pop
Live Review: An evening with Marc Almond – Leeds 8.7.16
It’s thirty five years since Tainted Love hit the number one spot across the globe, and in doing so launched the illustrious career of tonight’s star, Marc Almond. Tonight is a celebration of that career and we’ve been promised a personal set of his own favourites. The concert opens with the Leeds College of Music Contemporary …
Classic Album (Glastonbury 2016 Special Pt2): Adele – 19
Adele, that icon of modern popular song, seems to be quite a divisive character. While she has an undoubtedly splendid voice, she has attracted a fair amount of criticism for her writing, nowhere more so than here on her debut album. Consider this though, this debut was released when she was 19 years old right? …
Not Forgotten: Bill Nelson – ‘Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam’
Guitarist Bill Nelson’s trajectory has been eclectic and multi faceted – singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter, video artist, writer to name but a few. After folding his 70s band ‘Be-Bop Deluxe’, he created ‘Red Noise’ (which the Harvest label insisted on calling ‘Bill Nelson’s Red Noise’) and released the excellent ‘Sound on Sound’ in 1979. When it came …
Track: Jakil – Tongue Tied
If you dug previous single Instanbul, your going to fall very much in like with the new single from Jakil – Tongue Tied, out via Kira Kira Records on July 8th. The band say of the single, ‘The song is basically a tribute to everybody who’s had butterflies about somebody to the point of feeling …
Album Review: Minor Victories – Minor Victories
Minor Victories, if you haven’t read our review of debut single “A Hundred Ropes”, are Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), Justin Lockey (Editors) and his brother James (Hand Held Cine Club, responsible for the exquisite videos that accompany some of these tracks). Originally conceived as part of Justin’s intention to make a ‘noise record …
Album Review: Jay Vaquer- Canções de Exílio
If you look back at the charts of MTV Brazil’s famous ‘daily top 10 videos’ from about ten years ago(2000-2006), Jay Vaquer was present, bringing his own social criticisms through pretty visuals and through his lyrics, making ascorbic comments our modern society. However, mysteriously, Jay has all but disappeared from the radio and television and …
Album Review: Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman
Pop music has always been looked down upon by long haired indie kids in skinny jeans. How do I know? Because I used to be one of said indie kids. The hair is shorter now, but the skinny jeans remain. It has been a genre responsible for filling our charts with many a cheesy criminal …
Not Forgotten: Clifford T. Ward – Home Thoughts
Twee long before twee became cool, Clifford T. Ward’s career has seemingly faded from the collective memory just like the photo adorning Home Thoughts album cover. Okay, so maybe some people with longer memories remember him for “Gaye”, but in terms of his wider career, he’s been in desperate need of reassessment for decades now. …
Track: Josh Kemp – Imaginary Friend
Never one to shy away from the world for too long, Josh Kemp is back with a brand new single ‘Imaginary Friend’, complete with a music video which showcases his recent adventures across South East Asia and beyond. The dreamy song offers a new perspective, inviting us to appreciate the simpler things instead of focussing …
Album Review: Cate Le Bon – Crab Day
Cate Le Bon makes music that is happy and sad at the same time. It’s a mix of 60s euro pop and 70s lower east side New York post-punk. The guitars never get too loud, but they’re played with an attitude by Le Bon that brings the Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd guitar interplay to mind. 2013s …