Medio-Core

Someone in their early-twenties who spends more time inside finding new bands to listen to than out having a life.

[medioxcore-blog]

Broadway Calls - 'Comfort/Distraction' (2013)

Track Listing:

Bring On The Storm

Open Letter

Minus One

Lucky Lighter

Surrounded By Ghosts

Zombie World

Wildly Swinging

I'll Be There

Stealing Sailboats

Life Is Rhythm

Full Of Hope

Broadway Calls have been a band since 2005, yet they've never really seemed to appear on anyone's radar. I first heard Broadway Calls years ago on a compilation that came with a magazine, I enjoyed the track, and proceeded to obtain their music, but they never really became a band that stuck with me.

In the eight years they've been a band they've released 3 LPs, all their own brand of pop-punk that has always sat very much on the "punk" side of that particular proverbial fence. 

They recently re-surfaced after signing to No Sleep Records and releasing a split with labelmates, Mixtapes, and shortly after announced Comfort/Distraction.

I picked it up in my "local" record store (it's the only record store within 60 miles of where I live), and the guy who ran the place played it for me and I fell in love with it.

It's an awesome record.

As I said, it definitely sits on the "punk" side of pop-punk but at the same time it doesn't alienate the "pop" side. It's got some great hooks, sing-a-long choruses, crunchy riffs and a really laid-back attitude. 

The whole record reminds of me of early-Green Day and in a way, I think this will be their 'Dookie' in the sense that this will definitely catapult them onto every pop-punk kid's radar. 

The lyrics are mature yet still maintain that tongue-in-cheek attitude that only comes with experience. The songs themselves are a fantastic mix of fast pop punk tracks, and crunchy sing-a-long punk anthems that you can just tell will sound fantastic live. 

The whole thing sounds polished and fine-tuned, and it's incredibly hard to find any fault with it. There is absolutely no filler in this record. 

The stand out tracks are definitely "Lucky Lighter", a crunchy punk track with a fantastic sing-a-long chorus and groovy guitar solo. 'Zombie World' is another great track, and really showcases their creative and honest lyric-writing.  "I'll Be There" is a powerful emotionally charged track that sounds like a really old-skool driving rock song.

You get the picture. This album rules.

I seriously recommend this and keep an eye on Broadway Calls in the future, this is definitely a band that have only got better with age and 'Comfort/Distraction' is definitely going to make their career. 

For Fans Of: Mixtapes, Hold Tight!, Spraynard, early-Green Day

[medioxcore-blog]

WolveXhys - 'Enslaver A.D.'

So it's finally here - the first track from WolveXhys, a solo project started by Rhys Whitehouse and various members of Memories in the latter stages of 2012.

It's pretty great. It's heavy, it's dark, it's even got creepy pianos in it. If you like your music heavy, then keep an eye on WolveXhys who will be releasing one track every month for the rest of the year, which will then culminate in an album which will be available to download for free at the end of 2013. 

I got the chance to talk with Rhys about his new project...

Where does the name Wolvexhys come from? How do you even pronounce it?! 

WolveXhys was originally the name of a solo dubstep project I had around early 2010, it is pronounced "Wul-ver-rees". After releasing 3 self-produced E.P's I finally gave up the project but kept the name for miscellaneous things such as my Gamertag etc. At the time I was majorly into Marvel comics; Wolverine Specifically hence the start of the name and incorporating that into the latter half of my forename. Originality at its finest. Upon the decision to undertake this solo project it just seemed fitting I should re-use that name.

This is the first track from the series that you’ve put out, how do you feel about it?  I really enjoyed recording this song with Craig Hunt, Richard Marsden and Crayg Williams from Memories (www.facebook.com/memoriesuk). They originally wrote me the instrumentals for this song after I pitched the idea of WolveXhys to Craig. They took to it really enthusiastically which definitely gave me a lot of hope and inspiration for this project and this song specifically was finished after a great weekend away with the guys so for me personally there is a lot of positive vibes from this song although the lyrics are fairly negative. In short I love the music I make but I guarantee you haven’t heard the best of the album yet.

