NEW MUSIC MONDAY: The Hunna

(l-r: Ryan Valentino - vocals, Jack Metcalfe - drums, Jermaine Angin - bass, Daniel Dorney - guitars)

I stumbled across The Hunna earlier in the week, and I was struck by how unique and appealing Ryan Valentino's vocal tone is. Upbeat indie music is hard to come across, with the majority nowadays favouring a stripped back sound, so The Hunna are instantly refreshing with their easy singalongs and great dance beats.
If you're a fan of Coasts you won't be able to resist The Hunna. The similarity between them is undeniable, and The Hunna actually toured with Coasts in the past - another reason that they're gaining so much attention so quickly.
Currently in the middle of a headline tour that's completely sold out, if you want to see The Hunna in 2016 you'll need to catch them in September or October. They've already moved on from headlining the Electric Ballroom to headlining The Forum, and I can't see that trajectory slowing any time soon. They're also the can't miss band at Reading and Leeds festival: The Hunna are easily going to draw one of the biggest crowds of the day.

Listen to breakout single 'You & Me' now:

If you enjoyed that, you can pre-order debut album '100' here and join me in eagerly anticipating its release on August 28th.

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.

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: WSTR

I actually skipped New Music Monday last week, so I need to apologise for that! I didn't have a band that I was desperate to feature, so I didn't want to force myself to write a low standard post.

That's changed this week though, because I really want to introduce you to WSTR. I'm posting this from my hotel room in Hertfordshire, where I'm about to go to Slam Dunk festival - WSTR are one of my priority bands, and I'm so excited to see them in a live setting.
Comprised of vocalist Sammy Clifford, guitarists Kieren Alder and Danny Swift, bassist Alex Tobijanski and drummer Conor, Liverpool's WSTR only formed last year - it means there's not an awful lot of information about them out there on the internet!
They've had an extremely successful first year as a band though, helped along by their friendship with Neck Deep and their musical similarities to The Wonder Years and Sum 41.

WSTR released their debut EP, 'SKRWD', at the end of 2015 - I'd suggest you grab a copy, because you don't want to miss this band.

Check out the video for 'Graveyard Shift', and see if you can spot a cameo from a certain Welsh vocalist:

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.

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: The LaFontaines

(l-r: Jamie Keenan - drums, Kerr Okan - vocals, John Gerard - vocals/bass, Iain Findley - guitar, Darren McCaughey - guitar/keyboard)

When you see a band live and the second song they played in their set is still stuck in your head a week later, you know you  have a problem. You also know that they have to be featured on New Music Monday, because they write brilliant songs.
That's exactly what's happened with The LaFontaines. I only saw them last Tuesday and 'Under the Storm' has been stuck in my head ever since (you can scroll down to listen to it!).

It might seem strange that I'm featuring a band who formed six years ago, but because their debut album 'Class' has been out for less than a year, they still qualify in my eyes.
The LaFontaines have certainly made a name for themselves on the touring circuit over the years - they've supported bands such as Twin Atlantic, 3OH!3, All Time Low and The Blackout, as well as artists including Professor Green, Tinchy Stryder and N-Dubz.
That alone proves that they have a universal appeal, and with their thick Scottish accents and the rap sound they lean towards, unique is the best word to describe them. If you can find me another band like them, I'll be extremely surprised.
After performing at T in the Park in 2011 they gained a lot of positive attention, leading to them being signed to LAB Records (where they were label mates with Fort Hope, Blitz Kids and William Beckett) in 2013. They released two EPs with LAB (2013's 'All She Knows' and 2014's 'Under the Storm'), but they parted ways with the label and created their own - 889 Records - to release 'Class'. It charted at #10 in the Scottish album charts and #98 in the UK album charts - an impressive feat for a first release, and one that their relentless touring schedule definitely helped them achieve.

If you love Sam McTrusty's voice but wish he rapped a bit more, The LaFontaines will be the perfect band for you.

Listen to 'Under the Storm' here to get it stuck in your head too:

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.

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.

