The Darkness to fall on Castle Donington

THE Darkness, Funeral For A Friend, Plain White T’s, Kvelertak, Framing Hanley and Hyro Da Hero are all more heading to Donington this summer!
“The idea of playing Download terrifies us,” Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins said. “We played in an early slot on the main stage in 2003 and we were frightened then.
"It's reassuring to know that nothing has changed”
“On a serious note it's the most rockest of festivals and the perfect place for us to begin the next phase of our journey.”

Skunk Anansie for Download Festival

GIMME some Skin! Another monster of rock has been added to the bill for Download Festival.
Skunk Anansie wil be gracing the Castle Donington stages with their presence, it was announced today.
A Festival spokesman said: "Right then campers - we’ve just gone and added Brit rockers Skunk Anansie to the Download line up – result!"

Seven more bands for Download

SEVEN more acts have been added to the line up for this year’s Download festival at the ‘home of rock’, Donington Park.
A spokesman said: "New kids on the block VersaEmerge, tipped to be the next Paramore (whom they share a label with) will be making their Download Festival debut, hot off the heels from the Alternative Presstour in America where they share the bill with Black Veil Brides, who are also playing this year’s Download.
"Gossip Girl and Hollywood actress Taylor Momsen will be bringing her rock outfit The Pretty Reckless to Download, following a Top Ten album in the UK charts (for 2010’s Light Me Up). Multi million selling US rockers Puddle Of Mudd, will return to the UK for the first time since 2002 to play Download for the very first time in their 19 year career, which hasseen hit singles such as ‘Blurry’ and ‘She Hates Me’.
"Roadrunner signings Times Of Grace, featuring Killswitch Engage guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel, and formerKillswitch vocalist Jesse Leach will perform, along with West Yorkshire heavy metal outfit Evile, who are now writing their third album following North American dates with the likes of Kreator, Overkill and Voivod.
"Having already played the Download Festival, plus toured with metal legends such as Slipknot, Slayer and Megadeth, Suicide Silence are to hit Download once again to showcase the new material currently being written for their third full length album, with UK hardcorepunk rockers Your Demise also returning to the fray to raise hell with this year’s Download crowds."
You can listen to all of the confirmed acts at Download with this Spotify playlist.

Let's Get Rocked! Def Leppard for Download

ORGANISERS of Download Festival have poured some sugar on this year’s event, confirming legendary rockers Def Leppard as third headliner.
The British band will line-up at the top of the bill alongside Linkin Park and System Of A Down.
A spokesman for the event at Donington Park from June 10-12 said: “Def Leppard are a global rock phenomenon with hit singles spanning an incredible three decades such as Animal, Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Lets Get Rocked and When Love And Hate Collide.”
A further 20 artists have also been confirmed. These include Bring Me The Horizon, Disturbed, Down, Madina Lake, Black Stone Cherry, The King Blues, Bowling For Soup, Frank Turner, Trash Talk, Turisas, Loaded, Twisted Sister, Cheap Trick, All That Remains, Sacred Mother Tongue, Asking Alexandria, The Devil Wears Prada, Straight Line Stitch, Jameson Raid and Ghost.
You can listen to all of the confirmed acts at Download with this Spotify playlist.

Unholy smoke! It's the Anti-Chris Mix vol 1

HERE it is, the most fun you can have for an hour with your clothes on.
Hell, take them off if you want, I know what you internet surfers are like.
Anyway, whatever you choose to do for the next 60 minutes, let the superb Anti Chris Mix vol 1 be the soundtrack, a mash-up from London-based DJ Anti-Chris who was on the Kissy Sell Out tour last year.
You can listen below, or download and check out the full track list at Soundcloud here.
Anti Chris - Anti Mix vol 1 by djantichris

Wave Pictures return

WYMESWOLD'S Wave Pictures are set to return with a new album, Beer In the Breakers, on April 18.
The album has been produced by their friend and frequent collaborator Darren Hayman of Hefner and was recorded entirely live in one day at Hayman’s house in Walthamstow.
Singer David Tattersal said of the recording “We’d been enjoying playing together live more than ever on recent tours and simply wanted to record the band the way it sounds these days.
"When you do things live, you obviously sacrifice perfection in the hope that instead you will capture these kind of strange and glorious spontaneous moments that musicians create together, that no one could do on their own, and that you can only get with live performance.
"It was probably the happiest record experience we have ever had.”

