Carry On Rock - Xmas Special 2016

HERE WE GO! HERE IT IS!

 Carry On Rock's Xmas Special (Uncensored), available to listen now!

In a one off special, join Max, Jed and Calum one more time for some Christmas festivities! In this xmas special, the boys look back at 2016 from an alternative point of view and there is a return of some Carry On Rock favourites such as What You Talkin' About Willis? And as the year draws to an end, we also try to get Jed a date so he's not single at xmas! Get involved and tweet us @calknightradio on twitter and search calknightradio on Facebook.

Disclosure: Sound quality poor in places due to us recording from a front room in Rainhill and sharing 2 pics between 3 rather excited and drunk voices!

see link below for full show

https://beta.mixcloud.com/calum-knight/carry-on-rock-xmas-special-2016/

Catfish and the Bottlemen - 'The Ride' Album Review

Catfish and the Bottlemen’s rise from the seemingly never ending pub circuit to arena sell-out tours has not only been remarkable but quite simply unbelievable given the time frame in which they have achieved it. The band has worked tirelessly and shows no signs of slowing down. The fans spoke louder than the critics – something special is brewing with this band. People are excited about them, and intently so. Catfish and the Bottlemen are back with another confident, bullish, straight forward, self-assured record.

Debuting at number one in the UK album charts, ‘The Ride’ is a continuation of the values and success that have gotten the band to where they find themselves. The songs are snappy, slick and unpretentious. A perfect example of this is opening track ‘7’ - a three-minute song with a big chorus written about a girl. This has become the blueprint of Van McCann’s song writing. However, some have criticised him for this and claim that his song writing, both lyrically and musically, doesn’t have the same depth of a David Bowie or an Alex Turner song. This is a ridiculous comparison to make.

It can’t be denied that there are similar themes on this record as on their debut ‘The Balcony’.  The album can be described as ‘The Balcony 2.0’. The narratives are the same but the detail is slightly more intricate. Catfish and the Bottlemen are a self-aware band and don’t pretend that they’re something they’re not – much to their credit. McCann’s song writing is not only relatable but realistic.

Of course Catfish and the Bottlemen are going to be compared to their predecessors – it’s sometimes the only way certain critics can review a band. So comparisons to critic favourites Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and The Libertines are to be expected. It’s not a coincidence that there’s never a negative review of a Gallagher record - and trust me, there have been some bad records.

Catfish and the Bottlemen might not have written a ‘classic’ yet that will end up on a best of British compilation album but put quite simply, that is just not what this band are about. They are crowd pleasers and there is nothing wrong with that.

4/5

“The purpose of the songs is to sell tickets opposed to having a hit. It’s to get people in a room together and have a good time” – Johnny Bond:2016

Blossoms - Debut Album Review Aug '16

Blossoms’ self-titled debut album sounds like a well put together Spotify playlist for a long car journey rather than a debut indie record. As a five-piece, the lads from Stockport have an obvious knack for tunes.

Named after a pub in their hometown, Blossoms have a grounded understanding of what is happening around them with an enthusiasm that is only found in new, young bands. In a recent interview, when asked about supporting the Stone Roses, they couldn’t contain their excitement yet were quick to refer back to where they have come from. The album follows suit. It is a well thought-out, grounded record with good, poppy tunes.

‘Charlemagne’ is as radio friendly as it gets but it carries a melodic line that you find yourself whistling to after just one listen. Even though snyth-based hooks and catchy choruses seem to be the blue print of the album, tracks like ‘Texia’ and ‘Cut Me and I’ll Bleed’ prove that there is more to Blossoms’ musical arsenal. These two songs shift the dynamic of the record to a more New Order style ‘murder on the dancefloor’ aesthetic. Therefore disproving some claims that the Stockport band aren’t daring or edgy enough.