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Melanie Martinez

I've been thinking of featuring Melanie Martinez for a few weeks, because she's very popular in America, but hasn't received as much attention in the UK yet. With her first London headline show happening in two days time - at Heaven in London - that's likely to change: when you consider the fact that she's following it up with an appearance at the O2 Kentish Town Forum in a couple of weeks, that's already a massive growth of venue size. 

Melanie Martinez is 21 this week, and considering the fact that her debut album, 'Cry Baby', went in at number 6 on the US Billboard charts? She's already achieved a hell of a lot for her age. She was discovered on The Voice, as part of Adam Levine's team - she was eliminated after making it through to the top 6, but got signed to Atlantic Records soon afterwards (two years ago this month). After releasing her 'Dollhouse' EP, she started work on 'Cry Baby' - it was finally released last August, and she's since released a whole bunch of music videos to accompany the songs (she's announced that there will be a music video for each song on the record, and she produces and directs a lot of them herself). 

My favourite song from 'Cry Baby' is probably 'Carousel': it's creepy and has a very dark vibe to it, but it's also a major ear worm and you won't be able to get it out of your head. 

I hope you enjoyed this New Music Monday! 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.

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: John the Ghost

There's not really much to be said about John the Ghost, because the project only got launched last week, but 'Sour Grapes' is such a wonderful song that I wanted to showcase it.

John the Ghost is the side project of John O'Callaghan, vocalist of The Maine (formed in Arizona back in 2007). John launched the project on his Instagram with this announcement: 

The Ghost haunts the far corners of my head and permanently lives in a flat he built on the tip of my tongue. He is everything I wish I'd both said and done when I had the chance but simply forgot how. He isn't quite sure why he has so much to say, or if he really means much of it at all, but this is what his voice sounds like and these are his songs.

John the Ghost's first release will be a six song EP called 'Sincerely, John the Ghost', which was written and recorded in John's bedroom over the past two years. You can pre-order the EP by itself or as a bundle (including a 90 page book of prose poetry and a bookmark) here.
Listen to 'Sour Grapes', the first John the Ghost release, below:

You can certainly hear The Maine vibes in the song, but I'm excited to see how the rest of the EP sounds. It's released on April 29th, so we don't have to wait too much longer!

I hope you enjoyed this New Music Monday! 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.

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Waterparks

(l-r: Otto Wood, Awsten Knight and Geoff Wigington)

Having formed in 2011, it's already Waterparks fifth anniversary - looking at the band, you'd never be able to tell! Awsten (vocalist, guitarist) turned 24 earlier this year, while Otto (drums) and Geoff (backing vocals, guitars) are a little bit older than him, but Awsten was the one who formed the band (along with Gage Matthieu, their bassist who has since left). 

Waterparks released their EP, 'Cluster', back in January, and they've been making waves ever since. It was their third EP (following self-released EPs 'Airplane Conversations' and 'Black Light', released 2012 and 2014 respectively) but their first after being signed to Equal Vision Records in November 2015. As Gage had already departed the band at that time, they decided to stay as a trio, leaving the position of their recording bassist to be filled by none other than Mikey Way (ex-My Chemical Romance). You can feel the influences of MCR running throughout the EP, so I can imagine that was a dream come true for the band. 

Following their signing, they've worked closely with the Madden brothers, of Good Charlotte fame. Benji and Joel Madden and their managers, and Benji actually co-produced 'Cluster'. Due to their close links with the band, they supported Good Charlotte at their comeback show at The Troubadour just a fortnight after their signing to Equal Vision was announced. 

As well as performing on every date of Warped Tour 2016 - an impressive 41 shows! - they're also coming to the UK for the first time in May, headlining the Barfly in Camden on May 31st, and performing at Slam Dunk festival on the Fresh Blood stage. This will probably be your only opportunity to catch the band in rooms of such a small size, so don't pass up the chance. 

Since discovering Waterparks, I haven't been able to stop listening to 'Crave'. It has a wonderful video, but with a style sounding like a cross between Jimmy Eat World and Sum 41, it's impossible to get it out of your head - it's a real earworm! 

I hope you enjoyed this New Music Monday! 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.

