Here's some ParaMORE tunes!

Here it is. The music video for Paramore's brand new single. The mellow, pretty gem of a song that is The Only Exception.

March On With BBPD

Over the next month I've got some cool little bits coming up. Including interviews and acoustic numbers with Strange News From Another Star, The Ethical Debating Society, Winter And Williams and Mike Fantastic.

Fun times are on their sweet way.

Here's their Myspace links to check out their tunage.

Winter & Williams

Mike Fantastic

The Ethical Debating Society

Strange News From Another Star

Enjoy dudes!

BBPD.

Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend

She's part Welsh, part Greek. She can belt out a corker of an indie-pop tune. She is Marina And The Diamonds. Her album entitled The Family Jewels is out now to buy and download. Tunes I love are single Hollywood, Hermit The Frog and I Am Not A Robot. 

NME.co.uk released an Aspirins For My Children Remix of I Am Not A Robot  as part of their daily download a few months back. Download it at NME.co.uk

BBPD.

Soundtrack For You!

Who enjoyed the Soundtrack for Psychotropica? Yes, you say? Well here's something lovely for you. A mid-week treat if you like. Aeryn and RIP/TORN have finally released the original score for the film. Go here to buy the album.

BBPD.

Into The Wild

30 Seconds To Mars' set was dramatic from start to finish; pyrotechnics, big screens, military style get ups and one hell of a light show. Performing to a practically sold out crowd, the Tinseltown natives played every show stopper from This Is War, A Beautiful Lie and all bits inbetween. Think The Kill, Closer To The Edge and Night Of The Hunter.

Then the lights went out. One single spotlight hit the box in Cardiff International Arena. Jared Leto appeared teetering on the edge clutching his guitar as he perched high above his captivated audience before belting out a tune or three.

Then the lights went out. Three or four masked men ran around the arena wielding high power torches. Then 30 Seconds To Mars appeared in full on the B Stage, located behind the sound deck. With only a small barrier, everyone standing near the back got the rare feeling of elation that you get after hours of queueing scores you the best front-row-centre spot in the house. Jared and Co were mere feet away, Leto scoring a Welsh flag and continuing to wear it for the entire B stage set.

Back to the main stage and it was en core time. Before 30 STM can make it back to the stage the entire crowd start singing the hook for Kings And Queens. Really bloody loudly. The guitar wielding Americans get back to the stage. Thirty fans were called up and Kings And Queens  kicks in. It's moments like that one when you really wish you'd been one of the ones queueing all day in the rain for that best spot in the house.

All in all this has been a pretty good gig with surprises galore. Shame about the long pauses between songs. A 5 minute wait for the final tune is a little long for most.

BBPD.

PS Girls....Jared Leto is as handsome in person as in magazines AND the man can play guitar!

Lower Than Atlantis

Lower Than Atlantis have been Taping Songs Off The Radio for new video of their forthcoming single.
Here it is. Enjoy.

BBPD.

OK Go Making A Statement

If you haven't read this yet, here's the link. Click here to be directed to the New York Times where OK Go frontman, Damian Kulash Jr talks viral videos, record labels and digitization.

BBPD.

Brianstorm? Not quite. Shit storm? Most def.

So, my shit storm day culminated in my bus not merely being late but refusing to turn up. At all. I'm not gonna lie guys, it's chilly in The Diff tonight and my leather jacket is not tog 5 gazillion army level sleeping bag. Add into this a full bus stop/ wind tunnel, 1 drunk with aromas of cheap whiskey and who sways when he stands up and another clutching an ASDA plastic bag and bringing with him strong wafts of urine. Lovely. Then, finally, came my bus. To my elation it was one that goes the long way home. It's busy and the man next to me keeps staring at me. Maybe he's wondering why my music is so loud. Maybe he's admiring the quagmire that is my post-work hair. Maybe he's just plain weird.

Praise be for Cherry 7Up, wine gumes and fully charged iPod with letter P tunes turning this freezing frown upside down.
Here are an array of tunes that got me through the bad bus times this evening:
Peace and Quiet - Canterbury
Playing God - Paramore
Pressure - The Enemy
PDA - Interpol
Pioneers - Bloc Party
The Prayer - Bloc Party
PMA 'til I'm DOA - Cancer Bats
Pumpkin Soup - Kate Nash
Pretty Fly For A White Guy - The Offspring
Poprocks And Coke - Green Day
Plans - Bloc Party
Playing The Blame Game - You Me At Six
Private Eye - Alkaline Trio
Please Don't - The Courteeners
Post Script - Finch
Public Service Broadcast - The Holloways
Punk Rock Princess - Something Corporate
Pretty Green - Mark Ronson
Poison - All Time Low
Poison - Hot Water Music
The Promise - Girls Aloud

So, yeah. That's my night. Now it's Grey's. Later.

BBPD.

Owl City Hearts Dubai

Now, Owl City it appears are the next big thing in the charts at the moment. Their delightful brand of electro-disco-pop with nonsensical lyrics has done two great things:

1) They stopped those icky twinnies, Jedward (see Deadward) from reaching number 1.
2) They stopped those icky twinnies, Jedward (see Deadward) from reaching number 1.


