Bringing a mix of songs from their back catalogue as well as a few unheard gems from their forthcoming album, Therapy? will be hitting the road this November including a visit to Sin City this Sunday
(tickets available here: https://www.derricksmusic.co.uk/events/586-therapy )

Of the newly announced live run, Therapy? say:

“This tour will be very different to our last few tours, we are playing places and venues that we have not played for a very, very long time or indeed before at all. As well as going back to places ‘from our past’ we will also be going back to songs from our past. We will have a totally different setlist to that we had on the ‘Greatest Hits’ tour. We will be picking songs from our old catalogues as well as a few from our forthcoming new album. It will be loud and noisy, and may well be the last time that we play some of these songs. So come along to hear the old, the new and the noisy… and be aware that these shows will be much more up close and personal!”

Since 1990 and the self-release of their debut single “Meat Abstract”, Therapy? Have lived through the troubles, a peace process, seven record labels, three drummers and a cellist. They’ve witness the widespread use of the mobile phone, a personal computer in every home, the internet, the introduction of WiFi, a single European currency, the rise and fall of baggy, grunge, britpop, nu metal and emo, released fifteen albums and sold in excess of three million records, had hit singles, collaborated with a myriad of artists including Ozzy Osbourne and David Holmes, toured the world many times and played countless live shows.

Amongst all this cacophony they have continued to plough their singular vision with determination and wit, all while making friends in the process. Celebrating their 30th anniversary with the release of ‘Greatest Hits (2020 Versions)’, an album of very special recordings made at the legendary Abbey Road Studios with producer Chris Sheldon (Troublegum, Semi-Detached, Cleave), Therapy? also marked the occasion with a Greatest Hits tour earlier this year. Released via Marshall Records in 2020, the album saw Therapy? Grace the UK Top 40 once more and was accompanied by an official biography of the band written by Simon Young a few months later. 

 Tickets available here: https://www.derricksmusic.co.uk/events/586-therapy

I haven’t been to a theatrical production for many years. I’ve been to gigs, I’ve seen some contemporary dance I think if I remember vaguely, a little bit of Am Dram here and there.I’ve watched a National Theatre Live at the Taliesin but I haven’t seen a musical since, I believe, I was about 25! That of course was many moons ago and was probably Miss Saigon in London’s West End somewhere. Fabulous.

Residing in Swansea however, a trip to the nearest musical theatre production means possibly remortgaging your house or selling an organ, after buying the tickets, travel costs etc.

So with the arrival of the shiny new Swansea Arena, right on our collective doorsteps, risen out of the ground in all its’ glorious red and gold; finally, I thought, this lazy, poor old wannabe show goer can have her dream at last and even get a pint at The Queens on the way home! ( hahaha - how apt!)

Of course knowing it to be a live music venue in the first instance, ( and I’m more than ok with that) I was also secretly hoping there’d be some room to squeeze in some ‘showy type shows. You know; theatrical, all singing, all dancing, spangly costumes, a light show and, ooh I don’t know, maybe an all female cast and musicians thrown in for good luck and a story line and production that aims to balance the ‘gender disparity in meaty theatrical parts!’

Well imagine my surprise when I was invited to watch SIX this fine October, that I knew little about, where I was served up everything I previously mentioned and desired and so much more ( And also Prosecco - a nice touch!)

In brief SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, is a musicale pop concert where the historical figures of Henry VIII’s six wives form a girl group ( but they all have their own solo careers) to express the awful experiences they had during Tudor times being married to the then rather hefty, misoginistic, frankly quite horrid King of England!

Please don’t expect huge weighted costumes, a hurdy gurdy and memories of your old GCSE history teacher though. It really is a pop concert! In fact Anne Boleyn is more akin to a Scottish Taylor Swift and Anna Cleves a sassy Nicki Minaj. Referencing their experiences from 500 years ago we are comically dragged into a very modern world siting tinder and profile pics and giving a new, fresh perspective on the lives of the wives as people in their own right, not just known for their marital status, how they died or their divorces! The songs are brilliant, a real nod to different genres and funny to boot. Anne Boleyn sings Don’t lose your head ( which of course she did) and Haus of Holbein, a German house/ techno remix made me crease up! Honestly, It’s so much fun!

The music and the performances are outstanding. Each Queen bringing such high energy, incredible vocals, the choreography is perfect and the costumes? Well, studded thigh high boots - need I say more!

What struck me was the set design ( Emma Bailey) and overall technical production. Simply lit church windows were used to such brilliant neon effect and as an ensemble with the musicianship, choreography and lighting all working in perfect syncronicity there were some really clever moments, perfectly timed and executed. (no pun intended)

Referencing ‘The six point plan’ of the writers mentioned in the programme; I love the fact that this piece was written with the intention of giving female historical characters a voice to tell their ‘herstory’, not through the male gaze or from ‘his’ point of view. I love that they aim to show the parallels in the female experience from 500 years ago to now. I LOVE that the cast and crew are predominantly female and that it’s a celebration of all things sisterhood because it’s about time! And I love that this shouldn’t and couldn’t put off anyone to go and see it because at the end of the day it’s silly and camp and spangly and simply a really good time! It is a show about gender but it’s also a lot of fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. I for one thought it was very funny, I bopped in my seat, as did everyone around me and if you’re into standing ovations, which I am, there’ll definitely be one at the end of each performance, I guarantee it.

SIX runs until 22nd October at The Swansea Arena

swanseaboxoffice@theambassadors.com

R * E * P * E * A * T presents their rebellious jukebox this Friday night in Creature sound: “a traditional (anti) Christmas, post election party” with a great line up in order to raise funds for the Save Creature Sound campaign.

The likes of King Goon, Kikker, DTT & Spaghetti Time will be playing a selection of rebel songs (listen below) and Bandicoot/Vanilla’s Kieran will be DJing “loading the rebellious jukebox with subversive sounds from The Clash to Idles, Crass and beyond.”

Sounds like my kind of party.

When we started the Swansea Music Hub at the end of the first Swansea Fringe Festival, one of my highlights was watching a band (play Cinema & Co on the Horizons stage) that I’d heard so much about but never seen - The Riff. The hype lived up to my expectation & some.

The Riff have, over the years, become somewhat fundamental to the Swansea Music Scene, and we’re gutted that the boys have decided to call it day, culminating in one final performance at The Bunkhouse this Friday.

There will be a big hole left in the city shaped like the riff.

With that being said, we wanted to commemorate the band with some of the key highlights of their career as a band. 

The band are made up of Ben (Vocals / Guitar), Tommy (Drums / Vocals), Chris (Bass) and Sam (Keys) and have paved the way for indie/rock bands in the city, taking influence from bands like The Who, Stone Roses, The Strokes & Stereophonics. 

After doing a deep dive on their Facebook page, it looks like the first gigs the boys played were on 3 consecutive Saturdays in three different pubs in October 2012: the Tredegar Arms in Sandfields, The Railway Inn in Landore and The Red Lion in Port Talbot. 

