They Called Him Zone (aka Mik Davis) has released a free single ‘Miami‘ as a taster of his forthcoming EP. Here’s the press release submitted to us:
THEY CALLED HIM ZONE DROPS FREE SINGLE ‘MIAMI’ & EP NEWS
Furthering the metamorphosis period of Zone’s previous releases – comes the dark wave electro-pop fusion that is ‘Miami’.
Released as part of a fresh EP due 2nd May 2016 – the single and title track ‘Miami’ propels along with an hypnotic pulse, seductively slithering from verse to chorus – expanding itself into an atmospheric darkness that is both evocative and consuming. Created in a psychedelic basement studio in Bradford (UK), They Called Him Zone is an artist/producer (aka Mik Davis) who mashes up multiple genres and strives relentlessly to evolve and explore his creativity. Having caught the attention of BBC Introducing and underground radio around the globe, Zone’s latest EP effort ‘Miami’ shall hit listeners with a melting pot of melodic sensibility, drum machines, guitars, synth hooks and laid back vocal tones.
Moody, downtempo hip-hop track with an overall melancholic tone and brilliant lyrics.
[Because Kanye is a tool and won’t put any of his latest music anywhere where people may actually listen, this is the only clip available: http://bbc.in/1OmSlT4]
2) Shura – The Space Tapes
Fuzzy, spaced-out electro-remixes of three tracks from Shura’s forthcoming highly-anticipated début album ‘Nothing’s Real’. Reverberating vocal samples, frolicking synthesisers and eerie sounds all echo infinitely throughout this nine-minute sampler track.
3) Niki and The Dove – Play it on my radio
Gentle but majestic 80’s-influenced synthpop track. Mirroring Fleetwood Mac at their peak, precarious percussion, dreamy harmonies and fluttering synthesisers drift beautifully through this brilliant song.
4) The Floyds – You
Lovely, breezy acoustic-based track with great lyrics.
5) Liss – Sorry
Dream-like, heavily auto-tuned synthpop track from up-and-coming band Liss, comprised of clinking synths, a waltz-like bass line and a meandering rhythm.
6) WSTRN – Come Down
Another brilliantly catchy R&B track with electro elements from West-London collective WSTRN. Sampling Evelyn King’s 1982 hit ‘Love Come Down’, the trio have created another smash record.
7) KAYTRANDA & Karriem Riggins – BUS RIDE
A beautifully chilled-out instrumental track from Canadian musician KAYTRANADA. Twinkling pianos, soulful and eerie synthesisers and fierce percussion drives this retro alternative-R&B track.
8) The 1975 – The Ballad of Me and My Brain
Brilliant track on which witty lyrics are growled over unsteady percussion and fierce guitar work. Haunting vocal samples evolve into a neurotic punk-pop track which perfectly captures losing your mind.
9) The 1975 – Lostmyhead
Dark and melancholic shoegazing track which is musically simple but incredibly powerful. Heavy, distorted electric guitar riffs and hazy synthesisers form the backdrop as frontman Matt Healy drones ‘And he said, I lost my head, can you see it, can you see it?’. It eventually climaxes in a brilliant orchestral track with percussion.
10) Active Child – 1999
Jazzy and soulful track by electronic artist Patrick Gossi, under his working name of Active Child. Gentle percussion and jazzy pianos with Gossi’s beautiful falsettos all result in a beautiful song.
We’ve been nominated again by the lovely Tammy over at https://alittlebitalt.wordpress.com/!
So sorry for the huge delay in posting this, there was no notification informing us of the tag!
These are the rules supplied to us:
Write ten songs that come on shuffle (no skipping)
Write your favourite lyric from each song.
Tag people
So with no further ado, and with some apprehension considering the amount of guilty pleasures in my music collection, here goes… *presses shuffle*
1) Prince – Sometimes it snows in April
Ah, one of my all time favourite songs. Probably one of the most beautiful songs in the world.
