I have had many emails about this, letters at my door. I think it is about time I address this situation with a public statement.

I did a recent article where I “created” a new genre – Brexit rock/music. I just want to say that this has nothing to do with the controversial political Brexit referendum of 2016. It’s inspired by “Brexit Geezer” TikTok videos – no idea where the “Brexit” part stems from! I did think it would be an eye-catching title to pull people in – the band I reviewed, the Courteeners, aren’t that well known but definitely fit the name.

However, my friend Lorcan (the master of funk guitar) suggested the name “Lemon Music.” I suppose this also stems from silly TikTok videos about “keeping it lemon.” It really derives from the iconic lemon logo for the Stone Roses, who totally fit this vibe. It is definitely a safer title! My thought process for using these interesting genre names will also make sense with a new series on the page coming very soon…

Another band that fit the “lemon” vibe are the Libertines. After the Strokes revived rock n roll in the early 2000s, the Libertines were the first British band to adopt this garage rock revival sound. They put their own incredibly British spin on it, to great acclaim. Like the Courteeners, I found them from a “Top Gear Anthems” album years ago!

Now Lorcan (the master of funk guitar) is not a fan of this band. He’s not a big fan of most bands like this (his favourite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers), but especially not the Libs! He thinks the guitar on a song like “Don’t Look Back into the Sun” is very sloppy, and I do tend to agree.

The band’s most famous and acclaimed work from the 00s does have a very ramshackle charm. This is prominently seen on their debut album Up The Bracket, produced by Mick Jones of the Clash. Even though the guitars and vocals are in-tune and the tempo is solid, their music from this time constantly feels like it’s about to either come to a grinding halt or fall off a cliff! It does give it a very punk vibe (and reflects their drug-induced states), but does have an almost anxious feel. Their live performances, for me, often actually slip into being terrible, as studio trickery can’t be involved.

However, the work of the band has very sweet melodies, catchy choruses and poetic lyrics. I would recommend the two albums they released in the 00s, until their first breakup due to many drug-related controversies. They came back in 2015 with Anthems For Doomed Youth, another strong release. It definitely features some of the same roughness, but has a more polished and mature vibe overall. This is seen on ludicrously sticky and catchy numbers such as “Gunga Din” and “Fame and Fortune.” These feature a typical clean 2015 indie rock production, yet manage to not sound overproduced.

This leads to my surprising favourite Libertines album, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, released in 2024. It’s their first album that has a completely perfect production, typical of most bands, with strong/clear vocals and rhythms. You may believe that this would make the album more generic/less interesting, but I believe it really works in the band’s favour, highlighting their songwriting prowess while retaining the charm of old.

*the brilliant album cover

The songwriting and production both represent a more reflective and mature Libertines. Through all their controversies, they have managed to come out the other side. This is seen in the dose of softer tracks on the album. “Man With The Melody” is a delightfully British track, the band in full Kinksian mode, with even bassist John Hassall taking some lead vocals. “Baron’s Claw” is a jazzy number with vibrant saxophone. Furthermore, “Night Of The Hunter” samples the famous classical piece “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, laying it over pleasing chord changes. Finally, closer “Songs They Never Play on the Radio” finishes proceedings on a Beatles “Hey Jude” inspired note.

However, there is still a barrage of upbeat tunes featuring their classic style. Opener “Run Run Run” and “Be Young” feature their usual energetic and spiky indie rock style, with neat touches of reggae in both. “Shiver” features Manchester-inspired drums and piano, while “I Have a Friend” once again has a deliriously catchy riff.

*the band in 2024

Overall, I think this a very strong album. It represents the (slightly) more calm stage the band is at in their lives, while still displaying their punky side. I would change the tracklist around a bit to flow better, in my opinion. See you next time and don’t forget to keep it lemon!