The band were main support for The Sherlocks, when they stopped by Swansea to play The Lemon Factory in March 2015 and between their first gigs in 2012 to then, it’s clear to see how hard working the band are, they were gigging so much!

The boys released their first EP ‘Take One’ in 2015, supported Tom Hingley (ex Inspiral Carpets frontman) at The Vault and played their first gig in Sin City, supporting The Marks Cartel in August 2015. 

2016 proved to be a big year for the band - again leading to their next landmark gig, the boys were working crazy hard, gigging so much around the city, leading up to a headline show in Cardiff’s Undertone as part of Independent Week in the first week of the year.

Coinciding with a headline show at The Scene in May 2016, their first landmark single ‘Jezebel’ was released and the track captured everything that The Riff are about - powerful, stomping, grooving and a force within the Swansea music scene. 

In the summer of 2016, the boys worked at Monnow Valley Studios and then went on to support Trampolene when they played a storming show at The Scene in September 2016. In between, once again, the boys were playing tirelessly most weeks. Then to cap off a year where the band were making waves in South Wales as a whole, the boys headlined Clwb Ifor Bach in December. 

In 2017, they kicked the year off with a co-headline show in The Vault alongside The Hangmen (The Zinvandels) and when The Sherlocks came back to play Sin City they once again supported them. Their second single ‘Show Me’ recorded at Monnow Valley was released in April - listen here.

In the summer the boys sold out another hometown headline show in The Pit and then released their third single ‘Weekend Schemes’. 

In the lead up to releasing their third single of the year, Nothing Lasts Forever, the boys toured the UK extensively. When we planned our stage with Horizons for their takeover of Cinema & Co for the first Swansea Fringe Festival, it was impossible to ignore the impact that the band had on the city’s music scene, so we made sure that they were on the bill for the Friday night. 

The band played a big part in the inception of the Swansea Music Hub - they were incredibly supportive, played our launch at Cinema & Co in December and always provided friendly approachable faces to chat all things music in Swansea. 

In 2018, the boys announced a huge headline show in Sin City and packed it out with support from Pastel and Violet Walk. What followed was another very busy year, with gigs in Spain, Radio One’s Biggest Weekend, Liverpool, Bala, Tenby, Llanelli, Nibley Music Festival, Welsh Fest, Pontypridd & beyond. Later in the year the boys did a short run of shows with The Spitfires and announced another headline show at the Bunkhouse to close their year (which sold out).

In their final year as a band, the boys have released their final single Lonely, played a 9 date UK tour, including ANOTHER sold out headline show at The Bunkhouse in May. 

And after final appearances at The Swansea Fringe Festival this year and Shiny Vinyl’s Face Value festival in Port Talbot, the boys are calling it a day, and are going out with a bang at The Bunkhouse this Friday. If after reading all this you don’t want to be there, you’re mad. And going off the trend of their last two sold old Bunkhouse shows, you should be quick to get a ticket!! 

Big love to The Riff. You’ll be sorely missed by all of us here at The Swansea Music Hub and the whole Swansea music community. 

Written by Simon Parton

We’d be silly to ignore this one this week - The Stray Pursuit have, in the short time they’ve been together, made a significant impact on the #SwanseaMusic scene. They’re returning this year to Sin City (after selling it out earlier this year!) to celebrate the release of their latest single “I Don’t Know”. Check out their previous single ‘Mess With My Head’ below:

https://www.instagram.com/thestraypursuit/ https://m.facebook.com/thestraypursuit/ https://twitter.com/thestraypursuit ...

Joining them on the night is an all star line up: BBC Introducing favourites The Luka State from Winsford, local boys The Now and White Riot. Tickets are flying out - don’t miss this, grab them via Sin City here.

Written by Liam Crosbie & The Luka State Director - Oliver Kember Producer - Jim de Whalley Editor - Stephen Dunne @ White House Post Colourist - Jack McGinity @ Rushes Music Recorded and Produced by Sam Williams @ Solar Management

New Single by The Now - Loosen Up ©Redstone Management 2019 All Rights Reserved. Track Produced by Jason Perry. Engineered & Mixed by Adam Noble Video by Rynic Media. The Now Socials: ➤ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheNowUk ➤ Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheNowUk ➤ Web https://www.TheNowUk.com

Recorded by Nick Lloyd. Lyrics : Grey skies paint the town with rain, Polluted air that flows through my veins, Concrete jungle, it ain't safe, Out on the streets As another setting sun arises.

We’ve been looking forward to this one ever since it was announced earlier this year - Cardiff alt rock quartet HIMALAYAS close their extensive 23 date EU/UK tour in Sin City. Their latest single ‘The Masquerade’ has received critical acclaim from the like of:

• Huw Stephens, BBCR1: “I told you this band were noisy, it’s a big one, sounds brilliant”

• Greg James, BBCR1: “It's gotta be bombastic and loud and angsty and it lives up to it"

• Elise Cobain, Amazing Radio: "Fantastic band, the best in modern new rock in the UK at the moment"

• Bethan Elfyn, BBC Radio Wales: “One of Wales’ hottest bands at the moment. What a song, what a tune!”

The Masquerade is a caricature of modern British politics, outlining both the absurdity and malice of a system rigged against the interests of the majority.

In the past year alone the band have conquered both Reading and Leeds, Festival no. 6, SXSW, The Great Escape, Live at Chelsea, Isle of Wight, Liverpool Calling, Festival Jalles House Rock, Somerset Rocks, Y Not, Truck, Tramlines and an array of headline shows as well as supports including Kaiser Chiefs, Gang of Youths and Marmozets.

Himalayas are one band that you need to see before they hit it the big time. This Saturday will become a real “I was there when Himalayas played Sin City” moment.

Supporting the band on the night are Cardiff rockers Death Cult Electric and local boys Motel Thieves.

https://www.deathcultelectric.com https://www.instagram.com/deathcultelectric/ Cutting off my feet so I can throw you my kicks

Tickets available here

An absolute knees up, must not miss, good time gig’s happening this Friday at The Bunkhouse. If Gypsy flavoured Ska, Dub and Swing with an infusion of soulful melodies and cheeky Eastern riffs sounds like your bag, then you are going to LOVE Bristol based Mr Tea & The Minions.

The band formed in 2014 and have gone on to play Boomtown festival and Croatia’s Goulash Disko Festival, as well as many crazy gigs all over the UK! They take inspiration from a wide range of genres, primarily glued together with a passion and fascination for Balkan Gypsy music and Gypsy Jazz. The Minions love to blend all their favourite musical flavours together with a big topping of their individual personalities in the music they write together! Listen below!

Pandemonium is the 1st single from new album 'Mutiny' OUT NOW here: https://mrteaandtheminions.bandcamp.com/album/mutiny-2 The first single from Mr Tea and the Minions' mutinous new album is Pandemonium! Irreverently combining folk, ska, rock and gypsy jazz, it's been a highlight of their live set since summer 2018, and has had many a festival bouncing in a frenzy!

