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Live: The Provincial Archive at The Islington
The final stop on The Prov’s European tour finds them just off Upper Street in London on a wet and windy May evening. They’re fresh from time on the continent (Germany in particular, where their new album, “It’s All Shaken Wonder”, has already been released) and, more recently, in Cardiff, Bristol and Folkestone (a thumbs …
Live: John Cooper Clarke – Palace Theatre, Manchester, 24-05-14
The Bard of Salford. The Punk Poet. Doctor John Cooper Clarke, needs little introduction, especially in his home town, but as the lights go down and a single spotlight picks out a mic stand and a small table the house announcer informs us that ‘The Doctor is in the house, the King has entered the …
New Music: Young Braves – Black Country (free download)
Cruising out of the titular ‘Black Country’, Shropshire’s teenage indie rockers are back with a new single. This is a song of youthful desire to escape limitations and oppressions, to run to the border, the ocean. The radio edit is propelled, at least to begin with, by a pretty standard Kings of Leon-esque foundation …
Meet: We interview Lancaster punk/psych band Three Dimensional Tanx
Producing this sort of DIY punk-psychedelia from a corner of England is Three Dimensional Tanx. The particular music is infused with this sort of Stooges / MC5 attitude and adrenelin, and the particular corner of the country is Lancaster. They’ve recently released a self-titled album on Sunstone Records, that manages to date itself sometime in …
Track: Arkells release the sunshine pop of new single ‘Never thought that this would happen’
Hamilton, Ontario’s Arkells are preparing to release their third album in the summer. As a first look they’ve released ‘Never thought this would happen’, take from the sessions that were recorded in Highland Park, LA with Tony Hoffer (Phoenix, M83, Beck). The record was written in a very workmanlike fashion, the band band convening five …
Live: Broken Twin at St John on Bethnal Green
Broken Twin’s music demands this church setting; somewhere deeply sonorous and solemn, redolent with the deliciously evocative smell of candle wax. On this windswept Wednesday evening, Majke Voss Romme and band are intense and focused, with barely a word spoken outside of song. They arrive on stage without fanfare, settle into position and off they set, beginning …
New Music: Blessa announce Love is an Evol word EP, stream Unfurl
Sheffield five piece Blessa are preparing for the release of their debut EP ‘Love is an Evol word’ through their own label Carmel Records on 23rd June in conjunction with Generator. The band traces its beginnings back to English Literature classes at one of the cities Universities. The two protagonists, Olivia (vocals) and Alex (guitar) …
Live: The Fruitful Earth – “Rising Sun” album launch at Servant Jazz Quarters
Dalston Kingsland, half-eight on a dreary Thursday night, the capital greasily covered with filthy spring rain. This is not at all in keeping with the spirit of the record we’re here to receive, not at all. Fortunately The Fruitful Earth couldn’t give a flying fuck what it’s like outside. The Servant Jazz Quarters stage is …
Howie B: Interview
Text message: “Can we wait until half time ? I’ll call u in 20 mins”. It’s a finely balanced 0-0 at the Vicente Calderón stadium, so you can understand Howie B wanting to see out the first 45, hoping that Chelsea can keep Atlético at bay. With the break safely reached, he’s straight on the phone. …
Tom Brosseau: Profile
Outside it’s a beautifully bright Sunday lunchtime, but chill in the shade. Indoors, in the snug of Paper and Cup, it’s cosy warm. Tom Brosseau, his friend Eva, his manager Mary Jones, and I are happily ensconced in Calvert Street, E2, about to reap the rewards of the coffee machine currently threatening to drown out …