Fittingly, opening track ‘Self Machine’ describes Coco’s constant strive to stand oon her own feet, rather than in the shadows of noticeable nearby others, singing  “I’m not a human if you say I’m not” – this girl might not like the pressure on her shoulders, but it seems she’s adamant not to be defeated by it.

‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ is a cover of the Neil Young classic with a electro pop twist,  although in a simpler term – cheesy beyond belief. It does no justice to the creator, nor Sumner’s endearing vocals – one of the bands best assets. The track sounds like Aqua after their instruments have been submerged in water and connected to a power socket: a bang no one wants to hear.

Not helping the album any further, Title-track ‘The Constant’ is as slow and boring as waiting for your name to be called in a doctor’s surgery, only to find your appointment was Thursday not Friday. However, what really throws salt in this wound is that it isn’t the first time Sumner has recorded it. The previous version was raw with its rhythm, and her voice complimented the music better than fine cheese compliments old wine.

For any long-term fans, you might remember this time as the catchy ‘prior to the release of her first official single and before she worked with Klas Åhlund/Robyn’ – this was a time when Sumner had power packed lyrics with nothing more than a nylon stringed accompaniment. When her pen was mightier than the sword, and her guitar was stronger than the synth.

The closest thing this debut see’s of this old Sumner, is on the faint whiffs of excellence on ‘Summer Rain’, ‘Playwright Fate’ and ‘No Smile’ – which, to the bands credit, are all songs which have saved their next release falling on the office work experience’s desk first, instead of the editors.

‘The Constant’ isn’t painful to listen to, it’s just not pleasurable either. It feels contrived and lacks passion; possibly a small act of childish rebellion against the constant references to Coco’s parentage.

Who’s her dad? It doesn’t really matter. Do they sound the same? Yeah they do, but you’ve got the same eyes as your mum, yet no one complains about that.

This also featured on This Is Fake DIY – 15th November, 2010.

However, this is also this year that LeeFest jumps from the safe arms of a over-sized house party in a field, into the real world of festivaling. Whilst last year they successfully created a one day event, earning themselves the Grassroots Festival Award at 2009′s UK Festival Awards, this year they’ve introduced camping – something which some people love and others despise, but everyone will agree is what truly defines a real festival from the half-hearted day ones.

When doors swiftly open at 1pm, with over four hundred people already pitching up their tents most throw down their pegs and head to the main stage to watch local boys and friends of everyone, Professor Penguin, open the proceedings. This Mystery Jets meets Maccabees trio, and LeeFest regulars, play one of the most memorable sets of the festival, showcasing songs from their debut album ‘Planes’. Their sound is soft and brittle, but at the same time has real backbone and depth.

The brains behind LeeFest are firm believers of giving undiscovered talent a platform to stand on, thus dedicating half of the line up on the main stage to unsigned bands. Ignoring a drab and dry set from They Came From Japan, next to show the South London hipsters how to boogie (quite literally) are Mean Poppa Lean – a band who dress entirely in spandex.

Almost a Cuban Brothers tribute act – although not quite as funny, but still not far behind – they create an atmosphere in the crowd that no amount of money could buy. Mixing laughter and lyrics is always a clever move and frontman, which he most certainly is, Christian Barnes does it perfectly (“What are we like? Fucking mental / Where do we live? Down the shops / Who do we love? Sheryl Crow / Why? She’s fucking hot”). The band on the whole are almost like a spoof super group; their bassist is a dopple ganger of Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Barnes sings like a South Park Micheal Jackson character and guitarist ‘C Dog’ rips out riffs even Hendrix couldn’t do (after he’d had a few, obviously).

Throughout their set they steal a megaphone from an audience member, stating “we always win” after she unwillingly gives it up, get the whole crowd to “go down low” in a funkadelic cha-cha-slide, and even do the first ever “drum solo fry up” (it’s almost impossible to describe what that is, but if you see them live you’ll soon understand). MPL are no doubt the highlight of the whole festival, with their show still being spoken about after the headliners got their chance to play.

