review – Page 19 – Bread Records

Just The Crust 01/01/24: Bronam – I.J.W.B.W.Y.F.T.R.O.M.L 💥

1st Jan 2024artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from Bronam, “I.J.W.B.W.Y.F.T.R.O.M.L“!

we’ve known Bronam for a good while now, having performed at our open mics and gracing the stage with his pop-punk indie songwriting, always with an energetic performance! a pleasure to watch live

this new single is his debut, and it’s a fantastic show of his ability – with loud guitar riffs, lovely percussion and a gorgeous flow throughout, it provides an incredible fast-paced backdrop for him to sing over. utilising his vocal strength throughout, he’s been able to create an upbeat banger with lovely lyrical content, proving his songwriting ability throughout!

you can find the full track on all streaming platforms, including Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/4iNoSoxi6spXKcZkL6jVvp – well worth checking out!

you can find all of our features, reviews, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk

2023 in review 📆

30th Dec 2023anyone's ghost, artist, bread, gigs, live, local scene, merch, new music, release, reviewLeave a Comment

we’ve had an absolutely fantastic year throughout 2023

putting on 179 artists at 46 gigs over the course of the year, with 174 open mics and hosting at 17 venues – a huge thank you to everyone who showed their support, be it performing for us, attending gigs or even helping out behind the scenes!

we’ve also put out six releases, and our artists gained over 56k streams on Spotify alone, and we’ve sold a whole bunch of merchandise to countries worldwide – which is mental to see

here’s to next year being even better! see you in 2024

The Wrap 2023 playlist! ✨

29th Dec 2023artist, bread, local scene, new music, playlist, review, The WrapLeave a Comment

another end-of-year playlist for us, we’ve put all of the tracks from our The Wrap features this year into one playlist

an incredible show of talent in this playlist, with a massive variety of music – over 4 and a half hours of listening time! well worth checking it out.

it’s available on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/590xSPxt8tzHQ9AYX6qkhp – and you can find all of our The Wrap features on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk/features/the-wrap/

ICYMI, our latest edition of The Wrap ✨

27th Dec 2023artist, bread, local scene, new music, review, The WrapLeave a Comment

in case you missed it last week, our latest The Wrap covering some of November’s best releases was fab

featuring music from the amazing talents of Sweet Beast Jacob Reddy Music Abi Rose Kelly Aurora Rays Cal Murphy Zara Smile BARDS and The Rolling People – it’s definitely not one to miss out on!

you can find the reviews in full on our website at https://breadrecords.co.uk/2023/12/21/the-wrap-november-2023/ – let us know what you think!

The Wrap: November 2023 ✨

Just The Crust 2023 playlist 👊

26th Dec 2023artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, playlist, reviewLeave a Comment

we’ve just collated all of our features this year for our weekly Just The Crust reviews on Mondays, and put them all into a playlist for you all to have a listen to!

there’s 52 incredible releases from this year in the playlist, far too many for us to tag but well worth checking out – some of the North West’s best music in there!

you can find the playlist in full on our Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1leh1vTu8XtqzAxTBj7KZn – go and check it out and see what 2023 had to offer!

Just The Crust 25/12/23: Keddy Sowels – Knives and Thieves 🙌

25th Dec 202325th Dec 2023artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from Keddy sowels music “Knives and Thieves“!

we’ve known Keddy for a good while now, having performed across Manchester over the past year or so on the regular, playing at gigs and open mics across the city, after moving from Newcastle

his down-to-earth songwriting ability, mixed with his intricate and melodic guitarwork, proves him as one to watch on the North West scene, this new single is a real indication of his talent – writing about the social cliques and balance within industries, and the barriers that are put in place for new faces within said industries. this can be said of a larger societal structure, the imbalance between people within our culture – and Keddy’s comments on it are apt and needed, showing his maturity beyond his age. balanced with a lovely musical soundscape, he’s been able to create not only a track that is informative, but also catchy, upbeat and dynamic – real proof of his talent.

you can find the track on all streaming services, including Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/album/6IzJmpadKrpXdW6p4ROIva – well worth a listen!

all of our reviews, features, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk

The Wrap: November 2023 ✨

21st Dec 202321st Dec 2023artist, bread, local scene, new music, review, The Wrap1 Comment

we’ve got our next edition of The Wrap for you all, covering a load of incredible releases from November! there’s so much incredible music being released, we love to see it – we’ve written a bunch of reviews for some of our favourites, and you can find all of them below ⬇️

