Tag Archives: Music

Milton Star Things Fall Apart | Music News

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milton star, music, music newsMilton Star follow their hugely successful double A side record ‘Salvation’ and ‘Sorryville’ with the release of their new single ‘Things Fall Apart’. The track is another example of duo Alan Wyllie and Graeme Currie’s unerring ability to create wonderfully atmospheric stories about love, loss and regret framed in beautifully structured melodies and carried by an expansive tremolo wall of sound and a dark soul.

For those familiar with simultaneously released debut, ‘Things Fall Apart’ finds them in similar territory with a tale of the darker side of the human condition, referencing the destructive capacity of depression and all it entails. “I think we all have that capacity to fall foul of our inner demons at times.” says Alan “and the pace of modern life and the inherent shallowness of relationships lived through social media & technology can detach us a little from the real world and the problems many suffer from, itching just below the surface.”

From the first Duane Eddy inspired twang underpinned by wandering strings and rhythmic arpeggio piano we are in cinematic noire territory and the accompanying video speaks volumes, the roll of the dice, the miniature Mariachis, the Mexicano tarot cards, the sinister skull-painted faces, the burlesque dancers – this is a beautifully tragic song rich in imagery.

Alan and Graeme have been collaborating in different guises dating back to the early days of post punk but these days the duo write and record their unique blend of indie and dark country in a converted church where Alan lives in Fife, which, as Alan explains, is pivotal in the writing process. “The things that feed the ideas and make the sound are the environment and acoustics here in the church and the setting of the surrounding countryside. Out in those fields you could be anywhere at any point in time, and that’s where the stories start to form.”

Graeme adds “Although we have a lot of shared musical influences like the Velvet Underground, Bowie and Roxy Music, I veer towards the more experimental side of things like Captain Beefheart whereas Alan likes a lot of early 50s vintage rock and country. Once you factor into that mix the cinematic soundtrack influences like Angelo Badalamenti and Ennio Morricone, that’s when the Milton Star sound comes together.”

Oh Secret Garden Party, how you spoil us…

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Looking good, SGP

Looking good, SGP

Words by Olivia Outram

With April having fooled us pale-and-sun-hungry Brits into thinking summer was already here (ha!), it has brought on quite the festival hunger pangs. Sold out again this year is my personal favourite, Secret Garden Party. But why write a preview if it’s already sold out? I hear you ask. Why tantalise us with forbidden fruits available only to a privileged (and they are very privileged) few? Why would you be such an insensitive, FOMO-inducing, festival-tease, Liv, why? Well calm down you silly things, for there is a resale coming up on Thursday 14th May. So as long as you can drag yourself out of bed in time for 9am you should be able to nab yourself a couple of tickets to a not-at-all Secret Garden Party.

 

This year the Secret Garden Party theme (there’s always a theme. Last year’s was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) is Childish Things. Fred Fellowes, the impresario behind SGP, or ‘Head Gardener’, promises this year’s festival will constitute a ’100-acre toy box’. From the meandering forests, which feel like they were landscaped by a visionary seven-year-old, to the annual paint fight where each secret gardener must make the pivotal decision of whether to get involved (fun, but dirty) or just take snaps for their phone screensaver, it’s always a cornucopia of childish delight. And the crème-de-la-crème of childish whims comes on the Saturday night. Last year’s was the wittiest, most spectacular firework display I have ever seen, so hopefully it’s set to make pint size pyromaniacs of us all this year too.

 

On the music front, Secret Garden Party is set to be the ultimate people pleaser. This year we have headliners ‘Jungle’ and ‘The Cat Empire’ on the Great Stage. Jungle, a British soul and funk collective that’s burst onto the scene over the past 2 years will be transporting secret gardeners to the tropics with their steel drums, “tropical percussion, wildlife noises, falsetto yelps, psychedelic washes and badoinking bass” (‘Everything You Need To Know About Britain’s Hottest Band’. Esquire. 2014-07-01).

