Album Review... Airship - Stuck In The Ocean

'Stuck In The Ocean' is the début album by Mancunian band Airship. While waiting for the making of the album, I've been feeding off the band’s 2 EPs, namely 'Algebra' and 'Spirit Of The Beehive'. Maybe because I'm really used to the songs on their EPs, the new mixes heard in the actual album didn’t sound quite right to me.



Starting off the album, we have 'Algebra' - a new mix. Instead of the 'old' one which opens directly with guitar chords, the 'new' version has an intro to it. The intro, in my opinion, doesn't do much good. I much prefer the song opening directly. Despite being a bit disappointed by the first track, the second track made it all up. 'Invertebrate' is an extremely joyous song. Its bouncy rhythm and loud crashes just makes me feel a rush of serotonin to my brain. Although I don’t really know the lyrics, I still hum engagingly to it - that’s how good it is. Don’t trust me? Try for yourself!



Following up next is 'Kids', a song that I think has a lot of meaning in it. Musically, the song is energetic and would be very suitable for the nearly over summer. The fourth track, 'Gold Watches' acts as an interlude, as it's not as loud as the previous tracks. Occupy yourself in an adventure with Airship by playing 'Gold Watches'. I somehow linked the green in their band shot to this track, 'Gold Watches' seems to be taking me to that particular forest.







'Spirit Party is one of my favourite tracks by Airship from their EPs. To be frank, I do not quite like this album version. This 'new' version seems much more fast-paced. I enjoy the bit of serenity that’s in the 'old' one. The bit towards the end is a bit too chaotic for my liking. After having heard this album version, I actually went back to the EP version, and not surprisingly, found myself more in love with the old one.



Fast forward to the later part of the album, there is 'Test'. It has an interesting recurring guitar riff that is played throughout the song. The title track, 'Stuck In The Ocean' is found at the very last of the album. 'I've been living in a coma' starts the song in a mysterious way. Soon as the song progresses, and the drums and guitar kicks in, it comes alive. It puts a nice little full stop to the album. You’ll find some of the earlier tunes from the album ringing in your head for a while.

Even though I am mildly disappointed by the new mixes of the older songs off Airship’s EP, this album is highly enjoyable in terms of a début.



Airship - Stuck In The Ocean

Out of 10: 8/10



Algebra - Airship by [PIAS] Recordings



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Airship - Spirit Party



By - Coco Wong

It's All Indie #2

"The Summer Issue" - Presented by Coco Wong



The track-list
1) Is Tropical - South Pacific
2) French Horn Rebellion vs Database - Beaches and Friends (NYC edit)
3) Age Of Consent - Heartbreak (Demo)
4) Silverclub - All In All
5) A.Human - Take Me Home
6) Danimal Kingdom - Amputee Spirit
7) Real Fur - Pride

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Interview: Hoodlums

A fellow interviewer Coco Wong is back with an interview with Lou Vainglorious from Hoodlums, (Vocals/Guitar). Here they talk about the début album and what they have been getting up to.

First of all, congratulations on the release! As a quick introduction, can you tell us the story behind the name ‘Hoodlums’?

Thank you very much; it’s been a long time coming for this band and we are all very excited about LANDMARKS.In regards to the name obviously we are very much gentlemen and not ‘HOODLUMS’, unfortunately our collective past was peppered with some unsavoury types. In homage to their failed attempts to break our spirit we named our band ‘HOODLUMS’ after them.

Regarding your new single which is out on Monday, ‘Landmarks’, what exactly are the landmarks that the song’s about?

I’m a terminal reflector it seems, and sometimes I feel like I can only move forward through looking backwards in songs.Landmarks is just a little day dream I had not to long ago about the crooked path that led me to this point in my life. Not so much a yellow brick road kind of thing, more like a series of dead ends, trapdoors and tightropes followed by one singular red fire exit being held open by a certain ginger double bassist.

‘Landmarks’ sounds very different from ‘Forget A Friend’. I wonder what inflicted that change in style?

I can see why you might think that as we have only allowed a select few recordings out into the world thus far. The truth is ‘Landmarks’ and ‘Forget a Friend’ both belong to a vast family of songs which when presented at the same time should make perfect sense. You could say different rooms in the same house...........if so ‘Forget A Friend’ would be the bedroom and ‘Landmarks’ would be the cellar.

