ALBUM REVIEW: Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact

Over the past few years, a few of the most talked-about indie bands have been those making music with a historical sense of mystical drama. Fiery Furnaces, Yeasayer, Grizzly Bear, and Animal Collective, among others, have been variously and inventively appropriating rock ‘n’ roll’s roots in ritualistic sounds. By and large, they draw upon ideas […]
When Fela, Seun’s father, died of AIDS in 1997, you can bet that the Nigerian authorities could not believe their luck. For decades, Fela Kuti was an outspoken and fearless critic of his native government – Nigeria is (according to Forbes) the world’s 18th most corrupt country. His self-given middle name Anikulapo, adopted by his […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80 – From Africa With Fury: Rise

ALBUM REVIEW: Micachu & The Shapes and The London Sinfonietta – Chopped & Screwed

Chopped & Screwed is being touted as Rough Trade’s first ever classical release, and is the live product of a collaborative effort between three-piece Micachu and The Shapes and contemporary orchestra London Sinfonietta. The set, recorded last May at King’s Place in The Big Smoke, came about after frontwoman Mica was invited by London Sinfonietta […]
Bad for Lazarus is a collaboration between ex-members of The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, UNKLE and NIN. Their first release, ahead of a full-length hard-rock offering (due in May) is the 25 EP: a melange of rock-and-roll and 60s East Coast garage which occasionally verges on the psychobilly. The themes have a little of the […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Bad For Lazarus – 25 EP

ALBUM REVIEW: Soundgarden – Live on I-5

In April 1995, I spent two weeks in Seville. I’d never watched MTV before, and I was glued. It was Grunge Weekend and ‘Black Hole Sun’ was on every five minutes. Out shopping, I spotted a Nirvana bootleg and bought it, despite already owning all of Nirvana’s official albums. My Spanish friend asked me “Why?”, […]
I was quite excited to hear J Mascis is finally releasing a solo album – although I’d always thought of his other post Dinosaur Jr. albums as mainly solo efforts. Still, the thought of a solo album is an interesting prospect, and I thought it might be not unlike his previous work with Dinosaur and […]

ALBUM REVIEW: J Mascis – Several Shades Of Why

ALBUM REVIEW: The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

The title of The Vaccines’ debut album is, perhaps, a response to the masses of hype they’ve been the subject to since releasing their début single ‘Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’ last November.  Most of this is due, perhaps, to the online buzz that they’ve created, and their tendency to keep their cards very close to their […]
New York Dolls are back on fantastic creative form with their wonderful new album, ‘Walking Backward In High Heels’, which was recorded and mixed in sunny Newcastle – miles from their home in New York City. Just shows you what you can achieve when you are taken from the clean streets of NY to the […]

ALBUM: New York Dolls – Dancing Backward In High Heels

ALBUM: Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo

It’s quite hard, when listening to Kurt Vile, to reconcile the sound of the music with the name of its creator (though, it could very well be his real name…(but, probably not…(but then, it might be…))). You’d probably be expecting something quite raucous.  However, not finding that, you probably won’t be too disappointed either. Even […]
Jeff Beck rocks. We all presumed that to be self-evident but now it’s palpably true. He rolls as well – although that may be more to do with the passing of years. This album is a celebration of the life, career and music of Les Paul.  It’s incredible to think that the man who built and put his […]

ALBUM: Jeff Beck – Rock ‘n’ Roll Party, Honouring Les Paul