by Ed Biggs The story of London post-punk cult heroes Wire is one of those where the artist’s influence is way out of whack compared with their actual sales figures. Their 1977 debut Pink Flag was post-punk before punk was even finished with its three-note thrashings, and two feverishly creative albums in 1978’s incredible Chairs Missing and 1979’s almost impenetrable 154 followed before the group disintegrated through creative differences.
by Ed Biggs Coming just a couple of months after its lead singer’s last solo album, Please Be Honest is the 23rd by the indie institution / saga that is Guided By Voices. In their 30-year career that’s seen dozens of line-up changes, their Fading Captain Robert Pollard has been the only constant figure on the good ship GBV in a rotating cast of faithful musical fellow-travellers and occasional deckhands.
by Ed Biggs So, the Purple Reign is over, with the sudden and shocking death of the unique pop icon Prince on Thursday last week (April 21st). At the time of writing, what is known is that he was discovered in an elevator at his sprawling Paisley Park home / studio complex that morning, with his publicist confirming his death just a few hours later. He had been hospitalised less than
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by John Tindale & Hannah Binns The annual Live At Leeds indie and pop marathon is due to celebrate its tenth instalment. Named in honour of The Who’s seminal live album of the same name, recorded in the unlikely environment of what is now the Leeds University refectory, for the past decade the city-wide event has dedicated itself to showcasing the best up-and-coming acts in the British music scene and beyond.
by Ed Biggs The astonishing and quite unexpected success of Let England Shake, arguably the finest album of the decade so far, not only brought PJ Harvey back to her core fanbase after a number of years but also allowed her to access a hitherto unheard-of level of international publicity for an indie star. Suddenly, the modest, thoughtful and resolutely un-rockstar-like Polly Jean, used to lapping up the critical praise but
by Ed Biggs Few bands from the indie explosion in Britain during the 1980s were, and remain, as iconic and impenetrably mysterious as Cocteau Twins. Formed in Grangemouth in Scotland in the early 1980s, the three-piece of singer Liz Fraser, guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie (replaced by Simon Raymonde in 1983) sounded quite unlike anything else on the indie scene during the fertile ‘80s, and the curious magic they
by Matthew Langham Originally conceived during 2009, Josh Dibb a.k.a. Deakin has finally released his debut solo record Sleep Cycle to much acclaim and no small amount of relief. As a member of the experimental indie heroes Animal Collective, his band has lived up to their collective namesake. While Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) is the most prolific when it comes to solo albums, each member has branched out to create their
by John Tindale The latest offering from Cardiff’s post-hardcore heroes Future Of The Left has been a comparatively long time in the making, following the release of the excellent How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident in 2013 – a record which featured themes of aggression and absurdity in equal quantities and punched ideals so far down one’s throat that it was impossible not to abide to the law of
by John Tindale It has been three years since the last Frightened Rabbit record Pedestrian Verse, and during that time the Scottish five-piece have toured to the brink of exhaustion, almost broken-up and, most importantly, frontman Scott Hutchison moved to Los Angeles. Hutchinson’s turbulent time in L.A. is a clear commonality running through the music of this eventual fifth album Painting Of A Panic Attack, and it is the subsequent doom
by Ed Biggs The ninth annual Record Store Day is imminently upon us – a day still very much needed despite the much-vaunted revival in vinyl sales. Not only will independent record stores enjoy a significant bump in income, a chance to empty and replenish their stock with fresh releases, but newcomers will also get the chance to experience for the very first time the curious enjoyment that comes from rifling
