Music Reviews

Wild Life Festival 2017 Review

Successfully cementing its place in the festival calendar, Wild Life, in its third year, fortuitously flourished in the best weather since its inception, as hometown-legend Fatboy Slim played his biggest crowd in Brighton for over five years. Diversity amongst the music...

By Adam Holden on 15 June 2017

Wild Life Festival

Creamfields Steel Yard 2017 - Live Review

The Steel Yard returned to London for a second bank holiday two-day weekend extravaganza, with Axwell n Ingrosso and Eric Prydz headlining the evenings. With the latter also debuting his latest Epic Show 5.0, he would steal all the headlines...

By Adam Holden on 15 June 2017

Creamfields

Phoenix - Ti Amo Album Review

Politically inter-country relations may have been a little strained in Europe of late, but culturally French four-piece Phoenix is bringing the love for their neighbours with a love letter to Italy. The title of the band's sixth album says it...

By Jim Pusey on 09 June 2017

Phoenix

Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, James McAlister - Planetarium Album Review

You can forget Guardians Of The Galaxy as the best soundtrack for an extraterrestrial adventure, there's a new indie rock super group that's eclipsed the competition. Originally conceived as a classical project in a live setting, Planetarium has evolved from...

By Jim Pusey on 06 June 2017

Sufjan Stevens

Field Day 2017 - Festival Review

Field Day is a yearly London festival, which is on its 10th year now. The festival specialises in electronic music, hip-hop, pop, indie and some other things here and there. This year the festival has some of the best artists...

By Max Cussons on 05 June 2017

Field Day Aphex Twin John Cooper Clarke Flying Lotus

Gorillaz - Humanz Album Review

Seven years might seem a long time between albums, however, if your two creative protagonists (Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett) have somewhat of a major falling out in the interim, one of them reforms their original band (Blur), and decides...

By Andrew Lockwood on 31 May 2017

Gorillaz

Slam Dunk Festival 2017 - Festival Review

Slam Dunk Festival has been a highlight of the year for moshers across the UK for over a decade now. Having started in 2005, just taking place at Leeds’ Millenium Square, the festival is now a city takeover with its...

By Max Cussons on 31 May 2017

Slam Dunk Festival

Ho99o9 - United States Of Horror Album Review

Ho99o9 (pronounced 'horror') are a New Jersey experimental hip-hip outfit, who have been one of the ones to look out for in recent years. Across various EP's as well as 2015's 'Dead Bodies in the Lake' mixtape, they've moulded a...

By Max Cussons on 31 May 2017

Amber Arcades - Cannonball EP Review

When Annelotte de Graaf emerged in 2016 with her self-recorded album "Fading Lines", there was pleasant happenstance that brought her to the fore. She had money saved up, and rather than spend it on transient things, she decided to invest...

By Jon Kean on 31 May 2017

Goo Goo Dolls - You Should Be Happy EP Review

Having released their eleventh studio album last year, Goo Goo Dolls return with the under-utilised EP format, containing four new tracks and a remix of the title cut from ‘Boxes’. The Buffalo natives set out on an extensive North American tour...

By Alex Lai on 30 May 2017

Goo Goo Dolls

Maximo Park - Dreamland, Margate, Kent 27.05.17 Live Review

Following the release of Maximo Park's sixth studio album, 'Risk To Exist', almost a month ago, and just ahead of a heavy schedule of festival dates, the band ushered in a new season of thrills and spills at Dreamland Pleasure Park in Margate....

By Andrew Lockwood on 30 May 2017

Maximo Park

Dauwd - Theory Of Colours Album Review

Dauwd's profile for an artist/producer held in such high esteem by so many is minimalist – a rare podcast here, a few sponsored words as part of an Ableton teach in here – but his pull is obvious, having released...

By Andy Peterson on 30 May 2017

Margate Wonderland - Dreamland Amusement Park, Margate, Kent, 28.05.17 Live Review

Following a £25Million investment, Dreamland Amusement Park re-launched over bank holiday weekend to the delight of the many who passed through the gates. With new rides, a new layout, new bars and a new stage to boot the heritage theme...