What kind of response has it had?  Well it's too early to say as such but the sample I put out prior to releasing the track did very well considering it was a 37 second snippet of the intro. The track so far is gaining some very positive and promising comments and publicity so I’m definitely looking forward to releasing more tracks in the future. I heard the instrumentals of my second track which I’m recording in march which will feature Richard Lardner of Odessa and it's so much heavier and more technical than Enslaver A.D so keep an eye open! When did you first start getting seriously involved in playing music? Which bands or artists influenced you?  Back in 2009 I was in my first serious band called "Defias", we played mostly covers at local shows but that's the time I got a real taste of the local underground. Bands such as Dellamorte, Vivian Blake, The Odessa Massacre (now Odessa UK), This Legion, Awaiting Onset, Lavondyss, Many Things Untold and The Hollow Earth Theory were figure-heading their respective sub-genres. At the time we were just kids totally ignorant to the do's and don'ts of music and just played whatever we wanted, we were lucky to even get shows because we were sloppy but had a decent backline and were very enthusiastic.  After that band disbanded due to university and job commitments I was recommended by Aidy Lennox of Hype Clothing to Daniel Jones and Ben Degg as a vocalist and "Bridges" was formed later to be joined by former Dellamorte members, Jez and Ollie Locker and finally Josh Webberly of local indie band Kill McGreggor. It was at this time I began to take music seriously. I later left that band and they became "The Secret Year". My influences vary but considering my vocal style is so niche it's mostly Phil Bozeman of Whitechapel for lyrical structure, Geoff Houston (Ex- Wet The Steel) and Chris McMahon (ex-vocalist of Vegas in Ruins) Of Thy Art Is Murder for tone especially in their 2012 album "Hate".  Other bands such as Impending Doom, Make them Suffer, The Amity Affliction, Ceruleus, Drake, Heart of a Coward, Hacktivist, I Declare War, Disfiguring the Goddess, Kendrick Lamar, Memories, Oceano, Periphery, Recognize, Reflections, Shades of Black, Shinedown, Upon a Burning Body and Guns N' Roses for lyrics and composure. Other day to day things can influence my music also such as friends, a certain line I read or significant events. I often find myself dwelling on the negatives of these influences though so suitably adapt to my music easier.

What made you want to start playing heavier music?  I grew up in a household that played Gary Moore, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and Queen very loudly every day, I was then introduced to Ozzy Osbourne by my sister and then after purchasing my first albums Hybrid Theory by Linking Park, Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured water by Limp Bizkit and Anthology by Alien Ant Farm. Slowly my music taste got heavier and heavier. I've never wanted to play anything that wasn't tuned higher than Drop D#. I've always had the same mind-set.

You’ve been involved in a few bands over the years, how do you feel about Wolvexhys compared to past projects?  I've always been very proactive when it came to bands, I like hard work to obtain the most coverage possible whether that's by gigging or networking more often than not my previous bands haven’t had the same work ethic as me. I know that if deadlines aren’t obtained within WolveXhys I will only have myself to blame, also I can guarantee I will enjoy the songs I release as I will have the final say on everything. Being in a band is one of the most difficult things a person can do, it testes friendships, drains your finances and stresses you out but a solo project is something you can control and it's up to you what you want to do with it.

What influenced you to start a project that was based more on a solo vocalist and having to rely on guest instrumentalists rather than having the same full band on every track?  Craig, Rich and Crayg are amazing musicians and incredible producers. I love making music with them as they're reliable and consistently good. I can guarantee the quality of their instrumentals for WolveXhys will only ever get better and better. I was influenced to start my solo project as opposed to a band primarily because of the answers I gave in the question previously. My last band was consistent for deadlines but it's difficult finding musicians especially around the more rural parts of the west-midlands of the caliber you require who are not already committed to bands.

What influences your song writing? You’re a big fan of Star Wars and comic books, does that come into it at all?  Star Wars is my life, I will always be inspired by star wars but I’ll never be obvious for example this track "Enslaver A.D" was inspired by Jango Fett's ship "Slave 1". I have previously released a dubstep track called "Cornerstones of Mandalore". There are subtle hints here and there but honestly as cool as a concept of a Star Wars based progressive death metal artist is, I don't want Wolvexhys to be seen as a joke. I'll always be an avid Lucas Hound with an unhealthy obsession with the old republic and an ever expanding useless knowledge the galactic empire but that'll be my guilty pleasure, as well as 5ive and other cheesy 90's pop music.

