Myspace Magic: Midnight Playground

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Once again, NME-Europe returns to Liverpool for their latest MySpace Magic featured artist. Midnight Playground are a four piece with a deep sound and have started to make a name for themselves on the local scene. Here's what we were able to discover...

NME-Europe: Who are you and how did you come about?
MP: Hi I'm Martin (lead singer of Midnight Playround and guitarist). I met the other guitarist (Andrew) in secondary school and then we just started jamming and writing songs for a bit fun. But then we both thought 'these songs are too good to be just for fun' ;) so we decided to look around for new members to fill the line up. We asked a good friend of ours Chris (Bassist) to join then it was just the tree of us. We've been through a fair amount of drummers and changed our sound a lot and in the end we decided to ask a college friend of mine to play drums and he jumped at the oppurtunity. So, Midnight Playground were born!

NME-Europe: What's the reason behind your name?
To be honest I actually don't know where the name come from. Andrew is the one who named the band and we thought it sounded good so we stuck with it.

It is quite a smart name, I must admit.

NME-Europe: The dreaded question. Describe your sound!
MP: When we've played live a lot of people have described and compared our sound to the likes of Echo And The Bunnymen, Editors, White Lies, The Smiths, Joy Division, Talking Heads and just mainly that post punk vibe, which is great to be compared to. Personally, I think there are lots of different influences floating round because we all like different music and it just all comes together to produce what I think is a new creative sound.

NME-Europe: You haven't released anything yet. Is there anything in the pipeline?
MP: We are planning on releasing a 4 or 5 track e.p. Hopefully we will have something released in the summer maybe closer.

NME-Europe: What's your favourite album at the moment? Can you remember which particular band/album/track got you into music?
MP: Hmmm, my favourite album at the moment would be Mumford & Sons album because it's just epic! Either that or Paramore's new album but I'll just say Mumford & Sons to look cool!

In terms of initial music experiences, it was probably the likes of Luther Vandross, Sam Cooke and everything Motown because of my mum. But what started me playing guitar and actually writing music would have to be Bruce Springsteen, notably his 'Born To Run' album.

NME-Europe: Finally, what can we expect from Midnight Playground in the coming months?
MP: We hope in the next 12 months that we're still writing brilliant songs and hopefully be giging all over the UK and slowly building a fan base. It would also be nice to record a full album!

Well, there are a lot of objectives there to keep driving Midnight Playground on. I suggest you have a look at what they have to offer on their MySpace page.

NC

Last 5 NME-Europe interviews:
The Savalas (Rome, Italy)
The Pin-Ups (Manila, Philippines)
Buzzradio (Liverpool, UK)
The Manse (Liverpool, UK)
A Number Of Fires (Liverpool, UK)


Read all NME-Europe interviews

Myspace Magic: The Savalas

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Following our extensive coverage of the SOS4.8 Festival, normal business is resumed with a return to our MySpace Magic feature. The latest band to hog the limelight is The Savalas, an alternative rock band from somewhere in Italy. Having been tipped off by another recent myspace magic band, BuzzRadio, NME-Europe decided to find out more....

NME-Europe: Buongiorno - that's as far as it goes. Who are you and how did you come about?
Sav: The Savalas is an Italian alternative rock band that started in 2005 from the ashes of different bands of our area : Dasazert, an alternative metal band and Dissectional, a Tool tribute band. We're from San Gemini, a nice medieval town in the woods not far from Rome.

At present the core of the band is two people: Me (Clito), on vocals and Giangi on drums. We are currently rebuilding our live line up, which will also include a bass player, a guitar player and a jack-of-all trades on samples, keyboards and guitar.

NME-Europe: What's the reason behind your name?
Sav: We just wanted a name who could represent our ironic side, and so we decided to honor one of our movie heroes, Telly Savalas. We had the idea watching an old Kojak episode. That man was a complete genius.

I resist the temptation to ask about lollipops...

NME-Europe: Dare you describe your sound? Tell us about what has influence you.
Sav: Our music explores a great variety of musical territories and atmospheres in a free and peculiar style.
Our influences are too many to quote: from Faith No More to Tool, from Jane's Addiction to The Beatles, from Fela Kuti to traditional chinese music, lots of music but also literature, visual arts. We also pay close attention to social issues, and it's the case in our next album.

A wide-range of inspirational sources there!

NME-Europe: Your 'next' album? What are your releases to date?
Sav: Up to now we have released two EPs, Hot Dog for Frank (2006) and Plastic Pills for Happy Passengers (2008).

We just recorded our first album, Pornocracy, under the Californian sun. It features some of the greatest alternative musicians such as Nick Oliveri (Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Mondo Generator), Martyn Lenoble (Porno For Pyros, Jane's Addiction, Dave Gahan) and Scott McLoud (Girls Against Boys, Paramount Style) alongside Massimo Pupillo (ZU, Mike Patton) and Xabier Iriondo (Uncode Duello, Afterhours). The album is produced by Alex Pappas (ex Finch) and supported by the American label, Above Ground Records.

An impressive line-up...
Yeah! It was amazing how these people accepted to collaborate with us, only on the basis of the songs we sent them.

NME-Europe: Have you got any gigs lined up to promote the album release? Who would you choose as your support artist?
Sav: We're still looking at gigs. If we could ideally choose an artist (cue dream mode!!!) it would have to be Jane's Addiction or Nine Inch Nails, not for the show but the party girls backstage.

