Elliot Kinrade - Future History EP - Review

Hey there, I saw you looking.

It's always hard to review your friends. Even if you genuinely like what they put out, others will always call some kind of bias on your behalf. I've been friends with the boys from This Years Winner Is since we toured with them a few years back and I've reviewed their previous two releases on this blog and always given them huge regard. And why not? The two albums (especially Audiobiography) were genuinely astonishing efforts and I was sad when they called it a day.

But out of the ashes of TYWI I'm sure there will be a number of interesting new projects and I am here to review the first of those, with frontman Elliot Kinrade and his new solo EP. With help from former TYWI guitarist Ben Wilde and producer, Ste Quinn, I'd been told to expect something completely different; a cross between Justin Timberlake and Johnny Craig. When adding it iTunes I was intrigued as the genre classed it as pop.

Future History opens with 'You'd Hate To Be Me,' which is a solid track, with a sugar sweet acoustic guitar riff and a catchy chorus. I thought it was a shame that song ended when it did as I feel it would have benefitted from another chorus and the ending seemed to rather drip away rather than end with any real bang.

'So What If I'm Selfless?' is the next track and here you can definitely hear the JT inspired style, there's something very 'Cry Me A River' about it, both musically and vocally. There's a big ballad-type sound and the verse is something you'd expect to hear on mainstream radio. The build up before the chorus drops is really cool too.

The last track, 'Future History', is my favourite with a very 'Call Me Maybe'-esque synth and you can't help but to nod your head to the beat, especially the heavy drums in the build up. The chorus has a great edge to it and is instantly memorable.

I first want to attest that the quality of the recordings is fantastic and the range Elliot's voice has continued to develop since the first TYWI release but I do have a few issues with the EP.

The main thing is... I don't really get it. I'm just not sure what they are trying to do with the EP; where it's going. The genre is pop but I don't hear a pop album. This is a brilliantly composed effort, but to me that's not pop. It's too complicated with too much going on and almost forgets the simplicity of what pop music is in the first place. I mentioned the second track reminded me of 'Cry Me A River' but more like the LostProphets cover. Sometimes it just sounds a little forced.

Rather than Justin Timberlake meets Johnny Craig, what this album really reminds me of something like Owl City (but not annoying) or Lights, solid easy listening music, but I think this EP is just lacking that final piece of the jigsaw. In my opinion, the 3rd track 'Future History' is far and away the strongest and I feel that's the kind of style that is worth pursuing. I guess I was expecting more of this.

For this review I listened to the EP several times and it definitely grew on me. But I don't think that's good enough for a pop record. You need to bring in your audience on the first listen.

I don't want to take anything away from what is a very well composed EP with some great vocals. Don't get me wrong, this material is by no means bad but maybe I was expecting something different. That being said I do encourage people to go away and listen to this, just to tell me what I'm missing. Maybe Elliot will go and to become the next Justin Timberlake or Bruno Mars and I really hope this is a success for him and I will be eagerly anticipating what comes next.

And seriously guys, a pop record without one use of the word 'baby'? Come on man, pop lyrics 101.

5 ways to put on a good band night

This one's going out to all the pub landlords who read Mindlesselfindulgences. I know there's a few of you out there so listen up.

There's a common thought that live music is truly suffering and venues are having a difficult time getting band nights on. Lazy people like to blame the internet and that it gives a forum to talentless wannabes that wouldn't have ever 'made it' without YouTube etc. These same people snipe away on forums, bemoaning the lack of decent venues in their towns. This doesn't help. There are plenty of ways to get live music back on it's feet but this blog is focused on the venues. I've given bands help before.

The landlord of a boozer with a decent size floorspace thinks that putting on a band night will help pull in a few punters on the normally quiet Tuesday night. S/he thinks that it will be easy, dusts off Saturday night's karaoke speakers and expects the bands to do the rest. Then they get angry when a band shows up and play to an empty room.

