Sussex-based musician, Jon McDevitt, releases seasonal single ‘Father Christmas’ breaking away from the Christmas cliché

A Christmas cracker from the South-East of England – John McDevitt’s new seasonal single ‘Father Christmas’: 

From creating the theme tune to the Channel 5 series ‘A Different Life’ to selling 2000 unsigned albums with his original band Geist, McDevitt isn’t a complete stranger to the music industry. Now the Christmas sing-along ‘Father Christmas’, due to be released 25^th November, blends influences from The Smiths and Dexys Midnight Runners amongst others, to form an easy listen seasonal single.

 This Christmas sing-along avoids the common approaches to the genre. Thoughtful lyrics by co-writer Dominic Hudson paint Father Christmas as a figure missing from Christmas, whilst allowing the listener to interpret it as to how or why; these combine with an infectious melody to make a Christmas single that stands out from the crowd

The band consists of multiple talented musicians such as violinist Anna Jenkins who has worked with the likes of Emily Barker, The Unthanks and Frank Turner when he opened the 2012 Olympics.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/jonmcdevittsongs/

https://twitter.com/jonmcdevitt

www.jonmcdevitt.com

‘Blueberry Hill’ by Lenny

Having shared a stage with the likes of Razorlight and Feeder, singer-songwriter Lenny Bunn has now recorded his own version of the rock’n’roll classic, ‘Blueberry Hill’.

Lenny offers a more jazzy interpretation of the track which was a favourite of his adopted father who sadly passed away recently. Consequently, the song is dedicated to him. Lenny is evidently pleased with the outcome labelling it ‘more beautiful than ever imagined’.

The popular rock ‘n’ roll cover features talented musician Ibo from the Jamaican reggae band Third World and singer-songwriter Melissa James. Interestingly, the video for ‘Blueberry Hill’ exhibits each member of Lenny’s band recording their section from the comfort of their own homes and studios via an internet call.

Find out more on Lenny here:

https://soundcloud.com/lennybunn/blueberry-hill

https://facebook.com/biglennyb

Tweets by BigLennyB

http://www.lennybunn.uk

 

SULK announce new album ‘No Illusions’

“Sounds like The Stone Roses if they signed to Creation” – The Guardian

“With its epic, stadium-indie guitars, baggy beats and trippy lyrics, this Suede-meets-Oasis numbers sets Sulk far above other 1990s revivalists” – The Independent

“Pretty damn catchy” – NME

The time is suddenly right for well-crafted British pop – there’s a thirst for new century psychedelia which is where London quintet SULK fit in. Steeped in the rich traditions of classic British songwriting, the band could be said to begin where the 90s ended with solid musicality, joyful uplifting harmonies, giant psychedelic guitar riffs and of course, tambourines.

They’ve been compared to just about every great Britpop band of the 90s, but SULK are very much their own men; musically tight and lyrically beautiful with sun-drenched vocals, ethereal guitars and pounding drums, rooted in 90s vibes but with their gaze to the future. This is anthemic bliss for a whole new generation.

The band released their debut LP, Graceless, in 2013. The ten track album was recorded and produced in Brussels by former Suede, Pulp and White Lies associate Ed Buller and mixed by Jonas Verwijnen and Antti Joas in Berlin.

After releasing Graceless and having done numerous shows and tours, including a full UK tour with Happy Mondays, SULK entered the recording studio to continue their journey on the musical atlas’s uncharted routes. Big Jelly Studios, a converted Neo-Gothic church located in the seaside town of Ramsgate, was the host of a month long recording session. Supervised and conducted by producer/mixer Jonas Verwijnen over twenty demos blossomed into a colourful mix of well-crafted pop tunes. Sticking to their basic musical values of classic indie, pop, shoegaze and psychedelia, but adding elements of motown beats, sitars, Love-esque vocal harmonies and Lynchian cinematic atmosphere SULK’s sophomore creation, No Illusions, stays true to its heart yet elevates itself to a point seemingly different to its older sibling.

WEB LINKS

www.sulktheband.com

www.facebook.com/sulktheband

www.twitter.com/sulktheband

www.instagram.com/sulktheband

www.youtube.com/sulktheband

The zzips Release Their Nostalgic Debut Album ’20 Years Late’

Meet ‘The zzips’ –living proof that Rock n’ Roll is not dead, and is in fact very much alive and kicking. A diverse duo made up of frontman James Butler and writing partner Graham Cupples. Bringing you their debut, yet eagerly anticipated, album ’20 Years Late’. Within their songs, they addressissues that are prominent within British society, and question the policies of consumerism, greed and elitism after partaking in social observation. The album is both a call to armsand a cry for revolutionand change, whilst some of the songs simply follow what happens within their day-to-day lives. Finding a release in the power of song-writing helped James through some serious personal difficulties for almost four years.

With an impressive résumé, and many famous faces among their fans, The zzips have already earned themselves a well-deserved prestigious reputation. Graham has supported Gary Numan, and James has opened for bands such as Oasis, Smash and Steps. In true rock n’ roll style, and following in the footsteps of some of the greatest rock artists,The zzips have also performed at Glastonbury festival.

Between the two of them they have written and produced their entire album, which in the era of the typical pop-culture boy-band genre, gives them a chance to display and show off their many talents. Alongside the music, James is a psychotherapist, working with Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. His interest in psychology is often apparent in The zzips songs, consistently raising the question ‘Why?’

Think classic 90’s rock, with a modern Blues twist and challenging lyrics. There is a very bright future predicted for ‘The zzips’, make sure you’re a part of it! You can download their album from December 2014. Be sure to take a listen to some of the tracks on their Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thezzips

twitter.com/thezzips

facebook.com/thezzips /

First national airplay for The Deadline Shakes new single ‘Slipping From Your Heart’

The Deadline Shakes new single ‘Slipping From Your Heart’ has finally received its first national airplay on Thursday night when Roddy Hart gave it a spin on his BBC Radio Scotland. 

The new single by the four Scotsmen has been receiving raving reviews from across the UK and its release on the 10th November is highly anticipated.

Check out the track here:

Links

Offical – www.thedeadlineshakes.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thedeadlineshakes

Twitter – https://twitter.com/deadlineshakes

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAH2a8gY1qxue5Txh99FaFQ

Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/flowersinthedustbin/the-deadline-shakes-slipping-from-your-heart

British Bublé makes mark with vintage hit ‘Caught In The Moonlight’ is playlisted by BBC Radio 2

Dubbed the Michael Bublé of Britian, Si Cranstoun brings his classic vintage sound to the masses as BBC Radio 2 puts new single ‘Caught In The Moonlight’ on the B list.

Discovered busking on the streets, he was then picked up by a manager and later got signed to Warners. Since then he has gone on to support The Overtones on a nationwide tour.

With his music being compared with the likes of Sam Cook and Jackie Wilson, it looks like vintage is about to become very popular in the UK charts…