Hmmm....

NME-Europe: What's your favourite album at the moment? And if you look back, can you remember which particular band, album or even track got you into music?
Sav: Giangi's favourite album right now is the last jaga jazzist, my favourite one at moment is MGMT and The Beatles Remasters. Giangi's original influence was Faith No More, whilst it was Queen who got me going.

NME-Europe: Finally, tell us about your objectives/prospects for next 12 months?
Sav: Well, ideally we'd like to find a European partner label, release and promote the album, book and play a tour in the U.S and in Europe and in general spread Italian Pornocracy across the world...

For now, readers can check out a couple of their tracks and a video about their imminent release, Pornocracy.

NME-Europe would like to thank Clito from The Savalas for taking the time to talk to us and wishes them the very best with the album release.

NC

Last 5 NME-Europe interviews:
The Pin-Ups (Manila, Philippines)
Buzzradio (Liverpool, UK)
The Manse (Liverpool, UK)
A Number Of Fires (Liverpool, UK)
My Raining Stars (Lyon, France)


Read all NME-Europe interviews

Myspace Magic: The Pin-Ups

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Photo courtesy of The Pin-Ups

The latest MySpace Magic feature takes us about as far away from Liverpool as possible. This week we visit the Philippines to find out more about The Pin-Ups, a quartet whose clean-cut pop has definitely made a good impression at NME-Europe. They also seemed to take a liking to us "NME without the taint of corporate oppression? I like!", so it seemed only natural to find out a little more.

NME-Europe: NME-Europe had to check it's passport validity to get to you guys! Please let the readers know a little about The Pin-Ups.
PU:  We're from Manila. We've been signed to Know-It-All Records and Sutton Music Group in the U.S. and have also been included in a compilation under Manchester's Baby Boom Records. Mitch Singson and Raffy Bonifacio alternate on drums (depending on whoever is free!) Ryan Nachura plays lead guitar, Tanya Singh recently replaced Jennifer Tan on bass and vocals (she emigrated to the States) and Mondo (Castro) tries to sing.

NME-Europe: The Pin-Ups? A little vain, don't you think?! What's the reason behind that name?
PU: Well, we used to be called The Pin-Up Girls after Jennifer's Bettie Page T-Shirt. 

It seems logical that the 'girls' bit was dropped seeing as though the 'girls' account for only 25% of the line-up (although, many would argue that's enough!)

NME-Europe: What do you sound like?
PU: A lot of people have cited the 80s post-punk, 90s indie sound in our tunes. We love The Cure, Echo And The Bunnymen, The Smiths, Railway Children, Travis, Oasis, The Stone Roses, etc..

A fine pool of artists to draw influences from. There are currently nine tracks available on their MySpace player, so why not have a listen yourselves and see what you think?

NME-Europe: What are your releases to date?
PU: Well, there's Hello Pain (a full album), Taste Test EP, Taste Test: Expanded Menu, All Seats Are Taken and three other compilation albums (from Sony Music Philippines, Baby Boom Records and Jim Bean). We are currently recording an EP.

NME-Europe: How about The Pin-Ups live? Have you got any gigs lined up? And who would you YOU choose to support you, given the choice?
PU: We're playing at one of Manila's best 'holes-in-the-wall' - Route 196. If we were to choose a band, it'd be someone from Manila... either Valet Parking, Paranoid City or The Lowtechs!

NME-Europe: You talked about a lot of 80s and 90s influences, but what's your favourite album at the moment? Can you remember which particular band/album/track got you into music?
PU: Mondo's favourite album of all time is The Stone Roses' debut. My first album was Tears For Fears' 'The Hurting' and it had a profound effect on me.

Hmmm... non-committal on any current albums, then.

NME-Europe: Finally, what can expect to see from The Pin-Ups over the next 12 months or so?
PU: Well, we're playing with a new bassist so we need to get comfy there. There's also the new EP we mentioned, which will be mixed and mastered by Kramer, who's also worked with Galaxie 500 and Low to name a couple.


Seems like The Pin-Ups have a lot on their agenda right now. NME-Europe would like to wish them all the very best and thanks them for taking the time for talking to us. Popping out to see them live might not be an option for most, but a visit to their Myspace page is only a click away.

NC

Photo courtesy of Eddie Boy Escudero

Last 5 NME-Europe interviews:
Buzzradio (Liverpool, UK)
The Manse (Liverpool, UK)
A Number Of Fires (Liverpool, UK)
My Raining Stars (Lyon, France)
Christopher Young (Birkenhead, UK)


Read all NME-Europe interviews

Myspace Magic: BUZZRADIO

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Photo courtesy of BUZZRADIO

This week's MySpace Magic feature takes us once more to Liverpool. NME-Europe has been aware of BUZZRADIO for some time now, making mention of their music as long ago as March 2009. There have been a few developments with the band lately, so we decided to formally introduce them to our readers. Here's what Jason (keyboards) had to say.

NME-Europe: So, things have changed a little since we first heard of BUZZRADIO. Can you bring us up to speed on what's been happening with Buzz Radio?
BR: Since we last featured on NME-Europe, a lot has happened and changed with BUZZRADIO. We now have a new line-up, which includes new incorporations Jev on lead guitar, Andy on bass guitar, and Joe M on drums. I remain as the keyboard player and Joe S is still the lead vocalist and guitarist.

