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

Special Feature: Tristan Clopet

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Having recovered from the SOS4.8 hangover, NME-Europe gets back down to business with a special feature from an artist from across the pond. The son of an Englishman, Tristan Clopet is based in Miami, but the worldwide web is rapidly turning him into a global product. This one-man band, who produces music with the uumph of the Chili Peppers and the lyrically power and vitality of a certain Jeff Buckley has just released a six-track EP titled Purple, which is available for download á la radiohead at the following link.

Suitably impressed by what was on offer, we decided to find out a little more about the man himself and his album.

NME-Europe: Hi Tristan. You're known in over 50 countries, where do you hail from?
Well, I was created by a chemical spillage on the brinks of Prince Edward Island. I sing and play a bunch of instruments too.

Another case of "blame Canada" perhaps...

NME-Europe: What do you sound like? Who has made you want to sound like that?
TC: Sounds like if a bunch of carrier honey bees spilled all of their collective honey at once onto a gramophone and then went to the kitchen and added bits of Heath bar.

Erm.... Think I'll stick with my Pepper-Buckley crossover....

Yeah, when I first heard 'Sir Psycho Sexy' I felt something special. It changed my whole disposition.

Now that makes more sense. You get a good impression of where this young man is coming from if you watch some of his cover version videos available on his YouTube channel. 'Cousins' (Vampire Weekend) is my pick of the bunch...



NME-Europe: You've just released Purple. Is this your debut?
TC: No, I previously released another EP, Duende. Duende and Purple are brother and sister, though I can't tell which is which. I think Purple has the perfect balance of songs – from those that are ideal for sitting back and relaxing, to those that make you want to get up and dance.

NME-Europe: Apart from your internet coverage, have you got any promotional gigs lined up?
TC: We're touring the east coast this July. Tour dates can be most accurately found on my website. We'd love to be supported by the Jonas Brothers. We heard they could bring a few people to the show in Savannah.

That must be the first time Jonas have been mentioned on NME-Europe!

NME-Europe: And what's on the agenda for the near future?
TC: We'd like to be touring full-time (preferably with the Jonas Brothers, but not a deal breaker) and we'd love to release a full-length and perform it over and over for new people of every shape, color and creedence.

Thanks Tristan, what say we have a little glance at your latest EP, Purple?
TC: Cool. I know time is scarce, but if you could give it a review, I’d love to read it. Even if it’s negative, I really respect your taste, and would be interested to hear what you think.

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

Tristan really knows how to sweet talk a man! How could I refuse him a review?!

1. Proximity Bomb
2. So Alive
3. Etheral Evidence
4. Superficiality Is A Sin
5. Love And A Question
6. Black Panther Party






It's often difficult to assess an artist on the basis of an EP - they tend to be too short and rely too heavily on 'likeable' tunes - but you get the feeling that Tristan Clopet is a little different. With his second release, Purple, Clopet clearly lays his cards on the table and offers a well-crafted mix of catchy rock and captivating ballads. Tracks like 'Proximity Bomb', 'Superficiality Is A Sin' and the closing 'Black Panther Party'  clearly support Clopet's claim that 'Sir Psycho Sexy' "changed his whole disposition" - the hint of the Chili Peppers is plain for all to hear. In between, Tristan has the opportunity to manifest his lyrical and vocal skills, an opportunity which he grasps with both hands, in particular on  'So Alive', my personal favourite.

Purple is a well-produced EP and Clopet shows he has the potential to take his prowess one stage further, should the opportunity to cut an album arise. NME-Europe looks forward to it.

NC

The EP is available on "a radiohead" at http://tristanclopet.com/, so you can pay what you like for it. If you're feeling the financial pinch, NME-Europe is giving away 3 copies, along with a Tristan Clopet t-shirt. All you have to do is visit our Facebook page, become a fan and add a comment to the Tristan Clopet note. There'll be a t-shirt on the way to our favourite comments.


Before you do, have a listen to the EP on our player.