And if that was not reason enough to go down, support comes in form of Swansea favourites Lost Tuesday Society, Little Folk & TangleJack!

Lost Tuesday Society Constant State Of...

www.littlefolkband.com www.facebook.com/littlefolkband www.twitter.com/littlefolkhq

Tickets £7.50 Adv / £10 OTD - available via www.bunkhousebar.co.uk www.derricksmusic.co.uk www.gigantic.com

It’s been a long while since our last gig of the week, but we’re back and back with an absolute top gig this Friday in Sin City. “Punk rock mates” Milk Teeth are stopping by on their UK tour and are bringing their mates Cultdreams & Nervus in what will be an unforgettable night!

Milk Teeth have just dropped their latest single ‘Given Up’ - which perfectly demonstrates the bands ability to write an infectious slacker rock / punk / grungey banger:

Milk Teeth - Given Up (Official Video) Listen now - https://smarturl.it/GivenUp TOUR TICKETS - http://bit.ly/GivenUpTour 7th ST ALBANS 8th SWANSEA 9th LINCOLN 10th BRISTOL 11th PLYMOUTH 12th BOURNEMOUTH 13th GUILDFORD 14th BIRMINGHAM 16th SHEFFIELD 17th LIVERPOOL Follow Milk Teeth: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/milkteethpunx Twitter - https://twitter.com/MILKTEETHPUNX Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/milkteethpunx Website - https://www.milkteethpunx.com/ Newsletter - https://smarturl.it/MilkTeethSignUp

Joining them on the night are Brighton based ‘sad lo-fi punks’ Cultdreams (FKA Kamikaze Girls) and Watford based indie punks Nervus (listen below to both!)

Flowers On Their Graves is the third single taken from the new Cultdreams (formerly Kamikaze Girls) album 'Things That Hurt' out now.

Watch the video, right to the end. We want you to remake this video, but put your own mark on it. Express yourselves, just like Paul does. Also, as is true of all other forms of art and self-expression, this is a competition.

And if after listening to those three tunes aren’t enough to tempt you down, they’re also hosting a self-care session for all ticket holders (which we LOVE the sound of)

Spend time with the bands and take part in a space where you can focus on yourself with a selection of activities focused on being mindful and coming together as a community. Yes please. Sign us up!

Remaining Tickets are available here: https://www.sincityclub.co.uk/events/2019-11-08-milk-teeth-cultdreams-and-nervus-live-sin-city

#SwanseaMusic | Music is Important

Written by Simon Parton

This Saturday the inaugural Sound Board Magazine Awards Ceremony will take place at the National Waterfront Museum. At the time of writing this, tickets are super limited - so grab them here and celebrate the winners with live music from Fiddlesticks, Steve Balsamo, The Stray Pursuit and Who’s Molly?

We’re lucky enough to have sneak preview of the nominees (voted for by the readers of the magazine) for eight categories & we’re thrilled to share them with you!

Best Single

Sponsored by Audio T

dunkie - Rabbit Hole

Who’s Molly? - Until I Found You

Sarah Birch - We Are Rocks

Steve Balsamo - Ships

Best Album

Sponsored by Swansea Bay Records

Sarah Birch - The Ballad Of Peter & Jane

The Grief Brothers - 35 Years On Woodfield Street

The Meadows - Force Of The Tide

Craze The Jack - Kaleidoscope

Best live venue

Sponsored by Swansea Music Hub

Cinema & Co

Sin City

Bunkhouse

Hangar 18

Best Live Act

Sponsored by Big Day Productions

Who’s Molly ?

King Goon

Bandicoot

Lost Tuesday Society

World vs World

Son Of Man

Best Group

Sponsored by Cinema & Co

Who’s Molly?

Lost Tuesday Society

Pastel

Pearler

Best solo or duo

Sponsored by Peter Lynn & Partners

Hawthorn Avenue

Steve Balsamo

Eleri Angharad

Craze The Jack

Best New Act

Sponsored by Sin City

Hawthorn Avenue

Kikker

The Stray Pursuit

Matthew Thirlwell

Lifetime achievement award

Sponsored by Derricks Swansea

To be announced on the night!

To celebrate National Album Day 2019, we asked a bunch of people for their favourite album by a Swansea artist / musician & their reasons why. We’d have love to feature many many more, so if you have a suggestion get in touch on our Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram!

Arteries - Dead Sea (2010)

"Capture the Flag" from The Arteries' full-length Dead Sea! Out now on Paper + Plastick. Buy it here: http://paperplastick.limitedrun.com/products/search?q=arteries

"Peaceful and chaotic in equal measure, just like the city it was born from"

Chosen by Scott Neil (Resident DJ at Sin City / former Hot Mass guitarist) | Full album link

King of Despair - Harpoon (2009)

"It's a masterpiece as far as I’m concerned"

Chosen by Tom Emlyn (News From Nowhere / Bandicoot) - read Tom’s review of the album in the Soundboard Magazine (issue #7) | Full album link

Cities - Manning Alaska [EP] (2015)

"It’s like the sound track to a gritty road trip movie that’s not yet been made... probably starring Nicholas cage"

Chosen by Sarah Birch (Sarah Birch / Lost Tuesday Society) - N.B. we know this isn’t strictly an album, but we made an allowance because it’s a banger. | Full EP link

Prosperina - faith in sleep (2012)

Directed and Edited by Rhodri Thomas Shot by Rhodri Thomas and Rich Collins From the album "Faith In Sleep" - Available on iTunes http://www.facebook.com/pages/Prosperina/180844031931141 http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/faith-in-sleep/id571987075?affId=1548458&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 Maybe Records 2013

"The album is so huge, it’s a wall of sound! Yet at the same time, it’s also delicate and melodic, the way they contrast the dynamics really gives the music a lot of impact and feel"

Chosen by Joel Williams (Inscape) | Full Album Link

the Pooh Sticks - orgasm (1991)

Recorded live on September 17th 1988 in Trudi Tangerine's basement and has previously been issued on the album "Orgasm" on the 53rd & 3rd label.

"A Polaroid photograph, slightly faded and a tiny bit embarrassing, but still well preserved, catching a fleeting moment in time perfectly; maybe one that doesn't bear being blown up onto a big canvas, but is still fun and fascinating to look back at."

Chosen by Rich Repeat (Repeat Fanzine)

The Go Team - Thunder, Lightening, Strike (2003)

Ladyflash by The Go! Team, taken from the album Thunder, Lightning, Strike. -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Check out "Rozi Plain - Swing Shut (Official Video)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZfcZ5m1bKU -~-~~-~~~-~~-~-

“The debut offering from Brighton-based six-piece The Go! Team may seem like an odd choice for a Swansea album, but its recording in the garage (or kitchen, depending on what source you believe) of band member Ian Parton’s parents’ house means that one small part of Swansea will always belong to its melodic, noisy and nostalgic combination of distorted guitars, double Dutch chants, old school hip hop and soundtrack samples.”

