Rock Revolver: Drenge

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WITH the festive period come and gone, what better way to kick 2016 off and fight those January blues away than with a few gigs. There's plenty of artists to see this month, which is the silver lining to the dreariness of January.

To celebrate the release of their sixth album 'Curve of the Earth' Mystery Jets will be performing tracks in Brighton's Resident Music on Wednesday 20th. The album has already been described as: "The band's most personal and musically definitive record to date." We can't wait to see what the band have in store for this very special live set.

Pre-order 'Curve of the Earth' here to guarantee two free guest passes for the event.

Rock Revolver favourites and Brighton's very own Howland breeze into Southampton's Joiners on Friday 22nd when they support FEVER and Bel Espirit. All three are bands that we've championed in the past and will continue to do so - and with good reason. Howland are the emerging heroes of the South Coast and 2016 looks to be a promising year of growth and success for them. With new track 'Callout' to be recorded and released soon, the four-piece's set promises to go down a storm. Frontman Tyler Adams and guitarist Lee Vincent have been dubbed the new Pete and Carl too; you don't want to miss that.

Tickets are £4 in advance and can be bought here.

Newcastle's Lisbon have been on our radar for a while and we're digging their ace alt-pop sound. Having already toured extensively in the past, the band are back with a new tour for 2016 and they're stopping by The Hope and Ruin in Brighton on Saturday 23rd. With tracks like 'Rio' and 'Khaleesi' this is a gig not to be missed. We're predicting that Lisbon will be the band everyone's talking about soon; catch them at an intimate gig whilst you still can.

Tickets are £4.40 and can be bought here.

Southampton's O2 Guildhall plays host to NME's annual Awards Tour on Saturday 30th when artists such as Bloc Party, Drenge, Rat Boy and Bugzy Malone take to the stage. With their sixth album 'Hymns' out the day before, it will be a treat for Bloc Party fans to see fresh material played live. Drenge are an incredibly hard-working duo and 2015 saw them go from strength to strength and any opportunity to witness their live set is a win by our standards.

Tickets start at £29.30 and can be bought here.

Be sure to get down to these gigs to see the hottest and emerging gems of the South Coast in all their glory. To get you pumped, have a listen to Howland's debut track 'Bruises'.

Words Lauren Wade

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The line-up for 2016's NME Awards Tour Shows have just been announced and bands such as Suede, Swim Deep and Mystery Jets are among the acts.

The gigs will take place in February 2016 across various London venues and will also feature headline sets from artists such as Blossoms, The Strypes and Boots.

Young rockers, The Strypes will kickstart proceedings with a gig at The Garage on February 1, followed by indie newbies Vant who will perform at The Lexington the night after.

NME's current 'Godlike Genius' recipients, Suede will play a headline show at the O2 Forum on February 12. The band's critically-acclaimed 'Night Thoughts' will be performed live in full, which will be followed up with another set in which the group will perform classics, fan favourites and rarities for the audience.

Another notable gig that you should make sure to catch is Mystery Jets who will be marking their live return by exclusively performing material from their new album 'Curve Of The Earth' at the Electric Brixton on February 16.

More live shows are to be announced shortly.

Tickets for the shows are now on sale here.

The NME Awards Shows 2016 in partnership with Austin, Texas are as follows:

The Strypes, The Garage (February 1)

VANT, The Lexington (February 2)

Boots, XOYO, (February 4)

Together Pangea, Moth Club (February 5)

Kid Wave, Oslo (February 7)

Crows, The Black Heart (February 10)

Pretty Vicious, Dingwalls (February 11)

Suede, The Forum (February 12)

Declan McKenna, Barfly (February 15)

Spring King, 100 Club (February 16)

Mystery Jets, Electric Brixton (February 16)

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Electric Ballroom (February 18)

Swim Deep, Tuffnel Park Dome (February 24)

Public Access TV, Birthdays (February 25)

Blossoms, Scala (February 25)

Voting has also begun for the NME Awards 2016 with Austin, Texas. You can vote now for your favourite artist to win a variety of categories. Simply, head to www.nme.com/awardsvote

The line-up for the NME Awards Tour 2016 has also been announced. Bloc Party, Drenge, Rat Boy and Bugzy Malone will tour the UK in February 2016 and tickets are now on sale here.

