Indie
Live: Darlia – Leadmill, Sheffield, 24.01.2014
Darlia – Leadmill, Sheffield, 24 January 2014. Thankfully, the highly amusing if somewhat, over enthusiastic member of the audience that had entertained us, whilst distracting support act LSA, had crashed, burned and left the building well before Dick Dale’s Misirlou came over the PA, as we welcomed Darlia to the stage. Right from the …
New Music: LSA – More Or Less Equal / No Good Man
Here’s one to watch for 2014. LSA apparently stands for Love Stays Alive, but instead of peddling some kind of all girl delicate folk their name suggests, instead they play, or so it would seem after listening to their track No Good Man, this sort of jagged shoegazey indie rock, which nods towards Britpop at …
Denim Snakes – 21
“21” is a good time. The sentiment is somewhere we’ve all been – those glorious, fleeting months or years when everything is possible or at least worth a punt and almost every weekend, if not night, throws up serial delights and adventures. The man from Barry’s got it right “18 and I’m an overlord !”. …
News: Lloyd Cole and The Leopards announce tour
This year marks 30 years since Lloyd Cole and The Commotions released their debut album, ‘Rattlesnakes’. Name checking Norman Mailer, Eva Marie Saint, and Simone De Beauvoir it oozed style, and provided a defining moment in the indie folk/rock scene prevalent at the time. The Commotions went on to release two further albums before they …
Track: Wave Pictures release new single Missoula, plus Jan/Feb tour dates
I have this pair of trainers (or sneakers for our American readers) the I’ve had them for years. The reason I can’t bear to let them go, is that firstly I love the style of them, they’re comfortable and they’ve never let me down. Because I associate them with so many memories, I can’t ever …
Watch: Coves premiere video for ‘Cast A Shadow’, announce a handful of UK dates
They’ve provided support for Echo & The Bunnymen, had their cover version of Chris Isaac’s ‘Wicked Game’ adopted by the BBC , been re-mixed by top psych band Toy, received critical acclaim and support from Radio 1, 6 Music and XFM, and all within 18 months of forming. Warwickshire duo, Coves are certainly making all …
Meet: Q&A with Gene’s Matt James
My heart, in the 90’s at least belonged to Gene. The indie quartet appeared out of the haze of The Smiths, were loved by almost crazily obsessive fans, released a handful of albums that touched both the charts and the heart strings, and then split. They set the standard for emotive indie rock, with front …
News: Paul Weller announces five ‘Forest Live’ dates
The ‘Modfather’ is getting back to nature again this summer. Following the success of last years ‘Forest Live’ gigs, Paul Weller, in conjunction with the Forestry Commision, has just announced a string of live dates all set in beautiful woodland surroundings. “It will be good for me to be back in the woods. I really …
See: Darlia, the most exciting guitar band in the UK?, announce tour dates
“The most exciting guitar band in the UK” according to Nigel Harding, head of playlists at Radio 1. A bold statement, but it’s one that seems to be getting support from every quarter. Hotly tipped by many to be one of the biggest acts of 2014, Blackpool trio, Darlia, are already drawing comparisons to the …
See: The Crookes release new video for PLay Dumb, plus album and tour dates
If ‘Play Dumb’ was written to provoke a conversation, then it certainly succeeded in my eyes. The premier single on The Crookes third album, Soapbox, offers an interesting dichotomy of prettiness and intelligence, sincerity and lies, superficial attraction and dark secrets. The anguish in singer George Waite’s eyes seems all too real as he is …