#WildCardWednesday: Charlie Simpson – ‘Blameless’

facebook_logos_PNG19751.png    ios_homescreen_icon.png   app-icon2.png


Charlie Simpson is most notable for being a part of award-winning boy band Busted as well as being the front-man of post-hardcore band, Fightstar. However, he has also seen great success as a solo artist too, with three albums already under his belt, and a fourth on the way!

‘Blameless’ sees Simpson take on a slightly different sound to anything he’s previously released (solo or in a band). It features Simpson’s trademark raw, powerful and raspy vocal atop a piano-led backing track with a semi urban-style beat to it. It’s something new for the singer-songwriter and leaves me intrigued for what his new album will hold.

The music video was directed, produced and edited by Simpson himself, during lockdown. It sees the singer performing in a variety of settings, most of all in the forest, at different times of day and night with some wonderful lighting effects surrounding him. It’s simplistic but reflects the track’s raw feel perfectly and the editing is pretty cool too.

What are your thoughts of the singer-songwriter’s latest single? Do you have a #WildCardWednesday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via social media.

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks


‘Blameless’ can be downloaded off iTunes now – https://music.apple.com/gb/album/blameless-single/1547874823


Advertisement

#MellowMonday: Zara Larsson – ‘Ruin My Life (Piano Version)’


   

facebook-like   Instagram


Zara Larsson is an incredible pop singer-songwriter from Sweden, who has collaborated with the likes of Clean Bandit (Symphony) and MNEK (‘Never Forget You‘), and released a whole heap of monster solo hits too.

Since the release of her debut album, So Good, back in 2017, she has been busy touring and undoubtedly working on new music with her latest single, ‘Ruin My Life’ being her first new music since then.

The song itself is a very up-beat pop track that has some rather wonderful production but since the release of the piano version, I haven’t been able to get enough of it. It’s amazing how such a catchy pop track can be made into such a beautiful ballad just by stripping it back to a piano!

Sit back, relax, turn it up loud and get lost in all of its beauty!

What are your thoughts on the piano version of this pop song? Do you have a #MellowMonday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via social media.

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks


‘Ruin My Life (Piano Version)’ can be downloaded off iTunes now – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/ruin-my-life-piano-version-single/1443604009


#Review: Matt Maltese – Bad Contestant


   

facebook-like   Instagram


Muzik Speaks Loves Atlantic Records - SmallerMatt Maltese is a piano-led, 21-year-old, singer-songwriter, who pens songs that are both emotionally intelligent and satirical at the same time. Having recently toured with Isaac Gracie (review), he is now releasing his debut album, Bad Contestant, through Atlantic Records. Here are our thoughts…

Matt Maltese - Bad Contestant.jpg

Matt Maltese‘s debut, Bad Contestant, is jam packed full of wisdom beyond his years but served up with equal doses of cutting humour, hilarious irony and pure over-exaggeration. This is an artist who merges, at times, understated yet sultry melodies and retro sounds with stunning lyrical craftsmanship to create his own unique style.

Album-opener, ‘Greatest Comedian’, begins with an unassuming introduction before launching into a fantastic set of back-handed compliments topped off with some intriguing instrumentation and beautiful higher-pitched vocals in the chorus; very similar to something by label-mate, Will Joseph Cook.

Title-track, ‘Bad Contestant’, has some seriously funky synth sounds and sees Maltese take on the character of an overly honest and confessional yet fruitless game show contestant.

This is very much an album where jazz and a touch of britpop meet funky, organ-led soul.

Meanwhile, ‘Nightclub Love’ is deeply satirical look at how Maltese sees the realities of clubbing and finding love there, whilst ‘Less & Less’ is an extremely saddening break-up song that is both beautiful and also attempts to put a positive spin on the situation. Of course we can’t go without mentioning the wonderful track, ‘As The a World Caves In’; a hysterical tale of the unlikely hooking up of Donald Trump and Theresa May, watching the nuclear destruction of the world as they do it; genius!

Other key tracks worth taking note of, include; ‘Sweet Sixteen’, an organ-led track taking a twisted look at a modern relationship – the sound is very much somewhere between Kaiser Chiefs and Blur, ‘Like A Fish’ which sounds like the opening to an old, 80s, British TV show and ‘Misery’ which is a dark and intense track with some reverse-sounding vocals on the chorus. In fact, the latter half of the album appears to get darker as it goes on.

The album features production and collaboration by a combination of Jonathan Rado, Hugo White (Maccabees) Alex Burey.

