The Good Water - Mansaid

It was the opening rhyming couplet that really drew us in to "Mansaid", the latest single from Birmingham duo The Good Water. After hearing it for the first time, "Now is the time to be intelligent, that's what the man said to his elephant", we found ourselves chuckling internally at its unexpectedness. It's a great blues-rock song, underpinned by a simple yet effective guitar riff, wryfully humorous lyrics, and the occasional slip into psychedelic moments.

"Mansaid" is out now.

Superfood - Double Dutch

Now here's an unexpected delight from a group that we weren't sure we'd hear from again.

We were first taken in by Birmingham band Superfood back in 2013 when we were taken in by their self-titled single, and having had the chance to catch them live, and having seen the band sign to the respected Infectious Records, we were hopeful that they would be the band that would help lead the Britpop revival. Alas, their debut album "Don't Say That" came and went without much of a fuss in 2014, and having not heard much from them in that time, we'd assumed that the band had fizzled out.

Well, imagine our surprise to learn that not only are Superfood very much a going concern, but there have been many developments, some of which of an exciting nature, within the group. First, the band has paired back to a core duo of Dom Ganderson & Ryan Malcolm. Secondly, the band have signed a record deal with Dirty Hit, the label who have enjoyed success in recent years with The 1975 & Wolf Alice among others.

And lastly, the band have released their first single in three years with "Double Dutch", a song that marks a radical departure for the band. As the song is built around a jump-rope vocal chant sample, you might immediately be prone to comparisons with The Go! Team. However, the group instead use it as the basis for a groove-laden, Balearic-ish tune that may be more suited to a Ministy of Sound Chill-Out compilation album than a Shine one, although the use of guitar still harks back to the Superfood of yore.

Pulling off a re-invention isn't the easiest trick to pull off, but on the strength of "Double Dutch", Superfood appears to have just done it. Whether they can draw in new fans whilst still pleasing their existing ones though will be the big task for them in the next few months.

"Double Dutch" is out now.

Juice - Acid Kids

 

We last wrote about Birmingham based trio Juice a year and a half ago when we featured their debut single "Sugar". Having heard very little from them since, we were worried that they might have fizzled out in spite of the largely warm reception that song received from the blogosphere. 

Thankfully those fears were unfounded, as 18 months and a line-up change later, the band have released their long-awaited follow-up single, "Acid Kids". Whilst the single is less indebted to the sound of pre-Britpop indie-rock than "Sugar", it will still tickle the fancy of those who like their Rides and their Mock Turtleses, with its catchy riffs and fuzzy guitars.

It's great to hear that Juice are still a going concern, but please, don't leave it another 18 months to your next single, okay?

Superfood - Right On Satellite

Having been out on tour this year with Wolf Alice and We Are Scientists, and having released new music in the form of the "MAM" E.P, Britpop revivalists Superfood have announced the release of a new single to coincide with a string of live summer dates. "Right On Satellite" has been mixed by Steve Osborne (who is much appreciated around these circles for producing Suede's rather unappreciated "Head Music" album), and continues the band's love of 90s guitar pop whilst updating it for the modern audience. It's already been streaming oodles of times since it went live 2 weeks ago, and if it continues at its current pace, it could help the band win over a new legion of admirers.

"Right on Satellite" will be released on July 28th.

Juice - Sugar

Ah Birmingham, aka "B-Town" (still a horrendous name), the indie-rock gift that just keeps on giving. Just when you thought they had nothing left to give after giving us Swim Deep, Peace, Superfood, Dumb & Babypink in the past year, along comes trio Juice, a band who came to our attention early today thanks to the wonderful music blog Don't Need No Melody.

They have just released their debut single "Sugar", and although it might not necessarily be sweet, it is still a brilliant song to be savoured. Sounding like the best bits of the pre-Britpop 90s (Ride in particular may be a suitable reference point), "Sugar" is an incredibly powerful first effort from the band, and should remind the world that despite a few decent names from Birmingham making a mark recently, there's still a lot more where that came from.

Superfood - TV

Has this blog mentioned our love of Birmingham's Superfood, that we love their Britpop sound, and that we really hope that they are the band that finally pushes Nu-Britpop well into the mainstream? Actually, yes we have. On many occasions. So why stop now?

The band have recently released the music video for their new single "TV", which will feature on their upcoming E.P "MAM". As you might expect from their sound, the video has a real 90s feel to it, from the Teletext references, through to the videotape quality of the filming, through to the Supergrass-esque amount of fun that seems to have gone into making the video.

