While Lamb of God’s first four albums have served mostly as catharsis for frustration, 2009’s Wrath and and now their most recent release Resolution have been exercises in creating it. For while they’ve clearly shown they have considerable capacity for artistic growth, their uncharacteristic timidness in embracing it will have the listener bellowing back at their…
Chiddy Bang’s ‘Ray Charles’ is a song about Ray Charles by Chiddy Bang. Got it?
The band name AWOLNATION brings to mind a sort of general misguided teenage rage at the state of world, as if the band are out to say “Argh! Society has gone AWOL – it’s rubbish!”. However, ‘Not Your Fault’ does not follow such important themes of changing society, it rather settles on being a standard pop…
The local student band have released a cover of the 1984 classic ‘Careless Whisper’.
After supporting Will Young on his UK tour in November, Jodie Marie’s anticipated debut Mountain Echo is finally finished. The album will be released on March 5th, and it’s definitely one to go out and buy. Her story is like something out of The X Factor. A young teenage girl with a dream, living in…
Alexander Green takes on the impossible: reviewing Lana Del Rey’s debut album with a clear head. Check out his review of the most audience-splitting album of the year so far here.
The Darkness’s first new material since their reformation last year suggests that the band have not tried to develop their sound or delve into other genres, but rather have stuck to their winning formula of simple tongue-in-cheek rock and roll. The song features catchy guitar riffs in the verses, a singalong chorus and an onslaught…
Brooklyn-based noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells have returned with ‘Comeback Kid’, the first single proper from their impending sophomore record Reign of Terror. All the unique trademarks from the band’s first effort – the widely praised Treats – are intact, with an evident move towards a somewhat ‘cleaner’ electronic sound. Punk rock guitars collide with incessantly pounding electronic drums…
Labrinth returns with tales of his trips around the world in ‘Last Time’, the third single from the producer’s upcoming debut album.
Kiwi songstress Ladyhawke is finally back, and she is without the heavy synth sound that dominated her debut. ‘Black, White & Blue’ is a guitar-based fizzy pop song with blocky bass guitar and a chorus reminiscent of Abba, mixing the pessimistic (“no communication/wondering if you’ll ever feel alright”) with an undeniable buoyancy that seems to…
Every band has trouble with their second release. Maybe with only underground fame, do they give their fans more of a proven formula, or do they push the boat out a bit further and craft a more diverse, considered album? Leeds rockers Pulled Apart By Horses are set to release their sophomore record Tough Love…
Rock may be lagging behind, but Howler have produced the first important record of 2012.
The Blue Album is pure pop-rock perfection, standing out above an era epitomised by grunge. It marks the high point of the genre, and has never been bettered in this reviewer’s humble opinion. It is honest, it is stupid, it is clever, it is heartbreaking, it is joyous, and it is most importantly of all…
If a band such as Disturbed — who have recently shared bills with Machine Head and Megadeth, not to mention the ten years of vast success in their own right — are concerned about the stability of the music industry, we know we must have a sector in trouble. But this was one of the…