Category: Reviews: Albums
REVIEW: ERRORS – HAVE SOME FAITH IN MAGIC
Since their second release, ‘Come Down With Me’, back in 2009, Glaswegian four-piece Errors have been getting more and more attention. And rightly so. And they continue to impress with their third full length album, ‘Have Some Faith in Magic’. The opening track ‘Tusk’ starts off with some Animal Collective-style synth before bursting into a [...]
REVIEW: CASIOKIDS – AABENBARINGEN OVER AASKAMMEN
Synth-pop quartet Casiokids have been making quite a storm on the indie circuit since signing to Moshi Moshi records. Having recently played a string of UK shows, including a sold out show at London’s Shacklewell Arms last week, this debut album could be described as one of the most anticipated of the year. Hailing from [...]
REVIEW: THE MACCABEES – GIVEN TO THE WILD
With the media ever present with articles about the death of indie rock, The Maccabee’s third studio album ‘Give to the Wild’ couldn’t have come at a better time. Having been almost three years since their last release ‘Wall of Arms’ in 2009, fans and critics alike waited with baited breath for the release on [...]
REVIEW: THE BIG PINK – FUTURE THIS
Recording new album ‘Future This’ over the summer of 2011, with acclaimed producer Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence + The Machine, Friendly Fires) The Big Pink are hoping for an even brighter future than their debut ‘A Brief History of Love’ created. NME adore them, the kids seem to be creating a fuss so what could [...]
REVIEW: M83 – HURRY UP, WE’RE DREAMING
After receiving high acclaim for his debut album ’Saturdays=Youth,’ M83 (a.k.a. Anthony Gonzalez) returns with an epic new double album ‘Hurry Up We’re Dreaming.’ Produced by Justin Meldal-Johnson and hosting an array of impressive contributors including members of Zola Jesus and Medicine, M83’s second offering has got a lot to live up to. The album [...]
REVIEW: CHINESE SKY CANDY – SCHADENFREUDE EP
Schadenfreude – a German word that means taking pleasure in other people’s misfortune – is the second EP from Falmouth based band Chinese Sky Candy, released December 3rd 2011. Never before have four tracks been so creepy in such a good way. This is music that gets under your skin, hypnotic, captivating, chilling and completely [...]
REVIEW: DRIVE BY TRUCKERS – GO-GO BOOTS
Drive-By Truckers Go-Go Boots **** Album number eleven finds the Truckers in a climate of high creativity, with material that sounds as fresh as the product of any young whippersnapper starting out, on the road to alt-country and Americana. That ol’ country & soul never sounded more beautiful than it does on the luscious Dancin’ [...]
REVIEW: WIVES OF FARMERS
Unfortunately Wives of Farmers are not ruby cheeked lasses that have decided to fuck-off the farm duties to make an album – they’re not even women. Songs about breaking into houses to replace the freezer food with Roskilly’s ice cream and calling Uri Gellar a ‘spoon bender’, more than makes up for the initial disappointment. [...]
REVIEW: MIRRORS – LIGHTS AND OFFERINGS
Mirrors Lights and Offerings (Skint) *** Powered by analogue synths and a good DIY ethic, Mirrors deliver an album packed with melody, deep lyrics, washes of sound and bubbling electro basslines. Reproducing the sounds of thirty years ago seems to be the golden rule these days, and the skeleton of Mirrors’ sound shows more than [...]
COMEBACK EP FROM THE LEGENDARY DISTRACTIONS
The Distractions were the great lost band of the new wave era. Factory single legends, one rated and feted album, a batch of classic songs and an awful lot of “Whatever happened to?” And now they’re back with a 3-track 12” vinyl EP on Exeter label, Occultation Records. It’s been a while and there have [...]
REVIEW: SEDGE WARBLER
Exclusive, we just got hold of this new track from Sedge Warbler – Paranormal Ox Man Check out the video below, gonna be big. Born out of a shared love for heavy choppy beats, tearing bass and futuristic sounds, this track is all about Glitch Hop – yet another new sound that is emerging. Combining [...]
REVIEW: NATIONAL PASTIME – BOOKMARKS
National Pastime Bookmarks (Pastime Records) Exeter’s lo-fi indie-pop regulars drop their second album proper, featuring twelve brand new songs recorded at Off the Rail Studio, Tipton St John, with producer Andy Fonda. As before, National Pastime’s sound is generally reminiscent of the first wave of British indie-pop (think Sarah Records or early Creation Records). This [...]
REVIEW: LES SAVY FAV – ROOT FOR RUIN
Les Savy Fav Root For Ruin (Wichita) They may have enjoyed a brief love affair with the mainstream indie press a few years back (around the release of ‘Let’s Stay Friends’) but these Brooklyn art-punks were never ones to let it go to their heads. Album number five finds them in splendid fettle, opting for [...]
SCHNAUSER TO PLAY INSTORE GIG AT RISE IN BRISTOL
Schnauser are playing at Rise on Queens Street in Bristol on Saturday. It comes just weeks after they did an album launch gig there. The Rise late night opening is part of a Queen Street wise event, in which all the shops on that stretch are opening late for one day to help promote independent [...]
REVIEW: PRINCE FATTY – SUPER SIZE
Prince Fatty Super Size (Mr Bongo) **** Producer, Mike “Prince Fatty” Pelanconi has been big in the British reggae game since the ‘90s, having previously worked with Lily Allen and Blur’s Graham Coxon. This album finds him on good form, with eleven strong tracks capturing a traditional sound: reggae & soul favourites are recreated via [...]
REVIEW: SIMON BISH – YOU GET TO LIVE A FEW GOOD DAYS
Simon Bish You Get To Live A Few Good Days (Pop Noise Records) Fine gentle indie-pop from Simon Bish, who previously sang in Thrilled Skinny, the John Peel-favoured indie-punk-poppers from the early ‘90s. More recently, Mr Bish has been fronting the Exeter-based four-piece, Noise Annoys Simon, as well as running his own label, Pop Noise [...]
REVIEW: COUNT TO FIRE – IN ANOTHER LIFE
Count to Fire In Another Life (Count to Fire) Second album from Exeter’s Americana-influenced band, who formed over a mutual love for Wilco and My Morning Jacket. The album was recorded in Canada at Catherine North Studios (Josh Ritter, Feist) and produced by Colin Cripps (Kathleen Edwards, Oh Susanna) The band has a talent for [...]
REVIEW: VINNIE PAZZ
A new name to me but obviously not to the game, Vinnie comes with a healthy back up of Roc A Fella artists Freeway and Beanie Sigel and the Clipse, as well as underground cats like R.A. The Rugged Man. No production credits available but most beats have the feel of Just Blaze and 9th [...]
REVIEW: FUTURE BALEARICA ALBUM
This collection takes you on a journey through up to date, laid back Balearic sounds giving you that slice of summer on a disc that you are looking for. It is advisable to have this at the ready on your ipod or on CD for any long summer drives. Artists include ‘The XX’, ‘Animal Collective’, [...]
REVIEW: A FINE DAY FOR SAILING – SAND BOX
Exeter band’s third album released on a German label, possibly due to the lack of a local audience that appreciates top-notch guitar pop. This is the album the Beach Boys would have made, if they had listened to British underground bands such as Television Personalities or Razorcuts. The set opens with Summer Blonde, which is [...]