 

Aussie band The Cat Empire are set to be another highlight, with their fusing of jazz, ska, funk, rock and Latin influences. Like Jungle they will be intermixing decks and vocals with a rich array of instruments from trumpets, percussion, keyboard and double bass.

 

But if a trip to the tropics isn’t your cup of tea, then put down your piña colada and join the hardcore ravers down at The Drop with the likes of Ben UFO and Joy Orbison. Most of the dance line-up is yet to be announced, but these two Djs who are already on the bill are a good sign of things to come. Individually they could headline any night very respectably, but at SGP this year they will be on stage together, pumping out the choicest of beats back to back. It’ll be well worth a look. Techno lovers please keep your pants on.

 

Oh Secret Garden Party, how you spoil us…

 

 

27th Annual Sunday Times Rich List 2015 Who Made It?

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sunday times rich list 2015 , sunday times rich list, 2015, 27th, rich, moneyFrost did not make it onto the Sunday Times Rich List this year. Oh well, there is always next year. Still touring at the age of 72, Sir Paul McCartney is the wealthiest entertainer in Britain and Ireland with a £730m fortune which is boosted by the personal wealth of his wife Nancy Shevell, who has a £150m stake in her family’s US trucking business.

 

The fortunes of the richest performers and composers – old and young – are revealed in the 27th annual Sunday Times Rich List – the definitive guide to wealth in Britain and Ireland – published this weekend, on April 26, in a special 128-page issue of The Sunday Times Magazine.

 

Newcomer to the top 40 music millionaires chart is Dumfries-born DJ Calvin Harris, aged 31 and worth £70m. Harris is reported to earn up to $1m a night as the world’s highest-paid DJ, appearing in clubs and at festivals from Las Vegas to Ibiza. Last year, he became the first UK solo artist to clock up more than a billion Spotify streams, worth £4m, and his track Summer was the number one iTunes download in 40 territories.

 

The four members of Dublin band U2 – Paul Hewson (Bono), 54, Adam Clayton, 55, Dave Evans (the Edge), 53, and Larry Mullen, 53 – have made most of their £431m fortune from touring. Guy Berryman, 38, Johnny Buckland, 37, Will Champion, 36, and Chris Martin, 38, the four members of Coldplay are each worth £52m, giving them a combined fortune of £208m.

 

The wealth of Phil Collins, 64, is down by £5m this year to £110m because the Geneva-based former drummer and singer with Genesis, who has sold 250m records, has announced that he has given some of his fortune to his children.

 

THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST 2015

THE TOP 40 MUSIC MILLIONAIRES IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND

2015

rank

 2014

rank

 Name 2015

wealth

 Wealth increase,

unless indicated
1 (1) Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell £730m £20m
2 (2) Lord Lloyd-Webber £650m £10m
3 (3) U2 £431m £3m
4 (4) Sir Elton John £270m £10m
5 (5) Sir Mick Jagger £225m £10m
6 (6) Keith Richards £210m £10m
7 (7) Michael Flatley £195m £2m
8= (9) Ringo Starr £180m £10m
8= (8) Sting £180m £0m
10 10) Roger Waters £160m £0m
11 (11=) Eric Clapton £155m £5m
12= (13) Sir Tom Jones £150m £5m
12= (11=) Sir Tim Rice £150m £0m
12= (14) Rod Stewart £150m £10m
15= (15) David Bowie and Iman Abdulmajid £135m £0m
15= (17) Robbie Williams £135m £15m
17 (16) Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne £130m £0m
18= (18) Phil Collins £110m Down £5m
18= (19=) Brian May £110m £5m
18= (21=) Charlie Watts £110m £10m
21= (19=) George Michael £105m £0m
21= (21=) Roger Taylor £105m £5m
23= (21=) Jimmy Page £100m £0m
23= (21=) Robert Plant £100m £0m
25= (25) Enya £90m £2m
25= (26) David Gilmour £90m £5m
27 (27) John Deacon £85m £10m
28 (28) Noel and Liam Gallagher £77m £3m
29 (29=) Nick Mason £75m £5m
30= (new) Calvin Harris £70m (new)
30= (29=) Mark Knopfler £70m £0m
30= (29=) Pete Townshend £70m £0m
33= (32=) Gary Barlow £65m £0m
33= (32=) Engelbert Humperdinck £65m £0m
35= (34=) Barry Gibb £60m £0m
35= (34=) John Paul Jones £60m £0m
37= (37=) Kylie Minogue £55m £5m
37= (36) Sir Cliff Richard £55m £0m
39= (37=) Guy Berryman £52m £2m
39= (37=) Jonny Buckland £52m £2m
39= (37=) Will Champion £52m £2m
39= (37=) Chris Martin £52m £2m