Chosen by Rhys Williams (The Crunch / Swansea Fringe Festival)

William Poyer - Born Lucky (2016)

William Poyer is a songwriter with a genuine attention to the craft. After three years of living in Mexico he found the the sound he was searching for and during this period he developed the stunning collection of songs that would go on to become his debut album.

"It’s just an album of perfectly crafted Americana ballads. What’s not to like!"

Chosen by Sam Baggott (Holy Home Video / Samuel Owens) | Full album link

Hot Mass - Nervous Tensions (2016)

From the album "Nervous Tensions" https://hotmass.bandcamp.com https://facebook.com/HOTMASSBAND Written and Directed by Alastair Jenkins, James Isles, Christian Bradshaw and Tom Barker http://tombarker.info Bay City Pictures (www.baycitypictures.com) Based on the practical monster FX short film "Congaaargh!" https://youtu.be/a85b7MFpI3o

"Listening to Hot Mass’ music makes you want to go start your own punk rock band instantly, only problem is, you’re too busy listening to their album to make your own! Time well spent I guess."

Chosen by Cadi Rhind (Holy Home Video) | Full Album link

Soundwire - Soundwire (2019)

"Takes me on a journey I hope never ends"

Chosen by James Yates (Pastel) | Full Album Link

Sarah Birch - The ballad of peter & jane (2019)

The debut single from Sarah Birch's forthcoming album 'The ballad of Peter and Jane'. Featured on the record are: The Mavron String Quartet, String arrangements by Seb Goldfinch. Rich Jordan ( The warbirds)

"Bias aside, The Ballad Of Peter And Jane is an impossibly beautiful and emotional adventure for any listener - just about the perfect listening experience"

Chosen by Michael Kennedy (Sound Board Magazine / Welsh Connections) | Full Album Link

Nozzle - Red Rorry Rerrow Rorry (2000)

We couldn’t actually find anything from this album online! If you can locate please get in touch!

"When I was about 13 years old a friend from school lent me this Nozzle cd. I was instantly hooked on the amazing vocal melodies and the power of the guitar and drums"

Chosen by Ty Sloanes (Iron Gosling / Black Wolf Shows)

Ghast - Terrible Cemetery (2010)

Welsh black/doom. "Terrible Cemetery" was released in September 2010 by Todestrieb Records. SUPPORT. https://www.facebook.com/GhastUK http://label.todestrieb.co.uk/ http://www.reverbnation.com/ghastuk NO FALSES.

“Perfect doom-fuelled heaviness.”

Chosen by Ben Cripwell (The Front Room)

Eleri Angharad - Earthbound (2019)

So excited to announce my latest single This Ship, with an official video created by myself and Fine Rolling Media! Filmed on the gorgeous Bracelet Bay with the backdrop of my hometown of Swansea and my living room, the video really brings the song to life for me..

"A Modern mix of folk and country, it’s unique to hear a very delicate female voice in country music."

Chosen by AidenKeryn | Full Album Link

Suns of Thunders - Start as you mean to go Down (2015)

Welsh Heavy/Stoner Rock band Suns Of Thunder From the album "Start As You Mean To Get Down" (Nov 2015) http://www.facebook.com/sunsofthunder http://sunsofthunder.bandcamp.com/album/start-as-you-mean-to-get-down-2

"It's pretty self explanatory xD - Start as you mean to get down xD"

Kei Ivett (The Bunkhouse, Swansea) | Full Album Link

Estuary Blacks - Estuary Blacks (2018)

Provided to YouTube by TuneCore Moorings · Estuary Blacks Estuary Blacks ℗ 2018 Kozmik Artifactz Released on: 2018-09-15 Auto-generated by YouTube.

“P H A T T”

Chosen by Rory Clark (Peter Greene / TI Punch Records) | Full Album Link

HAwthorne Avenue - Wildfire EP (2019)

Official Music Video for Wildfire Listen and download now!

"Love the overall vibe and the production is ace. Vocals are lovely and lyrics are emotive"

Chosen by Natalie Jones (Again, technically an EP, but another banger so we’ll allow it!) | Full EP Link

News From Nowhere - …and the human had half (2016)

Taken from our brand new album, available here; https://newsfromnowhere1.bandcamp.com/album/and-the-human-had-half This is the one acoustic song on the album, and features Emlyn Cai Hinton on violin and flute. Jack Patrick - percussion Will Evans - bass Tom Emlyn - guitar, keyboards, vocals A song about leaving, coming home and everything that happens in-between.

"Poignant magic which captures the tragic beauty of Swansea"

Chosen by Rhys Underdown (Bandicoot) | Full Album Link

Geraint Rhys & The Lost Generation - All That is Left is Us (2015)

We are the Lost Generation, The future of this nation, can we ever leave a trace? Director: Simon Bartlett Buy the track: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-lost-generation/id983326741?i=983326866 Dreams dissolved where do we stand? On the frontiers of failure with no guiding hand Pertaining to poverty our minds grow stale Is fear our best friend?

“I think Geraint Rhys is the type of musician and creative that can only be born out of a city like Swansea. Sensitive to life and surroundings. This album covers Trials and tribulations of growing up and belonging. It's a sincere album that shines. Added its a bilingual album and I find myself listening to more Welsh language music than ever before nowadays. But I believe in championing those active in the now I love some budgie, taint and the arteries but Geraint Rhys stands out to me as a contemporary Abertawe pearl, making DIY waves.”

Chosen by Bethan Groves (Swansea DJ) | Full Album Link

The Storys - The Storys (2005)

Provided to YouTube by Rhino Be by Your Side (Radio Edit) · The Storys Be By Your Side ℗ 2006 Warner Music UK Ltd. Co- Producer: D. Smith Co- Producer: R. Thompson Co- Writer: A. Collins Co- Writer: D. Smith Co- Writer: R. Thompson Co- Writer: S.Balsamo Auto-generated by YouTube.

"The story’s self titled album is a favourite - the harmonies are sublime & it’s reminiscent of the west coast vibe of the 70’s”

Ayesha Pontin | Full Album Link

Goatboy - Superlube (2001)

0:00 - Superlube 1:00 - I Dig It 3:46 - The Beast That Licked Me 7:22 - Aphrodite 12:24 - You Got A Ride Home 15:25 - The Girl From Abertawe 19:30 - Feel The Burn 21:40 - My Dog Your Tree 24:50 - Find Love 27:20 - The Aliens Are Coming 31:17 - Loose Legged Woman 34:12 - The Wetting 39:59 - If You Got Skins GOATBOY band from Swansea, UK.

“I first saw Goatboy as a 16 year old hatchling musician. They were the best live band I'd ever seen at that point. We were on a bill with them in a place called Ellingtons, which was a jazz venue for 50 years and is now flats. They had everything: a vicious groove; great songs; a twisted sense of humour...and they rocked like bastards, too. As a musician, they were the type of band that you see occasionally, where afterwards you inwardly resolve to get a whole lot better. And "Superlube" is their finest moment.”