It's cost me more in electricity than I've made over the bar!

So how can this fat bastard make sure Tuesday becomes Woo-hoosday! (sorry, I'm so sorry about that one).

You'll recognise these guys from any bar - crooked back and nursing half a bitter.

1. If you build it, he will come.

Or not, if you allow your regulars to bully newcomers in your establishment.

This has nothing to do with your venues aesthetic or pissy odour. There are countless successful venues that on most other nights of the week are some of the roughest places in town.

It goes without saying that kids who can afford gear to be in a band are usually from fairly middle-class families as will their friends. They don't really care what the place looks like (the rougher the better, it makes them think they're rebelling against their parents and getting in touch with their bohemian side) but they won't appreciate the lout in the Ben Sherman shirt who's 10 blue WKD's down, demanding that the artsy folk band play an Oasis cover. Just because he's a regular and can get away with that kind of thing on a Saturday night, before he glasses someone and gets off with the village bike, the people who are behaving themselves and trying to watch the band will quickly go elsewhere once he gets verbally abusive.

One of the notable examples I can think of here was a venue that tried to get bands on after the Champions League games on a Wednesday night. They weren't exactly happy when us youngsters began setting up and loudly tuning instruments as they watched their 'local sports team' get battered by a much more flowing and box-to-box oriented Portuguese club.

I've heard of a venue that turned into a club immediately after a gig night. The bouncers told the band they had five minutes to pack up their gear and when they failed to do so they destroyed what remained by throwing it across the room.

Yeah, it's a tricky one. You don't want to push away your regulars who do put money behind the till but if you want your band night to be successful, it has to be an attractive offering for bands and customers who enjoy live music.

I don't have a clue what any of these buttons do, but if everything's on red, that's good right?

2. You don't do heavy metal in dobly

Sound is a tricky entity. However, it's a little more straight forward when you think of it like sight. If you put a concrete block in front of a band, you won't be able to see them. Sound is approximately one hundred percent better at going around corners than sight but that concrete block will still limit sound A LOT. Just sticking a band in a free corner, or up on a fenced off ledge is not the best way to fully appreciate good sound. Apart from being truly bad, nothing will drive bands or punters away than poor sound. How about trying to find the best acoustics in the room? Push the pool table back against the wall or something, don't be lazy, you only have to do it twice a week!

A decent sound guy is not hugely difficult to find and someone who understands the difference between laid back blues and an explosive instrumental band will help get the levels half sorted. Attention to bands, don't expect the sound quality of Wembley Arena in a shitty little pub, it's not happening. But out on the floor, so long as the crowd can sort of make out a distinction between the instruments and vocals, rather than a wall of noise, they'll be happy enough.

A decent PA really is the very least you should muster if you want to put on band nights. Just getting your karaoke speakers out won't do and if your nights are successful you'll start to make the couple of hundred for the PA in no time. You don't need monitors or to mic every guitar amp up, so long as the vocals and bass are covered, bands should manage.

Hey look! A good band!

3. Get some good bands

This one sounds the hardest but it really shouldn't be. As I mentioned so long as a band isn't completely dire an audience will nod their head and not begin hurling furniture at them. No one expects U2 at their venue but if you can get to grips with your local scene, finding 2-3 good bands every week shouldn't be a problem.

So long as petrol is covered, a couple of beers will satisfy most bands. Money is obviously even better but I think all but the douchiest of rock stars.

Easy, done - BOOM!

The guy in chip shop said he'd told everyone!

4. If you build it, he will come - part 2

No, he won't. Putting on a night without promoting is the equivalent standing naked in your windows with the curtains closed (everyone knows that's not how you do it!). Too many venues expect the band to bring in a crowd and yeah, it's half the battle. The band bring people in because they want people to watch them. The band couldn't give a shit if people aren't taking advantage of your generous 2-4-1 Smirnoff Ice deal at the bar.