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Creeper

(l-r: Ian Miles, Dan Bratton, Hannah Greenwood, Will Gould, Oliver Burdett, Sean Scott)

It's been just over a year since I experienced Creeper live for the first time, so it feels strange featuring them in a New Music Monday post - surely, if I've known about them for over a year, they aren't that new anymore? But the only requirement I need to feature a band on New Music Monday is that they have only released a debut album, and Creeper actually haven't reached that stage yet - they've released three EPs (their self-titled self-release EP back in 2014, and two on Roadrunner Records: 'Callous Heart' at the end of last year and 'The Stranger' in February) but have yet to announce a full-length debut.
Hailing from Southampton, Creeper have been attracting a lot of attention over the past 12 months. Starting with appearances at Takedown Festival and a slot supporting Moose Blood, their horror punk sound grabbed a lot of attention - it surprised no one when it was announced they were supporting Misfits, as the slot perfectly suited their darker atmosphere.
The stage that they played at Warped UK was filled to capacity - one in, one out - and there were people queuing in the area outside their stage just hoping to be able to catch a glimpse of the band in action.
Having their first line-up change at the end of last year (losing guitarist Sina Nemati, who was replaced by Oliver Burdett, and upgrading Hannah Greenwood from a touring member to an official member of the band) Creeper have had a surprisingly drama-free start to their life as a band, and the focus with these guys has certainly been on the music rather than the members. They've been together for only two years, and they've achieved this much in that short amount of time - I can't wait to see where they are this time next year, or in five years time.
With the announcement that they're playing the Fresh Blood stage at this year's Slam Dunk, I can imagine the same rule will apply there. If you're attending the festival and you want to see Creeper, you are going to have to get there early!

I prefer the sound of Creeper's first EP, but I haven't been able to stop listening to 'Black Mass' since 'The Stranger' was released.

I hope you enjoyed this New Music Monday! 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.

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: We Are The Movies

I was contacted a couple of weeks ago about reviewing We Are The Movies new EP, 'Get Busy Living...', I thought I'd combine their EP review with a New Music Monday post.
We Are The Movies were formed in 2011 in Columbus, Ohio, and are comprised of Mike O'Leary (guitar/vocals), Tim Waters (guitar/vocals), Dan McMillan (guitar), Stephen Goldstein (bass) and Bryan Overholt (drums). 

The band released their first EP, 'Ending One Moment at a Time', back in 2013, and they haven't stopped working since. It's definitely paying off, though: this year they have an opening slot on the Pure Noise tour (headlined by Hit The Lights and Seaway) and they're also playing the Road to Warped show in Alaska (with Sum 41 and Sleeping With Sirens, among others). At the moment they have just over 1,000 likes on their Facebook, and around a quarter of that on their Twitter, but by the end of the year I can guarantee that they're going to have gained a lot more attention. Unfortunately I can't go to either of these shows - being UK based has its downfalls! - which means I'm not going to know what We Are The Movies sound like live for quite a while, but hopefully there will be UK shows on the distant horizon.
If you'd like to listen to their first EP, it's available as a free download on their website.

