Charlotte Gainsbourg may very nearly share a surname with a hill-town in darkest Lincolnshire, but in fact she shares more in common with Jared Leto than arable land and sausages. This is because she an actress (a good one, best actress at Cannes Film Festival 2009 anyone?) and also a musician. So not like Jared […]
It’s always strange when hype focuses its attention on the young age of the artists in question: the press, the industry, need musicians to be young. They need to believe in youth, to keep the hype – the legend – alive. If The Big Black And The Blue had been made by two middle-aged, rather […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Bassless wonders, Waiters, are an utter shambles. It’s conceivable that they all got given their first instruments this Xmas, formed a band, booked a gig, and thought to Hell with the consequences. The frontman somehow has a voice like a baby crying, the drummer impassive as he taps out […]
‘Space Shot’ is another by-the-numbers offering from the Northern Irish pop-rockers. A perfect pop song in many respects, it never deviates from the tried and trusted production values that dominate the singles chart nowadays: quirky intro, verse-chorus-verse, weird synth solo and all the trimmings. It also sounds like it was written by a computer program […]
– Band On The Wall, Manchester – Walking around Band On The Wall, it’s not difficult to see where the multi-million pound investment money has gone. Visitors are treated to plush white carpets and decorative plasterwork that make the entire venue feel like a VIP section. If you squint, the sound desk (in front of […]
A funky little disco tune, Stand, is a tricky little track which urges us repeatedly to Stand Up for our minds. It sounds like a meaningless but pleasantly familiar lyric ideal for dancing; but as the song ends you realise Woolf was issuing an early warning to us to beware of a tune which leaves you […]
Bullion is a genius. I whole heartedly state this. This release was my first encounter with the man and after doing some research, he is now elevated to god status in my eyes. His production style is phenomenal, his beats are some of the crispest I’ve heard, and his tracks spit in the face of […]
For some reason that now escapes me I had already decided that I hated Paolo Nutini even before I put 10/10 in the stereo. I was even more cynical about him when my chef friend Ryan, who listens to shit radio-friendly house all day, assured me that “it’s mint that”. But what do you know, […]
Sorry guys, I’m confused. The plastic envelope tells me that this is the single Under Control by Good Shoes, but my iTunes player assures me that this is the album American Idiot by the Bee Gees. Now I’m sure you’ll be thinking that this is just another case of iTune inaccuracy, but I actually believe […]
I thought I’d better review this, because I’ve just heard that some kid called Owl City has hit the number one spot by imitating a boy drowning with a vocoder rammed down his throat. Now I don’t really give a shit about what’s at number 1, but at the same time I’m supposed to be […]