Favourite lyric: “I used to cry for Tracy cause he was my only friend Those kind of cars don’t pass you every day”
It’s the second line that’s my favourite but the first is needed to show the context. It’s just a beautiful expression. Prince is a bloody nightmare when it comes to sharing his music online! He consistently removes his work from YouTube and Spotify so for now you’ll have to make do with this pleasant but not-as-good-as-the-original live version:
2) John Mayer – Stop This Train
Boy I’m glad this one came up! Probably one of my all time favourite songs lyrically.
Favourite Lyric: “So scared of getting older I’m only good at being young”
Captures the fear of adulthood perfectly.
3) Mark Owen – End of Everything
Mark Owen’s solo career is the most underrated thing ever (I like to remind people of this on a regular basis).
Favourite lyric:
“Enter if you can through all the tears of your parade”
Just a lovely poetic lyric which for me emphasises having patience with yourself when times are tough.
4) The 1975 – Chocolate
In my top 3 favourite songs of all time and I never, ever tire of hearing it.
Favourite lyric: “I think about how to think”
I can relate to over-thinking, to the extent you’re thinking about the way you’re thinking!
5) Robbie Williams – Snowblind
I love the vulnerability this track possesses and it’s just stunning. Robbie knows how to create beautiful ballads aching with sincerity.
Favourite Lyric: “You stole my heart, But my madness, Is taking the man right out of me”
Mr Williams is a genius at playing with phrases and this is a brilliant example.
6) George Michael – White Light
Hmm. Whilst a huge fan of George, there are many songs in his discography better than this, especially lyrically. It’s still brilliant though.
Favourite Lyric: “And tomorrow is mine”
I like the ‘seize the day’ attitude this line conveys.
7) Michael Jackson – (I like) The Way You Love Me
I LOVE this song. I’m a huge MJ fan although I don’t seem to publicise it as much as I used to. This is a song he recorded in the mid noughties and was remixed for his first posthumous album ‘Michael’. I’m including the original demo version released in his lifetime though because I think it’s better than the remixed version.
Favourite Lyric: “I was afraid of life and you came in time”
Simple but effective.
8) James Taylor – Something in the way she moves
Lovely song.
Favourite Lyric: “Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning and I find myself careening in places where I should not let me go.”
I love the way it recognises the more you depend on something, the less meaning it has. Just a beautifully worded lyric.
9) Melanie C & Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes – Never Be The Same Again
What an absolutely brilliant track this was/is.
Favourite Lyric: “Picturesque is the picture you paint so effortlessly.”
Left Eye’s rap is the best in this song, lyrically. As well as being poetic, it’s just a clever line.
10) Take That – Affirmation
There’s Take That songs I much prefer to this but again, it’s still a great song.
Favourite Lyric: “We’re not really falling apart, we’re just incomplete.”
It’s a bit like the ‘glass half empty or glass half empty’ analogy. The whole song is lyrically brilliant.
Well I got pretty lucky there considering they were selected through shuffle!
After adapting Music Monday to make it strictly about current and new music, we realised that there was no way to draw focus to older music on this blog. So we have decided to publish a mixtape (or Spotify Playlist) of 20 songs on the first day of every month.
This makes January’s rather late but with no further ado, here’s the Music Box’s January Mixtape:
I try and keep The Music Box as professional as possible and generally avoid placing the focus on me but I felt honoured enough to have got one of these, I thought I’d give it a go!
I have to be honest and say I’d never heard of a Liebster Award before receiving one but after researching it, I thought it seemed like a very cool idea!
It’s basically blog chain-mail, but a good type (well I perceive it that way anyway!) You get nominated by somebody who likes what you do and it all goes from there.
I was nominated by the lovely Tammy, who blogs at https://alittlebitalt.wordpress.com/ . It’s a blog I really love anyway and Tammy consistently interacts with this blog which I am incredibly grateful for! It’s brilliant to know people actually read my posts and enjoy what I do, so thank you!
