4) AltPress

If you're interested in the rock music scene, this site is a must. As a UK reader, AltPress introduce me to hundreds more unknown and exciting bands than any other publication.
As well as having a great site, AltPress is a monthly magazine.

3) Rock Sound

The UK's version of AltPress.

2) Subeta

I don't use Subeta as much as I used to when I was younger, because it takes up a lot of time, but it's basically the teenage version of Neopets. Their pet designs are beautiful, as are the different colours that you can change your pets into.
My favourite part of Subeta is definitely Morostide - their version of Halloween - in which you can go hunting in the Pumpkin Patch for rare items, and you can Trick or Treat (or egg or toilet paper) other users!

1) tumblr

Come on, who doesn't use tumblr?! I can spend hours every day scrolling down and reblogging to my heart's content. I also use it to keep track of all of the bands that I've seen live, updating my concerts page regularly. 

You can visit me here, but be warned: it's mostly filled with my band obsessions and comic book characters!

I hope you enjoyed this list of non-bookish sites! Other than this blog, what sites do you regularly haunt?

'The Lie Tree' by Frances Hardinge

*This review will contain spoilers!*

'There was a hunger in her, and girls were not supposed to be hungry. They were supposed to nibble sparingly when at table, and their minds were supposed to be satisfied with a slim diet too. A few stale lessons from tired governesses, dull walks, unthinking pastimes. But it was not enough. All knowledge - any knowledge - called to Faith, and there was a delicious, poisonous pleasure in stealing it unseen.' 

You must have heard of 'The Lie Tree'. If you say you haven't, I won't believe you. This the first children's book to win the Costa Award for book of the year since 2001 (when Philip Pullman won with 'The Amber Spyglass', which was the first children's book to win EVER) so it really is a massive deal.

Set in 1868, 'The Lie Tree' tells the story of 14 year old Faith, who wants to be a natural scientist just like her father, the esteemed Reverend Erasmus Sunderly. He's been one of the leading names in his field since he discovered a fossil that proved the existence of the Nephilim - a human shoulder blade with a wing affixed - and it's for this reason that we join Faith and her family on a boat on their way to the island of Vane, where her father has been called in to assist at a new dig site.
However, Faith is a girl, and these are male dominated times. Faith needs to keep her interest in the sciences concealed, as it would be improper for a girl to want to know about those kinds of things. Her little brother, Howard, is encouraged to visit the dig site and view the caves - Faith is only allowed to go with him because he's scared of going alone. It turns out he has good reason to: the mining basket that they travel down in has a weak chain, and it snaps and nearly hurtles the Sunderly siblings to their deaths.
Everyone thinks it must have been a terrible accident, and it's lucky that the foreman, Ben Crock, had the foresight to attach guy ropes before the children went down. It convinces Myrtle, Faith's mother, that she should definitely not be attending such a dangerous place, and Faith's first visit to the dig site quickly becomes her last.
The Sunderly's settle quite well into the community, becoming fast friends with Dr. Jacklers and Clay the curate (even though Paul, Clay's son, and Faith definitely do not get on). Myrtle is a social climber, so she quickly establishes herself high up the hierarchy in the local ladies, exhibiting her power by being cruel to her staff members (particularly Jeanne the housemaid and Mrs Vellet the housekeeper) and using every possible moment to mention the fact that she was born in London, which is a much more desirable place than Vane, a tiny little island.
However, it doesn't take long for the tides to turn. Faith discovers a newspaper article in her father's possessions - there are claims that his Nephilim fossil was fabricated, the result of gluing two separate fossils together. Faith wonders if her family has fled to Vane to avoid the scandal, and when a newspaper arrives and spreads the gossip around the island she's quickly proven right. Myrtle is shunned, and the local shopkeepers all refuse to serve them. To make matters worse, her father had gin traps installed around their property to capture trespassers: a young boy of Faith's age gets trapped, causing damage to his leg that further aggravates the close community.
Then, one night, Faith's father asks her to help him out with something. He has a plant that needs moving to a more secure area, and he overheard Faith mentioning some sea caves in the cliffs nearby - he wants her to help him transport the plant over there in a little boat. The sea is rough and it's nearly midnight, but Faith agrees: she'll do anything to help her father, because the opportunity arises so rarely. When the plant is in place and they return to the mainland, he says he has someone to meet and sneaks off - it's the last time Faith sees him alive, because the next morning she finds his body halfway down the cliff.
Myrtle is distraught, certain that her husband has committed suicide due to the scandal, so she does everything she can do to cover up the circumstances in which he was found. However, Faith knows her father - and she knows that he had a gun in his pocket when he was going to his mystery meeting - so she's certain that something else must have occurred, something much more menacing...

