Album Reviews
Say Psych: Album Review: The Underground Youth – What Kind of Dystopian Hellhole is This?
What Kind of Dystopian Hellhole is This? is the eighth LP from The Underground Youth, formed in Manchester but they now call Berlin home. Beginning in 2008 when the only way to get their music heard was to hand out CD-Rs, they came to prominence with the release of Mademoiselle in 2010. They went on …
Album Review: Loyle Carner – Yesterday’s Gone
For so many years, our American cousins had the hip-hop game pretty much tied up. But over the last ten years or so, us Brits have fought back, delivering game-changing acts such as Dizzee, Wiley, and Tinchy. Last year Skepta scooped the Mercury music award, and Kano released his career best album ‘Made In The …
Say Psych: Album Review: Singapore Sling – Kill Kill Kill (Songs About Nothing)
Formed back in 2000 in Iceland, Singapore Sling have become a name synonymous with disjointed psychedelic rock; their influence spreading far and wide from their small home island, touching nearly every fabric of the neo-psych scene. In their 16 years they have brought their renowned brand of nihilistic rock and roll to sell out venues, …
Say Psych: Album Review: Has A Shadow – Sorrow Tomorrow
South America has become the latest melting pot to produce some fantastic neo-psychedelic rock sounds and Has A Shadow from Guadalajara, Mexico, are one of the least known of these bands. However, after a slot on this years Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, their exposure has increased exponentially, and with this comes the announcement of …
Album Review: Wojciech Golczewski – End Of Transmission
Just when you think you’ve got the year in music all wrapped up with a nice, decorative bow an album pops out from the great ether and grabs you by the lapels and says “You’re not done yet, pal!” That album for me is Wojciech Golczewski’s End Of Transmission. Golczewski is a film composer that …
Reissue: Theatre Of Hate – Westworld (3cd deluxe reissue)
The official rerelease and remaster of Westworld, Theatre of Hate`s first album. TOH came to the forefront in the early 1980`s, I was lucky enough to see them at that time at Plymouth Top Rank, supported by Southern Death Cult pre the release of this album in 1982. The distinct sound of Brandons vocals and …
Album Review: Various Artists: Action Time Vision: A Story of UK Independent Punk 1976-1979
A cracker of a new 4CD Box Set released for the 40th anniversary of Punk. Not that the anniversary should swing you into buying this, if it had come out in the last 20 years it should still be in your CD collection. There have been a few Punk Compilations over the years, some poor …
Album Review: The Emerald Down – Scream The Sound
The Emerald Down, a band who Ian Watson (Rolling Stone/NME/BBC 6 Music) ranked among “the more innovative fringes of rock and electronica”, have re-released what has been deemed a lost classic on Saint Marie Records. Its original release in 2001 (the height of shoegaze’s ‘uncool’ period) on a small label in America unfortunately saw the release sink …
Album Review: Body/Head – No Waves
I remember being pretty floored by Coming Apart, the first record by the Kim Gordon/Bill Nace avante noise band Body/Head. In fact, I can remember thinking how on the edge that album was. Piercing, jagged guitar squalls mixed with Kim Gordon’s improvised vocal belting made for a compelling listen back in 2013. The record felt …
Album Review: Dr. Dog – Abandoned Mansion
Like a friend wanting to console you after a great disappointment, Dr. Dog have emerged from the wilderness of the post-election shock and awe to give us something to ease our worried minds and pained hearts. It seems the Philly folk/soul/rock philistines entered their studio and for two weeks belted out a song a day …