This is very much an album where jazz and a touch of britpop meet funky, organ-led soul, all dressed up in a hipster outfit and sung with a deep, crisp and crooning vocal. Picture BlurPulp and Jamiroquai creating some sort of spliced-together lovechild that’s been brought into the modern, contemporary age and you get Matt Maltese‘s debut, Bad Contestant. A truly alluring debut that is sure to pave the way for an exciting career ahead.

Rating
4


‘Bad Contestant’ is out now and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/bad-contestant/1365077870


Bad Contestant on Spotify

Greatest Comedian (Official Video)

As The World Caves In (Official Video)


We hope you’ve enjoyed our review! What do you think of this singer-songwriter’s uniquely captivating debut album? What would you rate it? Please leave your thoughts in a comment below or via our social media.


Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:

Muzik Speaks Album Reviews


Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks

#Review: George FitzGerald – All That Must Be


   

facebook-like   Instagram


George FitzGerald is an English, electronic musician who previously worked for London label, Black Market Records, but after relocating to Berlin in 2010, began recording and releasing his own music. 2015 saw the release of his debut album, Fading Love, and now in 2018, he’s releasing his second record, All That Must Be. Here’s what we have to say about it…

George FitzGerald - All That Must Be.jpg

The album opens to the sounds of the hustle and bustle outside FitzGerald’s London studio, nicely setting the theme for the rest of the record, which very much echos the thrum of urban life.

In amongst the production, vocals are present, however, save for the tracks with guest vocalists, Lil Silva and Tracey Thorn (Everything But The Girl), they are barely recognisable, through much distortion and production wizardry. This is executed perfectly though, as they blend so well with the instrumentation, that it actually takes a few listens to properly realise they are in fact vocals.

George further explains, “In many of the songs the vocals are disembodied and processed to the point you can’t make out what they’re saying. I wanted that to mirror the uncanniness you feel when a massive event happens in your life. Everything looks and sounds the same but it’s somehow different. Your surroundings are less intelligible.” This is very much reflected in the album’s lead single ‘Burns’, which was also played regularly on Radio 1.

This album is a complete body of artistic work that has a unique story-like quality to it.

All That Must Be is very much an album of music that brilliantly depicts urban life. It is almost a soundtrack to the commotion of a city and represents the rhythm and heartbeat that so many cities often seem to have.

On first listen it’s easy to feel like all the tracks on the album are quite similar and that it stays the same from start to finish. However, it’s only when you listen again that you can truly appreciate just what a remarkable piece George FitzGerald has created, with subtle, intricate variations and changes in atmosphere. This is a complete body of artistic work that has a unique story-like quality to it. It might not be to everyone’s taste but it is astounding how an almost entirely instrumental album, can so clearly illustrate a picture in the mind and audibly represent so many moods. It’s both hypnotic and melancholic in places and there is a real sense of motion about it; it certainly doesn’t stand still.

Some of the most stand-out tracks are ‘Frieda’ for its meditative quality, ‘Burns’, for simply being the monster track that it is and ‘Roll Back’ and ‘Half-Light (Night Version)’ for their collaborations with Lil Silva and Tracey Thorn, respectively.

This is a record that could easily be experienced and enjoyed on a long drive at night, with the warm summer air breezing through the open windows or as something to ultimately sit back, relax and chill out to.

Rating
4


‘All That Must Be’ is out now and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/all-that-must-be/1322664114


All That Must Be on Spotify

Roll Back featuring Lil Silva (Official Video)

Burns (Official Audio)

George FitzGerald Tour Dates

All tickets are on general sale now, via www.george-fitzgerald.com.

19 March – Munich, DE – Ampere
20 March – Berlin, DE – Schwuz
21 March – Cologne, DE – Yuca
22 March – Paris, FR – Nouveau Casino
23 March – Brussels, BE – AB Club
24 March – Utrecht, NL – Catch Festival
26 March – Brighton, GB – The Haunt
27 March – London, GB – Islington Assembly Hall
28 March – Glasgow, GB – The Art School
29 March – Manchester, GB – Gorilla
09 May – San Francisco, US – The Independent
10 May – Echo Park, US – The Echo
12 May – Salt Lake City, US – Kilby Court Gallery
13 May – Denver, US – Larimer Lounge
15 May – Chicago, US – Subterranean
16 May – Toronto, CA – Drake Hotel
17 May – Montreal, CA – Bar le Ritz PDB
18 May – Boston, US – Great Scott
19 May – New YorkUS – Rough Trade


We hope you’ve enjoyed our review of George FitzGerald’s second album, All That Must Be! What do you think of it and what would you rate it? Please let us know your thoughts in a comment or share your feelings about it via our social media.


Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:

Muzik Speaks Album Reviews


Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks

#MuzikSpeaks: An Interview with Weesp


   

facebook-like   Instagram


Weesp are an electronic/alternative rock band from Minsk, Belarus, that have formed their own unique style. Since 2008, the band have received numerous publications and performed many concerts around the world, including festivals in Belarus, Russia and Poland. They’ve taken time out of their busy schedule to chat to us about their upcoming album, Black Sails, and here’s what they had to say…


Hey Stak, how’s it going?
We all are in great mood and can’t wait to share our news with you!

That’s awesome! What future plans have you got? Any new singles or an album in the pipeline?
We’ve already written a new album named Black Sails. Right now we are finishing the mastering, and pushing out new music videos, to support the release of this album. It is going to [be released] 24th March 2018. We released the first single, ‘Illumination’, and three more are coming!

Where do you take inspirations from when making your music?
It comes from everyday. All the events and people around. We like catching a mood, a condition of mind, a feeling – you know, all that short moments when you feel alive. All our songs are created from feelings, emotions, experiences that guided us. Each song has some kind of history or strong experience under it – this is the main source of musical inspiration. When we just started we also found an inspiration in such bands as Tool, Deftones, Nine Inch Nails and this kind of stuff.

What’s your usual process for writing/recording?
We divide the process of writing and the recording process very much. Often there is a long enough time between composing a track and recording it. Maybe a couple of months, maybe a year! Writing music from track to track always goes differently. Sometimes it starts from a jam, sometimes everyone composes his own part at home, sometimes we all get together and do the musical brainstorm.

As for recording, for the second time we recorded an album at the magnificent studio ‘Hertz’ in Poland. We lived there for a few weeks until all the instruments were recorded.

If you could do a collaboration with anyone, who would it be and why?
On the LP, The Void, we made two tracks featuring Cory Brandon of Norma Jean as guest vocals. We really like these tracks and we are very happy with how they turned out. For the new LP, we decided not to invite guests, although there were very interesting options. And of course, I would really like to get a feature with Jonathan Davis.

That would be cool! So what music have you been listening to most recently?
I use Last.FM Scrobbler, so it will not be difficult to answer this question – I just have to look…so, this is Lil Peep with album Hellboy.

If you had to cover a recent chart song, which song would it be and why?
I’m thinking about ‘Triple Beam’ by Machine Head or ‘Less Than’ by Nine Inch Nails. These songs are pretty new and absolutely amazing. I don’t know about positions in any charts, but I don’t give a shit about charts anyway.

Haha! Fair enough. So what makes a great show for you?
Of course, first of all it is a crowd. The mood of the audience is quickly transferred to the musicians. And to play a show with a good mood is what makes a great show.

Do you have any pre-show or post-show rituals?
Before the show our singer Lex always drinks 4cl of brandy, and everybody does a lot of sport exercises. And after the show – we bow, as in a fucking theatre.

Haha! I love it! Has anything scary ever happened to you on tour?
Returning from the last tour, we’ve got in a car accident and have seriously damaged the rental bus, and all because the car-rental forgot to give us a bus without a working ABS. This was really scary, especially since I have never been in a traffic accident before.

Yeah, that sounds really scary! Do you have any other passions outside of music?
Each of the members of course has other interests besides music. Mi, our Bassist, is fond of super low cars and builds his STANCE project. I like to humiliate enemies in the Call of Duty playing online on my PS4, and Lex is a big fan of drinking =)

What really grinds your gears?
You know, nothing grinds my gears worse than some chowderhead that doesn’t know when to keep his big trap shut… like that movie said!

Haha! What’s the best film you’ve seen lately?
For sure it’s ‘The Greatest Showman’ with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron in the main roles. We’ve even decided to add some musical dances to one of our new videos, inspired with this film!

Wow, that’s pretty cool! I wasn’t expecting that answer either. I’ve still not seen it but heard amazing things about it. If, in say 20 years time, a film was made about your life, who would you want to play you?
I would say – young Jackie Chan, but I’m too fat to pretend…so I’ll choose Sammo Hung!

