Track: Body Count – Bum-Rush
Ice-T’s rap-metal sextet, Body Count, have unveiled ‘Bum-Rush’, the latest teaser track from their upcoming seventh album, ‘Carnivore’. The band burst onto the scene in 1992 with their anti-police brutality anthem ‘Cop Killer’ (which earned them the ire of Charlton Heston and the PMRC) and have used music as a forum for socio-political commentary on …
Track: Archers of Loaf – Raleigh Days
90s indie rock legends Archers of Loaf have returned with their first new music since 1998. ‘Raleigh Days’ is an infectious, power pop-infused song that pays tribute to the capital of North Carolina, the quartet’s home state. The infectious lead guitar line from Eric Johnson and the song’s summery, shiny production values were a tonic …
Film Review: Uncut Gems
The hype surrounding Uncut Gems has been ridiculous, but does it live up to it? In a word, yes. As was the case in Funny People (Judd Apatow, 2009) and The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017), Adam Sandler is deeply impressive in a dramatic role that makes one wonder why he doesn’t just retire from …
Film Review: Bad Boys for Life
Viewers of a certain age (including yours truly) were excited to learn last year that a new installment of the popular Bad Boys franchise was due to hit cinemas this January. The first movie was the big-screen debut from a then little-known 30-year-old music video director called Michael Bay that marked comedy actors Martin Lawrence’s …
Track: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Reducer
Newcastle psychedelic doom metallers Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs have unveiled ‘Reducer’, the first single from their upcoming third album, ‘Viscerals’. The song is an incredibly enjoyable full-pelt assault, faster than much of the material on second album ‘King of Cowards’ (2018). With riffs recalling such greats as Melvins, Red Fang, and Black …
Track: Hot Snakes – Checkmate
00s San Diego post-hardcore legends Hot Snakes have released a rip-roaring new single, ‘Checkmate’, their first new material since their triumphant comeback album ‘Jericho Sirens’ (2018). The pacy track, which delivers in spades the rock ‘n’ roll-echoing post-hardcore the band’s fans have come to know and love, is accompanied by a visually arresting video which …
Track: American Nightmare – Life Support
Following the surprisingly melodic self-titled album that Boston hardcore punk veterans American Nightmare released in early 2018, the band have continued to evolve beyond their aggressive roots with their latest single, ‘Life Support’. The song features relatively jangly guitars and confident, singalong choruses and has a similarly up-tempo cover version of The Lemonheads’ ‘Left for …
Track: black midi – ded sheeran (ed sheeran send) part 1
At the end of last week, critically lauded South London math rockers black midi weighed into the ongoing diss track war between ‘godfather of grime’ Wiley, grime superstar of the moment Stormzy, and the latter’s collaborator Ed Sheeran by dropping their own diss track specifically targeting Sheeran. The band uploaded it to their Soundcloud page …
Not Forgotten: The Clash – London Calling
The Clash’s third album, ‘London Calling’, is 40 years old this month and so it feels like an apt time to reassess the record that many regard as the band’s finest and that marked the band’s transition to a major act on the international stage. It’s an album that makes me feel like a teenager …
Interview: John Walsh (Harryhausen: The Lost Movies)
The late Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013) is widely regarded as the person who pioneered visual effects for motion pictures as a craft. The stop-motion animations he provided for films like Jason and the Argonauts (Don Chaffey, 1963) and Clash of the Titans (Desmond Davis, 1981) broke new ground in their respective eras. Author and filmmaker John …