Who influences you as a musician now compared to when you first started playing?  When I first started playing I was influenced by the bands I wanted to be such as Alexisonfire, We Came as Romans and A Day to Remember, Whereas these days I’m influenced by my friends and other bands after watching them live, for example last weekend I attended the Odessa album launch on the Saturday and then Memories play with Carcer City in Manchester on the Sunday. I was fortune enough to be given a guest vocal spot for memories and after watching all 3 bands I’m influenced by stage presence and how they dominate the stage and work the crowd, it's very inspiring to see friends do what the love and do it incredibly. My friends and family inspire me to be better at what I do.

Anybody you want to thank?  I'll always want to thank my Dad for his constant support from the early days up until the present, he has always taken a huge role in my decisions, managed my finances regarding music and transported me across the country countless times and no doubt will until I decide to pack it all in whenever that may be. The guys in Memories for helping me out with the music, producing WolveXhys, taking me with them across the country and just generally being the coolest guys. And everyone who has stuck by me through the criticism, still held interest in my music instead of conforming to popular belief, everyone who has ever come to any of my shows, streamed my tracks, liked my pages, brought a ticket, shook my hand, everyone I taught vocals to, the ones who inspired me, the ones who have given any kind words my way etc.  It may be small but it will always mean the world when someone takes time out of their day to look twice at something you're passionate about.

_________________________________________________________

Lyrics to 'Enslaver A.D.' "Written by Rhys Whitehouse, Craig Hunt, Crayg Williams and Richard Marsden 2013 - C2 Recordings. from the album; "Servants of Penance and Purification" by WolveXhys www.facebook.com/WolveXhysUK www.soundcloud.com/WolveXhys www.youtube.com/WolveXhys This song is about never forgetting your roots, through persecution and criticism never forget who you are, where you came from and what you stand for. People may change but that doesn't mean you have to change with them."

Lacerations of the master's whip He strikes a flame to his lips Tells you to suck his dick Whilst pro-creation spawns  it ends in pity swarms it's of a higher cause Here comes the greatest storm Here comes the pain You've planned to see this through After years of waiting Life will come back to you Why put your faith Into what isn't true Within a lifetime of suffering I'm still in wait of proof Of Life Crows gather overhead To pick the flesh from your bones They will not spot until you're dead I'll stand my ground Wait for the drums to beat The resonating sound Of breaking bones under feet This is the life we lead (This is the life we lead) I am the killing blow (I am the killing blow) These are the sewn in seeds (These are the sewn in seeds) This is the life we know This ground, will spring the evergreen The rising tree of life Each of the roots grow deep it hits the core Planetary judgement breeds At the head of the mast Of an empire's burning fleet All The reasons overwhelm me I'm drowning in the filth of society The last gasp of air is escaping me I'm clawing at life I'm clawing at life Faceless crowds of humanity Rising up against democrasy The hangman will show you no mercy A tight knot slipped around your fucking neck Oh The tree of life has been cut from truth The branches have been stripped by lies The last remaining ounce of hope Will lay to rest when you close your eyes I'm sick of all you pretentious dicks The air you waste it just makes me sick So go ahead and apply your lipstick We're all judged the same as we stand at the gates of hell.

[medioxcore-blog]

So…Fall Out Boy are back.

And they’ve brought a new song with them!

There’s a lot of varying opinion on the track, and at first it would have been very easy for me to just write a couple of paragraphs about how much I hate it, and how different it is, and how disappointed I am…but you know what? This isn’t going to be one of those pieces.

Before this goes into any more detail, it’s a pretty abysmal sounding song. It’s got Top 40 written all over it.

But.

And this is a big “but”.

This is Fall Out Boy. The pop rock band who have always erred on the “pop” side of that genre. Fall Out Boy changed chart music. If it weren’t for Fall Out Boy mixing huge “Top 40 pop” hooks with catchy, angsty pop punk we wouldn’t have bands like All Time Low, You Me At Six or fun. reaching the heights they have.