Words Lauren Wade

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Every once in a while a band comes along with the ability to defeat every obstacle placed in front of them. They go above and beyond in the name of music and their quest for greatness is prematurely fulfilled when the hype machine latches onto their sound.

Blackpool trio Darlia are that band, specifically ones who are leading the rock revival that is predicted to last long into 2014 and beyond. Comparisons to fellow revivalist newbies Drenge and Royal Blood are likely to emerge, however Darlia choose to do things a little differently with Radio 1 playlist boss Nigel Harding describing them as "the most exciting new guitar band in the UK."

Whilst there quiet-loud dynamic contributes majorly to their appeal, don't be surprised if you find yourself feeling nostalgic of a time when Nirvana were around - Darlia blend Nirvana-esque neo-grunge riffs with gut-rumbling basslines. All of this tessellates together, reeling you in before spitting listeners out again.

Their debut EP 'Knock Knock' justifies the hype and leaves you scrambling for the repeat button. Taking its lyrical and stylistic cues from the 90s Seattle grunge scene, the EP is one that switches between abrasive roars to breathless intervals, leaving listeners shaken to the core.

Opening track 'Queen Of Hearts' opens in a Nirvana-esque manner and signals to keen-eyed music fans that the 1994 rock revival begins here. The Blackpool newcomers' debut release incorporates ragged, uncompromising potential hit 'Napalm' sending out a near-perfect slice of brilliance complete with crushing riffs that cascade and collide.

Fresh madness ensues on final number 'Choke On Bones' with squealing guitars drenched in rock'n'roll sleaze. Their new-wave sound and swelling riffs are deeply immersive and will see them kick up some serious dust if they continue in this direction for the foreseeable future. One final thought - Darlia only deal in epics.

Words Lauren Wade

http://www.darlia.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/DarliaOnline

https://twitter.com/DarliaSays

https://soundcloud.com/darliasounds

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As we descend into the annual festive madness, there couldn't be a better time to reflect on the year's finest releases. 2013 was a transformative year that saw the unlikely return of music legend David Bowie and Glastonbury headliners Arctic Monkeys claiming a stake as Britain's finest band.

New bands such as Haim, Drenge, Peace and Palma Violets also released genre-bending albums that has set them up for continued success in 2014. Join us as we countdown the top 15 albums that have shaped 2013. Ranging from #15 to #11 - part 1 of our extensive countdown includes something for everyone.

15 - The Courteeners 'ANNA'

Manchester underdogs The Courteeners have had a hell of a year in 2013, progressing a step closer to cracking further afield than just their loyal following appear to populate Twitter, basking in intense devotion to the four-piece and who appear ready to spring into action at any given moment.

Tracks such as 'Are You In Love With A Notion?' and 'Van Der Graaff' ensure its place as one of the finest albums of what has been another remarkable year in music - but only just. In places, the album falls short of reaching the potential it had to begin with, we're left with sub-standard indie-pop that only die-hard fans will have time for.

Despite their shortcomings, the group led by Liam Fray played two massive homecoming shows at Manchester's Castlefield Bowl back in July. Support came from The Strypes, Miles Kane and The Heartbreaks. This came shortly after making their third appearance at this year's Glastonbury Festival on the John Peel Stage.

'ANNA' was released on 4th February and charted at #6 in the UK Albums Chart.

14 - Palma Violets '180'

At the end of last year, Lambeth four-piece Palma Violets were cutting their teeth on the underground scene. That quickly changed when the hype machine went into overdrive and bloggers/publications were falling over themselves to feature the lads.

2013 has seen the indie-rock quartet grow with artistic credibility. The group appeared on the 2013 NME Awards Tour, along with Peace, Miles Kane and Django Django, whilst June saw them conquer at Glastonbury Festival on the Park Stage. Their debut album ‘180’ came as a distinct highlight. Having created an authentic and winning sound, the record is an elegant mix of garage rock blended with psychedelic undertones.

Stand-out tracks include ‘Tom the Drum’ with its scratchy guitars compelling self-assured charm that is conveyed. The mellowed ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ is one that exists within a dreamy yet ferocious vein. Whilst, lead single ‘Best of Friends’ is equal parts explosive, equal parts deft.

‘180’ was released on 25^th February and charted at #11 in the UK Albums Chart.

