Review: The Broadcasts // The Broadcasts

If you've spent enough time going to gigs in Cardiff you'll have inevitably stumbled across The Broadcasts. In only the last few months they've supported the likes of October Drift, The People The Poet and more, and if you were lucky enough to catch them, you'll know their first album could be a force to be reckoned with.

Their self-titled debut opens with the energetic and catchy blues rock of Down The Line and The Future. Both songs get the blood pumping before the album takes a breather on Western Lands; the first 3 songs on the album demonstrating The Broadcasts ability to write songs at any pace not only with a common sound but with an infectious one too. The simple but interesting style to their music will have you singing along by the second or third listen.

The fourth song on the LP - 'This Is Life' - is the lead single of the album and it carries a more country feel and demonstrates further the bands ability to write an infectious and yet a musically sound song. With the kind of chorus' that you would happily shout along to throughout the album, almost any song could have taken the lead single slot.

However The Broadcasts are not a one dimensional band and are not just about those sing a long catchy tunes. In 'The Road Goes On', 'What It Meant To Me' and the closing song 'What We've Become', the band shows a more delicate and polished touch to their music. 'What We've Become', in particular, shows a more sombre sound to the band - a sound you here in glimpses throughout the rest of the album - and is really developed in the closing song. It's by no means a stretch to call the closing to the album an epic, with delicate piano parts building into an anthemic chorus it brings the bands sounds together and ties up the album brilliantly.

An exciting and well-rounded debut from the Cardiff band; catchy, thoughtful and epic all at once. (8.5/10)

- Luke

You can catch The Broadcasts at their album release show at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff on 17th June

Mental Health Awareness Week // Stereo Brain

For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week, go HERE

From the 16th to the 22nd of May 2016 it's Mental Health Awareness week and It's something I want to talk about. I know this is primarily a music blog but in my experience the two things go hand in hand.

Many of you who read this blog will be unaware of the origins of 'Stereo Brain'. The name, in fact, comes from the idea that there is a link between mental health and music and for me that's true. In my darkest moments and toughest days I've always turned to music for comfort and that's where 'Stereo Brain' began. 

Escaping from the world and losing myself in an album, a gig or even writing a piece became a primary way of coping with the things inside my head about 3/4 years ago and to this day partly fuels my passion for music. There's something about being able to switch yourself off and lose yourself in music that appeals to me and many other people that suffer from mental health issues which makes it an important topic to discuss.

Many people who suffer from mental illnesses turn to music as not only an escape but an outlet for their feelings. Brendan Lukens from Modern Baseball, for example, suffers from bipolar disorder and it's something which he covers in his songwriting in their new album. Frank Turner, also, is known for discussing coping with self harm and depression in his work and these are not isolated examples.

I'll talk more about this later this week in a series of articles we're writing to raise awareness of mental health and it's connections with music. In the meanwhile I want to talk about '#PickCardiffUp'.

This was an idea we launched last week in which people send us their 'pick me up' playlist/song/albums to spread the word about mental health and hopefully but a smile on people's faces at the same time. If you wish to contribute tweet us (@stereo_brain) with a link to your song or playlist and we'll add it to the playlist! So far we've had contributions from Team Up Cardiff, The Young Promoters Network and Cardiff based bands; The Broadcasts, Chroma and The Fused - check out the full playlist below.

Mental Health Awareness Week Site - HERE

October Drift // Undertone, Cardiff // 07.04.16

There's always something special about experiencing an exciting young band in a tiny sweaty basement. That's exactly what fans of October Drift were treated to on a cold Thursday night in Cardiff.

The Fused @ Undertone

First up where local indie-rockers The Fused; a Cardiff band with a lot of energy and an exciting sound. Within seconds a mosh pit broke out in the venue, the ceiling only centimetres from the bouncing fans heads. The band say they're influenced by the likes of Catfish & The Bottlemen and The Libertines and you can certainly hear that indie style come through there music, however the band had moments of delving into a rockier style which kept the crowd bouncing. The Fused have a very current sound and with the energy they portrayed in their performance could move on to bigger things.

The Broadcasts @ Undertone

The Broadcasts came to the stage a man down with their guitarist at home recovering from an illness. Nonetheless the band still gave an exciting performances. They fed off the energy created by The Fused, reducing the fans into a sweaty mess. The alt rock/acoustic band from south Wales have an album out soon which will be a great listen if their live performance is anything to go by.

October Drift @Undertone

With the crowd buzzing and excitement brewing October Drift took the stage. Due to the bands recent social media storm through issues with Facebook's swear filter while trying to promote a gig in Scunthorpe and an ever increasing hype around the band, the show was nearly packed to capacity. The band bounced of the energy created by the two supports with crowd surfers and mosh pits a common place throughout the set. The band not only musically were fantastic but also interacted with the crowd incredibly; climbing amps, bouncing with the crowd and at one point getting the whole room to crouch down in a circle during the opening part of 'Lost'.

October Drift @ Undertone

These sort of displays from the Somerset band won't go unnoticed and will propel them to bigger and better things in the near future.

-Luke