London gig - Discovery 2 - Thursday 24th May 2018

Do you love live music and live in or around London?

Every other month Discovery Talent put on a great music showcase where you can experience the next big thing live, taking place at 229 The Venue, at 229 Great Portland Street, literally opposite the tube station. 

Discovery 2 launched 15 years ago this year, in June 2003, and past performers include Ed Sheeran, Scouting For Girls, actor Jamie Dornan's band Son Of Jim, Keid, Elle Exxe and Amy Odell.

May's Discovery 2 showcase - Thursday 24th May:

This months showcase hosts a wonderful line-up of performances from bands and musicians plus resident dj DJ Delphi. Touching on a variety of genres, the night is promised to be entertaining.

Discovery 2 have teamed up with students from the Joel A.Katz Music & Entertainment Business program at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, USA for this month's gig.

Electro-rock group Dronningen formed in 2014 and released their debut EP 'Royal Riot' in 2016. The band have extensively gigged around the UK, including London, Derby, Leeds, Southampton, Basingstoke, and Reading plus many music festivals including Live at Heart in Sweden, Lancaster Music Festival, Stoke Newington Festival, Comic Con 2016, Stow Festival, Jenova 2017 and The Alternative Great Escape 2017. Their newest single "Sugarbox" has been played on BBC Introducing London (Gary Crowley), Kerrang! Radio, Shoreditch Radio and others. Their second EP, also titled "Sugarbox" was released in June 2017.

Dronningen  Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

Janie Price aka Bird, is a talented and accomplished musician, picking up a cello at 6 years old, and drums at 11, which lead to her first gig headlining the legendary Marquee Club in an all-girl punk band. She continued her career as a session musician, drumming for Haddaway and recording cello for many Sony, Mercury, and Universal artists. She sang backing and lead vocals on many live shows including National Lottery, TGI Friday, Glastonbury, V Festival and Roskilde.

Janie started writing music as well as playing, creating her stage persona Bird and releasing albums "The Insides" and "Figments Of Our Imagination" both to critical acclaim. "Figments Of Our Imagination" demonstrates her diverse musical ability, playing each instrument recorded herself, and the album was part-produced by Rolling Stones producer Chris Kimsey and mixed by Lee Groves.

In addition to her own music as Bird, she co-writes and works with other artists including Emeli Sande, Vanessa Mae, Just Jack, Cafe del Mar, Aura, and Belgium band Hooverphonic.

Bird is currently working on her new album with producer Mike Hedges (Manic St Preachers / Travis / Cure )

Bird  Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram 

Catching Cairo hails from North London, and describes her sound as DreameR&B. She is the middle child of 7 children and cites her siblings varied musical tastes for her mixed genre sound, with her influences including UK Bass, Reggae, Folk, story-telling, 60s Motown and Jazz.

Prior to her solo endeavours, Catching Cairo made an impact in the dance music industry, songwriting and collaborating with many artists for indie labels Rinse, Maison Kitsune, Chase and Status’ label MTA and SHY FX's Digital Soundboy. With considerable radio support from MistaJam, Annie Mac, Friction, David Rodigan and Beats 1, Capital Xtra, BBC R1, 1Xtra and BBC R6, Catching Cairo has showcased a knack for delivering appealing lyrics and melody. 

Catching Cairo   Instagram 

RacheLove is an Atlanta, Georgia based pop singer/songwriter. 
She played tour dates in Ireland and England at the age of 18, including performing at London’s legendary Troubadour Club. She has recently completed US festival dates in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Nashville and last year was asked to join Skillet and Hollyn to play at the "Rock the World Music Festival". She started writing songs at the age of 15, and her first single "Undefeated" was released on iTunes in 2015. 

She has worked with Grammy-nominated producer Nick Chawala (Bravo Ocean Music) and Rich Veltrop (Pink, Tom Petty, Rage Against the Machine). She also worked with producer Glenn Sawyer who runs The Spot Studios in Denver, Colorado. Sawyer states that “Rachel has an incredible voice and the combination of her musical talent and the authenticity of her songwriting allows her to connect with people in ways that other artists can't”.

RacheLove is a talented student of the Joel A. Katz Music & Entertainment Business Program (MEBUS) and returns to the UK this May to be part of the Discovery 2 Showcase Event. 

RacheLove   Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

A fun night is guaranteed.