13. Biffy Clyro 'Opposites'

2013 was the year Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro took their sound to epic proportions with the release of their sixth studio album ‘Opposites’. As well as this, they headlined Reading & Leeds Festival and Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Derry.

‘Opposites’ is a solid and engaging listen from start to finish. Tracks such as ‘Sounds Like Balloons’ and ‘Biblical’ hit hard, whilst on the likes of ‘Stingin’ Belle’ and ‘Black Chandelier’ frontman Simon Neil’s commanding vocals move the tracks a step away from previous material. Throughout the duration of the entire album the instrumentation is bound tightly together.

Another that warrants mention is ‘The Joke’s On Us’ a heartfelt supersized anthem justifying exactly why Biffy Clyro was announced as the second headliner for Reading & Leeds. It’s no mean feat pulling off a double album, but it’s one the three-piece have mastered with style and substance.

‘Opposites’ was released on 28^th January and charted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart.

12. Phoenix 'Bankrupt!'

With a name like ‘Bankrupt!’ French alternative rock four-piece Phoenix’s fifth album didn’t look as if it was to have a promising start. Boy did that change. After 2009’s ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ questions were raised as to whether they would be able to match its success – they did.

Expanding the group’s range, ‘Bankrupt!’ is a banger of an album that’ll have you abusing the repeat button once its subtle charms have been unveiled. Prominent tracks such as ‘Trying To Be Cool’ and ‘Entertainment’ incorporate crowd-pleasing hooks and infectious melodies that are devastatingly accomplished.

It’s been an exceptional year for the group who appeared on Saturday Night Live and Jimmy Kimmel Live showcasing new material from the album in early April. The group also played to crowds at this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival on the BBC Radio 1/NME Stage.

‘Bankrupt!’ was released on 22^nd April and charted at #14 in the UK Albums Chart.

11. Drenge 'Drenge'

Earlier this year, Castleton blues-rock band of brothers Drenge issued one of the finest debut albums this country has ever seen, whipping up a storm and leaving a path of destruction in the wake of their emergence.

The thrashing energy of their self-titled debut has definitely been a high point for music in 2013 and, with celebrity fans such as Matt Helders and Westminster politicians, Tom Watson, latching onto their ferocious yet compelling sound what’s not to love?

An all-out, ready to attack assault on the ears; it is highly recommended that you listen with caution. What’s more they stormed this summer’s festivals including Glastonbury, Latitude and Reading & Leeds as well as supporting Californian duo Deap Vally on tour and making a hometown appearance at Sheffield’s Queens Social Club.

‘Drenge’ was released on 19^th August.

Words Lauren Wade

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Royal by name and rich by the nature of their bass and drum soundscape - Brighton-based duo Royal Blood are showing newbies to the music scene how it's done, despite still being in the early stages of band life themselves. For those of you new to their sound, Royal Blood can only be described as that which would result if Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age, Drenge and The White Stripes were to form a super group. They're that good.

The band caught the eye of Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders earlier in the year, when the Sheffield drummer asked for a Royal Blood T-shirt a day prior to the Monkeys' headline Glastonbury gig. This caused plenty of panic for the group whose merchandise didn't even exist until Helders submitted a request.

Thankfully, singer/bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher aren't ones to shy away from a challenge and twenty four hours later the drummer was seen sporting the first set of threads that was to become their official merchandise. Kerr later remarked to NME magazine "That melted our brains." Here's the deal with Royal Blood - they're brain-melting specialists.

From the opening rumbles of 'Out Of The Black' it's clear we're onto something special. Royal Blood pile straight into a major tune blanketed by sleazy bass spins that will see listeners going berserk for their creeping, yet appealing menace. Relying on relatively little is a hard task to master, but the two-piece make full use of their limitations and send out hooky thrash rock tracks such as B-side 'Come On Over'.

Exuding sheer explosive energy, from a band that are drip-feeding fans with new material, Royal Blood have proven themselves to be ones to watch out for as they head for the big league and burst out of speakers near you soon. Violently thrilling to their core, we're excited to see where their sound takes them if this glimpse of anticipation is anything to go by.

