Track of the Week: The Districts - '4th and Roebling'

image: rockonphilly.com

The Districts are a band I have been keeping a close eye on over the past 12 months. Their laid-back, slow-building anthemic sound an instant hit with me. ‘4th and Roebling‘ touches on the bluesy instrumental style The Districts presented us with on their debut self-titled EP back in January but brings in some garage-rock elements too, which work really well.

The track combines an uplfiting and steady intro with a hard-hitting outro; spells of feedback and rough-cut guitar parts are also apparent.

‘4th and Roebling‘ has certainly affirmed the quality of The Districts’ sound and their debut album, A Flourish And A Spoil, which is set for release in February of next year is definitely something to look forward to.

Written for PostMusicDepression.

Albums of the Year // 2014

The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
The third album from The War on Drugs is equally as beautiful as both of its predecessors. With a very 80's reminiscent sound, claiming clear inspiration from the likes of Bruce Springsteen and, in some respects, Bob Dylan, Lost in the Dream is perhaps one of the most listenable albums of 2014; each and every track is captivating and comforting.

Catfish & The Bottlemen - The Balcony

The Balcony is by far my favourite debut of the year. It's no secret that I am a huge Catfish & The Bottlemen fan and so the prospect of an 11 track LP from them got me instantly excited. Despite the majority of tracks on the album being familiar to us Catfish fans prior to The Balcony's release, the record as a whole is just brilliant, each track an anthemic concoction of their intense three chord, typically indie sound.

Read my review of The Balcony here.

Mac DeMarco - Salad Days

Released back in April, this album was the soundtrack to my summer. Mac DeMarco has certainly got a knack when it comes to infectious melodies and thoughtful lyrics. Salad Days offers a slightly more mature slant on his laidback slacker style, demonstrated in the number of different genres Mac has incorporated in his third LP. Definitely one of the most exciting releases of the past 12 months.

Read my review of Salad Days here.

Honeyblood - Honeyblood

A relatively new addition to my record collection, Honeyblood, the eponymous debut from the Glaswegian duo is a thoroughly enjoyable listen from start to finish. If you're a fan of Best Coast, you can definitely get into Honeyblood's surf rock, summer-infused sound.

Jamie T - Carry on the Grudge

I don't think I've ever been as excited for an album release as I was for Carry on the Grudge. Jamie T is one of the first artists I discovered for myself and his music will forever remind me of the 'good old days.' Although Carry on the Grudge takes a slightly more sophisticated and mature turn from his previous material, the album is fantastic regardless. Tracks like 'Limits Lie' and 'Murder of Crows' are even better than I could have ever imagined. Certainly the best comeback album I can think of off the top of my head. Welcome back Jamie.

FKA Twigs - LP1

Possibly one of the most talked about albums of the year, it seems everyone is buying into FKA Twigs' experimental sound. The production on this album is absolutely killer and 'Two Weeks' is easily one of my favourite releases of the past 12 months.

Royal Blood - Royal Blood

With the absence of bands like White Stripes, Royal Blood and their self-titled debut have injected the perfect dosage of rough cut blues-rock into 2014. The LP is packed with face-melting riffs and relentless percussion. I'm still finding it hard to believe that their intense sound is merely a result of a bass guitar and drums.

Read my review of Royal Blood's self-titled debut album here.

Morrissey - World Peace is None of Your Business

Morrissey will forever be one of my favourite musicians so when he released his tenth solo album earlier this year, I was pretty certain I was going to love it. Call me biased, but this album exceeds most of his previous solo work in my opinion. Raising current affairs and serious issues within his music has always been one of Morrissey's most commendable talents and while The Smiths are one of my favourite bands of all time, he's doing a pretty good job on his own if you ask me.

Ben Howard - I Forget Where We Were

Contrary to popular opinion, I really was not a fan of Ben Howard up until recently. After listening to this album several times, I have no idea why. The dark, atmospheric sound he has adopted on his sophomore LP was an instant hit with me, tracks such as 'Time is Dancing,' 'Small Things' and of course 'I Forget Where We Were' I will never tire of.

Read my review of I Forget Where We Were here.

The Family Rain - Under The Volcano

Listening to Under The Volcano, it's hard to belive that it's the debut album from band of brothers, The Family Rain. With a strict blues-rock sound comparable to the likes of The Black Keys and Kings of Leon, The Family Rain have certainly proved themselves on this record. 'Trust Me... I'm A Genius' is the perfect track to ease yourself into the bands sound.

