Stereo Brain // 2016 Awards Intro...

So in the wake of it slowly coming to the end of the year I'm going to announce the categories for the 2016 Stereo Brain awards.

GENERAL AWARDS
Album Of The Year: Goes to the stand out album of the year

Debut Album Of The Year: Goes to the most impressive debut album of the year
EP Of The Year: Goes to the best EP released this year
Disappointment Of The Year: Highlights the most disapointing album/song/moment by an established artist
Tuuuuune Of The Year: (Yes 5 u's!) The banger of the year! The song that's thee biggest ear worm

LOCAL AWARDS
Local Band Of The Year: The band local to the Cardiff area who has made the most progress and been the most impressive over the last year
Cardiff Festival Of The Year: The festival in Cardiff with the best combination of line up, local artist support and general feel.
Cardiff Venue Of The Year: The Cardiff based music venue with which has had the best shows, nicest atmosphere and been the most progressive in the Cardiff music community
Cardiff Promoter Of The Year: The Cardiff promoter that has both pulled the most impressive acts to the city as well as at the same time supporting local music

If you know of any acts/artists/venues/songs/albums that should be up for these awards that you think I may have missed, let me know! Contact me on fb: @stereobraindj, twitter: @stereo_brain

Preview: HOYfest // The Gates Art Centre, Cardiff // 18-19.11.16

Putting on a festival is hard. It's difficult enough running an established festival with a large group of people behind it let alone starting one in the middle of November and running it completely by yourself. HOYfest is such a festival and 2016 is it's first year.

Full Hoyfest lineup

Having already announced The Milk as the festivals Friday night headliner along with The Bulletproof Bomb, Judas and a load of excellent local bands they've finally released the full line up and most importantly the other headliner for the festival.

VANT will be taking that slot, adding the date to their upcoming UK tour in support of their lates EP 'Karma Seeker' and recent single 'Peace & Love'. With an album allegedly on the way next year, they're one of the UK's most exciting up & coming acts.

With The Milk, No Hot Ashes and Bandicoot confirmed already for the Friday night a further 3 acts have been added. The extremely young but promising Parish open up the festival while exciting South Wales bands Monico Blonde and The Moon Birds have also been added to the night.

Added, along with VANT, to the Saturday line up are Cardiff alternative bands The Boradcasts, Nuclear Lullaby and Wetpainttt. The young and exciting The Fused join the festival off the back of their first headline show and a single release. Mirror Gorillas, Trash and Rinse are the final acts added to the lineup.

Tickets are available from the Gates Art Centre site HERE

Stereo Brain // Swn

Swn festival is something relatively new to me. Having only been in Cardiff a a few months it slipped me by last year. This year however I'm not missing it for the world.

I experienced the wonderful Dim Swn in April and volunteered for the day. I ended up working in Undertone where I met the great people at the Young Promoters Network. It was there that I found at how much of a community event Swn is. So many inner city music venues neglect the opinions of small local promoters, projects and venues, whereas here at Swn it was actively run by them.

Not only that it is by far and away one of the friendliest and welcoming festivals I've ever experienced. If you're passionate about music and bump into the right people you could spend all day talking to all the music fanatics floating around rather than actually seeing any bands! It was then through that talking I spoke to the folks running the YPN stage and hence became part of their great organisation.

Just over 6 months down the line its one hour until doors open on Swn Rise - the festival opening show at Tramshed - and I couldn't be more excited. I have so many bands I want to see and not only that, on Sunday I will be helping run the stage at Undertone again. Not as a volunteer but as a member of the team.

Cardiff has a wonderful music community and I urge everyone to jump at the chance to join in with it.

One day I hope there will be a Stereo Brain at this festival. Dim Swn represented a big turning point in my dream to put on shows and get involved in the music community and I want nothing more than to put everything I can back into it.

Preview: Top Gigs in Cardiff // July-December

Earlier this year we looked at 10 live music events to check in Cardiff and they've now all occured so here's some more which we will definitely be catching and hence you should too!


Throwfest 2016 // Clwb Ifor Bach & Fuel // 21.08.16

Cardiff's prime metal festival Throwfest takes place in August this year. Taking place across Fuel Rock Club and Clwb Ifor Bach and boasting an excellent line-up featuring established acts I Killed The Prom Queen and Hacktivist as well as a rich vein of local and national talent, this is one festival you don't want to miss.