See the Discovery Showcase event page on Facebook here for more details. Direct ticket link via Eventim here 

Discovery  Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

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Words by Katie Harris and Swee Lee O'Gorman

140 Music Promo

Corlyx - Music 2F2 - Album Review

Dark Pop/Electronic Rock duo Corlyx from Berlin, Germany have just digitally released their highly anticipated debut album "Music 2F2".

With the success of their first EP "One Of Us" debuting on BBC Radio the pair have pulled from their love of 90's Rock and Dark Electronica with “Music 2F2” creating a sound they like to call Dark Pop.

"Genre's are difficult when you have rock arrangements, distorted guitars, hip hop beats and wobbling dark synths all topped off with melodic female vocals, how do you categorize this? I am almost at the point of demanding a Genre Fluid movement inspired by our efforts at putting this eclectic music in a box" - says singer/producer Caitlin Stokes

Coming from an Alternative Rock background Producer/Instrumentalist Brandon Ashley brings the heavy darker energy to the project with his previous Goth Rock band Brandon Ashley And The Silverbugs who opened for Iron Maiden in 2009 and currently fronts the band The Dark who toured along side Peter Murphy, Orgy, Static X, Wednesday 13 and many more. Brandon calls Corlyx the feminine side of himself and thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with danceable beats and Pop vocals.

"I have these highly fuzzed out guitar riffs I am trying to blend with these bright soft vocals, it was my biggest challenge to mix these elements, I really had no reference to pull from, we had to just keep going back and fourth treating each track completely unique to itself. I think in the end there is something for everyone on this album and it definitely showcases the feminine side of myself I have always wanted to express”

Aside from blending different genres the album concept is an expression of singer songwriter Caitlin Stokes struggles through life and love, and societal issues. The album track Pretty addresses current beauty standards and the pressure women face to achieve this, while album track Mountain City is about the destruction of land and life suffered by indigenous people of the world. Changing the vibe of the album track by track the song Sensual Violence punches in with a twist on female power and sensuality, how it can warp the psyche of her lovers into an agonizingly beautiful downward spiral of obsession. Corlyx wants their current fans and future fans to keep an open mind when it comes to styles of music promising “Music 2F2” has brought back the spirit of the 90’s, pulling from their biggest influences; NIN, Portishead, Garbage, blending them with their current inspirations; TheXX, IamX, Big Black Delta, and Alice Glass.

You can take a listen to the album on Bandcamp below:

Our track by track album review:

Following from their EP One of Us released in 2016, Corlyx have stood by their signature sound of ‘Dark Pop’ and delivered with new album Music 2F2.

Starting off Music 2F2 is Tragic Mistakes which leads the you back into their world, with the intoxicating mix of rock and the electronic. The perfect song to kickstart the track list, it is reminiscent of Depeche Mode and could easily be found on Black Celebration.

Next up is You Changed Me, the vocals with the production are wonderfully eerie, the kind of song you can get lost in as well.  ‘Like an angel you came to me’ and ‘such a pretty mess’ are lyrics that stuck out and an addictive song too.

Sensual Violence is the third track, and may remind you of Marilyn Manson if he was to go down the more electronic route. It’s heavy beat compliments the vocals of both Brandon and Caitlin and you will be hitting that repeat button for sure.

Listen to My Love has just the same effect. Though a slower tempo compared to Sensual Violence, this helps the listener experience a variety of sounds in the album and the addition of Guitar distortion is 10/10.

Mountain City (the longest play length at 5:18) has a very 80s feel, and upbeat. You can certainly visualise playing this song cruising on a night drive in a Car. Nine Inch Nails influence is strong here with their ambient/electronic style as it can be imagined something that they recorded.  

Gone has a heady blend of dreamy melodies and a rocking accompaniment for its main chorus section, again switching up the composition that could take the listener by surprise – but by no means a bad thing. Even though Gone is the shortest in length at 2:59, but there is no disappoint to be said about this because the song delivers everything and doesn’t lack at all. No criticism here.

Where Did She Go helps continue with the flow of the track listing and another fabulous tune by Corlyx. Certain electronic instrumentals remind very much of Kraftwerk’s The Robots.

Pretty has a brilliant drum section in the background. The chorus is very catchy, leaving ‘Am I still pretty?’ stuck in your head as well.

Toxic Bones (like Mountain City) is another example of how the duo have been hugely impacted by NIN also living up to their ‘dark pop’ label.

Closing the album is I Need You, faultlessly placed, winding down a glorious journey of sensual lyrics and taking you to another dimension courtesy of Corlyx.