*famous Stone Roses lemon logo

My tracklist:

1. Run Run Run
2. Night of the Hunter
3. Mustangs
4. Man with the Melody
5. I Have a Friend
6. Shiver
7. Baron’s Claw
8. Oh Sh*t (my Granny may read this)
9. Merry Old England
10. Be Young
11. Songs They Never Play on the Radio

After my Gymskin related April Fool’s post, this made me think about other silly things/viral trends I could shamelessly integrate into these reviews. Once again, the infamous KSI has gone viral on TikTok with some videos about chicken nuggets. This reminded me of a cringey/brilliant video of him trying to use British slang by saying “famalam it’s a madness.” Madness – of course I thought to review the famous band of the same name!

Along with the Specials whom I recently reviewed, Madness are one of the prominent bands of the 2-tone ska movement of the late 70s. I feel that a great overview of the band is the classic 1982 compilation Complete Madness. After this period, the band started to include less ska in their songs, and explored more diverse sounds. I think this compilation has all the great ska-flavoured hits of the band.

Highlights include hits such as “Baggy Trousers,” “House of Fun” and “It Must Be Love,” which are all still widely played. “My Girl” and “One Step Beyond” are also great examples of the ska genre. The first two tracks “Embarrassment” and “Shut Up” are the only two on the compilation without that classic ska/reggae feel but are still wonderful slices of distinctly British pop.

Overall, I don’t have too much to say about this compilation, but it makes for a nice change from some of my lengthier posts. It is a great introduction to ska music, and still feels lyrically relevant. There are no songs I would skip, of which “Bed and Breakfast Man” is my favourite with its brilliant melody. See you next time.

10/10

As it’s April Fools day, I thought I’d do a silly/comedy related post. One of the latest viral sensations is UK streamer Gymskin. Some of his trademarks are eating two and a half sugar-free digestives (always this quantity and sugar-free), having an imaginary feud with Pennywise and Vecna, answering random calls in a phone box at 1am, sending aura pulses through the entire UK, never stuttering and going to Costa for coffee and getting his bean burnt (he officially quit going there after too many burnt beans).

He looks and sounds like a character from a Guy Ritchie film but talks about such silly things, and I find the combination absolutely hilarious. He also seems to be a genuinely nice person, showing respect to everyone, which is a big reason why he’s blowing up so much, I’d say.

*he appears to have abused every steroid under the sun! He has also never revealed his age – many reports say he’s 22!

The most recognisable trademark of Gymskin has to he his dancing and “dropping the shoulder.” A clip of him doing his shoulder dancing to one of his favourite songs, “Into The Groove” by none other than Madonna went viral, which is absolutely hilarious. It has even put the song back into the UK top 20. Thus, this inspired me to do an article on the famous singer.

I wanted to highlight a noteworthy Madonna album, Ray of Light from 1998. As with many releases from her through the years, it marks a radical reinvention for the singer. It dives into electronica/dance, trip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass, ambient, rock, industrial and new-age. British producer William Orbit has to be given most of the credit for the innovative and otherwordly sound of the album. There are so many details on every track, and it sounds amazing with headphones.

The album features a mix of downtempo trip-hop inspired songs and more upbeat dance ones. Opener “Drowned World/Substitute for Love” immediately enforces the transcendental and cool vibe of the album, with its clattering drums, raw guitars and groovy bass. The whole album has this hypnotic and psychedelic sound. I also love the chord progression of the track. Second track “Swim” and “Candy Perfume Girl” continue with this feel.

The more upbeat songs are all fantastic. The title track might be my favourite Madonna song, going from a pretty chord progression in the intro into a thumping and irresistible beat and groove, with immersive synths and siren sounds. Tracks 5-7 are also neat, with their subtle breakbeats and other enveloping sounds. “Frozen” (another Gymskin favourite) is a haunting and mystical track, with classic 90s drum loops, and I even don’t mind “Shanti/Ashtangi,” sung entirely in Sanskrit.