NME-Europe: Will a change in line-up bring about a change in sound?
BR: In a way, the change in line-up will bring about a change in sound as they are better musicians than the previous line-up that we had, so if anything, I would refer to it as more of an improvement in sound. I wouldn't say that any two of our songs sound the same in any department, so I wouldn't exactly call it a change in sound in terms of our direction.

NME-Europe: What's on the agenda for the band at the moment? I believe you have some gigs lined up?
BR: That's right. We will be performing live on The Masque Stage of The Liverpool Barfly on Saturday, April 3rd, along with gigs at The Underground Live in Manchester on Saturday, May 29th and BadFormat! in Liverpool on Friday, June 4th, which is a gig which I am especially looking forward to, as there will be two special guest DJs, Paul Gallagher and Alan McGee who discovered Oasis!

We have also just confirmed two gigs at The International Pop Overthrow (IPO) Festival 2010, which will take place on Tuesday, May 25th at The Cavern Club (Main Stage) at 10:30PM and Bank Holiday Monday, May 31st at The Cavern Club (Front Stage) at 2:30PM. The IPO Festival showcases bands not just from Liverpool, but from around the world from such countries as America; Canada; France; Italy; Germany; Spain; Sweden; and more. You wouldn't necessarily get the opportunity to see such a wide variety of bands perform live otherwise, so I recommend a visit!

There are a few gigs which we are also in the final stages of confirming, so stay tuned for more details on them and our current gigs on our MySpace profile.

You can also see details on the NME-Europe gig calendar. 

NME-Europe: What about new material? Will we see a release this year?

Photo courtesy of BUZZRADIO
We have new songs in the set list, which I really can't wait for our fans to hear live at our upcoming gigs! The new set list is a mixture of the old and new, and as time goes by with our new line-up we will be able to establish a lengthy set list in the near future.


We have recently had two photo shoots, which both went extremely well, and the pictures can be found on our MySpace and Facebook. Our MySpace profile has a new look to it, which I would have to say thanks to Jev for working with me on it and his contributions, as we worked at it for four hours straight after we completed the second band photo shoot.


There is building work going on at the moment in the place we rehearse at, and it is to install a recording studio into one of the three rehearsal rooms, so this leaves the door open to there perhaps being a new release this year, and it certainly would be great to record an album with previously recorded and unrecorded material with the new line-up.


You can check out seven of our songs and an American radio ad on our MySpace page.

As a special favour to NME-Europe, Jason has sent over 7 tracks to be showcased directly on this page. I think most readers will enjoy this little playlist, a real Northern Brit-sound on show. Without further ado, may I please introduce you to BUZZRADIO, a hard-working band who are certainly going places.

NC.

Photo courtesy of BUZZRADIO

Last 5 NME-Europe interviews:
The Manse (Liverpool, UK)
A Number Of Fires (Liverpool, UK)
My Raining Stars (Lyon, France)
Christopher Young (Birkenhead, UK)
Four Dead In Ohio (Shoreditch, UK)



Read all NME-Europe interviews

Special Feature: The Temps

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It was back in November when NME-Europe first got a taste of Liverpool's The Temps, a group who make music for girls to fight to (their words not mine). Since then they have been hard at work in the recording studio and have recently added a new track, 'The Lesson' to their player.

At the time, NME-Europe made mention of the band's garage-punk approach and nothing appears to have altered much on this new song. Brash, almost aggressive, 'The Lesson' is a clear example of why I was beaten into submission first time round. Lead singer Joey Wainwright's vocals are as frantic as the riffs - subtlety is not their strong point!

The Temps also have a busy schedule ahead, with no less than a dozen gigs lined up in the north-west over the next month and a half, perhaps the most notable being their appearance with Robots in Disguise at the O2 Academy in Liverpool on March 30. You can find out more on the MySpace page or on their official website.

Have a listen to their tracks while you're there - a word of warning, they're pretty addictive!

NC

Myspace Magic: The Manse

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The latest Myspace Magic band to be featured are from Liverpool. The Manse are a five-piece alternative rock band who have only been together a relatively short period of time (a little more than a year) and are starting to gig locally now they have got their act together. Here's what they had to say to NME-Europe.

NME-Europe: OK guys, tell us a little about yourselves...
Man: We're The Manse and we're a alternative rock band from Liverpool - we started out as just three mates - myself, Joe Ainscough - Vocals, David Wilson - Lead Guitar and James Tickle - Bass -  jamming together, playing some covers in January 2009. As we progressed we recruited a drummer, Jordan Welsh and a rhythm guitarist, Daniel Davidson. Four of us attended the same school, while Jordan is a childhood friend of mine.

NME-Europe: The Manse? Where does that come from?
Man: Our name comes from a mutual decision to name ourselves after something which played a major part in our first year as a band. We were given the use of a local church hall in which to practise, the church was packed out with top of the range gear so this helped us to develop. The name 'The Manse' was the name of a small disused house that was attatched to the side of the church.

NME-Europe: Tell the readers what you sound like.
Man: Our sound is a mixture of lots of different types of rock. Focussing mainly on alternative, though touches of indie, classic rock, heavier rock and post punk are apparent in our original songs. We are influenced by a range of artists, obviously each band member bringing something different to the table. Some of our more mutual influences are bands such as Radiohead, Muse, The Killers, The Beatles, Metallica, The Jam, Arctic Monkeys, Joy Division and Kings of Leon.

