Described at Wales’ best kept secret, The Fireside Family from Llandrindod Wells play a special intimate show at Cinema & Co (hosted by Welsh Connections) this Friday.
Joining them are two of Swansea’s most cherished singer songwriters, Lost Tuesday Society’s Sarah Birch (who’s album we’re all eagerly waiting to hear!) & Tansy! Head to Cinema & Co this Friday! £5.00 entry / £3.50 with a valid NUS card!
We head to Sin City this week for our featured gig of the week and what a show you're in for!! It'll be loud. It'll be rocky. It'll want to make you move. It'll make you want to bang your head. And this is largely down to the three ridiculously good bands on the bill.
Headlining the evening are Swansea legends Heavy on The Ride - if you live in Swansea & haven't heard of these guys you must be living under a rock, because these guys have a firm footprint on the music scene. For fans of Queens of the Stone Age, Mastadon, Zeppelin, Foo Fighters etc...
Joining them on this killer night are Blackburn based band Sky Valley Mistress (who have been described as "a cacophony of rock n’ roll excellence" and local hard rockers Fallen Temples (described by Adam Walton as "Intoxicatingly melodic and genre defying".)
Tickets for the show are £4.00 - alternatively they'll be £5.00 on the door.
Some bands are timeless, others burn out, creatively, like a flash in the pan. It takes something truly special to stand the test of time, and there are few, if any, acts in Swansea who have remained as vital, vibrant and relevant as The Groundnuts & Independents - they are a constant, perpetual and necessary force of nature.
The Groundnuts & Independents are Greg Fabb and Jason Williams, playing bass and guitar respectively, who share vocal duties throughout, finishing off the trio with Lee Thomas beating the skins.
They’ve a healthy (for the soul, if not for the ears) menu of releases on Bandcamp - something that always excites me, so I dove right in to Hellish Tidy with wild abandon. Hellish Tidy is a solid collection of traditional punk tunes with a few quirks that exemplify what make The Groundnuts & Independents such a lasting exponent of Swansea music.
Album (for lack of a better term - with Hellish Tidy clocking in at a metronome defying 13.82 minutes long) opener ‘Oh Shit’ lulls you into a false sense of security with it’s ‘found audio’ introduction before launching into a ferocious, musically manic audio assault that doesn’t let up throughout ‘Spread The Word’ and ‘Draw The Line’. ’Bosina No. 3’’ is perfectly timed within the collection for a small reprieve from the carnage with it’s central riff that beautifully bastardises ‘60s surf melodies before launching back in to the unflinching ‘FBR’. ‘Cock Rock’ is a modern day ‘King Rocker’ whilst ‘One Shot’’s acoustic introduction and half-time rhythms caught me off guard before launching into a solid, neatly-worked album closer that left me wanting more!
Bite size releases, perfectly penned with production that’s snappy, in no way convoluted and captures the essence of the act. Full marks from me!
The Groundnuts & Independents Facebook | The Groundnuts & Independents Bandcamp
Written by Joe Bayliss
Mozarts is the place to be this Saturday. Black Wolf Shows have curated this incredible line up of rock & punk for their all day festival By The Bay. Over 15 bands, pirate themed and a reward of a free pint if you come dressed as pirate - what's more of a reason to go!!
Confirmed bands playing are as follows: The Murderburgers / Jake and the Jellyfish / Tim Holehouse / Crooked Little Sons / Peachfuzz / Deadlines / Ocean View Sunset / The Groundnuts & Independents / The Boneless Ones / Iron Gosling / Low Blows / Richie Smith / Jebbers / .....But Pirates? / Shy Lizard / & more...
Tickets are £10.00 on the door and the event will also be supporting Many Tears Dog Rescue!
Support Swansea Music & support our incredible Punk scene by getting down to Mozarts at 13:00 this Saturday! Here's a very quick teaser of just a few of the bands that will be playing:
With unconvoluted instrumentation and a perfectly simple approach, Ananas' four-track debut EP Cosmosus somehow creates an expansive and immersive musical experience reminiscent of certain late '90s and early '00s commercially popular EDM scene - think Play-era Moby, but less samples (and more hair) and a sprinkling of Skye Edwards'esque vocals.
