Editors: 'We've Taken People on a Journey'
Photo: Rahi Rezvani When they first announced themselves to the world back in the mid noughties, Editors were pegged in some quarters as just another indie-rock guitar band with a Joy Division fixation. Yet, in the years since that scene’s expiration, Birmingham’s finest miserablists have shown themselves to be capable of so much more.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Friday, 23 February 2024
Wildmen to Elder Statesmen: Five of Pearl Jam's Most Important Live Performances
Photo: Danny Clinch It’s not strictly a surprise but Pearl Jam’s longevity is something to marvel at. Emerging from the Seattle grunge scene with perhaps the most easily-aped style of all their contemporaries, the band have adapted and evolved across more than three decades to stand tall as one of the enduring modern American rock bands.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 22 February 2024
Rhythm, Playfulness: William Doyle On 'Springs Eternal'
‘Springs Eternal’, the new album from William Doyle, is imbued with a playfulness, a lightness of touch, revealing an artist unafraid to have fun even as the characters in his songs drown in the chaos of an uncertain world. It’s a vibrant, pulsating, euphoric ride that fizzes with a greater focus on rhythm than Doyle’s recent works.
Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Monday, 19 February 2024
'I Love Being The Band That Doesn't Fit': The Callous Daoboys On Standing Out From The Metal Crowd
Let’s start with a simple truth. The Callous Daoboys are the most exciting prospect in mathcore since the Dillinger Escape Plan hung up their instruments. Now, it’s time for some nuance. Yes, the bands share maniacal shifts in time signatures, stabbing panic chords, acerbic screeches and a disregard for rules and good taste, but this Atlantan sextet are still evolving. Their new EP ‘God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys’ takes the pop structures they have flirted with in the past and embeds them at the heart of what they do.
Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Thursday, 15 February 2024
"It's Important To Talk About These Things": Introducing Venomous Punks SNAYX
Photo: Bridie Cummings SNAYX vocalist Charlie Herridge has just compared his band to another group. Take 10 guesses which one. Hell, take 100. You won’t get it. “We’re like the punk Vengaboys,” he proclaims. But witness the Brighton trio live and you might quickly agree with him. On-stage, they fizz with life, strutting with confidence and attitude that belies their relative youth as an outfit. They’re spitting venom, but they’re also here to party. They also happen to have a van nicknamed the Vengabus. “It’s got disco lights and everything,” Charlie adds. Of course it does.
Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Monday, 12 February 2024
Blueprints: The Making of Noah Kahan's Breakout Success
Photo: @aysiamarotta A prominent seam running through 2024’s live landscape is Noah Kahan’s rapid, almost unprecedented rise to stadium-conquering prominence. Off the back of his breakout album ‘Stick Season’, the singer-songwriter has booked eye-wateringly huge shows across Europe and North America, including a brace of sold out nights at Boston’s Fenway Park, the baseball cathedral close to his adopted home base of Watertown, Massachusetts.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 07 February 2024
Men Of The Hour: Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes on 'Dark Rainbow'
Photo: Brian Rankin In December 2017, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes descended on London’s Brixton Academy for a night of celebration, playing every one of the 23 songs they had recorded together. When they were done, they fused the noise and sweat and chaos into a live album that could have felt like an ending. Except it wasn’t. Fast forward to today and they'd be needing a whole weekend to carry out the same feat. “We did a 23 song setlist in practice the other night and then did another 23 and it kicked the shit out of me,” Frank laughs. “My respect for Taylor Swift went through the roof.”
Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Monday, 05 February 2024
Bruce, Taylor and You: Stereoboard's Guide To The Best Tours In The First Half of 2024
How’s the diary looking? Be honest. You could use a couple more dates with noise, lights, people, dancing, right? Couldn’t we all. Here, in an easily digestible month-by-month breakdown, we compile some of the must-see tours and shows for the first half of 2024, from zeitgeist-capturing pop mega-spectacles to gnarled rock ‘n’ roll road warriors and a host of next big things. See you out there.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Celestial Candyfloss and French Electricity: Gruff Rhys Takes Another Leap Into The Unknown
Photo: Mark James Gruff Rhys’s career has been defined by a constant quest to explore, to discover how different environments can forge new sounds. That ongoing musical pursuit even extended to mastering his latest recordings in Paris to test a theory that electricity in different locations drives equipment in unique ways.
Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Thursday, 25 January 2024
Back To The Front: The Sleeping Souls on Their Time to Shine
Photo: Lukas Rauch Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan would be the first to admit that some of their most iconic work wouldn’t be anything resembling that without the support of their respective backing bands. Likewise, folk-punk troubadour Frank Turner couldn’t have crafted some of his finest records without the superb talents of his very own supporting ensemble, The Sleeping Souls. A superlative four piece — Tarrant Anderson on bass, pianist Matt Nasir, drummer Callum Green and guitarist Ben Lloyd — with class to burn, the group recently took a break from backing Turner to stride out on their own with impressive results.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 23 January 2024
A Pretty Good Team: Downton Abbey Stars Michael & Michelle on Their Musical Second Act
It’s easy to default to cynicism when successful actors decide to walk a musical path. Yet, in the case of former Downton Abbey stars Michael Fox and Michelle Dockery, you’d be wise to hurl such preconceptions out of the nearest window. Anyone listening to the duo’s beguiling Americana without knowing who was behind it could easily believe it’s the work of seasoned artists operating at the peak of their creative powers. They are that good.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 22 January 2024
Stereoboard's Ones to Watch in 2024
New year, new favourites. That’s the great promise for any music fan as December becomes January, and here at Stereoboard we’re no different. Head below to check out 10 thrilling propositions for the forthcoming months, from sense-rearranging screamo to flawless technical rap and atmospheric pop.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 18 January 2024
The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear At Korn's Massive Summer UK Shows
Photo: Tim Saccenti Korn have announced a trio of massive UK shows for this August, with the nu-metal icons set to take in dates in Scarborough and Halifax before their biggest ever show on these shores at London’s Gunnersbury Park. With support coming from Denzel Curry, Spiritbox, Wargasm and Loathe across the three dates, the run is set to offer up one of the biggest and best alt-metal line ups of the year.
Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
The List: Stereoboard's Top Tickets Of 2023
td#right {display:none !important;} Music fans really stepped up this year. There was an astonishing 62, 138, 717 searches for the top 200 most popular artists' tour dates over the past 12 months via Stereoboard, up from 39, 128, 765 in 2022. Taylor Swift may have dominated music press headlines with The Eras Tour, but there was a plethora of other artists hitting the road in support of new music.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
The List: Stereoboard's Best Albums of 2023
td#right {display:none !important;} Welcome to Stereoboard's Album of the Year rundown for 2023, where we delve into 12 months of head-spinning, pulse-quickening, thought-provoking music. Join us.
Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Monday, 11 December 2023
'It Was Mad Max But Fun': Health on Rising From Noise-Rock Squats to Pop-Metal Excellence
Photo: Mynxii White Jake Duzsik has long been obsessed with the contrasts in people and things. His list of favourite films includes both Alien and Blade Runner: classics made by the same artist that lay fantastical sci-fi concepts alongside images of half-ruined, broken-down machinery in entirely different ways. Among his musical idols are Hüsker Dü, a foundational American hardcore band who gradually transitioned towards infectious indie-punk anthems. This fascination with duality explodes from the speakers when you hear Duzsik’s work as the singer and guitarist of Health.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Friday, 08 December 2023
Never In Fashion, Never Out of Fashion: Ocean Colour Scene Get Reflective
No matter what anyone says, or how much certain curmudgeons have tried to rewrite history, Britpop was quite simply a golden age for British music. Aligning with fashion, art and politics, those who lived through it were fortunate enough to experience a truly great cultural movement. Such was the importance of the scene that, even when it fell from commercial grace and casual followers jumped ship, many groups from that era have remained alive and kicking thanks to the unswerving support of lifelong fans.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 30 November 2023
We Hit Something: The Inspiration Behind The Coral's Triumphant Second Act
When creative lightning strikes, any artist would be wise to grab such a gift with both hands. After returning from a five year hiatus, The Coral were already on a roll before lockdown allowed them to go into overdrive and craft 2021’s epic double album ‘Coral Island’. Clearly in the zone and determined to capitalise on their momentum, the retro quintet only went and bested that effort with two more exceptional concept-driven records released earlier this year.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
'There's Such a Duality': Against The Current Embrace Their Nightmares and Daydreams Era
Photo: Izzy Lux “I love an era,” Against the Current vocalist Chrissy Costanza says with a smile, reached over Zoom during a gap between tours. Alongside drummer Will Ferri and guitarist Dan Gow, she is throwing around one of music’s buzziest words to describe an important transition for a band who have become adept at navigating them.
Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Risks and Reflection: Emeli Sandé Keeps Moving Forward With 'How Were We To Know'
Photo: Jack Alexander Whether she’s crafting hits for some of music’s biggest names, collaborating with game-changing legends or delivering genre-splicing solo offerings, Emeli Sandé has always bled for her art. But even by past standards, the kaleidoscopic emotional journey she unveils on her exquisite fifth record, ‘How Were We To Know’, required the singer to attempt to answer many of love’s most eternal, confounding questions.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Greta Van Fleet On Becoming The World's Biggest Garage Band
Photo: Neil Krug It’s no secret that rock ‘n’ roll sounds absolutely dynamite in huge venues. It’s also no secret that all the legendary rock ‘n’ rollers who’ve been gracing such enormodomes for as long as most of us can remember are slowly but surely coming to the end of the road. But if you’re fearing that might lead to an extinction level event for such anthemic music in such atmospheric communal settings, you’d be well advised to holster your grieving process and embrace one of the genre’s most promising, not to mention divisive, young groups.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Fountain of Youth: Citizen on Staying Young With 'Calling The Dogs'
Photo: Jonathan Weiner It’s been a long time since Nick Hamm has had to pitch his band but, even so, when prompted to do just that he hits the nail on the head. “Citizen is more or less a rock band, but the definition has changed over the years,” the guitarist says. “We are an ever-evolving group rooted in friendship.”
Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Monday, 13 November 2023
The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear at Green Day's Electric Ballroom Show
Pop-punk legends Green Day are back with a new album — that’ll be ‘Saviors’, which is out on January 19 — and a massive stadium tour slated for next summer. Dates in mainland Europe and North America will sandwich UK and Ireland shows at Manchester's Emirates Old Trafford, Glasgow's Bellahouston Park, Dublin's Marlay Park and London's Wembley Stadium (fingers at the ready, tickets are on general sale at 9.30am on November 10) but before all that Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool have something more intimate in mind.
Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
In The Rear-View: Ketch Secor on 25 years of Old Crow Medicine Show
Photo: Joshua Black Wilkins Considering the turbulent factors involved, it’s a minor miracle any band has managed to survive in the music business for more than two decades. But where that thought mainly springs from witnessing more conventional and accessible acts battling to last the distance, if we turn our focus to old time Americana string band Old Crow Medicine Show, the only word to describe their 25 year triumph over the odds is phenomenal.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 30 October 2023
From The Magic Eight Ball: The 10 Songs Fall Out Boy NEED To Play Live
Photo: Pamela Littky Not content with delivering their best album in a good while with this year’s ‘So Much For Stardust’, throughout Fall Out Boy’s recent US tour the band have also gifted fans some very special surprises during the ‘magic eight ball’ section of their set. Blindly pulling out and performing deep cuts, B-Sides and rarities, many of which have never been performed live, is a delightful idea. We'd love them to continue during their forthcoming UK tour, and here are some ideas should they have time on their hands to resurrect a few more old-stagers.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Love What You Do: Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett on Going Solo Again with 'Lost at Sea'
Photo: Joey Martinez Humble, grounded and a man of many talents, Chris Shiflett is someone any level-headed musician should strive to emulate. He might be the lead guitarist in the world’s biggest stadium rock band but, whether he’s tearing it up with the Foo Fighters, riding solo or creating superbly insightful podcasts, ‘Shifty’ always puts his passion for what he does, and the people he does it with, ahead of the spotlight.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Rare Birds, Moon Dust and Masked Alter Egos: Welcome To The Wonderful World Of The Bug Club
Is there an ideal album length? How about short, sharp and to the point? What about grand, unspooling and fit-to-burst with ideas? Maybe somewhere in between? There’s no objectively correct answer. The album concept is loose and ill-defined. However, like a recipe with many ingredients, too much or too little of something can spoil the end result. Finding an elegant balance when arranging a record poses a challenge for musicians; a process of killing your darlings in order to find a perfect aesthetic balance.
Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Interview with The Vampires: Creeper on Embracing Their Inner Jim Steinman on New Album 'Sanguivore'
Will Gould is faceless on the other end of a Zoom line. Battling jet lag, he faces a daunting week of promo for Creeper's new album, ‘Sanguivore’. But, even without being able to see the frontman’s expressions and body language, it is clear just how proud he is of what his vampiric horde has created. "If this came out when I was growing up, I'd really love it," he says, his giddiness obvious.
Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Monday, 16 October 2023
Reaching For A Higher Idea: The Menzingers on Authenticity, Evolution and 'Some Of It Was True'
Photo: Danielle Dubois One of the biggest challenges facing any successful band with plenty of miles on the clock is how to keep improving without falling into comfort zones or losing their identity and spark in pursuit of contemporary relevance. It’s a high wire act, yet, on their seventh record ‘Some Of It Was True’, The Menzingers make light work of it.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 12 October 2023
"Skindred is Not Just a Band for the Moment": Benji Webbe on Chart Battles and the Road to Wembley
On a Tuesday morning in August, Benji Webbe’s phone rang as he wandered through the inert surroundings of Membury services, just off the M4 in Berkshire. Skindred’s manager had some news, and the band’s vocalist quietly assumed something bad had happened. In reality, it was anything but that.
Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Plug These Babies In! 10 Deep Cuts Muse NEED To Play Live
Photo: Nick Fancher There’s no denying Muse’s albums have become more eclectic, experimental and, as a result, divisive over the last decade. But whether or not you’ve embraced the Devon trio’s ongoing evolution, or feel they’ve lost their way, Matt Bellamy and co. still have a huge arsenal of high calibre songs ready to enrich their spectacular live shows. So many, in fact, that these 10 rarely or never performed gems could easily slip into the set list for their forthcoming UK and Ireland tour without too many quibbles.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Mortal Rage: How Members of Biffy Clyro and Oceansize Made Empire State Bastard A Brutal Reality
“We've done the whole thing arse-backwards,” Mike Vennart says, his head bobbing with laughter in a Zoom window as he discusses his new band Empire State Bastard. “We had the name 10 or 11 years ago, then we wrote the songs, and then we formed the band. I don’t know if anyone has ever done it this way, except for maybe Nine Inch Nails.”
Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
'We Want to Be a Gateway Band': Meet Escuela Grind, Who Are Out to Redefine Grindcore's Fanbase
Upstaging Napalm Death at their own show would be a Herculean feat. It’s something that Escuela Grind very nearly pulled off the last time they were in the UK, though. Back in March, the American grindcore quartet supported their genre’s pioneers across Blighty and, despite only having half an hour to prove their worth, they smashed it.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
All The Deep Cuts: 10 Lost Classics That Blink-182 NEED to Play Live
Short of trolling their audience for larks, pop-punk legends Blink-182 will always play those monster anthems every time they hit the live stage, so strap in for The Rock Show, First Date, All the Small Things, What’s My Age Again? and Dammit when they land in the UK next month. But, because we want more, obviously, we’d also love the reunited classic line-up of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker to dive into their impressive back catalogue and freshen up the band’s set list with these 10 rarely performed treasures.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 29 August 2023
'Let's Set Fire to the Stage': Bimini Talks RuPaul's Drag Race Werq The World Tour And New Music
Question: what do 10-inch, thigh-high Pleaser boots, a raunchily customised Norwich City F.C. strip, a zit suit and an amoeba-inspired dress have in common?
