[AlbumOTD] Random Hand - SEETHING IS BELIEVING

Artist: Random Hand

Genre: Metal/Punk/Ska

Location: Keighly, West Yorkshire, UK

Label Type: Indie

Record Label: Bomber Music

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/randomhand

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/randomhand

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/randomhand

Seething is Believing is the third studio album from West Yorkshire’s Ska Punk band Random Hand. Released on March 21^st this year, this is without doubt the band’s best album yet. They have progressed without moving away from their musical roots keeping the same blend of punk rock and ska, but simply improving it.

With their previous two albums, Change of Plan and Inhale/Exhale, as a listener you lose attention towards the end, but with this album, each song brings something different and keeps you gripped throughout.

The album itself is focussed very much on the band’s strong left-wing political views. It seems as though they have become more confident in their own political views than in years gone by and this shows as they express these views more freely and more assertively on the record. The album is one which attracts listeners from ska, punk and metal backgrounds, and one which gets better and better with every listen. They continue to fuse fast pace ska riffs and heavy guitar licks with aggressive vocals demonstrating their hard-hitting ska infused political punk.

‘Tales of Intervention’ sets the tone with the familiar sound of angry hardcore and brassy riffs, synonymous to the sound of Random Hand. The intelligent lyrics in this tune are heartfelt and as mentioned before are politically based, with lines like “we’re ambassadors to no one” they state their intentions and they are here to be heard! ‘Not A Number’ is another great tune illustrating their ska side, while ‘Three From Six’ becomes a real hardcore mash-up, one sure to get the metalheads head banging in approval. Yet arguably the best track on the record is ‘Bones’, which takes elements from both sides of the equation. The Final track on the album titled ‘Find What’s Out There’ is available to download for free; alternatively you can purchase the album which is out now!

Overall, the record stays strictly to the ska punk guidelines and even though they could have added a little more creativity and innovation it is bound to be one of the finest UK skacore albums this year. Hopefully this album means that in the near future the band get the appreciation they so richly deserve.

Check out Random Hand when tonight they begin their tour with The King Blues and Sonic Boom Six for what is sure to be a cracker! As is this wonderful video for 'Not A Number':

Matthew Evans

[ArtistOTD] The Relay Company

Artist: The Relay Company
Genre: Electronica/Pop/Rock

Location: San Jose, California, USA
Label Type: Unsigned

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheRelayCompany

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/therelaycompany

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/therelaycompany

The Relay Co. were originally formed in 2006 under the name ‘The Day’ by brothers Adam and Stephen Mariucci who write and record all their songs. Lead guitarist Jonathan Fernandez and drummer “Skinny” Jake Pooser have since joined the band, but the drummer slot was previously been filled by Lachlan Franckx for the bands 1^st album, whilst Ryan Rosendin has also played guitar for the band in the past. TRC are a pop rock group with great vocals and lots of talent and over the years have performed with the likes of Gym Class Heroes, OK Go, and on 25^th March will be supporting Good Charlotte. They do all their own recordings and produce their own music videos independently whilst continuing to exhibit supreme effort and determination as they aim to pursue a successful career in the music industry. The band continually strive to incorporate fresh and new ideas into their sound as well as continuing to aspire in being a positive influence for the youth of today with their catchy guitar riffs solid drum playing. 

August 2009 saw the release of their self-titled debut album, consisting of just 8 tracks. The song ‘Run’ is one which begins as a soft song, but overtime becomes an upbeat Pop song, while ‘Little White Lie’ and ‘I’ve Been Screaming’ are also highlights of the record. The latter uses a lot of piano to create the melodies, while the vocals of lead singer, Adam Mariucci supply catchy lyrics to match the bouncy beats.

The album titled ‘X’ was the bands next release in December 2010. Of the 9 tracks, ‘Marco Polo’ and ‘Love Me Hate Me’ are the two which possess official videos whilst there is an unofficial video for ‘Remedy (La Da Da)’. However, ‘Out Of Time’ is highly regarded by some to be the best track on the record, integrating a great blend of heavy guitars and hard dance-like synth lines. This particular song demonstrates more than most, the likeness of the vocals to pop boy bands, in particular, N Sync.  

