ALBUMs
- Album Reviews
Produced by Ryan Adams the first song on Butch Walker's latest album, the tittle track, 'Afraid of Ghosts' just drips with the producer's sound. It's an absolutely beautiful song.
So the bar is set high from the outset on this Butch's Seventh album. 'I Love You' ups the tempo and already this record should have you hooked. 'Chrissie Hynde' is intriguing and wonderfully preformed as it wistfully recounts her voice coming through the speakers.
'Bed on Fire' takes the album up another level and is the first 'Big sound, room filling song' on the record. ‘21+’ takes us gently further along the highway before ending in a torrent of electric guitar.
These songs are all stories that you can sink yourself into, eyes shut, drifting off occurs instantaneously. Just try 'Autumn Leaves' with your eyes shut.
The album was recorded at Ryan's PAX AM Studios in LA along with guests Johnny Depp and Bob Mould and is out now on the Lojinx label.
Right now it's time to discover Mr Walker's back catalogue!
Pete
11/11
Afraid of Ghosts Track Listing:
1. Afraid of Ghosts
2. I Love You
3. Chrissie Hynde
4. Still Drunk
5. How Are Things, Love
6. Bed On Fire
7. 21+
8. Autumn Leaves
9. Father’s Day
10. The Dark
- Album Reviews
Born in Brisbane, Australia and now living in Penzance West Cornwall, Clayton J Elliott records under the name 'Tuttle'. ‘Strum und Drang’ is his new EP of Alt-Blues which is available for your listening pleasure via Bandcamp.
Raw, ragged tunes shine through with influences that would seem to be in the raw, ragged territory of Tom Waits, and Nick Cave. The EP is bookended by two excellent tunes, ‘The River’ and the rasping ’40 years’ that concludes the EP. In-between there is an acoustic cover of Gillian Welch's 'One Monkey' with guitarist Tony Apple of Cornwall's Gwelhellin. An instrumental 'Hall of Buttons' and the angry 'Sad Little Man'.
There is a lot of musical talent out there, you just have to keep digging, then you turn up little treasures just like this.
Pete
7/11
- Album Reviews
I first came across Dengue Fever after a long day at SXSW in Austin some years ago in the early hours of one morning, having been watching bands since 10am the previous day, bed was calling but the sound drifting out of the venue on the way back to the hotel was like a siren's call to stay awake.
Music that comes from another continent, bright, alive, and intriguingly seductive. I can happily report that nothing has changed on the strength of the band's latest record.
It’s been close to four years since Cambodian rock band Dengue Fever released a full album of new material, so ‘The Deepest Lake’ is long overdue in my books. Imagine Dick Dale playing in Dirty Projectors whilst jamming with Talking Heads and you come somewhere close to this band's electrifying vibe.
The band apparently made a conscious decision to head into their home studio looking to expand their sound by following their instincts to explore the jams that came out of their demos. “The Deepest Lake is probably our most challenging record to date”, said Dengue Fever Bassist Senon Williams. “We are entering our second decade together as a band and wanted to explore some ideas we’d experimented with in the past to try and capture a more expressive sound. Musically we went with a more raw approach while vocally Chhom Nimol came through with her signature power, intimacy and passion”.
This is an exceptional album of varied songs and rhythms that will bring the sunshine and warmth to your world on even the coldest winter's day.
Pete
10/11
1. Tokay
2. No Sudden Moves
3. Rom Say Sok
4. Ghost Voice
5. Deepest Lake on the Planet
6. Cardboard Castles
7. Vacant Lot
8. Still Waters Run Deep
9. Taxi Dancer
10. Golden Flute
- Album Reviews
This Swedish four piece IAmFire are a recent formation of established European metallers. All have previously been various members of bands such as The Haunted, MaryBeatsJane, BloodEagle, Hatesphere,Suspekt, Tech9 & MOB.
Their two track EP offers some long languid rocks tunes mellowed with a heavy psychedelic twist that evokes memories of 70's experimentation.
Not quite the stoner rock they claim but a definite nod to early Floyd and Peter Green and as forerunner to an upcoming album tentatively titled ‘The Chariot’ this ep eludes to what may well become a European ‘retro style’ classic.
IAmFire are; Peter Dolving, Mikael Ehlert, Ulf Scott and Peter Ahlers Ohlsen
Iain @docswallow
7/11
- Album Reviews
Home is a difficult place to explain for Nite Fields. Whilst their coming together took place in Melbourne, all four members originally hail from Brisbane and the band is currently split between that city and Sydney. Listening to their debut, 'Depersonalisation you could however easily think that they came from our own dear island.