There have been some ridiculous comparisons made between Blossoms’ debut record and other bands of similar ilk. One in particular claims that the inclusion of the piano led ‘Onto Her Bed’ and acoustic track ‘My Favourite Room’ are there to copy the success Catfish and the Bottlemen had with the same kind of tracks on their record. A quick google search disproves this theory as the Stockport band have always included an acoustic, stripped back song on every EP they have released. It would therefore make sense to include this on their debut record.

When asked about their style of music, lead singer Tom Ogden has made it no secret that along with bands like Oasis and Stone Roses, the band grew up listening to artists like Abba. There is nothing wrong with pop music when done in the right way. If anything, Ogden embraces the label of being part of a ‘guitar-pop’ band. It can be as daring and cutting edge as the rest. Just look at Abba - musical legends in their own right.

Blossoms’ debut album went straight to number one, so do you really think they care if some critics claim they’re not edgy or cutting enough to be a credible guitar band? I think not.

3.5/5

‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’ – The Last Shadow Puppets Album Review – April 2016

Can you believe that 8 years has passed since The Last Shadow Puppets (TLSP) released ‘The Age of The Understatement’!? Well you better had…because it has. Not much has changed in that time has it? Alex Turner has swapped Sheffield for LA, youthful naivety for “that rock n’ roll” and released 3 studio albums with Arctic Monkeys, the latest of which propelled them to global success. He’s also managed to fit in a solo project in that time – writing the music for the film ‘Submarine’. Oh, and there was that other guy in TLSP as well wasn’t there? Miles Kane is no longer just the mate of the guy from Arctic Monkeys. Kane has become a credible solo artist in his own right, releasing two solo albums and gaining a sizeable fan base of his own. Over these years, the two friends have made it no secret of their desire to revisit TLSP. A second Puppet album has always felt inevitable given how inseparable the pair are (Turner co-wrote of Miles’ solo material and Miles himself even followed Turner to California).

The two friends have spoken in interviews about how they came about deciding it was the right time to resurrect the side project and have citied the opening track ‘Aviation’ as a song that sounded ‘too Pupperty’ not be used under the umbrella of TLSP. ‘Aviation’ itself is probably the closest they come to sounding like their former selves. However within ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’, there is a new swagger, a new style, and a confidence that is no longer bubbling under the surface but is loud and brash and judging by Kane’s behaviour during a recent Spin interview, this isn’t just confined to the music. This is most evident in leading single ‘Bad Habits’ where the lounge-lizard act seems to be at its most obvious. The single is powerful, direct and aggressive yet there is still room for Owen Pallet’s sweeping, cinematic string arrangements which were characteristic of TLSP’s debut record.

The standout moments of ‘Everything You’ve Come to Expect’ will divide people more than ever. This is because there is a bit of everything on this record and it is a celebration of both Turner and Kane’s best attributes as collective songwriters. In songs like ‘Aviation’ and ‘Bad Habits’ you have the silky, sexy rock and roll that people have become accustomed with through past work with Arctic Monkeys and Kane’s solo records. But there are also softer, sweeter tracks that allow Turner to explore the depths of his vocal and lyrical abilities without the pressure that comes with an Arctic Monkeys record. In songs such as ‘Sweet Dreams, TN’ and the surreal ‘The Dream Synopsis’ there can be many similarities drawn between these and the ‘Submarine’ EP.

In my opinion, Turner and Kane have outdone themselves with this record. They are now far removed from the doe-eyed 22 year olds who made ‘The Age of the Understatement’ but as a partnership they continue to provoke intriguing responses from each other, pushing each other to their limits. Kane has upped his game significantly from his last solo record and away from the pressures of being the main man, Turner is seemingly more comfortable in his own skin and this is reflected in the music.

Contrary to the name, this album isn’t quite what we’ve come to expect from TLSP, but who knows - maybe that is just exactly what they intended.

9/10

Catfish And The Bottlemen - Their Breakthrough Year

So, the dust has now settled on what can be described, quite simply, as a mental summer for Catfish And The Bottlemen. Having played at every festival known to man, it only now seems a good idea to fully evaluate where the band are in terms of their standing within the music industry and just how well their debut album - 'The Balcony' - has been received.

