new music reviews, news & interviews
Guy Oddy |

This week saw something of a landmark gig for Birmingham’s ever-exuberant folkies, Bonfire Radicals. New album, Spaghetti Junction was revealed to a home crowd; long-time violinist Sarah Farmer played her last show with the band; her replacement, Emily Dawe was introduced to a welcoming crowd; and at least one tune was performed for the last time and finally exorcised from their live set.

Joe Muggs |

Pyschedelic music has always encouraged intergenerational influence. Thus West Midlander Pete “Sonic Boom” Kember, in his 1980s Spacemen 3 days – with Jason Pierce of Spiritualized – channelled Krautrock, The Velvet Underground, The Silver Apples and The Stooges into his relentlessly narcotic jams, then moved sideways into representing the spirit of very early synthesiser experimenters.

Kieron Tyler
The most up-front factor defining the 10 tracks of Sweet Thief’s 26 minutes is Zoë Randell’s voice. Figuratively, she does not – vocally, that is –…
Guy Oddy
Amelia Baker is a troubadour and storyteller of dark but enchanting tales. In the guise of Cinder Well, she brings these stories to life with woozy…
Kieron Tyler
“Rimbaud, I guess. W.C. Fields. The family, you know, the trapeze family in the circus. Smokey Robinson. Allen Ginsberg. Charlie Rich, he's a good…

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