See: King Krule releases new video for A Lizard State
King Krule videos have always nosedived into the surreal. ‘Rock Bottom’ s visual accompaniment transfigured the desolation-induced lyrics into a beautifully contorted mess of Lynchian, Kafkaesque and beat generation reference work, with sparse industrial landscapes, cockroach wallpapers, black lodge diners, cactus women and a pack of brutish ‘city boys’ summoning a real sense of dread, …
Track: Sampha releases new single, Happens
A piano drops, while a single sultry falsetto line glides seamlessly through the sky, before burning up into the heavy, melancholic atmosphere of ‘Happens’. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? A new James Blake Croon-Pop ballad maybe? No. This is the sound of Sampha finally completing his journey out of SBTRKT’s shadow. The …
Feature: Bella Union’s world domination plan running to schedule; a Tramlines perspective
TWENTY YEARS AGO, as the Cocteau Twins conceived the idea of self-releasing as an antidote to the sting of broken relationships with record labels, little could they have imagined the hugely successful and fashionable beast it would become. Simon Raymonde, the band’s former bassist, has now been running Bella Union for over fifteen years, and …
Meet: Melbourne singer-songwriter/ producer Tom Day, ahead of his collaborative EP with Monsoonsiren
I sat here thinking what I should write for the introductory paragraph to this contribution. I was going to write something clever about how some composers don’t give the listener any insight into their personality, but Tom Day does. Then I thought I might write about how some music only fits the mood, whereas Tom’s music creates …
Live: Secret Cinema presents Laura Marling – Cardinal Pole Lower School, Hackney, London
ON A WEEKEND in which some of her fellow folk revivalists were busy dividing opinion at Worthy Farm, Laura Marling was finishing a run of unique, ‘immersive’ nights in a world far removed from the easy, egalitarian vibes of Glastonbury. Marling, now LA-resident, is ploughing a furrow very much independent of the likes of the …
See: Amplify Dot releases new visuals for new single ‘I’m Good’, featuring Busta Rhymes
I think I’m probably the most mainstream of all the BM writers in my musical tastes. Don’t get me wrong, I love being introduced to new bands and in turn introducing stuff I have found to my friends. I like a self-released EP produced in someone’s bedroom as much as the next person. But, I …
Live Review: Mark Morriss / The Herberts – Firebug, Leicester Friday 26.4.2013
….Only found out on Tuesday that Mark would be playing in Leicester with his new band The Herberts at Firebug, a fabulous little venue in the heart of the town centre. Walking distance from where I live, this was an opportunity definitely not to be missed. Always a fan of The Bluetones and recently of Mark’s …
Meet: Life in Film – Interview plus May Tour Dates
Recently I got dumped. I’d not been seeing him very long so I certainly wasn’t heartbroken but nobody likes being rejected so I allowed myself a 48 hour wallowing period. This involved some tears, a couple of ill-advised abusive text messages, nurofen and a lot of wine. It also involved much skipping on my MP3 …
Not Forgotten: Blur – Modern Life is Rubbish
Most people remember the time they heard ‘the’ album – the one that became their moment of musical epiphany. And most people also remember the first time they fell in love. Mine were one and the same. 1993, I was an awkward 13-year-old with a record collection that was pretty much made up entirely …
Video: From The Sticks – DMT
I’ve done a few things over the years that have absolutely terrified me, like asking a good friend of mine if she wanted to be more than that, in a bar full of drunken friends all cheering and jeering me on. After doing that I reckon I could face down a hungry lion with a …