Music
Live Review: San Cisco, The Dome Tufnell Park, London, 9th April 2015
San Cisco are a band you need to see live, but being the busy bees they are and the fact they hail from Fremantle in Western Australia, it’s difficult to track them down for a gig. They’re recently completed a successful tour of Europe which ended with a solitary UK appearance at The Dome, Tufnell …
Album Review: San Cisco – ‘Gracetown’
I need to give full disclosure straight away here. I love San Cisco. My love affair began back in Barcelona last August when their infectious “Awkward” was on heavy rotation on my hotel music channel and it’s only grown stronger in the months between. I’d barely got to grips with enjoying their debut eponymous album …
Album Review: They Might Be Giants – Glean
Do you remember when music’s primary function was to provide fun entertainment? It’s something that has been increasingly overlooked in recent years, and the majority of attempts to remind us of it have been dismissed as disposable pop confectionary that it was impossible to take seriously. After all, proper musical statements demand to be taken …
Track: Black Honey – Spinning Wheel
Brighton beauties Black Honey reveal the other half of their double A side single and its recent live favourite ‘Spinning Wheel’. Spinning Wheel opened the shows on their recent tour and stood out as a highlight, which is no mean feat when you hear the rest of Black Honey’s set list. Starting off calm and …
News: Final Cambridge Folk Festival line-up announced
Singing Scottish twins The Proclaimers are the latest big name added to the Cambridge Folk Festival bill joining veteran peacenik Joan Baez, posh troubadour Frank Turner, Joan Armatrading and Wilko Johnson who has recovered from his cancer scare. But if you want to go you’d better be quick as the strong bill means Saturday day …
Not Forgotten: Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery
‘Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends’ How’s that for a killer opening line? Read it again. It’s brilliant. It’s irresistable, pulling you in, promising a life-affirming musical experience and ramps up the anticipation for what can only be one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Except that it doesn’t …
Live Review: A Place to Bury Strangers – Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds 03.04.2015 plus Gallery
This was one of those gigs that had you bristling you with anticipation. You know the type, the ones where you are not quite sure what is going to happen, but you sure as hell not only know somethings going to happen, you know it’s going to happen right in your face – literally. A …
Track: Hannah Trigwell – The Ocean
Back with a new original, Hannah Trigwell has just released an acoustic offering of ‘The Ocean’ which will be released in full at some point soon. What’s on offer here is a beautiful construction of the uses of melody exacted through three guitars and Hannahs vocals. Its an emotional song that draws you in and …
Feature: Buyers Guide – 70s Live Albums
From the solo acoustic troubador, to the thunderous rock band in full flight, to the electro pioneer peeping above banks of keyboards and oscillator, there’s few things more thrilling than the experience of music being performed live in front of an appreciative audience. The live album has been a part of the musical landscape ever …
Live Review: Catfish and The Bottlemen and Little Comets, O2 Academy Sheffield, 4.4.2015
Around Valentine’s Day last year, I was sent to the Leadmill to review two indie bands mid-way through their UK tour. Little did I know I would be reviewing those same two bands, together, as they tour once again in 2015 – just bigger venues this time. Catfish and the Bottlemen began as support for Little Comets, …