I don’t understand friends that are nice to each other.  If I was to use more than my allotted number of genuine compliments per week would raise espionage-level suspicion.  This is not to say that I don’t love my friends, it’s just that most of my male friendships, for example, are built on a foundation of obscure insults and elaborate theoretical plots to maim one and other… and that’s OK.  I’m happiest when sharing a verbal-slap with friends, but admittedly this does mean that more serious capabilities and skills are often overlooked.  This tendency, combined with my being blessed with the observational prowess of a wounded bat, undoubtedly caused my failure to sooner realise that there was an exceptional unsigned musical talent lurking in my very own ramshackle friend-pool.

Here’s my mate Ryan Lawler.  I can think of 12 different ways I’d hurt him with a shoe and a piece of linoleum, he thinks it’s funny to serve drinks containing more than 10x the survivable volume of vodka… and also he sings.

Ok, I’m sorry.

Here’s my mate Ryan Lawler.  He’s a really talented singer with a beautifully rich tone which has entirely blind-sided me; such dexterity and control had never been eluded to in our various bar-bellows over the years.  I’m astonished.  Good lad.

Ryan Lawler-Free Falling (Cover)

What’s instantly noticeable in Lawler’s performances is the absence of any exertion.  He doesn’t appear to choreograph his vocals nor make any in-track preparation when he pushes through to a more rock-like tone.  Singing obviously comes naturally to Lawler and his work is visibly effortless.  I am always hesitant when using the word “effortless” to describe an artist as I think sometimes it may imply a lack of effort rather than a lack of the need for effort; Lawler completely embodies the latter interpretation.  There is not an ounce of strain nor falter in his confidence as he seamlessly raises projection or adds a closing trill, making him as much of an enjoyable artist to watch as he is to listen to.

There is a rich warmth to his vocal with a husky inflection teetering on the brink between a whisper and a growl.  It is consistent in sound but diverse in effect, he is able to change the emotion and persona of a track by just the slightest alteration in power to produce a gentle break or an ear-slapping roar.  It’s clear that he is very much in-tune with the pliable facets of his voice, choosing to record covers that allow him to showcase them all in one track, often by imaginatively combining multiple songs.  He treats every recording as an opportunity to showcase as much of his talent to his audience as possible – an admirably savvy tactic.

Ryan Lawler-Major Mash Up

Lawler is very well-rounded artist and plays the guitar with impressive dexterity.  Its acoustic tone really matches the rich vocal and together they produce a deliciously raw and uncluttered sound.  There are currently only cover songs available on Lawler’s YouTube account but it would be really interesting to hear how the combination of his imaginative song composition and his vocal character would translate on an original piece.  He’s certainly a unique and exciting talent and, given some decent exposure, is one who will certainly turn heads at a painfully quick rate.

Unfortunately, this feature has entirely exceeded my lifetime allowance for compliments in our friendship and I am now faced with the choice of actually using that shoe and linoleum or just bidding him good luck and farewell…

…see you soon, Lawler.

A few weeks ago I took up running.  I’m naturally of rake-like dimensions but figured that had been my excuse for being lazy long enough.  The first week was great, I was overtaking leaves at lightening speed and enjoying the toots of passing van-drivers as they commended me on my dedication and personality.  Soon into my now all-star track career, disaster struck.  I wasn’t run over, nor did I have a catastrophic collision with another runner causing us to both to take to the air then greet the road in spectacular fashion and share a lingering look before deciding we hated each other only to end up married after a series of comical chance encounters and an awkward situation involving a fish-tank… No.  My foot hurt.  It turns out that hi-tops, although fashionable, simply do not provide the support required of an ‘achilles tendon’; a rookie mistake induced by a post-university penny-shortage and a blatant ignorance to nursery level chiropody.  Needless to say my rivalry with Mo Farah met an untimely end.

The moral of this Andersen-esque fable is that success depends on the right resources, the right preparation and effective timing.  had I been aware that there are different shoes for different occasions outside of the basic pub/work/taking the bin out/nightclub framework I had been operating on I could have been the next Paula Radcliffe.  Had I waited until I could afford some actual running shoes I would not have been burdened with a poorly-oiled robot leg for 3 weeks.  If you’re already impressed by my ability to turn a cry for sympathy into a credible music-related analogy, prepare to gasp a little louder!