Black Peaks & Heck // Clwb Ifor Bach // 15.09.16


Black Peaks and Heck (Formerly Baby Godzilla) have got to be two of the best up & coming bands in the UK scene. Having both released brilliant debut albums in 2016 a joint headline tour has our, and many people around the country's, mouth watering.







Pretty Vicious // The Globe // 17.09.16


Another young band making waves are Pretty Vicious; the teenagers from Merthyr recently released the accomplished 'Cave Song EP' and this tour is set to be their biggest & most raucous yet.






Moose Blood // Y Plas // 06.10.16

With their second album 'Blush' on the way, Moose Blood head on a UK wide tour boasting a growing fan base. The band will be looking to impress with their new material as well as songs from their acclaimed debut.








Swn Festival // Cardiff // 21 - 23.10.16

Going into it's 10th year, Swn is bigger and better than ever. With the brilliant Spring King & Lonely The Brave already announced amongst an array of excellent local and national artists this weekend is a highlight for any music fan in Cardiff.




Jack Garratt // Great Hall // 19.11.16

Jack Garratt's rise as been an impressive one, having won the acclaimed BBC's Sound Of 2016 award and released a stunning debut already this year, the one man band sets of to tour the UK this autumn. With an impressive performance at Glastonbury to back up the hype, this gig will be one not to miss for fans of something a little different.

Preview: 2000Trees Festival, Cheltenham // 7th-9th July

In 4 weeks time I'm going to be heading to 2000Trees festival for the first time. It's a much talked about festival and one highly respected as a place to find some of the top up & coming talent. Based in Cheltenham the festival is in it's 10th year and previously had the likes of Frank Turner, Guillemots, Frightened Rabbit & Deaf Havana headline. This year Scottish indie band Twin Atlantic and punk legends Refused headline and it's a year not to be missed.

We're going to do this preview a little differently (as I'm going to the festival) and I'm going to share with you the bands I'll be seeing each day.

Thursday:

• Max Raptor // The Cave
• Oxygen Theif // Axiom
• Milk Teeth // The Cave
• Black Peaks // The Cave
• We Were Promised Jetpacks // The Cave
• Beans On Toast // Axiom
• *Special Guest* // Axiom

Max Raptor are the first band on over the weekend and they are definitely one of my favourites. Having released their 3rd album this year (Stereo Brain rating: 7.5/10) and with a slowly growing fan base they'll bring some of Britains best punk to the festival. Milk Teeth, aswell, will be bringing some of the UK's best early on in the festival. Compared to the likes of Nirvana and early Weezer their debut album Vile Child brought a modern take on 90's grunge to the excellent list of music released this year.

Black Peaks are another band ruffling feathers this year, their debut album Statues received amazing reviews from critics far and wide (Stereo Brain rating: 8.5/10) and was featured heavily on iTunes. Tipped for big things they will be one to watch at this years festival.

Possibly my favourite Scottish band from the line-up We Were Promised Jetpacks also grace The Cave stage this year. Their brilliant blend of indie rock will certainly something to look forward to with the added bonus of possibly hearing some new material with a 4th album supposedly on the way.

Most interestingly, however, for the Thursday is the 'Special Guest' headlining the Axiom stage which will be taken over by Xtra Mile Recordings for the day - a label most famously known through their success with Frank Turner.....

Friday:

• Vant // Main Stage
• Press To Meco // Axiom
• The Smith Street Band // Main Stage
• Moose Blood (Acoustic) // Forest Stage
• Kagoule // Axiom
• Will Varley // The Croft
• Neck Deep // Main Stage
• Basement // The Cave
• Twin Atlantic // Main Stage

Opening the main stage on Friday are the brilliant Vant who will bring their brilliant brand of fast paced indie-punk and possibly be one of the best smaller bands of the weekend. Also taking to the main stage on Friday are Australian pop punky band The Smith Street Band who having released 3 albums have a slowly growing fan base in the UK.

Press To Meco and Kagoule will be punking-up the Axiom stage, both bands have a cult following and Kagoule's debut album 'Urth' even breached the UK vinyl top ten last year!