The sound of this album evokes memories of Joy Division, Jesus and Mary Chain or more currently, The Horrors. There are dark moody bass, synths and drums throughout that drive the atmosphere. Some shimmering guitar work on 'Come Down' for example plays the Shoegaze card (as well) to great effect.
I reckon this band could put on one of those stage shows where they are submerged in dry ice with the amps turned up to ten bombarding the audience into happy submission after the first song.
Lead singer and songwriter Danny Venzin is joined by band mates Chris Campion, Liza Harvey and Michael Whitney and together they have composed an impressive debut. The overall sound might not be that original but this record is 'lift off' stage and clearly the band have their own musical vision, just watch them grow!
Pete
7/11
Depersonalisation is released via the Felte label on 02 Feb and the band play The Old Blue Last in London on 23 Feb.
- Album Reviews
A five piece band from St Petersburg in Russia Pinkshinyultrablast or PSU as they have been named in some quarters have signed a deal with ClubAC30, a label which would seem to be the perfect home for this band.
The sound from this debut album, 'Everything Else Matters' is quite embracing. There are heavenly harmonies over a mountain of shimmering guitars for the most part. Eight tracks that just sparkle with life and ambition. Live the band should deliver quite a spectacular sound so let's hope live dates are not too far behind this release.
So get your comfortable shoes on, those air guitars out and start gazing East!
Pete
9/11
Track Listing
Wish We Were
Holy Forest
Glitter
Metamorphosis
Umi
Land's End
Ravestar Supreme
Marigold
Pinkshinyultrablast are Igor - bass, Lyubov - vocals, Sergey - drums, Rustam - synths and electronics and Roman – guitars.
- Album Reviews
If The Tindersticks and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds got together for the weekend would they come up with as similar a cinematic effort as 'Last Harbour' have on their third album 'Caul'? Who knows? But those are the references that the Manchester band evoke on this ambitious record
This is a band well into their career who after two albums and many tours decided to build their own studio and this new album was recorded in that space over a year between 2013-4
'Feint' sets the tone as a short intro setting the scene of a dark mysterious record. K. Craig's vocals equally dark dominate opening track 'Fracture-Fragment' a lighter tone with acoustic introduction to 'Guitar Neck' which soon moves impressively into 'big song' mode as does 'Before the Ritual' which is a room filling anthem.
The pace chills with the gentle opening to 'Horse Without a Rider'. This is an album of many twists and turns but rest assured the darkness of the album cover is the impressively the prevailing tone of the record.
Final song is the epic 'The Promise' that s a brooding masterpiece stretching over ten minutes.
Another one of those fireside records to immerse yourself in on a dark Winter's night. This band should be getting a lot more attention with the release of 'Caul'. epic is the word.
Pete
10/11
Here's our recent interview with the band
Last Harbour will release their third full length album 'Caul' on Gizeh Records (via Kompakt distribution) on 9th February 2015.
Band: K. Craig – vocals // Gina Murphy – piano, organ, vocals // James Youngjohns – viola, guitar, organ // David Armes – guitar, organ // Michael Doward – bass, vocals // Howard Jones – drums, percussion


With guests: Sarah Kemp (Brave Timbers/ex-Lanterns on the Lake) - violin // Claire Brentnall (Shield Patterns) - clarinet, choir // Anna Zweck and Tammy Hermann (Samson & Delilah) – choir
Shows:
11th February: London, The Old Blue Last
14th February: Manchester, Soup Kitchen
- Album Reviews
Get your inner Stoner out. This 9 track debut from London band Profane & The Sacred is a huge album. It's going to take you an hour to play in full and it's all pure classic stoner riffs and instrumentals.
With a recorded live feel to it there is no doubt that these guys are accomplished musicians as they are hirsute. Each track aims to be epic and in most cases is reasonably successful, there no denying that the genre is missing a champion at the moment and there's no reason why Profane can't be it.
Vocalist Luke Alleeson delivers like a Nugent or a Dio, and the band as a whole is tight and punchy. If you like your albums laced with long tracks of rock instrumentals bordering on the proggy then this is a good investment in a band that can deliver, and will surely go on to greater heights.
I did enjoy the album, and reflected on it like a literary classic, where you're told you have to study it and by the end you are glad you did.
