Foo Fighters Live @ Milton Keynes Bowl, 3rd June 2011

Foo Fighters are used to filling huge stadiums by now, but all that practice has made them one of the most consistently entertaining live acts in the world. The Foo’s graduated to one of the biggest live acts in 2006 following their first headliner slot at Hyde Park, before cementing their live reputation at the now legendary sold-out Wembley shows in 2008.

What makes the Foo Fighters such a popular and impressive live band is that they are not afraid to play their hits. In fact, Dave Grohl and Co. love returning to the live areas and playing classics such as ‘Everlong’ and ‘Best Of You’. So, with their new stadium-friendly album ready for another Foo’s tour, where better to perform than two nights at the Milton Keynes Bowl to over 140,000 fans.

After a strong supporting cast - including Jimmy Eat World and Scottish legends Biffy Clyro - kept the huge crowd more than entertained, it was time for the main event. And what an event it was. Kicking off with ‘Bridge Burning’ - the epic opener from Foo Fighter’s newest album, Wasting Light - the Foo’s proceeded to put on an unbelievable show, full of classics, newbie’s and some rarities.

Arcade Fire Live @ Hyde Park, 30th June 2011

Arcade Fire’s meteoric rise from quaint indie rock band to full-blown superstars always had an air of inevitability about it. Their debut album, Funeral, was mind-blowingly good. The Canadian band then released their follow up album, Neon Bible, and once again created a phenomenal album, full of truly epic rock anthems.

Yet whilst Arcade Fire swiftly built a strong cult following and critics poured praise all over their first two albums, they still remained relatively unknown. Third album, The Suburbs - yet another world class album from Arcade Fire - won Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards and two BRIT Awards, yet still had some people asking “Who Are Arcade Fire?”.

However, Arcade Fire’s Grammy win did bring them more attention and secured them a headline slot at Hyde Park, a gig that often provides a launch pad for bands to move from a big band to a massive one. Before the seven piece from Canada took to the stage there were stellar support slots from Arcade Fire contributor Owen Pallet, The Vaccines, Beirut and Mumford & Sons.

Sunday @ Glastonbury Review

After spending most of the week slushing about in mud, soaked to the bone, the sun finally decided to show up on Sunday. And it was bloody hot. So what better way to start the day than with the chilled R&B musings of Jamie Woon, whose debut album, Mirrorwriting, was one of the best albums from the BBC’s Sound of 2011 nominees.

The BRIT school graduate had a great crowd on the West Holts Stage, as he went through the best songs from Mirrorwriting such as ‘Night Air’, Lady Luck’ and ‘Spirals’. Woon was clearly enjoying himself and whilst his debut can be quite intense, he decided to lighten the mood a bit with a stonking cover of Charles & Eddie song ‘Would I Lie To You’.

Review: Saturday @ Glastonbury

Day two of Glastonbury brought more great acts, including some of the brightest new bands around this year. Starting off with Stornoway - the indie folk band from Oxford who are viewed by many as the calmer, relaxed, love-child of Mumford & Sons - Saturday was another great day of music. After seeing Stornaway put on an accomplished performance in their debut at Glasto - on the Pyramid stage, no less - we headed to the John Peel tent to catch the London indie rock quartet, Yuck.

The four-piece released their impressive self-titled debut album earlier this year to widespread critical approval, and it was interesting to see them perform that material live for the first time. Whilst Yuck don’t have great stage presence - more like a “we’re know were good, so we’re going to do that cool rockstar ambivalence thing” attitude - their enthralling guitar driven songs proved a hit with the the packed-out tent.

Friday @ Glastonbury: Review

For some campers, especially those who travelled to Worthy Farm on Tuesday evening, Friday could not come quick enough. Friday means music, and at the end of the day, that’s what Glastonbury is really about. In fact, the desperation for music - after two days of average to crappy weather - was evident from the huge crowd that gathered to watch Chipmunk open up the Other Stage.