Will Varley is another addition to the lineup from Xtra Mile Recordings, his funny and often initmate live shows should translate brilliantly to a festival of this size and will be one you don't want to miss.

Closing off the day on the main stage are generic pop punkers Neck Deep and scottish indie-rockers Twin Atlantic. Don't be fooled by Neck Deep's teenage following their show will be raucous and full of mayhem. Twin Atlantic, headlining the festival for the first time, will put on one hell of a show and have the whole festival up & off their feet. With a new album on the way too there may be a chance for fans to get a glimpse of the new material.

Saturday:

• Itch (of King Blues) // Forest Stage
• Creeper // Main Stage
• Black Foxxes // The Axiom
• Arcane Roots // Main Stage
• The King Blues // Main Stage
• Tigercub // The Croft
• Black Honey // The Croft
• Refused // Main Stage

Refused, the fathers of modern punk, will close off the festival on the Saturday with a raucous and messy show. However there are many acts to catch before them on that day.

The King Blues recently returned from what was thought to be a final split to release a new EP 'Off With Their Heads', we saw them support Enter Shikari in Cardiff and will definitely be high up our list to see on a packed Saturday.

Despite being headlined by one of the oldest bands at the Festival, Saturday is about the youth. Excellent young bands like Tigercub, Black Honey, Creeper and Black Foxxes all take the stage. Black Foxxes long awaited debut is out soon and both Black Honey and Creeper are hotly tipped to make waves wherever they go. DO NOT MISS THEM!

Sunday:

There isn't any music on the Sunday. This is pack up, leave and nurse your hangover day.

2000Trees is one of the best festivals out there for new and upcoming acts and we can not wait to hit it up!

If it tickles your fancy, tickets are available HERE

Preview: HOYfest // The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff // 18 - 19.11.16

Cardiff festival HOYfest is taking place in November this year and even with only 11 bands announced at this early stage HOYfest 2016 is looking like must for any Cardiff-based music fans this November.

Cwmbran based A/M/B/E/R and Cardiff based Himalayas bring the local youth to the lower end of the line up with Himalayas recently gracing top local venue Clwb Ifor Bach as part of the line up for Xpresstival. Bringing cracking bass-lines and stunning indie rock to the ground floor of the venue, there's no doubt they'll tear apart the stage at HOYfest too.

Cardiff band Tibet headlined Xpresstival on the same day and are also appearing at HOYfest and with a EP ready to launch and upcoming dates which include supporting Kaiser Chiefs, they're a band ready to just take off.

More welsh talent comes in the forms of Bandicoot and Rainbow Maniac, both bringing their own very different sounds to the stage. Bandicoot's distinctive vocals add substance to a well travelled indie sound and could be compared to Swindon based Nudybronque. Swansea band Rainbow Maniac bring some thumping blues rock to the festival, with funky riffs and dancy tunes, they'll have the whole festival off their feet.

The Cradles bring a melancholy indie rock that echoes of bands such as The Big Moon; certainly a style which is popular in the current musical climate. The band have a highly anticipated single out later this year and it'll definitely be one to catch on the stage of HOYfest.

Judas from London bring chilled-out indie to the stage and are definitely for fans of bands like Coasts and Catfish & The Bottlemen. Along the same lines we have Cupid who released catchy single 'Kickin' In' in March and will be another act not to miss in November.

The Bulletproof Bomb are a Sutton based band that reek of indie bands old and new combining a mish mash of sounds. Imagine somewhere between The Clash and The Courteeners and you'll arrive at The Bulletproof Bomb. With such a big sound, they deserve a place high up the line up and will grace the main stage at HOYfest just below the headliners.

Friday Headliners - The Milk

The Milk are the Friday headliners for HOYfest and it's a seriously good capture. Their second album 'Favourite Worry' was released in 2015 to high critical acclaim including being runner up in Stereo Brain's Album of 2015 award as well as being chosen as one of BBC Radio 6 Music's albums of the year.

Their funky, soulful style incorporates catchy hooks and pop beats as well as excellent song writing and indie elements. While being excellent on record, The Milk also have a formidable live reputation which means they are a must see in November.