This is a band that seem to have come out of left-field, with a sound and style that is entirely their own. Cosmosus is a heart-warming collection of musical musings between friends, at times deeply intimate but without any pretence.
I'm going to keep this short this week; this evening, why not pour yourself a glass of your favourite tipple, sit back, close your eyes and immerse yourself in Ananas.
Tasty.
Ananas Facebook | Ananas Twitter | Ananas Bandcamp
Written by Joe Bayliss
What a weekend last weekend was for Swansea the wider music scene. We've only just recovered (hence the late in the week gig feature) but across the board it was an incredible weekend for Swansea. Whilst megastars like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Florence & the Machine & Sam Smith graced the main stage at Singleton park, the Introducing stage saw the likes of Swansea's own Rachel K Collier & Trampolene play to a huge crowd at the festival!
For those not lucky enough to have a ticket, there was lots going on elsewhere in the city - like in Creature Sound, where the Punks 4 Mental Health Festival took place, featuring local bands like Godkilla, World Vs World, Windshake, Lost Tuesday Society, Ben Luc, King Goon and so many more. A truly special weekend for #SwanseaMusic.
Now this is where we need to step up & keep the momentum of our music scene going. And what better way than to come party with Dream State at Sin City tomorrow night! (Also, Ed Sheeran name dropped Sin City twice on stage and twice in a backstage interview - so you know it's the place to be...)
Celebrating the release of their EP 'Recovery', Dream State play a very special homecoming show before they head to Donington Park later in the year to play Download. After that (at their current rate) we expect they'll be taking over the world.
The band have been tipped by Radio One's own Huw Stephens & Annie Mac as well as Kerrang, Rocksound & more. I also caught them play FOCUS Wales earlier this month and was totally blown away. We really recommend this one.
Not only that, they're joined by a top notch bunch of bands in support including Bridgend's Breathe In Silence, Cardiff based Winchester and Swansea's own I Digress.
Tickets are £6.00 (£7.50 with booking fee) and available here.
We thought that we’d write up a quick blog post to let you know about Horizons and the great opportunity for musicians in Wales available. Today applications for the next round of Horizons 12 have opened and we seriously recommend that you apply.
If you’re a musician, over 16 and based in Wales, this is for you. Horizons/Gorwelion is a scheme delivered by BBC Cymru Wales in partnership with the Arts Council of Wales to develop new, independent contemporary music in Wales. If selected, you’ll a join line up of 12 artists in being supported and mentored by the project with the view of reaching new audiences in Wales, the UK and beyond.
This includes providing promotional and performance opportunities for the artists selected. In the past Horizons have been showcased at the following festivals: Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Festival No.6, Swn, The Swansea Fringe, Eurosonic, SXSW and have even performed sessions at the legendary Maida Vale Studios!
Trust us. If you’re a musician and you’re over 16 and you live in Wales – APPLY!!! It’s such a fantastic opportunity and you could be in with a shout! It’d be great to hear from the Horizons team that lots of Swansea acts have applied – there’s a lot of you doing really great things!
And if you apply and you’re unsuccessful don’t be disheartened! Know that your application was looked at by an experienced panel and strongly considered – and then try again!! Out of the hundred of applications that Horizons get, only 12 are selected, but as a scheme they’re always supporting and shouting about other Welsh talent throughout the year!
Here’s a link to the application page
And to finish, here are some of our favourite artists that have previously been selected for the Horizons 12 in previous years:
Afro Cluster (2016)
Aled Rheon (2015)
Climbing Trees (2014)
Casi (2014)
Mellt (2015)
We’re No Heroes (2016)
Roughion (2016)
Rachel K Collier has been absolutely smashing it over the last year with appearances at SXSW (Texas), Koko in London, BBC Introducing in Amsterdam, We Are Robots Festival (Berlin) & more – and this has all been since she played Swansea in September 2017 on the Horizons stage at the Swansea Fringe Festival.