Last 5 NME-Europe reviews:
Los Planetas: 'Una Opera Egipcia'
Cybiont: 'Angels And Demons'
Two Door Cinema Club: 'Tourist History'
The Soft Pack: 'The Soft Pack'
Los Punsetes: 'LP2'

Read all NME-Europe reviews

NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 Festival 2010 - We Are Standard

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photo by Keina García

Just 8 days to go and, as many have observed, SOS fever is starting to set in. As part of NME-Europe's featured coverage of the festival we have been fortunate enough to be able to talk to a national product (they're from Bilbao) who are about to cross "the final frontier".  

We Are Standard have been making quite a name for themselves In Spain with their electro-indie tunes (MTV voted them best Spanish act of 2009) and are about to take the plunge by releasing their album in the UK. Next week is a big one for these vascos, with an international album release and a slot at the SOS Festival, but they we good enough to speak to us and give us their thoughts on the event.


NME-Europe: Thanks for talking to us guys. So, will this be your first time in Murcia? Do you know what you're letting yourselves in for?
WAS: We've played in Murcia a couple of times and in Cartagena too. We know about the red shrimps, the sea, the warm weather... we know where we are going.

They certainly do (they forgot to mention the wonderful people, but in the main they know the score!)

NME-Europe: This is your first time at SOS, but have you played any of the other 'big' Spanish festivals?

WAS: We've played a lot of them. Indeed, last year we played the main stage at FIB after Oasis and Glasvegas.

NME-Europe: Was there any reason in particular (apart from monetary!) that made you accept the chance to play at the SOS 4.8 Festival?
WAS: No, we just play for money and food. The beaches around are a good excuse too. Let's hope we get good weather.

To be honest, I think most people will be happy that the Volcanic dust has disappeared more than hoping for sun!

NME-Europe: What do you make of the organisation so far?

WAS: It looks good. Just looking at the bands that are playing you can say it's a big festival.

Indeed. We are definitely getting excited!

NME-Europe: Of the other bands involved, who will you be taking time out to see? 
WAS: We won't miss the Hot Chip and the Crystal Castles gigs.

NME-Europe: Thanks a lot then, lads. Look forward to seeing you next week.
WAS: Yeah, we're really looking forward to playing in such an important festival and to introducing our album to the people that may come from the UK, coinciding with its release over there.

Well, NME-Europe is convinced We Are Standard will prove to be a hit in 'Blighty' and suggests you all have a listen to their material, or better still grab copy of their album. You can visit their website for more information, meanwhile he's a glimpse of what they're capable of on stage.

NC



You can read more NME-Europe articles on the SOS 4.8 Festival here.

NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 Festival 2010 - The Sunday Drivers

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As temperatures start to rise in Murcia and (SOS4.8) festival fever sets in, NME-Europe returns from its Easter break with the second in a series of interviews with some of the bands who'll be featuring at this year's event. Toledo's The Sunday Drivers have been one of Spain's most consistent bands on the indie scene since they started out in 1999. They've played at most of the top national festivals and will be at SOS for the first time this year. Here's what they had to say about the forthcoming event:

NME-Europe: You guys have been around a while. Surely this can't be the first time you've visited Murcia?
TSD: No, it's not our first time in Murcia. We've played there about four times, I think (and loved it every time!), in Lemon Pop festival, and a venue called Garaje de la Tia Maria.

NME-Europe: You're no strangers to the big Spanish festivals either, are you?
TSD: That's right. Fortunately, we've played most of the big Spanish festivals; Benicasim 3 times (the last time with an orchestra on the main stage no less!!), Sonorama various times, Summercase, Contempopranea, BAM etc....It's always great to play a festival for the sheer size of the audience, the thrill, and the fact that you get to play with tons of top groups and watch their set from the side of the stage!

NME-Europe: Talking of the other bands, who will you be hoping to see during the event?
TSD: As my girlfriend is a big fan of Franz Ferdinand, I'll definitely be going to check them out. Actually, we played with them before, in Greece. I've got a rather embarrassing story about our encounter. Backstage our keyboard player saw Alex Kapranos going to get some hummus from the buffet, and beckoned him to our table with the following..."Hey Franz!!..come and take a photo with us!" The rest of us died of shame, but luckily I must say 'Franz' handled it with aplomb. Obviously neither history nor Franz Ferdinand the group are anything that interested our keyboard player!

