LaFaro – Meat Wagon (Single Review)

Don’t expect any sign of remorse from LaFaro. These Northern Irish tricksters are going to take your ears and slice them into hundreds of tiny little pieces and 'Meat Wagon' is them doing that at their very best. There’s an element of their countrymen, and alt-metal legends, Therapy? in their snarling delivery and breakneck intensity but there is also a heavy dollop of seething The Jesus Lizard-esque devotion to noise that sets them a little apart.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 12 September 2011

Chuck Ragan – Covering Ground (Album Review)

The voice of Chuck Ragan is a thing of quivering intensity. One of the voices of legendary punk outfit Hot Water Music, Ragan’s excursions into folk music have impressed ever since his assured solo debut 'Feast or Famine' in 2007 but 'Covering Ground' is a step up for the Floridian native. Think of him as being the American equivalent of Frank Turner if you will but what you are really getting here is something far more rough and tough than Frank could ever be.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 12 September 2011

The Rapture - In The Grace Of Your Love (Album Review)

It’s sad when bands that were formerly regarded as fresh and exciting slip into the totally mundane. Few bands capture such a slip as well as The Rapture. When they burst onto the scene they, alongside acts such as The Strokes, were seen as the future of indie music. The beguiling dance-punk of their 2003 breakthrough 'Echoes' seems a very long time ago and, judging by this record, the band aren’t likely to return to former glories any time soon.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 12 September 2011

Fostercare Vs. Ritualz - †‡† (Split LP Review)

This split LP between Fostercare and Ritualz is pretty insane stuff. With neither artist content to just bust out the same old tired beats again and again what one gets with this record is an avalanche of ‘haunted pop’ with synths that seem to be trying their very best to make your head explode and your body implode.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 12 September 2011

Pigeon Detectives - Lost (Single Review)

As Coldplay once sang, “Just because I’m losing, doesn’t mean I’m lost…”

Written by: James Ball | Date: Monday, 12 September 2011

Scams - Helicopter Parents (Single Review)

“I DON’T THINK SO!!!” Yells Andy Morgan, front man of Leeds-based punky guitar botherers Scams, as the rest of the band, a conglomerate of guitar, bass and drums, all better the living shit out of each other in a bid for total prominence. Welcome to the scene, Scams. Where have you been all my life?

Written by: James Ball | Date: Monday, 12 September 2011

Longevity – Tantrum (Single Review)

This is dirty.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Monday, 12 September 2011

Apparat - The Devil’s Walk (Album Review)

The last time we saw Apparat release an original, self-made record was in 2007 and it was 'Walls'. Since then we’ve seen collaboration’s and DJ albums, but now Sascha Ring is no longer alone in his musical quest. Apparat is now a band, although that could quite easily go unnoticed. The sound hasn’t changed dramatically, the inclusion of new musicians, however, does make for some of Apparat’s most expansive and, quite frankly, beautiful music to date. If you can imagine Burial covering Thom Yorke, you won’t be a million miles away from the sounds of 'The Devil’s Walk'.

Written by: Rhys Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 07 September 2011

Canyons of Static - Challenger (EP Review)

This latest offering from Wisconsins Canyons of Static can in some ways be seen as a perfect introduction to the bands fascinating infusion of the distorted melodies of shoegaze with the multifaceted emotional aspects of post rock. Recorded in an attic in one afternoon, the 'Challenger' is a collection of older tracks reworked with new guitarist Nick Elert to document his addition to the line up.

Written by: Patrick Gormley | Date: Wednesday, 07 September 2011

Cosmo Jarvis - Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange? (Album Review)

Cosmo Harrison Krikoryan Jarvis dropped out of school aged sixteen to pursue a career in music and film, and at the age of 21 has already been proclaimed as ‘one of the most special talents around’ by the likes of Stephen Fry and Brian Eno.

Written by: Emma Newlyn | Date: Wednesday, 07 September 2011

The Feeling - A Hundred Sinners (Come And Get It) (Single Review)

‘The Feeling’ released their pop phenomenon on Britain in late 2005 with their first single ‘Fill My Little World’ which hit number 7 in the British charts. Since then, these West Sussex boys have released two more studio albums and countless singles which have branded them one of Britain’s most successful pop groups.

