The Track offers a fantastic piece of ethereal electro with clear influences drawn from 80s synthpop.

Words by Charlie Holloway.

There is one word that is stopping me from focusing on my final exam revision.

Festivals.

In my brain I am far from the library and in fact romping around the beautiful and lusciously green fields of Glanusk Park in Wales, enjoying the atmospheric love-buzz of Green Man Festival 2013.

I cannot wait to go back to Green Man. Last year saw the fortune fairy wave her magical, musical wand my way when I was asked to step in as backing singer for a friend’s band. The friend happened to be Paul Thomas Saunders and the band happened to have a gig slot at Green Man ’12. Green Man Festival is astonishingly perfect all round, before you consider that as an artist I was given an exceedingly professional welcome, a gloriously intimate performance experience and hot showers. Oh yes, I showered EVERY DAY.

Despite my return as a lowly citizen this year, I am still super excited. As my mind wanders from my books, what musical delights can I daydream over in the run up to Green Man this year?

Firstly, I have been yearning to see Stornoway play since they released their first album way back in 2010. Their folksy-cute sound, glorious harmonies and lyrics of love and life are festival perfect and tick all of my nostalgic, British-based boxes.

Fuck Buttons admittedly lured me in with their name alone but from sampling their transcendental, electro, noiserock melodies I can envisage myself standing in a field at night, face turned up to stars, hands in the air and surfing the plains of musical ecstasy when these guys are on stage this summer.

And finally, en homage to my brief moments looking out to the crowds of the Walled Garden Stage last year, the expectations of Anna Von Hausswolff’s performance are looking very promising. I have no idea how her epic, organ-led vocals are going to work in the lazy, hazy intimate space but, judging from my past experiences of anything Green Man related, her performance is sure to deliver on that sunny day in August.

So there you have it, my top three daydreamer’s head-gigs which make the library so much better, but alas, make passing my degree so much harder. Go grab your Green Man ticket now and give yourself something to look forward to.

Get your tickets here.

Words by Will Tompsett

Just in case you inexplicably missed it, big bad Ben Lewis, aka MBMB darling Swimming Lessons has dropped new track ‘Double’, and it’s set tongues and keyboards a’wagging across the internet. Always fun to make much of his status as ‘Local Leeds Celebrity’, Ben has been on many a music radar for a while now, with much being made of his previous support slots for the likes of Of Montreal and tUnE-yArDs. However, this is ultimately about a very talented boy making fine, fine music, with ‘Double’ following the lineage of earlier releases such as ‘Hall’. Glittering, shimmering and totally ace, ‘Double’ will continue to draw comparisons to Animal Collective, but for my money there is a greater heart and accessibility here.

2013 should be huge for Swimming Lessons.

And not once have I made a pun about making a splash. Imagine.

Words by Will Tompsett

MBMB faves Bliss Club have dropped a new track, ‘Preda’, and it is impossible disco gold. In their own words this is “maybe like a hazy night time bike ride listening to dance mix 95 on headphones”; stepping away from the glitchier elements of previous releases, this is a bigger, richer sound that’s equally euphoric and chill- ideal slow jams. Built on vast synth swathes, this grows to almost touch on house influences, with the lush production seamlessly encapsulating, amongst other samples, a fascinating trickled water effect that signifies the innovative intelligence of the duo. Markedly different to ‘Breeze Punk 2′ and ‘Isabeau’ and yet still recognisably Bliss Club, this is stunning.

                                                                                                                                                Words: Sam McCarthy

Exams, revision, work, school: whatever the situation, summer is nearly here and we’re all in need of a saviour from the strains of this oh-so stressful time. Enter Slam Dunk festival: a joyous day, unwinding with beer in hand whilst enjoying a spectacular line up of music. But with so many acts on offer, who really are the bands to see? Here are a few of my top picks of who not to miss this year:

1 – Deaf Havana (Main Stage).

Yes, the Norfolk boys are back again. Dividing opinion after the release of their new single (Boston Square), the ever-evolving Deaf Havana will be a must-see. Although glorious successes, their second album, ‘Fools And Worthless Liars’ was undisputedly a huge change from their first, ‘Meet Me Halfway, At Least’ (after the departure of vocalist Mellor). On first listen of ‘Boston Square’, it would seem that the trend of change is set to continue, with a distinct lack of the aggressive rocky approach for which we grew to love them. Slam Dunk will play critic to this new sound, and for curiosity alone they will be worth a watch. Don’t get me wrong, everything they have touched has been brilliant, but there is no denial of an air of scepticism surrounding their performance.

2 – Mallory Knox (Main Stage).

I cannot hype-up this band enough; Mallory Knox look set to take the stage by storm, with performances at Leeds and Reading the highlights of a busy tour schedule. Distinct vocals mixed with heavily distorted, sustained chords create a striking, instantly recognisable sound. Having already produced excellent songs such as ‘Oceans’, ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Hello’, I cannot contain my excitement for the future of this band.