Hee, hee. I'll bet 'Franz' was well impressed!

NME-Europe: What made you choose this festival? Did you even know it existed? And what do you think of the organisation so far?
TSD: To be honest, I had never heard of the festival, but personally, knowing that Franz Ferdinand and Madness are playing is a big bonus. I don't know much about the organisation either, but they must be doing their job well or I would have heard of them!

NME-Europe: What do you think are the differences between festivals in Spain and the UK?
TSD: I imagine that the unknown bands on the bill don't come from Spain in a British festival....

Good point. However, it'd be hard to classify any of the bands at SOS as 'unknown'. The line-up is pretty impressive.

NME-Europe: Thanks a lot gents, look forward to seeing you during the festival.
TSD: Well, we're really looking forward to coming to play down there, with such distinguished company. I hope to see all the fans and have a good time.

NC

NME-Europe would like to thank The Sunday Drivers for taking the time out to speak to us. They'll be the opening act on the main Estrella Levante stage at 19.45 on Friday 30 April. In the meantime, you can get an idea of what they sound like live in the video below.




You can read more NME-Europe articles on the SOS 4.8 Festival here.

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

NME-Europe Live: TalentoSOS Final - Reaction From The Winners

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A little more than a week ago, NME-Europe offered extensive (and billingual) coverage of the final of the TalentoSOS contest which saw local Murcian bands Inkeys and Varry Brava win a slot at this year's festival, scheduled for the May Bank Holiday weekend.

As the article appeared to create a good deal of interest, we thought readers might also be interested in hearing what the winners had to say for themselves. Here's what Vicente (Varry) and Emilio (Inkeys) made of the event. Hats off to both for doing this in English, by the way.

Winners Varry Brava receive their €1,500 cheque

NME-Europe: So Vicente, Varry Brava were winners. I don't think many were surprised with that decision! Did you see yourselves as favourites before the final?
VB: Hi Nick! Thanks a lot for coming to the final last Thursday night. We didn't see ourselves as favourites at any moment. Even though people told us we were, we thought that the jury had a very difficult decision to make. The quality of the final was excellent, so when Johan Wald (MC) said our name, it was one of the best moments of our lives.

NME-Europe: Despite a growing reputation in the region, I think it's fair to say that you are going to be one of the 'lesser' known bands at the festival. Tell us what the crowd can expect. 
VB: To be in the SOS Festival is a prize for us. People who know us will see more of the same: a lot of dancing and a party atmosphere! Let's hope those who still do not know us are pleasantly surprised and join the concert.

Well I, for one, knew little of Varry Brava before last Thursday and I must admit I was really impressed by what I saw. In my opinion, they were the best of the bands on show. I'm sure everyone will enjoy their set, even if their time slot isn't exactly ideal (18.30 on May 1st).

NME-Europe: Which bands will you be watching yourselves?
VB: We don't know! We hope, at least, the manager of one of them will be watching us though! :D

NME-Europe: FInally, Vicente, What are the immediate plans for Varry Brava? What are your plans for 2010.
VB: At the moment, we have one self-published album called 'Ídolo' with 10 songs. We need to play around the country so we are confirming dates very soon! There's more about out forthcoming concerts on www.varrybrava.com. The big one, the SOS Festival, on 1st of May in Murcia!

Thanks a lot Vicente. Might we recommend a visit to that website to check them out. Apart from the concert dates, you can also listen to four tracks from that aforementioned album, plus a rip-snorting remix of 'No Gires' by fellow Murcianos, The Leadings.

Whilst Varry Brava were one of the pre-match favourites (despite claiming they weren't), Totana's Inkeys certainly emerged as the event's dark horses and picked up the other winning prize after a practically faultless display during the final. Here's what Emilio had to say about their gate-crashing antics.