The "MAM" E.P will be released on March 3rd on 10" vinyl.

Babypink - Petrichor

If you're anything like me (or possibly, much more likely, even if you're absolutely nothing like me), then there has been a massive gap in our hearts ever since the glorious Tribes called time on their career at the end of last year. Since that day, the immortal question that has passed through heads has been thus - "Whosoever could take their place to be the new rulers of Britpop revival?"

At the moment, it looks as if that mantle will be taken on by Superfood, who are already starting to make steps towards ubiquity. But another challenger came to our attention at the weekend thanks to a post from one of our favourite music blogs, Breaking More Waves, and perhaps unsurprisingly, they hail from the city which is seen as the Mecca of the guitar revivalists, Birmingham. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Babypink.

Of the two demos currently gracing their Soundcloud page, it is "Petrichor" which is getting people excited. And it's not hard to hear why. As noted elsewhere, it has a little bit of Pixies to it (more specifically, "Wave Of Mutilation"), whilst also sharing a similar sound to our dear departed Tribes, as well as fellow Brummies Swim Deep. And whilst it might be slightly trite to say so, the song's central guitar riff is just dying to be roared out by thousands of screaming revelers at festivals across the land.

The hole left in our heart might be wide, but it looks like Babypink have the right tools at their disposal to repair it.

The Metaphorical Boat's Tips For 2014 - The Rest of the World

After looking at our tips for 2014 from our own stomping group, The Metaphorical Boat will now be looking a little bit further afield to look at our five tips from elsewhere in the world.

Given that there is basically an infinite amount of bands to choose from, rounding it down to five was always going to be a challenge, but five is the number of counting, and the number of counting shall be five, so commiserations to some of the artists who are sure to make great music in 2014, like The Dancers, Dumb, Hentai Babies & Prides, who just fall short of making our list. Our five consist of three English artists, one American band and a French trio, and are artists who either will be big in 2014, will be big in 2014 if the stars align, or are unlikely to be big, but will sure as heck make some enjoyable music regardless.

And we commence with:

6. Amber Run

Nottingham-born group Amber Run (previously just Amber) burst into our consciousness back in June with the release of "Noah", a track that mixed nu-folk with stadium rock and quasi-Biblical references. The followed it up this month with "Heaven", a song which saw them delve even deeper into stadium rock territory, albeit in a much more free form manner.

Now signed to the same label David Bowie, the band have been touring up and down the country to great enthusiasm, and have picked up quite a bit of support on late night Radio 1, so expect Amber Run to run into many people's good books in 2014.

7. Fryars

Call it dream pop, call it nu-gaze, call it psychedelic, call it what you like, as long as you call the musical output of Benjamin Garrett, aka Fryars, wonderful. When he's not busy composing soundtracks for Danny Dyer movies, he's creating sumptuous, cinematic soundscapes with a real heart of pop. He has gained support from artists like Kanye West and Depeche Mode, and has made the Radio 1 Playlist with his most recent single, "The Power".

With hundreds of thousands of people already following him on Soundcloud, world domination in 2014 seems like a foregone conclusion for Fryars. And if it leads to thousands of teenagers discovering Mercury Rev as a result of their shared musical DNA, then all the better. 

8. Step Rockets

For rock music to survive, it must evolve beyond its roots. That appears to be the mantra that Minneapolis band Step Rockets have adhered to. Like their contemporaries Imagine Dragons and AWOLNATION, they have a sound that is recognizably rock, yet this sound is then augmented with layers of keyboards and synthetic drums to create a sound that is more accessible to the masses. This formula payed off earlier this year when their fantastic single "Kisser" topped the Hype Machine with little-to-no PR and just a tiny amount of blog love (including from yours truly).

When this blog wrote about Step Rockets back in August, we said they had every chance of being everyone's new favourite band in 2014. Step forward a few months and we truly stand by that prediction. Look out for their next single "Sleep Position", which is due to drop early next year.

9. Superfood

In the past few years, this blog has seen many bands come and go who have promised to bring back the glory of the Britpop era, yet have failed to step up to the mark and break through to the mainstream. Viva Brother were treated as a running joke in the music press before splitting in 2011, whilst Tribes split earlier this year without making the breakthrough they deserved, despite releasing one great album, a decent album and a host of fantastic singles.