First of all I have to say that I love the artwork for 'Get Busy Living..'. Sometimes artwork isn't a priority for upcoming bands, but this is a beautiful piece of work and that's always something I appreciate!
Featuring six songs, including intro track 'Always The Rule (Never The Exception)' which is merely a minute and a half, if you're a fan of pop punk you'll definitely find something that you enjoy on this EP. There's 'The Story So Far', which is the fastest of the tracks and sounds rather like New Found Glory. If you like subtle Christmas songs (as in, no jingling bells or choral choruses here!) then you'll enjoy 'Happy EX-mas' - it's one of those songs that you can listen to all year round, even if it is based solidly on a holiday. Then it's time for 'The Best Revenge is Living Well', which is one of the happier pop punk songs I've ever heard: it deals with the aftermath of a break up and rediscovering yourself, with the refrain "I'm finally happy" being remarkably optimistic.
As their opening tracks states, "I will confess that I've always been a bit of a cynic", but my cynicism goes through the roof as soon as I see a song is nearly six minutes long. Nine times out of ten it just doesn't work well, and the piece is draining in its length and repetition, so I wasn't too enthused when I spotted the running time of 'Temporary' (5:53). It actually ended up being the song on the EP that impressed me the most! It's on a different level, with a soaring guitar line that could easily be part of a movie score, and it feels epic. Whereas the rest of the songs are solidly pop punk, 'Temporary' transcends the label.
After 'Temporary' I was a little bit disappointed by 'By A Thread', because it was the most slowed down song for the closer. It beautifully focused the split vocal that works so well throughout the rest of the songs, but after the upbeat earlier tracks and the wonderful 'Temporary', its melancholy feeling means it slips under the radar a little bit.
I will admit, this EP is standard pop punk fare. If you've heard anything from the genre, you've basically heard We Are The Movies before. However, that's a good thing in this case! All of the members are wonderfully talented, and you can tell that they've been in bands before - 'Get Busy Living...' has a polished feeling that puts them miles above the others emerging into the scene. If these guys don't get serious recognition by the end of 2016 I'll be very surprised, because they're one of the most promising new bands I've heard in a very long time. I'm certainly going to keep an eye on them.
If you're a fan of the aforementioned New Found Glory, love upcoming pop punk bands but wish Real Friends were a little bit happier, We Are The Movies are the perfect band for you. You can purchase 'Get Busy Living...' on iTunes or at their online store.

I hope you enjoyed this New Music Monday! 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.

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Zoax

(New Music Monday is adapted from Music Monday, hosted by Lauren at Always Me)

With the news that Zoax are releasing their self-titled debut album in May, I had to feature them on New Music Monday. I've been a huge supporter of Zoax since I saw them supporting Tonight Alive two years ago, and it's great seeing them taking such huge leaps forward.

Zoax are Adam Carroll (vocals), Doug Wotherspoon (guitar, vocals), Joe Copcutt (bass), Sean Weir (guitar) and Jonathan Rogers (drums). With Adam's huge beard and dominating stage persona, he's unquestionably recognisable, but it's actually Joe that you're more likely to have encountered before: he was the bassist for Rise To Remain prior to their split, and he's a member of supergroup AxeWound, working alongside members of Cancer Bats and Bullet For My Valentine.
Zoax formed in 2013, and the fact that they've achieved so much in three years is very impressive. As well as the aforementioned slot supporting Tonight Alive, they've toured with The Qemists, We Are The Ocean and HECK, and have an upcoming opening slot on Funeral For A Friend's final tour. Last year, they played an amazing array of festivals (including Takedown, Y Not?, Havoc, Butserfest and Breakout Festival) and this year they're making their debut at Download Festival, a setting in which I'm sure they will thrive.
With two EPs under their belts (namely 2014's 'XIII' and last year's 'Is Everybody Listening?') it's about time that Zoax finally announced an album, and I can't wait for May 13th to hurry up and arrive so that it can be unleashed on the world.

Zoax released their most recent song, 'The Bad Blood', last week - check that out below.

The likelihood is that Zoax will be announcing some headline shows near the release of the album, and if you can get along to one of those I'd highly recommend it. You'll never have more fun that you do at a Zoax show, and you can never anticipate what Adam will do.

I hope you enjoyed this New Music Monday! 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. 

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: With Confidence

(New Music Monday is adapted from Music Monday, hosted by Lauren at Always Me)

(l-r: Inigo Del Carmen, Jayden Seeley, Joshua Brozzesi, Luke Rockets)

I've been thinking about featuring With Confidence, one of the newest additions to the Hopeless Records roster, for a few weeks now. They were signed at the beginning of January, so they've been on the label for just over two months, but big things are already happening for the band - in the past few weeks they've announced their own headline Australian tour and supporting slots for both The Wonder Years and As It Is. 

Formed in Sydney in 2012, With Confidence started off as a three piece comprising of Jayden, Josh, and their high school friend Samuel Haynes. It wasn't long before Inigo joined their ranks, and the guys started posting videos on Youtube. Their first single 'Stand Again', taken from their self-released EP, 'Youth', was well-received, leading to slots across Australia, as support for bands such as The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Five Seconds Of Summer. 

