Sounds of an Eccentric

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...

Follow our Spotify playlist - a mix-tape dedicated to promoting the best independent bands from across the UK.  Each week I'll be adding five new tracks - but for the time being here's 30 tracks to get you started.  Featuring the likes of:  Tranqua Lite , Velvoir, Glass Peaks , Naked Six , SONS , Red Rum Club , Rival Bones  and Avalanche Party - you'll never be stuck for something to listen to again.

"Rib rattling riffs with a Mancunian Kiss" - Manchester trio Carnation's latest single 'Fatal Attraction is our track of the week. The track opens with whirring synth before welcoming poignant guitar and front man Saul Parker-Backhouse lilting vocals. The  crescendo into the catchy chorus engulfs the listener with in an armada of aggressive, distorted guitar, beefy bass and suave vocals, radiating a cool, 'give no fucks' vibe. As the song progresses garish punches of synth are added, giving it a ballsy edge and complimenting the intricate counter melody riff. The band are playing a sold out show this Friday at Jimmy's in Manchester with support from Sway and Little Strange. If you didn't get tickets, you can catch them in Sheffield , Manchester , Stockton or London in the upcoming weeks. 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...

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...

Indie gigs have changed. Gone are the days when you danced or bopped along to the likes of Swim Deep  or Peace , indie kids want to mosh. Hence the birth of Cult Lust,  a ferocious fusion of fuzzy guitar and relentless percussion,that creates a heavy lo-fi sound. It's called skuz-pop - don't worry, I had to do google it too! Just imagine a band who's primary concern is making loud, gritty, grungy tunes. Despite only forming a few weeks ago, the band have already produced a two track demo; promoted via their active and bountiful social networking platforms. Both tracks are fairly lengthy (approx 10 mins combined), meaning the group are already a third of the way to having a live set under their belt. It's a really candid and raw recording, giving you insight into their practice sessions. This is best represented by the second track 'headf*ck' being opened by their front man saying "anyway, here's wonderwall" before exploding asking his fellow ...

Blogging isn't all about getting freebies or having an armada of Instagram followers. It can be hard work. So here's my top tips for new Bloggers. 1)  Read other blogs You wouldn't write a book  or a poem or a recipe without ever reading one before, so why would blogging be any different. Read popular blogs (like Zoella's or Helen Anderson's) and search for smaller bloggers near you that you can later work together with if you decide that blogging is something you'd like to pursue. Blogging is a community and there's so many fantastic bloggers out there that can really help you on your blogging journey. 2)Choose the right platform Have a go at writing on a couple different sites before you go in 'all guns blazing'. Make sure you like the layout and you are confident with using it. My personal two favourites are 'Blogger' and 'Wordpress'. Blogger is slightly easier to use (so if you're  new to blogging maybe start with...

'Down and Out' is the latest track from Hull based indie band Black Lime. The band identify as Alternative Rock & Blues, however 'Down and Out' is more akin to the mid 2000's 'lad-rock' end of the indie spectrum. Their previous single; 'Take it or Leave it' does have a more bluesy (with a hint of psyche) tone, so perhaps their comprehensive sound resembles their debut single more so than 'Down and Out'. The track opens with a rich, catchy bass line, elevated by an ebullient burst of percussion, before welcoming a sturdy, slightly lo-fi, guitar riff. The consistently sturdy beat and simple melodies, cements it as a track that will undoubtedly get crowds moving, whilst highlighting their musical flair. The majority of the song is fuelled by the opening riff, serving as the foundation for the verses and the gorgeously rich guitar solos, preventing it from falling victim to "The 1975 Syndrome" - a.k.a shallow, 'basic...

'Your trip begins now' is the latest four track E.P. from Hull's finest pysche rock outfit: The Froot '67.  As the name would suggest, the group's roots are planted within dynamic 60's rock and the band have revitalised this era through their bold, gritty sound. The E.P. opens with 'Chaos Theory', a track that is fuelled by frantic and beefy lo-fi riffs, whilst Newby's vocals take a more subtle, nonchalant route. Despite being a psyche rock track, the overall sound of the song reminds me of a more reserved version of 'Gravedweller' by The Wytches. It's a very different sound to their debut album; '7 past 8'; but this grungier edge is definitely a good thing for the group. It's broadening their sound without destroying the unique vibe they've already established for themselves. Plus, it;s a really engaging opening to the E.P. and sets a raw, and somewhat brooding, ambiance for the E.P. The following track, 'I don...

