by Ed Biggs and Matthew Langham R.E.M. called time on their nearly thirty-year recording career in September 2011. During that time, they displayed a longevity, consistency and dedication that has eluded almost everybody else: they never went on hiatus or pursued solo projects and, with the sole exception of the gap between Around The Sun and Accelerate in their final decade, never waited more than three years between studio albums. The story of their career and the way
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by Ed Biggs Cult heroes Leftfield were one of the holy pentangle of British dance acts in the ‘90s, along with The Prodigy, Underworld, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers. Just like those heavy hitters, Neil Barnes and Paul Daley were able to win critical respect as well as do serious damage to the charts in the decade when big beat ruled supreme. 1995’s Leftism is one of the finest artefacts of
by Ed Biggs Ever since the masterful Black Holes And Revelations in 2006 and the legendary shows at Wembley the following year, Muse’s chief concern has become the live arena rather than the studio. It’s something that happens to all truly massive bands – U2, Depeche Mode, Oasis, Coldplay to name a few – their albums become an excuse to tour, pack the arenas and coin it in. The audience, likewise,
by Ed Biggs L.A.-via-Philadelphia punk duo Girlpool made one of the most bracing mini-LPs of 2014, their self-titled effort which was re-released by the prestigious indie imprint Wichita by the end of the year. Now up to their first proper album release Cleo Tucker (guitar, vocals) and Harmony Tividad (bass, vocals) (there is no drummer) use Before The World Was Big as a blank canvas to convey a complete distillation of
by Ed Biggs Mark Kozelek, the songwriting powerhouse behind Sun Kil Moon, finally accessed a wider audience last year with Benji, a deeply moving and highly autobiographical album detailing family, death, childhood memories and ageing set to stripped-down acoustic music. Long-term fans of Kozelek’s work – he’s been recording as Sun Kil Moon for over a decade, and before that was the leader of American slowcore legends Red House Painters in
by Ed Biggs As the member of the A$AP Mob with the highest media exposure by far, A$AP Rocky has publicly stated that he wants his second album to signify “the return of the God MC” in wider rap music – presumably why the acronym for his new album At.Long.Last.A$AP sounds like ‘Allah’, rather handily. Real name Rakim Mayers, he’s presented himself as a jack-of-all-trades, dabbling in fashion, acting, directing and
by Ed Biggs Bridie Monds-Watson, who records under her nom de plume Soak, has been one of the most talked-about new artists of 2015 so far. Having first gained the attention of critical circles at the tender age of 16 for the intense yet understated psychodramas of her first clutch of EPs, many harnessed their “next great singer-songwriter” hopes to her young shoulders. Wisely, Monds-Watson has elected to take her time
by Ed Biggs It’s been nearly seven years since The xx became one of the last word-of-mouth success stories in pop, their self-titled debut album capturing the hearts and minds of the public with its exploration of space, both physical and musical. While the group’s singers Oliver Sim and Romy Madley-Croft often stole the limelight with their intimate lyrical back-and-forths, the real secret to their brilliance was Jamie Smith (aka. Jamie
by Ed Biggs Florence + The Machine was probably the last seriously big pop act to emerge from the noughties, the bracing and physical voice and the startling, gothic imagery of Florence Welch’s songs propelling her 2009 debut Lungs and its 2011 successor Ceremonials to platinum-selling status on both sides of the Atlantic. For her third album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Welch parts ways with James Ford and Paul
Lauren James and Ed Biggs present their monthly round-up of new album releases, from the biggest rock, indie and pop acts to the best underground albums coming onto our radars, plus a handful of classic LPs from years gone by – click here to listen now! Alternatively, you can subscribe to our podcast by searching for ‘Student Playlist’ or ‘Laser Guided Melodies’ on the iTunes store, or by finding us on PodoMatic! The May