I always wondered why venues insist on bringing 20 spectators. Chances are if you can attract 20 people, it's because they like your band. If they like your band, chances are they've seen you before. If they've seen you before, why not stay at home and have those 20 fans in your living room while you rock the fuck out?

If you want your band night to be well attended, you need to make sure people KNOW there is a band night happening. Even if it's just putting a chalk board outside the venue letting people know that there will some live music on that night. Oh yeah, I'm not sure if you're aware, but there's this massive thing called THE INTERNET that all the kids are using. Social Media quite simply is the way forward. People don't read the paper, hey most people don't leave the house if they don't have to. But between looking at cats being funnt and building up forearm muscles, people spend a lot of time on the internet so get involved.

Dollar dollar bill, y'all!

5. I would literally kick a panda in the face for a fiver

And finally, for the love of God don't charge the universal it's-not-too-much-but-enough-to-make-it-exclusive £5 entry fee. Dude, I could go and see some established bands with albums and t-shirts and little badges with their logo on for around £8. Sometimes bigger bands even put on gigs for free! A fiver is a lot of money especially when you wanna get shit-faced, pull and buy a donner on the way home.

Come on mate, you should be happy with the extra meat in the room. Don't take the piss.

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If you think this blog ended quickly... Guinness made me do it!

What Really Grinds My Gears #3

"Shouldn't you support someone like Cardiff or Swansea?"

The geographic ignorance towards Wales.

I know Wales is hardly a major player on the world scene. I can forgive a bit of ignorance when it comes to someone say from Brazil or India or even somewhere in Europe not entirely sure of whether Wales is a country or a region or a principality. However, it's fairly inexcusable when it's only one of your two bordering countries.

When I tell English people I'm Welsh, this is usually the conversation that follows...

"You don't sound Welsh"

Well actually there isn't a particularly strong twang on the North Wales coast, that's why my accent is a garbled kind-of-scouse-manc-welsh hybrid... Once you go a few minutes inland then there is a noticeable change in accents.

"Oh... I went to Cardiff once, is that near you?"

No, as I'm pretty sure I mentioned, I'm from North Wales. Cardiff is in South Wales. As I also referenced with regards to my accent, I'm actually closer to Liverpool and Manchester.

"But Wales is tiny I bet it only takes twenty minutes to get from one end to the other."

Yes, Wales is a fairly small country but still has around of over 3,000,000 people and the drive to Cardiff, while not huge on a distance scale, is marred by winding country roads and tractors round every corner.

"So you're from the Valleys then?"

No, they are also in South Wales and actually even on a Welsh scale are a fairly small part of our country

"Whatever, you're still a Taff!"

Again, no, I'd be a Taff if I was from South Wales, a reference to the river Taff which begins in the Brecon Beacons and joins the sea in Cardiff. If we're going to start name-calling, technically I'm a Gog. As in Gogledd Cymru which translates as North Wales, you English bastard. 

"Oh yeah, Welsh. That crazy language with no vowels."

Wrong again and don't steal jokes from Jimmy Carr. We actually have two more vowels than English and vowels are frequently used in Welsh despite those stereotypes.

And before you ask, when it comes to football, I support Manchester United.

"What?! Why don't you support Cardiff or Swansea?"

Look mate, as I mentioned, geographically I'm a lot closer to Manchester than I am to both of those places, and even closer still to Liverpool...  Do you want me to draw you a map?

"No, I'm alright,"

Well sit down and shut up because I'm doing one anyway!

So you see, I'm actually nowhere near Cardiff or Swansea.

"Well why don't you support Rhyl FC then?"

Come on, mate. You support West Ham because you're from East London but you were born closer to Leyton Orient. You chose West Ham because you're family supported them and they were the nearest big team. Same with me. While I still cheer when I see Rhyl doing well in the paper, I don't follow semi-pro football with any sort of enthusiasm.

"So do you know Paul Jones? He's from Wales."

