Dave Franklin
Musician, scribbler, historian, gnostic, seeker of enlightenment, asker of the wrong questions, delver into the lost archives, fugitive from the law of averages, blogger, quantum spanner, left footed traveller, music journalist, zenarchist, freelance writer, reviewer and gemini. People have woken up to worse.
Beautiful Thing – Peach & Quiet (reviewed by David Marx)
If this nigh superlative album is anything to go by, it’s no wonder a great many reviewers raved about their debut, Just Beyond The...
Thrill of the Night – The NEW Bardots (reviewed by Dave...
You can argue that rock' n' roll found its perfect form a long time ago, any time from the late 60's to the early...
Girl Behind The Mask – Various Artists (reviewed by Darren Baker)
I've said it many times before, but it needs to be repeated often and loudly. There is a sweet spot between pop and rock...
For Knows No Bounds – Death.wav (reviewed by Baron Daker)
If you are used to hip-hop, rap, R&B and all such urban musical forms taking a specific sonic shape, then Death.wav is here to...
Alchemy – Will Lawton and the Alchemists (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Making an impact with music through the use of increased volume and sudden, sharp sonic moves isn’t the hardest thing in the world to...
Massenkater – Dadanaut (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Instrumental music often feels more evocative and loaded with meaning, just by virtue of the fact that without direct lyrical communication to distract and...
Expand Your Circles – Mahamaya Experience (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Even when you expect the unexpected, the music of Mahamaya Experience is still a beguiling and surprising prospect. This time out, it feels as...
Between pop and a hard place – a chat with Jim...
We've covered this when we spoke before, but for those unfamiliar with the band, can you give me a potted history?
Jim: Myself and bass...
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World! A quick chat with...
Let's start with some background, how did the band initially come about, what musical paths brought you together, and what are some of the...
Akumu – Calsocold (reviewed by Baron Daker)
Akumu. (Noun.) The Japanese word for a nightmare.
With a title like that, we, the listener, are forewarned of the subject matter and themes Calsocold...
Premiere: Lovescope – Sir-Vere (reviewed by Darren Baker)
There is something going on in Sir-Vere's music which reminds me of the 90s. And I don't mean that in a detrimental way; I'm...
Premiere: Noisebeat – Leathers (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Anything that sounds like those formative proto-punk days, the time before the genre's gatekeepers had laid down the rules and dogma, a time of...
Broken Glass – Dixie Ziemba (reviewed by Darren Baker)
Broken Glass is that rarest of things. A pop song, well, a pop ballad anyway, that rather than make itself known by pitching the...
Here To Stay – Street Outlaws (reviewed by David Marx)
Hmm, Street Outlaws: the amazingly unwatchable American shite-fest which premiered in 2013; or the full-throttle, Swindon, UK based three-piece, whose penchant for gungho-grit mayhem...
Lamento Cubano – Lourdes Pita (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Music is always able to morph itself into many forms. Some are bombastic. Some infectious. It may be energetic or ambient. But music is...
Old Soul – Jake Merritt (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
There are plenty of "guys with guitars" plying their trade out there, although some might prefer the term singer-songwriter, or perhaps even troubadour, who are...
Badlands – Ben Eastman (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
It comes as no surprise to find that besides releasing music in the form of albums (over yen in the last decade), Ben Eastman...
Million Dollar Space – Nonstop To Cairo (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
At a point where rock meets funk, where sassy soul meets pop-aware groove, where old notions of musical tribalism and generic demarcations are seen...
Un Altra Città (I’ll Go On ) – Angelo Morra (reviewed...
There is always something interesting about reviewing music in a language other than your own. Without the direct communication of the words to lead...
Thrive – Slang (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Perhaps the reason that I appreciate Slang's ability to wander across sound and style, jump genres and break down musical demarcations comes from the...
Favorite Enemy – Avenue Army (reviewed by The Night Writer)
Alt Rock, laced with just enough of a grunge vibe to tip their hats to the likes of Pearl Jam, Avenue Army have a...
Needle and Thread – Vincent Van Beethoven (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
We get so used to modern songs being of the moment and a bit throw-away that we sometimes forget the profundity and power that...
Ukiyo! – Calsocold (reviewed by Baron Daker)
Revelling in the past is all very good, but the best music, or the most original and forward-thinking creations, are made by people looking...
Village Songs, Brazil – Mahamaya Experience (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
When people use the term "world music", I think they get the idea back to front. For many, it is a way of categorising...
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – Amacio Favor (reviewed by The Night Writer)
Having been impressed with last year's grunge-infused Hate To Love, I was intrigued to see how Favor would approach this seminal Heavy Metal work...
Fast Track The Bad Times – Fresh Yesterday (reviewed by Dave...
The best music, if you ask me (and you are reading my reviews, so you did), is that which you find hard to pinpoint,...
You Never Knew Me When I Was Young v2.0 – The...
You can tell a lot about someone by the company that they keep. Or so they say. If the same is true about bands,...
Happy Birthday To You – Mary Opara (reviewed by Baron Daker)
Music serves many purposes. It can be deep and meaningful, rabble-rousing and rebellious, light and throwaway, entertaining and euphoric. It can capture our darkest...
Groovy Stairs – Omer B (reviewed by Darren Baker)
Omer B delivers yet another funky and upbeat instrumental track driven by his trademark blend of jazz, funk, and soundtrack vibes. Smooth Jazz often...
Air to Fire – Anjalts (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
It's always nice when you can see musical evolution in action. After all, all music is built by standing on the shoulders of giants...
