It was 6:30pm on a Sunday in Brizzle, and the autumn sun was shining right in my eyes as I peered down at Google Maps. Where was Thekla? Somewhere by the river, okay. Plodding on, some church bells stared ringing from somewhere – apt, really, as I turned the corner and, like some spooky cartoon, my […]
Track Review: Delmer Darion – Haze (ft. Emily Burns)
With their debut release All Over Again, All Over Again, the Exeter/Bath-based duo Delmer Darion pleased our ears with sparkling, sumptuous electronic music – sensitive synth journeys that are easy to write emotively about. The Emperor of Ice Cream followed, showcasing remixes and sampling ingenuity, injecting life and colour into a kind of music that can be quite […]
Album Review: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity
P sychedelic rock is a tree with many branches, man. Many think of Pink Floyd’s cosmic atmospheres and soaring leads; sound that floats around your brain as you lie back on the grass, headphones in, and the clouds play out in a circus scene above you. Brick in the Wall turns into Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. […]
Long-distance music: an interview with James
The music world is a harsh climate. Its inhabitants, though a hardy breed, face the cold, bracing weather of public opinion and struggle to find sustenance and success in the saturated soil of modern rock. For bands who’ve been around for a while, all it takes is a change in the wind for them to grow […]
Should we judge music on the actions of its creator?
On the final song of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly – ‘Mortal Man’ – a potent question is asked: “When the shit hits the fan, are you still a fan?” In other words, when the artist does something you might regard as immoral, despicable, criminal or wrong, is it okay to keep on listening? […]
Battle of the Bands 2016 – Heat #1
It’s that time of the year again when the hottest university bands battle it out to be crowned the best. Last year saw psychedelic indie rockers Bloom take the top spot after a tight final, and this year there are some great bands on the way up – some fresh on the scene, and some veterans […]
A kind of interview with Beans On Toast
Note to society, and specifically anyone that plans on doing a phone interview: don’t record phone calls on dodgy call-recording apps. Having got up surprisingly early for an interview over the old dog-and-bone with the man himself, and having prepared far too much for what would turn out to just be a chilled natter, I […]
Album Review: Eagles of Death Metal – Zipper Down
Eagles of Death Metal Zipper Down 2 October 2015 Eagles of Death Metal are a strange breed of band. Anyone unfamiliar with frontman Jesse Hughes and drummer/producer Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age might think them a couple of sleazy rednecks with a penchant for lewd puns. They wouldn’t be entirely wrong. Indeed, […]