Panda Bear - Tomboy (Album Review)

Now I don’t for a second believe that my mind is in any way capable of interoperating half of the shit that goes on in Noah Lennox’s, but I’m going to try my best to do his artistic genius justice. Lennox aka Panda Bear has already released three acclaimed solo albums and as a founding member of Animal Collective, has had his fair share of praise there too. But solo album four, 'Tomboy', is up for a much harder time of it. Being released into a musical landscape post 'Merriweather Post Pavilion', there is widespread expectation where there was none for the post 'Strawberry Jam', 'Person Pitch'. The masses now know Panda Bear and the masses are waiting for something spectacular.

Written by: Rhys Morgan | Date: Tuesday, 03 May 2011

Skindred ‘Union Black’ (Album Review)

Despite earning themselves a strong reputation as one of the best live bands in the country, the success that has followed Newport’s Skindred in their home country over the past seven years has never quite equalled that offered by their transatlantic fans. Unlike many of Skindred’s British contemporaries, American audiences seem to have responded much better to the quartet’s music than they have among the home crowds. Each of the band’s first three albums, along with a number of the accompanying singles, received respectable chart placings in the US and Skindred followed their successes with relentless touring on that side of the pond. Following the deafening buzz created by so-called nu-metallers like Limp Bizkit and System Of A Down, it seemed that American rock fans were only too keen to take to Skindred’s blend of metal, reggae and dance music and the South Wales four-piece were more than happy to provide.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Tuesday, 03 May 2011

And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs (Album Review)

When the curiously monikered And So I Watch You From Afar dropped their debut record on an unsuspecting rock world they more than blew the doors off the poor little Mini Cooper, they blew it to kingdom come...and then some. You see what this band did with their self-titled debut was to release a post-rock album that was a hardcore punk album at the same time. Tracks like the blistering 'Set Guitars to kill' saw post-rock played at hardcore intensity as if that was the way the genre was born to be. Refreshing in its unique approach to what is all too often a stale genre these days, 'And So I Watch You From Afar' was rightly lavished with lashings of critical praise upon its release back in 2009. Now the band has responded to the challenge of providing a suitably monolithic second album in typically confident fashion.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Thursday, 28 April 2011

Ulver - War Of The Roses (Album Review)

It’s astonishing to look at where Ulver are today and to think back to where they have come from. These eclectic Norwegians began their life as a black metal band heavily influenced by their national folklore. Nowadays they are a genre-busting electronica act. Of course the notorious black metal scene, in Norway especially, is not well known for its overwhelming tolerance for other musical creeds...quite the opposite. Along their bumpy ride Ulver have had to put up constantly with the purists scoffing at their departure from the black metal scene that spawned them. Everyone else who has given them a listen in this time meanwhile has been astonished by their musical explorations.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Two Against One / BLACK (Double A-Side Review)

Danger Mouse is one of those producers that everyone wants to work with. His collaboration with the then unknown Cee Lo Green sparked Gnarls Barkley and THAT song that was #1 forever. He wrote his own Grey Album, mixing together Jay-Z and the Beatles to create something interesting and new, and he’s also produced Gorillaz second (and arguably best) album. Oh, and he’s having a major influence on U2s next LP too. Basically, everything he touches turns to gold and this double A-side, released as part of Record Store Day, is no different.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Fleet Foxes ‘Helplessness Blues’ (Album Review)

As well as leading the way for the recent spate of indie-folk acts such as our own Mumford & Sons and fellow north-westerners The Decemberists, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes have also done a very fine job of crafting their own brand of psychedelic folk-pop since the release of their eponymous debut in 2008. With their extensive use of choir-like vocal harmonies and more instruments than you can shake a stick at, the sextet have managed to create a plethora of warm sunrise choruses, heard in tracks like the conversely-titled ‘White Winter Hymnal’, which somehow capture a range of moods all drawn into one big melting pot of sound.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Tuesday, 26 April 2011

The Chakras - We The People (Single Review)

There are a few tips to making a great song: One: you need a killer hook. Two: you need a memorable chorus. Three: you need clever, thought-provoking lyrics. Four: More cowbell.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Thursday, 21 April 2011

Metronomy - The English Riviera (Album Review)

The LA sound? Yes. The Seattle sound? Yes. The Devon sound? Well that’s possibly not one many people are used to hearing, however Metronomy aim to change that with their third album ‘The English Riviera’. Using the resort’s name and logo for this new release, the band have attempted to create an album that gives Devon it’s own sound, because apparently, ‘at the moment it’s crap’.

