Indie
Track: Street Joy – Wandering in your mind
I like the idea of being able to wander in someone’s mind and these clever lyrics by Los Angeles duo Street Joy give me the impression of what it might be like with their track ‘Wandering in your mind’. The confident swagger of the vocal delivery are all wrapped up in a gorgeously late 60’s …
Track: Aan – Daylight, plus album and US tour news
Portland four piece Aan released their debut album, ‘Amor Ad Nauseum’ on 4th February and from that they have released the stand out single ‘Daylight’. Bud initially delivers a delicate vocal in the track until the songs builds, accompanied by soaring guitars with subtle but steady bass and drums. It’s fragile and romantic and just …
A Buyers Guide to The White Stripes
The White Stripes were a band that spilt opinion. For many music fans, they were a thrilling two piece rock band who were able to update the blues tradition for a modern audience. To others they were a gimmicky and derivative act with a drummer of limited ability who were little more than a vehicle …
EP Review: Eerie Glue//Joey Fourr – ‘Yr New Favourite EP’
I reckon every recording artist both signed and unsigned pre-about-2000 has at one point in their career recorded music in the Lo-fi style. The mental image of a young Rick Astley crooning into a 4-track tape recorder accompanied only by a rickety nylon-string may startle more than say, Keith Morris doing it, but I suspect …
Meet: Auteurs re-release New Wave, plus an interview with Luke Haines
There were some musical highlights in 1993 – In Utero, Nirvana’s brilliant follow-up to Nevermind, Songs of Faith and Devotion showed Depeche Mode could continue to grow, and there, hidden away in that years Mercury Music Prize nominations, alongside Stereo MC’s Connected, PJ HArveys Rid of Me, and the eventual winner – Suede’s self titled …
Track: Tom Williams and The Boat – Hurricane, plus album news
Bookish but brilliant indie rockers Tom Williams and the Boat have returned with a new single, Hurricane, out on March 25th with their third album Easy Fantastic following on May 19th. The whole thing was recorded at Abbey Road with Ian Grimble on the production duties. It’s sees the bands sound continuing to develop, more …
A Buyers Guide to The Shins
Initially an offshoot of Flake Music, The Shins were a solo side project for bandleader James Mercer to dabble with during the downtime of his main band. At some point in the mid 90s, Flake Music basically morphed into The Shins, and initially consisted of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mercer backed up by Flake Music’s Jesse …
Track: The Editors – Sugar
I seem to remember Editors arose in the slipstream of Interpol when there was a sudden burst of pseudo-Joy Division/Goth-lite bands (whose alumni also included White Lies). In my view, despite Interpol’s stunning debit (Turn on the Bright Lights), Editors have proven themselves to be a far more consistently creative band in the intervening time, …
See: Augustines announce UK tour dates, plus album news
Formed out of the ashes of Pela, and named after the month where the bands main protagonists Billy McCarthy and Eric Sanderson were born, Augustines have returned. Their first, brilliant, album Rise Ye Sunken Ships was coloured with the experience of the tragic death of McCarthy’s brother James. Things were made more difficult by a …
See: Beacons Festival 7-10 August 2014
I guess it’s time to start thinking which summer festival to attend and I’m really excited about the first acts announced by Beacons Festival. This independent festival is only in its third year (after the 2011 event was forced to close due to flooding) and it seems to be giving the bigger festivals a definate …