Indie
Track: The Earlies – Abandon, plus live shows
It doesn’t seem that long since The Earlies released their debut album, These Were the Earlies, an album that fizzled with this indie neo-psych that drew admirers far and wide. This despite the band having a transatlantic split, with JM Lapham and Brandon Carr residing in Texas, whole Christian Madden and Giles Hatton are the …
Track: Star Horse – Slower Now
We’ve written about Stockholm shoegazers Star Horse before. and so to discover they’re back with a new single, out now through Häxrummet Records on 7” vinyl with B-side ‘Wherever You’ (you can be ordered over at the groups bandcamp) was too good an opportunity to miss. Described by the band as ‘A melancholy ode to …
Not Forgotten: They Might Be Giants – Apollo 18
Apollo 18 is the album that cemented They Might Be Giants as an act that would endure rather than burn briefly. Sure, the hit single “Birdhouse in Your Soul” had dragged its parent album, Flood into the charts in its wake, but TMBG already felt the need to play around with their sound, resulting in …
Track: The Radio Dept. – Occupied
Swedish dream poppers The Radio Dept. returned, rather unexpectedly last September after a four year absence, with a track, Death to Fascism, just in time (or timed perfectly?) for the Swedish elections. Now they’re back for real, with Occupied, taken from their long awaited fourth album, and available now on 12″ limited edition vinyl and …
Psych Insight: EP Review – Array 1 by Loop
When the Pixies released the first of their three EPs after a prolonged absence, back in 2013, many suspected that the decision to stagger their new material was deliberately made to circumvent the critical emphasis that would have been inevitably placed on the songs, had they been released together in the traditional album format. It’s …
Meet: Interview With Auction For The Promise Club
The indie trio Auction for the Promise Club may come from a beautiful beach town in Cornwall (St. Agnes) with a vibrant music scene, but if you are expecting laid-back Beach Boys tributes or upbeat sunshiny summer party music, think again. With the punchy, brooding lilt of singer and guitarist Zoe White Chambers’ voice and Perran Tremewan’s Muse-like inky guitar, they …
Track: The Districts – Chlorine, plus Summer festival dates
Coming off the back of a run of UK shows, which included a sold out date at London’s Scala, as well as a contender for an album of the year with the brilliant A Flourish and A Spoil, Philadelphia quartet The Districts return with a new single, Chlorine. Out on July 17th via Fat Possum, …
Album Review: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – The High Country
Springfield, Missouri five piece Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, despite the fantastic name, were a band that had largely passed me by. So reviewing The High Country, the bands fourth album – out now on Polyvinyl, was a voyage of discovery for me. As it turns out it was a very enjoyable journey as …
Meet: Lisbon – Lead singer Matthew Varty interviewed
One of the North East’s finest, Lisbon, stop off on their first headline tour of the UK to chat to me ahead of their Sheffield gig at The Rocking Chair. Lead singer Matthew Varty chats Whitley Bay, Westeros and what’s in a name… WARNING – CONTAINS “GAME OF THRONES” SPOILERS FOR SEASON 5!!! Backseat Mafia: …
Track: Why We Run release the melancholic indie of Ignites
We were already mightily impressed by Why We Run’s debut single, ‘Comfortable Lie’, earlier this year and their follow-up release, ‘Ignites’, indicates this Sydney four piece are no flash in the pan. Out today, ‘Ignites’ is another lilting, sparkling and extremely assured song from a band that has created its own fresh, unique sound, and …