Joel Morgan (King Goon)

The Pooh Sticks - Optimistic Fool (1995)

Estos enlaces tienen un carácter divulgativo y tratan de acercar canciones bonitas a los amantes de la música. En ningún caso tienen intención lucrativa y, si hay problemas por vulnerar derechos de copyright, los retiraré de las redes sociales.

"It’s the jangly indie pop that’s simple, upbeat and happy. Very unfortunate I couldn’t ever catch them live!"

Josh David-Read (Cactus Haus / 50 Years of Music in Swansea)

Helen Love - Radio Hits 3 (2001)

Provided to YouTube by The state51 Conspiracy So In Love With You · Helen Love Radio Hits 3 ℗ 2001 Damaged Goods Records Released on: 2001-09-24 Auto-generated by YouTube.

"A pretty near perfect pot pourri of (im)perfect contradictions : melody and noise, arrogance and inclusivity, exceptional talent and democratic DIY aesthetics, incisive cutting lyrics and bang shang a-langs, pop nous and punk attitude, fuzzy guitars and sparkly vinyl, bubblegum trash and enduring tunes, Debbie and Joey: from Swansea Bay to the USA.”

Chosen by Rich Repeat (Repeat Fanzine)

The Arteries - Blood Sweat & Beers (2009)

Provided to YouTube by Awal Digital Ltd Divergence · The Arteries · The Arteries Blood, Sweat and Beers ℗ SWFU Released on: 2009-01-12 Auto-generated by YouTube.

"Absolutly ripping from the first track and throughout. Fun, anthemic and melancholy in equal measure, it’s impossible to listen and not move with the music."

Chosen by Adam Sillman (The Crunch / Swansea Fringe Festival)

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And because it was impossible for Simon & Joe to choose just one album, here are three of each of our favourites, starting with Simon:

SSSSNAKES - KISSSS THISSSS (2011)

Provided to YouTube by Believe SAS Don't Tread on Us · Ssssnakes Kissss Thissss ℗ Specialist Subject Released on: 2011-02-07 Author: Jamie Morrison Composer: Jamie Morrison Author: Miles Morgan Composer: Miles Morgan Auto-generated by YouTube.

"12 songs & 28 minutes of madness & actual bangers. From the 10 second 'Donald Trump' to the 3:35 'Ssssnake or Die' this album is a super fun listen. Ssssnakes rule - buy them a beer"

Chosen by Simon

Beach Fatigue - Beach Fatigue (2016)

Track 3 from the debut album by Beach Fatigue Available on 12" via http://beachfatigue.bandcamp.com

"I started listening to Beach Fatigue around the time of the Biggest Weekend last year (+ was lucky enough to see them live) and was completely hooked on this album."

Chosen by Simon

Trampolene - Swansea to Hornsey (2017)

'You Do Nothing For Me' is taken from Trampolene's debut album "Swansea To Hornsey' available to buy and stream from: http://smarturl.it/TrampoleneSwanseatoH Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trampoleneofficial Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/28KtnfdwBHptsGPPWjeovU Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/trampolene_band Music video by Trampolene performing You Do Nothing For Me Directed by Roger Sargent Composed and Produced by Trampolene Recorded live at Konk

"Thought provoking, powerful & real. I'll never forget the first time I heard Trampolene & I haven't forgotten the last. Cannot wait for album 2."

Chosen by Simon

Bomb the SUn - Bomb the SUn (2011)

UK Stoner Rock band Bomb The Sun - Not Waving But Drowning From the album "Bomb The Sun" BOMB THE SUN were a young and extremely promising band from Wales in the UK. Their first output (CD released in 2007) was supposed to be an EP, but delivers 6 tracks in over 40 minutes.

“Bomb The Sun were mesmerising and eye-opening, developing in me a love for the heavier, riff-fueled side of music from the first listen. It's impossible not to fall victim to the Bomb The Sun groove.”

Chosen by Joe | Full album link

Aeronaut - Songs From The Outpost (2003)

“My first work experience placement (for my sins) was in Speed Music, and it set me on the path I've followed since. Aeronaut's 'Songs From The Outpost', with its jangly, DIY, Psychedelic Pop production provided the perfect soundtrack.”

Chosen by Joe | Full Album Link

Viva Machine - Viva Machine (2009)

take from the album 'Viva Machine' (Self-titled)

Chosen by Joe | Full Album Link

Let us know what you think! And please let us know of your favourite albums from Swansea - I’ve genuinely loved discovering even more artists & albums from Swansea that I didn’t know were out there!

Compiled by Simon Parton

Alffa Live at The Bunkhouse - 01/06/2019

Photos by Billy Stillman

Hawthorn Avenue's debut EP' Wildfire', is an impressive first-offering from the South Wales duo. Produced to perfection, the duo have a fully orchestrated quartet of finely-crafted Country/Pop numbers.

Before we get in to it, you know you're off to a good start when a release opens with a Hammond.

I loves me a Hammond.

'Raised Me Better' kicks off the EP. A stately and expansive composition with understated harmonies throughout that give the track a delightful spaciousness. The significant production does nothing to diminish the touching quality to the intimate, personal lyrics and allows for them to sit neatly on top of the mix with oodles of clarity.

Moving on to 'Fade Away', the EP's dynamic drops down further into decidedly Fleetwood Mac meets Civil Wars-esque territory. The unison vocals throughout blossoming beautifully into perfectly orchestrated harmonies that are arranged to great effect throughout the track to lend weight to certain refrains. Spacious and scrumptious, I particularly enjoyed the subtle, uncomplicated acoustic guitar solo. I'm not a 'solo' kind of guy, but the call-and-response of the acoustic and bright, slightly Tremolo'ed electric is a gorgeous addition to the composition.  

'The Water's Edge', continues to bring down the dynamic. A low-key, sweetly arranged ballad with a nicely chosen analogy running throughout that wouldn't look amiss in a James Taylor/Carol King collaboration.

We've reviewed the title track previously, which is honestly a perfect closer for the EP, and on this return listen - and I'm quite possibly I'm into triple figures now... - it proves no exception. It's a confident number, surprisingly nuanced, and those glistening, driven guitar melodies throughout provide a cutting edge to the track that serves to neatly and memorably bring the EP to a close.

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Check out Hawthorn Avenue’s debut EP ‘Wildfire’ on Spotify and iTunes now.

by Joe Bayliss

I’m sure a lot of you know, but in case you don’t, our friends at Horizons Cymru are on the search for their next 12 artists that they’ll be supporting for this year! 12 bands/artists will be selected by a panel of producers from BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, Arts Council of Wales and a producer of the Horizons 12 scheme as those most likely to make significant advances in their careers across the year. These bands/artists form Horizons 12.

The Horizons 12 bands/artists will be offered opportunities to perform at events across Wales and through BBC Cymru Wales’ national radio stations – BBC Radio Cymru and/or BBC Radio Wales. Alongside this they will benefit from a programme of support to assist with the development of their music careers.

