once more with heart – and so she thinks

Secret Rivals – Just Fall

admin — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 21:27:08 +0000

‘What a way to spend a weekend, well some fucking best friend you’ve turned out to be…too readily swallow the same lines, well not this time’
They say that troubled souls make great artists. Both are true of Secret Rivals. Just Fall is their snappy ten track album, funded by fans as part of Pledge Music campaign last year, and is a perfect summary of their sound. From the flickering flux at the start if I Know Something, to Jay’s yearning vocals on Just Fall, this is an album boarding on exorcism. The soundtrack to the moment when you’re gazing into what you thought was concrete and forever and it all starts to fade, yet actions and reactions don’t quite correlate in the way you want them to, as oscillating vocals between Clouds and Jay jump over exploratory fretwork and punky riffs. The guitars and drums clatter and flurry, sonically displaying two emotions simultaneously yet indiscriminately, and the vocal reaction seems to be one that straddles a flashing toothy grin and tears rolling down the cheeks. Feisty as ever, there’s a tinge of vulnerability underneath this rambunctious fury.
Anyone who knows the band will be familiar with the tracks on here, I Know Something, Panic/Don’t Panic, Once More With Heart and Everything I’ve Lost having all been released before. Just Fall sounds like band growing up, a cathartic output. There comes a point when bands evolve and develop, and Secret Rivals seem to be teetering on that edge. ‘These scars show everything I’ve lost’ sings Clouds – and that marks the end of it. A fantastic album, and I hope Secret Rivals take the best of it with them for the future, but now it is time to move on; not fall but fly. Besides, These Are Only Obstacles.

Upcoming gigs
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6th April @ The Barfly, Camden, London
11th April @ The Cellar, Oxford
16th April @ Buffalo Bar, Islington, London
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Once More With Heart – a song of the summer

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:10:33 +0000

Entries have been coming in thick and fast for Music Jobs’ Sounds of the Summer mixtape, and Secret Rivals are one of the lucky ten to have been chosen. Once More With Heartjoins songs from Benoit Viellefon Hot Club, Dead Social Club, Hattie Murdoch, No F In Irony, Woosley Cone, Jibilicious, HOWE, The Hobos, The Stowaways, Himan & Fever 105, Scorzayzee, Ridney, The Crosswires, The Banana Sessions, Jo Lewis, Astrolab and Baby Taylor.
As they stay, check the links, buy the songs, see the shows, support the artists. Keep music alive!

Secret Rivals Make Do And Mend Part 2 – nice stuff people are saying…

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:46:39 +0000

Secret Rivals land in May with Make Do And Mend (part 2), the follow up (as the name suggests) to the 2011 Make Do And Mend, which was picked up, praised and played by ,amongst others, indie taste makers Tom Robinson, Steve Lamacq and Rob Da Bank.
Continuing with their deliciously scuzzy pop sound, nfluenced by the likes of The Cribs, Johnny Foreigner, Los Campesinos, early Idlewild and 80s indie, Make Do And Mend (part 2) is full of arresting indie pop combined with punky razor sharp riffs. Previously unheard tracks The Part That Kills and I Hope She Knows are magnificently immersive explosions of tunes, the chaos of excitement and angst managing to be perfectly and powerfully contained within the song structure. The final, and title, track reveals a softer, more vulnerable side to the band, quivering vocals over a gently mournful melody, and the stripped back production courtesy of fellow Oxfordians Alphabet Backwards allows the track to simmer and soothe to its full capacity.
Released on May 28th, through It’s All Happening! Records, Make Do And Mend (part 2) is available to pre order now.
Once More With Heart is an energetic, upbeat behemoth of a track, spurred by a driving bass line perfectly showcasing theirharsh/melodic dual vocal attack’ – Oxford Music Blog
‘from the first note a musical breath of fresh air…an uplifting package; energetic, open-hearted and pleasingly free of pretension’ – Nightshift

Love for Secret Rivals – Once More With Heart/I Know Something: buy it now!

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:39:45 +0000

Clearly It’s All Happening! believe that the gravelly emotions and gritty excitement, oscillating melodies and compulsive substance, confident and explosive rhythms of Secret Rivals Once More With Heart and I Know Something make them great examples of those sorts of songs that leave your life better than when they entered it, and an excellent follow up to their September mini-album Make Do And Mend. That’s why we’re releasing it.
But it’s not only us; a fair few others have been enamoured too.
On 7^th January Sky Sports chose the song as the soundtrack to their Championship Goals montage (and managed to relocate the band to New York.)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gecZ5s84Oak]
AltSounds caught up with the guys to discuss 2011 and 2012 and Gaydar discussed being a Gay Icon. Gigape chose to share the song as did the The Music Fix, the F-Word featured Once More With Heart in a piece on their praise for female fronted bands.
The NME were treated to an exclusive of the video, and as well as sharing the video for Once More With Heart Subba Cultcha extracted from Jay that the album to change his life was Pulp’s Different Class – confirmation Secret Rivals and It’s All Happening! are the perfect match.
Panicdots love the fact that the ‘new single has a great dancey feel to it, while still retaining a punky vibe’ whilst The Found of Confusion cite the song as a ‘typically thrilling audio conniption’ (definition: a fit of rage, hysteria, or alarm).
The Oxford Music Blog believes the release on January 16th ‘looks set to kick off a landmark year for the band’ and similarly Sour Mash kick off their New for 2012 list with gushing praise for the ‘charm and damn good leg-slapping joy’ from this ‘glorious band.’ And legendary Oxford magazine Nightshift loves it as an example of ‘pure and unvarnished…timeless indie pop.’
And HMV simply state ‘we LOVE this song.’ Sums it up nicely.
Available to buy January 16th from here!

Secret Rivals Single Launch!

admin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:46:28 +0000

Everyone's loving Secret Rivals' Once More With Heart

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:54:26 +0000

We know it’s great. Secret Rivals are aware that it rocks. Trend setters are always ahead of the crowd, and now the rest of the musical community is starting to catch up, streaming, mixing and sharing the new single Once More With Heart, which will be released as a double A side with I Know Something on January 16th on It’s All Happening Records. Read an interview with Jamie on Panic Dots, where, amongst other things, he name drops Tim Robinson, Rob Da Bank and Steve Lamacq.
Adding their happy-go-lucky style, Alphabet Backwards have knocked up a splendid remix, available to download from A Badge of Friendship’s Soundcloud page.
Secret Rivals – Once More With Heart (Alphabet Backward Remix) by abadgeoffriendship
Or if you prefer to dabble in the darker side, check out the remix from Lee Christian of Smilex.
Not only being supported by fellow bands, the musical monolith that is the NME have posted a live video of Once More With Heart -moving in the big circles now guys!