All are standout songs but particularly Mountain City, Where Did She Go and Tragic Mistakes. The selection showcases why they cannot be labelled as one genre. This album is highly recommended to anyone who would like to experience new sounds and take a dive into the world of ‘dark electronica’.

You can listen to Music F2F on Spotify: https://goo.gl/xRLjwC BandCamp : https://corlyx.bandcamp.com/releases  iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/music-2-f-2/1331328394?l=en

Corlyx have many surprises lined up for the next coming months, surprise covers, collaborations, music videos along with a European summer support tour for “Music 2F2”. Check out their website and social media channels for more info and stay tuned.

Office website http://www.corlyxofficial.com

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/CORLYX_OFFICIAL

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CORLYXOFFICIAL

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/CORLYX_OFFICIAL

~~~

Swee Lee O'Gorman 

140 Music Promo

New EP - God On My Right - Swallow

Liverpool duo God On My Right have just released their debut EP titled 'Swallow'.  Their four track EP is a great introduction to their alternative electronica sound and has already been featured on BBC Introducing (BBC Radio Merseyside - Dave Monks), Amazing Radio, Absolute Radio and Radio X (John Kennedy).

They are signed to Liverpool record label Deltasonic Records, known for the home of The Coral, The Zutons and more.

God On My Right are based between Liverpool and London and have been together as a music twosome for a little over a year. They are 2 brothers, Sean and Michael Hollywood, and their music fuses a love of metal and electronica with electro-punk and even some pop.

Take a listen to a teaser of all 4 tracks - Not So Young, Kneel Down, Blood Sport and Sister Says on SoundCloud below:


"We'd wanted to do something like this for some time and then last year we really just got the chance to work together." says Sean Hollywood

Michael Hollywood adds "It was quite a new experience in that way. We'd both done music individually, but it only to only make sense when we get together in that room".

Why the name God On My Right? Sean explains "It's this idea of God and the right to rule. The justification that people give to their lives."

This EP is their way of expressing their independence, hopes, fears and ambitions through music.

They have a UK tour being planned for early 2018.

You can purchase their Swallow EP here http://hyperurl.co/God-On-My-Right

Their official website is http://godonmyright.com/

Like their Facebook page and stay up to date with new music and gigs https://www.facebook.com/Godonmyright/

Follow their Instagram profile here https://www.instagram.com/godonmyright/

Follow their Twitter profile here https://twitter.com/godonmyright

~~~

Katie Harris

140 Music Promo 

Katie Ellen These Little Words EP Review

We featured the talented singer songwriter Katie Ellen and her single ' Can't We Just Be Friends ' on our site in May and she is now about to release her EP ‘These Little Words’ on 1st September.

Katie, from Liverpool, has a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for physical copies of her EP, including great incentives like signed copies and handwritten lyrics. If you'd like to contribute and help an independent musician you can find more information on her Kickstarter page here . In Katie's own words:

"In February 2017, I booked a session in a studio to see what would happen. Five months, 4 songs and hundreds of hours of work, performance and practice later, I have an EP that I am so, so proud of.  It is due for release on the 1st September and so far, I have scraped together the money to self fund every aspect of it, until now.  The last step in this process is the get physical copies made and, I'm not afraid to admit, I am really struggling to fund it.  By helping me fund this final step,  you will be helping me realise something that has been a dream since I started writing over 10 years ago and hopefully you will hear that passion in the EP."

Watch Katie performing Love You Right below:

Here's a track-by-track review of her new EP 'These Little Words' :

‘These Little Words’ consists of 5 songs, each written to express a feeling that is often felt during our lives most specifically in relationships and sometimes torn in decision making.

Opening with ‘Can’t We Just Be Friends’, this song is an indicator of what the EP’s overall sound is like, laced with Country and Soft Rock influences. You are reminded of bands such as Dixie Chicks and The Corrs while you listen to this song, but this does not distract from the fact that you are listening to music that is uniquely Katie’s.

The second track is ‘One Reason’, a toned down track about having that one reason to leave a relationship. Katie’s writing style is wonderful and completely captures how it can feel to be in that situation, and some listeners can probably relate to it as well. This song very much makes me think of older Taylor Swift songs, from the ‘Fearless’ period. A very good song indeed.

Next is ‘Half Way There’, which displays Katie’s voice perfectly. The song opens with piano and accompanied by guitar remains mellow for the rest of the song. It is not easy to rank the songs so far from this EP, but ‘Half Way There’ could rest well at the top.