Rachel is somewhat of a phenomenon – she’s not only a totally badass producer, but the tunes she makes are absolute bangers. If you don’t believe me, check out Rust, Paper Tiger or her latest single Darkshade. And to top it all off, her ability to perform these tunes live is outstanding, demonstrating her production skills on stage with her incredible set up.
I was running a workshop in an all girls school last year and one of the students said to me “why does everyone say that girls can’t do music tech - it’s only for boys!”. I thought to myself, this is the perfect opportunity to show and tell these girls about Rachel. I showed them a live video of Rust live from the Swansea Fringe and all of them were instantly inspired. “Oh my god she’s amazing!” “I want to be like her, that is so so cool.”
Rachel is an incredible role model for these young girls young people in a world dominated by small minded people that say “women can’t do that, that’s a man’s job”.
We’re incredibly proud to say that Rachel is from Swansea. She’s representing our city’s potential for talent on the world stage and is destined for incredible things.
Rachel's Facebook | Rachel's Twitter | Rachel's Instagram | Rachel's YouTube | Rachel's Soundcloud
Written by Simon Parton
Ooooh you're in for a treat this week Swansea. On the event page, The Last Resort have summed up this event so perfectly: "Gower gang describing themselves as Balkan, Gypsy, Klezmer and Celtic musical madness. The Balkaneers play a lively mix from around the world – adding a hint of dub, a pinch of funk, and a dash of ska. Dancing compulsory."
It will be impossible to be there and not dance. We had the pleasure of The Balkaneers playing at our Folk at the Fringe evening on the closing night of the Swansea Fringe Festival at The Last Resort last September, and anyone there will agree it was an unforgettable evening. These guys are so much fun and so good live. Don't miss this one!!!
Entry £4.00 | Free before 8:30
It seems Americana-infused acts have become an absolute staple in South Wales in the last decade or so, and with each act emerging nearby the style becomes more defined and polished. A family band in the truest sense of the phrase, Little Folk is comprised of Dewi Bowen (Guitar/Vocals) and his wife Lucy (Vocals), and brothers Marc and Alun Bowen (Banjo and Double Bass respectively).
Little Folk have developed an enduring presence in the Welsh music scene over the past few years, with their undeniably catchy country-pop style, vivacious live shows and the fact they are through-and-through lovely people. With performances at top-notch festivals such as AmericanaFest and shows with Carter Sampson and the Hackensaw Boys under their belts, as well as airtime on radio stations across the UK and beyond, including Bethan Elfyn's BBC Radio Wales regular show, the future is looking remarkably rosy for Little Folk.
We've had the utmost pleasure of following the band's ascent from the very beginning and it's uplifting to see traditional songwriters constantly refining, developing and perfecting their craft.
Newest single, 'The Smoke', showcases Little Folk's perfect nod to traditional, country songcraft and stunning, elevating use of harmony to lift a chorus' hook. Check it out and lose yourself in solid, well-written sing-alongs - you won't regret it!
This is no doubt going to be one busy, sweaty, energy filled night. High Tide Promotions present Swansea's own Bandicoot alongside Bristol Indie band Fossette, South Wales' Tracy Island and Swansea Grunge band String Theory.
It's already been a busy start to the year for our one's to watch for 2018 Bandicoot. They've released a new single - Stuck in Space - played a special showcase acoustic set at our musician's forum, supported Spring King at Sin City to a packed out top room & played a show in Oxford!
Joining them are Bristol based indie band Fossette as they start of their 8 date UK tour in Swansea. Described by Sofar Sounds as having "contagious energy", this is one set not to miss. Also playing are Tracy Island - (one for fans of The Kooks, Catfish & the Bottlemen & Circa Waves) and young grunge rockers String Theory, who we last saw play a cracking set to a packed out room at Mozarts.
Tickets are £5.00 (+75p booking fee) are available via Derricks Music.