A Connection Just Out Of Reach: Bambara Return With 'Stray'

Bambara’s monumental third album ‘Stray’ is a black-hearted work of art; a sinister cacophony of post-punk instrumentals with death on its mind. Constructing an orchestra of sounds around its expansive skeleton, blending ethereal and baritone vocals, it is a challenging piece of work that rewards those who tap into its wavelength.

Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Wednesday, 12 February 2020

Something Bigger Than Ourselves: The Lone Bellow Return With 'Half Moon Light'

Photo: Shervain Lainez Life is virtually unliveable without hope. In our darkest days, even the merest chink of light can provide an all important spark to keep on fighting. Just ask the Lone Bellow, a three piece Americana outfit born from the ashes of tragedy and its damn near miraculous resolution. They may know all about trying times, but with spiritually resonant harmonies and impassioned empathy to the fore, the trio’s existential songs consistently make an optimistic stand.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 11 February 2020

'I'm Happiest on Stage': Introducing Jazz-Pop Star of the Future Reuben James

“I’m happiest on stage. When I'm performing that’s the only place that I truly feel like I belong. That feels most like home.”

Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Tuesday, 04 February 2020

Think Happy Thoughts: The Return Of My Chemical Romance

Think happy thoughts.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 23 January 2020

No Boundaries: Haggard Cat Talk New Album 'Common Sense Holiday'

Photo: Carla Mundy How do you make a sound like Haggard Cat? No, not the high-pitched yowl of a scrawny feline, but hefty, high-energy, blues-driven noise. The answer, surprisingly, isn’t found by assembling a boat-load of angry punks ready to thrash out an adrenaline-fuelled racket. Instead, the raw materials are provided by but a pair of humble, giggly mates from Nottingham. “The rawest, most honest form of us playing music is just the two of us,” guitarist and vocalist Matt Reynolds notes. “That’s how we write.”

Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Thursday, 16 January 2020

Knotfest: Why Slipknot Are Still A Festival Must See After All These Years

Some bands appear to have been laboratory engineered for festival success—they radiate inoffensive late afternoon mass appeal from each empty chorus and $500 distressed Rolling Stones tee.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 14 January 2020

New Year, New Gigs: Stereoboard's Pick Of 2020 Events

td#right {display:none !important;} Aaaand relax. The Christmas songs are behind us. You made it. Mariah and Bublé are going back in their vacuum sealed boxes for another 11 months, Santa’s having a well-deserved rest with the new headphones he got from Mrs Claus, and we in the wider world are finally allowed to listen to tunes that don’t involve sleigh bells. Thank baby Jesus for that. With this in mind, you might be wondering what 2020 has in store for live music fans. Luckily for you, Stereoboard has compiled a list of the best events throughout the year, organised in calendar-friendly chronological order. It’s going to be a great year for gigs. You are welcome.

Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Friday, 10 January 2020

Now and Next: Stereoboard's Ones to Watch in 2020

td#right {display:none !important;}   Each year brings with it a breakout star or two, and every January thousands of words are duly spilled trying to predict who they might be. Well, who are we to break with tradition? Head below to check out some fresh music from artists who might go on to enjoy a massive 2020.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 07 January 2020

The List: Stereoboard's Top Tickets Of 2019

td#right {display:none !important;} td#right {display:none !important;} Live music offers an escape. With all the uncertainty in the world, be it political, financial or environmental, there's always comfort and reassurance to be found in hearing one of your favourite bands sing one of your favourite songs, and being able to scream their lyrics back at them in person. The statistics back up that the sentiment. This year has been another busy one for live shows, and here we take a look at which tickets were the most sought-after across the past 12 months.  

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Friday, 20 December 2019

The List: Stereoboard's Best Albums Of 2019

td#right {display:none !important;} That's 2019 almost cooked, folks. In a few weeks we'll start a new decade, find new favourites, new heroes and new villains. So, for one last time in the 2010s let's take a look back at 12 months in music to celebrate the records that made us cheer, laugh, cry and marvel.  

