The Sound Of The Youth: some "secret stars".
The Sound Of The Youth
Spotify Playlist #1
by This Feeling HQ.
"No one would give a fuck about new guitar bands in the U.K. if it wasn't for This Feeling"
(Gutxi Bibang pictured at the London Big In 2017 show, January)
This is a public service announcement. With guitars.
Every couple of months, This Feeling creator, Mikey Jonns, will, in his own words, "select fifty brand new/ish (almost always) tunes and promote the living hell out of them."
This Feeling is at the centre of the biggest storm in new music; massive tunes, exciting artists and counter culture positivity.
Many names who are part of the club’s #1bigfamily of talent, are set to grace this year’s best events, tours and radio shows. Deserve a TV show that is worthy, too.
From being a key stage at any festival, to early recommendations of chart topping bands. In days like these, ‘The Sound of the Youth is our revolution’. Enjoy these bangers.
The most influential good gang in Britain has nothing to do with Simon Cowell, who requires hours of prime time TV karaoke, to create an X Factor winner who ya couldn't pick out of a boy band line up.
Tedious.
This Feeling is full of friendship and laughter. That image on the left - Sex and Hugs and Rock n Roll - is from February 2017 at The Rocksteady. This "Zone" has invaded all the best festival line ups like a finishing school of secret rock stars. So, on balance, who really is more influential?
Image. The entrancing Emily Capell. Another of the Big In 2017 artists who appears on The Sound Of The Youth #1 playlist.
Pig in 2017.
While David Cameron's halfling mate, Ed Sheeran, is shifting millions of units, his blandification of pop is anything but the adrenaline fuelling escapism required to explode with joy in cruel Brexittania.
We need insistent earworms, a spirit of poetic revolt, somewhere to gather in peace, passion and noisy fun.
This is a real club where you dress up, get in, get down and rock out.
You probably know a lot of the songs being played by the DJs or bands. At the events, you're in place where you might recognise band members not just on stage, but at the bar or on the dance floor.
That place for 21st century guitar music fans of Britain, is This Feeling.
It's a landmark live set or DJ gig for hard working ambition to get a leg up, from a promotor that's more about music notes than pound notes.
Pictured; The Shimmer Band photographed for the chapters of our story, by Tarquin Clark last summer, at one of the various This Feeling official stages on the festival circuit. The band have gone on to become such a massive hit at their Reading and Leeds Festival appearances for BBC Introducing, that they are increasingly being hailed as one of new music's saviours of EPIC.
Their Shimmer Of Love began as one of This Feeling's Big In 2017 artists and, at time of writing, their single, 'Jacknife And The Death Call', has gone on to BBC Radio 1's playlist. Blowing up, colourfully, like fireworks and about to head off on an April headline tour for which tickets are already flying.
It's not like there's no room for fresh, young legends. Right now, in the small venues that alien hearts strive to close, human hearts are creating a zone of love and loud laffs.
This Feeling is our (insert key 20th century nightclub where the stars were on and off the stage) of now. The future may sometimes look bleak, but dear world, there's a parallel dimension party going down - and you're all invited.
Artists and audiences alike, make it feel like the first Summer of Love really happened 50 years ago. The Sound Of Youth playlist is your doorway to this other world.
Spotify doesn't pretend that making money for artists is a priority, so much thought about fairness went into creating this list, but there is no doubt it's an amazing tool for exposure. So if everybody spreads the word about this list, we really will be making something new.
Would you prefer 50 Ed Sheeran songs, to match the March 2017 charts, instead of say, imagining the scenes we get to witness, like Blackwaters, below, at #BigIn2017? They appear on 30th March in London with Carl Barat as one of the PirateLive Sessions studio launches with This Feeling artists that continue until 1st April in Sheffield
Years and years of the (repeat ad nauseum) mantra "guitars are over" articles in the press, and still we won't be made to stop loving that tribal sound.
Our stars are on low, close and small enough (for now) stages, so that we can glimpse the whites of their eyes, After the live sets , we party like we could get back to 1999. Together. If the kids are united they will never be divided.
Regular readers will know that many of our zeenagers are part of the Zone family. It's a nationwide thing, done properly, politely and enthusiastically.
