rescuing musical virtue in distress.
The last few years have, for some very obvious reasons, been unusual times, particularly for anyone involved in anything of a creative and communal nature. But for all the hardship thrown up by Covid, the lockdowns and the isolation of recent times, there have been a few silver linings too, usually in the form of... Continue Reading →
Who says that dance music can't be smart? Or that pop music can't be deep and meaningful? And does nostalgia have to be an exact sonic replay of what has gone before? And if all of those statements sound a little bit oxymoronic then it is only because you haven't yet stumbled across Telefís. Take... Continue Reading →
Some artists merely sing a song, recite the words, throw out some nice sounding lyrics whilst everyone waits for the hook or chorus to come along so that everyone can unite in some sort of throwaway euphoric ritual. More discerning artists inhabit their songs, sing from the soul rather than just for their supper, let... Continue Reading →
Country music and the more general Americana sound has always been at their most potent when talking about the trials and tribulations, the hopes and dreams of the working man and women. And whilst there is a lot more going on here, sonically speaking, than you will find within those two genres, Vegas Motel not... Continue Reading →
This latest album from Russell James is a deft and delicate waltz around the edges of many genres, never committing fully to any one in particular and staying only long enough to pick up the required sonic ingredients. As such you find that it is an album peppered with folky authenticity, indie cool, pop infectiousness,... Continue Reading →
One of the great things about bands who are capable of whipping up such a fantastic sonic storm as this is that the lack of ease with which they neatly categorised means that you can have fun inventing genres and outrageous labels for them. I mean, listen to any Inca Babies track, anything with Harry... Continue Reading →
(r), aka Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo is an experimental sound maker who collaborates with a broad range of equally strange individuals to produce an intensity and finesse throughout this recording. A place where drone, dirge and shamanic utterances coexist in an uneasy, unsettling alliance. At times brighter Kraftwerk, DAF, Psychic TV and Yello themes fleetingly emerge... Continue Reading →
Pop is perhaps best known for being upbeat and energetic, thumping and throwaway, transient and ever-changing, blown by the winds of fad or fashion. What's Left To Lose is none of that and yet it is the best pop music you will hear doing the rounds at the moment. It exists at a point where... Continue Reading →
The acoustic guitar, and of course the person that wields it, often gets a lot of bad press these days. It is the go-to musical weapon for every mumbling troubadour, folk-pop wannabe and indie-punk solo ranter, none of whom have done the instrument any favours. But of course, any instrument is only as good as... Continue Reading →
Mixing music with more environmental considerations might seem like something that the modern music maker might do to stay relevant, to follow the current fad or fashion, but Grasslands has been doing it for years. He's mixed green conversation and ecological thought, as well pulling at plenty of other lyrical threads, with everything from understated... Continue Reading →
There is a wonderful duality to Jol Rose, the man and the music. Live, he likes to play the entertainer, offering the gathered crowd a fun time, breaking out the upbeat songs and being the focal point of a memorable lively night out, bringing the party vibes in no small amount. There's nothing wrong with... Continue Reading →
Cast A Line is more than a song, it is a neat creatively balancing act that sees Christian Parker walk a fine line between darker, introspective tones and accessible melodies, lyrical deftness and gorgeous musical textures. That might seem like a lot to fit into one song, but that is the joy of the multi-faceted... Continue Reading →
In this age of precision politics and right-on social statements, it is wonderfully refreshing to hear a song like Big Strong Man fluttering through the airwaves. Not that I am in any way against moving with the times politically, and it isn't as if Courtney Cotter King isn't merely reminding us of what we already... Continue Reading →
A great week of live shows, cool music to write about and groovy people to hang around with. As always, support music and those who make it, buy some merch or just spread the word. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ZeuPncPPZclSJpKjIMwPD?si=45ba711d6d6e4a9c
A few years ago, in a small bar in a town called Imagination, the members of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, Muerte and Moon Hooch all sat down for some antipasti and beer and decided to put their collective musical powers into a blender. The result was something that was powerful, energetic,... Continue Reading →