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Monday, 16 December 2019

"Roundaboutly Winging It": Amyl And the Sniffers On Their Breakthrough Year

td#right {display:none !important;} Photo: Gareth Jarvis From her perch atop a flight case strategically placed in the middle of the stage, Amyl and the Sniffers vocalist Amy Taylor is surveying the rowdiness of the crowd at Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach in all its sweaty glory. “Fuck Boris, he’s a racist hooligan, you deserve better than that,” she spits into the mic. “Fuck Boris, fuck Trump and fuck Scott Morrison.”

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Friday, 13 December 2019

Loud Times: The Metal Bands Who Made 2019 A Year To Savour

This year was an enormous one for heavy metal. From fresh-faced upstarts making names for themselves to classic heroes making long-awaited comebacks, it has been a jam-packed 12 months for fans of all things face-melting. So, who better to review the state of the metal nation than the artists themselves?

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Thursday, 12 December 2019

Kings of Chemistry: Flying Colors On Taking Flight With 'Third Degree'

Our most fruitful and enduring relationships are impervious to time, space and distance. Boasting an almost mystic and magical quality, they possess an inherent, indestructible and long-lasting camaraderie that allow such powerful bonds to be rekindled without missing a beat. Five years since melodic prog rock supergroup Flying Colors released their sophomore outing ‘Second Nature’, this year’s ‘Third Degree’ found the quintet effortlessly slipping back into their chemistry-laden groove as if they’d never been away.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 10 December 2019

'I Wanted This Album To Be The Thing That Wipes The Tears Away': Bishop Briggs Talks 'Champion'

Bishop Briggs wrote her second album ‘Champion’ when she was feeling defeated. Repeating the empowering words of the album’s eponymous lead track like a mantra, to regain self-worth after a painful breakup, she created her emotional fight music. 

Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Friday, 06 December 2019

Keep It Honest: How Gerry Cinnamon Became A Cult Hero

Photo: Luke Joyce Gerry Cinnamon. Know the name?

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 05 December 2019

Hope Is 'The Thing With Feathers': Introducing The Revitalising Prog-Pop of Exploring Birdsong

Prog rock is not a cool genre. It hasn’t been for a very, very long time. Ask the Average Joe on the street what they think of when they think ‘prog rock’, and they’ll almost certainly bring up something silly from the 1970s: Geddy Lee dancing while wearing a cape, a 20-minute Rick Wakeman keyboard solo, or Peter Gabriel singing in his most fabulous fluorescent makeup.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 04 December 2019

Now What? Everybody's Dead!: Cattle Decapitation Talk Revisiting Armageddon on 'Death Atlas'

On August 7, 2015, San Diego’s gory death metal favourites Cattle Decapitation released their sixth album, ‘The Anthropocene Extinction’. With a title that alluded to the Earth’s sixth mass extinction—the ongoing destruction wreaked by humanity’s manipulation of the environment—it was very much a disc fascinated with the end of the world.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 27 November 2019

'We Just Love It': San Cisco Get Under The Skin Of Their New Music

Photo: Pooneh Ghana The October return of San Cisco was a suitably smooth affair. The Australian indie-pop band’s comeback single, Skin, strolled into our lives with a hook that wouldn’t quit and the sort of sunny disposition that has long characterised their output. But lurking at the margins were open wounds, broken promises and the remnants of a busted relationship. That unrefined darkness was new.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 26 November 2019

Sonic Alchemists: How Judah & The Lion Turned Suffering Towards Salvation

You haven’t truly lived until you’ve heard someone rapping over the bluegrass strains of a banjo.  Or until you’ve experienced the sound of a band who smash together folk, hip hop, EDM, and punk beneath stirring lyrics that make you feel 10 feet tall. Luckily, Judah & the Lion are the wildly talented and eclectic US trio who do all the above and much more.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 25 November 2019

All This or Bust: Band of Skulls Reflect on 'Baby Darling Doll Face Honey'

To outsiders, it often seems that any fresh faced group who ‘suddenly’ arrive on the scene with a bang, and subsequently reap the rewards their newfound status commands, have had it easy and somehow fluked their way out of obscurity. But before hit singles and worldwide tours, there often lies a story of hard graft, setbacks and intense frustration, making that eventual breakthrough taste even sweeter.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Friday, 22 November 2019