FUN.
'Walking The Dog/Be Calm'
If there was ever an award for 'Most Appropriate Band Name' then my vote would most definitely go to fun. (Yes with a wee 'f' and a full stop at the end. Get it right.) It's impossible to listen to their double A-side single Walking The Dog/Be Calm without feeling the urge to break out into a glorious song and dance. (Although I'll warn you now that attempting to hit the high notes during the bridge of ' Be Calm' is near impossible).
In journalistic terms, it's hard to liken their sound to that of any other band because it is their unique flair that makes fun. so appealing. However, what I can tell you is that 'Walking The Dog' is perfect for a group sing-along in your car/kitchen/bedroom, complete with the mock microphone of your choice. 'Be Calm', on the other hand, is an inspirational anthem with a twist; fusing strings, guitars and trumpets together to create fanfare of wonderment, making you feel like you can achieve anything in the process (Just don't try an sing-along whilst you try to complete coursework in the library. Trust me.)
To put it in the simplest of terms - I love fun. With their debut album Aim & Ignite set to drop on May 31st, there is no doubt that fun. are going to being the soundtrack to the summer of 2010.
'Walking The Dog/ Be Calm' will be released on limited edition 7" vinyl on March 29th. For more details and tour dates checkout myspace.com/fun.
--Lucy
WE THE KINGS
'Heaven Can Wait'
Heaven Can Wait is the first single to be taken from Smile Kid, the forthcoming sophomore album from Florida's finest, We The Kings. With a chart topping debut album already under their belts, the pop-punk quartet are back and better than ever with this new offering. Energetic and utterly addictive, Heaven Can Wait has an instant feel good factor with an infectious chorus that has you reaching for the repeat button as the final chords fade from your speakers. With shades of previous fan favourites Skyway Avenue and Check Yes Juliet running through it, this is a track about the wonders of care free, young love which We The Kings deliver with the high-spirited zest that powers their live shows.
Vibrant and enthusiastic, We The Kings are brilliant at what they do and if Heaven Can Wait is anything to go by, Smile Kid is set to be packed with as many fun-filled, pop-punk albums as its predecessor.
YOUNG GUNS
'Winter Kiss'
"The devil you know is better than the ghost you don't,
So I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow..."
Take a quick glance back over the past 12 months or so and it's easy to see why High Wycombe based Young Guns have become one of the most talked about, unsigned bands of recent times. A dedicated touring schedule has seen them appear alongside Lostprophets, Taking Back Sunday and Fightstar, as well as managing to squeeze in appearances at the Download, Sonisphere and Slam Dunk festivals. Consequentially, debut EP Mirrors was snapped up by a dedicated fan base and with over 4,000 copies sold since its release back in June, the band are currently on their fourth pressing. As frontman Gustav Wood explains, the band have chosen to show their thanks in the form of a free song; "we wanted to release the new track as a free download-only single, because we wanted to give something back to those that have given us so much, it's the least we could do after such a great year."
This free track comes in the shape of Winter Kiss, a heavier and slightly more mature departure from the band's previous material. Opening with an atmospheric string arrangement, the song then kicks in with sporadic guitar riffs and a pounding drum beat. A melodic piano peppers the chorus, giving the song a melancholy edge, reflecting in the lyrics. A haunting gang vocal lurks in the background ("I will let you down; to love me is to drown"), driving home the overall feeling of the song - isolation; restlessness.
Ending with a heavy guitar fading into piano keys, 'Winter Kiss' certainly shows a movement in song writing capability from Young Guns and hints at what is still to come from this promising band.
'Winter Kiss' is availabe for free download HERE and you can check out the video below. Young Guns are currently on the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Drink Tour with All Time Low, The Blackout and My Passion. Check out the band's MySpace for dates and ticket info (www.myspace.com/youngguns).