The scheme is open to Wales based bands/artists writing, producing and performing original contemporary popular music. These contemporary music genres include indie, electronic, urban, pop, rock, world, folk and emerging contemporary music genres.

We highly recommend you apply - the roster of bands that they have worked with and supported is pretty impressive! There’s lots more info & content on their socials & website too.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY! & GOOD LUCK!!!

Ahead of their headline show at The Bunkhouse this Saturday, we caught up with the All Dead, All Dead guys over a coffee last week - find out what was said below!

SMH: So last year it seemed like you had a pretty crazy year, in terms of the places you’ve been, the tunes you’ve released and more – can you tell us a bit about what that was like for you? 

Gareth: So we sent out a lot of emails when we started the band and had three songs that we were really happy with that we’d recorded with James Weaver

Jamie: Shout out James Weaver, always and forever

Gareth: Simon and Martin (All Dead, All Dead’s management/mentors) got back in touch and said that they wanted to work with us! And since then we’ve had a really great working relationship with them – they’re like mentors for us

Jac: It’s really great, they’ve really helped us as a band

Jamie: You’ve got Martin who’s a songwriter and then Simon who’s a tour manager and they’re close friends who’ve done some things in the past – it’s great that we have those both sides.  

The biggest thing for example is like, in the Ukraine we supported a band called Red and it’s mad how different everything was for that show. We’ve all been gigging around South Wales since we were like 15 and we arrived and thought “ah we know what we’re doing we’ve gigged loads before” and it was a whole different experience playing such a huge show – we’re definitely learning a lot fast thanks to them!

Gareth:  They’ve given us all these opportunities basically – Simon’s got some great contacts because he’s been on tour around the world,  Ukraine with Red was the first gig that we’d played away

Jac: It was definitely a different feeling to all the other shows we’ve done.

Gareth: I think what we’ve definitely come to understand is it’s so important to have a decent local fan base – that’s been left to us. Our gigs in Ukraine and Amsterdam were amazing opportunities for us to get our music out to different audiences outside of the UK.

Jamie: In Amsterdam we played with a band called Desert Mountain Tribe and it was the weirdest thing ever – we’d actually supported them in The Moon in Cardiff!

All Dead, All Dead - Are we lucky? (lyric video) Swansea based three piece.

SMH: Tell us about how long you guys have been playing together

Jamie: Our first show playing as just the three of us was March 14th 2017 supporting MILK (who play with the band this Saturday) in Gwdihw!  It’s the first band that I’ve ever been passionate about other people seeing – they are so exciting and you genuinely don’t know what you’re going to get!

Gareth: We were called SUNS before, but the nature of the name meant that we were one of about 100 bands called SUNS – so we changed our name to All Dead, All Dead!

SMH: What’s been the best gig you’ve played?

Jac: It’s got to be Ukraine – the passion we had off the crowd was unreal.

Gareth: When we supported VANT in Clwb. That was awesome. We all lost it on stage. It was so fun.  

Jamie: I think for me, it was the Swansea Fringe show. It was just before we went to Ukraine and we were really comfortable going into it, so we really let loose. I was so nervous for Ukraine that I didn’t have time to get nervous for Swansea! It was amazing – it was the reddest I’ve ever gone on stage.

SMH: You’ve released three great songs, can you give us an insight into how you write your tunes? 

Gareth: Are We Lucky, Under Edinburgh and Autonomy were actually all written acoustically first starting with the riffs. But our style of writing varies quite a lot.

Jamie: Jac has a very traditional way of writing and to some extent we were all like this when we started out – get in a room, jam it out and get a feel for the tracks altogether. What we’ve started doing recently is use Garageband – myself and Gareth are eternally connected to Garageband and the way we’re writing at the moment is us sat on Garageband to play around with riffs, structures and more. It’s funny though, we sometimes forget about Jac and his drums and focus on bird noises and sound effects before anything else! We then go to Jac and say “hey Jac, over these bird noises and you go: boom boom ba-boom kah!” and we’re usually met with a dirty look.

 Jac: The bird noises are now louder than my drums…

Gareth: Mainly we’ll have an idea on a guitar or a vocal line and go from there. But we have so many different ways of working and often piece together ideas that we all have at separate times to make the tracks work. The song narrative usually comes after the music – we think about what the songs are about after we have the music.

Jamie: One of our tracks grew out of Gareth’s love for Ross Kemp and a sample he heard on one of his TV shows that he recorded on his phone.

Gareth: We love Ross Kemp. He’s actually my idol. I hope he can make the gig on Saturday!

All Dead, All Dead - Under Edinburgh (Kiev Tour Diary) Swansea based three piece. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllDeadAllDe... Twitter: https://twitter.com/alldeaduk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alldeadalld... SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/alldeadalldeaduk Music: Gareth goss Jac Rees Jamie Morgan Editing: Jamie Morgan Music production: James Weaver Studios

SMH: Tell us some of your influences as a band. 

Jamie / Jac / Gareth: Ross Kemp

Jac: Haha, nah we all have like… roots together of things we all mutually like, but we all have really different things we listen to.

Gareth: One band that always springs to mind that we all like is Biffy Clyro. We have a mutual appreciation of them.  

Jamie: The perfect metaphor for it is: “it’s like three trees sprouted from the same roots”

Jac: Oh god, please don’t put that in haha.

SMH: What are you all listening to at the moment? 

Gareth: At the moment I’m really enjoying Everything Everything

 Jamie: Jeff Buckley

 Jac: Biffy for me at the moment, but my all time favourite is Linkin Park.

 Gareth: We learnt a lot about Jac when we all went to see YouMeAtSix at the Brangwyn Hall – Jac said “I don’t really like YouMeAtSix, not really my thing” but then sang every single lyric at the show.

 Jac: I didn’t realise I knew all of their songs!

 Gareth: My all time favourite band has got to be The Beatles. They’ve got such a wide breadthe of music that’s influenced so much.

 Jamie: Right… When it comes to my all time, not necessarily my favourite, but the most important bands are Nirvana and My Chemical Romance. I wish you could see Gareth’s face!

 Gareth: Jamie’s half way there to becoming Gerrard Way!

 Jamie: Basically, I was brought up on Motown and Soul and then one day I stumbled across Scuzz TV. It was fate. I heard those first four notes of “Welcome to the Black Parade” and it was my first introduction to this kind of music. If it wasn’t for Gerrard Way, All Dead All Dead may have been an Aretha Franklyn tribute band!

Gareth: I thought we were?

 Jamie: It opened up a whole world for me. From there I discovered Queen, Black Sabbath & so many more.

Swansea based three piece. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllDeadAllDe... Twitter: https://twitter.com/alldeaduk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alldeadalld... SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/alldeadalldeaduk Music: Gareth goss Jac Rees Jamie Morgan Cinematography: Justin French Williams Productions Jamie Morgan Editing: Jamie Morgan Music production: James Weaver Studios We do not own any copyrighted video, all copyrighted material belongs to its rightful owner, our use falls within the terms of 'fair use': Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

SMH: Favourite Swansea band? Who are you excited about?