Written by: Catherine Rea | Date: Wednesday, 07 September 2011

Blessthefall - Awakening (Album Review)

‘Witness’ – Blessthefall’s album of 2009 – was not only their first album on Fearless Records but their first with new vocalist Beau Bokan, replacement of Craig Mabbitt. Two years on, the metalcore fivesome are back with their second Fearless release - ‘Awakening’. With hardcore being a scene growing at rapid speed, it’s difficult to find a band who push forward and innovate with their music and, currently, the jury is still out as to whether blessthefall are the men for the job.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 05 September 2011

Anathema - Falling Deeper (Album Review)

With this reworking of material from their earliest days, Anathema have proved themselves to be masters of creating atmospheric music once again. The difference this time around is that 'Falling Deeper' is more of a soundtrack than an album. This is music that lingers, builds and fades with immaculate beauty and delightful simplicity.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 05 September 2011

The Feeling - Leave Me Out Of It (Single Review)

Three Albums in and these West Sussex boys have failed to re-hit the height of their multi-platinum-selling album released in 2006 ‘Twelve Stops And Home’. The Feeling emerged as a group during a musical period when many bands were competing for the space left in the market for an indie-pop group, though despite their well established efforts in their 2006 debut album, their barefaced clinch of soft rock attracted many critics as fans, causing the Sussex boys to gather a ubiquity that contradicts their forgettable songs.

Written by: Catherine Rea | Date: Friday, 02 September 2011

Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix (Album Review)

Way back in 2009 anticipation for Bombay Bicycle Club’s debut album reached pretty ridiculous levels. They themselves claimed that it would even better the debut effort from the Arctic Monkeys. On it’s release it did an excellent job of fooling a lot of wannabe hipsters into thinking it was something far better than it truly was (I myself was a wannabe hipster back in 2009). It wasn’t terrible but it lacked a real bite. It didn’t really go anywhere that The Maccabees, Foals or Mystery Jets hadn’t already. And then there’s 2010’s Flaws the indie-folk bastard child bought to us courtesy of the ‘Mumford & Son’s Effect’. But may the past be forgotten and let us welcome 'A Different Kind Of Fix' open armed as it’s a record given to us by a band who have matured, gotten over the folk thing and produced something that brings their sound on leaps and bounds.

Written by: Rhys Morgan | Date: Friday, 02 September 2011

Make Sparks - Your Heart's On Fire (Single Review)

The problem with Make Sparks is that they lack a personality. Listening to new single 'Your Heart’s On Fire' gives you very little by way of feeling for this young Scottish trio. A few years back the voice of distinctively Scottish accented vocals would have made them stand out at least a little bit. Nowadays however the British music scene has the likes of Twin Atlantic, Sucioperro and The Xcerts in addition to stalwarts Biffy Clyro in the Scots accent stakes.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 02 September 2011

Anja McCloskey - And Her Head/Impeccable (Single Review)

Following on from her work with The Irrepressibles, Moneytree and Haunted Stereo, Southampton singer/accordionist Anja McCloskey has decided to go solo, and releases her new single And Her Head/Impeccable on the 5th September.

Written by: Victoria O'Hagan | Date: Thursday, 01 September 2011

Evile - Five Serpents Teeth (Album Review)

There is always a certain debate on the revival of musical genres. Why bring back a sound that’s gone so long without reinvention? Even when some do find themselves resurrected, is there someone good enough to not only bring it back, but rejuvenate rather than merely replicate? Step up: Evile – the lucky title-holders as a key re-inventor of thrash metal; a genre that saw the biggest giants form decades ago – Anthrax, Slayer to name but two - and still reign supreme today.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Thursday, 01 September 2011

Mastodon - The Hunter (Album Review)

The last chance us UK residents had a chance to bask in Mastodon’s might was during their display of metal annihilation at Sonisphere Festival in the midst of July. They may not be here in the flesh to satisfy our current metal cravings personally, but with the follow-up to 2009’s ‘Crack In The Skye’ ready to be unleashed into the world to cause some carnage, we dare say ‘The Hunter’ will be our salvation in terms of our search for some new, quality metal to stick our teeth into.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Thursday, 01 September 2011

Scarlette Fever - Elated (Single Review)

Following the singles ‘Black & White’ and ‘Crash & Burn’, Scarlette Fever releases ‘Elated’ – a stripped back and piano-led ballad showing a softer side to the previous more guitar driven single choices.

Written by: Helen Manley | Date: Thursday, 01 September 2011