Single Review: The Lilac Time – No Sad Songs

An early member of Duran Duran, Stephen Duffy followed brief pop stardom in the mid-1980s with a sequence of pretty yet unheralded records. The 2009 rockumentary Memory & Desire suggested that Duffy was troubled by disappointment and dejection, so his return now is something of a relief. Re-adopting the Lilac Time name under which he […]
‘Underbart’, in Swedish, means something akin to enchanting, wondrous. It’s a word which would aptly describe any number of Little Dragon’s releases to date – their latest release (‘Underbart’ for those who hadn’t guessed) perhaps not. It’s slinking, sensual, and bass heavy, indicative of a slight shift in direction on latest album Nabuma Rubberband. Compared […]

Single Review: Little Dragon – Underbart

Single Review: Department M – Miscellany

Department M shoot a large portion of intriguing sounds straight to your ears as soon as ‘Miscellany’ graces your speakers. The industrial electro-synth tones partnered with a cleverly syncopated hard-hitting drum beat combine to create a sound that leaves you wanting more. The instruments initially jar, but as the track progresses it all makes sense. […]
Best-suited to the underground dive bars of New York or overground blues/rockabilly Nashville backdrops, this gritty Kent-based revival of rock ‘n’ roll is an interesting one. The Black Waterside is a five-piece band hailing, surprisingly, from the ‘Garden of England’, yet their sound is something unexpected. The band are tight, the instrumentation and the vibe […]

Single Review: The Black Waterside – Cold Night, Dark Ground

SINGLE REVIEW: DISCLOSURE – F FOR YOU

The duo that smashed their way into the ears of the nation but a few months ago have brought out yet another ‘banger’. The follow up to their last single ‘You & Me’, which included the sultry tones of Eliza Doolittle, on the garage throwback track F For You (F actually stands for Fool) is […]
Having recently surfaced on the scene from out of nowhere, John Wizards – aka South African production duo John Withers and Emmanuel Nzaramba – have wangled themselves a debut release on legendary electronica label, Planet Mu. Here, in the space of just two tracks, the pair manage to pogo through a myriad of influences and […]

Single Review: John Wizards – Lusaka By Night

Single Review: Charge Group – Run

Sophomore releases are a thing of beauty. They can either make or brake a fledging act – whether it’s a disappointing follow up to a smash record or a momentum builder which keeps the fans on side. It’s been over 4 years since they dropped their début record Escaping Mankind, but Sydney 4-piece Charge Group are back […]
I always had a bit of a gripe with the TV series 24 – which claims to be a drama screened “in real time”. Fair play, one hour after it has started, the story has moved on by an hour – but you have actually only watched 42 minutes of action. In fact, a bit […]

Single Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Jubilee Street

Single Review: Liz Lawrence – Bedroom Hero

The melodic beauty of Laura Marling meets the atmospheric rises and falls of Florence + The Machine. Liz Lawrence’s new single ‘Bedroom Hero’ is the first track from her début album (out 2013) with the same title. At only 22 Lawrence has already been receiving rave reviews across Ireland, and it’s no wonder why. ‘Bedroom Hero’ has […]
Manchester based trio City Reign’s new single ‘Ahead of Ideas’ is a guitar heavy tribute to the indie bands of the North. A well-written track with that iconic ‘Northern Sound’ sets this song up to be a success within its genre. Not only has the band produced a great new single, but they also manage […]

Single Review: City Reign – Ahead of Ideas