Gareth: Obviously I used to be in Bandicoot, and watching them the other day in the Bunkhouse was an amazing experience. Such a great band with such a great energy!! Otherwise I really love Trampolene – I’ve been listening to their album a lot recently.

Jamie: Yeah Trampolene are looking huge. You know you’re making waves in Swansea when my hairdresser knows who they are and has big things to say about them! Any day though, you’ve got to choose Badfinger!! They ended the best TV show of all time – Breaking Bad!

Jac: A band I haven’t actually seen but have heard great things about are Taxi Rank – they’ve got some great tunes. I love Apathy Avenue too!

Gareth: String Theory as well – great band – they’re playing this Saturday!

Jamie: News From Nowhere and I Digress have such a great passion for music which is great to see! 

SMH: Favourite Welsh band?

All three: Milk!!

Gareth: Super Furries 100%

Jamie: If you don’t like Phonics you’re not Welsh. Currently it’s got to be Boy Azooga.

Gareth: I love Gwenno at the moment too.

SMH: What can we expect this Saturday at the Bunkhouse?

Jamie: Lots of Ross Kemp!

Gareth: Confetti, bubble cannons, the lot!

Jamie: Possible nudity. Guaranteed nudity from MILK.

Gareth: We’re playing a couple of new songs that we’ve never played before.

Jamie: They’re big… Two BIG songs. Our last show was at the Swansea Fringe Festival, so we’re super excited to play our hometown again!

SMH: The gig is a charity gig for Parkinson’s UK – can you tell why you’ve chose this important charity?

Jac: It’s actually in memory of my Grandad and Jamie’s uncle. We’re trying to raise £1000 and we’re really close.

Gareth: It’s really nice to be able to do a hometown show and raise some money for an important charity is really special.

Jamie: And we’ve got to give it to The Bunkhouse guys. 100% of the ticket sales are going straight to the charity and they’ve been so helpful in the organisation. Make sure you buy lots and lots of drinks. We sound a lot better then too!

Gareth: Oh, the women’s darts team will be buying drinks won’t they?

Jamie: So the Southgate women’s, I think this is safe to say, over 50s (sorry mum) darts team are going to be there – they’re all very lovely ladies – so make sure you buy all them drinks!

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Catch All Dead, All Dead alongside Milk & String Theory this weekend at The Bunkhouse. Tickets available here.

What a treat we have for you this Friday at The Bunkhouse. One of the things we, as the Swansea Music Hub, wanted to do more of in 2019 was curate, support and put on gigs under the guise of ’Swansea Music Hub Presents…”. When we initially started chatting about the idea, one name at the top of our list of acts to book was Chaouche.

Spending her childhood in Swansea before moving to Bristol, Chaouche has finely crafted her sound to become an artist that we are very excited about. 

Directed by Max Blomfield. http://www.chaouche.co.uk https://chaouche.bandcamp.com https://www.facebook.com/chaouchemusic https://www.soundcloud.com/chaouchemusic https://www.twitter.com/chaouchemusic https://www.instagram.com/chaouchemusic http://www.nighttimestories.co.uk

Her sound has been described as ‘heartbreaking and spine-tingling hymns’ by Wonderland Magazine and Chaouche herself has been described by Clash as a ‘songwriter of really strength and subtlety’. 

Her debut album ‘Safe’, released on Night Time Stories last June, demonstrates this through tracks such as We Will Love and So What. Beautiful, ethereal tracks drenched in luscious textures. Her follow up EP ‘Progression’ released last November further proves why Chaouche is getting such glowing reviews, with stand out tracks such as It Will Come in Time. 

Her wonderful piano playing matched with a very impressive looking live set up (often including electronics, programmed drums & samples) that will get any music fan excited, it’s safe to say that we cannot wait for Friday. 

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises It Will Come in Time · Chaouche Progression ℗ 2018 Night Time Stories Ltd Released on: 2018-11-02 Auto-generated by YouTube.

Any if Chaouche wasn’t the only reason to bag yourself a ticket, we have 2 stellar support acts joining her on the night: local favourites Cities & Ophelia Xerri (formerly of Ananas)

This will undoubtably be a gig to remember. Don’t miss out. 

Written by Simon Parton

Bandicoot return to The Bunkhouse after THAT ridiculously good sold out show before Christmas and this time, they’re bringing a bunch of their very very talented mates to support in the shape of: Rainbow Maniac, Red Telephone and Vanilla.

Listen to 'Being Erased/House Of Fame' here : https://open.spotify.com/album/0VdKqgJS1YJFzPXe4o6NrG?si=f_oysKf0QgiIGBPIABtQZg

The band have already had an explosive start to 2019 with shows in Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach (supporting Wooze) and Bristol’s The Fleece (alongside Fossette). On top of that the band have been working super hard with in the studio, with producer Tom Rees (Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard) to record their next single (out very soon). AND on top of that, the band have been awarded with funding through Horizon’s Launchpad fund that they’ll be using to record ANOTHER single later in the year.

It’s safe to say that the band are going to have a very very exciting year ahead - why not catch their first Swansea show of the year - it’s bound to be a mental one that you won’t forget!

And if Bandicoot weren’t the only reason for you to head to The Bunkhouse this Friday (for a measly £5.00 if you buy your ticket today through Derricks Music) - the support acts are 3 bands on top of their game:

New tune x (We're skint so soz about the DIY quality xx) Check us out on: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Vanillabanduk/ Twitter https://twitter.com/vanillabanduk Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vanillauk https://www.vanillaband.co.uk

Vanilla, one of our ones to watch for 2019, have just dropped their latest single “On My Way Home”, smashed a headline show at Creature Sound and supported YAK at Clwb Ifor Bach - all within the last 4/5 days! Catch them whilst they’re riding high!

Official Video for Day Off by Red Telephone Filmed by Red Telephone, Erin Julian & Rhianedd Sion Song produced by Steffan Pringle

Red Telephone have also had a great start to 2019 and are due to have a very exciting year ahead. With one Bunkhouse show already under their belt this year and fresh from Tallinn Music Week (Estonia) - this is one band you don’t want to miss!

Rainbow Maniac - "Snowball" Available now on all streaming sites. Follow Rainbow Maniac: Spotify: spotify:artist:59yGsnbxfL1fbFYv5HCNd0 Facebook: www.facebook.com/rainbowmaniac Instagram: www.instagram.com/rainbow_maniac Twitter: www.twitter.com/rainbowmaniaccc Website: www.rainbowmaniac.com Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/rainbow-maniac/659259418 Written and Performed by: Rainbow Maniac Producer: Charlie Francis Recorded at: Giant Wafer Studios, Mid-Wales Video recorded by: Jacob Pleace - MONO Video Edited by: Conor Latcham In loving memory of Wonky the Cat.

Another awardee of Horizons’ Launchpad fund, Rainbow Maniac have been tearing it up in Cardiff for the last few years. Coming off the back of some very busy & wild shows in the capital, we’re excited to see Rainbow Maniac bring their heavy indie rock n roll to the Bunkhouse!

