New music
Reissue CDs Weekly: Bona RaysSunday, 23 February 2020
For record buyers, Bona Rays left limited evidence for their existence. One single was issued by the aptly named Mystery Records in 1981. Pressed in a limited quantity by the independent facility Lyntone, it featured “We're Never Going to Miss You... Read more... |
CD: Grimes - Miss AnthropoceneSunday, 23 February 2020
Grimes is hilarious. For all the grandiose conceptualism, apocalyptic visions, high tech sonic manipulation, outré costumes, modish witchery, multiple personas, arch media baiting with her billionaire boyfriend and all the rest, she is still... Read more... |
Supergrass, Barrowland, Glasgow review - nostalgic reunion proves greatest hits stand test of timeSaturday, 22 February 2020
As Gaz Coombes noted around the halfway point of Supergrass’s Barrowland set “the last time we were here it was to say goodbye”. That was a decade ago, when one of Britpop’s most enduring acts finally headed into the sunset. Nothing lasts forever in... Read more... |
Album: BTS – Map of the Soul: 7Saturday, 22 February 2020
To anyone out of their teens or without a grasp of the Korean language, BTS are probably an unknown quantity. Yet, they are probably the most successful boyband, if not the most successful band, in the world. In fact, just as Abba had a massive... Read more... |
Napalm Death, O2 Institute, Birmingham review - the Grindcore progenitors hit the spotFriday, 21 February 2020
While it is only right that Birmingham is finally getting well-deserved credit as the well-spring and self-proclaimed Home of Metal, the media coverage of the Midlands’ place in musical history might lead anyone to think that this particular story... Read more... |
Album: Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary ManFriday, 21 February 2020
Ozzy Osbourne stands on the front cover of his new album grinning mischievously in a horror-style bowler hat and cane. Look into the eyes, though, and there's also a hint of sadness. The Prince of Darkness (71) has been beset by a series of... Read more... |
Album: Moonlight Benjamin - SimidoThursday, 20 February 2020
Moonlight Benjamin, the fierce and deep-voiced vocalist from Haiti, is a powerful presence on stage. On her second album, she is once again supported by a tight cohort of French musicians led by guitarist Matthis Pascal, who has written the music... Read more... |
Cage the Elephant, O2 Academy, Glasgow review - old-fashioned rock n' roll from Kentucky sextetWednesday, 19 February 2020
Matt Shultz was clearly taking no chances. The Cage the Elephant frontman appeared onstage underneath a large umbrella, presumably bought to cope with the day’s deluge of rain. In the ever effervescent Shultz’s hands it was swiftly used as a prop,... Read more... |
Sam Lee, EartH Hackney - capturing the spirit of the momentTuesday, 18 February 2020
Sam Lee has a strong, richly resonant and recognisable voice – and equally strong beliefs. His album Old Wow has really caught the spirit of moment: it is already being hailed as folk album of the year, even the decade, and last night’s gig at EartH... Read more... |
The Murder Capital, QMU, Glasgow review - Dublin outfit find catharsis through pummelling songsMonday, 17 February 2020
It might have been 24 hours after Valentine’s Day, but James McGovern still seemed to have a touch of romance in his head. At one stage during the Murder Capital’s bruising set he referenced his floral-patterned shirt as evidence that he was feeling... Read more... |
Album: Lanterns On The Lake - Spook The HerdMonday, 17 February 2020
Spook The Herd concludes with “A Fitting End”. In a cracked, reflective voice, Hazel Wilde sings: “I want a door to the Nineties…what a fitting ending, what a perfect scene.” By hoping for a portal into the recent past, it seems an attempt is being... Read more... |
Reissue CDs Weekly: The Honeycombs - Have I The Right? The Complete 60s Albums & SinglesSunday, 16 February 2020
August and September 1964 were golden months for Pye Records. The Kinks hit number one on the British charts in September with “You Really Got Me”, their third single for the label and the group’s first success following two flop 45s.Before The... Read more... |
