Ocasan - Elixir
For fans of: Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy
A band which perfectly illustrates that rather confusing description above. Their follower count sitting at a mere 149 upon my last inspection, Ocasan are a three-piece alternative rock band originating from that cultural capital of the world: Milton Keynes. This band have enjoyed a very colourful history according to the limited information I've gleaned from their Facebook page, including "skinny dipping with Bulgarians" and "partying with Russian Oligarchs". In amongst this rather hectic schedule, they've managed to craft new album Elixir, which is interestingly divided into three bafflingly titled EPs which almost act as chapters. The album in itself certainly has me hooked, combining punchy electric guitar, ear-pleasing harmonies and more melodic hooks than Paul McCartney on a fishing holiday; so much so that you seem to recognise the songs even when hearing them for the fist time. However, for me the most impressive aspect of Ocasan are their astute lyrics, offering a perceptive commentary of British society (like all rock bands should), touching on themes like the 2011 riots in London Town in way reminiscent to me of Panic! At The Disco, although thankfully with shorter titles. While I would like to see a little more variation in their songs, it is certainly a fresh style which I like, particularly encapsulated in The River, Invincible and my personal favourite: The Wizard Man. Here especially, I see very strong ties with Panic! At The Disco and even Fall Out Boy but with that typically British attitude creeping in there. Definitely worth a listen in my opinion. Light You Up - All We've Ever Known
For fans of: Deaf Havana, Mallory Knox, Don Broco
Moving North to Birmingham now with a slightly heavier outfit in Light You Up with their brand new album released last year. This début album demonstrates an interesting take on the post-hardcore punk genre but, like Ocasan, with that original British accent, a welcome deviation from the typically whiny Americanised vocals. My first impression was that this is effectively Deaf Havana on steroids and with more attitude. Particularly in terms of the vocals which are rough yet satisfyingly tuneful, the Brummy quintet seem able to avoid falling in to that lack of variation trap so often suffered by artists within the genre and there is a sufficient quantity of guitar melodies and intricate lyrics, This can be seen especially within Monsters, Haven't You Heard and Breathe which have all those catchy elements of a pop song but with the anthemic choruses and bridges of a stadium-filling rock band complete with chanted vocals and that thing where everyone shouts the words back. Admittedly, apart from those three songs and All We've Ever Known, for me there are few other stand out ones, perhaps making the album more suited to shuffling a playlist rather than listening to the whole record outright. At the same time, there is not a single song I'd be tempted to skip.
JJ And The Pillars - Wolves
For fans of: Mumford And Sons, Dry The River, Ben Howard
Becoming more Indie by the minute, we now travel across the Atlantic to Canada with alternative folk rock quartet JJ And The Pillars and their début album: Wolves, released just two months ago. Usually, it would simply be the easy way out to compare them to Mumford And Sons but the murmuring, radio-friendly vocals, soft guitars and stomping crescendos are certainly reminiscent of the bearded Brits. The Canadians' answer to the banjo: a bluesy harmonica. It appears to me that their sound is what the aforementioned London outfit were trying to achieve with Wilder Mind. This is where the similarity ends however since, unlike their British counterparts, JJ And The Pillars have succeeded in their endeavours and the electric sound blends seamlessly with the more traditional folk style to produce an easy listening yet eagerly appreciated album. Acoustic meets electric, just like ebony and ivory, in a perfect harmony (forgive me for that). This is evident particularly in the songs Burning Leaves, The Bench and my stand-out favourite: The Wolves to which the record owes it's name. Admittedly, the folk genre is not to everyone's taste but this album excels, in my opinion, where Mumford And Sons failed . Yes this is a huge claim but that simply shows how impressed I am with it. At only eight songs in length, the album is relatively short so it flies by if it is listened to in one go yet there is sufficient variety between songs so they don't blend together monotonously like some albums. While to the outsider, it could be accused of being a little bland, I ,along with Canada's music-loving population, would beg to differ with the group, winning a nationwide competition hosted by the country's biggest rock radio station which has thus lead to the subsequent success. I'm sure there will be more to come.The Temperance Movement - The Temperance Movement
For Fans of: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Stone Cherry, The Faces
Now, after our long journey, exhausted from the alt-rock labyrinth within which we have lost ourselves, the holy grail of our arduous voyage finally creeps into our vision; our source of the Nile is upon us. Except for the the fact that ours is adorned in lairy checked shirts, covered in facial hair and contains an ex-member of Jamiroquai. Essentially, then, The Temperance Movement complete our undiscovered line-up with the deluxe version of their self-titled album, (another début) released just last year. Their style strays greatly from previous artist in the list, opting for a more blues-rock orientated sound, suitably fitting with their hairy demeanour. Upon first listening, I was immediately transported to an Alabama gospel church along a dusty road, surrounding me the scent of barbecued red meat and an overly casual attitude towards guns. While their squealing guitar melodies and gruff vocals seemingly emulate world renowned Southern rock outfits like Lynyrd Skynyrd or Black Stone Cherry, it comes as a big surprise to find out that the group actually hail from Glasgow and London. The Jamiroquai bit is also true with the 90s funk band's ex-bassist Nick Fyffe completing the line up alongside Scottish vocalist Phil Campbell. They are equally capable at producing roaring rock'n'roll songs like Ain't No Telling and Midnight Black as they are in the production of smoother numbers like Pride and Chinese Lanterns. The first two captivated my attention as a listener considerably more than the others and Ain't No Telling is by far the stand out song of the CD for me. Okay, it may not be a band to put on at a party, unless of course it's a party with my dad, but The Temperance Movement offer a stripped back, floor-thumping style of rock unseen in the image obsessed exterior of today's music industry. Not only does this album display more of a guitar-focussed approach, there is the sense that their songs genuinely do tell a story with the best example being Only Friend, This makes them, in many ways, a symbol of hope for a return to roots which has been a long time coming in popular rock music. Refuse to believe me? The Rolling Stones clearly don't, appointing them as a support act on their last European tour which is a monumental achievement in itself. Don't get me wrong, this isn't the best album ever written but it is definitely one that people should be made aware of and one that deserves huge amounts of credit.
Seeing as few others seem willing to spread this message, it just looks like I'll have to persist on my quest to inform you of the music industry's hidden talents and rising stars.
As usual you can find all of these artists and more on the Not Now Playlist on spotify.
Until next time...
