The Fratellis

Among the likes of fellow indie rockers The Vines, The Strokes, and The Black Keys, Scottish indie rock trio The Fratellis are the epitome of indie-rockers; just as comfortable commanding the festival stage as they are in more intimate venues. Their lives performances diverge little from their studio albums, showcasing both their talent and their technical skills with seemingly effortless instrumental and vocal performances that are just as energetic as their music. Lead vocalist Jon Fratelli most closely fits the indie-rock persona, frequently donning the token skinny jeans and dark sunglasses while casually moving around the stage, belting out seemingly effortless vocals. Drummer Mince Fratelli rocks out fervently in the background, while bassist Barry Fratelli exudes the stoic and controlled tempo that all good bassists possess. The Fratellis are no strangers to the festival circuit, having played at T in the Park and V Festival, showcasing a variety of music from all three of their studio albums. The crowd sways back and forth to hits like "Whistle for the Choir," while their biggest single "Chelsea Dagger" always elicits excitement from the crowd.
After a short hiatus that saw each member pursue other projects, the band regrouped in 2013 to record their third studio album and continue performing the festival circuit, as well as selling out out venues on their own.

Being a Brummie born and bred myself, you could say my love for The Twang is a little biased. Since their 2007 debut, ‘Love It When I feel Like This’ their steady indie anthems and that loveably Brummie “twang” to the lyrical content and vocal deliverance have been the soundtrack to many Birmingham town centre nights out, especially at local indie haunt, SNOBS. Favourite tracks from the album are “Wide Awake,” “Two Lovers” and “Either Way,” all odes of some sort to failed or failing relationships, but the songs still retain some elements of hope and sweetness. The lyrics may be realistic and colloquial, but it’s the harmonies and guitar melodies that lift the tone of the dismal tales of bittersweet romance told on this album. I managed to finally see The Twang live in May 2013 at the O2 Academy Bristol after five years of listening to their recorded tracks. It must be said, I was a little sad I wasn’t seeing them in my hometown but the crowd of loyal fans sang along to every lyric nonetheless, and all six members managed to fill the venue with their special brand of West Midlands indie rock. Of course, “Either Way” was stand out moment of the night but they played a range of songs from their debut and their two other studio albums, ‘Jewellery Quarter’ and ’10:20.’ These albums didn’t quite grab me as much as their first, (perhaps due to a lack of emotional ballads?) and didn’t receive all that much critical praise, but at least they show the band’s dedication to working hard and getting their music out there! If you like you’re honest indie anthems, I would highly recommend catching The Twang live.

The Subways seemed as if they had the world at their feet once; theirs was a sound that was just about heavy enough to appeal to traditional rock fans, but melodic and accessible enough to cross over into indie circles, too. After debut record Young for Eternity earned them a sizeable cult fanbase - they’d already, by this point, carved out a loyal live following - they went all out for album number two, decamping to Los Angeles and bringing in Butch Vig - he of Nevermind and Siamese Dream fame - to sit behind the production desk. Since that album met with mixed reviews, the Hertfordshire trio seem to have been slowly dwindling in popularity; for those still on board, though, they continued to deliver thrillingly energetic live shows when out on the road promoting their Stephen Street-produced third LP, Money and Celebrity. Frontman Billy Lunn continues to do the work of two guitarists on his own, whilst his chemistry with bassist and backing vocalist Charlotte Cooper - also his on-again, off-again girlfriend - brings an edge to The Subways’ performances lacking in many of their contemporaries. With a new single, ‘My Heart Is Pumping to a Brand New Beat’, recently released, and a new record in the works for later this year, the band could be poised for a serious comeback - you can find out for yourself in October, when they embark on a mammoth 22-date tour of the UK.