So with that in mind, can Birmingham band Superfood break through with a sound that hasn't had mass success since the late 90s? The early signs are good for the band - they've toured with Peace, have been seen as the leading lights of the B-Town scene (a name which this blog acknowledges through gritted teeth), and have recently inked a record deal with Infectious, the former home of Ash and current home of Alt-J. And of course, they've got some great songs under their belt. Upcoming singles "Melting" and "Bubbles", plus their debut self-titled single show a band with a knack for revisiting some of the better moments of Britpop, despite being barely out of nappies when the movement was in full swing in the mid 90s. 

10. We Were Evergreen

Concluding our tips for 2014 is We Were Evergreen, a French trio who are now based in London. They approach music with a childlike innocence, deftly combining folk melodies, unconventional rhythms and instruments, electronic beats and samples and wonderful harmonies to create something that is utterly unique, utterly accessible, and utterly brilliant. They've showed off their knack for creating earworms galore on tracks such as "Baby Blue" and "Leeway", a song which is made of nothing but hooks, hooks, and even more hooks.

They've notched up support slots with everyone from Ed Sheeran to Little Dragon, and with a fan-funded debut album due to be released next year, 2014 is going to be a lot more fun thanks to We Were Evergreen.

Caught Live: Superfood/Wonder Villains

Venue: Voodoo Bar, Belfast

Date: 5th October 2013

To say that the turnout to see well-regarded Birmingham band Superfood in Voodoo this evening is disappointing would be something of an understatement. Excluding the support band, sound technicians and bar staff, there couldn't have been any more than nine people in attendance, oneself included. This is a great pity, as both bands playing are rather decent indeed.

Firstly, Wonder Villains. Having seen them many times over the past few years in many different venues, the group are as tight musically and stage-wise as they have ever been, performing their trademark brand of excitement-pop. All the songs that they have honed over the years as present and correct, from latest single "33", the Heroes referencing "Oh Peter", the Len influenced "Blonde", through to the Pokémon quoting "Ferrari". There is something new this evening however, with Cheylene switching from keyboards to her newly acquired keytar for the last few songs. It's a great performance from the Wonder Villains. Why they still haven't become uber massive yet remains a mystery.

Having supported Peace in Belfast over the summer, it is now time for Superfood to take to the stage for their first headline gig in the city. Despite the low turnout, the 4-piece put on a great performance with their set of Britpop revivalist tunes. The highlights of the set were latest single "Bubbles", whose Blur-aping energy was amped up to the nth degree at Voodoo, and their closing tune, the self-titled "Superfood", an infectious, slightly psychedelic single with an irresistible vocal hook. It was a great 1st headlining set for the group. It's just a pity there weren't more people to witness it.

So why was there so few people there? Here are a few possible reasons:

1. The gig's location
Since the closure of Auntie Annies a few months ago, the main venues for new/upcoming touring artists to play in Belfast has shifted away from the Queen's University area into Belfast city centre, in places like Voodoo and The Oh Yeah Centre. For artists whose main audiences are likely to be at university, this makes it slightly less convenient a venue to get to, meaning there's less chance of people checking out the gig on an impulse.

2. Confusion about the venue.
A few people arrived after the gig finished having mistakenly thought the gig was in The Limelight, as there appeared to have been some confusion on Twitter about the venue.

3. Perhaps it was too early to be playing in Belfast.

To date, Superfood have three songs recorded on their Soundcloud page, and whilst they have received a lot of hits and attention to date, it might not have been extensive enough to excite music fans in Belfast, many of whom are reluctant to even see local bands who have that amount of songs recorded. Perhaps when the band have an album to their name people in Belfast may be more willing to check them out.

But for whatever reason the turnout was so low, I sincerely hope it doesn't put them off playing in Belfast again in the future. After all, I think they are a great band with heaps of potential and a few killer tracks. With their great Britpop inspired sound, they have the potential to be the new Inspiral Carpets or Dodgy. I sincerely hope they don't end up being the next Catch or Viva Brother instead.

If it's any consolation, here's something that hopefully will bring some solace to Superfood. When The 1975 first played in Belfast in December last year, there was no more than thirty people in attendance, if even that. (I should know. I was there). This week, merely 10 months later, the same band played at the Mandela Hall in the same city, and sold out the 900 capacity venue weeks in advance. In Belfast, a touring band can go from 'also playing' to the hottest gig in town in a short period of time. Let's hope that's what Superfood will enjoy the next time they play here.

