Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon

I first stumbled across Kings Of Leon in 2003 with the release of their debut album, Youth and Young Manhood.  The album was as raw as a rare-cooked slab of meat with edges rougher than a stubble-chinned kiss. The band received critical-acclaim in the UK and the album peaked at #3 though fared less well in their homeland.

The second album,  Aha Shake Heartbreak was released a year later.  Musically it was much the same as the first, though I sense a slight turn away from rough, garage-ready sound towards a more studio produced sound that in time would become more commercial and veer away from alternative indie rock to become a mainstream stadium-filling and festival headlining pop rock that would see the Followill brothers & cousins become one of the most successful rock bands on the planet.

Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon is a very candid documentary based on interviews with the group and their families.  Explaining how the boys were brought up in a strict and religious environment citing how Caleb Followill was going to follow in the footsteps of his father and become a preacher man before escaping the poor, country small town existence to front one of the biggest rock groups in the world.

Caleb explains how one day he and brother Nathan was home alone and decided to rig a home-made aerial to the only television set which was only used to play computer games.  They were excited to watch Sesame Street.  Tongue-in-cheek he jokes how he will surely go to hell for that escapade. But there is a darker side to the documentary.  The band is shown arguing amongst themselves.  Insults are thrown as they appear fractious and at times without the brotherly love their external persona suggests. Caleb admits openly having had problems with alcohol and other drugs, though suggests he is over that part of his life.

Talihina Sky charts their lives from their humble beginnings in the deep South, through personal troubles and ultimately their love of music that would make them superstars, to signing a record deal and selling out stadiums worldwide.

Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon features interviews with the full band – Caleb, Nathan, Jared, and Matthew Followill  plus exclusive footage of other family members and influential figures in the band’s lives and career, this is the first time their tremendous journey has been documented. Talihina Sky is the definitive story of the Kings of Leon, told in their own words.

“10 years ago I witnessed the creation of this family band in their mother’s Tennessee garage. Even then, I was fascinated by their strict Pentecostal upbringing and the eccentric and colourful characters that make up their family. There was no doubt in my mind that they would become one of the biggest rock bands in the world. My goal with this film was to document the roots of their music and how rock-n-roll transformed their lives. I am proud and honoured to share the story of Kings of Leon.” – Stephen Mitchell, Director

Talihina Sky: The Story of the Kings Of Leon is released by Revolver Entertainment on DVD & Blu-ray.

Win a copy of Talihina Sky: The Story of the Kings Of Leon.

Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon

Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon is a unique insight into one of the biggest bands on the planet. Now a global phenomenon, the film charts their lives from their humble beginnings in the deep South, through alcohol, recreational drugs and most importantly, the rock n’ roll that would make them superstars, to signing a record deal and selling out stadiums worldwide.

Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon features interviews with all of the band members – Caleb, Nathan, Jared, and Matthew Followill, plus exclusive footage of other family members and influential figures in the band’s lives and career, this is the first time their tremendous journey has been documented.

Talihina Sky is the definitive story of the Kings of Leon, told in their own words. for more information visit www.talihinasky.co.uk.

Free to Enter Competition to win Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon DVD

Buzzin Music has 5 copies of Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon DVD to giveaway.

To enter all you need to do is answer the following easy question:

Q: What is the name of the Kings of Leon lead singer?

Submit your entries to comps@buzzinmedia.co.uk with the subject line: ‘Kings Of Leon’ (other subject lines will not be entered) with your full name, address & contact number.

This Buzzin Media Competition ends has now closed

The editor will randomly choose five winners from the correct answers. The editor’s choice is final.

Bill Nelson in Concert DVD

On March 26th 2011 ITV filmed a special concert in London, featuring guitar legend Bill Nelson, leader of pop art bands Be-Bop Deluxe and Red Noise.  Bill Nelson left high profile music some years back, due to his dislike of the music industry / media circus.  However, his influence on modern music is immense.  Admired by Paul McCartney, Brian May, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Eno, Prince, The Foo Fighters, The Darkness, My Chemical Romance et al.   I’m delighted to announce that the video of this unique evening at ITV Legends is now available on to buy.  In case you are still wondering who Bill Nelson is, here’s some background.

Bill Nelson’s career started with 1970’s Art School band Be-Bop Deluxe, where he had considerable success with classic albums like Futurama, Sunburst Finish and Drastic Plastic.  By the mid 70’s Be-Bop Deluxe were conquering America but Bill was disaffected by the celebrity lifestyle and its requirements of him.  He disbanded Be-Bop Deluxe and formed Red Noise, a synth / new age band way ahead of its time, paving the way for 80’s acts like Gary Numan, A Flock of Seagulls and many others.  Red Noise’s music was jagged and edgy.

EMI dropped Nelson at this point since he refused to perform ‘more of the same’.  Shortly after Bill pioneered Indie music, releasing albums made in his own studio on his own ‘Cocteau’ record label.  Many of these home-made creations were of superior quality to what others have since recorded in the most professional of recording studios.