Words Lauren Wade

http://royalblood.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RoyalBloodUK

https://twitter.com/royalblooduk

https://soundcloud.com/royalbloodband

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Are you a festival junkie looking to get your last fix before the summer fizzles out? Look no further than Bestival. Held on the Isle of Wight, the music festival is now in it's tenth year and celebrations are to follow this September throughout the duration of the event. Fusing music with creative arts in a remote country setting, this festival is like no other. With a theme based around the HMS Belfast, fields will be turned into an underwater paradise. Expect fishy fancy dress, pirates, sailors and wacky watery adventures.

Festival waters will be infected by headliners such as Elton John and his band, Snoop Dogg and Fat Boy Slim. Whilst, rock fans may not be catered for on the main stage, there's plenty of action on smaller stages coming from the likes of Sheffield based blues duo Drenge, who made waves after the release of their self-titled debut album recently. The 1975 have been tipped by almost everybody in 2013 so far, but don't just take their word for it go and check them out for yourselves, when they bring their hook laden sound to the festival.

Bringing solo material and hits of former band The Smiths to the table, NME's current 'Godlike Genius' Johnny Marr is worth a watch if you fancy a taste of guitar driven music with fantastic beats, equally measurable vocals and cracking on stage banter. There are instances when you might want to slow the pace briefly; Tom Odell's the guy for you. The singer/songwriter from Chichester is hardly a young Bob Dylan but he has some woozy harmonies that will definitely cause a delight.

One of the biggest draws at the festival, Bombay Bicycle Club will do their best to set their mood to a shimmering pace, in one final attempt to convince us that it's really summer (even if the sun's not shining). Meanwhile, a young and wildly talented four-piece rhythm and blues band from Cavan, Ireland - The Strypes will get hearts beating faster with their slick sound. Finally, Performance poet John Cooper Clarke puts on a hell of a live show, and in the late 70s the 'punk poet' became the voice of a generation and crowds gathered to witness the revolution. Experience it once more, as the poet by trade is welcomed to the festival to deliver a hell-raising live set. Jump aboard shipmates and prepare for Bestival to reach a new level of cool.

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It's an all-out ready to attack assault on the ears; listen with caution. Soft by no means, although we suspect that Sheffield-based bluesy-rock duo Drenge tuck their tender moments away, but don't expect to see any make an appearance on their debut self-titled album, one that has the ability to set politicians in a stir. Made up of brothers, Rory and Eoin Loveless the majority of their debut offering feels much like a fumble in the dark, yet they hit all the right places and walk out triumphant.

It's difficult to compare Drenge to other artists (not that we'd want to), simply because they exist in a league of their own. However, signed to the same record label as the likes of: Alt-J, Local Natives and The Temper Trap it would be easy for them to switch to the melodious makings of their label mates, however one look at the duo hailing from Castleton tells us this was never going to happen; they rip up anything and everything in their path, which is why it's not hard to see how they've made their way to the tip of everyone's tongues, in such a short space of time.

Flirting with sounds beyond their years, Nothing drifts into a direction reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys' 2007 bonus track Matador but Alex Turner is nowhere in sight and they twist it completely into their own. Current single, Face Like A Skull thunders into view with a snarling vocal and keeps listeners in Drenge's heavy-handed grip with ferocious riffs running like an undercurrent throughout the track.

Opening number People In Love Make Me Feel Yuck begins with a deeply unapologetic air, one that foreshadows how the rest of the album will play out. We're enchained from the first crash of the cymbals to the minute the jarring vocals fade out; it's the audio equivalent of watching a car crash, much like that of Boris Johnson at last year's Olympics when he infamously got stuck on a zip-wire - you don't want to watch, but you can't not. Previous hit Bloodsports still proves as popular. It's no frills attached breakneck rock'n'roll. Guitars buzz and blister frenetically in a manner that has riffs spilling out of your speaker here, and vocals landing there.

The piss-taking duo shrug nonchalantly in response to the influence of America on I Don't Want to Make Love to You. It's nothing special but the integral drumbeat saves it from drowning in a bluesy blur. Gun Crazy was born simply to be an anthem for moshing to. For anything else, it doesn't hold the same appeal. Whilst, Eoin Loveless greets us with a rasping vocal on I Want to Break You in Half that unsettles and weirdly thrills.