The only real problems with LeeFest are the portaloos, food, sound and stage times (so, the main four problems at any festival). The measly three camping area toilets are locked shut during the day which makes tent-side drinking awkward, at 7pm it’s declared that both food stalls have run out of burgers, and throughout the whole day both the Lava Lounge and main stage have technical and time difficulties, with each band sound checking before they go on, rendering the programmes useless.

The worst effected by the technical difficulties are King Charles – although their tent is rammed to the bone, they take to the stage 45 minutes late due to a faulty Macbook. Luckily, their performance doesn’t disappoint. Lead singer and guitarist Charles has the best hair known to man and with the whole crowd singing along, these merry men play a storming set.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? and The King Blues have a last-minute swap around on the bill, which turns out to be a God send rather than an annoyance as Does It Offend You, Yeah?’s performance is beyond terrible, reminding the crowd that their time on the music scene is as out of date as that bottle of milk you forgot to throw away before embarking on a six-week euro-trip. King Blues on the other hand show they are a band with real potential, playing songs about the BNP on a Ukulele and even getting the stone cold bouncers to clap along.

As the night grows darker and two thousand bellies rumble in sync, and with the quickest stage swap over of the day, Sunderland scoundrels The Futureheads take to the stage, playing a hectic set of old and new album songs. They go down better than any extra beef burgers could, and have the carnival kids chanting for more.

Finishing promptly at 10:55pm, it’s at this point you realise LeeFest’s biggest flaw and difference to the majors: the festival curfew is 11pm. After the headliners finish on the main stage, lights come up and like moths to the flame, the whole festival runs to the dance tent to catch the last few minutes of Jakwob’s DJ set, after which everyone is ushered out of the festival arena completely. Although the toilets at this point have fortunately re-opened, the night slowly starts to feel like the awkward after party of a school disco, in a field with a small one-man maths book fire, with everyone only there because no self-respecting teen can go to sleep before 12am.

However, that’s just something to work on. LeeFest is in no way perfect, but then it’s an idea which has only recently been given physical form. Next year it’ll probably have a 24-hour Chinese restaurant, a silent disco just like Glastonbury, and maybe even its own branded water too; after all, Lee means business, and for a second attempt he deserves all the applause he can get.

This also featured on This Is Fake DIY – 17th August, 2010.

The man behind the microphone, known as Johnathan Everything, dictates his only self-set rule of making music as “not to sound like anyone else”, a rule the band have decided not to follow, but instead live by – ‘Man Alive’ creates a sound which is as unique to the music scene as a persons fingerprint is to the rest of the world. ‘Suffragette Suffragette’, a quirky pop hit mixing high pitched harmonies and a rather heavy guitar riff juxtaposed with a sweet set of vocals during the chorus, was their debut single and the air bubble which also helped them surface.

Staying true to the bands Mancunian roots, the majority of the album is filled with upbeat disco floor-fillers with the lyrics at times almost uninterpretable, but when you’re dancing until your feet fall off that isn’t the biggest of your worries (plus you can always partake in the ongoing backing vocals). ‘Come Alive Diana’ sounds almost like a demo, but the sort which later that day would sign you the record deal of your life. ‘Final Form’ is a chance for Jonathan and co. to show their sweeter side, with the softest of vocals and even softer harmonies, followed by ‘Nasa Is On Your Side’ which mixes everything previously mentioned but with Elton John, in spirit, on keys.

Mid-album track ‘Schoolin” plays host to one of the most distinguishable openings a song could ask, with only a simple five note whistle; it’s as infectious as a Derren Brown mind trick and will make you subconsciously, if you’re not already consciously, tap along (or maybe even whistle if you feel so bold). ‘Leave The Engine Room’ then follows in an octave so high you’d need a Yellow Pages to try to reach it, whilst ‘Photoshop Handsome’ sounds like it has been produced by the sound-tracker of Sonic The Hedgehog, using a Sega Megadrive.

Although Everything Everything could actually be described and compared to everyone and everything, due to the vast array of sounds and styles throughout the twelve-track album, the key thing to remember is they aren’t any of them – but are in fact are everything and anything they want to be, thus creating an album which stands out as a result of its pure honestly and creativity, deserving of a space in any music retailer or lovers discography.

This also featured on This Is Fake DIY – 10th August, 2010.