Young Knives return

THE best ever band to have two-thirds come from Belton near Loughborough, Young Knives, are back with a new single and album.
The three-piece will releasing their third album on April 4.
Ornaments From The Silver Arcade, the follow-up to 2008’s Superabundance, was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Nick Launay, who has worked with The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Cribs.
And a new track, I Love My Name, was aired for the first time this week.
Check it out below -
Love My Name (radio edit) by helpmedarling

Albums of the Year 2010 revealed

NEWS just in - okay, three days ago - is that this year's Sound Advice Album of the Year vote has ended in a three way tie.

So this year's plaudits are shared between Bonobo's Black Sands, Four Tet's There Is Love In You and Kvelertak's Kvelertak.

All very worthy LPs, and all worth checking out, though for my money Bonobo just edges it.

To see the full shortlist you picked from, click here, and let's hope 2011 is an equally diverse and interesting year for music.

Let's All Dance with Barbie

CHRISTMAS, as you may have noticed by now, is coming.
And anyone struggling for presents for the pop princess in their life should check out the Barbie Let's All Dance compilation - I've already had a word with Santa and I can confirm my eldest daughter will have a copy of this stuffed in her stocking on Christmas Day.
As we all know, Barbie is one trendy lady, and her latest collection features tracks by some of the biggest names in pop - Alexandra Burke, JLS, Cheryl Cole, Girls Aloud, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Justin Bieber and many more - and a bonus poster to boot.
'Tis the season to party, and Barbie's Let's All Dance will provide the perfect soundtrack until the kids have gone to bed.

Xmas Is Awesome playlist

'TIS finally the Season for decked halls, fattened geese and other such festivities.
So Sound Advice has put together a selection of Christmas crackers - a fine selection of cheese and altrernative Christmas choons - on Spotify to soundtrack the holidays.
Click here to have a listen.

Download Festival unveils Linkin Park as headliner

MORE monsters of rock have been lined up for next year’s Download Festival in Castle Donington.
Nu metal figureheads Linkin Park will headline at the festival, on at Donington Park from June 10-12, 2011.
Musician and film producer Rob Zombie will also be performing, organisers have announced, alongside System Of A Down and Avenged Sevenfold, who were both revealed last week.
Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington said: “We are very excited to be playing Download again next year.
“It’s one of the best festivals in the world and it’s always an honour to play in front of such a great crowd. We can’t wait!”
You can listen to all of the confirmed acts at Download with this Spotify playlist.

System Of A Down return to Download

HERE’S an early Christmas present for metalheads - the first acts heading to Download Festival in Castle Donington next year have been unveiled.
Armenian-American rock goliaths System Of A Down will be returning to headline one night of the festival, while metalcore legends Avenged Sevenfold will also be appearing.
A festival spokesman said: “You said it would never happen – well you were wrong, pal!
“The rumours are true – pinch yourself Download fans, because you ain’t dreaming – System of a Down are reforming, and are going to be headlining Download in June 2011.
“Result!
“This is now the third time that System of a Down have played at the legendary Donington Park site.
“SOAD’s heavily politicised brand of rock has seen them sell in excess of 20million albums worldwide, and the band are known worldwide for their tremendous live performances and unique sound.
“The band released five albums between 1998 and 2005, which spawned the singles and rock club staples Suite-Pee, Chop Suey, Toxicity, B.Y.O.B. and Hypnotize.
“Having been away for five years, this reunion at Download will be one of the most talked about events of the rock and metal calendar.”
A band spokesman said: “We are excited to announce that System will be playing some dates together in 2011.
“We have no master plan of sorts – we are playing these shows simply because we want to play together again as a band and for you, our amazing fans. We look forward to seeing all of you!”
You can listen to all of the confirmed acts at Download with this Spotify playlist.

Tasty offering from Simian Mobile Disco

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A NEW album from Simian Mobile Disco is a mouth-watering prospect at the best of times, but this first taster of their own record label Delicatessan will have you smacking your lips.
This is no slur on their exceptional oeuvre to date - I am a massive fan - but Delicacies steps away from the gimmicky, guest vocalist side of the duo.
Instead - much like the Chemical Brother's 2010 album Further - intense, heads-down, dark dance is on the menu.
Nom nom nom.
Pounding, engrossing, extended electronica pervades, making a sound more akin to Deadmau5 or even Autechre in style.
It's well worth getting your teeth into, and chewing until your jaws ache.