The two tracks available to listen to on their MySpace page are certainly raw. These guys don't take any prisoners!

NME-Europe: You haven't been together long, have you had time to release anything yet?
Man: No, but we have a couple of tracks up on our MySpace and are hoping to add to them in the near future. Our aim is to be able to put a short EP together within the next 18 months.

NME-Europe:  How about some live performances. Are there any on the horizon? And who would you like to support you?
Man: We have a number of gigs lined up over the coming months around various venues in Liverpool and Lancashire. After recently headlining the O2 Academy we are looking to play a wider range of venues; including places such as Korova, Heebie Jeebies or The Herald (in Southport). One gig we are really looking forward to is a slot in the O2 Academy in April supporting My Auntie Sam.

If we could choose one band to support us it'd probably have to be Muse, purely because they are so amazing live. Actually come to think of it - they'd make us look really bad. So maybe not!

You can find details of those gigs on their MySpace page.

NME-Europe: What albums tickle your fancy at present?
Man: As the lead singer, I am currently loving the latest Arctic Monkeys album 'Humbug' but I know for a fact the rest of the band aren't into it. I'd say the main artist that got most of us interested in music has to be The Beatles. Being five lads from Liverpool you can imagine we were introduced to them at an early age, I think from there we've all taken a keen interest in exploring many different genres, which comes across in our music.

Well, regular readers of NME-Europe know what our opinion of 'Humbug' is (and if you don't, read about it here). You can't go wrong with a bit of The Beatles though, can you?

NME-Europe: Finally, what are your immediate plans?
Man: Some of our main objectives for the next 12 months are to really start to build up a fan base as we gain momentum on the gigging scene. Another goal is to host an Oxjam Event, we held one last year when were an extremely new band and it went really well - so we're looking into putting on an amazing gig for Oxjam. We'd also like to play some more headline slots. Aside from gigging we really want to look at expanding the amount of original songs we have and also get some good quality recordings down.

Our main priority is to just enjoy ourselves, we love having a laugh and we like to think that people appreciate that. I think we all agree that if it ever gets to a point where we're just a band and we're not enjoying it anymore then it'd be time to stop. But hopefully that's not going to happen.

Well, let's hope the energy and drive stays with The Manse. For now, you can give them a chance and have a listen.

NME-Europe wishes to thank Joe and the lads for taking the time to have a chat with us and wishes them all the best for the future.

NC

Last 5 NME-Europe interviews:
A Number Of Fires (Liverpool, UK)
My Raining Stars (Lyon, France)
Christopher Young (Birkenhead, UK)
Four Dead In Ohio (Shoreditch, UK)
The Temps (Liverpool, UK)

Read all NME-E interviews

Myspace Magic: My Raining Stars

The latest NME-Europe featured band in the Myspace Magic section takes us to France for the first time. My Raining Stars are from Lyon, although nobody would bat an eyelid if they if they said they were from Manchester. Having been on the radar for some time, NME-Europe decided to find out a little more.

NME-Europe: Who are you and how did you come about?
MRS: We are from Lyon (France), we are Thierry, E-grand & Mathea. We "come from" The Smiths, Stone Roses, Housemartins, early Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub, Ride, Jesus & Mary Chain etc, Creation & Sarah records.... My Raining Stars was a personal project at the beginning, these are my songs, and my friends from Ex Dynamo (E-grand & Mathea) helped me to put an album out 'cause I just demoed my pop songs on a old K7 4-track for me. They thought some of my songs were good so they recorded and re-arranged them and mixed the album.

Seem like nice people, don't they?

NME-Europe: A band that's not 'The.....' Is there a reason behind your name?
MRS: 'My' from My Bloody Valentine, 'Raining' from Raining Stones by Ken Loach and 'Stars' from 'Star Sign' by Teenage Fanclub.

Logical. Bet you all knew that already

NME-Europe: The dreaded question... Describe your sound.
MRS: Indie Pop, sometimes jangly, sometimes distorted. We love guitar melodies, a lot!

That's plain for all to see (or rather, hear) on the 7 tracks currently available on My Raining Stars' Myspace profile.  - there's a clever combination of the most eloquent pop á la TFC with the more indie side of the likes of Ride or Primal Scream.

NME-Europe: What are your releases to date?
MRS: In early 2008 we released 'From St Saviour To Quickwell'

NME-Europe: If you could choose a band/artist to support, who would it be and why?
MRS: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart 'cause we have the same influences.

NME-Europe: What's your favourite album at the moment?
MRS: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart album and the Stone Roses first album!

NME-Europe: Tell us about your objectives/prospects for next 12 months
MRS: Write new top indie tunes (some are already written) and make a great indie poppy EP at the end of the year. And why not find a physical deal with a label???

Why not indeed. They could do a lot worse than choose a band like My Raining Stars.

NME-Europe: Anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks for your support. My friend E-grand (half MRS) will have his myspace profile soon, his own album will be out soon, check it, it's a Pop Masterpiece.

Thierry is a top bloke, here to talk about My Raining Stars and ends up thanking NME-Europe and promoting E-grand! The least we can do is give him and his Raining Stars a chance. Best wishes for 2010.