Following the 'Youth' EP, in January 2014 Samuel announced that he was leaving the band - his replacement, Luke, joined, forming the With Confidence that we know and love today. They released a second EP, 'Distance', in January 2015, then were signed by Hopeless just twelve months later.

When the band signed to Hopeless, they released their newest single 'We'll Be Okay', which you can listen to below: 

You can certainly see why they supported 5 Seconds of Summer, because with their summery brand of pop heavy pop-punk, they fit in perfectly with that style of band. The song is a lot of fun, and for it to be the first song they've released since being signed is very impressive.

Thank you for checking out this New Music Monday! 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. 

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: The Shapers (+ 'Reckless Youth' EP review!)

Hello, and welcome to another installment of New Music Monday! The Shapers contacted me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I could review their EP, 'Reckless Youth'. Because of how busy I was last week I didn't get a chance to post the review, so I thought what better way to introduce you all to the band than by doing one big bumper post?

So without further ado, meet The Shapers:

(l-r: Nicolas, Anthony and Benoit)

The Shapers are a pure pop-punk band currently calling Toulouse, France, their home. Formed back in 2009, they gained a lot of early attention by touring - particularly in China and Indonesia, where they played for the first time in '11 and have since returned to twice.
The guys won a competition for being the best upcoming band back in 2013, which led to a North American tour with NOFX and Pennywise, but having also shared stages with The Flatliners, Gnarwolves and Silverstein, they've had some illustrious support slots so far.
Because they're from France they've obviously toured their home country extensively, but they're currently planning their first visit to the UK and it will not be coming a moment too soon.
The band released their debut album, 'Everybody Needs To Have A Dream', back in 2012, and they've followed it up with 'Reckless Youth', the EP which they released on the 26th of February.

Kicking off the EP with 'Can't Forget' (scroll down to watch the video for the track) is a perfect start: The Shapers call themselves pop-punk, and they prove it perfectly in three minutes. There's moments where it becomes almost dubstep in the middle, which is an inclusion I wasn't expecting, but with the "I can't forget, I can't forget" chant it's impossible not to get it stuck in your head. I can imagine this song working brilliantly in a live environment with an audience, and that's a good sign - The Shapers have toured so much that they definitely know how to write with a crowd in mind.
This is also demonstrated in 'Secrets', whose Good Charlotte-esque sound will get everyone up and dancing without a second thought. It's a little less frantic than 'Can't Forget', which makes it easier to appreciate the music - this isn't an unconquerable wall of sound (which I've heard from some pop-punk bands, believe me) but really shows off the nuances of the instruments and the skills of all of the members.
The grungiest song out of the six is 'Another Chance', which has a much heavier introduction than any of the other songs - it's another sound that they've conquered and have been able to add to their arsenal, which makes this a very unusual EP - it's diverse, but with Anthony's inimitable voice (complete with his extremely strong French accent on specific words, something I love) it's unapologetically The Shapers. This band know what they're doing and they're sure to gain many more fans by being brave and performing a range of tracks: they're all different, compared to some pop-punk bands who have ten songs that all sound the same. There are still some standard, stereotypical inclusions, such as the quieter section in the middle that then kicks back in double-time, but it feels tongue-in-cheek and fun rather than a super serious decision.
The biggest surprise for me is 'Lonely Moments', which is two minutes of acoustic guitar: a little interlude to split the EP. The first half of 'Reckless Youth' is frenetic and powerful, hardly pausing to take a breath, whereas 'Lonely Moments' takes it right back to the bare bones of the music and sounds utterly beautiful. It's a brave move, but it shows another side of the band and it's a wonderful difference.
Following it up with 'No Regrets', which also starts off acoustically, is a great way to segue back into the EP - it shows of Anthony's guitar playing skills, but it also shines a light on his vocal that wasn't there on the opening three songs. This band is not a one-trick pop-punk pony: they have range, and they will go far if they keep using it in such an effective way.
Closing track 'Youth Disaster' is definitely the most powerful song on the record, with the chorus "I know I can get through the worst time, I grab on to music to survive" sure to resonate deeply with any listeners and be a song that a lot of people can easily relate to. It almost feels like a reply song to blink-182's 'Stay Together For The Kids', as it includes lyrics like "When I'm home my parents fight, I'm a punching bag" and it's musically reminiscent to blink in a really appealing way. The song ends with a split vocal that sounds beautiful, and it's a brilliant ending to one of the most varied EPs I've ever listened to.
I hadn't listened to The Shapers until they sent me their EP through, but I'm not going to forget them any time soon.