Iain @docswallow
7/10
Profane And The Sacred are:
Luke Alleeson - Vocals / guitars
Rick Spooner - Guitars
Rob Taylor - Bass guitar
Kieran Smith – Drums
Profane And The Sacred - Chapter 1 : A Long Time Coming is released on Cargo Records on 23 February 2015
- Album Reviews
"Were so bored, there's nothing to do" sings Dan Mangum on 'XVI' a song from the excellent follow- up to 2012's 'Nice Nice Very Nice'. This time around on 'Club Meds', Dan credits the band so we have Dan Mangan + Blacksmith, as he is joined by his long-time -now integral- band members Kenton Loewen (drums), Gordon Grdina (guitar), John Walsh (bass) together with, JP Carter (trumpet), Jesse Zubot (violin) and Tyson Naylor (keys).
There is so much music out there today that no one can hope to hear it all but, if you have a spare fifty minutes to listen to this album then you will be richly rewarded with a truly interesting listen!
Without doubt my favourite album of the year (so far … I know its January, but). If you are looking for a touchstone sound, then I would lean towards TV on the Radio and Modest Mouse. The songs are engaging, the music superb and the overall vibe is engrossing. Dan has a gritty/gruff voice that gives the songs depth. This is actually a change of direction for Dan as ‘Club Meds’ sees him step from the singer-songwriter bracket, into full band mode and it’s a seamless transistion.
“I used to be emotionally crippled at times by the need for others to enjoy my work” Dan says, explaining the palpable sense of freedom in the recordings this time round. “I trust my gut more now, and end up happier with the product.”
Album title and theme, ‘Club Meds’, refers to a notion that we increasingly choose to medicate rather than deal with reality. “Club Meds is about sedation” Dan writes in the record’s liner notes. “Sedation can be chemical, but not exclusively so. There is a great vacation from actuality going on. Maybe there always has been. It seems like everybody else is already at the party and that life is somehow easier or more fun under the fog.”
Get down to your local record store this weekend, you won't be disappointed.
Pete
10/11
1. Offred
2. Vessel
3. Mouthpiece
4. A Doll's House / Pavlovia
5. Kitsch
6. XVI
7. War Spoils
8. Forgetery
9. Club Meds
10. Pretty Good Joke
11. New Skies
See Dan Mangan + Blacksmith live:
APRIL 2015
9th - Cologne, DE - Gebäude 9
10th - Lausanne, CH - Le Romandie
11th - Zurich, CH - Mascotte
12th - Graz, AT - Postgarage
13th - Vienna, AT - Wuk
14th - Munich, DE - Strom
15th - Dresden, DE - Beatpol
16th - Berlin, DE - Postbahnhof
17th - Hamburg, DE - Übel & Gefährlich
18th - Bremen, DE - Nordlicht Festival
19th - Heidelberg, DE - Querbeet Festival
20th - Gent, BE - Cafe Video
21st - Amsterdam, NE - Paradiso (Upstairs)
22nd - Paris, FR - Batofar
24th - Manchester, UK - The Deaf Institute
25th - Glasgow, UK - Oran Mor
27th - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
28th - Bristol, UK - The Thekla
29th - Brighton, UK - Komedia
30th - London, UK - Islington Assembly Hall
- Album Reviews
The band’s official website calls them a “noise pop band” hailing from Saint Paul in Minnesota. I’m not sure what a noise pop band is supposed to sound like, but if this is it, then I like it. The band is a 3 piece, formed around founder and guitarist/vocalist Drew Forsberg, along with Adam Brunner on Bass and Mike McClosky on drums. All of them share vocal harmony duties.
Drive Drive Delay is the band’s 2nd EP and consists of 5 guitar driven tracks, falling somewhere between Interpol and Teenage Fanclub. All except the final 5 minute track Permission fall somewhere around the 2 and a half minute mark. All songs however are incredibly catchy and mature beyond a band with just 2 eps to its name.
Fire Starter kicks of the EP with urgency and drive, before Pretty Boy lurches in with a Cosmic Rough Riders (remember them?) vibe.
Permission closes the EP and feels like the most fully formed of the tracks on offer, again drenched with harmonies and chiming guitars.
It’s a definitely happy bunch of songs, with a distinct West Coast influence, so if this is your bag, you’d do worse to keep an eye on this lot.
Keith @kjsmith4082
7/11
The Persian Leaps - Drive Drive Delay is released on Land Ski Records and you can listen/buy via Bandcamp
- Album Reviews
The Screaming Females are a 3 piece New Jersey indie rock band comprised of Marissa Paternosta on guitar/vocals, Michael Abbate on bass and Jarret Dougherty on drums. So, they are neither all females or indeed partake in any screaming although clearly Marissa has a set of lungs and she’s going to use them.