Last 5 NME-E interviews:
Christopher Young (Birkenhead, UK)
Four Dead In Ohio (Shoreditch, UK)
The Temps (Liverpool, UK)
The 48Ks (Doncaster, UK)
The Jacs (Liverpool, UK)

Read all NME-E interviews

Special Feature: The Fall Of Kings

It's not often NME-Europe reviews just one track, but today we make an exception. Liverpool band, The Fall Of Kings were featured in our Myspace Magic section last year (click here to read the article) and their sound certainly made an impression back then.

Well, as from today you can listen to their latest offering 'Tall Army' which in their own words is "the first track we feel truly captures our sound and we are really proud of."

NME-Europe was privileged enough to receive an advance copy of the track and can categorically state it's a clear sign of progression from this epic-rock quartet. Powerful guitars and haunting keys combine wonderfully, resulting in a ram-blasting single, which hits harder and grows on you with every listen.

Thanks to Dan, Dave, Joe and Nathan for the sneak preview. If you fancy a listen (you'd be silly not to give them a try, I tell you), then check out their myspace or facebook profile page. And if you're in the vicinity, why not take a trip down to the Korova in Liverpool on 28 January (8pm) and take in their first live performance of the decade.

Judging by the quality of 'Tall Army' it definitely won't be their last.

I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands: The Fat Lady Sang

Well, the polling station closed on Friday and the whole world (ahem) has waited with baited breath since then.

First things first, CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to all the artists who have participated in the I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands contest. If anyone reading this hasn't heard their music yet, then do it now!

Secondly, respect goes to everyone who bothered to place a vote in the contest. Over 1,500 votes in 15 days is a fantastic response and certainly means NME-Europe is looking forward to future events already.

Anyway, let's cut to the chase and see who's Top Of The Pops. The voting was carried out in two parts; the public vote, where each vote was given 1 point, worth 70%; and the 'jury' vote (special thanks here must go to my friends Second and Pipers who have taken time from their hectic schedule to listen to all the acts), worth 30%. Both members of the jury ranked the artists from 1st to 6th, where 1st place gained 1,000 points, 2nd 800, 3rd 600, 4th 400, 5th 200 and 6th 100.

So, where does that leave us? Are you ready? We'll do it in reverse order, just like Miss World.

3rd place goes to Overspill Poets, with 464.8 points. The 'Poets' were relatively weak on the public vote, but did comparatively well with the jury, pulling in a 2nd and 3rd place.

2nd place is for A Number Of Fires, with 784.9 points. A Number of Fires were going like the clappers for a while in the public vote, before having to settle for 2nd place with 607 votes. The jury ranked them 2nd and 4th.

And finally....

1st place (cue the drum roll) is for.....

The Little Hydes





A whopping 993.3 points for the latest scousers to 'shake the world' sees The Little Hydes claim victory in the I NME-Europe Battle Of The Bands. Let's face it, they are worthy winners; a late spurt saw them end as leaders in the public vote with 817 (more than 50%) and the jury ranked them 1st and 4th to ensure they take the glory this time.

Congratulations to A Number Of Fires and Overspill Poets and thanks to the rest of the artists - Cybiont, Inner Voices and P.A. Meirelles for having the guts to take part - I sincerely hope this has been a positive experience for all concerned.


You'll be hearing more from the winners in due course.....

2010 Myspace Magic Wall Of Fame

Here's a complete list of the 2010 Myspace Magic featured bands, complete with links to their myspace pages and the NME-Europe Interview.

My Raining Stars (Lyon, France)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (27 January 2010)

A Number Of Fires
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (15 February 2010)

The Manse
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (5 March 2010)


See the 2009 list.

2009 Myspace Magic Wall Of Fame

2009 may have long since disappeared, but there are plenty of artists who should not be forgotten. To start with, check out all those who featured in the NME-Europe Myspace Magic section during the past 12 months. For each member, there is a link to the interview and their myspace page.

The Little Hydes (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (14 January 2009)

Alexis Blue (Wirral, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (16 January 2009)

Pipers (Naples, Italy)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (22 January 2009)

The Rocks (Michigan, USA)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (27 January 2009)

The Rackets (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-E interview (12 February 2009)

Metropolitans (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (13 February 2009)

The Trestles (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (26 February 2009)

Its A Buffalo (Manchester, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (8 March 2009)

Fly With Vampires (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (14 March 2009)

Fare Evaders (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (18 March 2009)

Overspill Poets (Northwest, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (20 March 2009)

Meeting Of Important People (Pittsburgh, USA)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (26 March 2009)

The Scholars (Midlands, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (29 March 2009)

Loveday Fools (Scarborough, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (2 April 2009)

Strawhouses (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (8 April 2009)

So Shush (Salford, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (23 April 2009)

The Breaks (Sheffield, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (25 April 2009)

The Does (Malta)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (30 April 2009)

BenSem (Wales, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (7 May 2009)

Miss Caffeina (Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Spain)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (8 May 2009)

The Idles (Liverpool, UK
myspace
NME-Europe interview (15 May 2009)

Subkicks (Midlands, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (25 May 2009)

The Fall Of Kings (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe interview (06 June 2009)

Mutineers (Manchester, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (08 October 2009)

Cybiont (New Zealand)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (22 October 2009)

