For years I had the same routine every Saturday. I would head into town for a spot of lunch, look around HMV and the record stalls in the market, buy the latest copy of NME and chill for an hour or so in my favourite cafe. Over the course of a very large pot of loose leaf tea I would read every last article and feature. That seems like an age ago now. Pardon the nostalgia, but with the announcement that Britain’s most iconic music publication will cease printing by the end of the week after 66 years in circulation, I’d rather remember it as it used to be rather than what it became. Continue reading
Author: James Fenney
Top Tracks: Some Villains – The Skin
This new track from Somerset alt rockers Some Villains is an absolute beast. The driving drum beat and chugging riffs sound like some unseen creature pursuing you through the undergrowth, culminating in a raw, snarling guitar solo as it surges forth from the darkness and goes in for the kill. Lyrically the new single, taken from their upcoming EP Outliers out 16th March, deals with how something that has been broken can never really be the same again. The wound may heal but the scars remain, though they give us a chance to learn from our mistakes and move forward. We are all broken in some form, but it should never be enough stop you from picking up the pieces and building towards a better future.
Live Review: Typhoon, The Lexington London, 27th Feb 2018
All fans of live music, whether or not they care to admit it, are in search of the same thing. We go to gigs in the hope that it will be special and unique, one of those “you had to be there” moments. With Portland band Typhoon releasing my album of the year, hearing the highlights of the incredible new record Offerings in the flesh is more than enough to make seeing them live something special, but the icing on the cake was that it just so happened to be the first show of their first ever UK tour. I battled the “Beast from the East” on my way down to London, bracing snowy conditions (and even dodging crashing cars right outside the venue), as this was not a gig to be missed. Continue reading
Album Review: Sleep in Heads – On The Air
Sleep in Heads – On The AirAlbum Review: Lo Moon – Lo Moon
Lo Moon – Lo MoonTop Tracks: FINNO – Do Not Move
The revolution of the youth is nigh, and tempestuous trio FINNO have come out with all guns blazing on their dauntless debut single ‘Do Not Move’. With young people leading the charge for a better society on both sides of the Atlantic, and showing a damn sight more common sense than most of those in government, it stands to reason that their ire seeps through into the medium of music. With a heavy stomp like some encroaching doom, sly snaking guitar solos to lure you in deeper, and lyrical visions of a world lost to hate, ‘Do Not Move’ is like the scrappy younger sibling of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’. It’s an unflinching mission statement of a new band eager to leap into the fray and fight the good fight for what they believe in, and I’m eager to see what their next salvo has in store.
Album Review: All The Luck In The World – A Blind Arcade
All The Luck In The World – A Blind ArcadeTop Tracks: Aphrose – Move On
They say that the best revenge you can enact against those who wronged you is simply to get up, dust yourself off, and live your best life irregardless. That is just the scene depicted in the new single ‘Move On’ from Canadian artist Aphrose. With her smooth soaring vocals and the understated instrumentation, it recalls the golden age of soul when a great voice was something that you felt as much as heard. ‘Move On’ is as much a message to the one who hurt her to say that living with their actions and seeing themselves for who they really are is punishment enough, as it is a reminder to herself, and anyone listening, that you can’t let loss, regret and anger hold you back. There’s always a chance for new life to bloom from the ashes given the proper care and nurturing, likewise there is always happiness to be found for those that learn from the past and grow as person.
Spotlight!: TALMA
Great things rarely happen all at once, often it’s down to a multitude of little inconsequential factors that gather over time and end up knitting together perfectly. TALMA’s music grabs you in much the same way, all those little elements gel together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. With their second EP Out To Sea, this London based outfit offer a mature and elegant sound. ‘In Circles’ dabbles just enough in both retro and futuristic sounds to create a timeless feel, the bright dancing guitar tones on ‘Starless Skies’ imbue a sense of childlike innocence and nostalgia, while the hook heavy ‘Lifeline’ feels like a blend of Joy Division and Spandau Ballet with its pulsing post punk rhythms and soaring new wave vocals. It’s on the title track however where everything really comes together. The guitars wind a path through bluesy licks and indie riffs to reach a majestic climax, the bass line carries the very lifeblood of the song, and Henry Adams’ exceptional crooning vocals somehow steal the spotlight even more than usual. These artful alt rockers stand on the precipice of greatness with their refined and debonair approach.
TALMA’s new EP Out To Sea is out 23rd February and is ideal for fans of The National, Marlon Williams, The Smiths and Isaac Gracie
Lowtide – Southern Mind
