Highlights of The Carpels

Photos by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

The Carpels

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Highlights of Swim Deep

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Highlights of Tempting Rosie

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

Photo by Sheryce Smith

The Carpels

Photo by Sheryce Smith

By 9.15pm the dance floor was flooded with the eager audience waiting for the headline act, The Carpels, and this crowd stayed throughout showing the growing fanbase of this once small Birmingham band.

The song ‘Sand’ was – in our opinion – the best track that they played. The different genres involved in this track make it stand out from the rest, the beginning guitar riff sounds like first album Arctic Monkeys as it’s significantly Indie and a typical Indie beginner, they incorporated dubstep into the prechorus which was a great way to relate to today’s music tastes and to get the audience dancing and the slightly Editors feel to the chorus and versus.

Not only did their music stand out but also the artists themselves as performers. Being able to charm a crowd with a bands character and personality is as crucial as being able to deliver good music- fortunately,The Carpels were able to succeed at both. The front-man’s movements are at the foreground of my mind. He kept the audiences energy up by frantically jolting his body around the stage bringing life to their songs further. However at times, the singer did in fact look possessed with his flinchy movements and rolled back eyes. But it worked. Even his vocals had an essence of forced pain but it’s all about creating a persona, an image, an identity on stage and The Carpels really did do that, which is why I feel they will be memorable to all those who attended One Beat Sunday today.

– Natasha Stapleton, Lauren Archer and  Sheryce Smith

Swim Deep

Photo by Sheryce Smith

This band has recently been on NME.com’s ‘radar’ page which finds bands and gives them publicity, they were involved in it for their new single ‘King City’ and it’s music video, and now we know why.

Swim Deep are naturally just what NME looks for and publishes in their weekly magazine, they’re young with a laid back attitude that ultimately makes you love them. Their presence is so carefree, as if they are just jamming with each other, especially the guitarist who almost resembled Kurt Cobain in stage presence. You can tell that the vocalist doesn’t like all the attention on him, as during a track he pulled his microphone and stand onto the dancefloor, faced it towards the band and watched and clapped, which was a nice unique touch.

The lyric ‘Sweet dreams until you wake up’ matches the dream like and eerie sound from the guitar which sounds similar to The Vaccines and The Drums; in fact the vocalist’s style is similar to Jonathan Pierce (the singer from The Drums) and the song ‘Pink’ had a catchy eerie guitar riff that sounded like The Cure.

The song that has stole NME’s heart ‘King City’ was introduced and the crowd shouted and cheered and we saw a smirk on each of the member’s faces – I’m guessing after one of your songs becomes well known you get used to the cheering. And the song didn’t disappoint, it’s as good live as it is recorded, it’s catchy, it’s quirky and it’s exactly what today’s generation loves!

In the final song, there is a lyric that is repeated often ‘Don’t just dream in your sleep, it’s lazy’ and this is exactly the type of mentality that these guys should have, they’re young, talented and loved, and it’ll stay that way and will increase more and more.

‘So this is what we look like… we look like a bunch of losers’ ponders the vocalist whilst on the dancefloor. However, I disagree, I think they look like a group of extremely talented young guys who have the potential to become the next biggest NME band… and I think many others will agree with me.

– Natasha Stapleton

Poppy and The Jezebels

“I’m in a very good mood today,” explained Molly Kingsley, bubbly frontwoman of Poppy and The Jezebels, “the sunshine has made me really happy.” And the happiness soon spread. The sweet sounds of this all-girl group were perfect for a sunny Sunday and in no time at all everyone was bobbing along.

The trancey keyboards, glistening synth and fun, upbeat drums work well with Kingsley’s sweet vocals, laced with Brummie undertones. The sound is light and airy, partially due to the lack of bass, and partially due to the fun, pop and Reggae influenced melodies.

Liam and Jack from The Scribers loved the fun, summery sound, saying: “It reminded us of 80s disco music. They were like a female 2 door cinema club.”

The Guardian dubbed them ‘clever, intriguing, funny and devastatingly cool’ and they’re certainly living up to the hype. ‘Momma’s Boy’ is loads of fun: their own sweet, sugary brand of Reggae. ‘Sign In, Dream On, Drop Out’ reveals hidden depths beneath the band’s soft exterior. The song explores ambitions and heartache in a fun, accessible way and shows that the girls have found their own direction.

This is a set of songs very different to their first hit – Rhubarb and Custard – but that’s no bad thing. Although their music remands light and fluffy, the lyrics no longer are. With this set, Poppy and The Jezebels are really starting to say something – in their trademark fun and catchy way. They are an exciting dose of girl power in an otherwise exclusively male lineup.