Closing proceedings with Fuckabout, it becomes evident that that's all they ever really wanted to do; becoming a huge success was the making of them and saved them from a life of blandness, although listening to tunes like these suggests that greatness was always in the brothers, and they were destined for it - even if they didn't yet know it themselves. The lyrics claim they "waste every single day" but with their new found fame there's no time for lying around idly; there's a second album to be made and only these boys know how.

http://www.drenge.co.uk/

http://facebook.com/drengeboys

http://soundcloud.com/drenge/

http://twitter.com/drenge

http://drenge.bigcartel.com/

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Festivals... the place to catch new bands you've never heard of and discover something, that totally has the potential to mess with your head and change your life. Fear not! What this year's Reading & Leeds Main Stage lacks in a strong line-up, is certainly made up for in a mix of fresh artists on smaller stages, those travelling under the radar with their talented sounds going unrecognised. If you're off to Reading/Leeds this week, it's time to stick it to the organisers by packing out tents to catch sets from the likes of Drenge and The Family Rain. Here's Rock Revolver's guide to which artists you should be watching throughout the weekend.

Organisers of the split-site festival, have once again booked headline acts in a controversial fashion. Reading's Friday Night headliners Green Day don't need an introduction. Following the fallout of frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's infamous on-stage meltdown last year, the band returned on a high at Emirates Stadium, London at the start of June proving to fans they haven't lost it altogether. Whilst, crowds may enjoy their hit-crammed setlist, surely this spot would have been better reserved for the likes of The Vaccines to tackle? We're getting tired of the same old bands filling up headline spots year after year.

Standing out like a sore thumb, rap icon Eminem will guarantee a reaction from the crowds. An unlikely choice, fans of the fest have commented that he doesn't really fit in with the theme or genre that the festival evokes. We can't argue with that. Scottish trio, Biffy Clyro undoubtedly deserve their headline slot. Latest album Opposites, stormed the charts and went down a treat with fans. Don't miss this opportunity to witness all the hits played in full glory.

The NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage is the place to be all weekend. Brum outfit Peace, will bring crowds to their knees on Friday afternoon on this stage, whilst their epic guitar solos and stylish outfits are so good they will coax the goose bumps right out of you. Saturday sees Lambeth's very own indie darlings, Palma Violets take to the stage. Long gone are the days of cutting their teeth on the underground live circuit, the band are now firmly in the spotlight but they will always be a bit tattered and frayed around the edges. Still not satisfied? Check out the Aussie four-piece Tame Impala's breezy blend of psychedelic rock with a modern twist. Haim are a band close to our hearts, expect the Californian sister band to debut new material from their hotly anticipated debut album Days Are Gone in their Sunday evening set.

Tickling your fancies on the Festival Republic Stage is a line-up that sets out to dazzle, by the looks of this lot crowds should expect to be blinded by talent from this bunch of newbies. Pure magic combined with sixties psychedelia is what you will be exposed to from big-haired revivalists Temples in their Friday mid-afternoon slot; We expect the Kettering quartet to be the band of the weekend without a doubt. Harnessing a professional ease that bands twice their age struggle with, The Strypes a young Irish group (all aged under 18) will pull out all the tricks before moving on to support Arctic Monkeys throughout the course of their nine-date UK tour this autumn. Miss it, miss out.

Sheffield based duo on the rise, Drenge will also play the Festival Republic Stage on Saturday, following the release of their self-titled debut album. The Loveless brothers will woo crowds with riff-orientated rock and snarling vocals. Swim Deep follow up the latter performance by bringing the sunshine, even if it the weather's a let down. Expect memorable moments from a band who never seem to put a foot wrong. Make sure you catch high-octane, bluesy three piece The Family Rain, another band who are also made up of a set of brothers. Looks like this year's festival is turning into a real family affair.

Here at Rock Revolver, we hope we've broadened your horizons for the weekend. Discovering new bands is always a festival highlight, so scour those small stages and earn yourself serious bragging points for when you get back home.

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Sheffield's grungy 'fraternal goofballs' are back with their brand new single Face Like A Skull from their forthcoming self-titled debut album. The sibling duo made up of Rory and Eoin Loveless will also be making an appearance at Rough Trade East in London on Monday 19th August at 7pm. Make sure you collect your wristband when purchasing the album from the store. Remaining wristbands will be handed out one hour prior to the stage time. One per purchase only.

WATCH the video for their new single Face Like A Skull here.