Sheffield’s own alternative rockers Sweet Beast have just released their new EP “Good Times“! Full of luscious guitar riffs, huge vocal harmonies and a driving rhythmic backdrop, it’s an incredible release. Lots of old school rock inspiration here, it’s full of energetic and upbeat ferocity, and with gorgeous guitar solos, their ability to write bangers is proved in full. With anthemic choruses, lovely guitar tones, a real chemistry between the band, they’ve proved themselves as ones to watch – we can’t wait to hear more! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

We’re huge fans of Jacob Reddy, with him making incredible waves in the North West scene over the course of the year, performing a headline set at The Deaf Institute and playing at Glastonbury, releasing a bunch of incredible tracks, and he’s returned with a brand new single “Breaking Me Down“! Taking a more heavier, alternative rock feel compared to his previous singles, it feels as if his maturity shines right through this tune. An intimate and passionate lyrical context throughout, over a lovely guitar progression – the drums and bassline only accentuate the quality of this track, giving it a lovely flow and space, which Jacob utilises extensively with his performance. Well worth a listen! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

We had Abi Rose Kelly perform for us during the Summer, and we’ve been waiting so long to have her play for us – she’s an absolutely incredible talent, we love her tunes, and this new single “Startin’ 2 Panic!” is real proof of her ability. Her unmatched ferocity, and ability to write down-to-earth and relatable lyrics, puts her as a real talent to keep an eye on in the North West. The force behind this track, with the production, instrumentation, and prolific vocals really bring the track to life – the layers of distortion, the power that’s embedded in the song, they all come together to make a really incredible tune. We can’t wait to hear even more! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

We’ve had Aurora Rays on our radar for a good while now, and her innate ability to create a gorgeous track is incredible – her new single “Saturday” here with Claudio Filippini is evident of that! Opening up with a lovely, almost synth-pop feel, there’s a luscious production element here, and with the pianowork as it opens up it really unfolds into a massive sound. Her vocal over the top is encapsulating, really drawing the attention of the listener, and the rhythm is spot on to keep the track flowing expertly. There’s lovely vocal harmonies throughout, and you can listen to the track over and over and still retain the feeling you had when you heard for the first time. It’s well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

We’ve had Cal Murphy perform for us a bunch – the Manchester-born songwriter has a real ability to convey a story within his lyricism. We’ve been in awe of his live performances for a good while, always a great set – and this new single “One More Glass Of Whiskey” really proves his talent. The storytelling in this track is top-notch, conveying the socio-political elements of corruption, you can really hear his influences of traditional music and folk singers throughout. There’s a lovely melody that repeats right from the get-go, referenced by the violin later in the track, and the groove of the track is accentuated fully by the rhythm, balanced with the guitarwork. Fantastic stuff! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

We covered Zara Smile‘s previous single “Human” on our Just The Crust feature earlier this year, and their brand new tune “Spotlight” is out now! A lovely, indie-folk-inspired tune; reminiscent of songwriters like Elliot Smith and Julien Baker – it’s a real delicate track full of emotion, about finding the right path, in a world that feels like it’s against you constantly. Their ability to convey such intricate and deep-rooted issues through music is inspirational, really proving their songwriting talent; and the downbeat and intimate nature of the instrumentation in the song really lends you to take a real good listen to the lyricism. It’s a gorgeous release and well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

We had BARDS perform for us back in October at The Castle Hotel, and their raw power, ferocity and ability to wow a crowd really sets them apart from the rest – we’ve caught them live a bunch and they always smash it! Their new single “Roast” came out in November and it’s one of our favourites – getting going right from the start with huge anthemic guitarwork, massive drums and a powerful bassline, giving a real ferocious backdrop for the vocal to shine through. This is one of our favourite choruses, it’s catchy, driving and powerful – and the parallel atmosphere compared to the verse really makes it stand out. It’s a huge track, with so much going on, working perfectly in unison to create a huge soundscape – and the psychedelic nature of the bridge is a perfect break, yet also a brilliant precursor to the final chorus. We love it! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