No, do you know Jonathan Smith, he's from Lemington Spa. That's just up the road right?

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Seriously, I'm not expecting everyone to tell me the name of every town and village in Wales, I know that Newcastle is in the north of England and Portsmouth is in the south. Sort it!

Cymru am Byth!!!

Ryan Tunnicliffe profile

I wrote this for an application that decided to change it's mind and ask me to work for free instead of the £2000 a month it originally offered. I take it as a compliment that liked my writing but they can get fucked if they think they can get away with moving the goalposts like that.

I wrote it the day after Man Utd's win over Newcastle in the Capital One Cup which is why it is so time specific. Enjoy.

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Another transfer window came and went without the big name midfield signing that Manchester United fans crave. While Paul Scholes continues to dominate games with his vision and craft and Tom Cleverley's ever-improving performances, neither are the box-to-box midfielder who can really grab a game by the scruff of its neck.

Red Devils fans need look no further than City's Yaya Toure to see the kind of player who would leave their mouths watering. So, enter academy product Ryan Tunnicliffe, who came off the bench to replace Marnick Vermijl in last night’s Capital One Cup clash with Newcastle. Those who have watched him develop in the reserves over the past few seasons have admired his determination, his industry and his desire to get stuck in. This results in picking up a few yellow cards over a season but his protection of the back four and ability going forward have earned him comparisons to Roy Keane.

Despite a poor showing at Peterborough, where he was on loan for the majority of last season, Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision not to loan him out again could be seen as a sign that he plans to integrate him into the first team. These may prove tricky with Cleverley, Scholes and the impressive Shinji Kagawa as well as a host of squad players still ahead of him in the pecking order but whispers around Carrington suggest that he definitely has a part to play this season.

United have been crying out for this kind of player for years. While glances may be cast enviously at Man City and Toure, Tunnicliffe would provide a much cheaper option than Newcastle’s Cheik Tiote or Everton’s Marouane Fellaini as well as boasting another feather in the cap of United’s academy.

Forcing your way into a team like Manchester United is always tricky but Tunnicliffe must be feeling the time could not be better to capitalise on the dearth of hard-hitting defensive midfielders of his ilk.

To top off a happy day in the Tunnicliffe household, Ryan’s dad also collected a cool £10,000 having bet his son would play for Manchester United over ten years ago.

This Years Winner Is - Audiobiography - Review

I think it’s fair to say that This Years Winner Is has never lacked the confidence and belief that they have what takes to become a recognised band. Along with the obvious name references, their previous EP ‘In At The Weekend’ (which I reviewed on this very blog way back in February 2011 (READ THAT REVIEW HERE)) contained a very telling lyric on the track ‘Onwards to Onchan.’

‘This is the year that we make it or disappear.’

Well, make it they didn’t and disappear they almost did. While the EP was well received by various critics, music sites and fans alike, the wind in the sails of TYWI seemed to run out and they announced the dreaded hiatus that has spelt the doom of many-a-band (including my own).

With Dario Leonetti and Ashley Hogg replacing Ethan and Stu on guitar and bass respectively the band have definitely come a long way since ‘In At The Weekend.’ The new album ‘Audiobiography’ drops on October 22^nd and I have the pleasure of writing the first review IN THE WORLD!

And it’s been well worth the wait. It makes me think I was a little generous giving the previous EP such a high score because this is leagues ahead of anything TYWI have done so far. The gulf in progression between these two releases really is incredible.

One thing that has remained a constant high in all of TYWI’s previous work though, has been the drums. Once again, Darren excels and brings the whole thing together. I really cannot fault this guy. I’ve literally run out of superlatives of his quality and have nothing else to add. Seriously, just listen and you’ll get what I mean.

