Have You Fallen In Love With 'Dates'?

A new channel 4 series has really caught my attention recently; Dates is host to a multitude of recognisable faces, including Will Mellors and Sheridan Smith. Each episode depicts the relatable cringiness of a first date: trying to impress the other; finding common ground to begin conversations; subtly flirting by playing with your hair.
I stumbled across the first episode on demand when I was sat on my sofa, bored out of my mind after finishing my A levels and having nothing productive to do. I really enjoyed the first episode, however, and after watching the following episodes, it is still my favourite so far.
The first episode showcases the first date of David and Mia (Will Mellor and Oona Chaplin). David is a genuine down to earth guy looking for love again after the tragic death of his childhood sweetheart and mother to his four children. Mia is a seductive singleton who enjoys the attention men give her because of her looks, but who runs at the sight of any true feelings. Initially, Mia plans on standing David up. She turned up at the restaurant, judged him on his outfit, and left him hanging for over half an hour until he finally clicked on. But his stereotypical northern attitude to her 'bullshit' captivated her - it seems she's not used to men standing up to her - and she stayed for the meal. Everything seemed to be going pretty well for a date that started off that awfully, and the sexual tension was evident from the offset. But, there's always a twist in TV, and of course, the lovable David couldn't find happiness in the first episode: Mia 'went to the loo' and didn't come back.

Twitter Find Of The Day: Village Green.

Classic British indie rock has been reintroduced into my playlist thanks to the brilliantly talented Village Green. The group (who are coincidentally from my hometown!) followed me on Twitter recently, and after checking out their Facebook page and SoundCloud, I am already excited to see them perform at some point in the near future!
Village Green are a 5 piece rock band, very reminiscent of britpop artists Oasis, who create tracks that are not only unbelievably catchy, but also music that makes you feel positive and inspired. It's the kind of music that you need to listen to before a stressful day to get you motivated; the kind of music which makes you want to sit in the garden with a union jack flag drinking beer; the kind of music which makes you want to express yourself the way these guys do.

Album Review: Scream Shout - Threads.

Scream! Shout! Say Nothing was first conceived in an Irish pub a decade ago; after previous "serious" bands for all five members - Ben Davies, Ben Street, Chris Hollis, Dan Magee and Jamie Dunn - this was always thought of as a project with no aim other than making music they all enjoy. 
 Within a year, the post-hardcore outfit were preparing to set off in a bus bought for £500 from a local pool team, to play gigs up and down the UK. Graffiti-style pool balls splashed across the side of their mechanically frail ride, with the help of their new label Scylla Records, and a large percentage of the staff of the RAC, Scream Shout played their first UK tour. The following four years saw two EPs, support slots with Hell Is For Heroes, Enter Shikari, Don Broco and Deaf Havana, and many more tours (in a slightly less catastrophic bus). 

Twitter Find Of The Day: Foy Vance.

I discovered the beautifully soothing vocals of Foy Vance thanks to possibly my favourite musician EVER, Gary Lightbody (lead singer of Snow Patrol), who tweeted a YouTube link of the track 'Joy Of Nothing'. I immediately fell in love with the harmony in this song, and how intensely it was stripped bare to just his voice and minimal instruments. With nothing but his rogue-ish irish tones and his acoustic guitar, Foy Vance captivated me within two minutes, so much so I spent the rest of my night trawling through YouTube to find any other tracks by him. Not only does he have a beautiful voice, he has a very impressive moustache to match! (seriously, it is amazing). 

Series Round Up: The Fall.

BBC Two's psychological crime thriller had me hooked from the start, and two days after watching the finale of series one, I am still in awe at the script and acting of the show, and unbelievably excited for series two!

The Fall followed Paul Spector, a grief counsellor, husband and father, as he planned and carried out disturbing crimes for sexual gratification. The main difference between The Fall and any other crime thriller of late is the fact you are confronted with the murderer from the very opening scene. Seeing Spector as a father is particularly shocking as you realise he is not a two dimensional monster, but a complex, twisted individual.

Caught Live: Musket (Supporting The Family Rain).

First of all, I would like to apologise profusely for my lack of posts the past week. The past week has been 'exam week' and I've been so busy revising for my A Levels I couldn't full dedicate myself to posting for you all. The good news is that my last exam was this morning, so I am now free! Normal blogging standards will commence straight away, hope you enjoy!

Last Monday I went to see The Family Rain in Stockton; I first discovered The Family Rain on Twitter thanks to @NME, and when I found out they were headlining a tour round the corner from my hometown, I couldn't resist! I've posted a gig review of The Family Rain for 'A Music Blog, Yea?', which you can check out here.
The support act at the gig was a local band called Musket, who reside in nearby Billingham. Their rocky vibes were perfect for getting us all in the mood for The Family Rain, and really added to the authentic mood The Green Room provided; it felt like you were a part of something special as you experienced new, raw music stripped to its core.