Interview
Meet – The Last Skeptik, plus new album and video
In my day as a youth, the only producer I knew was that one that Ronnie Corbett used to use to give his funny stories some credence. And even when I started to take notice of what producers really were, then they were all these fancy American types, that drove huge cars and stood in …
Meet: A Hawk and a Hacksaw, and You have already gone to the Other World
There’s something unique, and beautiful about A Hawk and a Hacksaw. In these days of X-Factor and formulaic unit-obsessed drivel, the Albuquerque, New Mexico duo have furrowed if not a lonely path, then a reasonably empty one. After playing drums in the much missed Natural Milk Hotel, Jeremy Barnes passed through several bands, before travelling …
Meet: Leeroy Powell a.k.a. Sir Vinyl Instinct, a.k.a. Itchy Pig
I went on a scout camp once, and we had this (how could he be anything other?) slightly crazy scout leader, that wore shorts all the time, and usually a hat, not a scout beret, but instead a sort of Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee sort of affair. I prided myself on being one of the least …
Meet: We chat with Mazes ahead of their new album and European tour dates
My mate once won tickets to a band on Manchester’s GLR. That band was Suicidal Tendancies, they of legendary hardcore metal infamy (they were promoting the track ‘Feel like shit, de ja vu, at the time) I sort of knew this, but when I raised this with said mate, he said they were like the …
Meet: Paul Browse – Visions of Excess, Clock DVA, electronic music….and me.
Imagine this. Born in dour post war Sheffield, you join one of pop histories most experimental bands while still in your early 20s. After almost ten years of making records that are one hand appealing and the other wildly experimental, you leave not only the band but the country, and go on to be highly …
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 …
Meet: Nat Johnson
It’s not often I taken notice of a drummer. In general, drummers hang about with drummers, talking about cymbals and other stuff mere musicians don’t understand (probably like unintentionally slowing down, and wrist injuries. and that) but this particular drummer, let’s call him Carl, for the purposes this article, and the fact that that’s his …
Meet: NZ/NYC synth-pop artist Lips
When I was younger I moved from a small village in Yorkshire, to London. The big metropolis that London is both scared and excited me. There were certain things I didn’t understand when I arrived there. Principally that car horns are used much more frequently than in rural life, where its only used in moments …
Screaming Maldini Singer Gina Walters gives us the low-down on their new album, track by track.
We’ve already talked about the Screaming Maldini album, here. If you don’t want to read it (go on, it’s really good) then the important facts are these – 1. It is this sort of ‘prog-pop’ that although is essentially brilliant pop, is skewed with weird time-signatures, adventurous instrumentation and soaked in, well ambition 2. Despite …
Sarah Records, and an interview with Clare Wadd, co-founder
Both me and my brother went through a period of waiting furtively for the postman to deliver these plain brown packages, which we ripped open and almost tore the plastic covering off to get to the good stuff inside. And no, it wasn’t what you’re thinking. These were singles from a small Bristol based record company, …