I caught up with local singer-songwriter Harry Smith, discussing everything from his upcoming EP to Kinder Hippos to the latest  Last Shadow Puppets  album . It's a pleasure to have you back at Sounds of an Eccentric. For those readers who aren't familiar with you, tell us a little bit about yourself and your music. A whirlwind biography of Harry Smith if you like. Jesus... A whirlwind biography? I have to try and make it sound exciting now.... Well basically My name is Harry and I'm a solo artist from Newcastle! I write songs about ideas and experiences that have resonated with me through my 19 years of existing. I've been parading myself around various Newcastle venues for almost two years now and I've been having a load of fun just playing to different crowds/eating too many Kinder Hippos Which artists and bands have fuelled your love of music and which albums should everyone listen to before they die? This question is going to polarise people no matter...

I caught up with Lee Allcock, editor of   NE Volume , a music local magazine that celebrates everything the North East has to offer. Tell us about yourself and the story behind NE Volume ? My idea actually began back in college, where I basically wanted to go to gigs, review them, and get paid for it – I thought, at 16, that that would be the dream job. I then went on to study Journalism at Teesside University, and I worked voluntarily at another North East Music Magazine where I noticed they were covering the Newcastle area primarily. Whilst working for that magazine, I felt that bands, venues and music-related businesses in Teesside and the surrounding areas weren’t getting the recognition they deserved. So my idea basically came about because I wanted to help those involved in the music scene in this area – and the North East as a whole – to gain recognition for their hard work. Which artists and/or experiences fuelled your love of music and which albums do yo...

'Seeing Red' is the latest single from the dark electro-folk singer Carys Calling. Since emerging on the scene last year, the native Newcastle lass has received praise from local publications like NE Volume and NE:MM and has was featured on BBC Introducing  last month . The track opens with a delicate layer of finger plucked guitar, reserved percussion and subtle synth, creating a charming base to the song. The song is then elevated by Carys' gorgeous vocals, transforming the song into an interesting and sincere ballad. However, the song then goes a little down hill. The incorporation of bizarre, crass synth sounds really don't harmonise well at all and just sound like a malfunctioning Tetris arcade game. This combined with the awfully cliche layering of vocals, create a very artificial sound surrounding the chorus that sounds a little forced and distracts the listener from the sincerity of the ballad. She dubs herself as a 'dark electro folk' artist, bu...

After relentless gigging, Billingham's lo-fi garage-punk duo Mouses are set to release their debut single: 'Poison'. If you haven't heard Mouses  before (firstly, where have you been for the past two years?), imagine the love child of  The Thermals, Dinosaur Jr  and Wheatus  on a generous kick of acid. The track opens by submerging you into a whirlpool of distorted guitar and fuzzy vocals, invigorating the track with a relentless energy. Despite the initially aggressive tone of the track, the infectiously catchy chorus provides it with a poppy undertone, making it incredibly upbeat and easy to dance/sing along to. I can envisage audiences belting out the lines: "I'm not breaking bones for you, I can be myself with a little bit of poison" - or at least that's what I presume Ste is singing under that heavy lo-fi disguise. If I'm perfectly honest, I'm unsure what the song is about, referencing' everything from; a 'crashing tiger...

Sounds of an Eccentric is a product of being overwhelmed and moved by music. An impulsive moment in which I decided to share with the rest of the world how amazing a Little Comets gig was. Since then I've been able to see so many brilliant gigs and meet so many inspirational characters, some of which have become close friends.  However my reviewing sometimes stripped me of that initial spark, that glorious feeling that urged me on to write. Having my head in a book hindered my ability to connect with the band and the overall ambiance. When I reviewed Cage the Elephant  I was too focused on writing down notes in order to write the best possible review that I didn't really experience the gig. It felt so impersonal. So, ladies and gentlemen, I shall be putting down my notebook and pen (and back up pens) and will be doing a series called 'Candid Reviews'. Fueled  by memory power and 2-4 pints of ale.  And on that convoluted note - let's get to what actually matte...