Bill Nelson’s heart is firmly fixed within the inventor’s domain, with a more or less continuous stream of musical creativity.  Much of Bill’s work can be accessed through his website ‘Dreamsville’.

Nelson’s latest works are mostly lush ambient soundscapes, not typical of his recent ITV release, which is a must-have release for Be-Bop Deluxe / Red Noise / music lovers.  Here’s an example of Bill Nelson’s less commercial work, taken from his recent performance at the Sheffield ‘Sensoria’ Arts Festival – music which owes no regard to an X-Factor culture.

I wrote a personal cameo about Bill Nelson in the book Sex, Leadership and Rock’n’Roll, as he is a master of continuous creativity and reinvention.  A copy of the cameo can be found at the Academy of Rock.

For more information about Peter Cook:  The Rock’n’Roll Business Guru, visit The Academy Of Rock.

New Model Army

So, New Model Army is set to release a 30th Anniversary box set on 8th November filled with paraphernalia that every diehard NMA fan would kill to get their hands on. To tie in with this release the band will be playing four shows in the UK (two nights in Nottingham, on 22nd and 23rd of October at Rock City and two nights in London, on 3rd and 4th of December at the Forum).

Over the past 3 decades, the band has recorded 13 studio albums with over 200 songs, from the debut “Vengeance” to their latest release “Today is a Good Day”; they have been a constant and driving force ever since their 1984 debut, influencing metal bands like Sepultura to folk bands such as The Frames.

I’ve been following New Model Army for some time; I bought the album “Vengeance” after seeing them play at the Kentish Town Forum in which, for a lack of a better phrase, my face was melted. I have been a fan ever since.

Watching the DVD, I’m reminded how much of a great and consistent force New Model Army have been these past 30 years.  From what I saw of the 20 or so videos, there looks to be a good mixture of content, ranging from music videos like the explosive “Here Comes The War” to great live tracks such as “I Love The World” from the Bizarre Festival, there’s also a couple of bootleg live recordings too, “Small Town England” is a brilliant example of how lively a crowd can get. By far my favourite of the bunch was the 2006 live performance of “Rivers” from the album “High”. I just think it’s a great example of how New Model Army have still got great ideas – even thirty years down the line. The best part of the performance is the chorus, especially as the whole band sing in unison.

The box-set will include 30 tracks selected by past and present band members, 3 DVDs packed with over 8 hours featuring full concerts from The Marquee (1985) and WDR concerts from Philipshalle (1990), Bizarre Festival (1996), and Koln Palladium (2006). Extra editions will feature art prints, stencils of the band logo and a collage jigsaw puzzle.

Frank Turner

Frank Turner’s dream of reaching mainstream popularity continues to grow with the announcement that due to popular demand he will be performing at the O2 Brixton Academy on December 12th this year.

This news is announced following Turner having sold out his gig at London’s Roundhouse venue two months in advance. The Roundhouse show takes place as the finale of his current UK tour, on March 24th.

The Brixton show will be his largest headline gig so far and an incredible achievement considering his humble beginnings of playing tiny venues, house parties, pubs, car parks and anywhere else that would have him – only a few years ago. Testament if ever there was need for one, that Frank Turner has turned underground cult status into a mainstream success story.

To coincide with his March tour Turner will release a live version of the track Long Live The Queen, recorded at his Shepherds Bush Empire show in October last year. The single will be available as a digital download and a limited edition 7″ vinyl, from March 22nd.

A DVD/CD Take To The Road will also be available from March 22nd, featuring the entire Shepherds Bush gig as well as his performance in the more intimate surroundings of the Union Chapel last Christmas. The DVD also includes promo videos, diaries, photos and interviews. The bonus CD features the audio from Shepherds Bush.

Following the tour Turner will release the beautiful single Isabel on April 12th, the third track to be released from the Top 40 album Poetry Of The Deed. All Frank Turner recordings are available through Xtra Mile Recordings.

HEADLINE UK TOUR
MARCH
15 Northumbria Uni, Newcastle
16 Edinburgh Picture House
17 Manchester Academy
18 Leeds 02 Academy
19 Bristol 02 Academy SOLD OUT
21 Birmingham O2 Academy
22 Norwich Waterfront
23 Portsmouth Pyramids
24 London Roundhouse SOLD OUT
**EXTRA DATE ADDED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND**
DECEMBER
12 LONDON O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON

For our international readers Frank Turner is currently supporting Flogging Molly on their huge arena tour in the USA and having recently sold out solo shows in Toronto, Montreal and LA – the international plot continues to grow with a confirmed set at Coachella Festival in April, dates on the Revival Tour in Australia, gigs in Hong Kong and a slot at the famous Calgary Folk Festival in July.

For further information visit the Frank Turner MySpace, or Xtra Mile Recordings.