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

Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl (Album Review)

If you've never heard of Joe Bonamassa before, you should be ashamed. Bonamassa's particular brand of blues rock has seen him gain a Number One on the billboard blues chart as well as a headline concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Written by: Craig Willis | Date: Wednesday, 13 April 2011

Young The Giant - My Body (Single Review)

From the first bars of 'My Body' when the jolting percussion kicks in, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Young The Giant are a seasoned band of musicians advertising their well-honed craft. In actual fact, the California quintet's age range is a mere 20 - 22, and 'My Body' is just their second single. Having already nabbed support slots for Kings Of Leon, The Futureheads and Marina & The Diamonds, as well as landing some mixing sessions at the infamous Electric Lady Studios in New York, it's time Young The Giant made their mark on the UK music scene.

Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Wednesday, 13 April 2011

Redtrack - The Trier (Single Review)

Oh goodie. A single review disc with three tracks on it to critique! Stop it RedTrack, you’re spoiling us!

Written by: James Ball | Date: Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Wax On Water - An Army (Single Review)

So, to start with, these guitars came from absolutely nowhere, screeching around the corner, running me over and then I died.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Sum 41 - Screaming Bloody Murder (Album Review)

Noted to be a prominent name in past pop-punk, it’s safe to say that Sum 41’s musical ‘stride’ was the years prior to their last release ‘Underclass Hero’. Four years down the road and here they are with the follow up – ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’. Like many fans, a main pondering upon this release is whether they can make a triumphant return to that musical peak on which we previously saw them rested.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Guillemots – ‘Walk The River’ (Album Review)

Three years after their Top 10 album ‘Red’ and just one year on from Fyfe Dangerfield’s first solo effort, Birmingham quartet the Guillemots are back with their latest offering ‘Walk The River’. After failing to claim the Mercury Prize back in 2006 for their debut ‘Through the Windowpane’ – sadly losing out to predictable winners Arctic Monkeys – and gaining only commercial recognition for ‘Red’, are Guillemots hitting back with a vengeance for their third album? Also, after the uplifting and atmospheric indie-pop of ‘Through the Windowpane’ and the experimental and often weird ‘Red’, what have the four-piece got in store for us this time around? And even more importantly, following the success of his far more modest solo record ‘Fly Yellow Moon’, will frontman Fyfe Dangerfield be bringing any of his new-found experiences with him on his return to the group?

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Sunday, 10 April 2011

Eksi Ekso - Brown Shark, Red Lion (Album Review)

Since releasing their superbly title debut 'I Am Your Bastard Wings' in 2008, Boston’s Eksi Ekso have gone from six to three full time members, become infatuated with synthesizers and totally changed direction for their new album. Said album 'Brown Shark, Red Lion' finds the newly stripped down trio explore orchestral pop, synth-soaked dance and balls to the wall rock with sadly, fairly hit and miss results.

Written by: Patrick Gormley | Date: Sunday, 10 April 2011

Wonderland - Wonderland (EP Review)

Well this is a strange review for me to be writing. I don't usually dedicate my time to listen to new, stereotypical girl bands who I just happened to hear on the radio late one night. But I decided I'd do something a bit different, and I'm actually very much glad that I did.

Written by: Sophie Monk | Date: Sunday, 10 April 2011

My Passion - Inside This Machine (Album Review)

Having had their follow up to ‘Corporate Flesh Party’ sitting in waiting for around a year, My Passion can breathe a sigh of relief and the fans can become amped with excitement as ‘Inside This Machine’ is finally about to be unleashed into the world.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Sunday, 10 April 2011

The Retrospective Soundtrack Players – Cool Hand Luke (Album Review)

Not every band would invite an audience member up on stage to try and eat 50 eggs in three minutes (fried egg sweets, mind), but that just the kind of band The Retrospective Soundtrack Players are: full of cunning ideas and not afraid to sound slightly gimmicky.

Written by: Chris Jefferies | Date: Sunday, 10 April 2011

Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows - D.R.U.G.S (Album Review)

Super groups seem to be popping up all over the place these days with the likes of Them Crooked Vultures, The Damned Things and anything of Jack White’s design from the last four years all stirring up headlines. So here is to anyone who thought the US punk and post hardcore scene was on the descent. An out of this world, face slappingly unprecedented collision of Chiodos' frontman Craig Owens joining forces with ex-members of Story of the Year,  From First To Last, Matchbook Romance and Undermined. With credentials like these, It didn’t take long before this mammoth gathering of artists were united under a signing from Sire Records and now their self titled release has hit the UK shores.

Written by: Owen Sheppard | Date: Friday, 08 April 2011

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (Album Review)

Despite the lukewarm response to ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace’ in 2007 Foo Fighters have spent the ensuing years establishing themselves as a Worldwide stadium rock band and ‘Wasting Light’, which will be released on April 11th, has had a bigger sense of anticipation than anything they’ve done previously.

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Thursday, 07 April 2011

Letlive – Fake History (Album Review)

With track titles like ‘The Sick, Sick 6.8 Billion’, it’s already clear to see that LA post-hardcore rockers letlive have got somewhat of an oddly comical and twisted view of things. But does that come across in their music? Let’s hope so. Here, for their third LP release and debut on Epitaph Records, letlive are trying to break past the multitude of existing so-called hardcore bands and lead the way in something that they could – almost – call their own.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Wednesday, 06 April 2011

Thursday – No Devolucion (Album Review)

Is it really true? Have New Jersey hardcore screamsters Thursday really gone soft for their latest album? Well… kinda. Fans of the band may have read in recent reports that the post-hardcore sextet have opted to take things a bit darker and slower for their sixth offering ‘No Devolucion’. However, if you’re already starting to imagine a much duller effort this time around, think again. Thursday may have lost some – and I do mean some - of their original ferocity, but the intensity is certainly all still there.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Wednesday, 06 April 2011

Blackfield - Welcome To My DNA (Album Review)

It’s always hard to know exactly why Blackfield exist. That is no slight on the work the group have produced, just an acknowledgement of the fact that the two perpetrators of the melancholic alt-rock that comes under the Blackfield name are two musicians with careers that are both critically, and to an extent, commercially successful. Aviv Geffen is a bona fida rock superstar in his native Israel, despite his often controversial left-wing political positions. Steven Wilson is known the world over, predominantly for his work as main man in modern art rock giants Porcupine Tree, but also for a wide variety of other experimental music projects.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 04 April 2011

Gang Of Four - Who Am I? (Single Review)

“Who can steal when everything is free?  Who am I when everything is me?”

Written by: James Ball | Date: Monday, 04 April 2011

Toy Horses - Toy Horses (Album Review)

It's only April and you're probably already tired of hearing about the 'next big things' in music. Toy Horses, however, are something else. This indie rock duo, made up of Adam. D. Franklin and Tom Williams from South Wales, release their self-titled debut album this month which is full to the brim with offbeat and loveable tracks.

Written by: Elin Sutton | Date: Monday, 04 April 2011