 

Singer and songwriter Adele, aged 26, heads the list of young musicians with a £50m fortune, up £5m on last year. Each member of One Direction has seen their personal wealth grow by £11m in the past 12 months, giving the four current members of the band – Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – a combined fortune of £100m. Zayn Malik, who left One Direction last month, is also worth £25m.

 

At £45m, Arctic Monkeys are the second wealthiest young band, with Matt Helders and Nick O’Malley each worth £10m, while Jamie Cook shares a £12m fortune with his wife Katie Downes, who has made £2m from her career as a model. Alex Turner, who has other music interests, is worth £13m.

 

Mumford and Sons, worth a total of £37m, are the third richest young band in Britain and Ireland, aged 30 and under. Band members Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett and Winston Marshall are each worth £8m, while Marcus Mumford is jointly worth £13m with his wife Carey Mulligan.

 

Although no longer performing, the four members of JLS have a combined fortune of £30m. JB Gill, Aston Merrygold and Oritse Williams are each worth £7m, while Marvin Humes shares a £9m fortune with his wife Rochelle, who is a member of the Saturdays.

 

The only newcomer to the Young Musicians Rich List is 22-year-old singing sensation Sam Smith. The Cambridgeshire crooner, who writes his own material and won two Brit Awards and four Grammys last year, already his £12m to his name on the strength of album sales and future tours.

 

THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST 2015

THE 20 RICHEST YOUNG MUSICIANS

IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND (Aged 30 or under)

2015

rank

 2014

rank

 Name 2015  wealth Wealth increase

 
1 (1) Adele £50m £5m
2= (4=) Niall Horan £25m £11m
2= (4=) Zayn Malik £25m £11m
2= (4=) Liam Payne £25m £11m
2= (4=) Harry Styles £25m £11m
2= (4=) Louis Tomlinson £25m £11m
7 (23=) Ed Sheeran £20m £13m
8= (23=) Ellie Goulding £13m £6m
8= (12=) Jessie J £13m £3m
8= (9=) Leona Lewis £13m £0m
8= (11) Katie Melua £13m £1m
8= (9=) Marcus Mumford and Carey Mulligan £13m £0m
8= (14) Alex Turner £13m £4m
14= (23=) Jamie Cook and Katie Downes £12m £5m
14= (new) Sam Smith £12m (new)
14= (12=) Florence Welch £12m £2m
17= (23=) Matt Helders £10m £3m
17= (15=) Olly Murs £10m £2m
17= (23=) Nick O’Malley £10m £3m
20 (23=) Marvin and Rochelle Humes £9m £2m

                                                                                                                

THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST – 128 PAGES ON APRIL 26

 

The 2015 Sunday Times Rich List – the definitive guide to wealth in Britain and Ireland – is published on Sunday, April 26. The 128-page special edition of The Sunday Times Magazine is the biggest issue of the Rich List ever published since it first appeared in 1989. It charts the wealth of the 1,000 richest people in the UK and the 250 richest in Ireland. The list is based on identifiable wealth, including land, property, other assets such as art and racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies. It excludes bank accounts, to which the paper has no access.

 

The Sunday Times Rich List is compiled by Philip Beresford, the leading British expert on wealth, and edited by Ian Coxon. The complete list will be available to all the paper’s digital members and will be fully searchable online at thesundaytimes.co.uk/richlist

 

Source: The Sunday Times Rich List

 

How To Read Music: This Video Shows You How

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National_Anthem_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran(SHEET_MUSIC)Ever aspired to be a musician? Are you musician who wants to be able to read music? Well, look no further. Those awesome people at TED-Education have a brilliant video from Tim Hansen on How To Read Music, and it is a lot easier than you think.

