Blog: The Ruckus

I'll be seeing Frank Turner very early Friday morning in Denver which I am genuinely excited about. But, later that night this is happening in Austin. That's right, Texas. There was a time when I never thought I'd see Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun in the United States, let alone on tour here. That's right, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, and Glossary will be celebrating ten years of Xtra Mile Recordings (official favorite record label) with a SXSW showcase. [...]

Niall Connolly is hands down one of my favorite artists I've "discovered" since doing this blogging thing. He blew me away with Brother, the Fight Is Fixed which was one of my top ten of 2010 and I continue to listen to fondly almost three years later. "Samurai" possesses the same sing-along, danceable quality that made me fall in love with Niall. It's bright and catchy and perfect for spring. Samurai by Niall Connolly

I've been meaning to write about electro-soul singtress George Maple for a while now. Definitely for fans of Jessie Ware, her vocals on latest single Fixed manage to warm up my cockles in this frightfully cold March London seems intent on having.

At only twelve and a half minutes long, I assumed it’d be fairly easy to review ‘TSFU’. Alas, that isn’t the case. Throwing Stuff’s rough and ready debut EP is a little harder to critique (or even describe) than I had first thought. The band have become infamous for their off the wall live shows and antithetic approach to hardcore punk and whilst that doesn’t come across one-hundred percent of the time, it’s something that punk fans should experience at least once. The best way to describe what Throwing Stuff do would be to say that it’s like [...]

© 2013 Joe Watson As you may have noticed, we quite like taking photos at The Ruckus . Before I was enlisted as part of the crew, I'd always check out when someone put up some new shots from the last gig they went to and it's still exciting to see to this day. This is mainly because I love music photography and Steve Gullick, the subject of this short film by Joe Watson (a guy who's taken a few photos in his time too),  is one of the masters of the craft. [...]

Hotel Cafe has always been a bit of a legendary venue to me. It's a bit notorious in the indie acoustic scene, so when Frank Turner announced a show there, it kinda sealed the deal for me. I don't want to be that person, but Frank usually plays much bigger venues these days and what I needed in my life was something a bit cozier. A sit down, acoustic set in a tiny room ended up being a lovely variation. It included a couple tracks I'd never heard before including a real heartbreaker called [...]

I recently partook in a whirlwind trip to Southern California to see Frank Turner play a couple of shows ( not the first time , nor do I expect it to be the last). The first of two nights was The Roxy, still a relatively small room for Frank and the Sleeping Souls to play at this point in their career. The room felt super intimate and I had an excellent view of the stage. As always, it was fantastic to see a Frank Turner headlining show again and I was more than ready to do it again [...]

You Bred Raptors? has been on my radar for a while now. With a reference to what may be my favorite movie of all time, how could they not be! Jurassic Park references aside , YBR? is an experimental instrumental band from Queens with a penchant for masks. If you live in NYC, you may even have seen YBR? as you've navigated the subways. The band has played many times in stations throughout the system as part of Music Under New York. Playing a recent headlining show at [...]

Great music has always come from Scandinavia but right more it seems music blogs are being taken over by those from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and yet people may have gotten that Finland is in Scandinavia too. Finnish 3-piece Husky Rescue create colourful electronic pop music with fluffy vocals that you can easily get lost in.

I've been obsessed with Delta Rae for a while now. I'm completely intoxicated by their gorgeous vocals. I really don't think I've heard a band that does harmonies like they do. I had a quick chat with Grant Emerson, bassist for the band, while they were on tour. What is your most and least favorite part of being on tour? My favorite part would be playing music every night, and my least would be the lack of variety of snacks at truck stops. What do you usually [...]

Fans of Lykki Li and Bat For Lashes take note. French pop singer Owlle will be the next name you'll be banging on about to your friends. Ticky Ticky will have your feet tamping, your hips swaying and your head nodding. Another act to watch out for in Brighton @ The Great Escape

Très.b are Polish singer Misia Furtak, half Danish/half English drummer Thomas Pettit and half Dutch/half American guitarist Olivier Heim. I'm heading to the Great Escape this year so I decided to acquaint myself with bands and artists I wasn't already familiar with to check out whilst I'm there. Something To Forget is the soundtrack to my dreams. Definitely a band to watch in Brighton this May.

In the three years since the release of ‘Dead Sea’, it’s all been a bit quiet on The Arteries’ front; a couple of tracks on a split with The Arrivals is all we’ve had to tide us over. ‘Restless’ puts an end to that wait, with a fantastic six-track EP from the Welsh wizards. The slowly swelling intro to ‘Bleed Away’ only serves to increase that anticipation, before erupting into the fast-paced and intense punk rock racket that The Arteries have become known for. It’s sweet riff after sweet riff combined with an excellent rhythm section and some [...]

© 2013 Nathan Blaker 'Like I Belong' is one of my most anticipated records of 2013 and I know there's a few out there that feel the same. Great Cynics' optimistic and memorable take style of pop-punk has certainly captured the hearts and minds of many members of the punk community in their few short years as a band. 'Back To Hackney' follows that same winning formula, with Giles' songwriting as simple and earnest as ever. Check out the video below and prepare yourself for the ultimate in lazy summer jams when 'Like I [...]

Right now, I'm sat in a basement office, no windows, no natural light. I hear this song by Chaz Bundick's dance moniker Les Sins and I'm instantly transported to a world littered with palm trees, blue skies and a blinding Sun. The worst part of thing song is at 5.18. I end up where I started. Back in the basement.

When I began the 365 Days of New Music project , the goal was to find new and upcoming bands for me to listen to and share my favorites with you. One of the bands from February , Starlight Girls, had me hooked right away with their fun and eclectic sound. Their recent show at the Mercury Lounge highlighted what's to come for Starlight Girls , who played only a couple of songs from t heir eponymous EP . After starting the [...]

Nelly, the man responsible for providing most of the soundtrack of my childhood has got an absolutely brilliant single 'Hey Porsche'. I'm in awe of how amazing this song is. Right I'm off to listen to this for the rest of the day. Bye.

Despite the very tightly packed crowd at the Mercury Lounge, there was still enough room for some boot stomping during Brown Bird's recent show. The duo, featuring a darker country and Americana vibe and gorgeous harmonies, held the rapt attention of the audience. This is music to dance to, with groove inspired bass lines and rollicking violin melodies. Brown Bird is currently on tour  and will be releasing a new record, Fits of Reason , on April 2nd. You can check out their previous album, Salt for Salt , [...]

The release of 'Tape Deck Heart' grows ever closer for Frank Turner and his legion of loyal fans and, with just over a month to go until the album drops, the workaholic troubadour has decided to whet his audience's whistle with a brand new song and video. 'Recovery' is a fantastic single that seems destined to sum up what Turner's fifth record is all about and could well be one of the larger rays of hope in the midst of, what appears to be, a break up album. Of course, that will all be revealed on April 22nd. [...]

It takes a special kind of artist to be able to write a breakup record that is steeped in grace and humility, rather than bitterness and anger. Though Josh Ritter’s latest record, The Beast in Its Tracks , which is out today, technically stemmed from the aftermath of his divorce, he stated to the crowd at the New York album release show last night at Le Poisson Rouge, that it is really about what came after. With a new relationship and a new baby, Josh is in a good place, and [...]