Lauren Archer

Rocking from an early age!

One of the most exciting – and surprising – things about One Beat Sunday is the number of young families in attendance. From the excitable toddler dragging his parents onto the dancefloor to the smiling babies in the front row, it’s becoming clear that this festival really does appeal to everyone!

Hollie (mother of Vinny, 14 months) said: “my mum suggested we come down today. She’d seen Tempting Rosie before and thought it would be a nice, summery day out – and Vinny has really enjoyed it!”

For Harrison, 10 months, this is his second gig. He’s from a musical family – a few weeks ago he was watching his grandfather Mick’s band (The Atlantic Players) at the Mostly Jazz Festival. Today, he’s out with mum Scarlet supporting dad Paul, who manages The Jacarandas. He looks like he’s having a lot of fun, and so are the rest of his family! Mick said: “There’s an amazing amount of young talent here.”

Lauren Archer

Tempting Rosie

Photo by Sheryce Smith

‘Do you think our music suits this weather?’ asks a member of ska band Tempting Rosie. The answer? Yes. Most definitely.

The band started their set powerfully, straight away getting the crowd to clap along to the drum beat and introducing the brass side of the band before they chime in; this immediately brought something different and exciting to the stage. Their enthusiasm is almost impossible to ignore and not get involved with and you could see the crowd did not want to take their eyes away incase they did something funny; they’re entertainers aswell as talented musicians, despite what they think. The same member said ‘we’re not as good at the talking part as we are the playing part’, well they need to think again, as their constant banter and communication with the audience entertained us all thoroughly.

They’re most definitely eye-catching; with various vocalists and 8 members in total, it’s hard to compare them to another band in recent years, and at such young ages aswell, it’s nice to see a genre that was so famous in the late 20th century in this day and age. Their music is so tight and together, it’s incredibly catchy and hard not to have a little dance too. They have so much passion and their attitude onstage shows that they’re there to have a great time even if the audience isn’t… but they were!

By the end of the set, a dancefloor had been created by people having SO much fun, dancing to a song with the lyrics ‘It makes me feel good’. Well guys, your music makes me and by the looks of things many others feel good!

– Natasha Stapleton

The Jacarandas

After a few hick ups, technical hitches and sleep deprivation, The Jacarandas began their set list that reminded me a little of The Smiths.  They hit us with songs that seemed very relevant to today’s events (on purpose or just coincidence- we’ll never know) such as “Sunshine Feeling” and “Sunday Times.” One of the lyrics were quite ironic saying “People here don’t see the sun, only the rain”which is extremely true,  but even when we do see the sun, we complain about it- how English of us.

The Jacarandas had a mix of songs, some which were quite harsh but others that were more soft. The soft songs that we’re accompanied by the sharp selection of guitar notes captivated me more.  When the lead vocalist is joined with a single guitar strumming harmonic chords it really is something else- something that really moves you.  And then soon after, every instrument in possession of the band amounts in unison as their harmonies balance one another and increase in volume to create a different atmosphere, as if we’ve been transported somewhere different.

Although this isn’t what I would usually download onto my own Ipod track list, with their cocky and charismatic front man and some of their mature sounding songs, they gave a pretty good performance, and I’m sure there’s more too come from The Jacarandas.

-Sheryce Smith

Jaws

It’s fair to say that Jaws don’t play by the rules. After a few technical issues (no fault of their own), they ask Jodi Ann Bickley to introduce them as “really cool guys looking for hot babes”. In all honesty, it becomes clear that…well…they’re not.

What they are, however, is talented. As they warm up to the tune of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, their preppy image gives way to a far harsher reality. The upbeat drums, moody, brooding vocals and high-pitched, almost whiny guitar shouldn’t work together – but they absolutely do. This, combined with their use of reverb, eerie samples and slow, walking bass create a totally unique sound that silences the audience and gives some members goose bumps.

What makes Jaws even better is how likeable they are. Their bassist-come-frontman (see, I said they didn’t play by the rules) starts the set off with an introduction: “We’re Jaws,” he smiles, “please like us. Please.” And like them we do. Their charming, vintage brand of indie rock is reminiscent of The Drums, but with far more depth. The bassist doesn’t seem to know the names of many of their songs, but I can assure you that each one is very different and very good.

The only issue with the band’s sound is the lack of clarity in the vocals. As audience member Hoon said, “It was good, but it would have been nice to hear the lyrics.” Perhaps this is intentional: another layer to their brooding, dense sound. However, it doesn’t quite work and a little more lyrical clarity would really help the audience connect with Jaws and their message.

All in all, Jaws know how to pack a punch and are certainly a group to watch out for.

Lauren Archer