The ‘Oopsy Daisy’ singer was a suitable warm-up act, getting the crowd going with his mainstream-orientated hip-hop. Next up on the Other Stage were Brother, a band that are better known for the amount of vitriol they receive, than the music they make. This is entirely justified, though. The four-piece from Slough bring much of the hate on themselves through their cocky, self-assured boasts, and their ‘lad’ personas. They put on an accomplished performance, but their attempt to regurgitate Britpop for a new generation, comes off as tiresome.

And if Brother weren’t derisive enough, it has now come to light that the band have changed their name to Viva Brother as the result of a legal dispute with Australian Celtic rock act with the same name. This explained the band waving a big flag with Viva Brother emblazoned on it.

Kings of Leon Live @ Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, 19/06/2011

The rise of Kings Of Leon in the past few years has been incredible; they have ascended from little-known Southern rock act to huge stadium-filling anthemic rock band in the space of one album. This showing at the sold-out Old Trafford Cricket Ground, demonstrated the dramatic shift in sound that has accompanied the Followills’ climb and seen them ditch the label that was attached to them earlier in their career - the Southern Strokes.

Kings of Leon’s debut album, Youth and Young Manhood – which gained them a strong cult following in the UK – was virtually non-existent in a set that revolved around the foursome’s most recent stadium-friendly output. There were 12 songs in total from the band’s last two albums, the biggest selling album of 2008, Only by the Night, and their most recent fifth album, Come Around Sundown. However, the band clearly attempted to satisfy those who sought a set based around their debut album and the formidable follow up, Aha Shake Heartbreak.

Album Review: Miles Kane - Colour of the Trap

Miles Kane has been around for a while now; however, he has yet to really make his mark on the music industry. His main claim to fame was as one half of the Last Shadow Puppets with his close friend, Alex Turner.

Many would consider the Arctic Monkeys frontman to be the main draw of the Mercury Award-nominated side-project, yet Miles was arguably as influential to the sound of the Puppets as Alex Turner, if not more. This is evident from the sound of his debut solo album, which evidences a similar sound in many ways to the Puppets album, The Age of the Understatement. Where Colour of the Trap differs though, is that it is an incredibly upbeat and rowdy album compared to the more laid back musings of the Puppets’ debut album.

What Does the Future Hold For Physical Music Releases?

In the last few months debate has been raging about the value of physical music, in an age where more and more of us are relying on internet downloads – whether legal or not – to satisfy our musical cravings.

In fact, there was recently a collective sigh at the news that Mercury Records - the label home to bands such as Arcade Fire, U2 and The Killers - announced it was to stop production of physical singles and vinyl records. Inevitable as this may be, what does it mean for the future of physical releases in the music industry? Well, not a lot really. Mercury has stated that they have only released physical singles when the demand has been there for the past two years anyway. When you take into account that physical formats now only account for just over 1% of the overall singles market and that Mercury made a loss on single releases in 2010, Mercury’s decision is simply straightforward business sense.

Album Review: Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

"THESE ARE MY FAMOUS LAST WORDS!" screams Dave Grohl, opening Foo Fighters’ seventh studio album in spectacular style.

Ex-Nirvana man, Grohl, stated that Wasting Light would be Foo Fighters’“heaviest album yet”, and the band certainly deliver. ‘Bridge Burning’ kicks the album off with chunking guitars and machine-gun drums, which quickly evolve into an insanely catchy chorus.

After the furious opening, follows the lead single from Wasting Light, ‘Rope’, which is a much more radio-friendly rock number, with its sporadic, stop-start guitars. Although Wasting Light is heavier than Echoes, Silence, Patience, Grace, it remains a very accessible album.

Album Review: The Strokes - Angles

Almost 10 years on from its release, Is This It still manages to haunt every new release by The Strokes. The critical acclaim that greeted The Strokes’ debut album has followed them ever since, and the subsequent weight of expectation that met both Room On Fire and First Impressions Of Earth, led to both albums receiving fairly mixed reviews, despite being good albums.

However, four years on from First Impressions, can The Strokes cast away the lingering shadow of Is This It with their fourth album Angles?

