by John Tindale To say that Band of Horses have been the victims of their own hype would be a fair statement based on the amount of expectation put on the then-Seattle-based band. Debut album Everything All The Time saw the band soar to the attention of mainstream media, because of both the excellently crafted folk-tinged rock (see ‘The Funeral’) and of the back story of lead vocalist Ben Bridwell (google
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by Ed Biggs A seven-piece band whose key creative driving forces came together after the disintegration of Smith Westerns in December 2014 – their lead guitarist Max Kakacek teaming up with ex-Unknown Mortal Orchestra drummer Julien Ehrlich – Whitney deal in the kind of bright, unfussy and skilfully arranged alt-country made popular by Wilco, Midlake and Real Estate over the last 15 years.
by John Tindale Tegan Rain and Sara Keirsten Quin, identical twin sisters from Calgary recording under the name Tegan and Sara for the best part of 20 years now, are a remarkable duo. Rising to fame in the mid-‘00s for their indie-rock music, they met with acclaim from critics for their albums The Con and Sainthood. But on previous record Heartthrob in 2013, their sound moved in an unashamedly pop direction
by Ollie Rankine It was sometime after the release of their 2011 album Blood Pressures that The Kills guitarist, Jamie Hince, slammed his hand in a car door which consequently rendered one of his fingers totally useless. Although Hince has undergone five operations in an attempt to return the use of such an essential tool of playing music, the severity of his injury has forced a total shakeup in his guitar
by Ed Biggs The Strokes have had a tougher time than most in keeping everybody satisfied in the 15 years since their scene-starting masterpiece Is This It. The numerous critics and fans who’ve laid into them for failing to make an album as good as their debut have often been the same ones who’ve ridiculed them for trying to move on, so it’s hard to blame them for being a bit
by Ollie Rankine The usual stir of speculation that surrounds the potential sound of an incoming album has so often been proven to be a futile practice due to a recurring lack of accuracy. For anticipating fans of newly formed super group, Minor Victories, cracking the art of guessing seemed a more attainable task than usual.
by Ed Biggs Brighton-based duo Fear Of Men quietly released one of the better British indie debuts in recent years back in 2014. Characterised by pastel-shaded melodies and crisp, stark drumlines, it was lead singer Jessica Weiss who stole the show, with her gothic, breathy vocals dwelling in that contrast between the sunny and gloomy on Loom.
by John Tindale New Zealand four-piece Yumi Zouma have garnered a reputation for being able to craft moments of summery, dream-pop bliss. Following a collaboration with the now-defunct Air France (the greatest band to have never released an album) in 2014 to cover their single ‘It Feels So Good To Be Around You’, their reputation has only grown to the point where they’ve supported Lorde on tour.
by Ed Biggs When Holy Fuck emerged onto the scene way back in 2005, their approach was more or less completely different to anybody else on the electronic music scene, setting them apart even in a field containing LCD Soundsystem, Crystal Castles and Hot Chip. Eleven years later, their style has become much more commonplace, with dozens of artists cleaving to their template of pulverising rhythms and gibbering, disintegrating synths –
by Ollie Rankine EDM’s struggle to find an appropriate balance between innovative songwriting and the pursuit of commercial viability has plagued the genre’s potential artistic growth since the early days of its existence. Harley Streten, or as he’s better known to his ever extending fan base, Flume, carries little association with this view. The 24 year old Australian beat master’s latest record, Skin may be slightly less digestible than his self-titled
