Trampolene
For me personally, it would be a crime not to start this post with my absolute favourites. It is no secret to anyone who knows me, that I am a huge fan of Trampolene. Not only because they’re the most friendly and down to earth band, you will have the pleasure of getting to know, but because their music is out of this world. Upon initially discovering Trampolene, I was hit in the face by the sheer power of their lead single ‘You Do Nothing For Me’ but after listening to them more, I discovered an incredibly soft side to the vocals of lead singer Jack Jones, and this is what I fell in love with. How someone can sing with such raw spirit and passion on guitar shredding songs such as ‘Alcohol Kiss’, and then utterly tame their voice to a beautiful soothing lullaby on other songs like ‘She Sits With Me’, it just melted my heart. I’ve seen this band perform live several times now, and every time I see them they just get better. Despite the recently sad departure of drummer Rob Steele; Trampolene continue on their journey with Jack Jones, Wayne Thomas and new drummer Jay Bone. You can catch them at select locations on the upcoming Libertine’s Tour.
Buzzard, Buzzard, Buzzard
I will admit I was a bit late catching on to the brilliance of Buzzard, but by god am I glad I’ve joined that party. I’d heard of Buzzard’s chaotic, fantastically flamboyant live performances, but I’d yet to see them for myself. With my Swansea Fringe ticket in hand, I was eagerly excited to see Buzzard, and they didn’t let my high expectations down. Lead singer, Tom Rees, is a law all to himself, with not only a fantastic voice in the bag, but a wonderfully fun on stage presence that I dare anyone not to be captured by. Buzzard are brilliant to watch live, and since the show, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned up the volume of ‘Love Forever’ and ‘Double Denim Hop’ in my car. If you want a proper feel good, fun Welsh band, with a modern twist on a classic rock n’ roll sound, then look no further than Buzzard, Buzzard, Buzzard.
CHROMA
I’m going to mention one song, and one song only here, ‘Girls Talk’. It is phenomenal. Hailing from the welsh valley’s, CHROMA really pack a punch with their sound and unmistakable Welsh vocals. I absolutely love it when a Welsh band really let their accents come through thick in their vocals, and it’s truly glorious from CHROMA. Beautiful and powerfully female-fronted, CHROMA are fantastic to watch live. Katie Hall is a wonder on stage, and really gives you that girl-power vibe, keep doing what you’re doing girl! Also, if anyone is a Welsh speaker, this band are even better for you, as they have a lot of songs in the Welsh language. Even if you’re not a Welsh speaker, I still urge you to give them a listen anyway, as Katie’s vocals are mind-blowing, as are the guitar, bass and drums.
Rosehip Teahouse
With a new album looming on the horizon, and a number of live shows already under their belt, Rosehip Teahouse are definitely ones to watch. I’ve been lucky enough to see them play twice in a short space of time now, and I just get a warm, fuzzy feeling from watching their live performances. As well as their individual crafted sound, their material is heartfelt but also has the boldness to touch upon delicate subjects. Music is a message, and to see a songwriter and band having the courage to show such expression and heart in their lyrics is truly admirable and fundamentally important. The words are hard-hitting, but are sung so softly, that they caress and linger on your skin. Every single time this band finish their set, I’ve been left wanting more. I really can’t wait to see the journey Rosehip Teahouse are going to take. Having the pleasure of also having watched their sound checks, and seeing them after gigs, I love that you can see how close they are. There’s a real homely feeling to their sound and character, and I just love it. I’m excited to see what the future brings for this band.
Those Damn Crows
Your local Welsh rock band, Those Damn Crows. This band has skyrocketed over the last few years, winning multiple awards and taking their music across the length and breadth of the UK. I really feel proud of what these guys have achieved, and how far they are going to go. I’m a sucker for a good, classic rock band. Give me a guitar, give me drums and give me a powerhouse of a lead singer and I’m there. The Crows really bring it. I saw them support the incredible ‘Massive Wagons’ over a year ago now, and they almost stole the show. A Welsh band performing in the heart of Swansea, with a dedicated following in tow, trust me when I say you could feel the crowd’s excitement swallow the room. Onstage, The Crows will bring you a loud, energy-packed rock show. If you ever go and see them play live, get down the front, take your earplugs out and get into the atmosphere for this band. They will blow you away. Songs such as ‘Rock n roll ain’t dead!’ (get it) and ‘Blink of an eye’ are stand-out favourites for me.
Dan Bettridge
I know Dan Bettridge is a solo artist, but his backing band are lovely, so they’re being included in my blog post. I’m sorry if this is technically against the rules.
