The story of the diamond-selling pop culture phenomenon, and the effect it had on Kurt Cobain.
While there’s probably less enduring material here for Tweedy’s hardcore fans to pore over for years to come, ‘Schmilco’ is a great entry point for newcomers looking for a way into a discography stretching back to 1995.
by Ollie Rankine Now having sunk into the depths of September, music fanatics across Britain are once again engulfed by the dreary beginnings of the autumn months. Although summer is at an end with the festival season having now drawn its final breath, we are somewhat comforted by the arrival of one of Britain’s most distinguished annual music awards, the Mercury Prize. Ignoring any notion of album sales or material statistics,
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by Ollie Rankine Artist collaborations experimenting with the fusion of rock and hip-hop are naturally apprehensive ordeals for both musicians and fans to patiently endure until the release date. The pairing of the two genres have previously tasted commercial success within Aerosmith and Run-DMC’s 1986 version of ‘Walk This Way’ and then later, Linkin Park and Jay Z also proving its viability with their 2004, rap rock mash-up, Collision Course.
by Ollie Rankine Living in an age where EDM has seemly claimed widespread dominance in popular music, artist determination to develop and expand the genre as far as humanly possible has arguably purged it of many of its original qualities. Although London duo Factory Floor began their careers sounding much like some sort of Joy Division tribute act after releasing their 2008 debut single ‘Bipolar’, their allegiance to claustrophobic post-punk has
by Ollie Rankine In the cut-throat world of pop music, it’s common knowledge that talent doesn’t always equate to record sales. On countless occasions, the system that drives popular music has laid waste to numerous musicians, each unjustly thwarted by their music’s lack of palatability. Continuing to battle the affliction of commercial viability is London singer-songwriter, Ed Harcourt whose now 16-year-long career is yet to generate a legitimate hit.
by Ollie Rankine Maintaining audience interest has always played a vital role in the development of a formidable artist within popular music. Having seen figures such as Prince and Bowie repeatedly distort everything from base sound to artistic character, methods of keeping mass attention focussed, or even hooking outsider interest, continues to be expanding in ideas.
by Ollie Rankine To release an album under the premise that its content is a jumble of handpicked out-takes from previous studio endeavours can too often be nourishment for our scepticism. Fears spanning from artistic stagnation to digging up second grade material can cloud fan anticipation.
by Ollie Rankine Where there is music, there will always be context. Records frequently come and go with time whilst each carries the weight of their own totally unique backstory. However, very few will match the immensely weighted and tragic baggage attached to what will be Viola Beach’s first and only album release.
by Ollie Rankine Perhaps it might be deemed a little unfair, but the reputation that has labelled London folk rockers, Bear’s Den as Mumford & Sons’ younger brothers has always been somewhat challenging to avoid entirely. Having long been friends as fellow artists and both bands previously sharing a stage for an earlier Mumford & Sons tour in the US, Bear’s Den’s 2014 debut Islands also followed an undeniably similar formula
