The Unsigned Guide Spotlight: August
Blog by Michelle Lloyd under Artist Managers, Creative & Branding, Finance, Law & Music Business, Live, Media, Music Publishing, Music Training & Careers, Record Labels, Recording & Production, Selling & Distributing Your Music
Following on from last month’s Spotlight Award it’s back to normal this month with us bringing you five of our favourite tracks we’ve listened to from the tonnes submitted to us by our members. You know the drill by now, sit back and enjoy the delights! Find out more about how you can submit your track to us for a chance of being featured in the Spotlight blog, plus see the music industry professionals who our Spotlight songs are sent onto each month.
Last Heir – Closure
Having got together earlier this year, London three-piece Last Heir are keen to bring their own blend of punk-tinged garage rock to the forefront. With grungy guitars and tight, instantly infectious song structures, the trio echo the sounds of The Smashing Pumpkins, Yuck and the fiery Japandroids. ‘Closure’ with all its passive aggressive thrashing guitar riffs and fuzzy distortion has just the right amount of pop sensibility in its melody to firmly lodge it right under your skin.
Fruit Tones – Sheriff
Channelling a surfy throwback garage-pop vibe, the rock and roll collective, featuring various members of Manchester based bands (Peace Signs, The Bell Peppers and Cargo Cult) combine a scrappy DIY sound with thunderous 60’s rhythms.Having steadily gathered momentum since October last year, Tom, Dominic and Edward have played alongside Girls Names and Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds over the last few months and now working on new recordings for a 7” due out later this year.
Tommy Eye – Weapon To My Head
It’s not too difficult to realise why this track was a sure fire hit with us! It’s always refreshing to hear something a bit different, something you could easily imagine hearing on mainstream radio straight away and something ultimately catchy. Tommy Eye is an up and coming UK rap artist whose tracks have been receiving airplay on the likes of SBTV, BBC Introducing and Flava TV. Having supported the likes of Devlin, he recently released album ‘The Fall Of Icarus’ fully showcasing his knack for witty lyrics and head-lodging melodies.
The Lottery Winners – Elizabeth
“Born in Salford and raised on romance” is how they describe themselves and with a sound that encompasses the buoyancy of The Beach Boys and partners it with the sorrow of The Smiths, it’s not hard to see why.
‘Elizabeth’ serves as a consummate example of a perfect pop ditty that instantly brings a smile to your face. And with frontman and chief songwriter Thomas having been brought up on the likes of Aztec Camera, Orange Juice, Bowie, Blondie, Tears For Fears and Joy Division, momentous melodies and forlorn lyrics are a given, as are stealthy vocals and jangly guitars.
Freddie Dickson – Red Eyes
‘Doom-pop’ is how some have chosen to describe Freddie’s sound; intense, intimate and melancholic, there’s a definite modern gothic tinge to it. With soul bearing and heart rendering honesty aplenty, ‘Red Eyes’ in all its brooding glory with whispers of strings and intricate guitar had us all feeling a little whimsical.Having just finished supporting MS MR on some of their UK dates and headlining his own show at Notting Hill Arts Club, backed up by the praise lauded on him, Freddie is now concerning himself with working on a follow-up to EP ‘Shut Us Down’.
Read our Spotlight Annual Award blog here (July 2013)
How do I get featured on the Spotlight blog?
Our Spotlight blog is compiled every month from fresh new music submitted to us by our members. We want to hear from you! We select 5 of the best tracks from our members, so if you want to be in the running you’ll need to sign up to The Unsigned Guide then follow the instructions in your Welcome email to submit a track for Spotlight consideration to us. If you’re already a member and still not sure about how to submit your music for Spotlight, just give us a shout via our Contact page & we’ll help you out!
As well as being featured in our new music blog, your track will also be forwarded onto these music industry professionals including folks from Amazing Radio, Big Life Management, Club Fandango, Domino Records, The Fly, Memphis Industries, Rocksound, Skint Publishing, Sony Music, Spotify, Fake DIY, Transgressive Records and The Great Escape. View the full list of who listens to our Spotlight tracks here.
Members of The Unsigned Guide get access to our huge directory of over 8,700 UK music industry contacts. Find out more about the directory and the other services we provide to help emerging bands and artists here.
Tags
the unsigned guide spotlight, unsigned bands, unsigned artists, new music blog, music industry, the lottery winners, fruit tones, tommy eye, freddie dickson, last heir
