Archives
EP Review: Eerie Glue//Joey Fourr – ‘Yr New Favourite EP’
I reckon every recording artist both signed and unsigned pre-about-2000 has at one point in their career recorded music in the Lo-fi style. The mental image of a young Rick Astley crooning into a 4-track tape recorder accompanied only by a rickety nylon-string may startle more than say, Keith Morris doing it, but I suspect …
Not Forgotten – The Magnetic Fields – i
After the Herculean epic that was 69 Love Songs, The Magnetic Fields were due a rest. A mere five years later they offered up a splendid and economical follow up in the shape of i, a smaller album on a smaller theme, the theme being the ninth letter of the alphabet. Yep that’s right, all …
Meet: Auteurs re-release New Wave, plus an interview with Luke Haines
There were some musical highlights in 1993 – In Utero, Nirvana’s brilliant follow-up to Nevermind, Songs of Faith and Devotion showed Depeche Mode could continue to grow, and there, hidden away in that years Mercury Music Prize nominations, alongside Stereo MC’s Connected, PJ HArveys Rid of Me, and the eventual winner – Suede’s self titled …
A Buyers Guide to Creedence Clearwater Revival
In the USA, Creedence are seen as one of the great American rock bands. Here in the UK they are generally seen as a brilliant singles band rather than an act that put out a string of great albums. Creedence are so ingrained into the American psyche that their music frequently soundtracks all manner of …
Album Review: Phantogram – Voices
Phantogram could’ve very easily gotten lost in the massive wave of boy/girl electronic duos that made their way into our ears since 2009. They’ve rode the wave along with bands like The Bird and the Bee, Matt and Kim, Chairlift, and Sleigh Bells into that hip hop-inflected indie dance pop that was either catchy or grating. …
Track: Tom Williams and The Boat – Hurricane, plus album news
Bookish but brilliant indie rockers Tom Williams and the Boat have returned with a new single, Hurricane, out on March 25th with their third album Easy Fantastic following on May 19th. The whole thing was recorded at Abbey Road with Ian Grimble on the production duties. It’s sees the bands sound continuing to develop, more …
A Buyers Guide to The Shins
Initially an offshoot of Flake Music, The Shins were a solo side project for bandleader James Mercer to dabble with during the downtime of his main band. At some point in the mid 90s, Flake Music basically morphed into The Shins, and initially consisted of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mercer backed up by Flake Music’s Jesse …
Track: The Editors – Sugar
I seem to remember Editors arose in the slipstream of Interpol when there was a sudden burst of pseudo-Joy Division/Goth-lite bands (whose alumni also included White Lies). In my view, despite Interpol’s stunning debit (Turn on the Bright Lights), Editors have proven themselves to be a far more consistently creative band in the intervening time, …
Track: Apperaat – Deliver, plus video
We always have a motto, ‘It has to be pleasant’. So say Apparaat, a new Danish/Dutch duo comprised of Tam Vibberstoft and Nils Gade. Its too easy to describe the two as a band, they are much more than that – more a complete artistic package. They make music, take photos, do performances, write ambient …
Album Review: Nate Connelly – A dream about being lost
Since graduating from Leeds College of Music a decade ago, St. Annes born Nate Connolly has concentrated on writing and scoring film scores, totaling approaching a couple of dozen. But he does have a history with hard house, raves and drum and bass dating back to his teens. At first sound, it seems like one …