‘Your Song (Out of My Head)’ is a track laden with beautiful harmonies, and after the first few listens you can probably sing along as well. That is part of what makes Katie’s song writing compelling, just close your eyes and listen. It is the best thing to do when playing this album.

Closing the EP is a stripped back piano-only version of ‘Half Way There’. If you loved the first version, then you will not be disappointed by this addition – a perfect way to finish this debut.

You can tell this is a personal piece of work and it can hit home with the listener. For a first EP release, this is very impressive and you will be playing it all on repeat. Keep an eye on Katie's social media and website for opportunities to see her perform live. Highly recommended to those who want to try something new or fans of similar artists such as KT Tunstall or Ward Thomas. 

Read our previous blog post and single review of ' Can't We Just Be Friends ' here

Katie's Kickstarter campaign page is here

Katie Ellen official  Website Twitter  Facebook  YouTube  iTunes 

~~~

Swee Lee O'Gorman and Katie Harris

140 Music Promo

New single - Keels - Prison Walls

Keels ‘Prison Walls’ Review

Keels is an up-and-coming London based singer/songwriter, having already grabbed the attention of Spotify, who have added his music onto their Fresh Finds playlist – and now he has released his new amazing single Prison Walls.

You can listen to Prison Walls on SoundCloud here

Since taking a break from his previous band Empire Divide which he fronted, Niall Keels has focused on writing his own material, also working alongside renowned songwriter Jessica Sharman (The Inbetweeners 2). His debut single Surrender which was released at the end of 2016 attracted huge waves of praise, resulting in performances on London Live and Sofar Sounds. His musical influences include the likes of Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash, which you can definitely sense in his solo work.

Having previously toured with Young Rebel Set, Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Augustines, Keels has had vast experience and is no stranger to the industry. He is now leaving huge prints of his own, with incredible catchy music all down to his special talent.

Prison Walls is the emotional new single which was released on 5th May, and upon first listen you are immediately hooked! The song is about not wanting to be trapped and no longer wanting to be alone. Very uplifting and leaves you with a positive feeling. ‘Take me away where I can breathe and feel alive’, and ‘fill my heart with rhythm’ are lyrics that will stay with you long after the song has finished. You can hear sprinkles of other artists of the genre, such as Bon Iver and Jack Savoretti and you can also certainly imagine Heather Small (formerly of M People) taking on a song like this.

You can watch the video for Prison Walls below:

There are many exciting things coming up for Keels, with a sold-out show at St Pancras Old Church back in March, you can be certain that this is proof of his ever-growing success. It is not hard to see why, and long may it continue.

Stay up-to-date with Keels online:

His website:  https://www.keelsmusic.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KEELSMUSIC

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/keelsmusic
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/keelsmusic/

You can also purchase his music on iTunes here 

~~~

Swee Lee O'Gorman

140 Music Promo

New single - Katie Ellen - Can't We Just Be Friends

Katie Ellen ‘Can’t We Just Be Friends’ - single review

Liverpool singer/songwriter Katie Ellen has just released her debut single ‘Can’t We Just Be Friends’, which was out on 1st May. She is already drawing lots of attention to her country/folk influenced music, with many radio stations striking up an interest and wanting to hear more from the original talent she has to offer.

Katie Ellen began writing at the age of 16 but is was not until recently that she started to focus on putting her music out there for official release - after years of teaching and performing - and gracing us with her unique song style.

Through YouTube and Concert Window, Katie has engaged audiences in special performances, in return gaining more fans helping to spread the word on social media. Katie is currently recording an E.P set to be out this Summer.

You can check out the lyric video for 'Can't We Just Be Friends' below:

‘Can't We Just Be Friends’, a song about potentially ruining or changing a relationship with three words, really reminds you of other country artists such as Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum because the lyrics invoke emotion in everyone who listens. Its content dealing with love and heartache resonates with all of us, which in turn makes the song relatable. On first listen, you too will be amazed how catchy this tune is, leading you to play it on repeat!

As stated on her blog, Katie explains that she worked on this single with a producer in February, and since then has been working hard to get the music out there, so hearing feedback is what drives her to continue her dream with determination.

It is not hard to see why the single has garnered positive response upon its release, and this should signal the beginning of a very prosperous career in music.

Katie Ellen's debut single 'Can't We Just Be Friends' is available to purchase on iTunes here

Check out Katie’s blog here:

 https://katieellenmusic.wordpress.com/

Katie Ellen official  Twitter  Facebook  YouTube  iTunes 

~~~

Swee Lee O'Gorman

140 Music Promo