A Fool And His Money (Bon Jovi Feature)

Rather than risk getting sidetracked by requests for recipes and handy hints, it’s probably best if I don’t dwell on my previous life as a cook.

Written by: David Evans | Date: Tuesday, 14 December 2010

The Rise Of The Eccentrics (Lady Gaga Feature)

Now I don’t normally ask a lot from people, but please could you do this one thing for me: The next time you’re on a night out and see a man wearing a bowtie, hit him with the nearest blunt object you can find. I’m not even joking on this one: beer bottle, chair leg, hammer – anything capable of ending his evening early will do.

Written by: James Conlon | Date: Friday, 10 December 2010

The Festivals - Stereoboard Tour of the Week

OK, so this isn't really a tour and some of us may have only just recovered from our hangovers after this year's outing to one or more summer events. However, festival season is a pretty important time on the musical calendar and, as the line-up news is starting to fly in and the earlybird tickets are about to go onsale, here at Stereoboard we're preparing ourselves for next year's summer rock excursion before the year has even begun and before we've even scraped the last of the ice from our windscreens.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Wednesday, 08 December 2010

Blink 182 - Stereoboard Tour of the Week

Considering Blink 182 are somewhat well-known for being a bit of a comedy band, with their toilet humour-filled lyrics and immature onstage antics, the last five years have seemed like more of a drama for the Californian punk trio. First, there was the break-up. Then came the awful news of Travis’s plane crash. And finally, there was the emotional reunion. You can’t write this kind of stuff. But anyway, the Blink boys are back and, after two hugely popular headlining performances at Reading and Leeds this summer and with a new album supposedly on the way, it appeared that things were, once again, beginning to look bright and cheerful for both the group and their many, many fans.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Thursday, 25 November 2010

Bellowhead Interview & Live Review - The Old Vic, Bristol - 11th Nov 2010

Late one crisp Tuesday night, long after the elfin children had been put to bed and the stars had risen to twinkle over us, Stereoboard were invited to commune with co-founder of traditional English folk troupe Bellowhead, John Spiers. Like any traditional folkster worth his salt, Spiers most likely had plans with a crafty freight of wenches not long after our interview. We tried to take up as little of his time as possible.

Written by: Richard Kemp | Date: Monday, 22 November 2010

Iron Maiden - Stereoboard Tour of the Week

Well... It’s been a relatively long time coming, but at last, it’s finally arrived. Yes, that’s right – the time has come for a brand spanking new Iron Maiden UK tour!

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 19 November 2010

Stereoboard's Weekly Roundup - Foo Fighters, Kings Of Leon, Take That

Welcome to this week’s Stereoboard roundup! Each week, we’ll be taking a look at the bands and artists that you’ve been reading about and buying tickets for over the past few days. We’ll check out each of these acts to find out why they’ve been causing so much excitement and we’ll also give you the news on what else they’ve been up to.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 12 November 2010

Kyuss Lives – Stereoboard Tour of the Week

Following our previous Tour of the Week, which was awarded to Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters, it appears that another group of Josh Homme’s former bandmates are in the process of getting back to what they do best. This time around, it’s the band he first found fame with – Kyuss.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Wednesday, 10 November 2010

Kings Of Leon And Me: A Troubled Relationship (Feature)

Remember that first time you popped ‘Youth & Young Manhood’ into your stereo? Wasn’t it totally badass? Weren’t Caleb’s vocals on ‘Molly’s Chamber’ inexplicitly dirty? There was no other band like them. They were the band that made me cool, more so at least than my Star Wars obsession and addiction to role-playing games ever could. When all my mates were listening to 50 Cent and Eminem, thinking that it was cool to listen to rappers sing about their bitch of a mother or their entourage ho’s, I was more than happy to have my favourite band be one which my mates had never heard of. And of course when that hardcore rumour of the band partaking in incest started to circulate, I, by affiliation, was also shagging every member of my family. I’d like to make it clear that I wasn’t and neither were the Tennessee foursome. ‘Youth & Young Manhood’ remains one of my favourite albums because it shaped me as a teenager, it gave me the badass streak that I so craved!

Written by: Rhys Morgan | Date: Monday, 08 November 2010

Keep Those Promos Coming (Feature)

I can’t say for certain, but it stands to reason that I don’t get anywhere near as many of those promotional emails as the big-name pundits do. But if Trish or Stephanie or Gillian or any of my other PR contacts happen to be reading this, rest assured your messages never go the way of those cyber-ads for Viagra or penis enlargement that somehow manage to worm through my spam filter.

