This week we hooked up with latest epic bundle of talent to hail from Brum – Jamie, Nick, James and Daniel aka The Traps. With their new single having just dropped and being big fans of it ourselves, we thought it was high time we caught up with the guys on everything from what they’ve been up to recently to how they came up with the idea for their new video.

We predict big things for this amazing 4 piece so get behind them and keep it locked.

1. Hi Guys, So fill us in on what you’ve been up to recently?

Hi, we’ve been recording an album and releasing a couple of singles. The album ‘Calypso’ is going to be out at the start of next year.

2. Explain to us how you came to be The Traps, have you known each other forever or is playing as a band a relatively new thing for you?

We’ve known each other forever, we met in German lessons, through the same guitar teacher and from having the same parents. All of those apply to different members of the band but the crux of it is, we’ve known each other and played music together for a long time.

3. Describe your sound in 5 words?

Big, energetic, fist pumping tunes

4. You’re second single ‘Moving Pictures’ was released to the world last week (November 19th) What’s the inspiration behind the track and what’s the reaction to it been like?

The reaction has been great so far. The song and the whole album is inspired by the character of Calypso from the Odyssey and her character’s flaws and traits.

5. We’re big fans of the video – How did you come up with the idea for it?

Before starting work on the videos for both Moving Pictures and Your Headland, we decided that, as this would be most people’s first introduction to the band and the material from our debut album, that we wanted to try and show subtle tones in the imagery we used to get across the theme of the record.

Then hopefully by the time the album comes out next year people will already be familiar with who The Traps are and what the album ‘Calypso’ is about, hence the inclusion of the image in the picture frame. Our bass player Nick worked with a good friend and skater of ours Benni Hughes and together they shot, created and edited the video. We wanted something that was fast moving/high tempo but had a good mix of dulcet tones that supported the track and its dynamic changes and I think we got that.

6. What gets you up in the morning the music, the money or the women?

It’s an easy question to answer as the latter two are still eluding us but of course it’s the music. We’ve known each other a long time and still, making music in The Traps is the most creative and enjoyable thing any of us have done with our lives.

7. Difficult question we know but hit us up with the best gig you’ve ever played and why?

We played at Exit Festival in Serbia, in front of a nuts crowd and the gig was projected onto the side of Petravardian fortress I’d say that was the best show. We also played in New York too which was obviously great and once shared a plate of sandwiches with Leona Lewis and Little Chris backstage.

8. You’re invisible for the day – what goes down?

We find Leona Lewis and Little Chris and relive that sandwich moment, only they wouldn’t know we were there, or where all the sandwiches kept going. Otherwise, the usual sinister stuff.

9. What kind of /Who’s music do you listen to when you’re getting ready for a gig?

Television – Marquee Moon. At the moment we’re playing the new Tame Impala, Grizzly Bear, and Efterklang alot.

10. Give us a cheeky insight into plans for 2013?

An album release, a single in January ‘Calypso’  and as many shows as we can muster.

11. Any thanks to anyone?

Just to Leona and Chris for the memories and above all to Fly53 of course.

Check out their new single, ‘Moving Pictures,’ right here right now. With one condition – Kick back and turn it up loud.

Experimental duo Age of Consent; Joe Reeves and Darren Cullen met at Glasgow School of Art after realising their mutual passion for brooding electronic music. Shortly after coming together the pair moved to London to make music and produce remixes for the likes of La Roux, Gary Numan and The Toxic Avenger. Exploring the unchartered territory between pop music and something all together more ‘out there’ and contemporary and cutting edge.

Their most recent work, second single ‘Heartbreak’ with its Prince-like drum sound and smooth vocals, has been described as an, “after-dark hymn to a long-dead love affair…taking it’s inspiration from the death of loved ones and reimagining the loss as the harrowing end of a relationship.” Deep, thought provoking, boundary pushing and interesting – we like it.

The video is a collaboration of creative minds the band themselves and Director Gareth Phillips. Together they took inspiration from Henri-Georges Clouzot’s film ‘La Prisonierre’ and Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart (what a foundation) to put together some pretty intense visuals. Check it out.

 

Karen O: Fearless QUEEN of all things full-throttle punk-rock, this half South Korean, half Polish lead singer of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, is so fucking cool.

Toying with the idea of world domination threesome the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have gone from strength to strength with their famous outrageous, off the wall performances. O describes the dynamic of the group as ideal, “Nick [Zinner, guitarist] and I fly off the handle left, right and centre. The clash is what makes us, but we need someone to mediate. With Brian [Chase, drummer] making us three, we’re all for one and one for all.”

We can’t get enough of this ferocious, eccentric, seductive oh so sexy master of cool. All hail Queen Karen.

 

 

 

Listen up! If you haven’t already heard guys this week we launched our new even more beautiful website which makes spending time and shopping over on www.fly53.com even more inspirational, interactive and easy than ever before.

The new site features our brilliant ‘look book’ which puts all the best of our gear together sharing ideas on how to style it up and rock it out the way nature intended  and at its best. Whats more we’ve wacked it all on cooler than cool Jimmy Q, Ex Pro US skater, and thrown in a little Nina Kate (only the hottest laytex model in town) just to spark things up a bit and make viewing, well, easy on the eye.