Ha ha, all joking aside, with Owl City's whimsical tunes your day will be filled with more desert sunshine than a much loved (and missed) beach/Atack's jacket potatoes/Quickie's tea/Chi Fridays.

Personally, I love the album artwork. Although Dubai is probably more Falcon City than Owl City, the Burj Al Arab surrounded by turquoise ocean and dreamy beach side lifestyle of this gold dust city mimics the fanciful, spirited and oft odd vibe of Owl City's Ocean Eyes.


BBPD.

Cardiff get your Vans on...

It's shaping up to be one giggity goo of a month in The Diff. Here are some of the shows you might want to check out.

Thursday 18th Feb: Tidal (The Old Library), TRC, Heart In Hand, Ironclad and Chains of Hate (Barfly),
Friday 19th Feb: The Heavy/The Hush (Barfly)
Saturday 20th Feb: Shockwaves NME Awards Show Club Special with Sharks and The Dead Formats (Barfly) 
Sunday 21st Feb: 30 Seconds To Mars (CIA) 
Tuesday 23rd Feb: Hot Club De Paris (Clwb Ifor Bach)

Gratuitous Jared Leto pic

And the best of the rest:
Thursday 18th Feb:
Los Campesinos and Swanton Bombs (Venue, Derby)
Manic Street Preachers (Kings Tuts, Glasgow)
Shockwaves NME Awards Tour Sunshine Underground (KOKO, London)
The Automatic (Barfly, Camden)
Boys Like Girls (Roadhouse, Manchester)

Friday 19th Feb:
Dead By Sunrise (HMV Forum, Kentish Town)

 Dead By Sunrise. They float.

Shockwaves NME Awards Tour The Maccabees (Corn Exchange, Cambridge)
Yeasayer (Academy, Dublin)
The Rumble Strips (Cockpit, Leeds)
Hot Chip (Academy, Manchester)
Saving Aimee (Cypress Avenue, Cork)


Saturday 20th Feb:
Hadouken! (Warehouse, Aberdeen)
Mr Scruff (KOKO, London)
The Glitterati and All Those Heroes (Josephs Well, Leeds)

Sunday 21st Feb:
Tinchy Stryder (O2 Academy, Bristol)
Hayseed Dixie (Cyprus Avenue, Cork)
Lady GaGa (The O2, Dublin)
Owl City (Academy, Manchester)

Monday 22nd Feb:
Marina and the Diamonds (The Cooler, Bristol)
Shockwaves NME Awards Tour Delphic and Egyptian Hip Hop (Cargo, London)
Shockwaves NME Awards Tour New Young Pony Club and Chew Lips (O2 Islington)
The Drums (Talking Heads, Southampton)

Tuesday 23rd Feb:
Twisted Wheel (The Lexington, London)
Xiu Xiu (Islington Mill, Manchester)

It's Kids In Glass Houses bitch!

Lostprophets and Kids In Glass Houses (O2 Academy, Newcastle)
Shockwaves NME Awards Tour We Are Scientists (Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London)
Mastodon (Rock City, Nottingham)

Tinitus is imminent. Enjoy!!

BBPD

Fightstar Pics courtesy of Crip's Blackberry

BBPD.

Finally, You're Turning Into John Wayne

There's something really warming about watching each band set up all of their own stuff then catch up with sweaty bandmates and fans on the merch stands after their set. Something often absent from larger venues. It is Friday night. I am in Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. And that is exactly what Jock-rockers Twin Atlantic with support from Canterbury and local boys, I Am Hope all did.

To be honest, I loved these Twin Atlantic's set so much I barely had chance to take any mental notes, so here are the highlights. Opening their set with You're Turning Into John Wayne, the oddly placed smell of Olbas Oil, BO and Quavers, massive asymmetric riffs, mental onstage acrobatics, mind boggling arrangements and a, ahem, cello. A lack of time and a lack of atomosphere from a less than enthusiastic crowd was definitely a surprise but didn't really spoil my night. News of Canterbury hecklers had obviously made it's way to the dressing room and back to the stage with the righteous Sam McTrusty kicking ass. 

Canterbury, who are making tamborines rock again, spoilt the too-small crowd with layering riffs and double vocals into classic 2minute punk snapshots.

If Ringo had his sunnies, I Am Hope's bassist had his onstage barefeet. I Am Hope are a band who fully understand, love and respect their instruments. A love that will leave you gagging for them to feature on the next Rock Band. "This song is on our new EP so tell us now if it's shit...and we won't do it!".
Check out 1984 and Ones We Love.

Sorry about lack of photos guys, my camera is on the blink at the moment.

BBPD.

No Choice For Sophie...Or Us!

It's May 1st 2010. You're a South Welsh music lover and excited about the many gigs leading up to the festival season. Prepare for an England v Wales that will rock your socks.

It's May 1st 2010. Lostprophets play the CIA. Young Guns play Clwb Ifor Bach. But instead of a Sophie's Choice sitch, Young Guns will play a matinee so no one has to miss out on any fun! YES!

Straight from the Gun's mouth. Thanks Gus!