In February 2011, the band released a cover of the hit single by American pop star, Ke$ha titled ‘We R Who We R’. Their version stays pretty close to the original but through simply replicating the beat with live instruments they have done an incredible job and have turned a truly awful song into a bearable and even enjoyable one!

The band strike a very similar sound to that of Fall Out Boy, especially the sound created from their 2008 album ‘Folie à Deux’. There seems to be an increasingly large number of bands within this particular scene, and they’ll have to do a lot to stand out as a pop rock band. Nevertheless, TRC seem to be heading in the right direction but there’s still a lot of work to be done for one of the US’s up and coming pop rock bands! 

To give you a sample of TRC, here is the video for 'Marco Polo':

Matthew Evans

[ArtistOTD] I Haunt Wizards

Artist: I Haunt Wizards

Genre: Electro/Alternative/New Wave

Location: Brighton, England, UK

Label Type: Unsigned
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/IHAUNTWIZARDS

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ihauntwizards

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Haunt-Wizards/38075542293

Souncloud:http://soundcloud.com/ihauntwizards

I Haunt Wizards are a two-piece band from Brighton in South England. The previously three-pronged group now consists of Helen Kirby and James Lavelle. Formed in 2007, they deliver a fantasy-like approach to music. There are no obvious bands that you could draw comparisons to, but they do produce beats similar to those of Partyshank. IHW are heavily influenced by their childhood and there seems to be an obsession with the supernatural, illustrated by such song titles as ‘Alien Mothership’ and ‘Vampire Aids’. Their sound is based predominantly on a combination of keyboards and synths as well as Kirby’s dreamy vocals. Her vocals produce a ‘’bunged-up’’ yet somewhat sexy sound to their music. IHW may be known to fans of UK metalcore group, Bring Me The Horizon for remixing the single ‘Diamond’s Aren’t Forever’. This was included in the Sheffield-based bands cut up version of their own 2008 album, Suicide Season.

IHW have written and recorded many different songs since their formation in 2007 but only released their first EP, ‘Fountain of Youth’ in September 2010 which was made available as a free download via soundcloud. The songs that stand out the most from the six-track offering are arguably the first two. Track one is the sparkly and electro-style ‘I Am Not So Evil’. Although relatively vague, the lyrics offer a seemingly existential explanation of life, questioning their own personality in which they struggle to dismiss the idea of them being a bad person. This is followed by the wonderful ‘Peter Pan Complex’, a far more bouncy and sharper tune, the meaning of which is pretty much summed up by the chorus line; ‘you’re much meaner than I thought’.

Prior to this release, the band had released the single, ‘Flowers Bloom’, on Ear Candy Music. The single also comes with a ‘Witty Boy Remix’ of the song as its B-side. The A-side is a love song showing a side of the band more in tune with reality. It has a more mainstream pop sound, but still retains the electro beats. 

Hopefully, in the near future the duo gets the recognition they deserve and reap their just rewards.

Feel free to check out their MySpace or Facebook, and download the EP for free on their Soundcloud!

Matthew Evans

[ClassicTuneOTD] Neil Young - HEART OF GOLD

Artist: Neil Young
Genre: Folk, Singer/songwriter
Location: Torronto, Canada
Label: Reprise
Label Type: Major
Website: http://www.neilyoung.com

This classic tune is one that will get anybody’s foot tapping. Its another masterpiece from one of the best songwriters the World has ever seen. Born in Canada, Neil’s career has spanned for over 40 years and he has released an immense 34 studio albums. He is still going strong and his performance at Glastonbury in 2009 was packed with energy and certainly rivalled performances from the rest of the lineup including Springsteen and Blur.

‘Heart of Gold’ is one of his most memorable tunes. The lyrics describe a man’s search for love and happiness and are deeply personal which has become a typical feature of a Neil Young classic. This song has arguably one of the most recognisable intro’s with thumping acoustic guitar and wailing harmonica line. You can’t help but sing along and tap your foot.

Neil Young still tours regularly and you can keep up with his latest concert dates at www.neilyoung.com.