Aha...have you been doing any recording lately? When can we expect a new single / a début album maybe?

The second single will be out in October and its called 'Dark Horses', then another one just after Xmas. The album is going to cost a bit more money, for it to be everything we want it to be creatively there’s got to be a half decent recording budget. Our manager will be working on finding us the right long term home as this filthy tale unfolds. For now we have three cracking singles lined up.

Wow! I can't wait to listen to Dark Horses! Are there any anecdotes that took place in the studio?

'Landmarks' and forthcoming single 'Dark Horses' were both recorded at Leeder’s Farm studios out in Norfolk a few months back. We were locked up there for a week like 5 Randal McMurphy’s in a follow up to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. During one particular bout of cabin fever myself and Hoodlums drummer Henry Tyler recorded a version of the Bee Gee’s 70’s hit Saturday Night Fever and its exquisite. Everyone has their own way of going round the bend.

Since summer’s coming, are there any festivals that you’re looking forward to playing at?

We are very much looking forward to another monumental year playing at Secret Garden Party, last year we did three shows and it was combined with some of the most shameful drinking and decadence this band has seen.At one point our keyboard player Ollie was scaring the life out of a young boy in a backstage Jacuzzi while Henry was wandering around in his pants with an inflatable pink flamingo around his neck.On the way out the bouncer had “NO MORE HOODLUMS” written on his clipboard, the shows rocked too.

Thanks Lou and Chris for making this interview possible. - Coco Wong

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Track of the week... Grass House’s - A Cradle A Short Breath

This shiny new single (only released today!) by Grass House features the rather mesmerising yet soothing vocals by Liam. Since it’s a song released in summer, Grass House intended to break the stereotypical dark shadows that seemed to have covered the band for a while.

A huge contrast to their last single 'Lazy Bones', 'A Cradle A Short Breath' is obviously lighter and more uplifting. Do not believe me? See for yourself! The music video for 'Lazy Bones' is in black and white; whilst the one for 'A Cradle A Short Breath' is very bright and even has a tinge of humour in it. 'A Cradle A Short Breath' is very suitable for a sunny summer day out. Imagine yourself lying on the grass and starting at the blue sky and this song is playing... I can only think of one word... relaxing. Despite being not danceable, 'A Cradle A Short Breath' will still be one of my summer anthems for 2011. Who says summer tunes must be beats-driven!



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Grass House’s - A Cradle A Short Breath

Written and reviewed by - Coco Wong

Introducing - Not Cool

I have only found this band for less than a week, but I think their EP will be ringing in my head for at least a month. Presenting to you is “Rugged Raw” by a London-based band called Not Cool. “Rugged Raw” is an eight-track EP released on Sleep All Day Records after the band have sold out a few singles.

Here are the tracks you should listen to 'SST (Sexless Seaside Towns'), As everyone knows, Britain is surrounded by seas. There are also a lot of seaside towns, but sexless ones? I am pretty sure the bass on this track can give the situation a 180˚ twist. The song might seem gentle at the very beginning, but it gets louder and louder towards the end.

'Perfect Hair Forever', A song about hair, as suggested by the title. I can imagine hearing the line “We want perfect hair forever!” being played at the very end of a GHD advert. If you’re one of those who can’t live a day without hair products, you will be able to relate to this track easily. Music-wise, the guitar is really dominant in this track. This song is very fun and lively.



'Queens', This is my favourite track on this EP, it is also one of the tracks I heard when I’ve just discovered this band. The very wild vocal is backed up with the thriving guitar strums. Summing up all that is what you get - this amazing track. The half-opened hi-hats give this song a more ‘rough, gutter’ feeling.

And finally there is 'Hideous Men', I would consider this and Queens the most “easy-listening” tracks on this album, because with the other tracks, you either like it or you don’t as they are really diverse in style. Hideous Man though, inclines more to the pop side, thus making it more easily accepted by listeners. I love how this song comes to an end with some drum rolls.‘Queens’ has just been released as a single, and the video is in a link below.

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Not Cool - Queens (Video)

By - Coco Wong