Goodbye Stereo

Rob's top-ten new bands to see at Bestival 2011.

• Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
• Spark
• Frankie and the Heartstrings
• The Unthanks
• Foster the People
• Dry the River
• L-vis 1990 and the Neon Dreams
• Labrinth
• Shrillex
• Goodbye Stereo - Isle of Wight County Press

Goodbye Stereo
‘Emergency’, a song taken from Goodbye Stereo’s forth coming ‘Singles’ series seems an appropriate title for this up-and-coming Isle of Wight band. It seems as though those people who have been fortunate enough to come across GBS are truly urgent to tell everyone they know about what these gents have to offer.

Ok, so take my word for it and hang on here. The ‘Island’ is not really known for up-and-coming acts or let alone anything apart from a new farm range but believe me, these guys break down the barrier. Quoted for having ‘hooks big enough to trap a Humpback Whale!’ these five guys really do mean business.

In their early stages of indie pop with influences along the lines of Data.Select.Party., Death Cab for Cutie and vocals with the likes of the Kooks; all of which can be found on their first self release EP ‘Light Years Away’. It was hard not to take note of them from the word go.

After a few member alterations, it has been refreshing to see them advance with a bit more thought and actually quite progressive at points onto their own spin of indie pop music. In their ‘Singles’ series of songs they released on their My Space earlier this month, they capture catchy hooks and melodies in the song ‘Sweetheart’. This is on top of progressive rock with a sound larger than Rick Waller’s dinner plate in the re-recording of ‘Emergency’, and the track ‘Greenest Eyes’ sees the lads on a slower sound to which could melt Ross Kemps hard nut image…

Whilst these recordings were being mixed, they released a few videos on their YouTube channel to which all had the same reaction on me, beautiful. The song ‘Broken Bones’ is played with just piano alongside vocals and the haunting line ‘All of our loved ones are going to die one day’ sends shivers down my spine. Additionally to this, the other video release ‘The Morning Light’ sees the band with a Mumford and Sons riff under a melody placed as delicate as a fairy on the festive Christmas tree.

It seems there is no stopping Goodbye Stereo; with countless support slots popping up with big names such as Air Traffic and being crowned one of the Isle of Wight’s best bands with rewarding headline slots at the Island’s biggest venues, I don’t think I have ever witnessed a more deserving band.

Check these guys at: www.myspace.com/goodbyestereomusic
- Matts Words ...

Having had a while being out of the game it did make you wonder what Goodbye Stereo had been doing after their regular gig slots. Broken up? Selling their bodies to reality TV? Joining the rap scene? Thankfully none of these things, well perhaps the latter is slightly true with one of the members taking the identity of ‘The Jackal’.

Instead of all of the above, these five guys have been creating their new sound; with a new release on the cards they took their indie-pop creations on a mini tour that reached the height of any musicians dream when they headlined the Liverpudlian home of The Beatles, The Cavern Club. Following this, a headline set in Islington and tonight’s support slot in The Cellars in Portsmouth proved they were well ready to return.

A half an hour slot filled with tracks both old and new came across very professional and well practised. With an indie pop sound that is more than quite in at the moment, these songs would easily fit prime time Radio One.

It was this night in Portsmouth where old songs that had taken a back seat in the Goodbye Stereo set before this “break”. ‘I’m just a robot’ and ‘Sunstroke’ made an appearance once again with the more refreshed and new Goodbye Stereo sound squeezed into them. It appeared that changing the sound of the previously recorded tracks brought all of the songs they played both new and old together, they all seemed to indifferently flow better with no stops and starts. What they have dropped is the kind of Math-Rock influences (think Data.Select.Party etc.) and brought in more of the pop that really does suit the boys, they’re just smooth, like ice…?

Other songs in this fun filled set were ‘The Preview’, ‘Run Boy Run’, the crowd’s favourite ‘Light Years Away’ and their new single, decided by their fans on Isle of Wight Radio, ’Sweetheart’. A set which was certainly packed with more fun and games than the red coats at Butlins could manage. Overall, despite the lack of some songs like ‘Greenest Eyes’ and ‘Knock a Door Run’, I can’t really complain from only a half an hour set.

The future is looking bright for this band, with the release of ’Sweetheart’ and another tour at the start of summer, including a VERY special potential hometown show, you would be stupid to miss this band. The future’s bright, the future’s Goodbye Stereo. - Rock Pulse