John Dignam

[ArtistOTD] Unchained Breathing

Artist: Unchained Breathing
Genre: Deathcore/Metalcore
Location: Limburg, The Netherlands
Label Type: Unsigned
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ubnl
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/unchainedbreathing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Unchainedbreathing

Today's artist of the day is Unchained Breathing, an unsigned deathcore band from Limburg, NL. Over the last three years this group of rag tag ragamuffins have grown to become one of Limburg's most well known bands. Managing to build a steady fanbase, they currently tour all over Europe, playing alongside bands such as Blindsight, Sworn Enemy and Forget to Forgive among others. Their first offering, I Force Myself, provides a fantastic insight into this band's potential. While the members of Unchained Breathing are unable to drink in the USA, they've managed to create a surprisingly well developed sound.

Arguably their worst song is The Hudson, despite being a technically fantastic song, with Niels Kuchta and Dimitrie van Dijk combining stupendously to create a heavy and atmospheric vibe, they are let down by some amateurish vocals. Although versatile, Conner van Dijk finds it hard to steer the line between fog horn and terrified pig in oinking for dear life in the near frozen Hudson. Fortunately, his vocal performance improves greatly in Buried Between the Dead and the Fall, a more upbeat song with a faster tempo. Buried Between the Dead and the Fall brings to mind Obscura's masterpiece album, Cosomogenesis, although Unchained Breathing still have a little way to go before they could be put into the same league. Pull Here for the Parachute, is a darker, heavier tune. Although the occasional pig squeal reminds you that your listening to a group of Dutch 19 year old's, Pull Here for the Parachute once delivers a great listen for the educated pallet. Unchained Breathing are definitely a band to look out for in the future, it would be a great shame if they were confined to the back alleys of Limburg for many more years to come. 

Reviewed by Sam Barnett

[TuneOTD] The Joy Formidable - WHIRRING

Artist: The Joy Formidable

Genre: Rock/Indie/Alternative

Location: London, England, UK

Label Type: Major

Record Label: Atlantic Records

Website: http://www.thejoyformidable.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/joyformidable

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thejoyformidable

Whirring is the second single from The Big Roar, the debut album from North Wales’ finest, The Joy Formidable. Originally released as a one off single back in 2009, this new version comes complete with extended, accelerated and ultimately brilliant coda. In a time when most indie bands are made up of gap year students (usually with band members called Rupert or Henry or some other upper class twatish name) The Joy Formidable are a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stagnant scene. The all out assault of the music collides perfectly with the enchanting vocals of front women Ritzy Bryan. Whirring manages to be fabulously catchy and hard hit at the same time. Whirring follows the quiet/LOUD formula of The Pixies, while at the same time infusing the sonic audacity of My Bloody Valentine. The Joy Formidable have lived up to the promise of early singles such as Cradle and Austere, and have produced by far their finest single release to date.  The Joy Formidable are also a ferocious live band and can be seen supporting Manic Street Preachers on their arena tour in May.

Tue 10 - London Koko

Thur 12 - The Great Escape Festival

Fri 13 - Hamburg Markthale with Manic Street Preachers

Mon 16 - Dublin Olympia with Manic Street Preachers

Wed 18 - Llandudno Cymru Arena with Manic Street Preachers

Thurs 19 - Wolverhampton Civic Hall with Manic Street Preachers

Sat 21 - Cardiff CIA with Manic Street Preachers

The album The Big Roar is out now

Whirring is released on the 4^th of April

James Shingler

[TuneOTD] Arctic Monkeys - BRICK BY BRICK

Artist: Arctic Monkeys
Genre: Indie/Rock
Location:  Sheffield, England, UK.
Label Type: Indie
Record Label: Domino
Website: http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/arcticmonkeys
Myspace: www.myspace.com/arcticmonkeys

Arctic Monkeys are back with the mundane and soulless track, Brick by Brick. Having left Uncle Josh’s pocket the boys have inherited the ‘Clones of the Stone Age’ influence of their last album Humbug. Whilst the biased fanboys will devotedly defend the track and the band, Brick by Brick  attracts criticism as Alex and Co have failed to return to what once made them a great British band.

What made them great was not the anti-social behaviour that they promoted in their first album or the rebellious words in their second but the raw and masterminded lyrics and unique themes that were relevant to the audience. All that this new track brings is a sombre and uninspired chorus (the constant repletion of “brick by brickkkkkkkkkkkkk....” quickly wears thin) which conforms that the Arctic Monkeys have lost their way on their early sound and substituted the rebellious fun for a more serious approach.