The Jacs (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (4 November 2009)

The 48Ks (Doncaster, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (14 November 2009)

The Temps (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (23 November 2009)

Four Dead In Ohio (Shoreditch, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (25 November 2009)

The Harlettes (Liverpool, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (09 December 2009)

Christopher Young (Birkenhead, UK)
myspace
NME-Europe Interview (09 December 2009)

Myspace Magic: Christopher Young

"It took a tatooed girl from Birkenhead to really, really open my eyes." Well, actually no, it didn't but Moz's line sprung to mind before getting in touch with the final Myspace Magic artist of 2009 and the comparisons have only just begun; Christopher Young is a complex piece of work but there is certainly a heap of quality in this man's soul. Here's what NME-E found out:

NME-E: Who are you and how did you come about?
CY: My name is Christopher Young, I decided to start playing out of necessity rather than choice. I picked up a guitar several years ago initially with the end aim of getting it to sound like a guitar. I'm self taught and prefer to play according to feel, rather than to delve through vast textbooks deciphering the names of chords and which ones are supposed to be friends with others, etc. This is possibly down to my laziness and generally perversity but for the main part it gets me by.

My humble beginnings have blossomed into something much more indulgent over time, and my aim now is to produce something important, that isn't derivative, self-pitying or trite and to try and shrug off the ugly stigma that unfortunately gets attached to the idea of a singer-songwriter.

NME-E: Can you describe your sound?
CY: I try my very 'bestest' to sound just like myself, but it isn't always easy. I suppose if I had to categorise then Indie/Folk would be the most accurate description. I'd say it starts at Dylan and carries right through to The Smiths, grabbing on to Joy Division, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Bright Eyes, Fionn Regan and Elliott Smith along the way. In addition, many poets and writers have been a big influence such as Simon Armitage, Charles Bukowski and Jack Kerouac.

Genres aside, what is very clear is that Christoper Young possesses a fantastic voice, one of those 'you're-haunting-me-and-I-can't-do-anything-about-it' types. Sheer bliss.

NME-E: What are your releases to date?
CY: A 10 track album called 'The Painter'.

At present there are nine tracks available to listen to on Chris' myspace page. In the main, they are delicate pieces of his self-defined 'indie folk' sound and are well worth a listen. He's also kindly given NME-Europe permission to play tracks here, so there are two at the end of the article to give readers an insight.

NME-E: If you could choose a band/artist to support you, who would it be and why?
CY: Morrissey, you just have to listen to those great Smiths albums and (a couple!) of the solo efforts. He understands what being an artist is. And can still (albeit, not quite so often) write those lines that stop you in your tracks, oh that's when he's not too busy telling us how awful it is being Morrissey!

Awful as it might be to be Morrissey, he still IS Morrissey.

NME-E: What's your favourite album at the moment?
CY: Cass McCoombs; Dropping The Writ.

NME-E: Tell us about your objectives/prospects for next 12 months?
CY: To hopefully be picked up by a label, to release my album both online and in a few independent stores, to play some great venues that suit ME and to pickup fans sincerely interested in what I'm doing, to get more airplay and just to have some recognition from industry types and the like who can appreciate the work and singular vision I'm trying to get at.

Also I'd love to get my music into film and TV however independent and obscure it may be (I'm currently working with a local filmaker). Most of all though my aim is for my album to be received well.

I don't want much!

Well, you might as well ask!

NME-E: Any last requests?
CY: Visit my page for the release of my album 'The Painter' and drop by for a chat. www.myspace.com/christopherdebt

It can't do you any harm. NME-E has been there on a number of occasions already and seriously suggests you do the same. Meanwhile, have a listen to some of his work...

Last 5 NME-E interviews:
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Myspace Magic: The Harlettes

While the Battle Of Bands brews nicely, NME-Europe returns with another myspace magic feature. Liverpool is once again the hunting ground for this week's feature and the band is called The Harlettes. Here's what we discovered about this five-piece.

NME-E: Who are you and how did you come about?
TH: We are The Harlettes and our members are Nathaniel Cummings, George Barclay, Thomas Dixon, Matthew Lancaster and Jonny Alderton. Natt sings, Tom and I play guitar, Matty plays bass and Jonny drums. We started in the late summer of 2008 after Natt and I tried to start a new band following the sudden demise of our former project, Hitler Can't Dance. Tom came to band once to cover me when I was away and ended up staying in the band so it worked out pretty well.

NME-E: Is there a reason behind your name?
TH: Not that I know of, you'd better ask Jonny that. I think it was more the fact we liked the sound of it to be honest.

Erm, logical-ish. A case of "right lads, what shall we call ourselves? The Harlettes? Done. Hmmm...

NME-E: The dreaded question. Dare you describe your sound?
TH: Well er, we have been likened to an ‘epic mash up of Kasabian and Kings of Leon’ and I’ve seen them both live and er, I’m forced to agree with that! Nah, it’s somewhere between rock and indie with a kind of pop influence I guess, Lady Gaga? Yeah, a bit like her.

Some heavyweight names in there. As per usual, I prefer the punter to make his/her own mind up. There are two tracks available to listen to on The Harlettes' myspace profile, suffice to give you a feel of what this lot are on about.

NME-E: What are your releases to date?
TH: We’d love to release something but we have about 20 quid to our name, which erm, a certain member of the band, decided to spend, so we’ve got no releases so far. We wouldn’t mind doing an E.P. soon though.