Small Bands at Big Festivals // Download 2016

Main Stage
Alien Ant Farm
Beartooth
The Temperance Movement

Encore Stage
The Ammity Afliction
TesseracT
Bury Tomorrow

The Temperance Movement @ Y Plas, Cardiff

3rd Stage
Black Peaks
Turbowolf
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Attila

Black Peaks are playing the 3rd Stage at Download

4th Stage
Palisades
Milk Teeth
Slaves (US)
Dead!

More Small Bands At Big Festivals HERE

Small Bands At Big Festivals // Reading 2016

Main Stage
Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Sundara Karma
Slaves (UK)
State Champs

Frank Turner @ The Railway Inn, Winchester

Radio 1/NME Stage
Hinds
Sunset Sons
Blossoms
Black Foxxes
Spring King
Rat Boy
Tonight Alive

The Pit/ Lock Up Stage
Creeper
Hacktivist
Dead!
Milk Teeth
ROAM
Modern Baseball
The King Blues

The King Blues @ The Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Festival Republic Stage
The Sherlocks
VANT
The Hunna
Tibet

VANT @ Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

More Small Bands At Big Festivals HERE

2016 Festivals Not Miss That Cost a Bit Less

Everyone like a good festival, nothing better than a weekend filled with mud, drink and good music. These are the ones that, if you can, you should go to!

Hevy Fest (Derbyshire)

With a stellar line up of metal and alternative bands and Enter Shikari confirmed as Saturday headliners as well as the likes of Refused, La Dispute, Hacktivist, Arcane Roots and Max Raptor All of which are stereo brain favourites) it's definitely one not to miss and an absolute snip for under £100!

2000Trees Festival (Cheltenham)

Another cheap festival where you'll get more than your money's worth. Twin Atlantic and Refused are joined by more Stereo Brain favourites in the form of The Smith Street Band, Kagoule, Max Raptor and Jim Lockey. It promises to be an incredible weekend.

Blissfields (Winchester)

This small festival in a tiny field in Winchester have nailed themselves an awesome line up this year. Headliners Dizzee Rascal and Everything Everything will be joined by some of our favourite bands! To name a few: Spring King, Dub Pistols, Sundara Karma, Beans On Toast, Will Varley and one of our favourite bands of 2015 MOK are all fantastic!

Victorious Festival (Portsmouth)

Not much announced for this one yet but the line-up already looks great with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Manic Street Preachers, The Levellers, Jack Savoretti and Echo & The Bunnymen all taking to the stages by the sea.

Y Not Festival (Derbyshire)

Another festival with Noel Gallagher taking a headline spot, accompanied by fantastic bands like Catfish & The Bottlemen, Everything Everything and Circa Waves as well as up and coming Uk talent int the form of Rat Boy, Pretty Viscious and New Desert Blues, this another festival which is an absolute steal for the price

Frightened Rabbit Album Announcement - Painting Of A Panic Attack

It's been a long long wait for fans of Scottish band Frightened Rabbit. Their last album being released in February of 2013. 3 year wait only eased slightly by lead singer Scott Hutchison solo project Owl John in 2014. However this album promises to be a great addition to an already fantastic collection of music.

'Painting Of A Panic Attack' will be arriving on 8th April this year and it's about time. Produced by The National's Aaron Dessner the album was promised by the band to be "sparser" and "less guitar driven" and the new song does not disappoint. In addition to th interesting producer choice, with this being the first album since Scott moved to America, it will be interesting to see the lyrical development in his and Frightened Rabbit's story.

Traditionally a new album from the definitive melancholy Scottish indie band means a new window into the life of Scott. A big contributor to how the band amassed it's fan base is how the songs mean something, they're not mindless drivel. They are something to sit and mull late at night with the lights turned down, and the new song is no different. 

Painting Of A Panic Attack is due to be released on April 8th

Named 'Death Dream' the song is as sombre as the title, organ led and haunting, it sounds like a faint echo, a whisper on the wind. Even for those who favour classic Frightened Rabbit from their early albums will not be disappointed - retaining the sullen lyrics and melancholy vibes. From the first song, this album sounds like it would be a brilliant furthering to the Frightened Rabbit discography while developing their sound yet further.  If the rest of the album follows in this irk, many many fans will be happy.