3 – The Story So Far. (Macbeth Footwear Stage)

For me, this band are the epitome of pop punk; each song just makes you want to ‘kinda just lose your shit’ amongst a sweaty crowd of strangers standing far too close to you. Fast beats twinned with soothing yet stretched vocals will hopefully transpose into one of the highlights of the festival. Anthems (they are that good) such as ‘Quicksand’, ‘Mt. Diablo’ (from the ‘Under Soil and Dirt’ album) and ‘The Glass’ (off their seamless new album ‘What You Don’t See’) will hopefully create a pumped and lively atmosphere which, in my opinion, no-one can afford to miss.

4 – Man Overboard (Macbeth Footwear Stage)

Man Overboard offer a more relaxed style, supplying a raw, youthful approach which wouldn’t be out of place in the late 90s, right in the midst of pop punk’s heyday. Expect the crowd to be singing along with almost every word, as Man Overboard are best enjoyed blurted out with friends and a few beers. ‘Before We Met: A Collection Of Old Songs’ is full of tunes such as ‘Love Your Friends, Die Laughing’; on their self titled album, ‘Picture Perfect’ and ‘Dead End Dreams’ create a rockier, yet equally catchy sound.  Being one of the earlier acts, Man Overboard will no doubt pave the way towards an epic day of music.

5 – Four Year Strong (Macbeth Footwear Stage)

Four years strong are a proper band. Technically they are good, and after many a success on the tour schedule, they have been rewarded with the headline bill on the Macbeth Footwear stage. For the new album ‘In Some Way, Shape, Or Form’, FYS have parted ways from synth, leaving a purer, cleaner rocky style , yet lacking none of the punch from hits like ‘Wasting Time’ and ‘Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die’. Having heard good things about their talent on the stage, I’m confident that this will indeed be a great viewing.

6 – All Time Low (Main Stage)

And last, but by no means least, the headliners of the festival, All Time Low. Getting back to their best with latest album ‘Don’t Panic’, All TIme Low have all but put the ghost-writing of ‘Dirty Work’ behind them. They will be keen to restore the faith in fans who grew to love their punchy, feel good tunes, so a strong performance will be a must for the Baltimore lads to round off the evening in style.

Words by Emily Beeby

It goes without saying that my expectations of Alt-J’s live performance were high. After their debut album shot them to fame this time last year (and I first discovered them thanks to this very blog – cheers guys) they quickly went from being an undiscovered gem, privy only to the few in the know, to being something of a household name for indie-electronic eccentricity lovers everywhere. An Awesome Wave is, despite the cheesy cliché, one of my favourite albums; it’s a rarity in that every song, from start to finish, is thoughtful and beautifully crafted. It’s got sentiment and balls in equal measure. So yeah, I had high hopes (despite the fact that Rock City, in my mind, is synonymous with sweaty student club nights that I stopped frequenting years ago; unfortunately the unpleasant association remains).

The first three tracks played were the first three from the album. It is a seamless, brilliant introduction, although somewhat lacking in innovation; I began to wonder if they would simply play the whole album through and leave, which begs the question – is that a bad thing? Certainly the crowd didn’t think so. I have never witnessed such pure adoration at a gig before – every member of the audience was singing at the top of their lungs, to the point where they were audible over the band. Several people made little triangles with their fingers at various points during the evening; a group of teenagers in the middle were quite fanatical about it, and barely dropped their hands. It was all very nice, and despite the obviousness of their track choice, Alt-J are like musical velvet live; they stay very faithful to the album versions, but their harmonies were consistently flawless, and the music speaks for itself.

Things got a little more exciting after ‘Something Good’ and ‘Dissolve Me’; ‘Fitzpleasure’ was beefier, their most genuine performance thus far and frankly, downright sexy. If ever music could turn you on, this did. Something about the way Gwil Sainsbury plays the maracas, perhaps. At this point they threw in – gasp – some tracks that aren’t on the album. Buffalo, a sweet, melancholy little thing with the biting acoustics characteristic of drummer Thom Green complemented the raucous ‘Fitzpleasure’ nicely. And then, curiously, a cover of Kylie Minogue’s ‘Slow’. Although wonderfully inventive, it didn’t actually work terribly well. The crowd lost interest and all the little triangle hands disappeared.

To be quite honest, picking out individual highlights from the night is tricky. What is there to say about their moody, soulful performance of B’loodflood’ and ‘Ms’, the spellbinding layers of sound building and combining in a way unique to Alt-J’s style? Or that ‘Breezeblocks’ was bolshy, funky and poignant, and that ‘please don’t go’ sounds even more creatively creepy when hundreds of people are singing it? It goes without saying that Alt-J were fantastic live; with an album that is genius from start to finish, it is hard to imagine how it could be otherwise. But I couldn’t help but come away feeling a little disappointed. If all you wanted was to hear Alt-J play An Awesome Wave, then you would have been thrilled. I, however (and I may be alone in this) look for something special (Something Good? – sorry) at a gig – something that I can’t get at home. The band, for all their technical brilliance and self-deprecating, understated charm, lacked a powerful stage presence that would have brought the live performance to life.