Like an actor’s script, a sheet of music instructs a musician on what to play (the pitch) and when to play it (the rhythm). Sheet music may look complicated, but once you’ve gotten the hang of a few simple elements like notes, bars and clefs, you’re ready to rock. Tim Hansen hits the instrumental basics you need to read music.

 

 

APE|MEN – Zero | Music Profile

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ape men zero music news profileBand/Artist: Ape Men (stylized APE|MEN)
Location: Industrialized world, South Eastern Fringe of the European Union
Styles: Indie, Indietronica, Alternative, Indie Pop
Similar to/RIYL: Kasabian, Nine Inch Nails, AWOLNATION, Beck, Panda Bear
CD: APE|MEN – ZERO (2015, debut EP)

Accolades: This outfit hasn’t gigged outside clubs, but is a trio formed from indie band Gravity co. which has over 18 top musical achievement awards in South Eastern Europe, has opened for the Prodigy, Fun Loving Criminals, Stereo MCs, Kosheen, and others and has played festivals at EXIT (Serbia), Sziget (Hungary), Eurosonic (Holland), Bestfest (Romania), Spirit of Burgas (Bulgaria), and others.

Members/Instruments: Bobby, Ivo, and Petar
Bobby Cheshirkov – Vocals, guitar
Ivo Chalakov – Guitar, vocals
Petar Samanliev – Computers & gadgets
Production:
Composed by Ivo Chalakov
Lyrics by Bobby Cheshirkov
Co-produced by Ivo Chalakov & Petar Samnaliev
Arranged by APE|MEN
Mixed by Petar Samanliev & Ivo Chalakov
Mastered by Plamen Yotov

Tracklisting:
1. Pictionary
2. Bye-Bye Devil
3. Up Is the New
4. Cash
5. Zero Pictionary

Bio:
Ape Men (APE|MEN) are an edgy indietronica trio from the post Iron Curtain fringes of the European Union formed in 2013. The band paint an urban soundscape with gritty scuzz guitars and moody lyrics over saturated synthesizers and thumping electo beats.

The band’s debut EP “ZERO” was released independently on Feb 19th, 2015. The EP is accompanied by a single and music video release for “CASH”. The video was directed by Ruscen Vidinliev.

 

 

Mylets | Music Profile

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Mylets Music Profile
Artist: Mylets
Album: Arizona
Label: Sargent House
Release date: 20th April 2015

Under the moniker Mylets, Henry Kohen takes on the roles of several musicians at once. The wunderkind guitarist who, at 17, became the youngest artist signed to Sargent House has since established his reputation as an awe-inspiring and agile performer, playing across North America and Europe multiple times over the past couple of years.

Dancing across multiple guitar pedals that line the stage, Kohen also sings and lays down guitar loops while simultaneously tapping out beats on a drum machine. Nothing is pre-programmed. Every note played is as organic and fallible as its performer. Kohen’s physicality and presence is captivating on stage, but what’s even more impressive is that his songwriting talent is equally as vast and varied as his multitasking skills.

Arizona is the defining work of a masterful tunesmith. Despite their complexity, the songs are never disrupted by the intricacies running beneath their hyper-infectious pop structures. Kohen operates his equipment like the conductor of a small orchestra, summoning fully realized melodies from his devices. “I put in a lot of effort to make every single word and note of each song as deliberate and concise as I could,” Kohen explains, “rather than throw out an unintelligible overflow of information.”

Album opener “Trembling Hands” is a massive, hook-heavy anthem driven by layers of churning guitars and distortion that stirs somewhere between the throaty verses of Broken-era Nine Inch Nails to the hymnal anxiety of a Cloud Nothings record. The title track follows with a cascade of syncopated guitar arpeggios setting the stage for a reverse-reverb soaked vocal harmony that chimes like something off of U2’s Unforgettable Fire. And, that’s the beauty here: Mylets appeals to every listener, not just other musicians. Kohen understates his unparalleled and highly specific skills and instead forces the emotion informing his music to the forefront. This ability is what makes the songs on Arizona command repeat listens.

