Music
Live: Hurray For The Riff Raff. Birmingham 29.06.16
The Rainbow is one of my favourite venues in Birmingham, a quirky pub has a discreet back door towards the toilets that opens into what appears to be a disused warehouse. The exposed beams (and wires) and brickwork providing a backdrop to a corner stage. Despite the shabby appearance, the sound is always good in the Rainbow. And even …
Meet: Clive Jones of The Train Set, and catch up with their live dates
A couple of highly regarded 12″s, much fawning including support from Stuart Maconie and a single of the week in the NME, and kind words from the likes of Noel Gallagher in the intervening years, but other than that Crewe five-piece The Train Set were just a footnote in the history of indie music. And …
Album Review: Mogwai – Atomic
I have to admit, it took me a while to find my way to Mogwai. Even after seeing them in 2004 during an ear-shattering assault that left a good friend of mine and I stunned and shell shocked at the Curiosa Festival I still just could never bring myself to dig deeper into these Scottish …
Meet: Ranch Ghost
Their debut album contains a track that tells the tale of a cat tripped out on magic mushrooms. I thought this sounded like a story I wanted to hear, so I delved a little deeper and discovered a band of shack dwellers from Nashville that play some super fine chilled out tunes just perfect for …
Album Review: Terminal Gods – Wave / Form
Wave / Form – Terminal Gods debut album – kicks in with the fuzz fed guitar feedback, drum machine heavy intro to Shockwave and right from the off makes clear it’s intent. Their guitars are switched to power play, their synths set to stun, all combine to compliment their lead singers undeniable baritone vocals and …
Not Forgotten: The White Stripes – White Blood Cells
From the first press they received here in the UK, it’s fair to say that The White Stripes came across as gimmicky as hell. Allegedly brother and sister, the garage rock duo restricted their wardrobe to red, white and black (which at least would make sorting loads for the washing machine relatively easy, but potentially …
Say Psych: Album Review, Celestial Bums – Ascend
Celestial Bums are a dreamy psych rock band hailing from the Catalan capital, Barcelona. The band who’s members are fluid, with three having recorded the album, but the live offering never consisting of less than five, released their self-titled, self-released debut EP back in 2012. This was followed with a 10” split with now label mates …
Album Review: Bat for Lashes – The Bride
It’s been 10 years since Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes released her first album Fur and Gold (2006) and introduced her whimisical storytelling on the world. She honed her craft on Two Suns (2009), she dealt with dicotomies and alter egos, in the shape of ‘Pearl’ whose personality is strong and full of herself, …
See: Jenny Hval – ‘Female Vampire’ video
Jenny Hval gives us a sinister glimpse of eternal life in the video for her latest single ‘Female Vampire’. The Norwegian artist will be releasing her sixth album, ‘Blood Bitch’, on 30 September (via Sacred Bones) and ‘Female Vampire’ is the first single to be taken from it. The video, directed by Jenny Berger Myhre, …
See: PINS release video for ‘I’ll Get Mine’
PINS give us another lesson in cool with their arty new video for ‘I’ll Get Mine’. ‘I’ll Get Mine’ is the b-side of the Manchester five-piece’s 2016 Record Store Day Release – ‘Trouble’ – and is another slice of scuzz-filled indie complete with addictive riff and swirling synths. Faith Vern’s vocals sound appropriately detached when …