The Sheffield Scenester

Real Gone Kid

Left Ajar

Century Kids

If I’m perfectly honest, the only time I really delve into dance music is when I’m out. But NEM is something that I would definitely stick on my Ipod. He’s opened for Tinchy Stryder seven times and Chipmunk twice and opened for many more including Lethal Bizzle. So, if he is capable of performing along side the stars that have the talent to grace our charts then what does NEM have to offer? His single “I see her, “is what I’ve been given to judge him upon. As a first impression, I’d recommend him to all. It’s definitely one I’d commend for a party starter with a catchy loop and a chorus that glues into your brain. It’s one of those where you’ll hear it in the morning and it’ll shadow you for the rest of the day. I expect him to be all over the charts and played in every club soon. It’ll certainly get everyone out of their seats. So, to leave you with one of his apt lyrics, “ooh, could I ever resist.”

Meg Stickland

I’m not traditionally an acoustic fan but with his recently released four tracks EP, Real Gone Kid composed of one man, his guitar and a soul laid bare, caught my attention. Letting his guitar do as much talking as his lyrics, it is hard not to get drawn into his world of heartfelt tales. Easily my favourite track is ‘Seems You Were A Liar’ albeit a slightly depressing tale of post relationship woes; in a strange way it reminds me of the Nine Inch Nails classic ‘Hurt’. Listening to the song ‘I Prefer Silver’ I was rather rather amused to hear he had managed to rhyme the words ghost and toast without sounding ridiculous i.e. Des’ree and her song ‘Life’. With a very poetic slant on the indie blues scene, sounding a lot like Bob Dylan with his gravel tones, I found myself enjoying it more with each time I listened to his EP. Each song has a story to tell and whether it’s about a broken relationship or simply moving to another part of the country, they all make you think, whilst they are also relaxing to listen to - a great combination!!

If you’d like to catch his styling’s he can be found playing a live set at Olive in Sheffield on January 24th.

You really have to listen to this - the sound of the guitars on each track will really put you in a rockin' mood. My favourite is 'somedays'(example track on juke box!) - the energetic, immaculate 'hair curling riffs' will really have you begging for more. The confident vocal from Waynebob will have you singing along in seconds, or if your not a singer... Russ the drummer will have you tapping your feet as well as your fingers as soon as you hear their catchy beat. An excellent blend of Rock and Pop topped off with a hint of Funk.

Releasing the tracks ‘Runaway’ and ‘Makes My Day’ (example track on juke box!) on ITunes marks another step in the right direction for upcoming band Century Kids. Watching them live you can’t help but get carried along on the wave of euphoria of Thomas and Jakes vocal duelling, what needs to be answered though is whether this translates to audio format so easily. Both tracks whilst not capturing the energetic onslaught of a live show certainly give you a good taste of what they represent.

With the production levels slightly more polished than those used on their ‘Tank Tops & Ewoks’ EP, you get to appreciate the backing music a lot more. Whilst the individuality of the band is captured in the vocal performances of its singers, the driving force behind this is the pounding bass lines and catchy guitar riffs which are allowed to come through a lot clearer on these recordings. Runaway was always destined to be one of their classics and this recording certainly does it justice, if you don’t buy it at the very least see them live and you’ll be hooked!!