Listen to the Sound Advice Monster Mash-up

HALLOWE'EN is traditionally the time for things to come crawling out of their hiding places - so allow Sound Advice to arise from its tomb and stretch its limbs for a day or two.
Because I've put together a Hallowe'en Monster Mash-up playlist, mixing the cheesy with the slightly less cheesy on Spotify, and I feel duty bound to share it.
Click here to have a listen - if you dare.
Mwahahahahahaha.

Coritani - Death And Rebirth

CORITANI'S new CD is heavy going - but that's what you'd expect from a band who are, to quote Vivian from the Young Ones' jacket, very metal.
Each track is an epic patchwork of chugging riffs, throat-ruining growls and thumping drums, with only one of the five tracks shy of five minutes.
Stylistically, the band's sound is a brave take on traditional heavy metal, groove metal and sludge - with no relent and no concession throughout, although the band clearly don't take themselves so seriously, with tracks like Electric Donkey Zombie Sheep and stand-out Trevor The Ice Turtle.
Death And Rebirth - a reference to the group's rising from the ashes of the outstanding Evangelion - is a snarling beast of an EP, and if you don't run scared it really gets its teeth in.

Ben Matravers - Step One

LONG Whatton's Ben Matravers Step One starts out on the right foot with Say.
The opening number is an emotional effort which communicates through a Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly-style guitar and vocal laced draped with fleeting ornaments like guitar harmonics, warm hums and tinkling keys.
Pianos take over with Blood On My Hands, with the singer-songwriter stripped bare of Say's production bar a desolate echoing effect, before title track Step One steps up proceedings with a full band, a less introvert approach and, I imagine, a dark twinkle in his eye.
My Place Is Here rounds off the four-track EP with a guitar picking exercise which teeters between being melancholy and upbeat throughout.
A dark, folk-tinged, atmospheric effort, I can't wait to see how Mr Matravers steps things up from here.

So long and thanks for all the discs....

REGULAR readers of Sound Advice may have noticed that, of late, the blog has been pretty irregular.
After nearly three years of reviewing, a combination of ridiculous DMCA complaints downing posts, a lull in readers and my laptop dying losing me a huge wad of albums yet to be reviewed and my schedule of when they needed to be reviewed, the posts have stopped.
So for now, Sound Advice is on a hiatus, and is unlikely to return in its current form.
I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who's read, commented on, linked to or otherwise engaged with the site - it's been a real pleasure and has introduced me to some amazing music.
In the meantime, check out my football blog Goaltastic at http://blogs.loughboroughecho.net/goaltastic/ and feel free to have a vote on my hideously early Albums of the Year vote, which runs until December 31.

PVT A-OK

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AUSTRALIAN band PVT don't like doing things by the book - in fact, when they formed they were a completely improvisational act.
And this boundless approach to music making is evident of PVT's latest Church With No Magic, which seesaws between electronica and rock.
The LP by PVT, previously known as Pivot, has an ever present electro throb and piston-like beats balanced in varying degrees with a Robert Smith-like vocal and Joy Division synths throughout.

Summit intense to listen to

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IF YOU'RE not too into your sludge metal, a first encounter with Thou is more like "ow".
However for fans of the genre such as myself, the up-and-coming act don't so much tick the boxes as slowly crush them.
Downbeat, deep, dark and deadly, the fact the throat-vocal heavy metal group drag five tracks out over an hour tells you all you need to know about Summit.
However among this intense, thick miasma of metal, flecks of experimentation appear, such as acoustic instruments and choirs.
With Summit Thou haven't peaked, but they're inexorably on the up.

You'll love Love Ends Disaster! in the end

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IT’S ALWAYS nice to have a local band doing good - and Love Ends Disaster!, having swapped Loughborough University's Freefest for Reading and Leeds, are doing just that.
With their debut album City Of Glass, you can see them emulating the likes of Belton’s The Young Knives, Castle Donington’s Late Of The Pier and Wymeswold’s Wave Pictures.
An inventive collection of indie rock which sounds like a cross between Talking Heads and The Rakes, the group seem at home in the studio.
Eschewing standard songwriting formula, the group throw off-kilter riffs at the listener and frequently explore unexpected musical avenues.
As a result it’s a rock LP that intrigues the listener rather than knocks them for six - but it grows on you eacha nd every listen you give it.