From blues to blues-based rock, another fantastic Stokey band to fire your imagination. Blue Origin are a 4 piece who play an exciting brand of spiky, yet melodic, classic rock. However, there are also elements of indie, blues and metal all thrown in for good measure, so they sound very much like a strange mix of AC/DC, Led Zep and some un-nameable blues artist. With searing, Plant/Johnson-esque vocals layered over the top and a pounding heavy metal drum beat beneath, “Dead End Night” has got to be one of their best songs. The band are currently playing a number of gigs in Stoke and, on the 17th August 2007, will be heading up to Liverpool for their first gig at the famous Cavern Club (yes the same club that broke the Beatles), hopefully the first of many.
At this juncture, an important point should be made about the Chewier section of this site: every gem of a band listed here has been thoroughly researched and, unless otherwise stated, this means one of us has been to a suitably mind-blowing gig by said band. It is often said that nothing quite compares to a band in a live setting and certainly this is the case with “The Black Apples”, a 3 piece electronic blues band from Stoke. What initially strikes you about the guys is their no-nonsense approach to the music – they strut confidently on-stage and blast through their exciting and electrifying set with the precision of a guided missile. The songs are well-constructed, with hard-hitting riffs and traditional bluesy lyrical commentaries, yet with a 21st century twist. If you thought the blues genre was just about slow, ponderous songs, full of super extended guitar solos – think again! The Apples are currently selling a 12 track Live EP which showcases most of the live set and are regularly playing shows across the country.
Steve (Chewbacca!) apologises for the lack of posts for the past two days – he’s been exhausted and around at a friend’s who is leaving… on a jet plane to America soon. Back to our regularly scheduled updates (for as much as possible) from tomorrow!
Now, as a rock fan, in general I shy away from indie as a genre. There is far too much baggage attached to it for my liking, it’s such an overly used term and I can’t help but feel many bands sound so alike it’s just pointless. Maybe it’s the apparent lack of passion so many bands seem to display – a trait which certainly does not ring true with this band. The Fears have gone through several name changes in their time together, the most recent being from Blue Sky Warning to their current moniker. So if I said their sound and style is about as diverse from conventional ‘indie’ as their names are, you might have some idea of what I mean. In short it’s big, really BIG; a grand, sweeping take on the traditional solo-less anthems of the charts today; the guitars ringing thick and rich, where usually they might be thin and forlorn. “Progressive Indie” is how the band describes it, and you can certainly hear it on this track “Impact”, already a crowd favourite.
So for our first entry, a traditional classic rock/metal influenced band sounding like they could be dragging the genre, kicking and screaming, back into the limelight of popularity. In recent years, styles of rock music that first found popularity back in the early 70s and re-emerged subsequently in the early 80s have been making a strong comeback; it’s almost as if Priest, Sabbath, Purple and yes, even Zep never really went away. This is especially true in the “underground” it seems, with a number of bands re-discovering classic blues-based rock and metal. However, lets not get too caught up in nostalgia; this is “classic rock” with a modern edge for a 21st century audience. It’s hard, hairy, melodic, massive, and the musicianship is utterly fantastic, as you will hear if you listen to this track; the major debut single “Closer to God”. The band do shows mainly in Staffs but also regularly try to venture out, across the country. If you get a chance, see them, before they make it big; currently they are in negotiations over a suitable record deal.
From blues to blues-based rock, another fantastic Stokey band to fire your imagination. Blue Origin are a 4 piece who play an exciting brand of spiky, yet melodic, classic rock. However, there are also elements of indie, blues and metal all thrown in for good measure, so they sound very much like a strange mix of AC/DC, Led Zep and some un-nameable blues artist. With searing, Plant/Johnson-esque vocals layered over the top and a pounding heavy metal drum beat beneath, “Dead End Night” has got to be one of their best songs. The band are currently playing a number of gigs in Stoke and, on the 17th August 2007, will be heading up to Liverpool for their first gig at the famous Cavern Club (yes the same club that broke the Beatles), hopefully the first of many.
At this juncture, an important point should be made about the 
Now, as a rock fan, in general I shy away from 
So for our first entry, a traditional classic rock/metal influenced band sounding like they could be dragging the genre, kicking and screaming, back into the limelight of popularity. In recent years, styles of rock music that first found popularity back in the early 70s and re-emerged subsequently in the early 80s have been making a strong comeback; it’s almost as if Priest, Sabbath, Purple and yes, even Zep never really went away. This is especially true in the “underground” it seems, with a number of bands re-discovering classic blues-based rock and metal. However, lets not get too caught up in nostalgia; this is “classic rock” with a modern edge for a 21st century audience. It’s hard, hairy, melodic, massive, and the musicianship is utterly fantastic, as you will hear if you listen to this track; the major debut single “Closer to God”. The band do shows mainly in Staffs but also regularly try to venture out, across the country. If you get a chance, see them, before they make it big; currently they are in negotiations over a suitable record deal.