Written by Simon Parton

At first glance, Apathy Avenue's newest single is a change of flavour for the Neath/Swansea lads. A change of pace from the frenetic, energy-charged material I've heard at shows and online, but if anything, this allows the Apathy Avenue gents to show their true colours as creatives.

The track is a neat, clean number that builds on an enduring Swansea pedigree - somewhat Stoner-edged. Sludgy yet punchy. Entrancing. Music you can head bang to, or veg out to.

Or perhaps it could provide the sound track to a bar room brawl.

With their more pacey material, think Truckfighters meet Green Day in a Welsh pub for a swift round, but for 'A Loveless Attraction', think Black Stone Cherry sharing a casual stubbie with Clutch.

Aled Davies' and Samuel Kilby's (of Unit 13) production allows a perfect amount of space between the instrumentation, the bass tone in particular is bright, piercing, cutting through the mix in a highly satisfying way (bear in mind, this is coming from a guitarist, too!) and there's an enviable drum fill, courtesy of Liam Hawkes around 3:30 (more of that please, sir!).

All in all, a great offering from the Apathy Avenue boys, and you can make sure you catch them on the 28th June in The Bunkhouse, Swansea or 29th June at Rock The Barn, Hereford. Check their Facebook page for upcoming shows.

Watch the video below, or head over to YouTube to give it a gander.

Whilst you're at it, you can admire that impressive 'tache too.

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'A Loveless Attraction' is now available on all streaming services including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and much more!

by Joe Bayliss

It’s been a busy time for us here at the Swansea Music Hub, hence the long time since we last featured a Swansea act on our blog - and what better way to mark it’s return than with Swansea favourite’s: Windshake.

Windshake have been tearing up Swansea’s scene for a while now and were one of the first bands high up on our radar when we first started the Swansea Music Hub. One of the first gigs that Joe and I went to after starting was a packed out Mozarts where Windshake played a storming set. Their sound has certainly developed in the year since that show, but what hasn’t changed is their uniqueness and their ability to draw you in with their psychedelic infused rock n roll.

Here is the music video for 'Sleepy State of Shame' from our 'debut' EP 'Feeling Friendly. Filmed and produced by ourselves. You can find 'Feeling Friendly' on all popular music streaming platforms. There will also be a limited number of physical copies to follow!

On New Year’s Eve 2018/19 the band released their ‘Feeling Friendly’ EP - a wonderfully trippy collection of songs that showcase the band’s ability to write unique compositions. The lead single Sleepy State of Shame really stands out - it’s jaunty, psychy, trippy but also a really good tune. It’s got lots of unexpected twists and turns, lovely layers and the music video demonstrates how close the three in the band are and how well they work together.

Windshake are certainly one of the hardest working bands in Swansea and have had stints all over the UK and Paris! We were really lucky to have them play our recent mini-festival ‘Nightworks’ and we were really impressed - they’ve come a long way in such a short space of time since that packed out Mozarts gig (and we were impressed then!). We’re really looking forward to what the future holds for Sam (Guitar, Vocals and Keys), Oliver (Drums and Vocals) and Ethan (Bass) and implore you to go listen to their stuff & catch them live!

Words by Simon Parton

When a band goes on an extensive UK tour and includes Swansea, it’s something that should be celebrated - especially when the band are as good and as exciting as Manchester’s The Slow Readers Club.

Sin City will be their 20th stop out of 32 on the band’s extensive UK tour and after sold out shows in London, Glasgow and Manchester the band have proven that they are definietly ones to watch. Described by the NME as “The next northern pop powerhouse… with hints of the xx, Depeche Mode, The Maccabees and Alt-J”, this is one for fans of guitar led indie rock music.

More info, music and tour dates here: http://www.theslowreadersclub.co.uk Video: http://www.croftwerk.co.uk The Slow Readers Club - On The TV (Official Video)

The band will also be selling their own signature dry hopped lager - “Slow Brew” - to ensure you stay refreshed during their set!

This is a very exciting time for the band. Front man Aaron Starkie says: "This is the first opportunity we’ve had to do a full on UK tour, up until this point we’ve all had day jobs to work around, but 2019 is the year we go at it properly, no more messing about. We’ve had tons of people ask us to play all over the UK so here we go.”

The band are touring in support of their new album Build A Tower, which was released last year and went straight into the album charts at number 18, 10 in the physical album chart, 4 in the vinyl chart, 4 in the indie album chart and Number 1 in the cassette chart.

The latest single, ‘On The TV’, taken from the album has proved a hit at radio, receiving great support from BBC 6Music and Radio X.  

Following the March headline tour, the band have also been announced to play the main stage at the Neighbourhood Weekender in Victoria Park, Warrington on May 26th alongside Richard Ashcroft, The Vaccines and The Charlatans. 

Supporting the band is Devon’s Alice Jemima, who will be bringing more indie vibes to the night. Check out her track “Take Me Back” below:

"Playlist Best of AliceJemima https://goo.gl/Y1TTjL Subscribe for more https://goo.gl/ZDu9nw" Buy the debut self titled album (CD, VINYL, DIGITAL): http://smarturl.it/AJ_Album Mailing list for exclusive stuff ~ https://eepurl.com/bYHX7T Spotify ~ https://found.ee/dQAs7 Facebook ~ https://found.ee/Jyq1w Twitter ~ https://found.ee/jMuIb Instagram ~ https://found.ee/R3E59 Follow Alice Jemima: https://www.facebook.com/alicejemimam...

Tickets are still available for the show through Sin City’s website here

MUSIC IS IMPORTANT

#SWANSEAMUSIC

I'll admit, when I was sent 'Mary Jane' to have a listen to, I genuinely wasn't expecting the little golden nugget of Americana-inspired Alt-Rock that I received. I'm not sure what I was expecting, in fact - something lighter fare, perhaps, but the structure of the track, along with the underpinning harmonic progression screams of Tom Petty's classic stylings, and with the final breakdown and repetitive riff (kudos to Jimmy Brewer for his work on guitar), that influence is cemented. It's a simple, tested structure, and the instrumentation throughout works to add a perfect amount of variation to keep the listener hooked.

Playing with the dynamics and anchoring with the acoustic guitar cleverly means that it's undoubtedly and unavoidably still the work of a singer-songwriter, adding that charm to the full band orchestration. The understated vocal melodies in the verse work brilliantly to contrast the ramped up, gutsy choruses whilst the hammering home of the outro echoes of Cheryl Crow.

All in all it's a well-crafted Country-Rock number, and Owain Jenkins' (of StudiOwz) production is perfectly balanced to allow for Cale's beautiful vocal work to sit neatly on top of the mix.

"Mary Jane" is what I imagine it might sound a little like if Susan Tedeschi fronted The Heartbreakers.

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'Mary Jane' will be available for download from the 22nd March on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Play and other platforms.

by Joe Bayliss