11 Facts About Me
My name is Marc, which I spell with a ‘C’ which seems to throw some people…
My music taste is far more eclectic than most are aware of – a little bit of everything, some credible and others not so much. I hope that comes across in this blog!
I write my own songs and it’s my dream for them to lead me somewhere someday.
I’m a huge bookworm.
I love writing – songs, blogs, poems – I just really love being create with words.
My favourite bands are Take That & The 1975.
I have lots of favourite movies but my all time favourite movie is ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (‘Perks’, The Shawshank Redemption’, ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, ‘The Green Mile’ & ‘Rent’ follow closely…)
I have lots of favourite songs but my all time favourites are probably Chocolate by The 1975, Higher than Higher by Take That & Edge of Desire by John Mayer.
I have lots of favourite books but my two all time favourites are The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, One Day by David Nicholls and Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt.
I don’t publicise it much anymore but Michael Jackson is one of my idols.
I’m a big foodie – there isn’t much I won’t eat! 🙂
And to answer Tammy’s questions:
1) What’s your Hogwarts house? I am a Gryffindor 🙂
2) Favorite David Bowie song? ‘Where Are We Now’. I do love ‘Heroes’, ‘Under Pressure’ & ‘Let’s Dance’ too though… basically the more commercial stuff!
3) Which fictional couple do you ship? Dexter & Emma in ‘One Day’.
4) Current favourite music artist? Lots of obsessions at the moment! The main one has been one of my favourites – John Mayer. Also been listening a lot to some of my other favourites: The 1975, Take That & Troye Sivan.
5) Where do you see yourself in the next five years? This is tricky, I can’t really imagine it! Scary… I think I’ll be back home in Northampton, I’ll have moved out though & probably in a steady job, still single haha!
6) You hit shuffle on your laptop or iPod or phone, what are the first three songs to come up?
The 1975 – What Makes You Beautiful (One Direction Cover in the Radio 1 Live Lounge)
Justin Bieber – Company
Gary Barlow – Jump
7) What book did you read last? I’m currently reading ‘Hector and the search for Happiness’ by Francois Lelord. The last book I finished was the brilliant ‘Let it Snow’ by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle.
8) Favourite social media platform? Twitter.
9) What is your favourite type of YouTube video? Live music performances.
10) Who inspires you? Various people in different ways! My Dad, Gary Barlow & John Mayer are probably the main ones.
11) Favourite TV show? I don’t watch a lot of TV anymore. ‘Miranda’ when it was on and I do love a bit of Strictly Come Dancing too!
My questions for my nominees are:
Favourite book?
Favourite movie?
Favourite band/artist
Biggest achievement?
Best concert you have ever been to? (If not a concert, maybe a festival or something?)
I set The Music Box up in 2013 after numerous other failed attempts at blogging. This year, we became solely a music blog with all other posts exported to an additional personal blog.
2015 has seen The Music Box go from strength to strength. We have received hundreds of likes and shares and our review of Markus Feehily’s ‘Fire’ album was tweeted by the man himself . We are hoping for this success to continue throughout 2016 and wanted to share some of our new developments with you for the next year.
Music Monday
To date, Music Monday has involved a selection of ten songs, both old and new that we have been enjoying immensely in the past week. They are usually accompanied by a short excerpt on why we love them here at the Music Box.
From 2016 onwards, this will be changed to ten new or current songs which we consider to be the hottest records in the world.
*NEW!* Feel Good Friday
Every Friday, we will be adding five tracks to our Feel Good Friday Spotify Playlist. There will be opportunities for suggestions too.
*NEW!* Artist Feature
Artist Features will be pieces dedicated to an artist. Generally to promote little-known or up and coming acts, these are to raise the profile of genuinely talented artists.
Themed Playlists
These will continue as usual.
Album Reviews and Live Gig Reviews
These will continue as usual.
Thank you so much for all of the follows, likes and shares of our posts and for the support this year. Please continue to share our posts and blog to help us out!
We don’t earn any money from this and do it purely for our love of music.
the-music-box.co.uk 