Hi Gigantic Gang,
We are getting SO close to the weekend and if you’re looking for the perfect tunes for your road trip, BBQ or just wanting to get the party started; Gigantic has you covered with our #NewMusicFriday playlist! Plus, it comes with a weekly blog giving you the insider knowledge of everything you need to know about the latest releases – and you can even grab tickets too!
See you next week! xx
ALBUMS
BIFFY CLYRO – ‘A Celebration Of Endings’
Biffy Clyro never fail to generate tremendous excitement whenever they drop a new album and following hot on the heels of last years ‘Balance, Not Symmetry’ comes their latest offering ‘A Celebration Of Endings’ which truly justifies their fans adoration.
‘A Celebration Of Endings’ is out now via 14th Floor Records and available on CD, Vinyl, Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl and a Bundle of all three.
Biffy Clyro are one of the huge headliners at Download 2021, topping the bill alongside such premier world class rock bands as Kiss and System Of A Down.
Biffy Clyro tickets are currently available.
MARSICANS – ‘Ursa Major’
Named by The Guardian in their list of the 50 Best New Artists for 2020, engaging indie band Marsicans certainly haven’t disappointed with their first full length record which is so impressive, they named it ‘Ursa Major’.
Recorded at the fabled Rockfield Studios (the place where Queen, Oasis and Black Sabbath all captured their greatest work on tape) in Wales and mixed in the States by Grammy award winning engineer Fernando Lodeiro, ‘Ursa Major’ is a true anthemic triumph which has the carefree breezy joie de vivre to enjoy during the fleeting last days of summer plus the depth to truly immerse yourself in whilst we wait for the return of gigs.
Marsicans tickets are currently available.
OSCAR JEROME – ‘Breathe Deep’
Jazz fanatics need to know Oscar Jerome. The South London prodigy is at the forefront of the capital’s fresh new talent and those that have caught his electrifying live performances have been eagerly awaiting the release of this, his debut album Breathe Deep’.
Jerome’s first LP features contributions from a wide range of essential names on the scene, including Joe Armon-Jones, Sons of Kemet and Maisha plus Lianne La Havas, all contributing to the lively LP that just oozes cool.
Oscar Jerome promotes ‘Breathe Deep’ with a handful of headline dates during November later this year, so make sure you grab your copy on CD and Heavyweight Vinyl in advance.
Oscar Jerome tickets are currently available.
ESSENTIAL BUYS
JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD – ‘Even In Exile’
Patrick Jones, older brother of Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire, has always been an inspiration to his sibling’s band through his poetry and passing down records and books by the beats to devour. When Manics singer James Dean Bradfield discovered that Jones was writing about Chilean playwright, poet and musician Victor Jara purely for practice with no intention of use, he asked if he could turn the words into lyrics.
“I think Patrick’s interest in Victor Jara had been kicked off by an album he picked up in a second-hand shop, called Manifesto. It’s quite a strange little album because you’ve got little excerpts before the songs which are translated into English. Pat said, ‘You should take this album because it will tell you more about Victor Jara than you thought you knew’ and I played the record and I was astounded by how beautiful it was.”
A communist activist, Jara was a popular figure in his home country throughout the 60’s and into the follow decade, using his incredible voice to push for change. This would lead to his downfall as he would be arrested shortly after the military coup of 1973 to be tortured and shot by the fascist Pinochet regime, his body dumped in the street. Whilst Bradfield doesn’t shy away from Jara’s terrible fate, his second solo album following 2006’s ‘The Great Western’ prefers to highlight the beauty of his art and nobility of spirit.
“Here’s something which is broadly termed as protest songs but it didn’t fit the same form as what you usually expect protest songs to be. Usually protest singing places its feet squarely at the subject or at the accused and confronts something; these songs don’t do that, they’re beautiful and they’re inclusive and sometimes they’re more inclined towards reconciliation and peace. I was struck how feminine his music was, that became the new part of my obsession.”
‘Even In Exile’ is out now on Limited Edition Blue 12” Vinyl.