The song opens with a punchy opening guitar riff that immediately disappoints fans of the earlier albums as we learn that they completely abandoned the spirit of what made them originally great. Musically the song isn’t bad and this would fit into well with another band but it just doesn’t fit into what we desire in an Arctic Monkeys song. When will they learn? We want an Arctic Monkeys album, not an attempt to emulate Franz Ferdinand who, let’s face it, are in no position to be flattered by such imitation. Any compassion we may have quickly diminishes as soon as Matt Helders opens his gob. Alex Turner has stepped aside on the verse to allow the drummer to have a turn, instantly bringing a slighter grittier tone to the song.

The song is rumoured to be just a teaser of what the album, due in June, has to offer. This presents a conundrum for the fans which will still remain divided by the Arctic Monkeys: is it better to have this bollocks as part of the album or better to have an album full of this that can be cast aside as we return to what was?

Suck it and See!

Andy Belcher

[ArtistOTD] Shirt Boys

Artist: Shirt Boys

Genre: Vigilante/Punk/Indie/Pop

Location: Halifax, England ,UK

Label Type: Unsigned

Website: http://shirtboys.weebly.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shirtboys

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/shirtboys

Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/shirt-boys

Here at Twitter Tunez, we aim to promote unsigned artists and try to help give them that big break. This band are one of number we have looked at, and with a little bit of publicity and guidance, they can go a long way to reaching their full potential.

The Shirt Boys consist of Chester and Blueshirt and were formed in the Big Six pub in Halifax in September 2009. Originally envisioned as a modern day, more British version of the A-Team, their services were engaged by a female friend in order to 'deal with' a male acquaintance who was essentially stalking her. Over some fine ales, they decided to write a theme tune.

Upon realising that they were basically rubbish at being vigilantes, they decided to concentrate on their music and released the cunningly titled "Shirt Boys" as a free download. This was followed up by it's righteous counterpart "Dub Boys".

In October 2010, the Shirt Boys released a free download Halloween single "I'll trick or treat YOU" which has become a firm fan favourite, straddling, ska, dub, 70s standup and garage rock.

Last Christmas time, their only commericial venture to date – “Coalition Christmas(we’re all in it together)” – a savage attack on the current political situation, received impressive local radio coverage – and is still available through itunes.

Be sure to check out the Shirt Boys on any of their social networking sites!

(P.S we at Twitter Tunez are as yet undecided as to whether the Shirt Boys are absolute geniuses or complete lunatics either way they are one of the most interesting new artists we have heared in a long time)  

TT

[TuneOTD] The Vaccines - IF YOU WANNA

Artist: The Vaccines

Genre: Rock/Indie/Alternative

Location: London, England, UK

Label Type: Indie

Record Label: Colombia
Website: http://www.thevaccines.co.uk

Twitter: http://twitter.com/thevaccines

MySpace:  http://www.myspace.com/thevaccines

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevaccines

The Vaccines were voted third in BBC Sound’s 2011, and on current form it is unlikely that they could overtake Jessie J as she continues her assault on the Top 40 album and single charts (yet let’s be honest she did it for the MONEY MONEY MONEY!). Yet their release of 'If You Wanna' will add fuel to the fire for the indie faithful, it will only disappoint genuine new music fans. Compared to Post Break up sex and Wreckin Bar it struggles to hit the high notes, and compared to the rest of the Top 40 it is a breath of fresh air. Whether an attack on the charts is their ambition, and a shout out from Fearne ‘the devil women’ Cotton I hope not, yet compared to the promise, this single struggles to live up to previous attempts and hopeful fruits of the recently released album.

This week saw the release of debut album What did you expect from the Vaccines?, well to be honest we expected better. The constant repetition of the chorus in the single is pleasant up to a point, but the drones of the pre-chorus and bridge make me think of what Radio 1 used to be. Zane Lowe, I’m sure will rate it highly, but who cares for him anymore. The Vaccines can go in one of two directions from their present position. They can fall into the background of indie hype/promise like The Courteeners or come out of 2011 shining. Pleasant listening to Radio 2 indie or geography teachers it is. It may be re-vamped and updated from old demos and according to guitarist Freddie Cowan and singer Justin Young ‘thinking they’ve nailed it’, I disagree. The Vaccines played at Cardiff Students Union this year as part of the NME UK Tour, and stole the show. If you want your summer to be full of hopeful promise then check out The Vaccines at all major summer festivals, and supporting Arcade Fire at Hyde Park this summer.