There are some marked improvements too. When ‘In At The Weekend’ came out, it was full of huge breakdowns and chugging verses. This was fine when the new wave of easycore bands like Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! and With The Punches were slaying over fans with the heaviest breakdowns pop-punk had ever heard but times are-a-changing and a song is no longer simply defined by who’s got the biggest breakdown. Never fear mosh fans, the breakdowns are still present in ‘Audiobiography’ but they feel much more organic rather than just being sandwiched in just to brootal your face off.

I also had a few minor criticisms about Elliot’s vocals in the previous effort but he has really stepped things up. The power and maturity he has developed is an incredible improvement and while there’s still an American-twang there, it doesn’t take anything away. I mean seriously, find me a pop-punk band that sounds truly British. His style has grown a definite bite to it and he spits off lyrics with effortless ease. The inclusion of the keys and synth add a really rich layer too.

A big shout also needs to go to Nick Scholey, with who the band recorded the album. It’s no coincidence that the production quality of TYWI’s tracks has improved from their earlier EP’s ‘Always Goes Down Smooth’ and ‘In At The Weekend’ and now to ‘Audiobiography.’ It seems that both band and the man behind the glass have been maturing their skills together and have now created what could be a lift-off point for them both. The sounds production of this album was so good it inspired me to go out and buy new headphones so I could enjoy the beauty of it in a higher definition of audio amazingness.

The easycore, pop-punk labels will inevitably lead to comparisons to Me Vs. Hero and Four Year Strong but I personally compare this album to something like New Found Glory’s ‘Coming Home’ album and there’s also just a good, solid ROCK sound to ‘Audiobiography’ that TYWI have been missing.  Guitar bands have a tough time ever breaking into a mainstream setting but with this awesomely cool rock edge, I genuinely feel this has potential of actually making an impact on the pop charts, albeit on the lower end of scale. That said, this would still be an enormous achievement for this band.

As I’m obligated from my reviewer’s standpoint, I’m going to have to find negatives and it’s a big ask. There are a lot of bands who use a shorter song to open the album and TYWI did just that with ‘Raise The Stakes’ on IATW. This is repeated on ‘Audiobiography’ with ‘On With The Show’ and while it’s a good song I don’t feel it’s entirely necessary. I think track two, ‘Let’s Not Do That Again’ more than showcases TYWI’s new sound and direction and I just feel that ‘On With The Show’ sounds more like their old efforts.

While the lyrics have sharply improved there are still a few classic pop-punk clichéd lines and several references to wishing wells that seem vaguely familiar from songs of the past but on the whole they’re solid.

That really is as much as I can say on the negatives as the rest of the album flies by completely loaded with awesome songs. Whether you’re after the punky verses of ‘Routes,’ the infectiously sing-a-long-able choruses of ‘Elements’ or Don’t Go Now or just want to thrash the fuck out to the breakdowns in ‘Better Altogether,’ then this album has to be on your radar.

On ‘Always Leaving…’ TYWI flex their industry contacts by roping in fellow Isle-of-Man’er Harry Radford from the Scottish/American/Manx post-hardcore outfit, Yashin and he and Elliot bounce off one another to create another great song. The only bit I don’t really dig is when Harry and Elliot do a kind of orgasmo vocal sign-off at the end. It just creeped me out a little.

While many may see living on a fairly isolated and rainy island limiting to a band’s progression, I’m of the belief that it can also motivate and inspire. Yeah, if TYWI came from the mainland maybe they would have already made a bigger impact on the UK scene but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they would be the same band. You see, there’s no half-arseing when you’re cut off. If you really want it then you have to work 

harder.

This really has to be the year they make it or disappear. If success was judged on how good your album is then TYWI would be making waves already. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy and the boys are going to have to work so hard if they want to make it happen for themselves. However, with this astonishing album behind them and the strong work ethic I know they possess, it is entirely possible that these boys could be sharing the stage with the likes of Kids in Glass Houses, Mayday Parade or even You Me At Six by the time the year is out.

I don't give a fuck, I'm giving this album a solid
5 out of 5

big woop, wanna fight about it?

This Years Winner Is... - Routes