The band released 'Can't Forget', the opening track, at the end of last year, and it has a wonderful video to accompany it:

Interested in hearing 'Reckless Youth' for yourself? It's available on iTunes, so don't delay in checking it out!

If you'd like to hear more from The Shapers, visit their Youtube channel as it has a few of their older songs available for listening. You can also follow the band on Twitter, find them on Facebook, or check out their website.

If you have a band and you'd like to be featured in New Music Monday, you can contact me on Twitter or through my contact page. Thank you for checking out this post, see you next week!

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Zibra

(New Music Monday is adapted from Music Monday, hosted by Lauren at Always Me)

After seeing Zibra supporting Bring Me The Horizon on Thursday, there was no question in my mind that I needed to feature them on New Music Monday this week.

(from l-r: Russ, Sam and Ben)

Zibra are a band from London who are certainly making a name for themselves. From the aforementioned slot at the BRITs week show, to a song on the FIFA 16 soundtrack, it's not going to be long before these boys are a household name.

The reason they're so appealing is because they're just so damn fun. Too many bands nowadays take themselves seriously and make it difficult for fans to get on board with them, but Zibra are doing exactly the right things. 

Zibra have only been actively uploading music for just over twelve months, and I actually can't find much information about when they formed - based off of the ages of the members, I'd say it hadn't been very long at all. That just makes their emergence into the public consciousness that much more commendable.  

With their newest single, 'Wasted Days', gaining mainstream radio play and a lot of attention, it might be worth you listening to it now: 

If you don't feel like dancing right now, there's something seriously wrong with you!

If you'd like to hear more from Zibra, you can find all of their songs on their Youtube channel. You can also follow them on Twitter, or find them on Facebook.

If you have a band and you'd like to be featured in New Music Monday, you can contact me on Twitter or through my contact page. Thank you for checking out New Music Monday, see you next week!

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Cold Summer

(New Music Monday is adapted from Music Monday, hosted by Lauren at Always Me)

Hello everyone, and welcome to the third installment of New Music Monday! This week, I'm featuring Cold Summer, who contacted me early last week to give me a special sneak preview of their upcoming music video, 'A Time Imagination Forgot To Inspire'.

Cold Summer, comprised of Dan Feast on vocals, Chris Harrison on guitar, Chris Hepworth on bass and Justin Eastwood on drums, only formed in late 2011, but the band have already self-released two EPs ('Transitions' and 'Wake') and a self-titled full length album. This DIY attitude is extremely commendable, and when you combine that with the fact that they managed to completely book their own album release tour - the devotion and passion of this band is impressive.
2015 was a quieter year for the band, as they took time away to write the new music that has gone on to become their newest EP, 'Fight To Survive', which is releasing on April 1st. As the band sent it through to me I've already had a quick listen and I definitely liked what I heard - I'll be reviewing it in depth closer to the release date, but these guys are certainly one to watch if you like your music with a bit of grit to it.

Because 'A Time Imagination Forgot To Inspire' is only becoming available to the general public on Friday, I've listened to their back catalogue and chosen a favourite to feature on this post, which ended up being 'A Is For Arson'. Check that out below...

You can instantly see why the band have had slots supporting bands such as Funeral For A Friend, because their post-hardcore sound combined with Dan's unique vocal tone certainly throws things back to the early 00's. The post-hardcore scene has been getting neglected recently, and it's nice to hear a band doing things the proper way.

When the video for 'A Time Imagination Forgot To Inspire' is released on Friday, I'm going to be featuring it on a post: I'll do a little single review and post my thoughts about the video, so check back for that later in the week!

If you'd like to find out more about Cold Summer, you can follow the band on twitter or find them on facebook.