One summer, Lee’s parents went on a break away – enrolling him, at 17, as head honcho of the house while they were away. Their only rule was to not throw a house party, something to this date Lee still believes he did not ignore. Always the mischievous, he decided to throw a ‘festival’ in his garden instead. Intended just for close friends as an alternative place to get merry, on private land with live music – opposed to a bus stop with a mobile, as soon as word spread the ‘festival’ soon did as well.

As the festival grew, and the line up grew stronger, the team behind LeeFest decided a change of location was needed. Having outgrown the garden, where the light box was inside a greenhouse and all electricity was drawn from extension leads for the past 3 previous years, they headed to some local fields to stage the event. It was then in 2009 that the festival really hit the publics eye.

Now with coverage from ITV, Radio 1, BBC 6music and the London Metro – described as ‘fantastic’ by George Lamb – the festival capacity reached too 1000 people, with The Holloways and Xcerts headling the event. It was also in 2009 Lee decided to make the now profitable festival, completely non-profit. Pledging to donate half off all profits to charity, Kids Company, and the other half going straight back into the festival to help make the next years event even bigger and better.

Now in 2010, with the ‘Grassroots festival of the year” award in their cabinet from the previous years UK festival Awards, they have double in capacity again, now standing at 2000, and also bought in the option of camping as well. The site has also moved to a local farm which they believe will be their home for the next couple years at least (unless the festival starts to grow even quicker) The line up is strong and the following is even stronger. With The Futureheads, Does It Offend You Yeah?, The King Blues and Fench Soler headling this year (not to mention King Charles who are amazing)

Tickets are still available,  at only £30 including camping, but it was announced today that only 29 were left – so save no time deciding if you fancy going and buy tickets from here before it’s too late.

The festival runs from saturday the 14th to Sunday the 15th of August at Highams Hill Farm, Surrey, CR6 9PQ.
The nearest station is Bromley South where you can get a free shuttle bus to and from the festival.

If you still need convincing – here’s a preview documentary on this years festival.

Follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

Whilst in the taxi, either someone said a quick prayer or maybe it was just a stroke of luck, the whole site was dry as a bone and everyone was back in the mind frame of having one of the best weekends of the summer! With the Trekstock tent now fully dressed, complete with our limited edition tee’s and a wonderful white Les Paul donated by Gibson, we were ready for the gates to open and take Field Day by storm!

The day ran as smoothly as a baby’s bottom – sorry Pampers, with the only thing absent being… rain! The weather was so glorious, at times you almost felt like asking the powers that be for a little tipple to cool you down, but with something going on in every corner of your eye, from the sports day tug of war and sack race events in the Village Green Area to the awesome line up of musical talent across all 6 stages of the over 18’s festival, everyone appreciated the scorching weather. Although our tent was as busy as Marks and Spencer during their 1p sale, it was still nothing in contrast to what Field Day’s sister festival Underage had us doing.

With a quick change in site location after a good nights sleep, now next to the wonder guys at the Artrocker signing tent and right in front of the Tango endorsed main stage, everyone in the Trekstock team was ready to take on day two at ‘Vicky park.’ Even arriving at 9:30 there was already a queue, by 11am the pitter patter of under 18’s feet stormed the festival, filing into every crack and hole on our favourite festivals sunny site. Soon enough the music crazed teens found our tent. With some of the punters remembering Trekstock from our presence at last years festival and others having been to our pop-up shop on Carnaby Street, it almost felt like a family reunion.

Our t-shirts were flying off the stall like hot cakes and our now signed guitar (from the previous days artists) was getting as much attention as opening act Ellie Goulding. We grabbed her quickly after her set and she became our first Underage performer on the guitar, having becoming a firm Trekstock follower – she was more than happy to know that we were at the festival and that her t-shirts were selling so well! (They even later sold out, and had such a high demand we done a quick trip back to the office to get some more!)

