Echo Raptors - Believe In Love

For nearly four years now, Belfast 4-piece Echo Raptors have been Northern Ireland's leading purveyors of Britpop inflected rock tunes. And in that time, it's fair to say that some of its luminaries have set up and take notice. The band supported The Charlatans a few years back, and are going to be supporting the fabulous Cast when they play Belfast in October. We're still a bit peeved that Suede didn't get them as support when they played Belsonic in 2013, but hey, you can't have it all.

They've been rather quiet of late in terms of recording new music, which is why it's great to have a new song from them. "Believe In Love" is a more laid back effort from them, with acoustic guitars playing a more prominant part than in previous singles, calling to mind some of Oasis' more stripped back songs, and rather aptly, a little bit of Cast as well.

"Believe In Love" is out now. The band play Limelight in Belfast on October 9th in support of Cast.

Gavin Chappell-Bates - 95

You know that you've started to make that first formative climb onto the 'you're getting old' train when new artists get nostalgic about a decade that we lived through. Whilst admittedly your humble captain was still in single figures when the 90s Juggernaut came to a grinding halt, we still get a little bit misty-eyed whenever we hear songs that talk about the era.

Which brings us to the latest song from Cambridgeshire native Gavin Chappell-Bates, with an ode to the era which is appropriately titled "95". The song very much wears its influences on its sleeves, with the Britpop-inspired song containing lyrical references to songs by Ash, Oasis and Radiohead. Although melodically, it does seem to takes its cues from two songs from American bands - the melody in the verses reminds us a little bit of "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray, whilst the chorus call to mind "Stacey's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne.

Obvious comparisons aside, this is an enjoyable little nostalgic trip from Mr Chappell-Bates. One minor point of order though - "A Design For Life" is name-checked in the lyrics, despite the fact that this song didn't come out until 1996. Still, given how much we enjoyed "95", we're happy to let it slide.

"95" is out now.

Andrew Montgomery - After The Storm

It has been a long time coming, but more than a decade after the wonderfully underrated Britpop band Geneva split, their frontman, Andrew Montgomery, will be releasing his first album under his own name. The album has been produced by Sean McGhee, and features guests such as Suede guitarist Richard Oakes amongst others.

Taken from the album is "After The Storm", a song that reminds us of why many of us fell in love with him in the first place - quite simply, there is no voice in music quite like his. It is equal parts beautiful, soulful and plaintive, a voice than can hit dizzy heights and mournful lows, and can touch at the very fabric of our being. Its piano and woodwind-led production might be rather different to the sounds of his rock days, but it just gives his voice the opportunity to shine through even more.

"After The Storm" is taken from the debut album of Andrew Montgomery, "Ruled By Dreams", which will be released on October 5th.

Photo is (c) Stuart Peck Photography.

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.

Nudybronque - Moondog E.P

In all the emails your humble captain has received from purveyors of fine music, this introductory greeting from Wiltshire based trio Nudybronque is perhaps the favourite -

Hello Christopher,

We found you! At last. We're so relieved. The internet is big, isn't it?

With such a charming greeting, we'd more than happy to write anything about the band, regardless of whether they're any good or not. Thankfully, their most recent E.P, "Moondog", is rather good indeed.

The band seem to have taken inspiration from a smorgasbord of intelligent bands from rock history in order to create something that's both brilliant and very much their own. Take "No Wives, No Children", for example. The song seems to take cues from The Beatles, Pulp and Muse, yet also adds a little bit of their own flavour by adding some organ and accordion into the mix. Another quality track on the record is "Peachy Keen",  the E.P's most raucous track, which take cues from the less dance-y end of Franz Ferdinand. The rest of the E.P is unable to keep up the same quality of the first two tracks, although that's not to say they aren't bereft of interesting sounds and ideas - their slow-building take on 50s rock and roll on "Allsorts" is worth listening to.

"Moondog" by Nudybronque sets the band up as one of the more interesting bands to emerge from the Swindon area. They've got a knack for an intelligently put together tune, a somewhat sardonic sense of humour, and if their email etiquette is anything to go by, they are perfect gentlemen as well. Not all ideas may stick, but there's enough here to mark the band out are future cult icons.

"Moondog E.P" is available to buy now.

The Lost Music Club (plus Speedy - Heard, Seen, Done, Been)

The Lost Music Club is a new record label which is co-run by the respected Alcopop! Records and the editor of the fantastic blog 1p Album Club (a blog which reviews albums that can be bought online for a solitary penny). The aim of the label is to release albums from respected artists which never saw the light of day for various reasons. Having announced the launch of the label last month, today they announced their first release, and for someone like myself, who has a great affinity for the Britpop era but hasn't delved into music by some of the "also rans" of the movement, it is a rather interesting one.

Step forward Sheffield band Speedy. Having formed in 1993, the group split up in 1997 when the Britpop bubble burst with only a solitary hit to their name ("Boy Wonder", which reached the dizzy heights of #56 in the chart in 1996), before their debut album "News From Nowhere" could be released. Now seventeen years later, that album is finally going to see the light of day, and in anticipation, the band have made one of the songs from the album "Heard, Seen, Done, Been" available as a free download. It is a song that is very much of its time - the song is mid 90s through and through. But that doesn't mean it isn't good, because it is ruddy fantastic.

We wish The Lost Music Club well with their new venture, and look forward to seeing what other lost gems they intend to unearth. In case they are angling for suggestions of albums that never saw the light of day, we'd like to suggest fellow Britpop "also rans" Catch, Joe Lean & The Jing Jong (perhaps the most famous unreleased album of the mid 00s indie rock revival), and the second album from Geneva, "Weather Underground" (which technically was released, albeit very much under the radar).