Normally, when it comes to murder mystery novels (particularly ones for young people!) the culprits are so obvious that I just want to cry. It's predictable, and boring, and you're wasting all of your time watching the detective run around like a headless chicken when you just want to shout "LOOK! IT WAS HIM, YOU MASSIVE IDIOT!". But Frances Hardinge is a very clever writer, and the murderer is not obvious at all - I found it extremely surprising, but when I flicked back through the book all of the clues were there. This means 'The Lie Tree' is very satisfying as a story, with a plot that hooks you and a killer you just can't wait to unmask.
However, that's not the only reason that this is now one of my favourite books - a big claim but a true one!
This is a book that will appeal to everyone. Faith is only 14, so it can appeal to older and more mature readers of the middle grade genre, but I also think it will appeal wonderfully to adult readers. Because Faith fights against prejudice and sexism, it carries a brilliant feminist message, and she's extremely mature for her age - she is a character that it's impossible not to fall in love with.
It feels as though this book will become a classic. It hasn't been out very long at all, but you can feel that it has a good potential for rereads - I think there's a lot of clues that you'd only notice on the second or third read through - and because it's set in the past it's not going to age badly.
That's another thing that I love about 'The Lie Tree'. It's obviously a historical novel - the 1800s are rather historic! - but it's also a crime story and has aspects of magic in the form of the tree itself. It's so hard to pigeonhole this book, because it can appeal to a very wide range of readers AND it ticks the boxes of multiple genres. It's difficult to find a book that can do that, and it's even rarer to find one that does it successfully and doesn't sacrifice the integrity of the story.
Faith also doesn't have a love interest! I adore YA novels that don't focus on love stories - particularly when the main character's father has just been murdered - so that was a big relief. But despite the fact that there isn't a love interest, friendship is a big focus in the novel - particularly the friendship between Faith and Paul Clay, who she has a rivalry with in the beginning but ends up needing to trust.
I just think this is a book everyone should read. I don't think I can recommend it enough. I wasn't sure I was going to like it - I nearly read it just after it came out, but something made me put it back, and I only chose to pick it up this time because I'm attempting to read the entire YA Book Prize shortlist. So the fact that I fell in love with it and read it in just two sittings (and it's taken me a few days to write this review, because I didn't know how to word how much I loved it!) was something I wasn't expecting.
The story behind the tree - a plant which grows fruit only when you whisper a lie to it and the lie circulates around a wide group of people - is such a unique concept, it's mind-blowing. The way Faith utilizes the tree is ingenious, but I won't say too much about that because it's much better to see it developing. I haven't read any other novels by Frances Hardinge, but if they're all as individual and beautifully crafted, I definitely need to hurry up and get around to one of her six other books.
If you like strong female characters, read this book. If you like surprising twists, read this book. If you like reading, read this book.
JUST READ THIS BOOK!

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Colour Me Wednesday

(l - r: Camela Pietrangelo (bass), Harriet Doveton (guitar) and Jennifer Doveton (vocals))

A few weeks ago I had an email recommending Colour Me Wednesday's new EP, and as soon as I heard it I knew I had to wait for it to get nice and sunny before I featured them. 'Anyone and Everyone' is the epitome of summer - it's a pop EP stuffed to the brim with indie-vibes, and will definitely appeal to fans of Coasts, Vampire Weekend and Haim.

Colour Me Wednesday have already released one album - 2013's 'I Thought It Was This Morning' - and contributed to a split album with Spoonboy back in 2014. They've now been signed to KROD Records to put out this release. 