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Meeting Life on Life's Terms: Margaret Glaspy Talks 'Echo The Diamond'
Photo: Ebru Yildiz “I have learnt that life is short, that I want to follow my instincts and create things that I actually want to create,” Margaret Glaspy says of the process that led to her third LP ‘Echo The Diamond’.
Written by: Katie Macbeth | Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
The 10 Acts You HAVE To See At All Points East 2023
All Points East is poised to return for six more eclectic days of music, covering a huge range of genres while offering plenty of star-wattage at the top of the bill. With headline performances incoming from Aphex Twin, The Strokes, Haim, Dermot Kennedy, Jungle and Stormzy (who caps his own specially-curated ‘This Is What We Mean’ day), there's going to be something for everyone at Victoria Park in London. Looking beyond those essential acts, we've selected our top 10 artists you simply have to see to help you plan your days.
Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Tuesday, 15 August 2023
Beauty in the Darkness: The Xcerts on 'Learning How To Live And Let Go'
Photo: Zak Pinchin “I’ve stayed strong in my belief that this is our best work yet,” a beaming Murray Macleod tells us just a few days after The Xcerts’ momentous festival set at 2000trees. The frontman is discussing their comeback record ‘Learning How To Live And Let Go’, which is set to emerge after a yawning gap since the release of their last full-length ‘Hold On to Your Heart’ in 2018.
Written by: Rishi Shah | Date: Wednesday, 09 August 2023
Follow Your Gut: Introducing South Wales Noisemakers Inerrant
There was no escape. As limbs flew and people young and almost-old barrelled into each other in the tight confines of the Cab in Newport, a one-year-old venue that has quickly become a hub for the local hardcore scene, a single can of beer met its end. Crushed between bodies, its final act was a spray of lukewarm liquid as Inerrant threatened to tear the roof off the place.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
On The Cool Side of Rock: The Sherlocks Talk 'People Like Me & You'
Refusing to kick back and rest on their laurels, The Sherlocks have truly hit their stride over the past couple of years. Blasting back in double-quick time following 2022’s top 10-crashing ‘World I Understand,’ the band’s anthemic fourth record ‘People Like Me & You’ is the work of a collective primed for the big time.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Death, Injury and a Global Pandemic: How Mutoid Man Made the Metal Album of the Year
“It’s like the radio edit of all things heavy music,” Stephen Brodsky says with a laugh. The singer and guitarist of Mutoid Man is reviewing his band’s new album and has instantly hit the nail on the head. ‘Mutants’ is a whirlwind of sludge, stoner, thrash and progressive metal that rages for only 38 minutes but leaves you feeling wrecked for much, much longer. For acolytes of all caps METAL, it’s an obnoxious, mangled, hideous must-listen that’ll cement itself as the album of the summer, if not the year.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
'This is How I Feel, Take it or Leave it': Alicia Bognanno Talks Bully's New Album 'Lucky For You'
With ‘Lucky For You’, Alicia Bognanno has made the most powerful Bully record to date. Self-assured without being self-indulgent, it finds the Nashville-based singer, songwriter and producer operating with obvious confidence while remaining emotionally candid in a heartbreakingly matter-of-fact way. “I'm living in the same black hole, but there's flowers on your grave that grow,” she sings during one of the LP’s many highlights, Days Move Slow, a fizzing ‘90s radio-rocker with a poignant sting. “Something's gotta change, I know.”