Written by: David Evans | Date: Thursday, 04 November 2010

James Blunt Tops Stereoboard's Poll of Top 10 Most Loathed Artists

Ever since August, when everyone was shouting about Axl Rose and his famous lack of punctuality – as displayed with the usual amount of arrogance at Reading and Leeds – we haven’t been feeling the love here at Stereoboard. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. So last week, we asked you to come up with the person you dislike the most in music and we’ve been waiting with bated breath for the results to come in. Will it be Axl? Or maybe Liam? Or possibly even one of the countless “musical” delights that Simon Cowell and his X Factor have kindly unleashed on the world?

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Thursday, 04 November 2010

Foo Fighters - Stereoboard Tour of The Week (Feature)

One year on from the Them Crooked Vultures album and, with no sign of a follow-up in sight, the three supergroup members are getting back to their usual routines. Following the performances by Queens of the Stone Age at Reading and Leeds this summer, Dave Grohl is seemingly following his occasional bandmate’s lead and re-joining his main group as frontman. The few months spent at the back of the stage have obviously taken their toll and now he is taking up his guitar to reclaim his rightful place at the microphone.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Tuesday, 02 November 2010

Stereoboard’s Weekly Roundup - Katy Perry, Kings of Leon, Usher +

Welcome to the weekly Stereoboard roundup! Each week, we’ll be taking a look at the bands and artists that you’ve been reading about and buying tickets for over the past few days. We’ll check out each of these acts to find out why they’ve been causing so much excitement and we’ll also give you the news on what else they’ve been up to.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 29 October 2010

Lil Wayne: Proof That You Can’t Spell RAP STAR Without P, R, A, and T (Feature)

You know what? I’m the best Tiddlywinks player in the world...Bitch. Yeah, I know you didn’t ask, but I thought you just needed to know. I could flick you so hard I’ll make your grandkids dizzy. Yeah, and what? I’m into the cup faster than Mel Gibson at an open bar. So what you gonna do about it?

Written by: James Conlon | Date: Friday, 22 October 2010

Still a Feisty Pain in the Arse... Skunk Anansie Talk to Stereoboard

Most would agree that there has been no shortage of band reunions within the past couple of years – some were long-awaited, while others were long-forgotten. Even more recently, a number of fondly-remembered ‘90s Brit rock acts have added themselves to the ever-growing list – Cast, Shed Seven and, of course, Blur to name a few. Now all we need is Sleeper, Elastica and Pulp and the collection will be complete. A short while ago, one of the more unexpected, though equally appreciated, reformed bands joined the great return – or should that be Slight Return? That band was Skunk Anansie.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Tuesday, 12 October 2010

Brainwaves, Downloads … and Lap Dancing (Feature)

Obviously I can't be sure, but I bet I'm not the first person to say that apart from being a talented singer/songwriter, Robyn Hitchcock is a clever chap in more ways than one. I've even thought of pretending I'm a lifelong fan, hoping that those who believe in the birds-of-a-feather adage might think I'm a bit of a bright spark myself.

Written by: David Evans | Date: Friday, 01 October 2010

The X Factor: Scouting Talent or Strangling Creativity? (Feature)

As X-Factor fever yet again takes over our TV screens and obliterates any microcosm of common sense that may have been lingering in the minds of the masses I find it increasingly difficult to understand it’s real value. Granted, millions are pocketed by Herr Cowell and his lapdog Louis and it evidently makes great viewing as illustrated by the statistics. But does the show actually add anything of real substance to an already fiercely competitive music industry?

Written by: Daniel Lynch | Date: Thursday, 30 September 2010

Why Katy Perry Is Trying To Steal Your Children (FEATURE)

Last month saw the release of Katy Perry’s latest album, 'Teenage Dream.' To the extreme shock and surprise of absolutely no-one, the album went straight in at Number One, with the first single released from the album, 'California Gurls' (her spelling, not mine) also hitting the top spot. Now far be it from me to take anything away from this success: Perry is a talented singer, adored by thousands of people worldwide. If album sales are what you’re after, then she’s definitely doing something right, and there’s nothing that a silly man sitting on a computer can do to change that.

Written by: James Conlon | Date: Tuesday, 21 September 2010

Alvin Purple (Band Of The Week)

Our Band Of The Week, is a feature designed to promote the wonderful unsigned and indie label talent on offer in the UK right now. Alvin Purple are this week’s choice. A Leeds based electronic, indie-pop outfit, who began their musical career in 2008, by making a bedroom demo, armed with only a laptop and a couple of microphones. The response that the demo received caught the four piece a little off guard, causing them to decamp to Leeds and concentrate on writing and rehearsing on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

Written by: Adam Simpson | Date: Sunday, 19 September 2010

Open Up And End Credits - Liverpool Music Week 29/10 to 25/11

Next month sees the start of the 8th annual Liverpool Music Week – the UK’s largest indoor winter festival – and electonica features heavily in this year’s line-up.

Written by: Les Roberts | Date: Wednesday, 15 September 2010