Alt-Rock
Album Review: Ought – Room Inside the World
On their third album, and first for Merge records, Ought augment their anxious, itchy alt-rock with a wider palette of instrumental colours, balancing the agitated highs of earlier records with moments of emotional numbness and tired acceptance. The woozy piano chords which introduce ‘Into the Sea’ establish the introspective mood from the outset. Singer Tim …
See: Midnight Drive Release new Video for debut single Break
Newcomers to Manchester’s rock scene, four piece Midnight Drive, released their debut single this week! Formed with ex members of Huddersfield metal band Backstab Burial, plus YouTube artist George Holding on vocals, the result is refined and infectious songwriting, combined with undeniable power and energy. After a year and a half worth of writing and …
Live Review: Bang Bang Romeo, The Wholls, Idle Ross – The Harley (Sheffield) 2/2/18
The 29th of January marked the start of Independent Venue Week, a “celebration of small music venues around the UK and a nod to the people that own, run and work in them, week in, week out”. Friday’s gig really encompassed what this event is about for me – a sold out, hugely receptive audience …
See: Buffalo Tom Reveal new video for Roman Cars
Perennial Boston based indie favourites Buffalo Tom are back with a new album, Quiet and Peace, due out on 2nd March via Scrawny/Schoolkid Records. Its their first new collection since 2011’s skins, and marks the band’s first collaboration with producer and fellow Boston alt-rock legend David Minehan, renowned ex-leader of the Neighborhoods. With Roman Cars …
Track: Tigercub – Faking Laughter
Brighton alt-rockers Tigercub have released the final track from their ‘Evolve or Die’ EP, ahead of their up-scaled London Scala show tonight, featuring Bloody Knees and Calva Louise. Speaking about the inspiration behind the track, front man Jamie Hall said: “Faking laughter is about coping with the absurdity of our post-satire news cycle. We now …
Track: Superchunk – Erasure, plus new album news and UK/European tour dates
Out on February 16th on the ever brilliant Merge Records, What a time to be alive is the new album from legendary alt rockers Superchunk. It features a host of guest backing vocalists including Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog, Sweet Spirit), Skylar Gudasz, and David Bazan “Part of that was wanting a feeling of community,” …
Track: Kaves – 27
Norwich alt rockers Kaves have just released their debut single ’27’, an infectious slice of indie rock, which the band claim (rightly so) has a twist of Killers esque disco. It shuffles through at the beginning with this Monkeys like guitar following the vocal around. It soon builds up though, and if you can keep …
Album Review: Justin Currie – This Is My Kingdom Now
Justin Currie’s new album – ‘This Is My Kingdom Now’ – is the polished jewel in the crown of the Del Amitri frontman’s solo career. Currie’s fourth solo album (out now via Endless Shipwreck Records) follows the inappropriately titled ‘Lower Reaches’ in 2013, a Del Amitri reunion tour in 2014 and recent performances including the …
Track: The National – The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, plus Album /Tour news
Following some mysterious posts on their social networks, The National have just announced a new album – their seventh studio album – entitled “Sleep Well Beast”, due out on 8 September 2017 through 4AD. The song list is: 1. Nobody Else Will Be There 2. Day I Die 3. Walk It Back 4. The System …
Not Forgotten: Silver Jews – Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Silver Jews are a band that I knew by name long before I heard a note of their music. Apparently they were originally associated with Pavement, and that was enough for me to not need to know anymore, at least until recently. Then I stumbled across a copy of Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea in a …