The Rolling People have had an incredible 2023, performing at prestigious venues across Manchester and the North West, gaining over 100k streams on their single “Better Man” – and their new single “Grateful for Nothing” sounds absolutely fantastic. The Stockport-based indie outfit open the track with an anthemic, dreamy state, with luscious guitar lines throughout, only for the main vocal to come in and take direct command of the track. It’s a down-to-earth and conversationalist tone lyrically, almost as if you’re in the pub with your mates – and with a proper singalong chorus, it’s a track that will see The Rolling People go far. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP)

yet another incredible month of music, there’s been so many fantastic releases, and there’s a whole plethora of talent out there, that we didn’t get to cover! thanks to everyone who has checked this out! 🤘

Make sure you head on down to open mics, gigs, support local music and arts and keep your scenes going! 😊 all music, videos and images remain copyright of their respective owners. 🍞

Just The Crust 18/12/23: Sip of Milk – Morning Song 🎶

18th Dec 202318th Dec 2023artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from Sip of Milk “Morning Song“!

after their formation in South Wales, they’ve made waves in the Manchester music scene with their intricate brand of indie rock, moulding pop harmonies with indie melodies to create a real unique brand of americana-infused songwriting. they’ve been performing across the city over the past year and really making their impact on audiences and building a name for themselves.

this is their second single, a relaxed and intimate offering, showcasing their prolific lyrical capabilities, with a real sense of down-to-earth writing and a gorgeous musical balance between the band. they’ve created a lovely track that feels uplifting, and touching at the same time, it’s a fantastic track from the band and an incredible follow-up to their debut.

you can find the track on all streaming platforms, including Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/album/0Y9IjhZOf3qGxJFw8BxM2X and there’s an acoustic video on YouTube available to watch at https://youtu.be/BAT4GsV5V44 too!

you can find all of our features, reviews, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk

Just The Crust 11/12/23: Chest – Waterslide 🙌

11th Dec 202311th Dec 2023artist, bread, just the crust, local scene, new music, review, videoLeave a Comment

our feature for today’s Just The Crust is “Waterslide“, the brand new single from Norwich-based indie outfit Chest!

fusing indie-rock, punk and grunge elements, they’ve created a real unique sound to their music, with inspirations from post-punk and anthemic alternative rock; culminating in a lo-fi, atmospheric soundscape, chock-full of guitar melodies and riffs that encircle the listener, and with vocal harmonies laced throughout the entire track – all locked into a firm foundation with a driving and strong rhythm from the drums and bassline. an incredible tune, well worth a listen!

you can find the track on all streaming sites, including Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/49zkEvPxz2hSzcRGIJXSe4 – give it a spin and add it to your playlists!

find all of our features, reviews, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk

REVIEW: The Empire Police – The Human Condition 👊

10th Dec 202310th Dec 2023artist, bread, local scene, new music, reviewLeave a Comment

Lancashire heavyweights The Empire Police bring their prolific year to an end with a bang, with the release of their brand new single “The Human Condition“. After performing across the North West, at venues such as Night and Day, The Ferret, and putting on their own festival Rock AM River in Preston at The New Continental, they’ve established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the North West, and ones to definitely keep an eye out for in 2024.

We were massive fans of their previous release “Northern Bones” earlier this year, a track that blended grungier and punkier elements with intricate storytelling and poetry from lead singer Jordao – whilst maintaining catchy hooks, infectious melodies and huge soundscaping; just some of the class qualities that we’ve come to expect from The Empire Police’s offerings. Their songs are laden with accurate, yet often bleak descriptions of society and the modern climate, written with passion and expertise – and their musical capabilities behind the lyrics give the songs a huge impact on the listener. Every element of the track works in perfect unison with one another to ensure that the music has just as much power and impact as the lyricism does.

This new tune “The Human Condition” not only is another classic from The Empire Police, but sets a real standard, it’s an incredible track from the fellas. Opening up with a wavy, dream-like soundscape, the track gives a strong backdrop for Jordao to command the listener’s attention – and his lyricism throughout is quality, taking a real look at the nature of humanity, a real reflection of the society of today. His rhyming pattern throughout is lovely, always maintaining freshness – and the tight rhythm section behind creates a real foundation on the track. There’s a gorgeous guitar tone within the verses, picking lovely riffs and then opening up to a huge wall of sound in the choruses, giving such a ferocity to it. The breakdown is a short breath of fresh air, and calm, within the track – and the build up to the final section is huge, with a real sense of power and command throughout it all.