Yo! Majesty – Club Action (Domino Records) September 22nd, 2008 4.8/6.0 Smuggled within sleeve art which steals from Jamie Reid’s iconic Sex Pistols ransom note imagery, Yo! Majesty’s latest single is, in its own world, every bit as revolutionary as God Save The Queen. Synthesised hurricane audio panoramas and booty bass beats washed ashore from [...]
Album Reviews
Let’s Do The Timewarp Again
The Tough Alliance – A New Chance (Modular) September 22nd, 2008 3.7/6.0 In pop music, as fashion and in history, what goes around comes around. This is a cliché which proves too true on A New Chance by Swedish duo the Tough Alliance. Elements of late ’80s and early ’90s rave can be heard in [...]
Album Reviews
Yuill Never Walk Alone
James Yuill – Turning Down Water For Air (Moshi Moshi) October 13th, 2008 5.6/6.0 The debut album from folktronica favourite James Yuill begins with gentle acoustic guitar and lyrics about reading books to your lover. Don’t let this put you off. Although Yuill has a natural talent for songwriting and acoustic guitar is his weapon [...]
Music: Reviews
Me My Head – Damage Is Done
Me My Head – Damage Is Done (Play To Work Recordings) September 22nd, 2008 2.6/6.0 There was a time circa 2003 when I wasn’t alone in holding the conviction that Kasabian were the future of British music. Where did it all go so wrong? Five years later, and we’ve heard band after band (Hard Fi [...]
Live Reviews
It’s That Time Again…
The Dodos University of London Students’ Union, London Tuesday, September 16th 2008 Following the pleasant campside pop of Roxanne and the Pink Floyd meets Nick Drake eclecticism of Welsh anti-folker Euros Childs, The Dodos unassumingly take to the stage. Drum-guitar duos come in many wondrous shapes and sizes – The White Stripes, The Black Keys, [...]
Music: Reviews
Iglu and Hartly – In This City
Iglu and Hartly – In This City (Mercury Records) September 15th, 2008 5.1/6.0 Another week, and, at first glance, the Motel has been served up with another piece of piss-poor electro to rip to shreds. However, once In This City gets into its stride, Iglu and Hartly (there’s actually five of them, not two) succeed [...]
Music: Reviews
White Lies – Death
White Lies – Death (Universal/Fiction) September 22nd, 2008 3.7/6.0 Despite repeated listens, I can’t quite make my mind up about this offering from White Lies. On the plus side, they seem to be able to craft an intriguing tune. There’s eerie guitar chord shifts coupled with tantalising time signature changes throughout. And Harry McVeigh’s soaring [...]
Album Reviews
Kings of the Night
Kings of Leon – Only by the Night (Sony BMG/RCA) September 22nd, 2008 5.2/6.0 Tennessee four-piece Kings of Leon’s first two albums perfectly demonstrated a catchy, radio friendly brand of southern indie-rock, which deservedly won them many admirers from across the musical spectrum. The band’s third album – 2007’s Because of the Times – saw [...]
Music: Reviews
Run Toto Run – Your Face/Little Things
Run Toto Run – Your Face/Little Things (Lost And Lonely Singles Club) September 8th, 2008 4.8/6.0 After Motel Towers’ laptop initially refuses to comply with Run Toto Run’s anticipated debut as a fourpiece, it’s definitely worth the wait after the errant technology is abandoned in favour of a CD player which has seen better days. [...]
Music: Reviews
Stickboy – Pirouette/A Flame To A Spark
Stickboy – Pirouette/A Flame To A Spark (Lost And Lonely Singles Club) September 8th, 2008 4.8/6.0 Craig Edmonson – better known to his growing army of aficionados online and off as Stickboy – has found fans in high places with his jaunty, home-spun songs, notably so after Today was featured on the US TV show [...]