by Matthew Langham Over three years have passed since Mystery Jets released their Americana-influenced Radlands which featured the excellent ‘Hale Bop’. Now onto their fifth record in the first decade of their existence, their progressive fourth has certainly influenced their King Crimson / Pink Floyd soundscape on Curve Of The Earth. Released in the same week as the passing of David Bowie, it can’t help be noticed that this record takes
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by John Tindale Not To Disappear, the sophomore release by London indie-folk band Daughter, comes two and a half years after the commercially successful If You Leave, an album which saw no less than six songs used for advertisements. In Not to Disappear, the three-piece now have the problem of having to address the successes of their past while also striving to create something which shows progression – unfortunately Not To
by Ed Biggs Station To Station is noteworthy in Bowie’s discography in as much that it serves to represent a transition between eras, from the Ziggy Stardust… / plastic soul of the early 1970s to the experimental electronica of his so-called ‘Berlin Trilogy’ of 1977-1979. We therefore catch a glimpse of the inner workings of Bowie’s psyche and creative process, and it makes for fascinating listening.
by Ed Biggs Given that their 1970 swansong Bridge Over Troubled Water is one of the biggest selling albums of all time, Simon & Garfunkel’s career started inauspiciously to say the least. Having started life as the squeaky clean teen harmony duo Tom & Jerry, their 1964 debut under their own names, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, disappeared without trace.
by Matthew Langham Hinds, or Deers as they were formerly known, have appeared on numerous “One To Watch” lists over the last two years. It’s been a busy a busy few years for the Madrid quartet after a legal battle forced their hand into changing name – a ‘hind’ is a female deer, fyi. Spurred on by the inconvenience, the all-female group have toured relentlessly throughout 2015 in anticipation of their
by Ed Biggs The passing of David Bowie, who succumbed to liver cancer at the age of 69 on January 10th, felt very much more momentous than the average passing of a rock legend. Bowie’s death feels like one of the most significant losses, not just for pop music, but for the totality of Western popular culture. Truly, no artistic voice has been heard like his since, or so fearlessly fought
by Ed Biggs For nearly fifty years, David Bowie has made a career from leaving his past behind him and forging a path for the future, for music as well as himself, making some of the most forward-thinking and celebrated and varied pop in the history of the genre and inspiring countless hundreds of other innovative artists. Truly, his is one of the most totemic reputations in all of popular culture,
by Ed Biggs Though Bob Dylan’s reputation and power is inextricably bound up with the 1960s, the middle of the next decade saw him briefly recapture his peak form with back-to-back classics. 1975’s Blood On The Tracks is regarded by more than a few Dylan fans as his very best album, but that record’s reputation often overshadows that of its successor. While neither as special nor as iconic as …Tracks, Desire
In terms of music alone, 2015 has been a year like most others in recent times: some promising debuts, more excellent work from established artists, highly anticipated comebacks and reunions, and a clutch of instant classics that could easily stand the test of time.
by John Tindale Tell Me I’m Pretty, the fourth album release by Kentucky alt-rockers Cage The Elephant sees the band at a lull in their career. After their initial success with hits ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked’ and ‘Shake Me Down’, the band now face the task of living up to the hype they had four years ago. Unfortunately, what they’ve come up with only serves as a reminder as
