Music
Not Forgotten: 10cc – The Original Soundtrack
By early 1975, 10cc had extricated themselves from an unfavourable recording contract under which their first two albums had been released. This resulted in The Original Soundtrack being a confluence of the experimental pop of their first two albums, with a boost of confidence and a sense of freedom. 10cc were always group that were …
Not Forgotten: Neil Young – After the Gold Rush
Always knowingly wilful, Neil Young has never been an easy musician to pin down. Having cut his teeth with Buffalo Springfield, his solo career started off with a solid enough debut of relatively standard singer-songwriter fare, a style he almost immeadiately ditched in favour of hooking up with half of garage band The Rockets, renaming …
Live Review: The Neighbourhood, O2 Ritz Manchester – 20.3.16
After dropping their new album Wiped Out! Last year, this is the first chance to fully exhibit the album to the UK fanbase and the wonderfully picturesque O2 Ritz in Manchester is the setting for one of the final shows on the tour for The Neighbourhood. The smoke filled stage plays right into the opening …
Album ReviewBlack Mountain – IV
I’m on my third listen of Black Mountain’s newest opus, the labyrinthine IV. It should be no surprise that I will need a few more listens before I’ve covered all the nooks and crannies of this stately beast of an album, but I can say very confidently that everything they’ve done beforehand has been building …
Live Review: The SSS / The Wired / Franko Fraize, at The Leadmill, Sheffield, 19.03.16
It’s a real Sheffield special over at the Leadmill in the shape of two up and coming acts The Wired and The SSS, effectively sharing the bill and selling out the venue. Not everyone can sell out the Leadmill and many act can claim to have by virtue of selling out the smaller of the …
See: New video for “Vice” by Lisbon
When asked during an interview about the upcoming video for “Vice”, lead singer Matty Varty explained how even things which are as seemingly simple as the track’s artwork can be complex ideas and have interesting tales behind them. The concept with the hellish red neon sign was to place it in unusual places to create …
Album Review: ZAYN – “Mind of Mine”
Zayn Malik has certainly made plenty of headlines in the recent months and years, but now he has also made a record and apparently, made up his mind too. “Mind of Mine” sees the 23 year old unleash his version of events, as it were, on the musical world. Those expecting a bitter, revelatory expose …
Album Review: James – “Girl At the End of the World”
James are heading for their 35th year together as a band so it’s something of a surprise to learn that their latest album, their 12th studio album, came very close to being their very first to reach #1. Of course, their bumper singles-fest “The Best of” reached #1 in 1998, going on to be certified …
Album Review: Yeasayer – Amen & Goodbye
Ask the average guy on the street what they know about Yeasayer, and they’ll probably sing you their sing-a-long anthem ‘O.N.E’. And indeed, why not? It is without doubt a tune. In fact the whole of their album ‘Odd Blood’ pushed their profile to a brand new level. Big songs like ‘Madder Red’ and ‘Ambling …
Album Review: Amon Amarth – Jomsviking
Pillaging its way through your speakers comes Amon Amarth’s latest album Jomsviking, written by big beardy blokes for big beardy blokes. While their past two efforts were still of reasonably good quality the Swedish death metallers have struggled to recapture the form shown on 2008’s Twilight of the Thunder God. However, with their latest release …