Check out the video below:

Patrick Allinson

[TuneOTD] Sonic Boom Six - NEW STYLE ROCKA (ft.Tonn Piper)

Artist: Sonic Boom Six

Genre: Punk/Hip-Hop/Ska/Reggae

Location: Manchester, England, UK

Label Type: Indie

Record Label: Rebel Alliance
Website: http://www.sonicboomsix.co.uk 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sonicboomsix

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sonicboomsix 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sonicboomsix

'New Style Rocka' is the latest material from UK band Sonic Boom Six. This is the first piece that the band has written since their 2009 record City of Thieves.

The introduction to the song is provided by an infectious riff from the guest vocals of Tonn Piper. On this track, he brings a new and interesting dimension to the usual sound of SB6. The Manchester outfit have moved more towards their hip-hop roots, and away slightly from the ska and reggae style they are also accustomed to. However, front woman Laila Khan continues to deliver her characteristic upbeat vocal squeaks. The chorus has a cheesy and pop-like feel to it, while the verses allow Barney Boom the freedom to express his influence on the hit. Though the chorus might not be welcome to SB6 purists, it’s one that is sure to get the crowd singing along in live performances. Piper brings a jungle type feel to the record, a style that you would expect to hear from an MC at a drum and bass/dubstep rave. This particular collaboration seems to have to worked on this track, and could be something that the Boom could look at doing again in the future.

In addition to this tune, Sunny Side of The Street is one which is strongly rumoured to be released in the near future as a single for their upcoming album.

New Style Rocka is to be released on March 28^th, and you can check out the brand new video below!

Matthew Evans

[ArtistOTD] The Skints

Artist: The Skints

Genre: Reggae/Dub/Alternative 

Location: East London, England ,UK

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theskints

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theskints

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theskintsuk

The Skints are a four-piece reggae band from East London and can also be described as ska, punk, dub, alternative, rock etc. The East Londoners showcase a wealth of talent, incorporating a vast array of instruments. As well as being a terrific singer, the multi-talented front woman Marcia Richards is equally comfortable playing a saxophone, a flute, a keyboard, an organ or even a melodica amongst other things. Complimenting Richards are the rock-steady reggae vocals of guitarist Josh Waters Rudge working in tandem with that of the sublime and soulful vocals of drummer Jamie Kyriakides and the tangy bass of Jonathan Doyle. 

The quartet had been a band, touring and writing for a couple of years before releasing the simply majestic debut album, Live.Breathe.Build.Believe. Short and sweet, the 10-track record (plus a hidden track) portrays a wonderful exhibition of classic reggae and ska-style riffs. Right the way from the phenomenal vibe given by Mindless via the outstanding Complications Of The Modern Rudeboy to the wonderfully poetic Roanna’s Song, this record is flawless! The hardcore mash-up integrating the saxophone in Complications Of The Modern Rudeboy is nothing short of spectacular, a real highlight of the record. Roanna’s Song is a really meaningful and emotional tune, and Mindless is the real curtain raiser, preparing the listener for a sign of things to come. The spine of the album comes in the form of the astutely named Culture Vulture as well as Murderer and Bright Girl. These three songs in particular show off the bands springy ska side where they feel most at home. Culture Vulture is all about sticking it to the ska purists who ignore the existence of the punk-ska fusion, and where Bright Girl is happy and upbeat, Murderer is quite the opposite, but just as graceful in its own way. Get Me presents a passionate challenge to the youth of British society and Change The Channel illustrates the bands diversity, integrating heavy dub beats as well as a flute! The band have progressed immensely from their initial EP from 2008 and this is illustrated by the masterful rework of Sociopath. This album can be described as a ska-punk or punk-ska album, but whatever the genre, it is supreme! After just one album, The Skints have already established themselves as one of the big-hitters in the UK reggae-punk scene.

After much anticipation following the first album, The Skints returned in late 2010 with a new single titled Up Against The Wall. This is not dissimilar to the material of the debut album in that when you listen you can’t help but want to move your feet and skank to the brilliant beats. You can check out this track below.

Up to this present day, The Skints continue to tour and write new stuff, and I’m sure there is a second album brewing on the horizon. Keep an eye out, they are definitely one to watch!

Matthew Evans