The album is very spiritual and deep lyrically, with Madonna embracing Ashtanga yoga and the study of Hinduism and Buddhism. Lyrics deal with the changes of life, Madonna becoming a mother etc. There is an abundance of slow tracks at the end, and I would switch them around in the tracklist (I would keep tracks 12 and 13 together at the end). I would put tracks 10 & 11 as tracks 7 & 10.

Overall, this is a classic album from arguably the queen of pop music. She definitely paved the way for all of the stars that came after her, I believe. It definitely has a rock n roll vibe mixed with the electronica, as there are heaps of distorted guitar chords and industrial sounds over most of the upbeat songs. It all reminds me of the groovier and more electronic songs from The Stone Roses and Ian Brown’s solo career too. As with most dance music, the albums is predominantly minor-key, but with major moments.

I hope you all have a great day, and if you have a coffee, make sure the bean isn’t burnt! Thanks for reading.

10/10 (would re-jigg some tracks)

As I’ve mentioned recently, I try to review different genres on the page. What about a genre that I have made up? Thus, I present to you…”Brexit Rock!”

This basically describes a heavily British strand of rock – 90s Britpop, 60s bands such as The Kinks, 70s bands such as The Jam and The Clash, recent artists like Sam Fender etc. There also many artists that surprisingly have a Brexit flavour in some parts of their discography – I will cover this soon. The genre is inspired by silly “Brexit geezer” videos on TikTok. The type of music in a Guy Ritchie movie!

*also this has nothing to do with the controversial 2016 Brexit referendum – no idea how the term Brexit geezer came about!

A lot of British 00s bands fall under this label – Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, Kasabian etc. Even American ones like The Strokes and The Killers do aswell. I wanted to focus on an intriguing band from this period, the Courteeners. Like some other bands, I found them from a “Top Gear Anthems” album years ago!

The band released their debut album in 2008 and have been going consistently ever since. They are a band that does puzzle me with their success, or lack thereof. I believe that if you asked most people in day-to-day life who the Courteeners are, they probably wouldn’t know. You never hear them on the radio etc. However, if you go to their hometown of Manchester, they are absolutely massive. They have sold out venues like Old Trafford and Heaton Park in minutes, multiple times. They have also become a prominent festival headliner, headlining Kendal Calling last year and Tramlines this year.

This success puzzles me as I don’t feel they stand out much compared to the hordes of other similar bands at that time. They appeared at the tail end of the 00s indie boom that I just mentioned, and have still managed to have a lot of success.

Their debut album St. Jude is easily their most successful, featuring their biggest hit Not Nineteen Forever. Even though it is derivative and doesn’t have a particularly distinctive sound, in my opinion, it’s a very enjoyable and well-constructed album. It’s produced by Smiths and Blur producer Stephen Street, and does feature rather interesting and strong lyrics that are almost Smiths-esque. I feel that frontman Liam Fray’s lyrics are a signature of the band. I wouldn’t skip any tracks.

Their next few albums, Falcon and Anna are not that great in my opinion. They are rather bland and dull for me. Concrete Love is quite good, with some subtle dance influence, but still not mindblowing.

*my CD of Mapping The Rendezvous

However, I think that their 2016 album Mapping The Rendezvous is fantastic. Once again it features a melodic yet tough indie rock sound with heaps of high distorted guitar melodies. Tracks like “No One Will Ever Replace Us,” “The Dilettante” and “Modern Love” are all very enjoyable. “Lucifer’s Dreams” and “Kitchen” have a harder-rocking yet groovy sound.

The album’s centrepiece for me has to be the closer “The 17th.” I would largely say the album is still indie rock. “Tip Toes” has a quirky acid-house keyboard that appears halfway through, and manages to work. However, “The 17th” is a progressive 6-minute EDM/House inspired banger that I absolutely love. It has a repetitive synth and piano groove that keeps building up, yet never reaches a crescendo. It did take me a few listens to get used to the structure, or lack of structure, of this track.

*the gold disc of my CD

Then, at the 3 and a half minute mark, the track finally explodes into an anthemic major-key indie rock chorus, typical of the band. The track then quickly simmers back down into the dance groove, before bursting into life once again at the 4 and a half minute mark. Instead of repeating the refrain at the 3 and a half minute mark, the dance groove reaches a euphoric climax with a rip-roaring guitar solo. It does have a bizarre structure, but it gives the track an experimental and hypnotic vibe that really works.

The piano chords of the song are even the basis of the ballad “Finest Hour” on the album. This once again shows Fray and the band branching out, making the electronic “17th” fit in cohesively with the other rock songs. “De La Salle” is another nice ballad, with lyrics pondering if Joan of Arc ever slipped and sliced her thumb “chopping onions in double home economics.” The only song I’m not so keen on is “Not for Tomorrow.”

I do think that “The 17th” is easily the best song the band have done, unlike anything they have attempted before or since. It’s even become a staple of their concerts. I do enjoy the follow-up More. Again. Forever. from 2020. It was also billed as more experimental, but I feel it is pretty standard indie rock. It is less major key than their other work, and more groove based, which I feel does work for this particular record. There are no bad songs for me, and I believe it flows very well. I wasn’t a fan of their last album Pink Cactus Cafe with its lighter indie-pop sound.

In conclusion, “The 17th” proves that the Courteeners can be more interesting than they’re given credit for, and is part of a solid album. I do hope they have some longer and more progressive songs in the future, and keep their harder sound of before, along with the typical melodic sing-along anthems. I don’t think they’re an incredible band, but have some stuff I enjoy greatly. I will likely see them at a random festival one day! Thanks for reading.

London Calling is the third studio by British rock band The Clash, released in 1979. It is commonly regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, and I would certainly agree. Although (as with the Ramones who I recently reviewed) the Clash are considered a classic punk band, this album shows them breaking free of genre conventions and exploring a trove of musical styles.

These styles include rockabilly (Vince Taylor cover “Brand New Cadillac”), jazz (the aptly-titled “Jimmy Jazz”), Phil Spector-esque pop (“The Card Cheat”), new wave and a heavy dose of 50s rock n roll. There is also a high amount of ska, reggae and dub basslines all over the album which I absolutely love. These include “Rudie Can’t Fail,” “The Guns of Brixton” and “Wrong Em’ Boyo’.”

*the famous cover of London Calling, a homage to the debut album by Elvis Presley

However, an aspect of the album that I greatly appreciate is how the band’s punk sound and spirit is still intact. The album has the high energy and power chords characteristic of the genre in spades. This is found on “Hateful,” “Spanish Bombs,” “The Right Profile,” “Clampdown” etc. The lyrics also feature political and social commentary, a cornerstone of punk music, tackling issues such as social displacement, racial conflict, unemployment etc.

Overall, there isn’t much to be said about this album that hasn’t been already. Despite the wide gamut of styles displayed, the album manages to be cohesive (it is also predominantly major key, which I of course love). For technically being a double album (19 songs), there are no weak tracks which is highly impressive. I do believe “Lover’s Rock” and “Revolution Rock” go on a bit, but I just end them early. At the end of the day, it’s a great rock n roll album that still sounds fresh.

10/10

Last week, former One Direction superstar Harry Styles released his much anticipated fourth album, Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally. Even though I may get groans about reviewing Harry Styles, this could be the moment that makes me go viral!

Before the new album came out, I thought I would go through his discography. I am not a big fan of his last album Harry’s House. I was never into singles such as “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” and “Late Night Talking” and the album has a similar soft funk-pop sound. I also didn’t particularly like his sophomore album Fine Line, although the second half had some nice Beatles-esque tunes.

However, I do remember enjoying his debut album when it came out, and being surprised at the rock n roll vibes. I went back and found it to still be a strong record. Here’s a quick track by track overview.

1. Meet Me in the Hallway – the record opens with this soft and psychedelic folk number. The track is just Styles accompanied by some acoustic guitar and neat Paul McCartney-esque bass. This song immediately enforces the Beatles vibe present through the album.
2. Sign of the Times – the album bursts into life with this anthemic rock ballad. Even though I’m not a fan of two slow songs back to back on an album, especially to open up with, the massive drums and electric guitars that crash in really work after the simple first song. Once again, the track features some George Harrison-esque slide guitar and Ringo-esque drum fills.
3. Carolina – the pace picks up with this upbeat pop rock number. Very Beatlesy again, with the la la la backing vocals and quirky feel reminding me a lot of Blur too. One of my favourites.
4. Two Ghosts – the pace slows down again with a relaxing ballad. I really like the snare sound on this track and slide guitar.
5. Sweet Creature – another folky number with just acoustic guitar (similar to “Blackbird” by The Beatles). Again, two ballads in a row, but it works due to being a simple drumless song. Almost like a long interlude.
6. Only Angel – the album kicks into gear again with this rock n roll belter. The track has a cheeky swagger to it and backing vocals heavily reminiscent of the Rolling Stones. Even the drum pattern (not playing the hi-hat at the same time as the snare) is the same as Charlie Watts from the Stones! I also love the classic clap pattern in the background and the use of cowbell (can never have enough cowbell). Can you tell I’m a drummer…
7. Kiwi – another rocker, with a faster tempo and punk-like energy. Styles plays the role of rock frontman very well, I believe.
8. Ever Since New York – a more chill track with a very engaging sound palette. The drum pattern (along with the snare being turned upside down) and overall vibe heavily reminds me of U2. It sounds like a song that could be from any part of their career. These last three tracks are all highlights for me.
9. Woman – my least favourite on the album. The song has some weird sound effects in the verses and the repetitive use of the word woman in the chorus is quite annoying. However, it’s not unlistenable and I enjoy the Bowie-esque glam rock feel.
10. From the Dining Table – the record closes with another nice acoustic number. I do really enjoy the classic rock and Britpop vibe of the album, and wouldn’t skip any songs. It flows very well as a cohesive whole.

This leads to the new album released on Friday. It features a dance/electronic vibe similar to angular Indie acts such as LCD Soundsystem and even older artists such as Talking Heads. I do enjoy this style of music but would rather he’d retain a more rock based direction as it really works for him, I believe.

*Styles, in the middle, with One Direction in 2014. I reviewed Louis Tomlinson (on the right) recently, who also has some great rock-leaning tunes

Overall, I really enjoy this debut album by Styles. I would definitely recommend it to someone who would scoff at the thought of listening to him! I do hope he goes back to more of a classic rock/britpop sound in the future. Even though it’s admittedly derivative in its own right, it’s a sound that I love and believe suits him well.

I try to be as positive as I can, and I hope the Harry fans don’t come for me! I do believe it’s a very relevant article to write, and highlights the surprising rock n roll of this debut album. As I said, I wouldn’t skip any tracks, so I guess it’s a 10/10?! Thanks for reading.

As I have said before, I like to review different genres and eras on this page. One genre I haven’t really delved into is ska.

Ska is a genre that originated in Jamaica in the 1950s and was a precursor to reggae. It is basically a faster version of reggae, characterised by a walking bass line and rhythms on the off beat.

Ska experienced a revival in Britain in the late 1970s, with a harder punk-influenced sound and lyrics reflecting the political situation of the time.

One of the most prominent bands from this classic second wave is The Specials. Here’s my playlist of them to check out. It features hits along with some lesser-known tracks. See you next time.