By Andrew Lockwood on 30 May 2017

Courteeners - Victoria Theatre, Halifax 23.05.17 Live Review

Tonight's concert should have been the kick off to a triumphant week for Courteeners, culminating in a sold-out 50,000 homecoming in Manchester at the weekend. Instead, the Manchester bombing that happened less than 24 hours earlier lead to an inevitably...

By Alex Lai on 24 May 2017

The Courteeners

Linkin Park - One More Light Album Review

Having shed their nu-metal skin long ago, Linkin Park have released their seventh album of new material and first since 2013. Their reported sales figures of over 70 million albums is testament to an outfit who have outstayed their new...

By Alex Lai on 24 May 2017

Linkin Park

Forest Swords - Compassion Album Review

There's a certain kind of renaissance artist who can make computer generated music feel both ancient and leading edge; like George Lucas's Star Wars, with it's dirty, worn out visions of a dystopia many generations in our future, Matthew Barnes...

By Andy Peterson on 23 May 2017

Swans - Leeds Stylus 20th of May 2017 Live Review

Swans are arguably the kings of experimental music. Whether it be them rising to the top of the grim no wave scene in the early 80's, the as-weird-as-it-gets headf*ck of 'Soundtracks For The Blind' or their recent efforts since reuniting...

By Max Cussons on 23 May 2017

Swans

Circa Waves - Different Creatures Album Review

You certainly can't knock Circa Waves frontman Kieran Shudall for having ballsy intentions: asked about his vision for the Liverpool outfit prior to the release of Different Creatures he bullishly replied "In five years I see us being close to...

By Andy Peterson on 23 May 2017

Circa Waves

Kate Rusby - King's Theatre, Southsea 20.05.17 Live Review

The South coast met South Yorkshire, as Barnsley Nightingale, Kate Rusby graced the King's Theatre in Southsea. On the spring tour of her Life in a Paper Boat album, she treated us to a rich, textured folk sound, often electrified...

By Jon Kean on 23 May 2017

Kate Rusby

Lake - Forever Or Never Album Review

There are a lot of things that are re-imagined, re-interpreted or at least referenced in art, literature and music. Some of it works (Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo & Juliet', Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love' or even Banksie's take on Vermeer's 'Girl With...

By Andrew Lockwood on 21 May 2017

The Afghan Whigs - In Spades Album Review

For a band that have often spent their career acting as a cipher for exorcising singer Greg Dulli's personal demons, The Afghan Whigs' eighth album In Spades seems to spend a heck of a lot of time courting metaphysical ones,...

By Andy Peterson on 20 May 2017

The Afghan Whigs

Girlpool - Powerplant Album Review

Everything starts somewhere and nothing stays the same. Both of these observations are born out on the new Girlpool album, 'Powerplant'. Although only the band's second full length album it feels more like their 'difficult third'; it certainly sounds like...

By Andrew Lockwood on 19 May 2017

(Sandy) Alex G - Rocket Album Review

Starting out as a bedroom artist in Philadelphia's DIY scene, (Sandy) Alex G - or Alex Giannascoli - has come a long way in the past few years. Following his breakthrough album, DSU, in 2014, he signed to Domino and...

By James Hopkin on 19 May 2017

Wasuremono - Komedia, Bath - 12.3.17 Live Review

"Why you gotta waste Alan's time?" sings Wasuremono lead man, Will Southward on recent 6Music-lauded track "Alligator". Never mind just Alan, they are rapidly becoming many people's favourite waste of time, building a growing following from gig-going fans and DJs...

By Jon Kean on 18 May 2017

Wasuremono

The Cribs - O2 Academy Bristol 16.05.17 Live Review

Normally when an act embarks on an anniversary tour of a particular album, it is for one of two reasons: either that release is a truly exceptional work, or it seems pretty good when compared to the rest of their...

By Will Perkins on 17 May 2017

The Cribs

Paramore - After Laughter Album Review

Paramore’s ascent to one of punk-rock’s most popular outfits has been against a background of line-up changes, particularly with founding members leaving and returning. Most recently, Zac Farro returned as drummer for this, album number five, which has already spawned...

By Alex Lai on 17 May 2017

Paramore

Manic Street Preachers - Send Away The Tigers (10 Year Collectors' Edition) Double CD and DVD Review

Manic Street Preachers have been around since the mid 1980's and over the course of those 30+ years they've always managed to find a way to re-invent themselves and keep their music current and relevant. However with this release, the...

