new music reviews, news & interviews
Kieron Tyler |
“Never mind the Sex Pistols, here's the rotting corpse of Johnny Rotten, stinking to high heaven like some maggot brain from the Bryan Ferry School of Design. Rotten has dubbed his new band Public Image Ltd. PiL's first single ‘Public Image’ sounds like a powerful Pistols' reject. And for making a nyah-nyah statement, the single is sufficient...but an entire album of catcalls is pure self-indulgence.
Ibi Keita |
My first listen to Iron & Wine was only last year, when iconic Midwest Emo band American Football released a cover album of their now classic 1999 self-titled album.
Guy Oddy
Mermaid Chunky’s music is a celebration of fun and frivolity. Combining loops of electronica, pipes, flutes and various percussion instruments with…
Thomas H. Green
When the debut album by ex-Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock starts, the omens are good. The opener, “Look into My Eyes”, is an electro-pop stonker…
Jonathan Geddes
Although the Beaches may hail from Toronto, they evidently have more Scottish connections than many bands that come this way. Drummer Eliza Enman-…
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Ellie Roberts
A return delivered with growth, vulnerability, and a renewed artistic spark
Kieron Tyler
Never mind the snow, this Danish city festival celebrates unfettered internationalism
Guy Oddy
Electroclash original remains direct, filthy and more than relevant
Kieron Tyler
Exhaustive, stylistically varied, box-set memorial to the fabled Bowery venue
Sebastian Scotney
A new work rewards detailed listening
Katie Colombus
An ode to reinvention that's not quite a pop album but not a film score either
Joe Muggs
The Belfast master of slow, sad club sounds is on peak form
Thomas H. Green
Brett Anderson and co. deliver energy, sing-alongs and punk-tinted kicks
Guy Oddy
Jill Scott’s first album in over a decade is an absolute gem
Jonathan Geddes
A slick show from the duo offered vibrant stagecraft and varied genres
Ibi Keita
A boom bap return that feels as personal as it is timeless
Kieron Tyler
Explosive collection of the Sheffield stylist’s favourite singles
Sebastian Scotney
A look back at the long-gone world of the original songs
Thomas H. Green
Ten tracks that revel furiously in distortion and boundary-pushing
Joe Muggs
International stars flip art-pop classics into highlife, dub, Detroit electro and more
Kieron Tyler
Forethought, formal precision and the odd dive into linear rock
Tim Cumming
Powerful debut set of Anglo-Irish tunes and songs
Kieron Tyler
Double-CD set tracing the thread linking pub rock and punk rock
Thomas H. Green
10 tracks of offbeat sounds that bubble with percussive heft
Joe Muggs
A sprawling epic of Arabic gothic ambition
Guy Oddy
French electro-hipster lays down pop hooks, woozy head-spins and mellow folktronica
Ellie Roberts
A slightly clunky but impressive effort
Kieron Tyler
Thrilling auteur-driven album celebrates its 15th anniversary
Thomas H. Green
Deep-dipped in 1970s riffery but very much its own thing
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