Where do I start with this? Well I think it’s fair to say that Dan Bettridge has an old-romantic soul, which is reflected stunningly in his music. He’s a singer that could soothe you to sleep. Now I’m not saying his music is boring by any means, instead think of it as a warm hug. I adore acoustics, and Dan really has that folky, acoustic guitar sound that I love. Think of a Welsh Paolo Nutini, but with more of an American-folk style. I can just imagine sitting in the New Orleans sunset, on a big ol’ American porch, listening to Dan’s music. His voice is so unique and comforting, everyone should have his songs on repeat. If you’re feeling a little stressed right now, and need something to listen to, put on ‘Rosie Darling’ and I promise you’ll feel a bit better. His music is soothing and his live shows are mesmerizing. Last time I saw him in the cosy downstairs room of Clwb, I actually found myself having that lost in the moment feeling. I was just consumed by the beauty of his voice. As much I love a loud, rowdy gig; I truly adore those moments where you can be so still, just listening, and you feel yourself connect with the stage. To be in a gig where you can’t hear a pin drop but the sound of the band, where the crowd are stood in awe of the beauty of who they are listening to. Have I got your attention yet? Trust me on this.
The People The Poet
With a jagged edge to the voice of lead singer Leon Stanford, it is hard not to enjoy the sound of The People The Poet. A homegrown band, who are as friendly as they are musically talented, have an infectious on stage spell that they cast over anyone who sees them. You can’t help but be charmed by them and their music. They’re the loveliest bunch of boys you’ll meet and are so deserving of all the success they are set to achieve, after putting in years of hard work playing across Wales in every small venue you could imagine. They have a classic old rock n’ roll style, accompanied by Leon’s whiskey-smoke vocals and flawless playing. They’re different to your usual modern rock band, and this works tremendously in their favour. So many rock bands are just carbon copies of each other, but The People The Poet are a refreshing change. I wish them all of the success for their future, and I’ll definitely be keeping a keen eye on them.
Adwaith
Having just released their first English language single ‘Wine Time’; primarily Welsh vocalized band Adwaith have seriously impressed me with this swirl of indie goodness. Following in the footsteps of Welsh heavyweights Boy Azooga, Adwaith recently walked away with the Welsh Music Prize. Unlike all of the other bands I’ve written about in this list, I haven’t yet had the pleasure of seeing Adwaith perform live. Therefore taking this into account coupled with the ever-frustrating fact that I can’t speak my homeland’s language. I’m ashamed to say that, rather narrow-mindedly, prior to the release of ‘Wine Time’, Adwaith’s music was a lost cause on me. As this band had been making a quiet buzz in my peripheral vision and were certainly on my radar of music events, I really kick myself for not seeing them before now. Their sound is very up my street, and I have definitely learned my lesson that language is certainly no barrier in your own unique music tastes. Don’t be a fool like I was, give Adwaith a chance, I promise you won’t regret it.
Apostle
I’ve only discovered Apostle recently, after seeing them support Dan Bettridge, and honestly I thought they were so great, I needed to write about them! The Cardiff based band are different to the usual genre of music I listen to, with more of a pop sound, but honestly this is refreshing and their songs are incredibly catchy. Apostle were a pleasant surprise for me on stage, having a totally different sound to what I expected. They’re a band I’ll definitely look out for if they are embarking on a solo gig or supporting in the future, just because their music is so upbeat and exciting. The band work wonderfully well together when performing, and I love how they mix the vocals between lead singer Sion Russell Jones and other members of the three-piece band, it adds a lot more variety into their performance and helps you to focus on all of the band rather than just the lead. They really left a smile on my face after their set, and isn’t that what live music is all about? If you want to feel happy too, and have a little dance in your room, listen to ‘Lavender’.
Panic Shack
Anyone who has read my first blog post should have had a pretty good idea that I’d be including Panic Shack in this list. Fresh off the back of supporting Amyl and The Sniffers in Cardiff, Panic Shack certainly gained a room full of fans that evening; myself for one. Their set was fantastic, and I loved how brilliantly they moulded together as a band. Their 80s style, combined with raw powerful vocals and intensely played instruments make for incredible music, and really brought this band to the forefront of ‘wow’ for me. You can read my full review of their set at Clwb here. For now, just let me say, that this band are most definitely ones to watch. I’m so glad I discovered them when I did, and I can’t wait to see how far they go.
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and that you find the time to listen to a few if not all of these incredible bands. However, if there is a Welsh band you could scream at me for not having included here, please get in touch. I always LOVE listening to new music, and discovering bands to worship along with my favourites above. Please don’t be a stranger.
Thank you for reading xx
Image Credits:
http://www.instagram.com/trampolene_band
http://www.facebook.com/buzzardbuzzardbuzzard
Becky and the Bands 