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Tuesday, 11 July 2023
Nita Strauss on Alice Cooper, Demi Lovato and Taking The Next Step on 'The Call of the Void'
Try as you might, you won’t find a more appropriate title for guitarist Nita Strauss’s exhilarating new solo record than ‘The Call of the Void’. Referencing a scary concept known as ‘high place phenomenon’, where someone stands on top of a tall building and, for a brief second, wonders about jumping, it actually represents a subconscious decision to step back from the ledge, and take control of your life.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 05 July 2023
Written in the Stars: Rob Thomas on Matchbox Twenty's Illuminating Return
The old saying goes that, when one door closes, another opens. In the case of Matchbox Twenty, no sooner had their best laid touring plans been put on hold by the pandemic that a fresh chance presented itself. After over a decade without any new music from the US pop-rockers, and with both fans and band alike fearing that would remain the case, it took a confluence of events to finally end their prolonged recording hiatus.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 28 June 2023
The 10 Songs We Need to Hear on Incubus's Summer Tour
Californian alt-rockers Incubus are back in the UK for a pair of special headline shows this month at London's Eventim Apollo and Cornwall's Eden Project, before heading out on a massive North American tour. With almost 30 years of material and a slew of anthems to pick from, their setlists are full of genre-bending classics and must be no easy feat to select. So we thought we'd lend a hand and put forward 10 songs we NEED to hear over the summer.
Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Friday, 23 June 2023
'There Was A Connection': How Far From Saints Crafted an Album of Struggle and Beauty
He may have departed this mortal plane a number of years back, but Tom Petty is still bringing people together through the timeless power of his music. When American roots act The Wind + The Wave, comprising Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker, first supported Stereophonics in 2013, the Welsh rockers’ singer Kelly Jones was immediately taken by Lynn’s extraordinary voice. Yet it wasn’t until many years later, when the duo supported Jones on a solo tour that, courtesy of Mr Petty playing musical cupid, a wonderful collaboration was born.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 20 June 2023
'We Want To Be The Biggest Band In The World': Meet Stylish Punks Spiritual Cramp
“It’s weird, for a long time our band played either Oi! or indie-rock shows, but I guess now we play all types,” Spiritual Cramp’s Michael Bingham says, reflecting on his band’s recent (and judging by this video, absolutely killer) set at Punk Rock Bowling’s 2023 festival in Las Vegas. “Going out there, you’re playing to people who listen to Rancid and Pennywise. We’d never done anything fully in that lane before, but we played a 500 cap room and it was sold out.”
Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Monday, 19 June 2023
It's Boss Time: 10 Hidden Gems Bruce Springsteen Needs to Perform Live
Photo: Press/Provided by PR We might picture him as some kind of immortal titan, but Bruce Springsteen is, sadly, just as susceptible to father time’s inescapable march as the rest of us. As he succinctly ruminated on ‘Letter To You’, his most recent album with the E-Street Band, “One minute you’re here, next minute you’re gone.”
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 15 June 2023
'I Love Being a Songwriter': Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik On What Keeps Their Creative Fires Burning
Photo: Maxine Evans It’s always heartbreaking when our most cherished bands lose their creative drive and, effectively, retire into the role of a touring outfit content to feed off past glories. Fortunately, fans of the Goo Goo Dolls will likely never have to experience such grief. The US rockers are one of the hardest working live acts around, with their latest UK and Ireland tour about to get underway, but as last year’s ‘Chaos In Bloom’ affirmed, not at the expense of vibrant new music.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 13 June 2023
Fighting Darkness, Bringing Light: The Return of Rival Sons
Photo: Pamela Littky After a four year gap that felt like an age, the only thing that could be better than one new album from Rival Sons would be, you guessed it, a pair of stunning new offerings courtesy of the Californian quartet. Forged in the uncertain fires of the pandemic, ‘Darkfighter’ and ‘Lightbringer’ are, quite simply, epic. Delivering fearless personal storytelling and thrilling sonic dynamism, the band have more than made good on their desire to craft “a larger artistic statement”.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 05 June 2023
