Bristol24/7 Student Guide 2020: Music

With its massive cultural scene, Bristol isn’t short of talented musicians and bands. Here’s four you need to check out.

Massive Attack
Arguably Bristol’s most well-known musical export, Massive Attack came to prominence in the early 1990s with their breakout album Blue Lines. The band managed to create an atmosphere on Blue Lines that wasn’t really characteristic of hip-hop music at the time, with its bass heavy production and pioneering downtempo style.

The record is deeply melodic in places too, with clear soul influences in tracks like Unfinished Symphony and Safe From Harm. Both Blue Lines and Massive Attack’s third album Mezzanine feature in Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Massive Attack are quintessentially Bristolian and a must listen.

Faeland
Independent two-piece outfit Faeland are an underrated folk-pop band. During the lockdown, they have been broadcasting free Faeland Live concerts on Facebook, where they have been playing original songs as well as covers of folk favourites.

Faeland are releasing an album in November. Photo: Emilie Sandy Photography

The vocals of lead singer Rebecca are enchanting, and the instrumentation from Jacob is laid back and chilled. The title track from their 2018 record All My Swim showcases just what Faeland does best, with the soft vocals complimenting the dreamy, folk production.

They are well worth checking out, and their new album is set to release in November 2020.

Idles 
Angry and politically charged, Idles are a post-punk band led by frontman Joe Talbot.

Featuring lyrics including “I’m council house and violent, I’m laughing at the tyrants” and “the best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich”, Idles’ music is anti-establishment and proud, with Talbot’s rough vocals creating an invigorating noise.

The lyrics are often clever and tongue in cheek, which complement the hard-hitting, headbanging hooks. It is not a surprise then that their second album, Joy as an Act of Resistance, was shortlisted for the 2019 Mercury Prize.

The energy, the attitude, and the left leaning politics just make the perfect formula. Their music is the perfect antidote to the current volatile political climate.

Idles are one of the best bands to come out of Bristol in recent years. Photo: @tomhaaam

Yola
Yola released her debut album Walk Through Fire on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label in 2019, with the Black Keys frontman helping with production too.

Previously working as a backing vocalist for The Chemical Brothers and Iggy Azalea among others, Yola’s first solo record is powerful and a truly exciting career starting album. Sonically, the album has multi-faceted, layered production and Yola brings a solid vocal range. The project toys with rock and soul elements, but the country influences are prominent throughout.

The album was nominated at the 2020 Grammy Awards for best Americana Album, and Yola herself won the award for Best UK Artist at the 2020 UK Americana Awards, showing that she is finally getting the recognition she deserves.

Main photo of Yola: Alysse Gafkjen

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