Written by: Emma Newlyn | Date: Thursday, 21 April 2011

Alessi’s Ark – Time Travel (Album Review)

There aren’t too many artists out there that have released two albums, worked with people from bands as well-known as Bright Eyes and Mumford & Sons and toured with a list of equally renowned artists - all by the time they reach the age of 20. Even fewer have done it with the precision and awe-inspiring manner of Hammersmith’s Alessi Laurent-Marke – aka Alessi’s Ark. Two years after the release of her debut album ‘Notes from the Treehouse’ (which was produced by Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis) and Alessi is back with her second LP ‘Time Travel’.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Thursday, 21 April 2011

We Are The Ocean – Go Now And Live (Album Review)

Since cutting their teeth on first album ‘Cutting Our Teeth’, Essex post-hardcore quintet We Are The Ocean have wasted little time in making their big return for second outing ‘Go Now And Live’. A mere one year on from their debut and the band are back with album number two. A quick follow-up maybe, but certainly no less satisfying.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Thursday, 21 April 2011

Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting (Album Review)

I had owned Jamie Woon’s debut, 'Mirrowriting', a matter of hours and had listened to it only twice, when it became the ignition of an argument between a close friend and I. Not only did I passingly use the term ‘post-dub’ (which on refelection was slightly stupid, as it shows that The NME may actually have an effect on my life. And no one wants that do they?), I also compared Woon to namesake Blake. Apparently this was a most heinous of crimes. Sure, the comparison is an obvious one, but its apparentness does not make it void.

Written by: Rhys Morgan | Date: Thursday, 21 April 2011

Osmo - Heaven & Hell Is Just A State Of Mind (Album Review)

When your first ever UK date isn’t in some seedy pub somewhere in Camden, or in your best friends back garden, or at a birthday party, but in the official London residence of the Finnish Ambassador, you know you’ve got one hell of a career in front of you. This album, Osmo's second, but first released in this country, is described as a “cool slice of soulful pop”, which I have to disagree with to an extent. That description gives you the impression that the album’s going to sound like twelve different versions of Adele's ‘Rolling in the Deep’ (which, I must add, is an utterly ace song) but that isn’t quite the case. I would describe the general taste as a cross between swing, jazz, funk with a hint of a Latin influence all mixed together with a radio-friendly pop icing on top. This is inoffensive jolly nonchalance that gets parts of it right, and parts of it way off the mark.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Thursday, 21 April 2011

Bella Hardy – Songs Lost & Stolen (Album Review)

I believe that it would be fair to say that the folk scene is experiencing another serge in popularity at the moment. With artist such as Mumford & Sons or Elle Goulding all being sited as having a folk influence its no wonder people begin searching for real folk music. And once you've started searching, amazing and brilliant talents like Bella Hardy tend to surface.

Written by: Craig Willis | Date: Wednesday, 20 April 2011

The Pattern Theory - The Pattern Theory (Album Review)

Berlin based instrumentalists The Pattern Theory have spent almost two years distilling their ideas for the eight songs that make up their self titled debut album. The band has put this down to producing too many ideas musically and being overly perfectionist, so lucky for The Pattern Theory all this time and care has paid off.

Written by: Patrick Gormley | Date: Tuesday, 19 April 2011

The Maine - Black & White (Album Review)

Well, after coming up on my iTunes under ‘Gucci’ I managed to find my sampler of The Maine’s 'Black And White' album, out this month.  The Maine are one of the rising stars of the ever growing pop rock scene.  The album, produced by heavyweight Howard Benson, who has worked with My Chemical Romance, Papa Roach and Daughtry, instantly gives the album credibility, and the production on the CD is flawless.  Already the album’s achieved Billboard Top 20 status in America and they’ve been selling out tours on both sides of the Atlantic.

Written by: Matthew Williamson | Date: Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Explosions In The Sky - 'Take Care, Take Care, Take Care' (Album Review)

If you are a fan of the musical subgenre known as post-rock the chances are pretty high that you have, at some point, been wildly in love with an album called 'The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place' by a band known as Explosions in the Sky.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 15 April 2011

Rev78 - Boys In The Blitz (Album Review)

I hadn't heard anything about London boy's Rev78 so when I received the album, I had no expectations at all. Luckily for me, there was a press release with it to make them sound very exciting and perhaps even hyped them up a teeny bit too much. 'Music made for Arena's' was one quote - do I believe the press release? Surely the press don't lie?

Written by: Liam Gascoigne | Date: Friday, 15 April 2011

Michael Franti & Spearhead - The Sound Of Sunshine (Album Review)

At the time of writing, the weather outside my window has gone from being a glorious display of sunshine and warmth of the last few days to a grey, drab affair that can’t even be bothered of rain. And it’s muggy. Of course, Michael Franti and his long-time creation Spearhead aren’t known for taking a bright day and making it all crappy, so I placed this new album, already huge in the musical behemoth of the USA, in the player and while the weather outside didn’t change a whole lot, I felt a whole lot sunnier on the inside.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Friday, 15 April 2011

The Antlered Man - Surrounded By White Men (Single)

“He wrapped them up in white skin, and said it was for their benefit”

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 15 April 2011

Slow Six - Tomorrow Becomes You (Album Review)

Christopher Tignor, one imagines, is quite the clever fellow. Not only does he design his own signature music software (which is free on the groups website), play a series of spellbinding shows with The American Dollar and Caspian but now his Slow Six ensemble have put together the enchanting classical/ rock hybrid 'Tomorrow Becomes You'.

Written by: Patrick Gormley | Date: Friday, 15 April 2011