Welsh rockers, Himalayas, deal in catchy, noisy TUNES and are part of this expanding family; “The two shows we've played for them, we have found This Feeling great to work with. Both have been arranged, promoted and run to a high standard and - most importantly for a new band aiming to break through - pretty much sold out events."
Image: Can. Not. Get. Enough of BANG BANG ROMEO, a stadium sized prospect that just thrill the pants off of any crowd. Perfect for a club that comes with a ready made audience who actually WANT to be involved in a showy show.
You've only got to follow the TF twitter @This_Feeling to notice sold out show, after sold out show, at various locations around the country.
It can make all the difference to a band who are 4REAL. Getting an audience (every show has taste makers and/or scouts in attendance) can be pivotal. Tom Ogden of Blossoms told Fred Perry Subculture; “This Feeling were the first to take a real punt on us. They gave us our first London show. This helped kick start it all. Our amazing agent came to see us that night and took us on.”
That is happening on such a regular basis now, that the BPI could source a truly exciting Brits 2018 TV show just by supporting these fresh icons early on. Cabbage (above) whose image by Tarquin Clark from This Feeling Stage at Y Not? Festival, graced the cover of our picture story chapters last summer, started this year on the BBC Sound Of 2017 list.
"The Future of British Rock Bands would be extinct without This Feeling” says Gutxi Bibang, photographed above, by Annie Warner, another of January's #BigIn2017 bands who are just back from international dates, including South By South West.
Everybody that comes through the doors of a TF club night is an element of that evening's episode. (Image from the 10th anniversary party in Central London, October 2016)
Music fans have experienced movements for decades, counter culture revolutions that change the future. Sure, computers make innovative sounds in the 21st century, and urban sounds are cutting some massive shapes, but there is also room for guitars, and as for rock n roll, the young definitely have not "heard it all before".
Sure, audible reference points from parents and grandparents' iconic and alternative record collections are glimpsed, but the newer wave have a 21st century twist, and are personal to their own followings as they discover them from word of mouth and net. In April 2016 we caught our first glimpse of the Little Indie Blogs tipped duo, SONS, and as part of our story have followed them via their first release with End Of The Trail, and repeat appearances at This Feeling to being all over national radio. Image of singer, Lee Meldrum, below, from last month. "This Feeling are way ahead of the game, and are in a league all of their own. They really do champion new bands, and bend over backwards to help them." (SONS)
If you like a song on this playlist, catch the artist affordably a.s.a.p. Quite a few of them probably have another show coming up at This Feeling. Quite a few more of the bands in our own story, included. Mystery art shadows, 485C, who have played a couple of shows, have just had their first session and interview with John Kennedy aired on Radio X. They play the 8th April London event. The Velvet Hands (photographed below, Spring 2017, by Magda Magdalena Jakubik) played their debut TF set in winter, went on to BBC London's band of the week with 'I Don't Mind' from this playlist, and return to This Feeling London for the 22nd April Record Store Day show.
"This Feeling is doing wonders for alternative music in Britain, they've really helped us get our music out in the world. They're the best promoters around!" (Birmingham based #BigIn2017 outfit, The Cosmics, are full of feisty fire - image below by Luke Jones)
"They’ve stuck their necks out and decided to just roll with it, and we’re flattered to be a part of the seemingly Renaissance-esque period for upcoming bands.” (The Blinders, below, whose first headline tour, of the UK's small venues, has been sold out so far. Ends 25th March in Nottingham, then they play the Pirate Studios session with Bang Bang Romeo on 1st April)
Probably getting a little bit too excited over a live music club? This is a thrilling punky spring before Britain falls over the edge of the newly flat earth. The kind of stupidity that never stopped believing computer games would obliterate musicians. "We are living in a world where Guitar Music has been marginalised so what This Feeling is doing at the moment is vital. This Feeling is the best club in The UK for future Rock and Roll stars. They believe in the power of guitar music and WHEN Rock and Roll makes it's glorious comeback you can bet your arse you will have heard it first at This Feeling. ONWARDS." (Noel Gallagher)
This is something completely new, because none of us, of whatever generation have experienced the digital age dystopia of now, before. It's usually the set up of a sci fi future story. These sounds of of youth offer hope to all generations, especially now, when it feels like there is no hope.
