Camden Rocked: Tactical Naps And Newport Helicopters

Camden Town, London. Home to many a metalhead, street merchant and doggedly persistent charity worker. The district is buzzing with brightly coloured haircuts and late-morning drinking; all the toilets in the fast-food joints are strategically shut, so you have to hold your breath and brave the septic public bogs. No matter. Loads of bands are playing today and it's going to be fabulous. Camden Rocks is here to ensure that Camden, um, rocks.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 01 June 2015

Tribulation: From Death Metal To Deep Purple

In the eyes of certain extreme metal fans, to change is to die. Intelligible lyrics are a sign of weakness, while having more than 10 Facebook fans means that you might as well be The Beatles. So, for Swedish death metallers Tribulation, incorporating passages reminiscent of Deep Purple, Mercyful Fate and Sisters Of Mercy into their third album, 'The Children Of The Night', was something of a risky strategy.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Friday, 22 May 2015

Toto: Steve Lukather On The Battle Between Past And Future

Hot on the heels of their excellent new album, 'XIV', AOR icons Toto are back in the UK for a series of gigs that will showcase songs from their new effort along with the classics we know and love. In the second part of our interview with wonderfully outspoken guitarist Steve Lukather, we discuss unlikely collaborations, his opinion of critics and why he won't be signing up for Spotify Premium any time soon.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2015

The Who: Many Happy Returns To 'Live At Leeds'

Live albums are a staple part of the rock diet, but few end up as career-defining moments. There’s Nirvana, of course, with their modern day classic ‘MTV Unplugged In New York’, Thin Lizzy’s ‘Live And Dangerous’ or Neil Young’s ‘Live Rust’, two cast-iron classics from the late ‘70s.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Monday, 18 May 2015

EXCLUSIVE: Stream Broken Fires' Debut Album 'Silhouettes'

Broken Fires are an arresting sight: three guitars, keys, violin, rotating vocalists and a drummer who plays as though his kit has done him a personal hurt. At DimSŵn earlier this year, they sprawled across the floor of Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, their rough-hewn alt-pop striking a balance between introspective and anthemic. The set was a particular highlight in a day packed with them.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Fraser A. Gorman: 'It's Nice To Be Important. It's More Important To Be Nice.'

Luxuriously laid back, Fraser A. Gorman writes simply, betraying a heart both wise and naïve. Building his sound from tobacco-tinged vocals, delicate strings and echoing background a capellas, he has lovingly crafted music to underpin his tangible emotional intelligence.

Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Noise Not Music #10: Prurient, Bosse-de-Nage, Gnod And More

Photo: Becca Diamond As usual, there is a lot to get through this month. But, it’s worth noting that this latest batch contains records that are among my very favourite of 2015 thus far. There’s plenty to please both those interested in the outer limits (of jazz, psychedelia and electronica) and those concerned with pure heaviness (of sound and feeling). Please enjoy.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 11 May 2015

Cut Ribbons: Pop Music For Heart And Mind

He’s trying to suppress it, but Aled Rees is grinning. Backstage at Galeri 3B in Wrexham, talk has turned to the mixes of Cut Ribbons’ debut album.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 08 May 2015

'Rather Be Forgotten Than Remembered For Giving In': The Necessity Of The Refused Reunion

Umeå is the largest city in northern Sweden. It has a subarctic climate and has grown rapidly since the foundation of Umeå University in 1965. Last year, it served as one of two European Capitals of Culture. It is the home of the Norrland Opera, hosts a significant annual jazz festival and is a centre for visual art. Most notably, though, Umeå has been an extraordinarily fertile city for heavy music over the last 25 years. Meshuggah are from Umeå. So are Cult of Luna.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Wednesday, 06 May 2015

Last Of A Dyin' Breed: Lynyrd Skynyrd And Rock Immortality

They may have only one original member left from their 1970s heyday, but against all the odds Lynyrd Skynyrd are still packing out venues around the world. The band are currently playing a trio of dates in the UK, with fans flocking to see musicians who didn't write and record their classic songs. But what could their continued potency as a live act mean for the future of our favourite ageing bands?

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 21 April 2015

PREMIERE: Kaitlin Riegel Scratches Beneath The Surface On Fluorescent Lighting

Kaitlin Riegel’s journey to date has been one characterised by subtle reinventions. Fluorescent Lighting is the first taste of her new EP, ‘41.9’, and marks a further shift, melding a shimmering pop melody with lounge jazz touches and an inquisitive lyric.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 17 April 2015

PREMIERE: Cross London In A Hurry With Antonio Lulic's Beckoning Drum Video

Ed Sheeran’s verdict on Antonio Lulic? “Sick tunes.”

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 15 April 2015

PREMIERE: Ralegh Long Starts Fresh With Gulls Hovering

‘Hoverance’, Ralegh Long’s debut, exists in quiet, reflective spaces.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Monday, 13 April 2015

No Back Up Plans: Hanging On With The Leisure Society

We rely on certain things. For fans of sprightly folk and well-placed pop jangle, The Leisure Society have been one of them for the best part of a decade, with Nick Hemming’s deft weaving of confessional lyrics and polyphonic arrangements making the band a byword for songwriting nous. But what happens when that equilibrium is upset?

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 09 April 2015

PREMIERE: John Garcia Teams Up With The Doors' Robby Krieger For Her Bullets' Energy

John Garcia and the desert go together. It’s fitting, then, that the former Kyuss frontman’s new video for Her Bullets’ Energy begins and ends under an open sky, with notes ringing out from the guitar of Robby Krieger.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 07 April 2015

PREMIERE: Tigercats Spin A Little Mystery With Wheezer

London pop sophisticates Tigercats recently returned with ‘Mysteries’, placing a full stop on a couple of years on the road in the wake of their debut, ‘Isle of Dogs’.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 01 April 2015

Noise Not Music #9: Liturgy, Lightning Bolt, Dodheimsgard And More

Photo: Liturgy by Erez Avissar It’s been a terrific start to the year for extreme music of all forms. So good, in fact, that this edition of Noise Not Music must begin with an apology to the various artists’ whose albums couldn’t be squeezed in. New releases from Ghold, Halshug, Sannhet and Zu are all worthy of your attention and narrowly missed the cut this time around, while Mastery and Unrest sadly arrived on my radar slightly too late in the day to knock out some some more established records. All these albums deserve at least a cursory listen.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 30 March 2015

Stereoboard Session: Four Year Strong Unplug One Step At A Time And Stuck In The Middle

Four Year Strong are currently winding their way across the UK as headliners of the Pure Noise Records tour and we were lucky enough to sit in as they ran through a few choice cuts from their back catalogue prior to a massive set at Cardiff University’s Y Plas.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 25 March 2015

PREMIERE: M-1 And Bonnot Hit Hard On Offense Defense

In their new video for Offense Defense, M-1 and Bonnot bind a call to action with the confrontational world of Gridiron.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 25 March 2015

Depeche Mode: Many Happy Returns To 'Violator'

If they really only expected 30 people to show up, then the surprise must have run very deep. Twenty five years ago, a line snaked away from the Wherehouse record shop in Los Angeles, where Depeche Mode were booked to sign copies of their new record, ‘Violator’. By the time police drew a line under things, over 10,000 fans were massed at the scene.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Friday, 20 March 2015