Let's start with the record. What makes a perfect album? I challenge anyone reading this to define the perfect album. Is it a record where every single song is one that you want to sing along to as loudly as you can? Well this is what 'The Balcony' achieves. CATB's sound seems so fully formed that it's difficult to reconcile with the fact that 'The Balcony' is their debut recording. Its eleven tracks are filled with choruses made for stadium sing-alongs, walls of crunching guitar and the kind of lyrics that have the capacity to invoke memories and stories that will resonate with any teenager growing up in modern Britain. Tracks like Kathleen, Cocoon and Fallout demonstrate this perfectly, but quite honestly you could take  any track on the album as an example. 

OK, so 'The Balcony' is quite straightforward musically and hardly groundbreaking, with one music magazine in particular claiming that they are around '9 years too late'...whatever that means. CATB are a band that has mastered the art of writing tunes that connect with an audience, and all this at a time when commercial rock is supposedly at a low ebb. And what's wrong with a three-minute rock and roll song that gets mates on each other's shoulders at festivals, passionately screaming lyrics back at the band?

What's refreshing is actually seeing a young band full of ambition who aren't scared to admit they want to sell out arenas and stadiums but also understand where they are stand at this moment. CATB remind me a lot of a 2005/2006 Arctic Monkeys...and just look at what they went on to achieve. To any critics, I say give Catfish time. They are a hard-working band, still trying to find their feet in an industry that is frankly full of poppy, formulaic shit. CATB also have the ability to change people's opinions. This might be through the contagious nature of their music or the adorable, clumsy, energetic charisma of their front man, Van McCann. In NME's first article on CATB, they were so dismissive of 'The Balcony' that you wondered what the point was of reviewing the album in the first place. Skip forward less than 12 months and the band are on the front cover. 

What does this tell you...?

I'll leave that for you to decide.

The Balcony - 8/10

Noel Gallagher - Chasing Yesterday album review

Noel Gallagher – Chasing Yesterday

4/10

What should we expect from Noel Gallagher? Apparently too much. Put simply ‘Chasing Yesterday’ is a disappointment. There seems to be a changing in the tide and a widening gap between artists and the music press. No longer do the newest British bands feel in the shadow of Oasis and for all his whingeing about the loss of the working class in Rock n’ Roll music, Noel is hardly the man to do anything about it. This is in stark contrast to the music press. Rave reviews of ‘Chasing Yesterday’ from well-established music magazines seem unfounded. Maybe it’s because they haven’t filled their monthly ‘everything NG does is amazing’ quota or because of the seemingly unwavering influence he still possesses over the music press. It almost seems like it physically pains people to criticise the ex-Oasis man. Why are people so scared to criticise his music? Especially when it’s due.

Having read up and listened to interviews with Mr. Gallagher, I already expected to hear a trumpet or saxophone somewhere in the record. But even already knowing this, it did not stop me spitting out my morning coffee. Why? Because it sounds ridiculous. The introduction of jazz instruments is just not needed. A perfect example of this is ‘Riverman’. A song that encapsulates all of NG’s best work: catchy chorus, simple chord progressions and well thought out melodic structures, ‘Riverman’ could have been ten times better. In hindsight, maybe it would’ve been a wise decision for Noel to stop, take a breathe and say “that’ll do” when penning the initial acoustic version. Instead, for some ungodly reason, saxophones are present. Not only does this make the song twice as long as it should be, but it cries out of a songwriter who has tried to do something different in panic rather than creativity. This is a theme that runs throughout the record. For once, it would be nice if I could listen to a Noel Gallagher song that was under four minutes long. Seems like I’ll be waiting a while for that.

