Slam Dunk Festival have announced 13 more bands who will be playing the 3 date festival around the UK this May. With headliners All Time Low, Four Year Strong and Deaf Havana already announced to play the festival, the festival will now host the likes of
Kids In Glass Houses, Bury Tomorrow, Cancer Bats, Heights, Heart In Hand, Tonight Alive, Heroes For Hire, House VS Hurricane, The American Scene, Gnarwolves, Blitz Kids, Captain Chunk! and [spunge]
Slam Dunk Festival dates:
25th May – Leeds University
26 May – The Forum, Hatfield
27th May – Civic, Wolverhampton
For ticket information visit www.slamdunkmusic.com.
WE ARE THE OCEAN
Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow
Hassle Records
With ‘Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow’ being the first album to come from British band We Are The Ocean since the slightly controversial departure of unclean vocalist Dan Brown, full attention will be paid to every move the band make on this one by fans and critics alike.
The first – and maybe most obvious thing – to say is that if you’re expecting more Alexisonfire inspired post-hardcore like their earlier releases ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ and ‘Look Alive’ you will be disappointed. Its clear that after Dan’s departure the band have sharpened up their image and gone for a more refined, mainstream sound with Liam Cromby stepping in to the lime light. Interestingly it’s similar process to what once tour partners Deaf Havana went through; who previously were a southern-hardcore inspired quintet lead by aggressive vocalist Ryan Mellor, now a straight-forward (but still bloody good) rock quartet with guitarist/clean-vocalist James Veck-Gilodi at the helm.
Its no surprise that Zane Lowe picked single ‘Bleed’ as his ‘Hottest Record In The World’ as it jumps straight out as the real star of the album. Other highlights include anthemic title-track ‘Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow’, sensitive opener ‘Stanford Rivers’ and ‘Pass Me By’ which has an almost Frank Turner-esque vibe to it.
Despite the album being solid, it may turn off some of their older fan base. With their newfound maturity, We Are The Ocean have lost a bit of charm; the gritty spark that saw them leap out of their local scene to dominate the underground market. The band won’t be too disheartened though as ‘Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow’ will sit comfortably on Radio 1’s playlist and HMV’s shelves, instantly appeal to fans of You Me At Six, Kids In Glass Houses, Lostprophets and (new) Deaf Havana. ‘Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow‘ is an focused and accessible album showcasing whats hot in British rock music right now. Its sure to be a hit and will see the We Are The Ocean boys go far.
Everyone loves a bit of catchy pop-punk from time to time, and Don Broco have offered some of the tastiest tracks of that variety to come from 2012 so far. The album opens up with title track ‘Priorities’, a great punchy start with lyrics that everyone can relate too… You know that friend that always ditches you as soon as they have a new partner? Well ‘Priorities’ is a tongue-in –cheek, patronizing outlook on those kinds of people.
In fact, Rob Damiani’s lyrics are a very matter of fact interpretation of trivial trials and tribulations that go on in every day life. Despite being so straight forward, the words aren’t just brushed away; they are easy to connect with making Don Broco’s album more engaging as a whole. However, there are also flashes of maturity with ‘Back In The Day’ commenting on the London riots. With similar intonation to Lower Than Atlantis’s Mike Duce (but with less of the arrogance and greater charm) Rob’s vocals add depth to ‘Priorities’.
Tracks such as ‘In My World’ are upbeat and uplifting, the guitar work could be compared to early Kids In Glass Houses whereas songs like ‘Actors’ sway more towards the punk side of pop and reflect bands like Transit, Title Fight and The Story So Far.
Full credit should be given to Don Broco for producing a truly pleasing album. With forthcoming festival appearances (including Reading & Leeds) and a UK tour with The Dangerous Summer, expect Don Broco to hit the big time right away.
WE ARE THE OCEAN