IYES.  They have all the right resources; their music is delightfully unique and clearly the product of a carefully prepared mix of talents.  The only injury to their immense stardom I can discern is timing, not the band’s own as no improvement can be made on ‘right now’, but rather the industry’s timing in donning their ably-sighted sneakers and immediately running IYES up the charts.

[That absolutely worked.]

IYES-Glow

As a huge fan of The XX I immediately fell in love with IYES, the two using a similar construct of contrasting vocals and electro-riff instrumentals.  Together Josh Christopher and Melis Soyaslanova have created a very current sound with such diverse potential.  Their music has an inherently chameleon appeal, approachable for the pop market but also relevant to less mainstream genres like chillstep and house.  The duality of the pair’s vocals afford the Brighton-based duo an impressive depth and range to their musical arsenal.  Soyaslanova’s light airy quality is effortlessly grounded by Christopher’s confident projection and the two meet in the middle with a breathy inflection embodying all it means to be creatively compatibile.  The delicate track introductions are especially enjoyable where Soyaslanova’s halcyon tones dance over a just a small pinch of synth and some expertly harmonic backing vocals from Christopher.

The natural vocal talent of the two artists is unavoidable, however their music also exhibits a high level of ingenuity and skill in their approach to its actual composition.  Instrumentals are kept largely simple and riff-based but this can be attributed to very smart attention to song progression and is used to create numerous moods and textures in each individual track.  IYES use their electronic scores masterfully to encourage either contemplation or cavorting from the repetition of a few carefully selected notes.  Their Lighthouse demo is a great example of how keeping tracks simple can achieve so much in electronic music.  The lyrics are direct and not overly intricate and the stripped back arrangement of a quiet vocal and a limited rang of electro-notes communicates authentic emotion so effortlessly that it’s really rather beautiful.

IYES-Lighthouse

The duo only have a kitten’s handful of demo material  available online but, whilst this is a little disappointing, the odd tracks they do have up certainly lend themselves to repeat listening.  This said, there is rumour of a their releasing a single in Oct/Nov and, although it is unclear whether this will be a remastered demo or an entirely new track, it’s already sitting firmly in my mental record collection.  I will admit to it being difficult writing about an act with such little readily available work but as it’s constantly drilled into us throughout our lives, it’s all about first impressions; IYES have made an indelible one on me.

If you’ve read the About STX page you will have some idea of why I started this site.  If you’re toying between a unnatural fixation on faces and a passion for underrated artists then I can assure you it’s the latter; faces are lovely and all that but I think they have their own time and place.  Stopped in Trax is my excuse to hunt around for those special artists who may be just starting out in their career or have otherwise been sadly  overlooked for the Miley’s and the One Directions.  These artists continue to baffle and amaze me; the thought that there are people out there somewhere making exceptional music that simply doesn’t reach a fraction of the ears it deserves to is curious to say the least.  If I am able to bump up the numbers for even one hidden talent then my hours hunched over my desk are rewarded tenfold, on top of the reward already afforded me by the music itself.  Stopped in Trax is indebted to the “unfamiliar faces” and acts like Red Crow continue to be immeasurably site-affirming.

Red Crow is a 5-piece band from Banbury, flying largely under the radar, making some of the most interesting and enjoyable music I have had the pleasure of listening to.  Their tracks are musical events in their own right, each taking on a form transcendent of structure and composition to produce a unique and multifarious experience in which you are drawn to lose yourself.  There is a rich depth screamingly indicative of detailed and thoughtful construction, which serves not to tame their raw authenticity, but rather to harness it and use it to hit you around the head with greater accuracy and perhaps less bruising.  They refuse to be background noise to even the most engaging activity, demanding attention without even needing to ask;  Red Crow makes music you listen to, rather than hear.

Red Crow-City Riser

Lead vocalist, Patrick Currier, has a unique tone to his voice which embodies multiple styles of music and affords Red Crow’s sound a diverse appeal outside of the respective confines of alternative folk, rock, or any of the other genres to which it may be objectively assigned.  It is earnest and full of personality, contrasting gentle breaks and clear power in one breath.  At this juncture I often might comment on the level of control the vocalist exerts over their voice, however I’m not entirely sure of the actual existence of conscious regulation in Currier’s vocal.  I think he simply sings and his voice naturally carves its own path through the melody.  This freedom is reflective of the musical aplomb of Red Crow as a wider collective – they make their own music their own way.