Underage also ran perfectly, with new found Trekstock friends; Is Tropical playing a storming set on the Youth Music Stage, Lightspeed Champion playing a obviously championing set on the Tango stage followed shortly after by a even-better-than-last-year set by Hadouken! We also caught up with new friends The Courteeners and Darwin Deez…

As the day crawled to an end and we started to pack away, we got a chance to catch headliners MIA. Although her set started with a bit of a diva attitude, she soon snapped into the pop-sensation she rightly is. What a weekend and lets hope we will be back next year! Check HERE for pictures…

This also featured on TREKSTOCK.COM – 3rd August, 2010.

Backed by everyone who hears them (from the main names in music – NME, Steve Lamacq & Tom Robinson – to the entire cast of Skins) The hype which surrounds these boys comes not as a surprise, but as a blessing that unsigned talent is still getting noticed. Their songs will make you dance until your shoes sweat, no matter what pub or place you see them.

Whilst playing every club and pub England has to offer, The Ruskins have realised that in the current economic climate – not everyone can afford it to make it to a week day gig and also have a half decent night out at the weekend – so they decided that playing guerilla gigs is even more important than the licenced venues – allowing any age to attend and more often than not, near enough a Co-OP for a cheap & constant supply of booze. It’s because of this that again makes this trindy* trio so approachable to the public and securing an always increasing fan base. If you were at the Camden Crawl this year, you might have been lucky enough to catch their short, but sweet,  street set.

Now back from their storming set at Benicassim, after playing Hop Farm the weekend before, they are now prepping for their last-minute set at Underage festival this weekend. If you’re there, check them out, if you’re not make sure you Google them anyway – they come up first so you’ve no excuse!

Follow them on Twitter, Like them on Facebook and if you’re retro (or outdated) enough add them on Myspace.

(*Trindy = trendy and indie.. it might catch on.)

Described as a ‘sick joke’ by Island VP David Sharpe, the label understudy was devastated to hear at the age of 70, Sir Tom wasn’t still recording karaoke classics about sex, bombs and/or pussy cat’s. Although Praise And Blame is an album which slightly differs from the mainstream most might initially compare too, it still emphasises on his powerful vocals, meaningful lyrics & sexy-as-ever swagger, just in a more stripped back fashion. From his opening track, questioning ‘What good am I, If I know and don’t do’, to an upbeat cover of Did It Rain, this is clearly an album which feels as natural & true to Jones as his teeth are soon to be false to everyone else – but at least we know his smile will always be real.

This also featured on page 39 of NME – 24th July, 2010.

First, they had the blues and then they shook them, then they fought the boy they used to be and now they’ve titled their latest LP ‘Flaws’ as, one can only assume, the album ironically has even less problems than their debut. Stripped back and laid out bare to bathe in the glorious sunshine, this 11 track masterpiece from North London [now] five-piece Bombay Bicycle Club has raised their self-set bar to a even higher level than before.

The album might have a potent difference in both tone and tempo from last years critically acclaimed debut, but you can still feel its crafted with the same delicate, heart-swelling beauty that made their first album stand tall and high in the album charts and also prized in any music lovers discography.

To any fans of the band, who played both sides of their 7” singles, the change in direction isn’t actually a change at all, its merely just bringing to the surface what was always there if you listened to the right sides of the single. From Evening/Morning to Dust On The Ground – each single which featured both arrogant riffs and almost drum’n’base style drops was mirrored with a subtle and respectfully silent b-side.

Rinse Me Down slowly brings you into the album, not throwing you in too deep but enough that if you stood flat feet your head would be underneath sea level, Fairytale Lullabies has a infectious and peaceful lead which will get you to sleep quicker than Nytol ever will, Dust On The Ground is a cover that’s better than the original (Even if it was their own song to start with) and Leaving Blues has one of the most heart warming vocals that 2010 will see.

Recorded mainly in Steadman’s bedroom, and also produced in the same suburban sanctuary, this really is an album bought down to its bare basics, showing that you don’t need synthetic loops and a bucket load of distortion to make an album which will press all your available buttons, and the few hidden one for that ‘next big thing’.

You could call ‘Flaws’ an album of debut B-sides, filling in what the first album missed, but frankly that would be beyond rude as the songs and the band rightfully deserve so much more. The only thing missing from this album is a version of ‘You Already Know’ but to be fair to them, that song is pretty much perfect as it is – Don’t try and fix what’s not broken etc..