Alvin Purple (Band Of The Week)

Our Band Of The Week, is a feature designed to promote the wonderful unsigned and indie label talent on offer in the UK right now. Alvin Purple are this week’s choice. A Leeds based electronic, indie-pop outfit, who began their musical career in 2008, by making a bedroom demo, armed with only a laptop and a couple of microphones. The response that the demo received caught the four piece a little off guard, causing them to decamp to Leeds and concentrate on writing and rehearsing on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Sunday, 19 September 2010

Open Up And End Credits - Liverpool Music Week 29/10 to 25/11

Next month sees the start of the 8th annual Liverpool Music Week – the UK’s largest indoor winter festival – and electonica features heavily in this year’s line-up.

Written by: Les Roberts | Date: Wednesday, 15 September 2010

Mona (Band Of The Week)

Our Band Of The Week, is a feature designed to promote the wonderful unsigned and indie label talent on offer in the UK right now. This week however Stereoboard crosses the pond to highlight the musical talent of Nashville based four piece Mona. So far Mona have caused quite a stir in the UK, they have been featured by other music news outlets, reaching number 1 in the buzz chart and have featured in the top 50 bands of 2010, this is before the group have even released a song.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Friday, 10 September 2010

Stereoboard Chats With Experimental New York Band, Yeasayer

Stereoboard catches a quick interview with Yeasayer’s Ira Wolf Tuton, while they set up for a gig. We look ahead to the set they have just played at Leeds Festival and also discuss life on the road, as the band head onto a massive tour with dates in the USA and UK. The New York group, who released their second album, Odd Blood earlier this year, continue to achieve acclaim, producing their experimental indie pop sound and dazzling live audiences with their visual and musical brilliance.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Sunday, 05 September 2010

Littlemores (Band Of The Week)

Our Band Of The Week, is a feature designed to promote the wonderful unsigned and indie label talent on offer in the UK right now. Littlemores are this week's Band of the Week. An extremely gifted, young four piece from York, whose ska infused, Indie music continues to wow crowds with its mix of jangly guitars, trumpet and accordion accompaniment with excellent, witty lyrics.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Saturday, 04 September 2010

One Man's Meat - A Feature by David Evans

Nigh-on twenty years before the first of the Batman blockbusters hit the big screen, the TV series was broadcast in the UK; and if ever an American import epitomised the one-man’s-meat-is-another-man’s-poison adage, this was it. Due in no small part to the advance razzmatazz, the public expectation was of action-packed, edge-of-the-seat tales of the Caped Crusader’s derring-do. And so when each and every episode turned out to be a slapstick parody in which the villains were camped up by aging or little known actors, it was no wonder that the sound of disappointment rang loud … fast forward forty-plus years and the fight scenes remain famous for the introduction of words like ‘zap’ and ‘wham’ and ‘pow’ plastered across the screen – a neat trick which served to mask wide-of-the- mark punches and sets and furniture that were reduced to smithereens simply because they were cobbled out of cardboard and balsa.

Written by: David Evans | Date: Tuesday, 31 August 2010

The Hall Of Mirrors (Band Of The Week)

Our Band Of The Week, is a feature designed to promote the wonderful unsigned and indie label talent on offer in the UK right now. The Hall Of Mirrors are this week's selection. A 7 piece psychedelic pop/French pop group from London, who produce a sound which is very reminiscent of groups such as The Velvet Underground and Jefferson Airplane.

Written by: Adam Simpson. | Date: Saturday, 28 August 2010

INTRODUCING: Colour of Sound Release New Single 'Open Room' - Listen Now

Step aside Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics, Colour of Sound have arrived! Emerging Newport band Colour of Sound will release their stunning new single 'Open Room' this October. You can watch the video for the single below. Taken form their debut album 'When', music fans will be enraptured by the release, which overflows with a spell binding combination of soulful guitar rock, moving vocals, charming lyrics and an all round brilliant level of musicianship. Inspired by folk forefathers Neil Young and The Band, 'When' by Colour of Sound will be released on Red Grape Records on 27th September 2010.

Written by: Nigel Sachdev | Date: Wednesday, 25 August 2010

Every Avenue - Tell Me I'm A Wreck (Video of the Week)

Every Avenue's stunning video for new single "Tell Me I'm A Wreck" is Stereoboard.com's video of the week. Directed by Stephen Penta (Innerpartysystem, The Killers, Alesana), the video for the Michigan pop punk band's new single is a very personal take on the sassy singalong hit single from acclaimed new album 'Picture Perfect'. Featuring interviews with the band's family, friends and loved ones, the video has been resonating with fans worldwide since it's premiere on MTV2 earlier this week, and is currently Kerrang! TV's video of the week.

