Noah And The Whale

Noah and the Whale guitarist Fred Abbott has unveiled a free download of his new song 'Funny How Good It Feels', ahead of the release of his debut solo album 'Serious Poke' this Summer. What more can we expect from the band members now they've gone their separate ways?

Noah and The Whale split earlier this year

'Funny How Good It Feels' is a perfect Summer anthem from London-based Fred Abbott and even features rhythm section work from his former bandmates Michael Petulla and Matt 'Urby Whale' Owens. Recorded at British Grove Studios and co-produced by Martin Hollis, 'Serious Poke' is the first solo venture to come out of the indie collective's recent split.

Continue reading: From The Ashes Of Noah And The Whale Emerges A New Solo Output

Ted Dwayne, the bass player with huge-selling British folk-rockers Mumford & Sons, has been hospitalized with a blood clot on the brain. The band issued a statement on its website, saying, "Our friend and bandmate Ted has been feeling unwell for a few days, and yesterday he was taken to a hospital to receive emergency treatment."

"The scans revealed a blood clot on the surface of his brain that requires an operation.  Ted is receiving excellent care and we are being assured that he will recover quickly from surgery," added the statement. Mumford And Sons says it will postpone its next three shows and reschedule "as soon as we can." The shows affected are Dallas, Woodlands and New Orleans. The band adds, "We're all wishing Ted a speedy recovery.We have no plans to cancel or postpone any other appearances along this current tour. We're all wishing Ted a speedy recovery."

Mumford & Songs are set to headline the Glastonbury Festival later this month, alongside Arctic Monkeys and The Rolling Stones. Ted Dwayne, who also provides backing vocals as well as drums and guitar on some tracks, is a founding member of the band which emerged out of the West London with the likes of Laura Marling and Noah and the Whale. After two selling albums they have risen to become one of the biggest bands in the world.

Continue reading: Mumford & Sons Bassist Rushed To Hospital With Blood Clot On Brain

Albums of Note... Tasked with the tricky mission of releasing an album that stood up to their back catalogue, after several years in the wilderness and a brief spell of time on the reunion circuit, Suede have finally released Bloodsports. Rather than opting for replicating one of their previous albums, they have amalgamated elements of all five of them.
They’ve not lost their distinctive, Bowie-obsessed sound and Suede will forever have one foot in the Britpop era but with Bloodsports they have achieved what few can manage: to come back after a lengthy hiatus, ties unsevered, water under the bridge and still get back to making a quality album and reclaiming their mark on the British landscape.“Bloodsports then, is exactly the album that Suede needed to make. It is loud, aggressive, uncompromising and absolutely, defiantly Suede. Nobody else could have written these songs. Suede have done the almost impossible task of simultaneously looking back at the past while planting a foot firmly into the future.”

Pitched somewhere between The Killers and the Kings of Leon, Cold War Kids have returned with much of the same kind of material that they showcased on their first album. Dear Miss Lonely Hearts is a little bit “Cold War Kids by numbers” and although they’re pretty adept at what they do, if they just stepped out of their comfort zone for a moment, they could surely achieve much greater heights.
“The album's sure fire highlight is Jailbirds, a jaunty rocker, with a fat bass line and a noisy breakdown reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age. This song offers something a little different and breaks the slight monotony of the rest of the album.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music, Suede Return With A New Album To Match Their Best, Vampire Weekend Release Unusual Double A Side, Beyonce Causes A Stir With 'Bow Down'