1. Gangsters
2. Do the Dog
3. Concrete Jungle
4. Rudy, A Message To You
5. Nite Club
6. Too Much, Too Young (Live)
7. You’re Wondering Now (theme to the TV show Death In Paradise)!
8. (Dawning of A) New Era
9. Monkey Man
10. Ghost Town (Radio Edit)
11. Rat Race
12. Enjoy Yourself
13. Friday Night, Saturday Morning
14. Free Nelson Mandela
15. Embarrassed By You

The Brit Awards (commonly known as the BRITs) is the highest-profile music awards ceremony in the UK, effectively the British version of the Grammys. It has had many legendary moments over the years, particularly in the 90s when such luminaries as Oasis and Pulp made outrageous statements and performances. As the music industry has evolved, so has the BRITs. However, I was pleased to see the prominence of rock music at this year’s awards, along with many different genres and eras.

Of course, modern pop music was the main genre represented, as the awards are for music released in the last year. There were performances from stars such as Olivia Dean (who won four awards, the most of the night) and Harry Styles who opened the show. However, there were also performances from British Rock band Wolf Alice and a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne from his former bandmates (including Rob Trujillo from Metallica), sung by Robbie Williams! Even though this was a nice idea, I did think the song chosen, “No More Tears,” was a bit high for Robbie. Mark Ronson put on a great medley of his hits aswell, featuring a moving tribute to Amy Winehouse and guest appearances from Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killa and Dua Lipa.

*Noel Gallagher at the awards

Surprise guest appearances and presenters were the order of the day. The award ceremony was held in Manchester for the first time this year, a city known for its rich musical heritage, from Joy Division/New Order to The Smiths and beyond. Fittingly, there were many mentions of the musical greats of Manchester. There was also some typically shambolic award presenting from Mancunians Shaun and Bez from the Happy Mondays, and Noel Gallagher got an award from Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, for his contribution to songwriting. The fact that he thanked his brother Liam in his speech is still surreal, as that would’ve been unthinkable just a few years ago. There was no big mention of a new tour or album though.

*Sam Fender and Olivia Dean receiving their award for Song Of The Year

There was also a nice tribute to Manchester legend Mani from the Stone Roses by Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, along with others who passed away last year such as Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys. Sam Fender (whom I call the Geordie Bruce Springsteen) got a few awards, including song of the year for the excellent “Rein Me In” with Olivia Dean. There were a few very bizarre guest appearances too. Darts star Luke Littler presented an award, along with I’m A Celebrity winner Angry Ginge! Aswell, none other than Dolly Parton (virtually) presented the Lifetime Achievement Award for Ozzy Osbourne.

Overall, I do enjoy watching the Brit Awards each year. Even though the focus is on modern chart music, there are always some rock legends that sneak in there, along with some unexpected appearances. Some names that have randomly popped up to present awards in recent years include Green Day and Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones. I also do find Jack Whitehall to be a funny presenter, even though I’m sure many might disagree! It seems to meld the old and the new more than the Grammys for example, in a very British way. Thanks for reading.

Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday (commonly known as Pancake Day in certain countries). I have also decided that Ash Wednesday will be a day dedicated to the band…Ash!

Ash are a fairly local band to me, hailing from Downpatrick. They came to prominence in the 90s, alongside bands such as Oasis, Blur, Pulp etc. However, they have a sound heavily inspired by pop-punk such as the Ramones who I just reviewed, and almost sound like distant cousins to Weezer.

I think that the essential work of Ash is found on their compilation Intergalactic Sonic 7’s. It is just one catchy song after another. Every track has great major key melodies (which I love of course) but with massive guitars and rock energy. It has their biggest hits such as “Girl From Mars,” “Burn Baby Burn” and “Shining Light.” I love every track apart from the last one “Numbskull.”

I also believe some of their more recent albums are quite strong aswell. Kablammo! from 2015 is very consistent, and features their trademark sound working as well as ever. They have also had some more hard-rocking moments over their career, such as the song “Orpheus.”

Overall, Ash are a fairly overlooked band that definitely stand out compared to the sound of other bands of that time. Tim Wheeler has a very strong melodic sense, and they have a clear formula that they have absolutely perfected. Thanks for reading this shorter post.