Ah, if only they'd entered the Battle Of Bands and had a chance at the prize money... (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, click, click...)

NME-E: If you could choose a band/artist to support you, who would it be?
TH: I’d probably choose Joy Division but that’s not really possible I guess, they might be a bit depressing too. Couldn’t go wrong with The Strokes though.

Joy Division is most definitely out of the question. As for The Strokes, they're probably too exclusive again now they've topped the NME (the other one!) Album of the Decade chart. For now it seems we'll have to settle for The Harlettes alone and anyone in Liverpool has the perfect opportunity to check them out this Friday (11th December) at The Masque (7pm, 5 quid).

NME-E: What's your favourite album at the moment?
TH: Not really sure, I go through phases. I’m a phase person. Julian Casablancas’ album is quality but music’s pretty terrible at the moment so there’s nothing that good out.

Hmmm, not so sure about that. Even during these crisis-stricken times, there's still a handful of albums worthwhile (more of that soon).

NME-E: Finally, could you tell us about your objectives/prospects for next 12 months?
TH: Ideally, we'd get signed, but the reality of that’s pretty slim. We like gigging though so we want to gig outside of Liverpool, get down to London for a bit and then record an E.P. That’ll suit us fine.

Well, that doesn't seem too far-fetched. Before they had south to make a name for themselves (and who's to argue they won't) check them out and show them your support.


NME-Europe would like to thank George and the rest of The Harlettes for sitting through the interrogation and wishes them all the best for 2010.

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Myspace Magic: Four Dead In Ohio

For the second of this week's MySpace Magic features NME-E stays in the UK to run the roost over Four Dead In Ohio. This quartet have actually been together since 2007, but have started to make waves since the release of their debut single, 'Jesus Won't Dance In My High Heels', which peaked at Nº 9 in the UK indie chart in September of last year. I came across their sound during one of my 'need some major guitars' phases - they certainly satisfied my needs - and thought readers might like to find out a little more. Lead guitarist Doug Mallett gives us the lowdown.

NME-E: Please let me allow you to introduce yourselves.
FDIO: We are Four Dead In Ohio, that is Jakob Ohlen – Vox/Guitar, Doug Mallett – Lead Guitar, Stu North – Bass and Captain Rick McKay – Drums.

Jakob & Rick had been friends for years, and met myself & Stu in a Kebab shop in Shoreditch after night out and got talking about how bad all the current bands were, and we decided to do something about it and form a band!

NME-E: What's the name all about?
FDIO: It refers to the Kent State shooting in Ohio, USA in 1970 where four students were shot by the US army during an anti-war protest. The line is taken from the Neil Young song 'Ohio' which is about the shootings.

NME-E: What can we expect to hear if we tune in to your music?
FDIO: In a nutshell, it's psychedelic rock n’ roll with a twist of pop.

Hmmm, an enigmatic answer if ever there was one. There are currently three tracks available on their MySpace profile, so your best bet is to have a listen yourselves. However, if pushed into putting you in the picture, it's a pretty safe bet to say that if you're into grinding walls of guitar noise, a la Stone Roses, BRMC or Kasabian, then you're going to like Four Dead's sound.

NME-E: Have you released anything yet?
FDIO: We put out 'Jesus Won’t Dance In My High Heels' last September as a limited edition vinyl & iTunes download. It peaked at No.9 in the UK indie chart. This was followed by 'Tastes Like The Good Love' in April 2009. There's an EP in the pipeline too.

NME-E: If you could choose an artist to support you on the road, who would it be?
FDIO: I’m liking Darker My Love so maybe them (and we recently supported them in London).

NME-E: Which album is currently pumping on your stereo?
FDIO: Seasick Steve – 'Started Out With Nothing'

NME-E: It seems like it's all happening for you guys, then?
FDIO: Yeah. We've just just been to Holland to play London's Calling at the Paradiso in Amsterdam and we'll be in Paris on December 4, with another show lined up there too in the near future. We'll then be heading into the studio to record some brand new songs and expect an EP release around March 2010!

Sounds like a good plan. Four Dead In Ohio are moving in the right direction. NME-E has a sneaky feeling that 2010 will be an important year for them.




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Myspace Magic: The Temps

The first of this week's MySpace Magic featured bands takes us back to Liverpool. The Temps are a four-piece who formed in July 2008 and claim to write "music for girls to fight to." An interesting idea, NME-E thought and decided to find out more. Here's what the lads had to say.

NME-E: Who are you and how did you come about?
Temps: We - that is Joey on Vocals, Thom on Guitar, Luke on Bass and Billy on Drums - formed in July 2008, really for a bit of fun more than anything else. However, as we have developed we have found that we really want to do something seriously with it.

NME-E: Is there a reason behind your name?
Temps: Yeah, when we began gigging, we still couldn't jointly make a decision on a name, so for our first gig went under the guise of The Temps., a temporary name. It seems to have stuck with us...

NME-E: Dare you describe your sound?
Temps: Gloom, garage punk. Aggressive lyrics with dirty, fuzzy guitars.

NME-E would pretty much go along with that. If melodic pop ballads are what you're after, then I doubt you'll get much of a kick out of The Temps. In fact, they're more likely to kick you! (see video below).