Young Guns tickets details at Young Guns Myspace blog.
Lostprophets ticket info at Ticket Master.

BBPD.

A Hug in A Headphone

Well last week was slightly richer in the singles stakes, what with (now not-so) brand spanking new shiz from Courteeners, Hot Chip and Marina and the Diamonds. But here goes.
Singles you probably don't own yet, but definitely should:
Calvin Harris - You Used To Hold Me (nu-disco goodness from the nu-disco Duke)
Taylor Swift - Today Was A Fairytale (like a shot-size romcom)
Helping Haiti - Everybody Hurts (albeit a predictable choice of song, it's for a better than good cause so don't be so cheap!)
John Q Public - Voices Of Refusal EP (donate what you want for this EP and ALL proceeds will go straight to the Haiti Relief Fund).

If you buy nothing else this week or could buy an album but that would mean eating value beans, then embrace the vaule beans.
Albums you need in your life today:
Massive Attack - Heligoland (They're supermassive and they're back. Nuff said.)

OK so I know they were released last week BUT Hot Chip have a One Life Stand with Your name on it and Peter Andre has, ermmm, no strings attached love waiting to embrace your ears. They're not shy and neither should you be.

Have fun with your iPods this week!

BBPD.

Cardiff is a Burning Fire!

"Does anyone know of a band called Deftones?" enquires a dripping Charlie Simpson. Cue a sold-out crowd screaming affirmations. "They're probably one of the best bands to ever walk this planet...this is Be Quiet and Drive Far Away." Cue more screams of jubilation. Cue painful melodies and vocals that rasp the no-less-than-beautiful lyrics against your soul. This is the first song of their en core. This is the first moment of silence from the thrashing mosh pit since support band, The Xcerts, kept us pumped with riffs and attention grabbing arangements. This is mesmerizing. This is Fightstar and they are sweaty.

Fightstar, completed by guitarist Alex Westaway, bassist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi, captivated Cardiff's Millenium Music Hall and kept the mob thrashing, swelling and rocking out with rifftastic favourites A City On Fire, Chemical Blood and The English Way. While the anthem Palahnuik's Laughter created a manic frenzy not for the faint of heart. And that was just on stage!

When this group of under-the-radar bandits hit your town, make sure you're in attendance. It's compulsory.

BBPD.

PS Photos to follow very shortly I hope...

Practically Giving It Away

Cardiff punks John Q Public release their forthcoming EP on Monday February 8th on a 'Pay what you want' scheme; which means, yes, you can have it for free but you should probably give something for it. The One By One singers will donate 100% of proceeds of Voices Of Refusal EP to the Haiti Relief Fund. So get involved. Get the EP. It will enhance your iPod AND the lives of people who need your help.

Refusal EP

www.haitirelieffund.org

BBPD

Free Shit for Followers!

Free stuff is great isn't it? BBPD has some free shizzle to send to you signed by your favourite rock Hercules: a My Passion flyer signed by all the band, a Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour 2010 ticket signed by Lostprophets' Stuart Richardson and Luke Wilson (who happened to be hanging out around the merch stands, which was nice) and a signed copy of Young Guns' EP Mirrors.

All you have to do is follow this blog and answer the following question:

Who headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour 2010 and what was their encore song?

Answers below in the comments box. First to answer correctly will win.

BBPD.

Relentless...All Time Low

The quintessential place to dance around like a tit like a fake ID-wielding, alco-pop guzzling teen. Ahhh, those were the days! Yet while the others on the bill had no choice but to embrace the mosh pits that smashed the crowds, Baltimore's own pop-punkers All Time Low had to request one. This speed bump didn't stand in the way of the energetic quartet giving the Duracell bunny a run for his money though with entertainment from start to finish in the form of guitar solos, fashion tips, glow in the dark graffiti back drops and "gratitude from the top to the tip of his (Alex's) penis" kept the crowd bouncing. Alex Gaskarth's "love the energy in here, it's very Welsh...I have a little Welsh in me" followed by Jack Dawson's quick witted "You all have a little Alex in you. If you're lucky, you could have some of myself or Rian in you later." A sweet sentiment that wasn't lost on the sweaty pits of the audience.

The banter, dicking about on stage, taking the piss out of The Blackout and fart jokes combined with classic, punchy pop punk riffs created a set that was second to none in the fun stakes. No matter where you bounced, you felt like the band were looking right at you - surely a bonus for the female dominant, 14+ crowd whose screams could be heard worldwide with an encore of Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't). All in all, a good, unclean fun show.

BBPD

Relentless...The Blackout

In the almighty words of The Blackout's Sean Smith, who for the record hearts man boobs and manginas, "Kneel down or fuck off!".

Ballsy out-bursts, cracking on stage chemistry and anthemic rasping rock songs - I'm A Riot You're A Fucking Riot  was a corker. These 3 things are all to be expected from Merthyr's best in town - albeit the girl next to me playing her PSP would disagree. What a chump! Banter around illegal downloads, crowd surfing parents, "girls zombies boys get ya guns out" and "I'm not lying. I'm not making this shit up. That is the best that has ever been sung" are all part of the charming repertoire from South Wales' next big thing. 

BBPD.