Volcanoes

Shaking That Brass EP

I think I may have found my new favourite band in the name of Volcanoes and their brilliant EP - Shaking That Brass. The lead vocalist has a kind of voice that is a mix between Caleb from the Kings of Leon, and Luke from the Kooks which makes their music sound quirky and unique. The Indie blues sound that bursts out of each tune shows they possess enthusiasm and energy and the four piece fit together perfectly like a hand fits in a glove. Volcanoes have clearly fallen into their own style where they feel most comfortable and their EP has so much personality that I rarely hear in Indie bands. They're dynamic enough to make you wonder what they are going to come up with next and have flare and passion, and my favourite track has to be 'Oliver Charles Darwin' because it has a fantastic old fashioned theme to it which sounds truly impressive. They have a good ear for what sounds good in a song if 'Temple' is anything to go by, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the whole EP.

Amy Baker

Lanterns on the Lake

Misfortunes & Minor Victories EP

Intriguing, wonderful and inspiring... those are the three words I'd use to describe Lanterns on the Lake's new EP. With Spring in the air, Misfortunes & Minor Victories is sunny listening with the band using a wide range of instruments to make an ambient pop sound, including male and female harmonies, piano, guitars and harmonicas. I can hear influences of The Verve and The Cure mixed in there and I absolutely love the layering of sound that they use in all their tracks, especially 'Giants' which is extremely well written. 'A Kingdom' is truly melodic and the whole feel of the EP is lovely and romantic, filling your ears with the joy that is great musicians coming together to make great music - exactly how it should be.

Amy Baker

The Inner State Circus

EP

Lost somewhere in Sheffield’s ‘Ice Palace’ rest a band suckled with summer sun, toasted funk blues and melodies you can twist your finger around. The Inner State Circus combine styles to melt your heart, it’s raucous and warm, if a little patchy and over indulgent in parts. It’s forgivable at times in this montage but Identity Unknown loses itself amongst shoddy recording, long build ups and has little to keep your ear interested, it’s a stark contrast to Certainty which floats in a summer breeze of acoustic Spanish guitar, low key drumming and sweet sweet melodies. Sorry For Interrupting Your Love Making is a schizophrenic affair chopping between fast and slow and starts in a dramatic attack of piano followed by an excellent chant for which all of the band joins in. The song soon ebbs away, then grows, then ebbs and never returns to the same point, there is nothing to grasp throughout the song until it finally returns to opening chant and even then they don’t just leave it alone, they go on for another minute until the track fades into silence. The Inner State Circus are at their best when the music goes quieter, the acoustics come out and the piano plays. Devon Francis’s vocals lift the songs to a whole new level at times in Certainty and Keeping the Pain Alive, if accentuated more the outcome could be rather beautiful. Maybe you’ll get a better grasp by watching it live, good luck though; they just played their last gig.

Thomas Walton

Inside View

Underneath The Stars

Inside View are a romantic bunch of twentysomethings who write guitar led love songs which are sure to make their female fans go weak at the knees, but this is likely to be the extent of their audience. ‘Underneath The Stars’ is the band’s second EP within eighteen months, and commences with ‘Judas’; an unsubtly titled account of betrayal which packs a surprising punch, but is let down by its regurgitated lyrical account of scorned relationships. As their lead singer Anthony O’Brien sings ‘All it takes is one kiss/And it all breaks off the mystery’, I can’t help but cringe, but his vocals are undeniably appealing within their genre. To his credit, O’Brien carries the song along well throughout its duration and his voice is a perfect compliment to the band’s rock/pop hybrid sound. ‘All Because Of You’ is more of the same, and has a strong aroma of a summertime chart single. For my tastes, this isn’t necessarily a good thing, but their apparent target audience are likely to have a field day with a song in which they can insert themselves as the recipient of the sickly sweet sentiment. ‘Out Of Our Reach’ is the obligatory ballad, in which the acoustic guitars are dusted off, and the backing vocals are cranked up for maximum effect. Be sure to have your lighters at the ready, ladies. As I reached the end of the EP, I was hoping for something redeeming, and more in line with the opening track, but I was never likely to get that with a song titled ‘Cry’. It is a heartfelt performance, but is ultimately transparent. Ignoring this cynical male perspective of mine for a moment, Inside View can certainly write a good song, but they come across very strongly as a boy band with guitars, although strangely it is not clear how aware the band are of this. Whatever their intentions are however, they have the ability to succeed, but this is likely to be largely with the fairer sex. That said, this probably isn’t such a bad thing from their perspective.

Stuart Holmes

The Satellite Towns

We Are Not Robots EP

Giving an innovative new sound to the 'Indie' scene are Manchester five piece, The Satellite Towns, bringing us their new EP We Are Not Robots. The feel of the EP gives me a buzz that I rarely get with typical Indie music and the fact that they actually spend their time making great music and not on how good their hair looks makes them credible. 'Seaside' is a lovely little track from their EP with imaginative rifts and synths that adds extra dimension to the song. They claim, like every other band, that they are different from the norm, and in this case they certainly live up to that claim, something that makes me respect them as they have their minds focused on what they're doing. A brilliantly structured second EP and a tight band means they could expand beyond being on the unsigned local scene, which 'Emily Built a Boat' and 'Tunnel Vision' definitely proves. The Satellite Towns are going all out to show they certainly are not robots!!

Amy Baker

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