Superfood - Bubbles

So it turns out that B-Town, a movement of indie-rock featuring bands like Swim Deep, Peace & Dumb hailing from Birmingham really is a thing. How do we know this? It has its own Wikipedia entry, the 21st century's rubber stamp of popular acceptance. Whilst I have to particular qualms about disparate bands being grouped together for media cohesiveness (after all, Britpop suffered from that to a particular extent), I must say I find B-Town to be rather ridiculous indeed. Why? Because whoever came up with the name, or more likely those journalists who popularized the term, didn't even do their basic research and realise that Birmingham is a CITY, not a town. It's probably not the most ground-shaking criticism of the sub-genre, but it's one that could have been so easily changed months ago.

Oh well, for the moment it seems like B-Town is going nowhere, with Superfood (a band named after a marketing term that has no real meaning whatsoever) being the latest Birmingham band to release a new track . The follow-up to their self-titled debut single, "Bubbles" shares some of the discordant fun that marked some of Blur's best album tracks, as well as borrowing some of the spiky energy of The Hives for good measure as well. Call them Britpop revivalists, call them leading lights of "B-Town", or call them whatever the heck you like. No matter what you call them, the fact remains that they're a rather enjoyable band indeed.

Superfood will be playing in Belfast (or as it is now henceforth known, "The Other B-Town") at Voodoo Bar on October 5th. Support comes from Wonder Villains.

Dumb - Retina

With The Pixies releasing new material for the first time in nearly 10 years, it's interesting to hear that their influence still steeps into music's collective talent pool, even among those who weren't even born when the group were releasing their iconic material.

This blog has covered Birmingham teens Dumb earlier this year following the release of their debut single "Dive", and to help cement their status as member's of the Birmingham 'scene' (alongside rising stars Superfood, whom they are supporting at a sold-out gig this evening in the city), the group have announced the release of their latest single. "Retina". The song is more or less a 2 minute 54 second love letter to the quiet/loud dymanic that Black Francis & co pioneered over 25 years ago, so much in fact that if you were to play the song to the uninitiated, they would undoubtedly have no idea that it was in fact recorded in 2013.

It's a good song, but I still hope that Dumb will be able to produce a sound that is very much theirs and theirs alone by the end of the year.

"Retina" will be released on August 12th.

Superfood - Superfood

Birmingham based group Superfood are a name that has floated around this blog's peripheral vision for quite a while, but it is only now that I've fallen under their collective charm. The band have built up a following recently through support slots for some of the 'trendier' groups around like Peace, Tribes, Splashh and, umm, Fun..

Furthermore, the band have been called by some observers the leading lights of the emerging 'Birmingham scene'. Although then again, had they been formed in another city altogether I imagine they would still have been labelled the leading lights of the 'Hull scene', the 'Yeovil scene', or the 'Carryduff scene' respectively.

Of course, all that is meaningless if the music itself isn't up to scratch, which based upon their titular debut single "Superfood", is most definitely not the case. The song calls to mind both the playful energy and production values of Britpop coupled with the musical outlook of Kasabian, albeit not their sound. On top of that, the main vocal hook is rather reminiscent of the backing vocals of "Sympathy for the Devil", which is rather relevant given The Rolling Stones' recent Glastonbury headline sets. It's a strong debut single from the band, and crucially it is a lot of fun, which is something that has been MIA in a lot of mainstream indie-rock recently.

"Superfood" is available as a free download.

Dumb - Dive

Did you get the telegram that Radio 1 boss George Ergatoudis sent out at the start of the year? Well to summarize, the mythical, long lost instrument, known colloquially in the dark old days as the "guitar", has been unearthed from a deep, dark country known as "The Interwebs", and their luxurious tones will soon be heard on a best-sellers list near you (preferable one which is aired between 4 and 7 p.m on a popular national radio station). Groovy.

 It's under these conditions that a band such as Birmingham's Dumb can thrive. Their website boasts a backroom team that would put Lady Gaga to shame, including two PRs and a blog czar, and they've already notched up some airtime on the aforementioned radio station of the yoof. This is despite the fact that according to their Facebook page, they've only been a going concern for two months (although a quick internet sweep reveals that some of the members were in a group called The Carpels. No, me neither).

Although I'll try not to be too dismissive of them. After all, their first single, "Dive", is actually pretty good. The song mixes the moody indie-rock that worked so well for Chapel Club on their debut album with the scuzzy, youthful sound of Yuck. It's a strong debut from a group who are well on their way to honing their sound. Just don't be surprised if they end up signed to a major and hogging the airwaves of Radio 1 by the end of the year.

"Dive" will be released on March 31st on newly formed One Beat Records.