Ha! If you could be any chocolate bar, which one would you be?
Because me and my brother (he plays bass in our band) are twins, so it’s going to be delicious white chocolate Twix!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Stand your ground whatever is happening! And listen to Weesp!

Haha! Love a shameless plug! Well thanks very much for taking the time to chat to us today.
Thank you.


Weesp‘s releases are all available:


Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other interviews here:

Muzik Speaks Interviews


 

 

#MellowMonday: Greyson Chance – ‘Seasons’


   

facebook-like

Instagram


Greyson Chance first shot to the internet’s attention back in 2010, when his sixth-grade performance of Lady Gaga‘s ‘Paparazzi’ went viral.

Since then, he’s matured into an incredibly talented singer and equally fantastic songwriter.

This latest release, ‘Seasons’, is stunning. He stated the track essentially embodies an embracing of a new path in life; “Rather than holding onto my past, or a lifestyle that I understood, I eagerly jumped headfirst into a completely new and unknown journey.” He continued, “It was also within this moment that I no longer regretted the missteps of my past, but rather appreciated the strength and wisdom I had garnered from them.”

There has been no music video released, as of yet, but we’ll keep you updated on this.

What are your thoughts of this incredibly talented singer-songwriter? Got a #MellowMonday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or hit us up via social media.

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks


‘Seasons’ can be downloaded off iTunes now – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/seasons-single/id1250970116


#EventSpeaks: Leah McFall @ Komedia, Brighton – 16/04/17


   

facebook-like

Instagram


On Sunday 16th April 2017, Leah McFall arrived in Brighton for the penultimate date on her 2017 INK Tour, which was entirely promoted by herself, selling out 4 of the dates, without any promoters backing her; a truly incredible feat. She was also supported throughout the tour, by local artists, including Taylor Barker (singer of band La Plage) and singer-songwriter, Callum Stewart.


Taylor Barker (singer of La Plage)

Taylor Barker took to the stage rather modestly, yet her voice was a sonic powerhouse. Usually part of the band, La Plage, tonight she performed alone with her guitar but she showed off some impressive skills. The sounds she made with the guitar, backed up her vocals beautifully – it certainly didn’t feel like she was performing alone. A thrilling opener for the evening.


Callum Stewart

Next to grace the stage with his keyboard, was Callum Stewart, a Brighton-based, Northern Ireland-born singer songwriter.

Although his performance got off to a bit of a shaky start, with a dodgy pedal, he quickly recovered, putting on a rather impressive display of self-penned songs, alongside a country cover I’d not heard before. His chats with the crowd were, at times, humorous and he’s definitely got a sound I’d like to hear more of. A talented guy who’s definitely going to be one to watch!


Leah McFall

Leah McFall took to the stage with a roar of excitement from the crowd, singing her debut single, ‘Home’ mashed-up with Aaliyah‘s ‘Try Again’ – instantly letting the audience know they were in for a treat with her show.

She then went on to perform a couple of tracks from her recent EP, INK‘Happy Human’ and ‘Bottle It’, having the crowd singing along to every word. She continued by performing some new songs to see what the crowd would make of them, insisting that she wanted to try them out and feel the audience’s reaction.

Her humorous banter with the crowd was fantastic and felt like a truly personal interaction, keeping the crowd laughing. Her cover of Gloria Gaynor‘s ‘I Will Survive’ had people singing along, however her closing song (a unique version of her infamous cover of Minnie Riperton‘s ‘Loving You’ from her days on The Voice) had everyone held in the palm of her hand, waiting for those trademark whistle notes.

The whole show was a treat to behold – such a powerfully effortless voice; it is undeniable, Leah McFall has got serious talent and you must catch her on her next tour.

Highlights (Watch out, there’s many!):

  • Leah’s incredible vocals just captivated the audience, keeping them hanging on every note.
  • Each time she performed a whistle note, the audience burst into rapturous applause, and she did them so perfectly, she made it look almost easy.
  • Her between-song banter was so on point and witty that she had the crowd in hysterics.
  • Her songs were incredible – the band were superb and her voice was impeccable – it’s definitely given people a taste of more original music to come.
  • My favourite song of the night was ‘Weird To Wonderful’ – I need a studio version of that song!
  • Leah’s genuine and, at times, rather emotional appreciation of her fans was endearing; you could tell she meant every word of gratitude for their adoration and support.
  • Her insistence to meet and greet every single fan (who wanted to meet) her after the show, really demonstrated a reciprocal dedication to her loyal fanbase – needless to say, the queue was epic!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


 Setlist

Home/Try Again
Happy Human
Bottle It
Rubber
Fair Trade
Language
Weird To Wonderful
No Ordinary Love
Colours At A Funeral
I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor Cover)*
Wolf Den
Solid Gold
INK*
Loving You (Minnie Riperton Cover)*

* Parts of these songs can be viewed on the YouTube playlist, below.