Inkeys walk away from the TalentoSOS final with a 1,500€ cheque and a slot at the SOS Festival

NME-Europe: Emilio. Inkeys joint-winners. I think a lot of people were a little surprised with that decision! Did you honestly think you had a chance of winning?
Ink: Hi Nick. Firstly, we want to thank you for covering the event. It was an excellent night and it is surprising all the expectation the competition has generated.

Obviously we expected to win, if not we would not have done so!! :) No, I'm joking... The level was very high and of course it was difficult to win. Everyone in the room had favourites even before the bands started to play, so maybe the decision was not the correct one for many of them. However, we think the the jury made the right decision. We did a good show and after that show which was the result of many hours of rehearsal.

NME-Europe certainly think Inkeys fully-deserved to take on of the first prizes. Whether you like their style or not, they (along with Varry Brava) were better than the rest on the night, so warranted a winning ticket.

NME-Europe: Obviously, you are going to be one of the 'lesser' known bands at the festival. Tell us what the crowd can expect from Inkeys.
Ink: Well, if we look at this issue in a positive light, people will attend our concert with curiosity and we hope it will be to their liking. Nevertheless, we only think about having a good time at the festival, just the same as when we play at an ordinary concert at another venue.

As with Varry before, I'm sure festival-goers will like what they see (hear!).

NME-Europe: Which bands will you be watching yourselves?
Ink: Nada Surf is a must for everyone in Inkeys but there are other big names in the spotlight. Chris Cunningham, The Magic Numbers... I'm especially looking forward to seeing Lidia Damunt.

NME-Europe: Finally Emilio, what other plans do Inkeys have this year?
Ink: '11 razones para perder el sueño' (their debut album) is still being promoted. April is a busy month for us, not only for the SOS 4.8 (they appear on Friday 30th) but we're also recording some songs for an EP we'd like to release very very soon added to a video recording and a Fiestas de Primavera slot together with Rumor!, Varry Brava and The Leadings. A VERY BUSY MONTH!! After this, we'll split up and form a group of polkas. :)

We hope that the Murcia Scene goes like this for a long time and thanks for making it possible on your part.

Emilio is a likeable character. Inkeys are a likeable band. If you can't make their slot at the SOS4.8 Festival, you could at least check out their Myspace page.

NME-Europe would like to thank Vicente and Emilio for taking the time to talk to them and wish both bands every success at the SOS Festival.

NC

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

NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 Festival 2010 - The Leadings

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With the SOS 4.8 Festival fast approaching, NME-Europe has decided to run a series of interviews with some of the participating bands who'll be giving us an insight into the festival from their perspective. Fittingly, the first band to feature is local act The Leadings who have been making a name for themselves on the national scene over the last 12 months. They've just returned from London, where they have recorded a video for one of the tracks from the forthcoming full-length debut album Don't Stop Till You Get Enough and, despite the heavy schedule of concerts in Spain (last weekend they played the Razzmatazz Club in Barcelona), singer/guitarist Juan Torrano took the time to speak to us about playing on home soil.

NME-Europe: So Juan unlike many of the bands who'll be at SOS, playing in Murcia is nothing new to The Leadings. What are your suggestions for new-comers in Murcia?
JT: Obviously Murcia isn't new for us, we're from Murcia, ha ha. Well, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to try a marinera in La Plaza de las Flores (Flowers' Square), with a beer of course!


NME-Europe: Have you played any of the other major festivals in Spain?
JT: Well, we played at the B-Side Festival in Molina last September (alongside The Rakes and Rinôçérôse, amongst others) and we will play other Spanish festivals this summer, although we are still waiting for the official confirmation.

NME-Europe: Does the fact the festival is in Murcia have any significance?
JT: There's nothing more important than playing in one of the biggest festivals in Spain..... in your own town, with your fans, your people, your friends...it's a great opportunity for us and a dream come true. Last year we played in this festival but only in the pre-party festival at 12ymedio club, it was so amazing...sold out. Imagine this year!

NME-Europe: The SOS Festival is relatively new, this is only the third edition. Have you been impressed by the organisation so far?
JT: we prefer to talk about the organisation when the festival ends...jajajajaja (ed. that's Spanish for hahahaha!)

NME-Europe: Which of the other bands are you looking forward to seeing?
JT: We want to see The Horrors and Hot Chip (again) ....pleaseeee.

Well, it may be true to say that not many people attending SOS this year will have heard much about The Leadings, but NME-Europe thinks a lot will want to find out more once they've seen their exhilarating electro-indie set. In the meantime, why not have a listen to two of the tracks from their imminent debut album which they have just posted on their MySpace page? The video below should whet the appetite ahead of their full-blown SOS 4.8 Festival bow, scheduled for Saturday 1 May.




NME-Europe: Thanks a lot for your time. Anything else to add, Juan?
JT: Nothing more to say, thanks very much for your support and we will see you in Murcia....SO TROPICALLLLLL. 

NC

Not a bad way to start the build up this year's festival. You can read more NME-Europe articles on the SOS 4.8 Festival here.

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

I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands: Let's Hear It For The Winners

The dust has settled, but the show goes on for The Little Hydes, winners of the I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands contest. Despite a heavy schedule, which includes an unplugged set this Wednesday with Ian Prowse at Mojo in Liverpool and studio work on a new single, the 'next four lads to shake the world' managed to find the time to have a quick natter to NME-Europe and tell us all about being champions and what's happening in Hydesville at present. Here's what they had to tell us:

NME-Europe: Well lads, you were the first band to be interviewed on this page and now you're the winners of the I Battle Of Bands. What are your impressions on having beaten some really excellent acts to win the title?

TLH: Yeah I saw a Number Of Fires (who were second) ran us pretty close. When you do BOTB's (and we've done a few! One that we won took us on a mad tour of Europe gigging), you enter if you know you have a good chance of winning it.

NME-Europe: For those who are still thinking 'The Little Who?' (God forgive 'em), tell us a bit about yourselves.

TLH: We've been together about two years now. Myself and Tony (drums) have been playing in bands round town since we were 14/15. It was in my last year of school when things started taking off. Our first recordings had a nice poppy 90's feel, they started getting played on local radio and started a bit of a buzz. These first demo's set us up well and we got a slot at the Mathew St Festival and Creamfields (on the same day!). The first year set us up great, and since we've been working hard on just fine tuning our sound really. We've got an album's worth of new material that we're dyin' for everyone to hear.

Well, I saw The Little Hydes at that Mathew Street Festival (you can see a small excerpt of that set in the video below - there's even a cameo role from me!) and was really impressed by the stage presence of such a young band (in fact, they were part of the reason for starting this site).



You can also hear two tracks, 'Absolute Youth' and 'Dear Diary Days' on the NME-Europe Battle Of Bands contest page and an additional song, the delightful 'As Back When' on their myspace page. Only a fool would not give them a chance and it certainly is an exciting prospect that the lads have an album full of tracks raring to go.

NME-Europe: Apart from being an NME-Europe Battle Of Bands winner, what else does 2010 hold in store for you lot? Any plans for a release or tour?

TLH: We're actually recording our first single at the moment. All of our other recordings are sort of rushed, due to the amount of time and the amount of money it costs to rent a studio even for a weekend. We wanted to do it absolutely properly this time, in terms of a pop single. We have a great pop song that you wont be able to get our of your head (im told this is our trademark) and we'll be releasing it in a few weeks time. We've all got a good feeling about this one. Keep an eye out. 

We certainly will be! It's always a pleasure hearing from this band. They seem to go about things in the right way; quietly confident without loosing sight of reality and above all producing some absolutely sublime tunes.  While you wait patiently for more news on The Little Hydes, why not read some more about them from previous NME-Europe articles? In particular, a special piece on the three aforementioned tracks and the original Myspace Magic interview.

If you're in or around Liverpool, you can see them for free at Mojo on Wednesday, where they'll be playing an acoustic set with local legend Ian Prowse and they're also on at the O2 Academy on March 7.

Last, but not least, many thanks to David, Mick, Ste and Tony for taking the time to speak to NME-Europe. Looking forward to the single, gents!

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

Review: Top Albums Of 2009 III - Reactions

The NME-Europe Top 20 Albums of 2009 list has certainly provoked a mixed reaction. Some readers agree, others think it's a load of rubbish, while most of the bands seem to be a little blasé about the whole affair. However, two in particular have been gracious enough to offer their reaction to being selected in the Top 10. George Kitching from Overspill Poets and Fran Guirao from Second have their say and offer their reflections on a most successful year.

Overspill Poets' George Kitching and Tim Taylor released their self-produced debut album, 'Thompson Falls' in autumn 2009. A real independent production, this quality piece of work ended up at Nº 4 on the NME-Europe Top 20 list for 2009. Here's George's reflections on events from the past 12 months.

 
NME-E: So, how was 2009 from a personal point of view?
OP: By turns exhausting, exhilarating, stressful, blissful, frustrating and rewarding.  We started the year by promoting a newly created MySpace page and went on to release our debut album on our own label and now we find it's made the NME-Europe top 10!



NME-E: Why is Thompson Falls such a hit?
OP: Well in commercial terms it's anything but.  I think we are firmly in the slow-burn cult-following obscure indie camp. Thank god for Rage Against the Machine as I don't think we were ever in danger of worrying Simon Cowell. However, we have had some fantastic feedback from people who have bought or reviewed the album so artistically it does feel like a success. I think it's an honest album and I hope it goes some way to achieving our aim of forging a sound with the rootsy grit of Americana and US alt rock with the wit and attitude and Britishness of the best indie guitar music from this side of the atlantic.

NME-E: What was your personal top album of the year?
OP: It would be between Super Furry Animals - 'Dark Days / Light Years' and Steve Earle's 'Townes'.

NME-E: Looking ahead, what are your tour plans for 2010? Any chance of a visit to Spain (and more importantly, Murcia)? 
OP: Well our plans at this time last year extended little beyond "let's see if we can get anyone to check our MySpace page" so really anything could happen.  However, following a recent unplugged radio session, we are thinking about working on a stripped down acoustic set with a view to doing some unplugged gigs.  Murcia would be very tempting if we can afford the air fare.

Well, EasyJet usually have some good offers! While you wait for the tour, you can buy 'Thompson Falls' here.

Second released their fourth album, 'Fracciones De Un Segundo' in January. It has been their most critically acclaimed piece of work to date and has seen them develop from promising group to leading artist on the Spanish pop scene. It reached Nº 3 in the NME-Europe Top 20, and is the only non-English language album on the list. They seemed pretty happy about that, here's what drummer Fran Guirao had to say:

 NME-E: Not a bad year, then Fran?
Sec: Yeah! 2009 has been a hard working year. In January we released Fracciones de un Segundo, so we did a lot of promo with the media, gigs, festivals... (that meant travelling to many cities around Spain). Therefore, from our personal point of view, we think this has definitely been our best year, because, little by little, we are realizing how the number of fans increases and, at the same time the critics are very positive about our cd and our live shows.



NME-E: Why do you think this album has been so popular?
Sec: I don't know, all we can say is that we composed the songs to the best of our ability, but we never know if people are gonna like it or not.

This time they most certainly did!

NME-E: What was your personal top album of the year?
Sec: There are many great albums, but the last album by Phoenix is my favourite.

NME-E: What are your tour plans for 2010? 
Sec: In 2010 we're gonna "rodar" in many cities around Spain, and in February we are going to participate in ARCO, showing people how Second composes a song in 8 hours. At last (but no least) we want to record a new album next summer. 

You can purchase 'Fracciones De Un Segundo' here.

So there you have it, at least NME-E made someone happy this year. Many thanks to George and Fran for taking the time to answer my questions. If you haven't heard their music yet, give it a go - both albums would be excellent additions to your music collection.

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)