Make sure you head over there and check it out soon and as always keep it locked here for all the latest news and reviews from planet Fly53. We know whats hot.

 

Ben Drew, Plan B to us mere mortals, is the brains, writer and director behind the new, British crime drama film Ill Manors.

The film, set in Forest Gate, East London, delves into the lives of the eight main characters, played by Riz Ahmen, Ed Skrein, Keith Coggins, Lee Allen, Nick Sagar, Ryan De La Cruz, Anouska Mond and Natalie Press and their fight for respect, circles of violence, and struggle to survive on the streets.

Moving, real, fresh and painfully honest this film pays homage to those for who Ill Manors is a reality not a movie. “We are all products of our environment – Some environments are just harder to survive in.” It won’t give you a false sense of security, polish or dress up the truth in glitter and we like it. Jam packed with six original songs by Plan B himself, which act as a narration for the film, how could we not?

If you haven’t already been to see it – get booking, it’s not one to miss. Here a little something to wet your appetite.

 

So.. mixed reactions to say the very least it would appear is the general feeling of the nation after Sunday night’s closing ceremony. With performances from the likes of Muse, Liam Gallagher, The Spice Girls, The Kaiser Chiefs, Tho Who, Brian May, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and many more the evening was certainly jam packed with enough to get us all talking but not everyone was as blown away with proceedings as designer and choreographer Stephen Daldry would have liked in fact reactions we’re entirely split.

And we really mean split. From “a numbing, disheartening disaster ….The biggest floating turd we ever did whiff.” – Strong words from NME’s Chris T, to The Times who dubbed it a “raucous, exuberant celebration of modern culture” and The Independent who tipped it’s hat to it’s “display of exuberant revelry” with one message: “Let’s dance.”

Not like us not to join in one way or another this time we’re genuinely torn somewhere between the two – Epic at points – Yes we’re talking about you Borris dancing to the Spice Girls – you little beauty and of course the fireworks were pretty easy on the eye, and yet then there was disaster that was George Michael plugging his new single and Russell Brand singing – WTF guys?

Whichever side of the fence you’ve fallen on we’re pretty sure you’ll agree after those glorious few days with a pint glued to one hand we were left in dyer need of monday OFF. Is it just us or should that have been a bank holiday?

Heres a reminder of that special moment showing we’re pretty dam good with explosives.

What the Hell!

We’re not sure whether to laugh or cry at recent headlines over old favourite Snoop Dogg, who claims after spending some time in Jamacia to be Bob Marley reincarnated, no longer interested making hip hop beats and changing his name to Snoop Lion…One, What have you been smoking, two, where can we get it?

Snoop, gangster rapper in the West Cost hip hop scene and one of Dre’s most sucessful proteges is the legend behind tracks like ‘Still a G Thang’ and ‘Gin and Juice’ and  infamous for his bad boy image; hustling, money making, drug dealing and regular run ins with the law.

Having now “won every accolade you can get in rap,” Snoop’s had a shift of focus and having undergone a spritual and atristic rebirth wants to start making reggae music that his “kids and grandparents can listen to.”

Mid-life crisis? Its a pretty big gamble if you ask us. But Snoop’s not the first big name to ‘turn to religion’ in the middle of such a successful career, P Diddy and Cat Stevens made similar changes… but, and its a big BUT, never before has an artist entirely changed genre in the process and frankly his fans seem pretty pissed off.

The reggae album in the pipeline will be followed by a documentary produced by Vice giving an insight into Snoop’s life, work and reincarnation. Looks like we’ll just have to wait and see how this one goes down. Take a look.

So London 2012 is officially well under way and over a billion of us tuned into watch Danny Boyle’s fantastical journey through British history, the official openeing ceremony to the games on friday night. And wow what a ceremony it was.

For many the most captivating and stunning opening in the history of the olympic games. The dazzling spectacle included over ten thousand volounteers and crew, an 18 metre Voldemort, the fusing of the famous five golden rings, and even her Majesty the queen taking the time to drop in from her most recent 007 mission…and all that was just for starters.

The most amazing aspect of the evening had to be the world class musical line up including performances from The Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal and Two Door Cinema Club’s front man but to name a few.

Closing of the 4 hour event was spot on as Paul McCartney took to the stage with a version of The Beatles ‘Hey Jude’ and a quote from his and Lennon’s 1969 song ‘The End,’ “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

 

 

And so it goes on: The time old ongoing feud between rock and roll Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam was thrown back into the spotlight as Liam shamelessly mocked his brother Noel on Twitter last week.

After revealing the bands plans to join alternative rock band Snow Patrol on a joint headline tour around America this Autumn, Liam tweeted in true Gallagher style, “Snore Patrol Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Smurfs. Who said Rock and Roll is dead?”…Ouch!

Despite both the brothers bands playing Fuji Rock Festival this weekend in Japan Noel has made it clear he won’t appear on the festival bill on the same day as brother Liam.

Speaking to the Sun he said “What happens if we’re on the same bill? People start asking if we’re reforming, that’s what. Or they’ll ask if we’re going to get on stage together and sing Digsy’s fucking Dinner.”

Maybe we could do the same as we did with pip and impulse give them boxing gloves and put them in a ring in south london. How about it guys?