To be honest, we know they were never going to give us the best track from the go. They were going to release the “pop” song that will get thousands of radio plays between now and May, millions of downloads, and whether you’re a life-long fan or just someone who heard the new track on the radio, you will be talking about them.

So let’s just wait and see. Write it off and keep an ear out for the next single or two that will undoubtedly follow shortly. 

[medioxcore-blog]

Joie De Vivre - 'We're All Better Than This' (2012)

Tracklist:

At Least I tried

I'd Be Upset If I Broke Up With Me Too

I was Sixteen Ten Years Ago

Maybe People Do Change

Wait Wait Wait...How Soon Is Now?

I Guess Not

That Dude Leads A Depressing Life

Going To A Going Away Party

Who Cares

Robert Muldoon

High School Me Would Have Been Pumped

“If growing up is a journey, and not a destination, then this album is your map.”

That was part of the description on the Count Your Lucky Stars webstore, and it couldn’t be any closer to the truth.

Although this was released at the end of May last year, I’ve only really delved into this band (and specifically this record) in the past couple of months.

There aren’t many records that ring as true with me as this does. As soon as it reached its finale, I had to flip the record over, and start the journey again.

This entire record is based on pure emotion and the lyrics resemble the feelings of anyone who feels like they have no idea what they want in life, where they want to go…and all they know is they want to go somewhere.  

The combination of horns and your standard emo 4-piece really make this record something else, whilst keeping it within the boundaries of what people might say is “expected” from an emo band.

The opening statement of the album (‘At Least I Tried’) “We all die alone, so why care so much about living with someone else?” is entirely heartfelt and infused with the angst of someone who is both lovesick and heartbroken, and tired of feeling the same.

The lyrics themselves across the entire record are incredibly well written, and albeit somewhat depressing (if taken outside the context of the record), they are realistic and mature, coming from real life experiences about growing up, making and breaking relationships, and finding your way in life.

‘I Was Sixteen Ten Years Ago’ is an incredibly emotional track, the final line repeating “I wanted to be a writer” presents the always-relatable realisation that our lives never pan out the way we expected them to when we were sixteen.

‘I Guess Not’ is probably one of my favourite tracks on the record; it presents a turning point in the record where it becomes about being pro-active and making positive changes to your mindset.

The final track that really stood out was ‘Robert Muldoon’. It starts off as quite a slow track with some of the most brutally honest lyrics on the entire record and builds up to the conclusion “I can blame you for where I am now: so distant and unsure of where I should go. So unsure and pre-disposed to hate where I live. I regret everything about that year”. This song in itself embodies the feelings portrayed throughout the record.

In the opinion of someone who can relate to these songs, it almost feels like they're saying that it’s ok to feel lost and disillusioned, and that someday we all find our way. Overall it's just a great “coming of age” journey portrayed through very honest and very real lyricism.

I’d definitely recommend Joie De Vivre for fans of most of the bands on the Count Your Lucky Stars roster – Annabel, Dowsing  and Snowing to name a few, and also bands like Run, Forever, Dikembe and Tigers Jaw.

[medioxcore-blog]

Distorted Tapes: Downloads vs. Physical music.

I recently wrote an article about digital downloads (illegal downloads specifically) for a University project, and I asked Graham from Distorted Tapes to give me his opinion on digital downloads and the current revival of formats such as vinyl and cassette tapes.

Distorted Tapes is a small independent record label based in Telford, run by Graham Reynolds. 

“I started Distorted Tapes a couple of years ago as a web-blog, with the main aim of documenting some of the shows I was going to in Birmingham, and it just kind of snowballed from there!” 

“Initially my only hope was to compile these reviews and thoughts into some form of physical release such as a zine, but as time passed and I got to know some of the local bands better I started to consider actually setting up my own label. After all, how hard could it be?”

Graham’s first release came into fruition in March 2012, after floating an idea with Wolverhampton’s God Damn to press a run of their single as a 7" record.

“Knowing that all my favourite independent labels like Big Scary Monsters, Fierce Panda, Holy Roar, Tough Love etcetera had all started off working with a band they had 100% belief in, I knew that God Damn were the band for me.”