The album opener, ‘Machu Picchu’, emphatically dispels any doubts about the five-piece being submerged under the expectation after such a long lay-off, with its surprising reggae hooks. The lead single from Angles, ‘Undercover Of Darkness’, continues to get better with every listen. Its light-hearted, jangly guitars, Albert Hammond Jr. staple guitar solo and irresistibly catchy double chorus, make it an instant Strokes classic.

Album Review: Alex Turner - Submarine EP

It was about time Richard Ayoade cashed in the favour owed to him by Alex Turner for the numerous contributions he has made to the Arctic Monkeys. Ayoade – who most will know as Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd – has directed three Arctic Monkeys videos, including the brilliantly surreal video for ‘Florescent Adolescent’.

He also directed the phenomenal live Arctic Monkeys DVD, At The Apollo, which won ‘Best DVD’ at the NME Awards in 2008. In return, Arctic Monkeys’ frontman created the Submarine EP – the soundtrack to Ayoade’s directorial debut film, Submarine.

This is Turner’s first foray as a solo artist, and he demonstrates a startling maturity on this EP - which consists of a short intro and five full songs. From start to finish Turner sounds very comfortable, with his voice purring over beautiful acoustic guitars. The first track is the melancholic ‘Hiding Tonight’, where the minimal acoustic guitar brings Turner’s vocals to the foreground.

Album Review: Lupe Fiasco - Lasers

Artist versus label. This age-old problem essentially sums up the fraught history of Lupe Fiasco’s third album, Lasers. Lupe had originally planned to release a triple album, LupE.N.D, as his third and final album. However, this was prevented by his contract with label Atlantic Records.

Lupe went back to the drawing boards and returned with Lasers, which has itself been held back for over a year by Atlantic, until a fans petition and demonstration forced the label into announcing a release date. To say that Lasers has had a checked history isn’t a far stretch, then. In fact, even Lupe has stated in one interview that “I love and hate this album”. So, how good is Lasers if even the man who created it is indifferent to it?

The album begins strongly with ‘Letting Go’, where a beautiful melody backs Lupe’s distorted vocals, evoking a similar sound to Kanye West’s vocals on 808’s And Heartbreak. Next up is ‘Words I Never Said’, which is by far the strongest song on Lasers.

Album Review: White Lies - Ritual

White Lies released their debut album, To Lose My Life, in 2009 to instant success. The London three-piece became the first British act in 2009 to achieve a number one album, beating established American acts such as Kings Of Leon and Lady Gaga in the process. Their debut was certainly one of the most impressive albums of the year, and reinforced the potential suggested by their appearance in BBC’s Sound of 2009 poll.

However, whilst their debut was well-received, White Lies’ dark, melancholic sound led to them being compared – unsurprisingly – with the host of bands emanating from the seminal Joy Division, such as Editors and Interpol. Whilst it’s unfair in many ways to critique a band because of their influences; Harry McVeigh’s deep voice matched with the bands’ lyrics about life and death, meant the comparisons were inevitable. So, how does White Lies’ second effort, Ritual, compare to the debut album? Do White Lies cast away their dark, foreboding sound and revert to Vampire Weekend-like glossy tunes?

What’s Next for Music in 2011?

So, 2010 has been and gone. Overall, it was a fairly unspectacular year for music, other than occasional glances of genius (Kanye West and Arcade Fire stand up please). Can 2011 do any better then?

Well, the New Year should see new releases from established artists such as Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, White Lies, R.E.M, Coldplay and Death Cab For Cutie. We will also see the return of Lady Gaga with her second album, Born This Way, which will no doubt see the eccentric pop star dominate the mainstream charts again. For Hip-Hop/Rap fans the joint album from Kanye West and Jay-Z, entitled Watch The Throne, and the third album from Lupe Fiasco, called Lasers, will both be making an appearance at some point during the year.