This is not to say that ‘Chasing Yesterday’ doesn’t have its moments. Highlights include a collaboration with Johnny Marr on ‘The Ballad Of The Mighty I’ and ‘Lock All The Doors’, which was written way back in 1992. These songs are edgy, brutal, powerful tracks which undoubtedly will have people comparing them to earlier Oasis records. Also, no gaps between each track on the record makes it sound like one rolling take on a tape. This is a nice touch as it allows listeners to peek through the window of a studio session with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, metaphorically of course. However, sometimes the songs are so similar that without directly looking at the song duration, there is little indication of knowing when the album is going to finish. It says a lot that by the latter half of the record, you are literally waiting for it to end.

If you expected anything different from this record then you will be disappointed but if you are happy to hear the same, formulaic, three chord songs that have become a trademark of Gallagher’s then you will love ‘Chasing Yesterday’. It's not that the record is even that bad. It's actually OK, it's just that we’ve heard it before. For all the bravado and outspoken comments about there being a lack of guitar music in the industry anymore (interesting comments when bands like Catfish and the Bottlemen are taking the industry by storm), ‘Chasing Yesterday’ is a huge disappointment. However, there are moments of genius in tracks like ‘In The Heat Of The Moment’, ‘Lock All The Doors’ and ‘The Ballad Of The Mighty I’. If only the rest of the album had been anything like them.      

Kasabian 48:13 Album Review June 2014

5/10




Three years after their last album release, Kasabian are back with the highly anticipated fifth studio album "48:13". However, it is not what Kasabian and general music fans alike will have come to expect from the Leicester-born five piece. Music magazine NME said that "The Leicester lads' latest outing is a confused, tentative and occasionally brilliant bout of boundary-pushing". I just fail to hear it. 

Interviewed back in April 2014, Serge and Tom said that they had purposely "made an album of slightly above-average length" and what followed was album artwork consisting of 13 time codes. By doing this, we as listeners can already tell that there are thirteen songs on the record, three of them very short and therefore probably instrumentals. Is this Kasabian trying to be too clever or is it a clumsily made point that their music speaks for itself? 

So, to the actual music contained within the bright pink and black album sleeve. It starts with one of the three musical interludes - "Shiva". It seems a tad strange to begin the record in this manner but these instrumentals end up being significant in the formation and flow of "48:13". "Shiva" is filled with psychedelic, kaleidoscopic noises that inevitably crescendo into the first 'proper' track of the album, "Bumblebee". This is a song that is typical of what we have come to expect of Kasabian. It's a toe- tapper if ever there was one. Together with the two chord buzz-rock rhythm section and lyrical hooks such as "when we're together, I'm in ecstasy", so perfectly delivered by Tom Meighten, it couldn't be a better start to the album. The level is maintained with the following track "Stevie".

However, this is where the potential to become one of the best albums released in 2014 disappears. The remaining two interludes act as bookends to the next part of the album. The powerful, edgy yet familiar start is quickly overtaken by an experimental middle section. Songs that last around the three minute mark and have that feel-good, festival sound associated with the Leicester band are replaced with morbid, 6+ minute drivel (for want of a better word). It has to be acknowledged that when bands push themselves out of their comfort zone it can sometimes lead to a great album. Yet I feel like this is not the case with "48:13". The experimental middle section is lost and seems to go on forever. "Glass" epitomises this part of the album. It's half-arsed, limp and features a lacklustre rap from 23 year old street poet Suli Breaks. The skip button has never been so appealing.  

There are positives though. The album is almost saved by the first single from the album "Eez-eh", a catchy track that embraces all that's good about Kasabian; arrogance, power, humour, and the ability to write a catchy tune. It's easily the best song on album. 

Maybe Serge Pizzorno (who writes most of the music) is riding the successful wave that is Kasabian, relying on music magazine arse-lickers like NME to continue to overrate anything they release. They could produce an album of total silence for 48 minutes and NME would still describe it as genius with 'bouts of brilliance'. Despite some positive moments on "48:13", the overall feeling is that they have tried too much and got lost along the way. Kasabian have talked the talk, but the walk has turned into a leisurely stroll.