“Fully financed by myself, my parents thought I’d gone a bit nuts to put my trust in what they saw as my mates’ band" "But when I got the boxes of records through from the pressing plant it was one of the proudest moments of my life, no joke. I’ve gone on to sell a good deal of the 250 copies I got pressed, although I am under no illusion that I will ever break even with the cost of production”

“At the end of the day, the record acted as a statement of intent and made a name for my bedroom project which is still growing.”

Since March, Graham has put out a further 6 releases and hosted a multitude of bands in venues across the West Midlands. 

If you’re familiar with Distorted Tapes, you should be aware of their tagline ‘You can’t hug a download’. 

“You can’t!” says Graham, “It [a digital file] exists as lots of little 1’s and 0’s on a hard-drive. A million files of music which are safe for as long as your computer survives. Where’s the engagement?”

“For me, putting a vinyl on is ritualistic - putting the needle to the groove, adjusting the stereo to best accommodate the record. I’m engaged. There is effort involved, and accordingly if you put effort into something you get more out of it.”

“I have a particular soft spot for 7” singles as there is something a little bit magic about these circular sheets of black plastic that can hold a perfect three and a half minute gem on.”

“Then there’s B-sides, one of my favourite things in the world. Sometimes they are crap, but sometimes the best song is the B-side.”

“In this world of iPods and digital downloads the B-Side runs the risk of becoming a relic. A single is merely a track off of the album which has a video. Gone are the racks of singles in Woolies, Virgin, HMV, where I spent a good deal of my teenage years hunting out new sounds and rare tracks.”

“Vinyl, even CD, is something real. I can hold it, I can read the liner notes, look at the artwork, and it’s something I can keep forever that will remind me of a particular point in my life.”

“Vinyl has undergone a bit of a renaissance, however I feel this will be more of a fad with a lot of people growing out of buying vinyl as they grow up. The costs charged for records at the moment make it very hard to be a sustainable habit for most teenagers or students, however there will be record collectors born out of the current trend that will continue to buy vinyl for years to come. As long as bands have fans, and there are collectors out there, labels and artists will continue to release on the vinyl format.”

“I doubt it will ever become as big as it was, and I’m also doubtful it will grow as popular as CD was in its heyday." 

“Art is meant to be a physical and engaging act, digital music contradicts this and as a result becomes disposable”

“Pop hits now cater for the shuffle generation, song after song that disappears after a few weeks. A vinyl record is for life.”

[medioxcore-blog]

Boundaries - 'Aching Bones' (2013)

(Unsigned)

Bad Blood

6 Weaks Of Summer

Erase

Change

Aching Bones

Slept

This is the opening statement from the Leeds-based pop-punk quintet, and quite a statement it is!

A lot of people are quick to criticise pop punk as a genre that's become incredibly stale in the past two years or so, with new bands crawling out of the wood-work two-a-penny. 

While Boundaries list the usual influences: The Story So Far, A Loss For Words, Major League, Man Overboard, The Wonder Years...the list goes on, they aren't afraid to pay homage to their roots in their music, taking elements of all these bands and fusing a sound that I think can appeal to everyone.

The demo opens with slow, distorted riffs similar to those you might find on most Basement or Title Fight songs, before breaking into a determined, passionate song reminiscent of early-Title Fight and The Story So Far.

The real winner in the early stages of the demo is track #2, '6 Weaks Of Summer'. Sounding like a mix of New Found Glory and Blink 182 with the clean up-beat riffs, and with lyrics that are not afraid to offend with their straight-out honesty that could easily have been written by Crucial Dudes. 

'Erase' is a great acoustic break-away, with similar sounds to Into It. Over It. and American Football it's a good exploration of the band's emo influences. Filled with honesty, Boundaries prove to us once again that they're not afraid to speak their minds. 

Overall, what you get is a great first demo from a young band that are already finding what makes them tick as musicians which is always great to hear, and they're not afraid to follow in the footsteps of their idols.

For fans of: The Story So Far, Crucial Dudes, New Found Glory

Download their demo for free here

[medioxcore-blog]

Candy Hearts - 'The Best Ways To Disappear' (2012)

(Bridge Nine Records and Violently Happy Records)

Bad Idea

Matchbook Car

Miles & Interstates

Replacement Parts

Sick Of It

Ticklish

If you're familiar with Candy Hearts already, you know how sugary sweet and catchy their music and lyrics are. This new 6-track EP isn't anything different to what you've heard before from them, but that's definitely not a bad thing. 