By Mark Moore on 16 May 2017

Manic Street Preachers

Halfnoise - The Velvet Face EP Review

If breaking up is hard to do, reuniting is even harderer, unless you're from that generation of ninteeez bands who've recently tuned in to the fact that their entire pension plan is a battered collection of gold discs and a...

By Andy Peterson on 15 May 2017

Rhino Bucket - The Last Real Rock N' Roll Album Review

When AC/DC were window shopping for a singer to replace Brian Johnson midway through the second leg of their Rock Or Bust world tour last year, it's a genuine shame that Georg Dolivo was overlooked. The Rhino Bucket frontman has...

By Stephen Miller on 15 May 2017

Rhino Bucket

John Mayer - The O2 Arena, London 12.05.17 Live Review

Mainstream acceptance may still be eluding John Mayer in the UK, but it's pleasing to see that without chart success this side of the pond that the 39 year-old can still effortlessly fill London's O2 Arena on two consecutive nights....

By Jim Pusey on 15 May 2017

John Mayer

Kid Koala - Music To Draw To: Satellite ft. Emilíana Torrini Album Review

What's the furthest thing from noise? Silence, of course, especially the chill, ultimate stillness of the cosmos, it's endless walls running down dreams and stories until they're nothing. Eric San also used to make noise, mainly by taking pieces of...

By Andy Peterson on 13 May 2017

Kid Koala Emiliana Torrini

Hoops - Routines Album Review

There's a good tradition of naming your band after something curious: Francois and the Atlas Mountains (epic geography), Belle and Sebastian (cute children's story) and Arab Strap (ask your dad). Hoops assumed their moniker as an homage to the humble...

By Jon Kean on 12 May 2017

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? 50th Anniversary Album Review

It is often easy to forget that there was indeed more than just one member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Perhaps it is a pity that Hendrix has eclipsed the formidable talent of his rhythm section, in terms of their...

By David J. Lownds on 12 May 2017

Jimi Hendrix

Harry Styles - Harry Styles Album Review

I was hardly the right demographic for One Direction's oeuvre, so I was massively expecting, and perhaps hoping, to react to Harry's stylings with similar indifference, like that 'oh balls, here we go again' groan we all made when the...

By Jon Kean on 12 May 2017

Harry Styles

Liverpool Disco Festival - Baltic Triangle, Liverpool, May 6th, 2017 Live Review

The organisers of Suncebeat in Croatia/Southport Weekender and the team behind Liverpool's Hustle have got together to form Liverpool Disco Festival. This May's event was made even more special as it marked 30 years since the first Southport Weekend. Liverpool being...

By Tareck Ghoneim on 11 May 2017

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium [Anniversary] Album Review

In 2006 the Red Hot Chili Peppers released a 28-song double album - out of which they took a relatively large number of singles' - assisted by super-producer Rick Rubin. The former co-founder of Def Jam had also been at...

By David J. Lownds on 10 May 2017

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Fazerdaze - Morningside Album Review

In the 60s, we were regaled by the Singing Nun. In the 70s, we all got lashed on Blue Nun. From the 1980s, however, nun-related fun went turbo-charged and excitingly un-convent-ional with the advent of now-legendary New Zealand label, Flying...

By Jon Kean on 09 May 2017

Perfume Genius - No Shape Album Review

Two and a half years since the release of his last, very well received, album ,'Too Bright', Mike Hadreas, aka Perfume Genius, is back with his latest release, 'No Shape'. 'Too Bright' certainly raised the Perfume Genius profile exponentially and...

By Andrew Lockwood on 09 May 2017

Perfume Genius

Texas - Jump On Board Album Review

Texas are a band with an enviable history, even if they are perhaps not a favourite with critics. Approaching 30 years in the business, they have sold over 35 million records, which included three albums topping the charts. This is...

By Alex Lai on 07 May 2017

Texas

Michael Kiwanuka - Live Review

In an industry where the allure of fast-click fame and fast bucks can make artists crave cheap retweets or knock out undernourished releases, Michael Kiwanuka does not strike as a man in a hurry. Critical acclaim surrounded the quiet magnitude...

By Jon Kean on 05 May 2017

Michael Kiwanuka