#tcio

This Friday we’re putting on a bunch of live sets from Clyde Automaton, Matt Kuartz, Bad Juju, Sleepdebt, AlgernonCornelius, and Jecht Rye. Blood Boy will filli the gaps with DJ sets, and Fingerling is bringing the visuals.  Sample the line-up above!

You still have tonight and tomorrow to pick up an advance ticket from Skiddle, or come down on the night and pay on the door. Here ya go.

YOOOOO, our boy Bad Juju only went and got himself featured in Mixmag didn't he? May's issue, out now down your local WHSmith or any reputable news agents. Congratulations!

Pick up the album in question here, and pay exactly whatever you want.

It’s about that time again! Bad Juju’s debut tape ‘Prana Bindu Volume One’ has dropped. Crispy instrumental hip hop for fans of Nujabes, Knxwledge, Hawk House, Madlib, J Dilla, Ras G, Low End Theory, and anybody with a pathological case of the head nods whenever a tasty beat enters the room. 

Announcing the debut beat tape from Bad Juju, 'Prana Bindu Volume One', releasing March 3rd 2017.

Peep the preview above!

Tracklist:

Does It Keep You Up?

COMA

Death Of Me

Violent

Regret About Me

Dangerous

So Sad

Bodycount

Only Human

Madre

Barely Alive

Save You With My Love

First time I ever heard of british metalcore group TheCityIsOurs was when I was at Download festival drunk out of my mind and found myself in the village tent where a band was just about to start playing a set, it was the first band I saw of the entire weekend and they really left a great impression on me. Since then they’ve parted ways with their vocalist in what looks like an extremely amicable way and it appears to be in the best interests of his mental health and wellbeing, good luck mate I think we all feel you on that one. Now they’ve added Oli Duncanson to the mix and have put together their second album for us to enjoy.

“Violent” is the perfect title for this track because it kicks off like an eruption and you can wobble that neck as that riff chugs along, incorporating lovely little licks alongside, but then the tone shifts for the chorus which has your melodic vocals with a growl backing before re-erupting again, great single to open with. Second single and the album's title track “COMA” follows through with an extraordinarily heavy style but retaining the melodic chorus - arguably not as impactful as some of their other material this time but still good - but even that's got a hint of aggression laying down in the tone of the music. “Death of Me” turns the tables and really lets the lighter more melodic style take the lead, it's bouncy and addictive with sort of pop elements with some of the licks and tones, but don’t worry the growls are still in here they’re just surrounded by this very different writing approach, it is a really good song this one and also rather unexpected. “Dangerous” is one of the best so far, it's really got some groove packing heat behind that metalcore baseline, it's the verses that fascinate me with this song because it's like a funk little bass and guitar but with these gruff screamed lyrics, it certainly makes it new and intriguing. “Regret of Me” has one of the best choruses of all those released so far, it's ridiculously infectious and they structure it so that the peak of the melody is followed by signs of aggression and frustration which pushes home the very emotional nature of the song, which is exactly the same with single 6 “So Sad” apart from the more flexing of that gritty metal. Now personally I would have had “Body Count” as a single because damn kids it’s a rollercoaster; heavy, melodic, high octane, low tempo, sinister and with a dirty riff towards the end. Same could be said for the album opener “Does It Keep You Up?” which starts off deceptively slow and soft but opens up wide as the track goes on into this big sounding track.

Another solid effort from these guys, having seen them recently support Our Hollow Our Home in Birmingham, can also confirm that the material slaps live too. It's a bit experimental considering their earlier material because they’re clearly trying to find where they can find their footing that will stick. Album number 2 and I’m hoping this is a stepping stone to quite the huge album number 3.

Tracklist:

Ashes

Bare Bones (Ft. Connor Hallisey)

Casket

Veins

Now That You’re Gone

Low

Don’t Wait For Me

Incomplete

If You Know, You Know

Sacred

Here At All

So I was at Download Festival this year, and before the official arena opened in the village there was a club night in full flow with bands periodically coming on to perform for us throughout the night. TheCityIsOurs were one of those acts who left quite an impression on me. All I was able to learn about them online was that they formed in London, England and that it must have been before 2015 as that is when they released their first material. That being said this right here, this is their debut full length studio album, so I’m more than game to give this a spin.

I feel like I’ve gone back to the glory days of metalcore in a way, because this is the style I remember from back in the day, a bit rough, clean vocals through the chorus and growls through the verses, this is what epitomises the metalcore I grew up loving. “Ashes” opens us up with riffs, a stunning chorus and thick metal beat downs and screams, that’s the structure but what they do is at tasty little licks and tones at times to just give it a little oomph. “Bare Bones” follows on with more metalcore goodness, beats with breakdowns, screams and a sickeningly sweet sounding chorus. “If You Know, You Know” is completely etched into my brain, I wanted to tell myself so badly that it was cliche tricks and licks but I can’t lie to myself it's proper fucking addictive. “Here At All” is the most beautifully sand track of the album, what a huge chorus that is, right in the feels.

They’re fresh blood at the moment, but they played to a decent sized crowd at Download so time will tell, if they carry on the way they have been live and on record there is absolutely no reason they cant be another british metal household name a couple decades down the line, Bullet For My Valentine were unknown once remember!