Written by: Nigel Sachdev | Date: Monday, 23 August 2010

Spring Offensive - Band of the Week (Feature)

Our Band Of The Week, is a feature designed to promote the wonderful unsigned and indie label talent on offer in the UK right now. Spring Offensive are this week’s Band of the Week. A very talented 5 Piece from Oxford, who can fall rather nicely into the alternative-indie category, but do not for one minute imagine that their music is categorised that easily. Indeed, the group play a very diverse and unique array of music, all functioning to progress the meaning of the groups wonderful, creative lyrics.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Saturday, 21 August 2010

Stereoboard Interviews Brazilian Group Chapa Ahead of Album Release

Stereoboard Interviews Chapa, the three brothers from Brazil, who are set to release their first English language album, Creation Room on October 4th. Marcos Chapa, from the group, who are now based in London, spoke with us at stereoboard, about the history of the band, the UK groups who have inspired them and their anticipation, ahead of their new album.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Monday, 16 August 2010

Secret Sirens - Band of the Week (Feature)

Our Band Of The Week, is a feature designed to promote the wonderful unsigned and indie label talent on offer in the UK right now. The first group in this series are the fantastic unsigned Yorkshire act Secret Sirens.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Saturday, 14 August 2010

Stereoboard Talks Touring and Record Labels with Spring Offensive

Stereoboard interviews unsigned band, Spring Offensive during the Manchester leg of their UK tour. We find out what the band have achieved through touring and also how the band feel about life as an unsigned band and whether the draw of a label to organise your tours etc, is something which they desire right now. This is the penultimate leg on your UK tour, why did you decide that now was the right time to go on tour and how has the tour gone?

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Thursday, 12 August 2010

From Colour It In To Wall of Arms - Evolution of The Maccabees (FEATURE)

Little did I know standing in a sweaty, packed out tent at Oxegen a few years ago that the band I was listening to would very soon become one of my favourite bands. I was hugely sceptical of the whole Indie genre having been brought up on a staple diet of rock, metal and blues, but with no other bands on at the same time I had any interest in, I had thought why not. After being dragged to the tent by a friend who had heard these guys were good, I was less than enthusiastic when the five-piece took to the stage.

Written by: Daniel Lynch | Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2010

UK's Foremost Brit-Ska Band: The Communicators At Boomtown Fair 2010

Next weekend will mark the fourth year of the UK’s Boomtown Fair, a unique festival that offers up the best ska and party bands across the world, including live gigs from an array of gypsy, folk, reggae, dub and country and western acts.

Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Saturday, 07 August 2010

Stereoboard Interviews The Lottery Winners - 2010 Live And Unsigned Champions

Following on from winning Live And Unsigned, Stereoboard Interviews The Lottery Winners. We find out what winning the competition has meant to the four piece from Leigh and what the band have in the pipeline now they have the title of Live And Unsigned 2010 winners under their belts.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Thursday, 05 August 2010

A Dubstep Too Far? - A Feature by David Evans

If the truth is known, I didn’t deserve to drop lucky on my first ever visit to a car boot sale: after a Saturday night on the town, with a newt following me around taking notes, I should have spent the morning between the sheets, sleeping off the effect of five too many Tequila slammers. I gave the wife du jour a mouthful each time she tried to rouse me, and might possibly have stomached the nagging if the Paracetamol had been close at hand … and if the dog hadn’t been so nimble I would have toe-ended it down the stairs for wagging it’s tail so noisily.

Written by: David Evans | Date: Saturday, 31 July 2010

Life As An Unsigned Band Part 3 - The Sound Engineers (FEATURE)

So far we’ve seen how bands form, practice, get gigs and release music (PART 1) and how promoters work in their jobs of organising gigs, recruiting bands and advertising the show (PART 2). However, there are people working almost behind the scenes who are integral to this whole process. This section will explore the role of the sound engineer. For anybody who doesn’t know, this is the guy who, at a gig, painstakingly mics up every single instrument, drum and voice, and balances all the volumes so that the listener can hear as much as possible with optimum clarity.

Written by: Daniel Lynch | Date: Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Its Grim Up North - Why Is It So Hard For Unsigned Northern Acts To Make It?

Being an unsigned band is not an easy task. Financial issues, working around full time jobs and studying, or just getting a gig. The list of problems are endless and groups often have to do everything themselves. Management, promotion, photography, web sites, whilst still trying to play and write good music. And all this comes with no guarantees, even the fact that you are a fantastic group, with a good fan base and a huge online following means nothing. Getting that elusive record deal is a lottery and only a few lucky ones ever receive the winning ticket. A quick look at MySpace will reveal the vast number of unsigned acts out there all aiming for the same goal and a huge number of these groups are pretty good.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Stereoboard Interviews Acclaimed Singer/Songwriter Josh Ritter

Stereoboard received the opportunity to interview acclaimed singer/songwriter Josh Ritter, following the release of his 6th recorded album, So Runs The World Away and ahead of his impending UK tour in September. The artist who has been named as one of the top 100 songwriters of all time and compared with the great Bob Dylan talks about inspiration, his 10 year career so far and the music business.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Saturday, 24 July 2010