NME-E has had a good listen to the eight tracks currently available on their MySpace profile and has quite honestly been beaten into submission - I like this! A hint of The Cure here, a blast of Primal Scream there and even a little Manic intrusion on 'Scum' make for an intriguing aural experience.

NME-E: What are your releases to date?
Temps: We only have demos at the moment, however, we are due to hit the studio with our label Antipop next month to begin work on our debut single.

NME-E: If you could choose a band/artist to support you, who would it be?
Temps: Any band? Probably either The Horrors or Joy Division, two bands we massively admire.

Ah, Joy Division. Wouldn't that be nice?

NME-E: What's your favourite album at the moment?
Temps: Probably the new Editors album, 'In This Light And On This Evening'. They seem to have changed their sound pretty drastically and its sounding good, really good...

Might have to beg to differ on that one.

NME-E: Finally, tell us about your objectives/prospects for next 12 months?
Temps: Record and release our debut album and have a successful first UK tour!

Well, there's a single on the way and a couple of gigs lined up either side of the Christmas period (check out the calendar for more details), so for the moment this quartet would appear to have a fixed abode in Musicville.

(Photo by Cassie Mayers)

Many thanks to Joey for taking the time to answer my questions on the band's behalf. NME-E wishes The Temps. the very best of luck and suggests you all take a look at what they have to offer.



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Myspace Magic: The 48Ks

This week's MySpace Magic featured band are from Doncaster, England. The 48Ks have just released their debut EP and with a growing following in the Northeast, NME-E decided to find out a little more about them.

NME-E:Who are you and how did you come about?
48Ks: We are a 5 piece indie/rock band from Doncaster - Ryan on lead vocals, Steve on lead guitars and vocals, Kato on guitar and vocals, Adam on bass and vocals and Tilly on drums. We've all played in a few bands within Doncaster. We all became friends through gigs and due to our similar influence started a band together.

NME-E: Is there a reason behind your name?

48Ks: All the best bands begin with 'The' such as The Beatles, The Who, The Stone Roses. We thought The 48k's had a nice ring to it.

Question is, will they turn out to be 48 Karat?

NME-E: Do you dare describe your sound?
48Ks: Melodic, upbeat and catchy

Just about covers everything. I suggest you have a listen to the three tracks they have on offer at present on their MySpace profile.

NME-E: What are your releases to date?

48Ks: Our debut EP 'The 48k's' is available on MySpace now.

NME-E: If you could choose a band/artist to support you, who would it be and why?

48Ks: Paul McCartney, he could do with a few more fans!

Don't know why, but I detect a hint of irony there...

NME-E: What's your favourite album at the moment?

48Ks: We have a couple; The new Kasabian one, Best of Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles re-mastered (all of 'em).

NME-E: Tell us about your objectives and or prospects for next 12 months?

48Ks: Loads of gigs, check myspace to keep posted followed by a new EP and release in early 2010.

(the NME-E calendar will also do its best to keep up)

Hearing us is one thing, seeing us is what its about! try and catch us live.


NME-E wishes to thanks The 48Ks for taking the time to have a word. Give a listen and see what you think.

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Myspace Magic: The Jacs

Our latest MySpace Magic featured band is another Liverpool product. Four-piece The Jacs formed in 2007 and have rapidly made a name for themselves in the North-west with their particular brand of 60s indie-pop. NME-E decided to find out a little more.

NME-E: Who are you and how did you come about?
Jacs: We're a Liverpool-based band called The Jacs, formed in early 2007. The band started when singer-songwriters Michael Jones and Kieran Ferguson began working with bass player Ste Penn and drummer Ian Bicker. After developing a set of original tunes, The Jacs started playing on the Liverpool music circuit in late 2007. Since then, The Jacs have crafted a 60s-style garage sound, and continue to maintain a live presence on the Liverpool scene.

NME-E: Is there a reason behind your name?
Jacs: The name The Jacs stemmed from Liverpool bar/pub The Jacaranda. Being an original 'hang-out' of ours, and the first venue that The Beatles played, we felt it was relevant to us and our sound.

No disputing that, there's a definite 60s feel to their music.

NME-E: Describe your sound.
Jacs: I suppose it's 60s-style pop/rock/psychedelia.

You supposed right!

NME-E: What are your releases to date?
Jacs: We're currently unsigned, and haven't produced any public releases yet. However, we've had a number of demo CDs in the past, and have often handed them out at shows.

NME-E: If you could choose a band/artist to support you, who would it be?
Jacs: Not too sure, perhaps Oasis or Kasabian, or The Coral - all class bands.

The Jacs have already supported The Rascals recently and I'm sure they'd go down well with The Coral.

NME-E: What's your favourite album at the moment?
Jacs: Haven't really got one to be honest, we've all got mixed opinions on a lot of modern music, but we all share a mutual love for the sound of the 60s and 70s, which has been an influence to our music.

NME-E: Finally, tell us about your objectives/prospects for the near future.
Jacs: Having embarked on our first UK tour before the summer, playing dates up and down the country including shows in Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds and a 3 night stint in London, we're now working towards a new demo CD which we will hopefully be available soon.

In the meantime, we'll have to make do with the tracks available on their MySpace profile. Please take a look and give the lads a chance.

Many thanks to The Jacs for taking the time to speak to NME-Europe and best wishes for the future.

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