If you have a band and you'd like to be featured in New Music Monday, you can contact me on twitter or through my contact page. Thank you for checking out New Music Monday: I hope you like Cold Summer, and I hope you have a great week!

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Against The Current

(New Music Monday is adapted from Music Monday, hosted by Lauren at Always Me.)

Welcome to the second installment of New Music Monday! This week I've decided to cover Against The Current, who are opening for All Time Low on the Back To The Future Heart's tour starting in Cardiff on Wednesday.

Against The Current (l-r: Daniel Gow, Chrissy Costanza, Will Ferri) have been gaining quite a lot of attention over the last year, and for good reason. They're one of the most recent signings to Fueled By Ramen, the label who boast Paramore on their roster, so they've been favourably compared to the band. As well as both have female vocalists, they also started the bands when they were just fourteen years old, so there's a definite mirroring there.
Hailing from Poughkeepsie, the same state that homes We Are The In Crowd, Against The Current are constantly overwhelmed with comparisons to other bands, but vocalist Chrissy Costanza is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Her vocal is extremely powerful, but it's her unflappable personality and faultless charisma that really boosts the band to the next level.
This is the fifth year that the band have been together, and they've been gaining a fanbase rather swiftly using their Youtube account: ranging from their first single to their popular covers, there's really something that will appeal to everyone over there.
Before releasing their debut EP, the six track 'Infinity', the band dropped from five members down to three - losing original members Jeremy and Joe - but the trio seem to have solidified their bond with their relentless touring schedule (you can view their previous tour dates here, and it's an impressive list), and it wasn't long before they were releasing a follow-up EP last year, 'Gravity'.
The band have a fairly large following in the States, partly thanks to co-headlining the Glamour Kills Spring Break tour last year with Set It Off, and with a high profile slot supporting All Time Low at arenas around the country it's not going to be long before Against The Current become a big deal over here too. It's definitely worth giving them a listen.
Their newest song, 'Running With The Wild Things', was only released three days ago, and you can
hear that below:

Against The Current's debut album, 'Our Bones', is released on May 20th. You can find the band on twitter here, and you can also follow Chrissy, Dan and Will on their individual accounts.

If you have a band and you'd like to be featured in New Music Monday, you can contact me on twitter or through my contact page!

NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Away Days

(New Music Monday is adapted from Music Monday, hosted by Lauren at Always Me.)

I got bored doing Friday playlists (I know, I only lasted about six months, but it's hard to think of playlist subjects weekly!) so I've decided to start participating in a new weekly feature on the blog.
However, instead of playing by the Music Monday rules, I'm adapting them and turning them into New Music Monday.
New Music Monday is going to be a way for me to give new and upcoming bands some well-deserved exposure. You might not have heard of these bands, but if you keep coming back you're going to discover some absolute gems.

So, for the first week of New Music Monday, there was no choice in my mind that I had to feature Away Days.

If you've heard of Blitz Kids, it's likely that you'll recognise the members of Away Days (l-r: Matt Freer, Jono Yates and Nic Montgomery). The band called it a day in July last year, but Jono soon announced that he was already working on new music, and it wasn't long before it came to light that Matt and Nic were also involved in this mysterious project.
That work resulted in Away Days, who officially launched on Friday with their debut song, 'Messiah'. Announced on Rock Sound's website, the band have already put the song up for free download from Soundcloud, so I'd sincerely recommend that you get your hands on it over here.
With lyrics that could fit perfectly in the early 00's emo genre ("I've given up looking for the one, she's not out there, so I'll spill my heart out in a song") and an instantly infectious clapping rhythm to start the song off, I'm already anticipating Away Days announcing some live shows. Jono Yates vocal is a powerful one, and I'm glad that he's finally become the frontman, because he has some serious talent.
What are you waiting for? Go and listen to it already!
You can find out more about Away Days and follow their updates on the band's twitter, and you can follow Jono, Nic and Matt over there too. It's likely that they'll be releasing more songs over the coming months, so it'll be better if you get on board earlier rather than later.

If you have a band and you'd like to be featured in New Music Monday, you can contact me on twitter or through my contact page!