Hello Bear - We Held Hands Once, But Then She Got Embarassed

Hailing from Norwich, 4-piece Hello Bear have been plying their trade for a few years now with their quirky power-pop tunes, releasing two albums worth of songs, many of which have titles longer than the songs themselves (my personal favourite being "I Dropped The Screw In The Tuna", a reference that some Nickelodeon kids from the 90s might get), and have played as support for one of our favourite bands, Shonen Knife.

Their latest single follows their penchant for long-winded titles. "We Held Hands Once, But Then She Got Embarrassed" is a fun little pop-punk number that compares being in love to eating lots and lots of sweeties, which given that our dream gig is one in which every table has bowls of Haribo which can be consumed at our own leisure, very much floats our metaphorical boat. It's a hearty piece of uncynical, Green Day/Weezer-esque power punk with a catchy chorus an in infectious optimism.

One suspects though that "Sticky Kisses" would have made for a better, snappier song title, but hey, what do we know?

"We Held Hands Once..." is out now.

Port Isla - In The Long Run

After being blown away by Norwich 4-piece Port Isla at The Great Escape, we predicted that it wouldn't be long before they would get snapped up by a major label. And true enough, not long after they got off stage the band inked a deal with Parlophone Records, the home of Coldplay, Two Door Cinema Club and, um, Tiny Dancers (well, we liked them, unlike the rest of the world).

Having come off a tour with George Ezra, the band are due to release their first E.P with their new overlords  label, which by a major coincidence happens to occur just when blogs and the industry are starting to compile their "Tips for 2015" lists. The lead tune from the E.P "In The Long Run", a song that sees the band jettisoning the folksy elements that had permeated their music since their earliest demos and replaces it with a more anthemic, stadium rock sound which had been hinted it with "Steamroller" back in April. Once again, Bruce Springsteen and 3rd album Noah & The Whale are the main touchstones, as well as a little bit of Coldplay thrown in as well (which, as we are always at pains to stress, we don't mean as an insult).

They've got the songs behind them. They've got major label backing. Now all Port Isla need is that elusive hit. Could "In The Long Run" be it? Quite possibly.

"In The Long Run" is taken from the E.P of the same name, which is out on October 23rd.

Port Isla - Steamroller

It really doesn't seem like a year since your humble captain last set sail for Port Isla, but that would appear to be the case. The Norwich four-piece have impressed both TMB and many others blogs with their raucous folk sound, and with an upcoming tour in support of George Ezra in June (as well as a slot at this year's Great Escape Festival next month), the band have announced the release of their debut E.P.

The title track, "Steamroller", has just been unveiled, and if you hadn't fallen for the band before now, then you'll most definitely done so by the time the song ends. It's their most accessible song to-date (not that their past material wasn't, mind you), with its massive choruses and upbeat tempo. The band seem to have injected a little bit of Bruce Springsteen and third album Noah & The Whale into their folksy sound, giving them an anthemic quality that had only been hinted at before now.

"Steamroller" will be released on April 28th.

Port Isla - Adventurers

Things have got rather well for Norwich based quartet Port Isla. Their debut single, "Sinking Ship", has met with great enthusiasm, riding high on the Hype Machine and getting coverage from at least 20 music blogs. On top of that, the band are one of the finalists for the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, which will gift them a slot at this year's festival if they win. 

And most excitingly of all, the group have released their 2nd single, "Adventurers". Whilst the song doesn't have the same immediacy of their debut single, it is a slow burning track that gets increasingly under your skin the more you listen to it. If you're a fan of Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons (and even if you are not), then there will be much to like in this song.

"Adventurers" is available to download for free.

Port Isla - Sinking Ship

Hailing from Norwich, quartet Port Isla are purveyors of the nu-folk sound made acceptable by Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons. Their latest single, "Sinking Ship", encapsulates their sound rather well, with anthemic choruses and soaring vocals. And the fact that the intro sounds an awful lot like "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall isn't a bad thing either.

"Sinking Ship" is available as a free download from the band's website.