Music
DVD Review: Wrinkles
Based on the award-winning comic by Paco Roca, Wrinkles is a very unique kind of European animated film. It reminds me in tone and structure of the wonderful When the Wind Blows, and left me feeling equally melancholy. The Spanish film is possibly the closest a Western animation has come to capturing the magic and …
Listen: Stillwave ‘Modes of Transport’
You can get bogged down with trying label stuff. But it can also go the other way. Post-punk, new wave, whatever you want to call it, has been a term applied to an ever increasing number of bands, effectively broadening the genre to a point that it becomes almost meaningless (just check out the list …
Not Forgotten – The Divine Comedy – Fin de Siècle
Neil Hannon (the man who effectively is The Divine Comedy), cut a unique dash through the British music in the mid 90s, as his almost imperceptible rise to near-fame ran parallel to the Brit-pop movement, meant that he sometimes got lumped in with the unwashed masses. Foppish, louche and possessing a more sophisticated musical mind …
Live: Bang Bang Romeo – The Leadmill – 19/04/14
When I first encountered Bang Bang Romeo, I had no expectations of them, as I was supposed to be reviewing another band. That night they absolutely blew me away and I’ve been relentlessly enthusiastic about them and their stunning We Were Born EP ever since. A few weeks later and I’m back in The Leadmill …
See: Five Finger Death Punch release video for “House of the Rising Sun”, plus US dates
Let’s get this straight from the start, firstly – yes it is. Secondly – it is nothing like any version you’ve (probably) ever heard. The folk song, famously a hit for The Animals in 1964, but recorded before that by the likes of Josh White and Leadbelly, is given a complete reworking, moved into …
Album Review: Select All Delete Save As – ‘Ultra Cultura’
Just when I thought I’d figured out ‘Ultra Cultura’, the new album by Select All Delete Save As, it continued to throw curveballs left, right and centre. Constantly exciting, always involving and brilliantly put together this is an album that makes each listen rewarding for multiple reasons. Achieving that is one thing but making this …
Feature: Cheerio Jethro Tull – thoughts on the ending
Following a particularly demanding day at work, I wandered into Sheffield branch of HMV on Tuesday. As I walked through the doors, my eyes inevitably flicked to my right and across to the new release display. Ninety percent of the time I don’t even recognise the name of at least half of the acts on …
LIVE: Northside. Brudenell Social Club, Leeds 17/03/14 + View from the pit gallery
‘Shall we take a trip down memory lane? … …Flashback to your days of youth. You’ve been there once, you’re living proof.’ Northside – ‘Shall we Take A Trip’ Looking around the Brudenell on Thursday night certainly was a trip down memory lane. So much terrace and baggy era retro gear on display you could …
A Buyers Guide to Pixies
Just imagine what rock music over the last 25 years would have been without the influence of Pixies. Few bands have had the all-infusing influence that Pixies have demonstrated and fewer can claim to have had a direct impact on two of the biggest rock acts of a generation. Indeed, both Nirvana and Radiohead are/were …
Gary Numan announces intimate Summer tour + festival dates.
As I mentioned in my last post about Gary Numan, I was a huge fan of his back in the day and remained so for many years. I still always look out for his releases and continue to follow his career with interest. Like all artists who have had long careers in the music …