The Best of 2010 – Part 2: Best Albums Of The Year

15. Hot Chip – One Life Stand: The fourth album by British band Hot Chip really stood out as one of the best dance/electronic albums of 2010. The brilliant opener ‘Thieves In The Night’ sets the tone for the rest of the album. It is quickly followed by the sweeping, jittery piano-led ‘Hand Me Down Your Love’ and the euphoric synths of ‘I Feel Better’, which almost steals the album before it has really begun. The first single, ‘One Life Stand’, initially makes for fairly difficult listening through the electro distortation, that is, until the throbbing beat breaks into Alexis Taylor’s subtly anthemic chorus. One Life Stand is full of the consistently brilliant hooks which Hot Chip are known for, but vocally the album is much more mellower, as captured in the heartfelt ‘Brothers’ and softly, softly ‘Alley Cats’.

The Best Of 2010 - Part 1: Best Songs Of The Year

It would be pretty difficult to argue that 2010 was a great year for music. The mainstream charts were typically repetitive, terrible songs such as ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’ by Scouting For Girls, Owl City’s ‘Fireflies’ and ‘The Time (Dirty Bit)’ by Black Eyed Peas all managed to make it to number one, somehow. Yet, if you ignored the absurd, and quite frankly, boring mainstream charts, then you may have realized that there were actually some great songs knocking about. So, what songs stood out in 2010?

15. Darwin Deez – ‘Constellations’: Darwin Deez’s debut album is unmistakably from the school of The Strokes. However, it is full of catchy, summery tunes such as ‘Constellations’. The song is fairly straight-forward, yet it’s the very simplicity of the jerky guitar that makes the song so infectious.

Foals Live @ Southampton Guildhall

Foals released their debut album, Antidotes, in 2008. The album proved something of a hit with critics and fans alike, with the Oxford 5-piece’s changes of tempo and key changes being categorized as ‘math-rock’. The second album, Total Life Forever, which was released towards the end of 2010, was equally well-received. However, it was a completely different album to the debut, with a much more atmospheric and relaxed sound compared to the fast-paced thrills of Antidotes. So, would Foals be able to take two albums, which are so different and translate them into a credible live show? Yes, very easily. Opening with the first track from Total Life Forever, ‘Blue Blood’, Foals provided a chillingly beautiful show from start to finish on a cold November evening.

Album Review: Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown

‘Fans’ of earlier Kings Of Leon material, those who believed the band went commercial with their fourth album, Only By The Night, look away now. Come Around Sundown sold 183,000 copies in its first week, including 49,000 downloads - an all-time record for digital sales in any album's opening week. So, with figures like that, I think it’s safe to say that the four boys from Tennessee are well and truly mainstream.

Yet, too much emphasis has been placed on the ‘commercial’ sound of Only By The Night. Music should not be judged on how many people like it. It should be judged on whether it’s any good. Even the band has reacted negatively towards the otherwise hugely successful fourth album, suggesting weren’t ready for the attention it garnered. Further comments from the band implying that they had let the success get to them only served to exasperate the problem.

Kanye West - Runaway (Full-length Film)

Kanye West's film about his relationship with a Phoenix girl who has fallen from the sky is certainly different, shall we say. Personally, I love it. But whilst some of the visuals are undoubtedly incredible, I believe the real masterpiece of this film is the music. The songs should all be set to appear on his new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. From the snippets of the songs that are played over the film, I reckon this album will be huge.

Radiohead's Kid A - 10 Years On

Radiohead’s fourth album, Kid A, was released 10 years ago to a chorus of unsettled critics. After making their major breakthrough with The Bends and their hugely successful third album, Ok Computer, the Oxford five-piece decided to completely change direction. The result of this was yet more success – Kid A went platinum in its first week – but it also alienated many of the fans gained by Ok Computer.

Initially, Kid A sounded like it was produced by an over-excited computer nerd. However, whilst it was difficult to adjust to Radiohead’s new sound at first, eventually Thom Yorke and Co’s new effort weaved its way into ‘classic’ status. The initial bars of ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ proved disconcerting to many, a complete departure from anything that went before.