I was about to use the word pop to describe this glorious debut album from Jess Chalker but even now in these post-genre and non-tribal times, the word seems to be a bit loaded, coming with a lot of baggage. Maybe it is that endless conveyer belt of identi-pop, the zeitgeist worshipping, dance routine driven, focus group... Continue Reading →
We live in a musical age where things seem to be less and less about having an overall plan and more about knee-jerk reactions. By this, I mean that the age of "write a batch of songs, record an album, tour the album, write a new batch of songs, record the next album…repeat until exhausted"... Continue Reading →
Norwegian-UK outfit Permafrost has released their sophomore 'Permafrost' EP digitally for the first time, including a previously unreleased mix. This four-track offering is available on all platforms as of October 15th, released on their own Fear of Music label with distribution by Secretly Noord. Two years since its vinyl-only release, they now bring you the digital release of the ‘Permafrost’ EP, including... Continue Reading →
Okay, we know that this is going to be an odd trip. We know that it isn't going to be for everyone. We know that it will be sonically adventurous, challenging and like little you have heard before. (Which for me is a fantastic unique selling point anyway.) But, if you get your mind open... Continue Reading →
Power pop/indie rock collective The Speed Of Sound present 'Last Orders', hot on trail of revealing the single 'Opium Eyes' and 'Tomorrow's World' from their Future-Retro-Modernist long-player 'Museum of Tomorrow'. 32 years to the day when the band's debut EP saw the light of day in 1989, they've released this album on CD and Deluxe LP via California-based Big Stir Records. Hailing from Manchester, The... Continue Reading →
If you have been an avid gig-goer in and around Oxford for the last ten years, then the name Scott Gordon will probably be a familiar one. He has been playing his brand of Guinness-soaked music in every bar, club, and open mic from Wolvercote to Littlemore (and everywhere in between). The band has... Continue Reading →
A pop track this may be but the fact that it also skirts around the R&B's sassy moves, dance's infectious grooves, that it feels effortlessly cool, not to mention being fresh, funky and forward-thinking is the reason why it is so much more than that. It bridges the old music world and the new, blending... Continue Reading →
Some music, the derivative stuff, is nothing more than a signal to the listener that they have the same favourite band as you. But enough about Interpol and their alter-egos Editors. Listen to them and you might as well just go back and listen to those old Joy Divison records? Cut out the middle men... Continue Reading →
Irish underground music icons David Long and Shane O'Neill present their new video for 'Albert The Painter', a beautiful song that evokes moods and creates feelings you might not even be aware that you had. Found on their debut album 'Moll & Zeis', this song is about a refugee who prefers to walk the roads alone, gaining inspiration for... Continue Reading →
Slip on your lounge suit, pour yourself a Jenever, fall back onto the chaise long and relax into the Brindie (Brussels Indie) sounds of Colver. Gentle, sweet melodies and vocals in the Prefab Sprout vein with added electronica for good measure to wrap you up in a comfortable sonic duvet. No real challenges or surprises... Continue Reading →
Although it comes on like a lightly folktronic-infused, alt-pop groover, on arrival, the futuristic and affected vocals add a whole different feeling to the song, turning it into a chilled, cinematic and futuristic anti-anthem. I'm not really sure what an anti-anthem is, or if it is a thing at all, I'm using the phrase here... Continue Reading →
I can't be sure but I suspect that the album title is a reference to a Black Adder quote. If so, The Insufferable Paul Scott can do no wrong in my eyes. He has exquisite taste and that is enough for me. But, as I play the album, it becomes clear that we would have... Continue Reading →
Having tried to put pen to paper on behalf of previous album My World, you would have thought that I would be prepapred for the strange musical world of Alien Okram. But it is still an interesting and unique sensation dropping into this beguiling world. To say that the three tracks that make up Transmission... Continue Reading →
The perfect modern take on the old-school, crooner sound being reinvented for the modern, digital world, David Longoria offers us the sassy and sumptuous Bitcoin Billionaire. Musically it tips its hat, probably a natty fedora, to the jazz lounge singing icons of old and lyrically it speaks of the modern financial markets which, let's face... Continue Reading →
I have often heard it said that country music is to The US what folk music is to The UK. And whilst any country music found in the Old World is definitely the result of cross-Atlantic sonic appropriation, such a sentiment is to deny the rich and long-established American Folk Tradition. Which I have capitalised... Continue Reading →
