Sounds of an Eccentric

Grimbsy indie band MINT have launched a charity campaign in protest of the of Air Strikes in Syria.  After claiming that Hulk Hogan had tweeted about their latest single, the band announced that it was all an hoax . The group wanted to illustrate how easy it is to create Fake News and to coerce the public into believing a skewed message.  The band have since announced that they have created two 'Mintamania' t-shirts. All the profit made from the shirts will be donated to Save the children. I caught up with their front man Zak Rashid to find out more. Now you've caused a bit of a stir on social media recently. Talk us through the whole Hulk Hogan tweet scenario.  Basically, the idea stemmed   from us being so sick of seeing fake news. We assumed that if people saw it was a joke, its comical and harmless. And if they believed it then point proven. So we were scratching our head thinking how we could make it relevant and usef...

Photos by Jack Herron I caught up with J Smirk ahead of his show at Newcastle's O2 Academy to chat about his slot at Hit the North Festival and his new exciting side project. It's been a while since you've been on the blog. Welcome back! You've not been making music for very long but you've already achieved so much! For the readers not familiar with you and your work - give them a whirlwind introduction. I'm J Smirk, I'm a Newcastle based hip-hop/rap/r'n'b artist. I started making music seriously about a year and a half ago and it's just flown over. I've already had the opportunity to work with so many amazing people. At the moment it's all abut pushing forward and experimenting. You've been selected to play Hit the North Festival. Although it's only in its second year, it has established an indie-centric sound. How do you feel about playing a the festival as an urban artist?  It's going to be interesting. ...

Photo by Alethea Shephard Sounds of an Eccentric is three years old! When I spontaneously wrote a review of a Little Comets gig three years ago, I never thought anyone (apart from my mam) would read it,   and to see how the blog has grown over the past few years is incredible and really humbling. I want to thank everyone who has supported me and my writing. Every band, artist, photographer, promoter, writer, or live music fan - you let me indulge in my two greatest passions in life and for that I am so grateful. In particular I'd like to thank Cath Wilcox (my darling Mama Soul and Number One fan), Jack and Carly Bowden, Shaan Sira, Ben Marcano-Olivier and all the Tranqua Lite Boys,  Russel Poad, Karl Hodge, Martina Topic, Richy Southern, Phil Mitchell, Mick Dolman, Chantel Littlewood, Arianne Jessop, Nathan Robinson, Alethea Shephard, Adam Gallagher, Cal Ruddy and all the team at Spotlight UK and Indie Central Music. You're all fabulous and have giv...

Photo by Maddie Bright  Here it is! The very first episode of Booze, Bands, Banter - the show that toasts to and with the independent music scene. Big thank you to Below Stairs for letting us film in your gorgeous bar and our special guests Tranqua Lite. Catch Tranqua Lite at their headline gig at Chapel next Friday - click here to check out my review of their single 'Tempered Tides'. So without any further ado, kick back and have a cold one with us. FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM

Last week Red Rum Club completed their nine date tour, enthralling audiences across the UK with their suave brand of "Scouse Americana". I caught up with front man Frances and drummer Neil  at the Lending Room to talk about  their tour,  the new single and  romantic mix tapes. 'Calexico' is set to be released this Friday - S.O.A.E. review coming Monday. Check out what I thought of their Leeds gig here. FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM

'$pend $ome Tim€' is the latest release from Newcastle solo artist $lick king a.k.a.: Callum Casey. Casey is renowned for composing pieces that are satires of alternative genres, creating catchy tunes that incorporate muzac themes and pairing them with farcical music videos. He has described the song as: "a bunch of 'indie cool kid' music clichés thrown together. It's a basically Chamber of Reflection by Mac DeMarco, Boredom by Tyler the Creator and Tame Impala all blended together". The track opens with a simple, twinkling synth riff, before welcoming a disco beat and mellow vocals. It's the ultimate 'chill in the bath' track. It's an easy listen with a heavy 80s influence that gives it an upbeat catchiness and an endearing warmth that'll make you want to smile and bop along. DooDle$ by $lick King FOLLOW SOUNDS OF AN ECCENTRIC FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM

Middlesbrough pub and rock music venue; Doctor Brown's ; has caused outrage after implementing a ban on female fronted bands, stating their customers believe that women can't sing rock music well. The story gained national attention after The Northern Echo published a damning article on the situation.  Consequently, residents and musicians have started to boycott the venue. I contacted Doctor Brown's to hear their side of the story. Had the situation been blown out of proportion on social media, or were outdated, sexist attitudes being called out? Paula Rees, the pub's manager cited that the Northern Echo had lied and "twisted her words" and she was eager to talk to me to "set the record straight". She said that was more than happy to talk, asking me to ring up later when the pub was a little quieter. Rees also confessed that she wasn't a "big rock fan" and was just going with what her customers wanted, stating that they had...

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...

Newcastle rapper J Smirk has been nominated for the 'Best of British Best Unsigned Male' award at the Unsigned Music Awards. Despite only emerging on the scene a year ago, J Smirk has gone from strength to strength, building an explosive set list, accumulating radio plays and supporting  DJ Yella and   N.W.A on their 'Straight Outta Compton' tour at the O2 Academy. J Smirk said: "It's an honour to be nominated, one of the hard things about being independent is gaining that recognition we all need to push on, so it's incredible to see the credit we all deserve." The U.M.A's launched in 2012 and they strive to showcase the Best of British Talent. Past winner  Molly Smitten-Dowes  went on to represent GB at the Eurovision song contest in 2014. J Smirk has also been entered into the 'Critics Choice Award', which will be judged by You Me at Six guitarist Max Helyer, BBC Introducing radio presenter Dave Gilyeat and Louise ...

Photograph by: Ant Adams Kent based indie group Glass Peaks return with their latest single: 'Hold me Closer'. Since forming in 2016, the group have been causing a stir up and down the country, collecting countless radio plays, exploding onto the festival scene and their last single 'I'm Okay ' earned them a spot on the 'Viral Top 50' and Spotify's 'Indie List'. The track opens with an alluring guitar riff, heightened by a blanket of echoing synth, before welcoming suave vocals, engulfing the listener into an indie-pop daydream. Engaging harmonies are woven throughout the song, providing it with a gorgeous depth and full bodied, yet catchy sound. This is complimented by the well controlled vocals, which highlight how much detail has gone into the harmonies. The vocals and guitar riffs are a perfectly balanced see-saw of rhythms, bass lines and apparent technical flair, which gives the song a complexity that many catchy indie tracks ...

Kicking the night off was alt-rock trio Blesh, filling Tyne Bar with their grunge meets Mac DeMarco sound. The group enlivened the crowd with their upbeat tunes and witty banter. Unfortunately, one of front man Reece Monaghan's guitar strings snapped mid set, causing him to run around the venue to find a guitar he could borrow. However the group carried on, welcoming local legend Cameron Cutts to the stage for a freestyle rap cameo. Even with their technical difficulties, it's apparent that Blesh  are very talented musicians with a great stage presence and will undoubtedly do well in the local music scene. The main support of the night was indie rock five-piece Hazels. I've seen this group play many times and they have improved each time, delivering a more slick and polished performance. Their sound is catchy and loud enough to create a great atmosphere without compromising on interesting melodies and engaging choruses. The two tracks that really stood out was ...

I caught up with Seb Clarke, a singer-songwriter and synth player in indie-rock group Arcadia, discussing everything from vintage gaming to Jimi Hendrix to desert islands. Summarise your sound with one word. Hmm, one word? I guess the one word would have to be 'me'. I guess my sound isn’t that distinctive, like; it’d be difficult to put into a genre. Can I have a sentence? Bringing the old into the new. I’m  young and I suppose you could say I’m bringing together a lot of influences from older bands into the music I create. Which artists and/or experiences have fuelled you love of music? I think the biggest artist to fuel my love for music would definitely have to be Jimi Hendrix. He was my very first love, from a very young age, and I would love to say I share his passion for music and for playing. Hendrix heavily influences my guitar-playing style; from the way I play chords to the way I play solos and the scales and techniques that I use. I take influence f...