Rose Mountain is their sixth album, and is marking their (almost) ten years as a band.
I understand the band is almost a self-sufficient concern, what with releasing their own music, booking their own shows and it’s clearly a blueprint that is working, and if the quality of their back catalogue is anything like this release, long may it continue.
Rose Mountain kicks off with Empty Head, all screaming guitars reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr, and belted-out sing along chorus…..”why must I be the angry one ?”……why indeed. This is a ferocious start, and it even has a false ending going into a killer guitar solo.
Ripe explodes out of the opening track, maintaining the pace of the album opening, again buzz saw guitar driven.
As the 3rd track, Wishing Well finds the band in more reflective mood, and the pace slows finally…..”in the next life I’ll be better”…..won’t we all..
The guitars crank up again for Burning Car, and the respite is over. This girl sure can play the guitar.
The rest of the album continues in a similar vein, more intense rock songs mixed with slower quieter affairs, with title track Rose Mountain somewhere as a fabulous mix of the two. "I'm nothing like the others, I was made just for you” Marissa sings, and that seems to reflect the band itself. They certainly have some influences; the aforementioned Dinosaur Jr, Slater Kinney perhaps, and even a touch of 90’s era Throwing Muses, but to me they plough their own furrow, they are their own band, and a very fine one.
Criminal Image closes this 10 track album in a very satisfactory way, trademark heavy guitar riffs, throaty voice and wig out guitar ending.
I’m really looking forward to them translating this album live and hope the amps are cranked up high at the Brudenell in Leeds.
Keith @kjsmith4082
9/11
Rose Mountain is out on 23rd February via Don Giovanni Records.
UK Dates
Sunday 19th April - Brighton, The Hope
Monday 20th April - Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
Tuesday 21st April - Manchester, The Roadhouse
Wednesday 22nd April Glasgow, Broadcast
Thursday 23rd April - Bristol, The Exchange
Friday 24th April - London, The Lexington
- Album Reviews
Hayseed Dixie are a bit of an enigma, I talk to friends and most don't seem to have heard of them, but speak to someone who has and they will wax lyrical for eons about the genre busting superband. I am in the second category and constanly searching out new converts. This band clearly enjoy their spin on the classic music they obviously love.
To introduce the band concept they re-work classic rock tracks that the entire world knows into the hillbilly style they call Rockgrass. Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Journey, KISS, Blue Oyster Cult & The Rolling Stones have all had the Hayseed treatment at some point.
This latest album see's the band foray into 80's hair metal including stadium standards from Europe, Survivior, Def Leppard and Aerosmith - Even Pink Floyd get a treatment of Comfortably Numb. If you read the press quotes that are out there most bands see a Hayseed cover as a badge of honour. The band was even guests on the latest Jools Holland Hootennanny.
So, if you like the idea of a hillbilly festival drinking moonshine and catching the latest gator wrestling contest, you are definealty gonna want this dungaree clad orchestra topping the bill.
Hayseed Dixie most certainly put the fun back into rock without compromising on their musicianship, they are a talented bunch of guys who have found their niche, in a world where bands are compared and accused of not being unique, these guys stand out loud and proud.
The album is out now and is supported by a huge European tour, check it out and get yourself along to a live date, you won't regret it and then you will have great time converting your friends after.
11/11
Iain @docswallow
Hayseed Dixie are:
John Wheeler aka Barley Scotch - guitar, fiddle and singing
Jake Bakesnake Byers - bass and harmonising
Hippy Joe Hymas - mandolin and harmonising
Johnny Butten - banjo and harmonising
The band have already kicked off their tour, remaining UK dates are below;
January 21 - Brighton , England - Concorde 2
January 22 - Bristol , England - The Fleece
January 23 - Port Talbot, Wales - Princess Royal Theatre
January 24 - Poole , England - Mister Kyps
January 25 - Totnes , England - Totnes Arts Centre
January 27 - Derby , England - The Flowerpot
January 28 - Liverpool , England - Academy
January 29 - Stockton , England - ARC
January 30 - Glasgow , Scotland - ABC
January 31 - Newcastle Upon Tyne , England - Academy
February 1 - Uppermill , England - Civic Hall
February 2 - Sheffield , England - The Leadmill
February 3 - Blackburn , England - King George’s Hall
February 5 - Stroud , England - Subscription Rooms
February 6 - London , England - Brooklyn Bowl at the O2
February 7 - Wolverhampton , England - Slade Rooms
Full Euro dates are on the band's website