They have just released this video for their forthcoming single ‘Wasting My Young Years’ out 16th June – a follow up to their debut EP release ‘Metal & Dust’. Its a emotion heavy ghostly track.

Yesterday the festival announced a number of superb additions to the already ‘fit to burst’ line up.

Announced yesterday, performing in the special guest slot on Sunday afternoon, Latitude will welcome the father of soul and RnB Bobby Womack.  A figure in music history, Womack’s most recent materials comes with an electronic edge, filled with gospel and soul. He has recently worked with the likes of Damon Albarn and his first album of original material in 18 years, The Bravest Man In The Universe, receiving amazing reviews across the board.

He joins other famous acts who have filled the slot in the past; Thom Yorke, Rufus Wainwright and Tom Jones have all played this slot on the main stage in recent years.

Additions have also been added to the I Arena which can be found in the the depths of the woods of the Henham Estate.  Torres, Money and MBMB favourites Deptford Goth have been added plus more.

The Lake Stage, the home of emerging talent at the festival, sees MØ, Wolf Alice, Joanna Gruesome and a number of other acts added across the weekend.

Mark Lamar’s God’s Jukebox is back to the applause of Latitude regulars.

Although we tend to focus on the musical aspect of the festival it is always important to remember that Latitude is ‘more than a music festival’.  They have announced that the world  renowned Eddie Izzard will perform, joining other comedy headliners Sean Locke and Dylan Moran.

As we did last year, MBMB has put together a playlist for Latitude featuring our picks of the best music for the weekend. Head here to listen.

Tickets are still available at all the usual places and here.

Words by Sam Legg

Release Date – 6th May 2013
Label – Test Card Recordings
Rating – 8/10

Having heard ‘Signal 30’ on SoundCloud a while back, when I was offered the chance to review Inform – Educate – Entertain, Public Service Broadcasting’s debut full-length, I jumped at it. Different to everything I’ve reviewed, and perhaps even given listening time to before, it has admittedly taken some time to ‘get it’. My first listen resulted in a sense of intrigue and bewilderment; completely unsure as to whether I loved it, hated it, or even cared. I left it a while. Now listening again, I feel much more involved than I did originally, as if, all of a sudden, instead of trying to put the jigsaw together, I’ve just thrown it away. Sometimes it is in not trying to ‘get’ something that you find something.

PSB are a band, a project, based on audio; they create music based around old public service broadcasts which are carefully selected for their content – which makes them just as interesting as novel. What is striking is how the songs transcend this focus on the aural to the visual; the varied textures and crescendo-heavy focus allows the tracks to breathe; the content of the samples prod us into remembering a past we’ve never known – visually. I find myself imagining far-flung scenes shot by a super 8: completely stereotypical, completely unfounded, but completely satisfying. A great example of this is ‘Night Mail’, whose persistent beat mimics the constant marching on of the postal service; its visual propensity is reiterated by this line, which, punctuating the song throughout, sounds like a nursery rhyme constantly going round one’s head: “This is the night mail crossing the border / bringing the cheque and the postal order / letters for the rich, letters for the poor / the shop on the corner and the girl next door”.

Songs seem to be built on a specific musical idea – be that a singular riff or hook (see Spitfire’s amazing guitar part), and the samples and various bits of electronica provide the flesh – creating something quite remarkable, songs that all conform to the same structure and ‘gimic’, but retain their individuality. It’s actually very easy to forget the sampling is there, which is, itself, indicative of PSB’s compositional skill; the novelty soon wears off (in a good way), as samples are weaved into the fabric of the song – not just decoration, but actually part of the structure, creating songs like ‘Everest’ which is just full of elation; an album undeniably uplifting.

This flawless embedding is most evident in the uncompromising single ‘Signal 30’, whose musical structure is dressed around the narrative of an old road-safety film (this narrative-driven structure is, at times, reminiscent of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds, which, rather than derivative, complements the visual provocation and epic grandeur of each track). The sampling content is melodramatic, if not bordering ridiculous, but rather than undermining it, the over-zealousness “he’s the kind of a guy who made the automobile people think up hydraulic brakes!” gives the song immense character, an edginess emphasised by the snarling guitars and upheld high tempo throughout, through which it’s hard to keep your breath.

In contrast, ‘Qomolangma’ is an understated, slightly sedate and atmospheric stop-gap, allowing PSB to showcase their broader musical abilities. Simmering and regal, this short (but incredibly sweet) track would be at home on Valtari by Sigur Rós’.

This is music which sounds best when turned up loud – this is where the songs seem to come into their own – complex, layered compositions which are as much dance tracks as they are pop. Yes it is novel, but it’s also more than that: the musicianship, the infectious hooks…the songs far eclipse the novel into genuine quality, intrigue, invention and even, on occasion, the surreal. We are taken on an imagined nostalgic trip to the past, and it’s only bloody brilliant.