There have always been comparisons to Paramore with female fronted pop punk/rock bands, but Candy Hearts really stand up and separate themselves from that cliche with their own brand of music which is consistently fresh.

This is the 3rd release by the New York/New Jersey four-piece, and you can tell how far they've come. They're one of those bands that you'll listen to, and whether you like them or not, you'll just have their songs stuck in your head all day, and inevitably go back for more. 

Mariel Loveland's vocals provide a sound that's both lovesick, self-confident, heartbroken and shy all at the same time which lies on top of classic Jawbreaker-influenced pop-punk incredibly well.

Her strength as a vocalist has certainly increased since their first full length dropped in 2010, and that confidence mixed with the shyness of her lyrics will have you head over heels for her. 

They have the potential to become one of the biggest pop punk bands on the circuit in 2013, and I really hope to see them step up to the mark and take advantage of their potential.

For Fans Of: Jawbreaker, The Weakerthans, Mixtapes, pop punk so sweet it'll give you diabetes. 

[medioxcore-blog]

Photographs of Crossings, Your Neighbour The Liar, Carson Wells and Pipedream at The Fok Up, Wolverhampton (12/01/2013)

© James Walker

Full set here

[medioxcore-blog]

Your Neighbour The Liar, Carson Wells, Crossings and Pipedream @ The Fok Up, Wolverhampton.

The Fok Up is a lock up on the outskirts of the city centre that acts as both a practice space for several Wolverhampton bands and a DIY venue for underground emo and punk gigs. 

I've been a regular attendant to the Fok Up for a couple of months, drawn in by the laid back atmosphere that comes with a group of people coming together for the sole purpose of hanging out and listening to bands. Originally put on in a practice space no bigger than a prison cell, they recently moved to a larger space.

One of the great things about the Fok Up, and the way it runs itself, is the complete lack of structure. Bands can get up and play as and when they please; the headlining band could open with a half hour set, and the opening band could finish up with 3 or 4 songs they'd prepared. 

First to take to the stage were Crossings, an emo band from Lincoln. Combining quick rhythms and twinkly guitar riffs to create a bouncy sound really set the matinee off to a great start with a decent set that spanned the majority of their back-catalogue of songs. A great band with a great optimistic sound and attitude. They even let me have a t shirt for £1 and a hug. For fans of Nai Harvest, Empire! Empire!, Dads and The World Is A Beautiful Place. http://crossings.bandcamp.com/

Crossings were followed by the supposedly-headlining act, Your Neighbour The Liar,   a Scottish emo band harking from Edinburgh. Playing downbeat songs, similar to those of Dowsing, American Football, and other Midwest-emo bands, they injected a lot of passion and energy into their performance which feels left out of their recorded music. Either way, a great band with a lot of energy who definitely followed on well and really upped the ante in terms of energy. For fans of Snowing, Dowsing and Joie De Vivre. http://yntl.bandcamp.com

Carson Wells played the penultimate set of the afternoon, another Scottish band, playing a raucous set of fast, urgent, emotional hardcore. With a fusion of sore throats, crashing drum beats and intricate guitar rhythms, they have a loud, fast and desperate sounding style of hardcore punk which just took my breath away. Despite all three of them having incredibly sore throats from an 8-day tour, they nonetheless played their set with a huge amount of passion and determination. For fans of Human Hands, Single Mothers and The Ghost Of A Thousand. http://carsonwells.bandcamp.com/

Finally, Pipedream took to the stage. A Cardiff-based emo/rock band, they had come down on short notice to take the place of another band who had dropped out. Up until this point, the sets had just been increasing in energy and Pipedream's style of music was a lot more mellow and it seemed hard for them to follow an act such as Carson Wells, either way I'm a big fan of the Welsh boys and they were the one band I was really looking forward to seeing. They played a fantastic set with some great energetic gems such as 'Shell' and closed the afternoon off well. For fans of Jimmy Eat World, Dowsing, Saves The Day. http://pipedreamcc.bandcamp.com