Sounds of an Eccentric

Last Saturday Kazoopa Festival hit Leeds city center, showcasing the finest up-and-coming musicians from across the country. I spent the day running from venue to venue, seeing and chatting to as many bands as I could. INTRO SONG - STILLIA '4AM' FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM

Kazoopa Festival hits Leeds city center this Saturday, showcasing the best up-and-coming bands and artists from across the country. Here are my top picks for the day. The Wholls - The Lending Room 21:30 Avalanche Party - The Lending Room 8:30 Naked Six - The Packhorse 14:30 Berries - Verve Pabst Blue Ribbon Stage 18:30 The Jackobins - The Lending Room 15:30 Carnation - Milo 21:00 Glass Peaks The Lending Room 16:30 Atlanta House- The Lending Room 14:30   Liberty Ship - Verve Pabst Blue Ribbon Stage 22:30 Mint - Oporto 16:30 Kiziah and the Kings - Milo 18:00   Breed - The Packhorse 17:00 Sheafs - The Lending Room 19:30 Spinn - Verve Pabst Blue Ribbon 16:30 Sons - The Packhorse 18:00 Louie James - Bad Apples 18:45 FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM

Newcastle post-indie group Static Blue return with not one, but two new singles: 'Rabbit Hole' and 'Tarra'. The two singles are due to be released on 5th December, and will be launched at their headline show at Little Buildings on December 9th. The first track 'Rabbit Hole' opens with a charmingly nostalgic guitar riff, before introducing a disco drum beat and hazy, daydream vocals, creating a post-indie and disco hybrid. It's a lot more reserved then their previous singles, which have grittier (and occasionally camp) undertones. The ambient harmonies and lilting vocals work well together to produce a really pretty tonality and the group have the solid foundations for adding an ethereal, tranquil side to their music. The track could have been elevated if the bass line was more pronounced - there's some really delicious riffs but we only get a little nibble of its flavour. Also the screaming in the final chorus is a bit distracting and spoi...

Double Denim Live returned to Verve Bar last Saturday, hosting an electric night of music from Bonsai , The Black Roses and The Brookes . Kicking the night off was Stoke-on-Trent  based group Bonsai . Their music itself was good, and they're definitely all decent musicians. There were glimmers of optimism with the guitar solos and heavier bass lines, but their sound isn't quite fluid yet. They need to ditch the cheesy pop lyrics and go down the heavier route. Their  biggest sin however, was their overly animated front man, who just cheapened their act. His stage presence was so over the top that it was cringe-worthy and distracted from the music. He needs to reel it in and let their music do the talking. They need to give their songs more character, rather than relying on a zany stage presence. Up next was North-London indie group The Black Roses . The quartet incorporate blues and punk undertones into their music, which when combined with their gritty, dist...

Local musicians and artists paired up with the mental health charity Mind , to raise money and promote awareness of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The event took place at the Corn Exchange and showcased work from local artists and live sets from eight acts. Mind describes SAD as: "a form of depression that people experience at a particular time of year or during a particular season. It is a recognised mental health disorder... If you experience SAF, the change in seasons will have a much greater effect on your mood and energy levels, and lead to symptoms of depression that may have a significant impact on your day-to-day life." Click here for more information.   The iconic building was decorated with an array of fairy lights, vines, flowers, tapestries and grass blocks, bringing spring back into the colder months. Inside the arches of the building there was virtual reality games and a mindfulness workshop. The event was organised by Ben Schrodel and Daniel Parke...

Last night Brighton rock duo; Royal Blood ; played an enthralling show at Leeds First Direct Arena. Kicking the night off was indie-rock group Black Honey . Their sound is driven by punky riffs, beefy bass, ebullient percussion and stentorian vocals. Their instrumentals often adopt a blues or surf rock undertone, giving their songs a sating depth and a distinct sense of character. The highlight of their set was their track 'Spinning Wheel'. Their enigmatic front woman Izzy B Phillips opened the track with her bewitching vocals, before the track exploded into an energetic frenzy of bold bass lines, aggressive percussion and surf rock inspired guitar riffs. Up next was American punk-rock veterans At The Drive In . Their brand of heavy, raucous noise subdued the crowd, engulfing them in a electric atmosphere. Their singer, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, emitted a radioactive stage presence. From jumping on top of the drum kit to throwing the mic stand around, the man...

 Kazoopa Festival returns Leeds city center next Saturday. I caught up with NAKED SIX , SONS, Louie James and  GLASS PEAKS to talk about how they were feeling about their upcoming performances and why inner-city festivals are invaluable to up-and-coming-artists. Music by GLASS PEAKS READ HOW THE JACKOBINS ARE FEELING ABOUT KAZOOPA FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM CHECK OUT MY KAZOOPA PLAYLIST

I caught up with Tranqua Lite when they supported The Head at Hyde Park Book Club last week, to chat about their new single and how to impress an hot date... FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM FOLLOW TRANQUA LITE FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM

Double Denim Live returned to Verve Bar in Leeds to host a night of ebullient music from Carnation , Life at the Arcade , Defender and Louie James . Kicking the night off was a solo set from Wakefield singer-songwriter Louie James. James played a range of original and cover songs, showcasing his brand of soulful and sincere tunes. His guitar playing was entertaining, and offered a good variety of riffs and harmonies. All the tracks had their own identity, whilst maintaining a distinct sound for his music as a whole. His greatest strength is his quirky lyrics. Whether he was singing about a 'gravy splash' or annoying a taxi driver when he got 'food on his seat belt', his lyrics possess a candid charm that gave his tracks a witty edge. His cover of Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' was the highlight of his set. He put a refreshing twist on the rock classic, drawing from early 00s indie influences with the melody and incorporating a chilled blues u...

