Indie
Track: Vince James – The Man I Want to Be
Welsh singer songwriter Vince James has a new single out today, The Man I want to be, and it has a real significance personally for James. As he explains “I wrote the song for my Grandad, it was to celebrate his 80th Birthday. I was listening to a lot of Jake Bugg’s first album at …
Classic Album: R.E.M. – Automatic for the People
R.E.M. may have taken the scenic route to international fame, but if the only thing they ever released had been Automatic For The People, that lengthy trip would have still been worth it. After years of hip college-rock credibility, a springboard into stadiums and a huge international success with Out of Time, R.E.M. were on …
See: Spoon reveal new video for ‘I ain’t the one’, announce November dates
Taken from their brilliant ‘Hot Thoughts’ album, released earlier in the year, Spoon have revealed a new video for one of the albums stand out tracks ‘I ain’t the one’. It’s a stripped back affair for the most part, with just Rhodes, vocal and bass along with a big dollop of smooth melancholy thrown into …
Album Review : The War on Drugs’ ‘A Deeper Understanding’
I don’t think a songwriter has excited me more about the future of music in the last few years more than The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel. It’s ironic, too, given that his music feels more like looking back into the past than forward into some unknown future. I guess I’ve been known to wallow …
New Music: Eilish Gilligan, Creature of Habit
Melbourne’s Eilish Gilligan could not be accused of being prolific, but what she does release is stunning and all the more valuable for its scarcity. Her new release, “Creature of Habit” is out now and it is a haunting, beautiful song. Melancholic, electronic indie pop just begins to pin its style down, and yet it …
Track: Bang Bang Romeo – Natural Born Astronaut
Since I first encountered Bang Bang Romeo in early 2014, their potential was immediately obvious to me. In the years since then they have gained themselves an ever-growing fanbase, enjoyed national radio play and established themselves as one of the most thrilling live acts doing the rounds today. “Natural Born Astronaut” is one of Bang …
Classic Compilation: Kirsty MacColl – Galore: The Best of Kirsty MacColl
There’s a parallel universe somewhere where Kirsty MacColl receives all the respect she deserves. A universe where the wider public knows her for more than a decent, but overplayed, festive tune, or the wonderful, but ultimately kitsch “There’s a Guy Works Down the Chipshop Swears He’s Elvis”. A universe where her late career highlight “In …
Classic Compilation: The Lightning Seeds – Like You Do… The Best of The Lightning Seeds
For some the phrase pop-music is an instant turn off, but in truth they are missing the point a little. The whole point of music is for an audience to be entertained, be it the moody teen listening to their favourite epic maths-rock opus, my jazz playing friend getting into the swing with his Count …
New Music: Wild Meadows, Feel the Noise
Out on 22 September 2017 is a fantastic new single from Australian band Wild Meadows called ‘Feel the Noise’, off their soon to be released self-titled debut album. It is a classic shoegaze anthem redolent with swirling vocals, waves of sparkling guitar and gob-smacking choruses grander than the Simpson Desert: It’s invigorating, terrific stuff and …
Album Review: Sparks – Hippopotamus
When Sparks roared back to relevance with 2002‘s Lil’ Beethoven, it was treated as a glorious return to form. How long that form would last was another matter. Was it a one off, or the start of a more sustained period of creative success? 2006’s Hello Young Lovers very much confirmed that the previous album’s …