indie albums
Album Review: Eight Rounds Rapid – Love Your Work
We’re late to the party (literally, this album has been out a couple of weeks already) but we’re happy to commit their third album ‘Love Your Work’ to review because, well, it’s so damn good. It’s the sound of new British music, cutting edge style – referencing Sleafords, Fontaine’s, Cabbage and Idles even, but wrapping …
Album: BOB – You Can Stop That For A Start
I recall a time in the late eighties and early nineties where one could venture out to see a band and BOB were almost always the support act! One of the hardest working bands at the time (possibly only Mega City 4 hit the road more often), BOB toured everywhere on an endless crusade to …
Meet: We chat with Steve Kilbey from The Church about celebrating 40 years, acting ‘European’, the fruits of isolation and we review his new solo album
If there’s one thing that is patently obvious over the forty years of Steve Kilbey‘s career, he is the maestro of melody and mysticism. Whether fronting The Church, through his many collaborations and solo work, Kilbey captures the kind of melodies that catch like superglue, wrapping his inherent romanticism and wry lyrics in a glorious …
Meet: We chat with Jez Williams from Doves about Northern Soul, getting the band back together and the new album, plus we review ‘The Universal Want’
The new album from Doves, ‘The Universal Want’ is a blistering rebirth from the Mancunian band. It’s much more than a return to form – their previous albums were uniformly brilliant – but there is a sense of identifiable development and growth in the intervening eleven years since ‘Kingdom of Rust’ was released. Songs such …
Album Review: The Killers – Imploding the Mirage
Following a huge delay (thanks again, coronavirus), Las Vegas’ The Killers have finally released their bombastic sixth album Imploding the Mirage. Coming at us via Island Records on 21st August, the album comes just one year ahead of the band’s 20th anniversary, and with it comes some interesting sonic changes for the band, whilst keeping …
EP: Relay Tapes – Early Morning Abstract
Out now on Shore Dive Records is the ‘Early Morning Abstract’ ep from Australian Shoegaze/DreamPop act, Relay Tapes, aka Jade Tyers. This collection of songs is available to download from Bandcamp and includes tunes released individually throughout 2018-19. There’s five tracks, the first being, ‘Theme 42’ which starts with a building, wave-like crescendo of ethereal sound. …
Album Review: The Lemon Twigs – Songs For The General Public
Whether through the saccharine, nigh operatic heights of early track “Beautiful”, or the gruff bark of recent single “Moon”, The Lemon Twigs have frequently flung their vocal abilities to gratuitous lengths. With the first track of Songs For The General Public, this metamorphosis goes yet further still, with Brian D’addario letting out an Iggy Pop-type …
EP: !!! (chk chk chk)- Certified Heavy Kats
The new EP by the leviathans of the dance-punk genre, arriving nearly two decades after their self-titled debut, vents as much creativity and unrelenting magnetism to dance (or nod the head), as their greatest releases. The majority refines and perfects the band’s energetic musical trademarks embraced upon the hugely popular 2013 LP Thriller. Lead single …
Album Review: The Wee Cherubs – The Merry Makers
The ever-reliable Optic Nerve label are shedding some light on this obscure gem of a band who featured Martin Cotter, later to resurface in The Bachelor Pad, (chiefly remembered for the riotous ‘Country Pancake’ amongst other Buzzcocks meets Syd Barrett classics). The Wee Cherubs only released one 7” single during their brief existence, (‘Dreaming’ in …
Album Review: Silverbacks – Fad
Dublin’s Silverbacks are emerging as one of the most exciting bands coming out of Ireland at the moment: and there are quite a few. Their new album ‘Fad’ is a brilliant collection of raw, visceral and emotive tracks that fuses the punk sensibilities of compatriots like Fontaines D.C. with a more melodic and complex palette. …