Music
News: Paul Weller announces five ‘Forest Live’ dates
The ‘Modfather’ is getting back to nature again this summer. Following the success of last years ‘Forest Live’ gigs, Paul Weller, in conjunction with the Forestry Commision, has just announced a string of live dates all set in beautiful woodland surroundings. “It will be good for me to be back in the woods. I really …
News: Ronny Jordan, pioneer of Acid Jazz, dies at 52
I always had this thing about Jazz, but the record that really opened the door for me, was Jazzmatazz Vol. 1. Former Gang Starr mainstay Guru released the album, essentially a hip-hop record but one that was infused with, or rather soaked in Jazz and Jazz-Funk. It went heavy on my stereo till it wore …
See: Darlia, the most exciting guitar band in the UK?, announce tour dates
“The most exciting guitar band in the UK” according to Nigel Harding, head of playlists at Radio 1. A bold statement, but it’s one that seems to be getting support from every quarter. Hotly tipped by many to be one of the biggest acts of 2014, Blackpool trio, Darlia, are already drawing comparisons to the …
See: The Crookes release new video for PLay Dumb, plus album and tour dates
If ‘Play Dumb’ was written to provoke a conversation, then it certainly succeeded in my eyes. The premier single on The Crookes third album, Soapbox, offers an interesting dichotomy of prettiness and intelligence, sincerity and lies, superficial attraction and dark secrets. The anguish in singer George Waite’s eyes seems all too real as he is …
Meet: We chew the fat with Velvet Acid Christ
Velvet Acid Christ were born in the early 90’s, the evolution of Cyber Christ. Blending goth elements with more club oriented electro-industrial sounds. Whilst other figures have played their part throughout the years the key figure throughout has been Bryan Erickson aka Disease Factory aka Hexfix93. Fresh off their first tour in over a decade …
A buyers guide to the Super Furry Animals
In ten years time and the children of the Brit-pop generation start taking an interest in their parents music collections, who do you think the really cool bands will be? It won’t be the big hitters whose songs will still be played on the radio, but those nearly men, those who despite having the talent, …
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, …
Not Forgotton: Northside – Chicken Rhythms, and new spring tour dates
For me, it started with an apple. For there, in my local record emporium (the glorious Left Legged Pineapple in Loughborough) as I thumbed through Cocteau Twins, King of the Slums, Fuzztones, A.C. Marias, Blur, Diesel Park West, Lush and Bridewell Taxis records, I kept coming back to this record, with nothing more than an …
A buyers guide to Grandaddy
Grandaddy were one of those bands who struggled to catch a break. They had all the talent in the world, great tunes, a fine songwriter in Jason Lytle and had a lot more to offer than your average five piece rock band peddling their wares at the turn of the millennium. Sound-wise they were not …
ALBUM REVIEW – TOY – JOIN THE DOTS
TOY have a lot of nerve. There’s not many bands that would gamble releasing their second album during the second week of December, a time of year the music industry primarily dedicates to releasing nigh profit margin compilations, or the dreaded Christmas Album. There’s also not many bands that would open that same album with …