Photo by: Valheria Rocha Photography Yesterday  Soundscape Events hosted a night of music from American indie-pop trio The Head , with support from Jabbawoki and Tranqua Lite at the quaint Hyde Park Book Club. Kicking the night off was acoustic rock group Tranqua Lite. The band are new on the Leeds music scene and have just released their debut single. The group definitely have a lot of potential and talent, but their sound isn't quite fluid or coherent yet. There are some excellent aspects of their playing and some of their songs are superb, but there are also some are a little bland and safe. Specifically, the two tracks that they opened with. They were washed-out, threadbare and need to be revamped or replaced ASAP.  Also whoever did their sound check hadn't got it right. All the levels were a little off, which made their music sound unbalanced and clumsy. All you could hear was drums and you could barely hear the vocals.  However, as their...

I caught up with rock duo, NAKED SIX, at their gig at York's Crescent Community Venue .  The band are currently touring with The Temperance Movement and will be playing Kazoopa Festival at the end of the month. THIS AUDIO CLIP CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND ADULT THEMES. FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM SUPPORT NAKED SIX FACEBOOK TWITTER SPOTIFY

Scottish born singer-songwriter Kerri Watt performed an intimate acoustic gig on Tuesday night at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds. Kicking the night off was local singer, Lauren Rycroft , who's angelic soprano voice immediately charmed the audience. Her vocal tone was similar to the likes of  Janet Devlin  or Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir  (Of Monsters and Men) , resonating  a sweet, nymph-like lullaby throughout the venue. Her opening track, 'Waters of Life', immediately captivated the room with her endearing yet bold voice. Her vocal range was impressive - the foundations of all her tracks had a sincere, soft warmth, which would be effortlessly elevated to an emotive, powerful cry, giving her music a gorgeous depth. The highlight of her set was her original song "Paint the Skies", which best highlighted her lyrical flair. As a whole, her lyrics channel very feminine and fantastical imagery and allude to gothic and pastoral influences, but 'P...

Last night Scottish rock group The Temperance Movement , headlined a sold out show at York's Crescent Community Venue , with support from local band NAKED SIX. The crowd was largely aged 40+, meaning that is was a friendly environment, albeit a little tame. The funniest part of the night was when I sat down to make some notes, and a very polite gentleman said that his wife and her friends were sitting there and so I had to move as that they "had dodgy knees and one has just had her hip replaced". At around 8:15, York rock-grunge duo NAKED SIX took to the stage, with their front man, Seb Byford, sporting  a quirky ensemble of a bowler hat, striped t-shirt and braces - resembling an edgy Parisian street performer. Despite recently losing their bass player, the band's sound has exploded. All their tracks radiate a big, beefy sound, replete with ebullient percussion and Herculean riffs. They've adopted a more grunge inspired vibe, which adds a sating depth,...

Former NME writer and veteran journalist, Gavin Martin, has teamed up with Newcastle indie group VITO on his latest single 'I want to tell you something'. Martin showcases his flair for writing through a spoken word monologue, discussing how the world and music industry has changed over the span of his lifetime. The most endearing part of the monologue is: "You kids, you don't know nothing about what really went on. You never heard King Rory sing his cowboy song, you never saw The Clash, or slept on Strummer's floor and you never heard Costello play encore after encore. You see I come from a different era, it's one that's now out of bounds because nowadays there is no Record Mirror, Melody Maker or sounds". The track is given a surge of energy through VITO's instrumental. They use simple bass lines, peppy drums and catchy guitar riffs to create a steady pulse while Martin speaks, before exploding into a gritty jam in the interlude...

Photo by Andy Von Pip Photography I caught up with Liverpool indie-rockers The Jackobins  at their buzzing Newcastle gig , to chat about music, romance and their upcoming performance at Kazoopa Festival . Describe your sound in three words. About to change... Which British artists and bands have had the biggest impact on you?  Ah this question is making me a bit nervous, I feel like people are going to judge us for our music tastes. Led Zeppelin, Kasabian, Bowie, Nick Drake, George Michael are all good shouts though. Where do you see yourselves in two years time? Realistically speaking, a big support tour would be great. If we could be supporting someone like Blossoms, Cabbage or Catfish and the Bottlemen on their next tour, I'd be really happy. Maybe we'll get an album out by then too. Photo by Dirtyroknroller Photography So you're reaching the end of your tour,  where's been your favourite city to play so far? Ah it's all been good to be ho...