Mylets first came to Sargent House’s attention with a series of self-released solo EPs, much of which were remastered and compiled on the label’s 2013 release Retcon. Around that time, Kohen relocated from Columbus, Indiana to Los Angeles, residing at the artist-friendly Sargent House all the while working intensively on prepping Arizona material for the studio. In the interim, Mylets also toured extensively on different continents with And So I Watch You From Afar, TTNG and Emma Ruth Rundle. “Because of the range of time spent writing, it was very important for me to capture the concepts of creative and personal growth within the songs on the record,” Kohen says. “I recorded the album twice under very different circumstances in 2014 and on the second round of studio time, I left with a product that I felt was as true of a representation of what was initially in my head as I could have created.”

Arizona will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download via Sargent House on 20th April 2015.

 

 

 

The Bass Connect Speaker | Tech

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The Bass Connect Speaker | TechWe thought this was super cool at Frost. In fact, this beauty gives five hours of wireless sound at full volume. Enjoy a crystal clear treble and amazingly deep bass with this pocket-sized cuboid, compact speaker. Easily connected to bluetooth, the portable speaker has powerful and high quality sound that uses a new breed of circuit board to amplify, equalize and filter the sound waves through the speaker.

Using a new breed of circuit board to amplify, equalise and filter the sound waves through the speaker, the next-generation sound technology renders the compact size of the speaker irrelevant.

The speaker is ideal for parties, in the garden and at home. With a battery that lasts up to 5 hours and Bluetooth 3.0 that works within a range of 10m , this speaker is sure to be of envy to all your friends.

The Bass Connect Speaker Costs £29.99 from thehut.com

 

 

At the Foot of the Cross by Angela Taplin

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An evening of music, prayer and meditations for Good Friday from Radio 2

Radio 2 recently recorded an evening of music, prayer and readings for Good Friday. Tickets were free through a ballot so on a damp evening in February a friend and I went along to Methodist Central Hall, hard by the Houses of Parliament. Arriving about 5.30, we found most people heading home so we had a chance to walk round the outside of this famous landmark without benefit of surging tourists and selfie sticks. It’s such a fine building and in the twilight gap between showers it looked beautiful.

At the Foot of the Cross by Angela Taplin 1

We made our way through ancient courtyards to Methodist Central Hall, another impressive and imposing building.  It was the first time I’d been to a radio recording for many years (the last time was a pop quiz in the 70s, I think). The music was provided by the BBC Concert Orchestra with a chorus drawn from a number of London choirs, with three soloists – Jermaine Jackman, winner of The Voice 2014, Louise Marshall and 12 year old Helena Paish, one of the BBC Radio 2 Young Choristers of the Year.

Readings were given by Patrick Robinson, star of Casualty and Strictly whilst prayer was led by The Revd Michaela Youngson. The evening was presented by Diane Louise Jordan, well known for her appearances in Songs of Praise. We assembled in the auditorium which was dominated by the beautiful cupola and where the acoustics were perfect.

At the Foot of the Cross by Angela Taplin 2

The music programme was varied: traditional English, gospel, well-known hymns, with an underlying thread of connections to the Great War. Butterworth’s The Banks of Green Willow, a pastoral piece inspired by English folk songs, was rendered particularly poignant by the knowledge that he died in 1915 during the first battle of the Somme. The second half consisted of Sir John Rutter’s Requiem in which the pure tones of Helena Paish shone clear in the Pie Jesu. It was a thoughtful and moving evening.

At the Foot of the Cross by Angela Taplin 3

At the end of it all, my friend and I felt happy to have been part of it and will look forward to hearing it all again when it is broadcast at 8pm on April 3rd, Good Friday, on Radio 2.

At the Foot of the Cross by Angela Taplin 4