Originally Currier’s solo project, Red Crow has evolved and taken on a life of its own, drawing in the formidable musical prowess of Christopher Robin, Matt Watson, James Stevenson and Fred Whatmore, to become the band as it stands today.  The risk when bringing together individual artists is always that they will remain as such, playing their own gig and not producing a cohesive sound under the band umbrella; Red Crow is what happens when you bring together individual artists that were always meant to play together.  Entirely united, the instrumental isn’t merely a support to the lead vocals, but the harmonic extension of the lyrics.  It just works so well.

Dripping with clever wordplay and attentive fluency, the words to Red Crow’s songs call out so directly you often find you have completely paused just to listen more intently (it has taken me so long to write this feature… )  The music has the style and the substance to back it, with equal impact both in and outside of any mastering and mixing.  This acoustic take of their track, “Love is Strange Currency” affords a beautiful resonance to its lyrics and is rapidly becoming one of my favourite songs the more I listen to it.

Red Crow-Love is Strange Currency

Press have likened Red Crow to Mumford and Sons and, whilst admittedly this is a comparison I have justifiably made full use of in the past, I would like to suggest that in this instance it is somewhat misplaced.  Mumford and Sons seem to be the measure of all folk-related acts emerging onto today’s alternative circuit and a comparison is definitely an accolade of high regard, however Red Crow are something different, something special.  To compare Red Crow to Mumford and Sons would be to put them in the arena of folk ambiguity.  Red Crow are Red Crow and they embody all it means to be a measure in their own right.  Let their own hopeful comparisons commence.

Social networking sites are brilliant for finding new artists or even finding new listeners.  I really can’t get to grips with Twitter, hence why there may be a noticeable favouritism towards the STX Facebook page, but I must say it does seem to be the better option for finding new listeners if you’re a music artist.  I’ve had numerous bands follow the Twitter account in the last couple of weeks and I’m so glad they have because it’s given me some really exciting new acts to listen to.  It’s important to go out and get your audience in the music industry and one band that has definitely gone out and gotten me is Mr Tom.  Thanks Mr Tom.

Mr Tom-Feet Hit The Floor

Mr Tom’s electro-driven indie sound is strikingly current and immensely enjoyable, blending raw underground charm with the easy finesse of a commercial sensation.  Their tracks have all the frankness and vigour of youth with unabashed lyrics and beats that incite rhythm out your head and a foot at minimum.  Full of energy and brimming with personality, they make an immediate and indelible impression on the ear.  The band have been playing together for four years and appear to have developed a tenacious bond which really translates into their music and into their performances.  They clearly enjoy each other’s company and enjoy their work and this instantly makes an act more likeable for me; how can an audience be expected to enjoy music the artist hasn’t enjoyed creating?  Young but driven, Mr Tom are fun without the frivolity.

The four lads from the South define their sound as ‘Indie Banger Pop’, a hybrid entirely put into context by tracks like “Feet Hit The Floor” with its irresistibly catchy choruses and guitar riffs you can sink your top-buttoned shirt into.  Lead singer Nick’s boldly British vocals fit the feel of the band perfectly with just the right mix of talent and bravado whilst band-mates Donny, Steve and Leeroy ensure Mr Tom walks the walk as well as talks the talk with their confident musicianship.  They have a flair for writing simple but well-executed music and this really shines in their stripped-back acoustic performances.  This unplugged rendition of the title track to their soon-to-be-released EP “King and Queen” is especially nice (a clip of the EP version plays at the end).

Mr Tom-King & Queen (LAF Films Acoustic Session)

Mr Tom is a band set to turn heads in the music world, already making its presence known with outside interest leading to promo work with a clothing brand alongside artists like Maverick Sabre and Deadmau5, and even to a synch gig with British film, Piggy.  The lads do appear to realise that there is no such thing as a free deal in the music industry, touring and playing festivals relentlessly to get their music heard (not negating the importance of access to a free bar, of course…)

Mr Tom’s third EP is released on the 1st of September ahead of their Bestival set and features some brilliantly original and catchy tracks – get it in your life.  I really really like this band.  Normal lads with an abnormal sound.

[NB 03/06/2014: Mr Tom unfortunately announced their disbanding on 13th February 2014]