Read my review of Under The Volcano here.

Alvvays - Alvvays

Alvvays' self-titled debut is a shimmering indie-pop masterpiece. You only have to listen to the albums opener 'Adult Diversion' or the dreamy 'Archie, Marry Me' to be enlightened to the bands' uncanny ability to deliver wonderfully nostalgic indie-pop.

Drowners - Drowners

It seems forever ago since Drowners released their eponymous debut but it's certainly been a favourite of mine over the course of the year. 'Luv, Hold Me Down,' 'Unzip Your Harington' and 'Shell Across the Tongue' are all reasons for why this album should be recognised as one of the best of 2014. Fans of The Cure need this album in their lives.

Read my review of Drowners' self titled debut album here.

Metronomy - Love Letters

Devonshire quartet, Metronomy's fourth studio album is a clear progression from it's cult favourite predecessor The English Riviera. Despite being a huge fan of the gaudy, electronic sound explored by Metronomy throughout their previous material, I really like the sophisticated and demure direction the four piece have taken on Love Letters. Very Parisian.

Read my review of Love Letters here.

Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow

Although their debut will always hold a special place in my heart, Bombay Bicycle Club's fourth album, So Long, See You Tomorrow, is pretty impressive. Bombay are a band who constantly seem to regenerate their sound on every album and their newest release saw them embrace the more electronic elements of their repertoire. Stand out tracks would have to be 'Feel,' 'Luna' and 'Come To.'

Read my review of So Long, See You Tomorrow here.

Warpaint - Warpaint

Warpaint's self titled sophomore album builds on the ethereal and atmospheric sound of their debut but in a much more accessible way. Tracks like 'Love is to Die' and 'Hi' highlighting their celestial tenor whereas 'Disco/Ready' and 'Keep it Healthy' are the kind of tracks you would expect to be appreciated by a much wider audience. I didn't think I could love Warpaint anymore than I did after hearing their debut but their sophomore effort has swung it for me.

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL SOURCES



Catfish & the Bottlemen, The Ritz, Manchester [03.12.14]

After several years of constant gigging and attempting to break out of their small seaside setting of Llandudno, it’d be fair to say that 2014 has been Catfish & The Bottlemen’s year. With a debut album that well and truly surpassed all expectations and a sell out UK tour, it seems everyone is buying into their anthemic, three-chord indie sound.

Unsurprisingly, the Ritz is completely packed out on this cold December night and the prospect of Van McCann and co. arriving onstage creates a wave of excitement that’s diffused throughout the entire venue. It might be early days for the mop-headed quartet but the impact that their hard-hitting anthems have had on us all already is pretty mammoth. Kicking off their energetic set with ‘Rango,’ closely followed by ‘Pacifier’ immediately puts the Ritz’s infamous bouncing floor to the test as every member of the crowd surges in an attempt to haul to the barrier. Opening with two of their biggest and most well-known tracks is certainly a bold move but as they power through the rest of their short but sweet set list, the logic behind this decision is clear as each track just gets bigger and bigger. Not to mention the crowd who just get livelier and livelier.

Anthem after anthem is thrown at us; tracks like ‘Sidewinder’ make it obvious that Catfish & The Bottlemen’s debut LP, The Balcony, was a hit with this Mancunian crowd as the whole venue exclaim “whoever you’re mixing your drinks with is dying to go to town on you,” which is impressive to say that the album is only a few months old. Whereas classics like ‘Fallout’ brew a rowdy, intoxicated crowd; “I was a test-tube baby, that’s why nobody gets me” uniting the crowd as they recite the lyrics to each other in unison.

‘Homesick,’ ‘Kathleen’ and of course ‘Cocoon’ enticed the crowd but it wasn’t until ‘Tyrants’ that the true extent of euphoria was established. Its screeching guitars and brash spells of percussion proving to be the perfect culmination to a brilliant set, particularly as the track draws to a close and comes back in at around three and a half minutes.

For a band that have only recently started to gain the recognition they have been working towards for so long, it’s clear that all this hard work has paid off as everyone packed into the Ritz tonight is left wanting more. I’m pretty certain I’m not alone in wishing that the set would never come to an end.

Written for Altmusicbox.