"News From Nowhere" by Speedy will be released on 7th April 2014. The band will reform for two gigs to coincide with its re-release in London and Sheffield at the start of April.

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.

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 - 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.

Echo Raptors - Change My Way

There really aren't many groups from Northern Ireland who have been influenced by Britpop, which is not surprising given how few acts from here broke through during the mid 90s. Aside from Ash, who  are usually given a place in the Britpop canon, there's The Divine Comedy, whose music seemed much more grandiose than the confines of the label, and at a stretch Joyrider, who had their only hit with a punk-pop cover of "Rush Hour" in 1996.

One act from here who do appear to wear their Britpop influences on their sleeve are Belfast four piece Echo Raptors. Having released a couple of decent stand-alone tracks over the past few years, the band have released a new E.P this month. The lead track from it is "Change My Way", a song that would have gone down rather well had they played it live on TFI Friday. Reminiscent of Cast and The Verve, as well as channeling the influences of contemporary local group General Fiasco, it's an enjoyable little number.

The song is taken from the band's E.P "She's So Free", and is out now.

Suede - Barriers

Ring the bells, and let the joyous news be spread - Suede have released their first single in ten years!

Ever since the band regrouped in 2010 following an extended hiatus, the question that has been on the lips of Suede fans has been whether the group would be releasing any new material following their reformation. At first it seemed rather unlikely, as the group took to the road to promote re-issues of their five studio albums, including three night residencies in both London and Dublin, where they played their first three albums in full. However, the group maintained that they wouldn't resort to treading on past glories alone, so 2012 saw the band take to the studio to record what will eventually be their their sixth album which will be titled "Bloodsports".

And now, the band have brought out "Barriers", the first new material the quintet have released since their 2003 singles collection. Even better, they've made it available as a free download. And it's a wonderful entry to the Suede catalog. It is a song that doesn't sound like it would fit neatly onto any of the band's current albums, yet neither does it sound like the band attempting to refashion their sound to suit the mores of 2013, although it does appear to have taken a few cues from lead singer Brett Anderson's recent "Black Rainbows" album.

Ladies and gentlemen, Suede are back. Enjoy it while you can.

Emperors Club - Sham Sham

Within hours of Emperors Club making my list of bands to watch out for in 2012, the Iowa quintet released a new song that justifies my support for them.

"Sham Sham", which is available to download for free, continues the band's penchant for mixing American rock with British influences. A more laidback affair, the song mixes soulful Americana with influences from Arctic Monkeys' and soaring harmony vocals that Teenage Fanclub would kill for. Although the song doesn't have the immediacy, nor punch that "Our Time" had, it is a good song that opens the door to a varying sound for Emperors Club.

Sham Sham by Emperors Club

Echo Raptors - Plastic People

As I've noted on numerous occasions, I am a massive fan of Britpop inspired artists, which is probably why I have such a soft spot for Belfast based quartet Echo Raptors.

Their track "Plastic People", which is available as a free download, is an expansive, psychedelic production, reminiscent of The Verve or Kula Shaker at their most introverted.

The Standards - Mice

If it really is true that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then I suppose that a certain Mr Cocker would be pleased to hear the work of London trio The Standards.

On their song "Mice", the group have taken the blueprint mapped out by Pulp all those years ago and ran with it completely, with it's sinister yet undeniably pop-based production, witty lyrical wordplay, and the vocals of Neil Winspears, which can go from hushed and sensual to frenzied within the space of a few bars.

"Mice" will be available to download on November 7th, in anticipation of their debut album, due out in 2012.

Ocean Cloud - Dreamin' in a Coffee Break

Ocean Cloud are the latest in a line of bands who are hoping to bring the sound of Britpop back to the masses. However, what sets them apart from other bands is that they are not from the dreary suburbia of middle England, but instead based in Parma, Italy.

Their track "Dreamin' in a Coffee Break" calls to mind the folk-tinged Britrock of Frank Turner, with vocals that are very reminiscent of Noel Gallagher.

"Dreamin' in a Coffee Break" is available to download for free.

Emperors Club - Our Time

Regular visitors to The Metaphorical Boat will be aware that I am awaiting the inevitable mid-to-late 90s music resurgence with open arms. That is the reason why I was excited to hear about Iowa based group Emperors Club, and their fantastic track "Our Time."

On the surface, "Our Time" seems to be chanelling a more American set of 90s influences, with Stroke 9 being the closest comparison. However, once the strings (or faux-strings, I can't really tell) come in, you realise that this is in fact the gritter, indier twin of McAlmont & Butler's classic "Yes."

"Our Time" is taken from Emperor Club's self-titled EP, which will be released this Autumn.

The Deadsets - Medusa

Great Britpop inspired tunes are like busses - you wait ages to discover one and end up finding two in the same week.

Swansea based quintet The Deadsets churn out stadium-sized tunes that have the status of potential future anthems in the making. On their track "Medusa", the band mix the scowl of Liam Gallagher with pyschedelic guitar work that is reminiscent of The Verve's "The Rolling People" and the lyrical stylings of the Stone Roses. How these guys have remained unsigned for so long is beyond me.

Ace City Racers - City Boys

If the general failure of the Viva Brother bandwagon is to be believed, then these isles are not ready for a full blown Britpop revival. It also carries a secondary warning for young bands - beware the premature praise of NME, for they will turn on you quicker than Megan Fox turns on men.

Even though VB were not really my cup of tea, I am still adamant that there will be a full blown Britpop revival on the cards in the near future , and with Suede and Pulp reforming, one could say the seeds are already being sewn.

One band that may find themselves at the forefront of this new wave is Glasgow based trio Ace City Racers. Their song "City Boys" evokes the spirit of Bluetones classic "Slight Return", Parklife-era Blur, with a little bit of the Kaiser Chiefs thrown in for good measure.