'Anyone and Everyone' is only a four song EP, but it's brilliant. I hadn't heard of the band before, but it's definitely grabbed my interest and convinced me to dive into their back catalogue. I was particularly impressed by 'Horror Story', the shortest song on the EP (coming in at under two minutes) but also the one that exhibits the most potential for where the band could go next, really standing out from the other three tracks. I also enjoyed closer 'In Your Shoes', with the repetitive hook that certainly gets itself stuck in your head.

Listen to 'Horror Story' below:

I hope you enjoyed this New Music Monday - see you again next week!

If you have a band and you'd like to be featured next week, you can contact me on Twitter or through my contact page.

Promoting Swindon shows!

You might have noticed that there was no New Music Monday this week. That's because I decided to treat myself to a day off for the bank holiday. Instead, I've decided to feature a rather exciting post shining a light on some upcoming shows in my local area.

I live in Swindon, and we've had some brilliant live bands perform in our town over the last twelve months (such as Moose Blood, Decade and Kristopher Roe from The Ataris) and the promoters at Sheer Music have brought my attention to a couple more really exciting shows that are rapidly approaching. If you're in the Swindon area, you need to go along to at least one of these!

Despite Everything - Level 3, 12/05/16

Coming to Swindon NEXT WEEK, we have Greek rockers Despite Everything. Performing at Level 3 (previously The Furnace), their brand of punk rock will definitely get you moving - most of their songs are under 3 minutes! If you're looking for a fun Thursday night out, and a way to bring the weekend that little bit earlier, Level 3 is the place to do it. If you haven't heard of them, what are you waiting for? You can hear their new album in full here.

Despite Everything's support, Bruce Willis, is not the Bruce Willis that you'll be thinking of - instead, they're a punk band from Brighton. You can hear some of their releases on their Bandcamp, and I think their grunge sound will definitely translate well into a live environment. 

Recreations. - The Vic, 13/05/16

Also next week, Sam Duckworth will be bringing his newest musical project, Recreations., to Swindon for the second time in a matter of months. Last time he opened for himself, but this time he's bringing along some friends for the ride, namely Sean McGowan and Rob Lynch. 

As soon as the show was announced I grabbed tickets: come on, it's Sam Duckworth, he's a brilliant musician and his live shows are legendary. I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to see him again. However, having Rob Lynch on the bill is a massive bonus -I saw him supporting All Time Low last March, and I've been wanting to see him again since. 

I hadn't actually heard of Sean McGowan before, but he's a 22 year old singer/songwriter from Southampton who's been touring solidly for the past 5 years. I'm sure he must put on a great show with that much experience under his belt.

You can purchase tickets for this show here: don't hang about! What better way to spend a Friday night?

Gnarwolves - Level 3, 17/06/16

Last, but most certainly not least, I'm giving you a bit more notice on this one, because Gnarwolves are returning to Swindon next month. They've been to our town a handful of times over the last year or so, and I've sadly missed all of their visits: I live a busy life, okay!

While I'm excited to see Gnarwolves, I'm probably most pumped about the appearance of Rain on this line-up. A hometown success story, they're making waves following the release of their recent EP, 'Symphony Pains', being announced at festivals such as Fieldview and Dot To Dot. If shoegaze is your kind of thing, you're missing out if you haven't given Rain a listen. 

Broadbay have released a couple of EPs - most recently 'Living Room', which you can hear here - but I really like the sound of their first release, 'Demo(n)s', from back in 2014. Just looking at their Facebook page, you can see that they've already got themselves a pretty solid fanbase due to their live performances. I bet they'll make a few new fans in Swindon, too.

The third and final support, Crows-an-Wra, describe themselves as a progressive punk band, but with the shouting spoken word they have a heavier vibe to their sound. Their most recent release, 'Kakotopia', was only put out in January, but they've been uploading music to their band camp for over three years at this point. I particularly appreciate their psychedelic EP artwork. 

This show is the week after Download, so attending is reliant on me surviving my first proper rock festival... Fingers crossed I'll see you there. You can purchase tickets for this show here: £10 for 4 bands is an absolute bargain!