Finally, I want to say an absolutely HUGE thanks to Leah for putting on such an incredible evening and all without any backing of promoters – it was a true testament to the power of her fanbase.

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks

#Playlist: Cassettemix + Chill

We felt it was time to create the ultimate chillout playlist, combining as many different genres as possible into one, super-relaxing, easy-listening place. This playlist has been lovingly crafted to include a variety of chilled songs we love as well as suggestions from you guys!

If you already own the songs and want the custom artwork, please feel free to copy/download the artwork below:

Cassettemix + Chill

Cassettemix + Chill Playlist

This genre-spanning playlist includes the following chilled-out tracks:

  1. Justin Bieber – I’ll Show You
  2. Chris Malinchak – So Good To Me
  3. DJ Snake – Let Me Love You featuring Justin Bieber (Andrew Watt Acoustic Remix)
  4. Aquilo – Sorry
  5. Years & Years – Eyes Shut
  6. The 1975 – Paris
  7. The Japanese House – Swim Against The Tide
  8. MUNA – So Special
  9. Zara Larsson – Lush Life (Acoustic Version)
  10. The Beach – Geronimo (Acoustic Version)
  11. Years & Years – Without
  12. George Ezra – Budapest
  13. Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry (Original Version)
  14. Simply Red – Holding Back The Years
  15. Timeflies – Stuck With Me
  16. John Mayer – Who You Love featuring Katy Perry
  17. One Direction – Perfect (Matoma Remix)
  18. X Ambassadors – Renegades
  19. Sons Of Maria – You & I
  20. Ella Eyre – We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off
  21. Alex Parks – Out Of Touch
  22. You+Me – Break The Cycle
  23. Freshlyground – I’d Like
  24. George Michael – Jesus To A Child
  25. Chicane – Poppiholla (5am Mix)
  26. Sia – Elastic Heart (Piano Version)
  27. Miley Cyrus – Adore You
  28. TIEKS – Sunshine featuring Dan Harkna (Acoustic Version)
  29. Echosmith – Cool Kids (Acoustic)
  30. Ben Haenow – Second Hand Heart featuring Kelly Clarkson (Acoustic)
  31. Ella Henderson – Missed
  32. Kelly Clarkson – Piece By Piece (Idol Version)

I hope you enjoy this playlist as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it! Please share the link to this post, or the playlist itself and give it a follow on Spotify too – https://open.spotify.com/user/muzik5peaks/playlist/3V0deIVNCsaBTc6haHRFrk

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks

#MellowMonday: Tim Halperin – ‘Forever Starts Today’


Like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks)

   

Instagram


I’ve not been aware of Tim Halperin until now, however this song has been featured recently on Spotify and really captured my attention.

It’s beautifully uplifting in all the right ways with it’s stunning piano melodies and passionately simplistic vocals.

I know that Tim Halperin has had two albums, to date, since his appearance on Season 10 of American Idol but the release of this single could signify a new album to come.

No official video has been released for this track.

What are your thoughts of this track? Have you got another favourite song by Tim Halperin? Please share your thoughts or own #MellowMonday tracks in a comment below or via our social media, using the hashtag.

Hope you all have a great week!

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks


‘Forever Starts Today’ can be downloaded off iTunes now – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/forever-starts-today/id1130713205?i=1130713206


#MellowMonday: Conor Maynard – ‘Stitches’ (Shawn Mendes Cover)


Like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks)

   

Instagram


Conor Maynard has recently been hard at work, recording a whole bunch of covers for a special album released, cleverly titled, Covers.

The YouTube sensation found fame by uploading cover videos to YouTube, and as such, continues to do so.

This version of Shawn Mendes‘ Number 1 hit, is stripped back and ballad-like – it’s a beautiful stance on an incredible track and has given a different feel entirely. This re-imagining, also goes to show just how amazing Conor Maynard‘s voice is…and also, how much we need a new originals album from him!

What are your thoughts on this cover? Do you like Conor Maynard’s voice? How badly do you want to hear a new originals album from him? Please share the link and post your own #MellowMonday choices in a comment below.

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks