From First To Last wrote a blog about why they dropped off their recent tour:
"Since Matt Manning has to deal with some legal issues back in the homeland we have to drop off the remaining 7 shows with Scary Kids and Finch. Which is Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. We are extremely bummed because this tour has been such an awesome time. We’ve made some really good friends and had some great shows, so it is very upsetting to us that we have to leave. But Matt Manning is going to take care of all the bulllshit.
Once again we are so sorry to all the people that were looking forward to the show but we will make it up to you soon. You should all go to the show regardless because all the bands on it are fucking sick and make for a great time.
we love you guys. and we will see you soon.
The UK tour is not cancelled FYI"
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
News - From First To Last Drop Off Tour...
News - Rufio - Let’s Get Rad
Former members of Rufio Scott Sellers & Clark Domae have started a new band called Let’s Get Rad. You can check them out at their MySpace page, the link’s attached.
News - Razia’s Shadow: A Musical
Submitted: "Forgive Durden have announced that they are to release a new album called ’Razia’s Shadow: A Musical’ and will be released by Fueled By Ramen on October 28. The album will feature guest appearences from Brendon urie, Chris Conley and Max Bemis. Lead singer Thomas Dutton posted the following on the band’s blog: "Whew! Hello everyone! My mouth has been stapled shut for the past months with the news and music of this record begging to eek out. Well I can finally exhale. For those of you who haven't been following along at RaziasShadow.com, the new record is a musical. It's entitled Razia's Shadow: A Musical - and it's being released on October 28th on FBR. It was co-written by my brother Paul and features 13 of my good friends.. Casey, Lizzie, Max, Chris, Danny, Brendon, Dan, Greta, Nic, Shawn, Kris, John, and Aaron, to be exact (visit raziasshadow.com to hear clips and peep all the art). You can preorder the album starting today and receive "Life Is Looking Up" as a free download! Or you can stream it on our purevolume page. I'm so excited for all of you to hear this album! It's been brewing and stewing inside me for the past few years and I can't believe it's finally time to share it with you guys. I couldn't be happier. Eeee!""
News - The Acoustic Bear
Minus the Bear’s new EP "Acoustics" will be released on the 7th of October.
News - Sing It Loud Album Stream
Sing It Loud’s album "Come Around" is streaming on their PureVolume page: www.purevolume.com/singitloud
The album is out now.
Monday, 29 September 2008
News - Are You A Member Of The Computerclub?
Computerclub are set to release their debut album "Before The Walls Came Down" on the 27th of October through Split Records; the single, of the same name, precedes it a week earlier on the 20th of October.
Tour dates:
OCTOBER
11 Moles, Bath (w/The Transpersonals)
18 Barlfy, Birmingham (w/Little Man Tate & The Dykeenies)
25 Sunflower Lounge (Birmingham)
News - A Pint Of Holes
Pint Shot Riot are releasing new single "Holes" on CD, 7" and digitally through Life In The Big City Records on the 3rd of November.
Tour dates:
9 Oct Preasure Point Brighton 8pm
18 Oct Moles Bath 8pm
25 Oct Purple Turtle Oxford 8pm
27 Oct Musexpo London, venue TBC
1 Nov Zavvi's Coventry 'Holes" single instore gig 3pm Coventry
3 Nov MTV Liverpool Music Week - venue TBC
14 Nov Sawyers - Kettering
27 Nov Riff Raff Club, Proud Galleries, Camden London
News - A Silent Film Album/Tour
Here’s some upto date A Silent Film tour dates:
29th September - Sheffield Academy, Sheffield (supporting OneRepublic)
1st October - Bristol Academy, Bristol (supporting OneRepublic)
3rd October - Birmingham Academy, Birmingham (supporting OneRepublic)
19 October - Ruby Lounge, Manchester
22 October - Little Civic, Wolverhampton
23 October - Nice'n'Sleazy, Glasgow
26 October - Shakesphere, Sheffield
27 Octtober - Joiners, Southhampton
28 October - Louisiana, Bristol
30 October - Metro, London
The band’s debut album "The City That Sleeps" was released exclusively through iTunes (http://www.itunes.com/asilentfilm) from Monday 22nd September and will be released physically on the 6th of October.
News - The Mirimar Disaster October Tour
The Mirimar Disaster are on tour in October:
OCTOBER
11th HUDDERSFIELD The Parish w/Errander
13th STOKE ON TRENT Harry’s Bar **
14th SHEFFIELD Casbah **
15th LEEDS Royal Park Cellars **
16th NOTTINGHAM Rock City **
17th LEICESTER TBC **
18th ALDERSHOT West End Centre **
19th BRIGHTON Engine Rooms **
20th EXETER The Hub*
21st BARFLY Camden London *
22nd CAMBRIDGE Man On The Moon*
23rd CARDIFF Barlfy *
24th NOTTINGHAM Junktion 7 *
25th YORK Fibbers *
26th NUNEATON Queens Hall *
27th BIRMINGHAM Asylum *
28th PLYMOUTH White Rabbit *
29th BOURNEMOUTH The Gander * (no Take A Worm)
31st KETTERING Sawyers * (no Take a Worm)
** with Kruger * with Raging Speedhorn and Take A Worm For A Walk Week
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Review - Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling
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8 out of 10
Mogwai have been mining their own private and very profitable seam of messianic mayhem since the mid-1990s and this, their sixth full-on long-player, sees their sculptural flow of ideas and atmospheres continue. At their best, this band can produce the nearest music gets to levitation and are a rarity in the instrumental rock world in that overt visuals such as back-projections or films are not necessary to be fully swept away. And yet they remain firmly rooted in the real world. I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead is a subtle herald, sparse piano gently moving the listener into a state of security, ready for the brontozoid riffs of Batcat to send criticism cowering into its own triviality. From then on, it's like listening to a Michelangelo (the sculptor, not the guitar-widdling hairbag or the cartoon turtle).
For the uninitiated, this album is as good a place to start the Mogwai experience as any - which speaks volumes. How many other bands can have the same said about their work after nearly fifteen years? There's no danger of this opus getting much daytime radio play, however. There can't be many stations willing to give I Love You, I'm Going To Blow Up Your School a spin, for example. I'm sure that bothers the band enormously, as a worm bothers a supernova. All the titles are obscure, of course, and it's a hope that I Love You. is a retort to the mainstream mantra of 'gotta break America, gotta break America'. And would it be too much to speculate that The Sun Smells Too Loud is about the infamous, skanky red-top? Hopefully not.
So, enough rapture. Smuggle your music box with this album into a sensory-deprivation chamber and give your soul a treat.
Listen: www.myspace.com/mogwai
Tracklist:
1. I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead
2. Batcat
3. Danphe and the Brain
4. Local Authority
5. The Sun Smells Too Loud
6. Kings Meadow
7. I Love You, I'm Going To Blow up Your School
8. Scotland's Shame
9. Thank You Space Expert
10. The Precipice
Review - H2O - Nothing To Prove
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7 out of 10
After seven years of waiting, H2O are finally back, and they've made a hip-hop album. Not really, but when you consider all the songs repping where they came from, the numerous guest-spots (including a strangely uncredited Matt Skiba), and the various interludes and skits, you have to wonder if they recorded this album with pimp goblets in hand (full of OJ of course. Straight edge 'til I die and all that). We can forgive them the guests - they've been around the block, they've made a ton of friends, and this is an event, so of course people want to help out, and it's not like they grandly proclaim each song to be "Featuring..." so it just sits nicely with the hardcore gang mentality. Unfortunately the skits and interludes are a different matter, as they turn up between pretty much every track, in addition to a full five minutes of random sound-bites tacked on to the end, which really starts to get on your tits after a while. The album would last a mere twenty-five minutes if it was just the songs - can we just have a few extra tracks next time, please?
Because when all things are considered, the tracks are actually quite good. The production (courtesy of New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert, still doing all he can to prove his hardcore credibility) is crisp and powerful throughout, lending a great deal of bounce to all of the tunes. In particular, 'Nothing To Prove' and 'What Happened?' offer up huge sing-along choruses and some frenetic guitar work. Unfortunately the lyrics on a few tunes let the side down somewhat. 'Still Here' for example, the obligatory "I'm straight edge. You suck" tune, is really not very good.
Let's hope it's just a bit of rust after so long away. Or if not, fingers crossed for an instrumental album next time.
Listen: www.myspace.com/h2ofamily
Tracklist:
1. 1995
2. Nothing To Prove
3. Sunday
4. A Thin Line
5. Unconditional
6. Still Here
7. Fairweather Friend
8. Heart On My Sleeve
9. Mitts
10. What Happened?
Review - The Academy Is. - Fast Times At Barrington High
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7 out of 10
The Academy Is... have been a favourite band of mine for a long time now, with both of their previous efforts being amongst my most listened to albums in my collection.
Their first album "Almost Here" was full of summery pop-punk tunes that were impossible not to love, whilst album number two "Santi" saw the band produce a far more mature and very different sounding record which had catchy hooks to beat and belting sing-a-long choruses that again, were just impossible not to love.
"Fast Times At Barrington High" brings us to something of a happy medium between these two previous albums. Album opener "About A Girl" sees The Academy Is... back at their pop-punk, upbeat best. The chorus has to this track has been in the back of my mind all day and is the perfect summer anthem. The same goes for "His Girl Friday", "Paper Chase" and "One More Weekend" - poppy, summery tunes with pace and fantastic energy. However, I really wish I could say the same thing for the 8 remaining tracks on this album. The energy and toe-tapping factor is somewhat lost, and the sound of "Santi" returns, but it's almost like they've 'cheapened' or 'dumbed-down' their sound a bit, and gotten a bit lazy in the song-writing department. Some of these tracks sound strikingly similar to the likes of Boys Like Girls, and the hard-hitting lyrics that I enjoyed so much in their previous two albums have all but disappeared. The album seems to slow right down throughout the remaining tracks and verge on boring - a huge disappointment when we all know the huge potential that this band possesses.
"After The Last Midtown Show" is pretty much a slightly different take on "Santi" track "Everything We Had", but without the tenderness and delicate vocals that William Beckett delivered so effortlessly last time around.
However, don't let this lure you into a sense that this is a bad album - it's not; it's just that for me, it's slightly disappointing when I know that this could have been an absolutely outstanding album. I had such high expectations, that the disappointment comes as a result of me setting my hopes too high. The four stand-out tracks that I mentioned before are worth the money for this album alone, and whilst the remaining tracks aren't quite as good, they're growing on me already.
Whilst this album isn't quite what I wanted it to be, it's by no means a bad record and definitely worth you spending a few quid on so you can own it yourself.
Listen: http://www.myspace.com/theacademyis
Tracklist:
1. About A Girl
2. Summer Hair = Forever Young
3. His Girl Friday
4. The Test
5. Rumored Nights
6. Automatic Eyes
7. Crowded Room
8. Coppertone
9. After The Last Midtown Show
10. Beware! Cougar!
11. Paper Chase
12. One More Weekend
Review - You Me At 6 - Jealous Minds Think Alike (Single)
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9 out of 10
Hmmm. Interesting.
It seems the teen poppy sheen that smothered the last single release from You Me At Six has been left behind in the production of 'Jealous Minds Think Alike' and the band's sound is all the better for it. Immediately up-tempo, the tune kicks in with a big, fat wah drive sound that is stuffed full of impact alongside a determined drum beat and a sense of urgency that is bound to make this tune a radio favourite. And there are some nice harmonies in there too.
All in all, this is a decent tune and is a great taste of what is to come from the band who releases their debut album on October 6th. Love it.
Listen: www.myspace.com/youmeatsix
Tracklist:
1. Jealous Minds Think Alike
Review - Deez Nuts - Rep Your Hood EP
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8 out of 10
Hardcore by and large is populated by over zealous scenesters who take everything way too seriously all of the time, the sort of kids who would cry into their decaffeinated coke if one of their favourite band members broke their edge or something equally as trivial and non important. Deez Nuts aren't going to change anything that is for certain. They don't preach about social or political issues and definitely do not have a hidden agenda like so many other hardcore bands. Their premise is this, get in the pit and party or get out and go home.
Rep Your Hood is a raucous invitation to shed your inhibitions and shake your fists. Five tracks (six including the "acoustic" intro) of stomping, driving riffs and lyrics that are clearly inspired by some of hip-hops masters "Just remember you can't make a hoe a housewife" being just one of the nods to the all time greats. This band is one that will surely either piss off the purist hardcore kids or make them realise what silly little buggers they've been and have them singing along like they've been their from the start.
Listen: www.myspace.com/deeznutshardcore
Tracklist:
1. .In Your Mouth
2. There's A Party Over Here Aint Shit Over There
3. Rep Your Hood
4. Fair Weather Fans
5. Sex Sells
6. BF & FF
Review - I Am Ghost - Those We Leave Behind
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9 out of 10
I Am Ghost are one of the most understated bands I have every come across. They ooze class, quality and raw rock power and always have done. Why they still struggle to crack the mainstream is beyond me - hook laden material, memorable song after memorable song, a great image and a superbly engineered sound should have catapulted these guys sky high by now and the new album is no exception.
Stand out tunes such as 'Smile Of A Jesus Freak', 'Don't Wake Up' and 'Bone Garden' demonstrate everything that is great about these guys and it is time for the world to notice. Go out, buy this, play it loud. To everyone. Do it.
Listen: www.myspace.com/iamghost
Tracklist:
1. We Dance With Monsters
2. Don’t Wake Up
3. Those We Leave Behind
4. Buried Way Too Shallow
5. Bone Garden
6. Saddest Story Never Told
7. Smile of a Jesus Freak
8. So, I guess This Is Goodbye
9. Remember This Face, Baby
10. Burn The Bodies To The Ground
11. Rock N Roll High School Murder
12. Make Me Believe This Is Real
13. They Always Come Back
14. Set Me Free
Review - Hey Negrita - You Can Kick
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3 out of 10
Assuming an American accent whilst singing popular music is, of course, standard practice. The best can do this and still sound genuine, their talent and emotion overcoming the strangeness of being actually from Finland, or wherever. The worst can destroy any amount of musical wonderment by sounding like inebriated wedding guests hacking into karaoke. Hey Negrita aren't that bad, but their vox-man Felix consistently fails to live up to the comparisons with Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and Bob Dylan others have unwisely made. The band know their Country chops well enough, and generally the album is a cleanly-made piece of Radio 2-friendly 'Americana'. There's some great harp-blowing (most notably on Here I Come) and Fishin' provides much of the collection's Brownie points with its Dire Straits-y opening and vocal harmonies. As for the rest, I'm afraid they don't live up to the hype. Some American newspaper may call them 'London's Creedence Clearwater Revival' - the Levellers in their old age without the politics would be more apt. With harmonica replacing the violin.
If you're Country to the bone and hang on Bob Harris' every word, then you'll want to wallow in all of this, no doubt - lyrics like 'cry the fire from your eyes' and 'I'm goin' fishin' with my Lord', and all. You may even see it as a freebie with the Daily Express in the future, it has that kind of vibe. As for true grit and interest, I say look elsewhere. Felix needs to knock off the John Denver and start gargling with Jack D if he is to provide some grist to his musical mill.
Listen: www.myspace.com/heynegrita
Tracklist:
1. Room Service
2. Cold
3. Rope
4. Chained
5. Lay Me Down
6. Go Again
7. Pass You By
8. Lies
9. Here I Come
10. You Can Kick
11. Fishin'
12. The Last Thing That I Do
Review - The Vines - Melodia
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9 out of 10
In 2006, I spent nearly 2 months in Australia with my uncle, who lives out there. It was pretty awesome, I spent most of the time in Melbourne but I was lucky enough to travel around quite a bit up to Alice Springs and across to Cairns, then all the way down the cost through Bribane & Sydney and everywhere in between. It is really a wonderful country and I would recommend it to everyone to go at least once. One thing that struck me while I was over there was that Australians love Australian music, and I don't mean folk music, I mean music made by Australians. And, there is a lot of good Aussie music that just doesn't get heard outside of their shores.
One of the bands that made it across the ocean onto foreign land and were successful is The Vines. Now, in my opinion, The Vines are unlucky. If "Highly Evolved" had come out in the early nineties, The Vines could have been up there with Nirvana & Pearl Jam et al. Their new album "Melodia" is further proof of that fact. The album is classic Vines throughout with all the raw, uncut aggression & attitude that made them so alluring when they first hit our ears. The whole record fusing the likes of Nirvana in "Get Out", Fellow Countrymen Silverchair in "Braindead" & The Beatles in "True as the Night". There is a really good mix of the intense garage rock/punk tracks that made The Vines so popular & the quieter, more laid back songs that are sure to make then a real hit with this album.
I think the key word that sums up this album is mature. If you sit this alongside "Highly Evolved" & "Winning Days", its clear to see The Vines have come of age and managed to fuse the winning elements of their previous 3 albums to make number 4 the masterpiece many people have been predicted they were on the cusp of making.
Jump on the bandwagon now before they become everyone's new favourite band.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thevines
Tracklist:
1. Get Out
2. Manger
3. A.S III
4. He's A Rocker
5. Orange Amber
6. Jamola
7. True As The Night
8. Braindead
9. Kara Jayne
10. Merrygoround
11. Hey
12. A Girl I Knew
13. Scream
14. She Is Gone
Review - Flo Rida - In The Ayer (Single)
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5 out of 10
You cannot beat a decent play on words. It's priceless, it really is. For example, a friend of mine recently went to Dublin for a weekend of binge drinking. He showed me some photos and apparently, there is a chain of kebab shops throughout Dublin called "Abrakebabra" simply brilliant. But, Abrakebabra was nearly removed from its title of "best play on words related thing" by Flo Rida.
Flo Rida? Get it? Flow rider? And he's from Florida (as if you didn't see that coming). Genius.
But, does Flo Rida's music live up to his fantastically clever name? "In The Ayer" is Flo Rida's 3rd single from his "Mail on Sunday" album, which has been met with medium success across the water. His first single "Low" was a massive hit at the start of the year but his 2nd single "Elevator" was not as big a hit. Judging by "In The Ayer", Flo Rida may be dropping into the one hit wonder basket at your local HMV soon. The song is laden with big synths sounds and a big kick drum sound but its all too.boring. There is nothing particular interesting or catchy about this track but as a club hit it is top notch. The repetitive chorus and big sound will make it a floor filler for sure but through smaller speakers at home, it lacks the impact.
Decent tune but nowhere near as good as "Low" despite the big name guest spot from Will.I.Am.
Listen: www.myspace.com/officialflo
Tracklist:
1. In The Ayer
2. Instrumental
Review - A Textbook Tragedy - Intimidator
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8 out of 10
Oh God, another "Technical" metal band. That was my absolutely first thought when I laid eyes on the front cover of A Textbook Tragedy's debut album "Intimidator". Another copycat, bag of shit metal band that want to be the next Tracklist:
Unsurprisingly, A Textbook Tragedy are a technical metalcore/hardcore metal band very much in the vein of Into the Moat & Job for a Cowboy with a distinct Between the Buried & Me/Johnny Truant sound to them. Full on metal riffage with intense drums with plenty of double kick flicks and roaring vocals which would make most people sound like a victim of throat cancer after 2 minutes. Despite a brief lapse into some classic nu-metal style singing in "Intimidator" this album is pretty relentless & heavy. Despite the obvious metal sounding, there is a real hardcore element to some of the riffs & in some case even a bit of death metal (especially "Godspeed, Centipede").
Normally, at this point, I would say something like "they are very talented musicians but they are just doing generic metal" but in this case, I don't need to. A Textbook Tragedy are very talented but they are also quite innovative without being completely genre crushing. There is a clear influence of a lot of different genres but all genres that fit around the technical metal scene. Instead of just sticking to standard riffs & breakdowns, they branch into hardcore riffs & breakdowns & death metal. Although this isn't exactly wild, its different to what a lot of the boring bands in this scene are doing and thus, makes them stand out. Definitely worth a listen if you are into Architects, Bring me the Horizon & all those sort of bands.
Listen: www.myspace.com/atextbooktragedy
1. If You Want Blood
2. Bottomfeeders
3. wwjocd
4. Dude, I'm On Alesse
5. Intimidator
6. The Gospel According To Textbook
7. Who Invented Zentner
8. Godspeed, Centipede
9. Stay Out Of Riverdale
10. Cathy Rattlesnake
11. Totally Immoral
12. Start The Reactor
Review - Jack Flash - The Union Jack Album
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8 out of 10
When I was asked to review a rapper from Huddersfield, I didn't hold up much hope of finding someone who could take up the reigns of British hip hop royalty such as Roots Manuva or the recently retired (but one of the best ever) Blade.
Well, I was wrong. Jack Flash opens his 'Union Jack Album' with a fantastic track of 'Pledge your Allegiance' telling people to be proud of being British, whatever colour or race you are. If you live here, be proud of where you live and in the Union Jack.
'Living Legend' took me back to the mid / late 80's where it was good to boast about who you were and why you were so good at your game. Jack can be proud of this song and it proves that he should be up there making it big in his profession.
On 2 of the tracks on the album, vocals are provided by the soulful Thabo. This is someone who should be on more tunes. I would recommend that he and Jack got together more in the future, they blend well together.
Jack's diversity in music shows on this album, on 'Refuge' he uses a Spanish guitar sound mixing it with beats and lyrics. The whole track is helped along with vocals by the aforementioned Thabo. This is one of the highlight tracks on the album.
I recently played this album to one of my friends on the way to a gig; he fell in love with this modern piece of musical art like I have. In this day and age when it is so easy to 'burn' a copy of an album for a mate, he has decided he wanted to buy an original copy when it is released on October 27th 2008. I'm glad that he made this decision, as this album needs to be bought to provide Jack Flash with some cash to put forward to laying more tracks down, because I for one will be buying them.
I love hip-hop, and if it is done correctly it can be an invaluable part of musical history, Jack should be very proud of this release. He has managed to bag himself a place in British hip hop and I really hope that he has the chance to put himself forward even further than this album to show the country and beyond, how good he is at his game.
Listen: www.myspace.com/jackflashgroundwurq
Tracklist:
1. Pledge Your Alliance
2. Living Legend
3. Refuge ft.Thabo
4. Stay Put
5. Hip Hop
6. Like It Was Yesterday
7. Vibe With Me
8. Intoxicating ft. Thabo
9. The Program ft. Micall Parkunsun
10. What I Invent ft. J Simple and Wize
11. Four Minute Warning
12. Sleepy Little Town ft. Jehst Asaviour and Apa-tight
13. Ground Wurq Anthem ft J Simple and Apa-tight
14. Everything
15. Come On Down
Review - Olympus Mons - Nothing's Gonna Spoil My Day Today
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7 out of 10
I'm going to come clean; I didn't know what Olympus Mons was until I looked it up. I can see why it is such a good name for a band, naming yourselves after the largest volcano in the solar system. This band and their music are like a volcano, erupting all over the place.
London seems to have launched at least 2 new 3-piece bands, Olympus Mons being one and the other is the Golden Silvers.
3 tracks jumped out of the album for me, 'Journey Chapter VII', 'The Song Of Home' and 'Eye For An Eye' were the outstanding tunes.
The whole album doesn't let up at all; every track just goes straight for the jugular and won't stop sucking the life out of it. I felt quite exhausted after the first listen to the album. Every track is like a hi-octane action movie with lots of explosions and special effects. There a lot of sounds to listen to on each track, and all produced by only 3 people.
I bet this band are quite a sight to see when live. If they can carry off this album live, it will be a good show. The vocals seem to be on a continuous roll and don't seem to come up for breath. The singer must feel if he doesn't get all the lyrics out in each song, then his world will fall apart. A lot of the vocals seem to be hard to understand. The choruses are catchy, but this doesn't help the album. The whole album could do with slowing down a few notches, I don't like repeating myself but it was true that I did feel really exhausted after listening to the whole album.
I would like to see this band live; it might help me appreciate the album even more than I did.
For a band about to release a 16 track album, I checked out their future live dates and at the time of writing, there were only 2 for the near future, whereas the Golden Silvers who I have previously mentioned are on a massive UK tour and they are only about to release their 2nd single in Oct. I would suggest that if anyone is interested in seeing a great live London band with brilliant tunes, they should check them out instead of the Mons.
Until the Olympus Mons get some more live UK dates under their belt, so I can get to see them, I'll have to settle for this demanding album.
Listen: www.myspace.com/theolympusmons
Tracklist:
1. Martial Law
2. OK On My Own
3. Too Much Too Soon
4. Late Again
5. Journey Chapter VII
6. Interlude 1 : Shall We Jump The Broom
7. Let The First Time Be The Last
8. Follow You Down
9. Broken Boys And Girls Of This Enchantment
10. Give Action Purpose
11. Song Of Home
12. Interlude 2 : Savanna La Mar
13. Letter
14. Sell Me To The Wind
15. Eye For An Eye
16. As Long As Our Feet Work
Review - Madlib - WLIB AM : King Of The Wigflip
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4 out of 10
I knew of Madlib through his work with Tha Alkaholiks and Xzibit, but I hadn't heard of any of his solo work as The Beat Konducta. This isn't actually a solo album, more like a compilation of his own tracks and others using his producing skills with other rappers.
When the first track hit me, I was looking forward to carrying on with the album, then the second track caught me completely off guard and I started feeling quite disappointed as I listened on as the whole album went downhill.
The only tracks on this compilation which are really listening to are the small interludes between the majority of the songs. These interludes use a mixture of fantastic beats and samples put together to make great mini tunes.
It's such a shame that the main songs of this album feel like they have been put together in a recording at the back of his house with second rate rappers. The only track which I really enjoyed was 'I Want It Back' by the Professionals in which Madlib leaves the mixing desk and joining his younger brother Oh No on vocals.
This album is part of The Beat Generation series, which I have come across before with the fantastic Jazzy Jeff release, that album showed how to put together a clever compilation with great artists and songs, unlike this release in the series.
When I review albums, I usually listen to the albums I am given to listen to at least a couple of times, but I must admit that I didn't want to listen to this album again.
Better luck next time Madlib with getting a better bunch of artists to help you release a better album.
Listen: www.myspace.com/madlib
Tracklist:
1. New Resident - Beat Konducta
2. Blow The Horns On ’Em - Guilty Simpson
3. Plan - Muldrow, Georgia Anne
4. Tension - Beat Konducta
5. Gamble On Ya Boy - Defari
6. Ox (805) - Med & Poke
7. All Virtue - Beat Konducta
8. Blinfold Test #10 (He Don’t Play) - J Rocc
9. Thang-Thang - Prince Po
10. Heat - Madlib
11. Smoke Break - Beat Konducta
12. Plan (1) - Beat Konducta
13. Life - Karriem Riggins
14. Parklight - Beat Konducta
15. Yo Yo Affair - Frezna
16. I Want It Back - Professionals (5)
17. Disco Dance - Beat Konducta
18. What It Do - Liberation (2)
19. Take That Money - Roc C & Oh No
20. Drinks Up - Frank ’n’ Dank
21. Way That I Live - Epps, Stacy
22. Ratrace - Murs
23. Go - Guilty Simpson
24. Stop - Beat Konducta
Review - Gunner Sgt - The End Of The Line
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7 out of 10
Gunner Sgt are a stoner rock/metal outfit from our nation's capital and 'The End Of The Line' is their debut EP. Gunner Sgt's far-reaching influences are evident in their work that will appeal to fans of T-Rex, David Bowie, AC/DC, Black Label Society and Nirvana. With an established fan base and a series of live shows planned, Gunner Sgt should do well on the circuit and these three songs are a damned good place to start.
Listen: www.myspace.com/gunnersgtband
Tracklist:
1. Dirty Gunners
2. Rebel in Jess
3. Step Fall
Review - The Atrocity Exhibit - The Atrocity Exhibit EP/One In One Out EP
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6 out of 10
The Atrocity Exhibit are a brutal assault on the auditory senses. Hailing from Northampton and the Devil's Layby (go Bill Bailey fans), Milton Keynes, TAE are a grindcore/doom/sludge outfit that whose songs are fast, slow and sometimes both. Both EPs demonstrate a relentless barrage of guitars, bass and drums that make you feel like your face might drop off at any moment.
The only problem with this kind of music, and it's probably down to my untrained ear, it is difficult to differentiate songs or even bands involved in the genre - and it is so hugely depressing, but I guess that's the point. The lads from TAE have nailed it though, and the two EPs are well recorded, as decent examples of the grind/doom/sludge scenes.
Not music to take your Gran to see live.
Listen: www.myspace.com/theatrocityexhibit
Tracklist:
The Atrocity Exhibit EP
1. Those Who Dare To Oppose Us
2. Mausoleum Choir
3. The Blessed
4. Throne Of Bile
5. It's Impossible To Keep A Body Count
6. Do Not Grieve
One In One Out EP
1. It's Impossible To Keep A Body Count
2. Weakener
3. Tracks Of A Killer
4. Scissors
5. Mono
6. Throne Of Bile
Review - The Following Announcement - In Secret Places
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3 out of 10
In Secret Places, the latest offering from Bristol based surf punk outfit The Following Announcement should, in my opinion, be left in one. A place so secret in fact, that no one will be able to find it.
This record does nothing to break new ground and amounts to little more than a Green Day tribute act. Apparently taking the music world 'by storm' TFA are most proud to have been the main support for megastar, not, David Jordan in their hometown of Bristol and are described by the pinnacle of music journalism - Bristol Rock - as "tight as a fish's ass" (Incidentally, I had to add the apostrophe myself). But, I just don't see it. Sure, the music is as tight as three chords get, but it is really, really, really dull.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thefollowingannouncement
Tracklist:
1. If The Ink Runs Dry
2. Roll Up
3. BRB
4. Oxygen
5. Big In Japan
6. Price Of fame
7. Notes On Photographs
8. Take My Hand
9. In Secret Places
Review - Tiny Spark - Alaska (Single)
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1 out of 10
If you have any romantic notions about music being the most beautiful and abstract of the arts, the one most in touch with what it is to be human, then give Tiny Spark a listen. This band will take your soul, put it in a wheelie bin and torture it for months, pausing only to send you ravaged, screaming segments in the mail. You will weep. You will raise your hands to the careless heavens, howling, "WHY ??!! WHY ME??!! WHY US??!! IS THERE NO BEAUTY, NO LOVE, NO HUMANITY??!!" Your very being will be reduced to a 'tiny spark', indeed. I caught my foot tapping at one point and immediately hacked it off - with a triple-A from a Slayer gig, naturally.
And what of the soundtrack to this existential nightmare, produced by five man-tastic, girl-moistening rakes with cheekily sculpted hair and bankrolling by Mr. Ben Sherman's pants empire? It is a titanic pop chimera. Keane's head on ELO's torso. Queen's left arm. The entire lower half of U2, making some accountant-creaming, eight-legged Cthulhu-machine. The whole topped by the mangled, gibbering, harmonised larynxes of Chris Martin and James Blunt. This monster won't be happy with Virgin cod-Indie award nominations or playing to others' sell-out crowds. Oh no. It wants spots on the National Lottery show, residencies at the O2 and tentacled trysts with Girls Aloud while they're still partly human. I see a permanent engraving on Dermot O'Leary's playlist, in beige ink on a fawn background. I see massed arms of Personnel typists waving along to the 'my window got a hole' chorus of Never Met That Girl at the V Festival, utterly failing to quake in fear at the line 'I never met a girl that took it so bad'. I see the Cowell cloning vats. Tiny Spark are killing music. They must be stopped.
Listen: www.myspace.com/tinysparkmusic
Tracklist:
1. Alaska
2. Go On
3. Never Met That Girl
Review - I Heart Hiroshima - Tuff Teef
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6 out of 10
If it hasn't already happened, Australia's I Heart Hiroshima are surely heading towards some magazine cover somewhere as 'best new band' for a week. Maybe even two. A bass-less, twin-guitar-and-drums trio, IHH have the energy of the Oxes and some of the sharpness of the Coachwhips - albeit tempered by overly-repetitive, slightly surreal lyrics and a male vocal which sounds like anaemic love-child of Jack White and Steve Albini. The voice is perfect for such lines as 'Don't give me medicine, I need a fit', though, and the strangulated punk yelping does counterpoint the female voice of IHH well - which recalls the rock purring of younger PJ Harvey, or (Hiroshima help us) Joan Jett.
Musically, we seem to have stumbled into yet another Bloc Party rehearsal (that band do get around, don't they?), with wiry, size-zero guitars relying on the deceptively simple drumming for oomph. Things go a bit downhill after hip-slinking opener Lungs, although I would hold up Punks, Crime, Throw That Metal and Stop That as proof that there's more to Brisbane than the Gabba and Donut-King. Look out for the band when Albini Jr's voice breaks - they could be onto something.
Listen: www.myspace.com/ihearthiroshima
Tracklist:
1. Lungs
2. Surgery
3. Punks
4. Teef
5. Crook'd
6. Electric lake
7. Crime
8. Wires
9. Got Bones?
10. Throw That Metal
11. Captain to Captain
12. Stop That
Review - Night Wounds - Allergic To Heat
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8 out of 10
Deranged stuff indeed. This band may feature 3 members, or it might be 4. They play very, VERY angular, skronky noise rock that throws in enough left-field elements to avoid lazy post-rock/noise rock pigeon-holing. Songs are short (with the exception of closer X.O.T.) influences are even more random. I detect Naked City, Fugazi, The Residents, Melvins and a whole heap of unidentifiable shapes as well. Night Wounds certainly have me thinking.
Thinking that this is either the best thing I have heard in ages or a chaotic mess. I have come to the conclusion that it's a good thing, the chaotic mess that is. And any band that cover Death In June so greatly are always going to win points in my book.
Seriously deranged, good stuff.
Listen: www.myspace.com/nightwounds
Tracklist:
1. Allergic To Heat
2. Less Dead
3. Nineteen
4. Ex-Best Friend
5. Caving In
6. Hex Appeal
7. Damage
8. X.O.T.
Review - Efflux - Mantlepiece Fiasco
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5 out of 10
efflux (noun) - the act or process of flowing out. Something that flows out of something else. The passing away of something, e.g time.
I can identify with the third definition. Not that this album's bad - on the contrary, for a self-produced work it is excellent; powerful vocals, imaginative and tight playing, they're all here and more. It's just a bit . well . let me put it this way - it's unashamedly Jazz-Fusion at heart and, for all its Boss nova gumbo of rhythms and riffs, falls sax-over-squeals into the Jazz Trap. You know the one I mean - where the performers are enjoying the music far more than the audience, and certain members of the audience hide this by closing their eyes and nodding their heads in a sage, I-read-about-this-in-the-Wire kind of way. Nice.
We have (inevitably) essence of Weather Report, Zappa - even a momentary lapse into Pink Floyd a couple of times. There is also, unfortunately, a slight stench of the Bonzos but without the jokes. The quick-fire time-changes prevent things from being totally relaxing, although each track has at least thirty seconds of journeying relief before the bongos break out or the Samba is experimented on once more. Capitulate is the catchy stand-out, although all tracks have something to offer - you could say 'too much'. Just because you can do it, it doesn't mean you should.
Listen: www.myspace.com/effluxmusic
Tracklist:
1. False Start
2. Bound to Me
3. Capitulate
4. Dressed in Electric
5. Trapped in the Astrolab
6. Do It With A Smile
7. Shaking the Superflux
8. Bomboon
News - Tom Gabel (Against Me!) Solo EP
Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel has a new solo EP called "Heart Burns" being released on the 27th of October through Sire Records.
Track Listing:
1. Random Hearts
2. Conceptual Paths
3. Cowards Sing at Night
4. Amputations
5. Anna Is A Stool Pigeon
6. Harsh Realms
7. 100 Years of War
News - John Wheeler (Hayseed Dixie’s Frontman) Solo Show
John Wheeler (Hayseed Dixie’s frontman) is playing a show at London's Bush Hall on Thursday the 20th of November.
Tickets for the show cost £9.50, subject to a booking fee, and are available from:
Bush Hall Box office 08700 600 100
Seetickets 0871 220 0260 / www.seetickets.com
Ticketmaster 0870 400 0688 / www.ticketmaster.com
Stargreen 0207 734 8932 / www.stargreen.com
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
News - Cool Hand Luke Album
Cool Hand Luke will release "The Sleeping House" on the 14th of October through Lujo Records.
News - Breathe Carolina In The Top 10!
Breathe Carolina released their debut CD "It’s Classy, Not Classic" on the 16th of September through Rise Records and it has charted rather well!
Submitted: "The album charted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart (#6) and Top 5 on the Billboard Top Electronic Albums chart (#5). Additionally, the album debuted on The Billboard 200 albums chart (#186)."
News - The Virgins: One Week Of Danger
The Virgins have announced that their next single will be "One Week Of Danger" released through Young & Lost Club on the 13th of October. The band will be on tour in October to support the single.
News - Your Demise Join The Visible Noise Ranks
Your Demise have signed an album deal with Visible Noise. Read the press release here:
"Noise are proud to welcome St Albans Hardcore mob YOUR DEMISE to the family. After making waves all over the UK and Europe with their unique brand of UKHC, Visible Noise snap up YD for their second album, expected Spring 2009. For now check out some new tracks from recent EP 'Blood Stays On The Blade' at www.myspace.com/yourdemise and the ace vid for the title track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMbnxdxhUzQ
Check out the band at one of their infamous live shows on the SANTA SLAUGHTER TOUR- Dec 11th- 17th with Emmure, Bury Your Dead and More!
December 11th- Newport, TJ'S,
December 12th- Peterborough, The Park
December 13th- Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
December 14th- Glasgow Ivory Blacks
December 15th-Leeds, Rios
December 16th-Plymouth, White Rabbit
December 17th-London Carling Academy Islington"
News - History Of Acedia
History Of Guns release their new album "ACEDIA" on the 10th of November through Line Out Records.
News - Russian Circles Take Over 2008!
Russian Circles have a European tour coming up with These Arms Are Snakes and then some US dates with Clutch.
European Dates:
October 15 Tilburg, Holland 013 Popcentrum
October 17 Braunschweig, Germany Nexus
October 18 Frankfurt, Germany Elfer
October 19 St. Petersburg, Russia Art Galley Loft Project * no TAAS on this show
October 22 Moscow, Russia Aktoviy Zal
October 24 Berlin, Germany Magnet
October 25 Leipzig, Germany Zoro
October 26 Prague, Czech Club 007
October 27 Budapest, Hungary Kaplung
October 28 Vienna, Austria Arena Vienna
October 29 Zurich, Switzerland Abart
October 30 Bologna, Italy Sotto Tetto
October 31 Montpellier, France Mojomatic
November 1 Barcelona, Spain Apollo 2
November 3 Madrid, Spain Wurlitzer Ballroom
November 4 Lisbon, Portugal Galeria Ze Des Bois
November 5 Porto, Portugal Porto Rio
November 6 Barakaldo, SPA Edaska Rock Club
November 8 Lyon, France Grrrnd Zero
November 9 Lausanne, Switzerland Le Romandie
November 10 Paris, France Mains D,oeuvre
November 11 Esch-Alzette, Luxemborg Rokhal
November 12 Gent, Belgium Charlatan
November 13 Leuven, Belgium Stuk
November 14 Brighton, UK Engine Room
November 15 Exeter, UK Cavern Club
November 16 Leeds, UK Brudenell Social Club
November 17 Glasgow, UK Stereo
November 18 Belfast, Ireland Black Box
November 19 Dublin, Ireland Whelans
November 20 Manchester, UK Star And Garter
November 21 Nottingham, UK Rock City
November 22 London, UK Islington Academy
USA w/ Clutch!
Dec 27 Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, New Jersey
Dec 28 Webster Theater - Hartford, Connecticut
Dec 29 930 Club - Washington DC
Dec 30 Newport Music Hall - Columbus, Ohio
Dec 31 Orbit Room - Grand Rapids, Michigan
News - Cruel Hand V.S. Have Heart: Round 1
Cruel Hand’s full length debut "Prying Eyes" is coming out through Bridge Nine Records on the 14th of October. The band are then heading to Europe with label mates Have Heart in December with the following tour dates lined up:
05.12.08 Belgium Hasselt Muziekodrome w/ Ceremony, Never Healed
06.12.08 Holland Amersfoort De Kelder
07.12.08 UK Manchester The Phoenix
08.12.08 UK Newport TJ’s
09.12.08 UK London Underworld
10.12.08 France Nantes Le Ferrailleur
11.12.08 Spain Madrid Barracudas
12.12.08 Spain Barcelona Casal Jove De Roquetes
13.12.08 France Toulouse Caravan Serail
14.12.08 Germany Wiesbaden Schlachthof
15.12.08 Germany Hamburg Hafenklang
16.12.08 Sweden Stockholm Kafe 44
17.12.08 Norway Stavanger Metropolis
18.12.08 Sweden Jonköping China
19.12.08 Germany Essen JUZ Papestrasse
20.12.08 Germany Leipzig Conne Island
21.12.08 Germany München Feierwerk - Hansa 39
News - William Control (Aiden Side-Project) Dates
William Control (Will Francis the lead singer of Aiden’s side-project) will tour the UK in November on these dates:
Nov 2 2008 Roadhouse Manchester
Nov 3 2008 The Underworld London
Nov 4 2008 Little Civic Wolverhampton
Nov 6 2008 Croft Bristol
Nov 7 2008 Hamptons Southampton
The debut William Control album "Hate Culture" will be released through Victory Records on the 27th of October.
News - The Tour Of Warriors
The Warriors head to europe on tour starting in October and also plan to return to the studio in 2009 for their next album.
24.10.08 Germany Essen Maximum Destruction Festival
25.10.08 Belgium Landen Amfitheater
27.10.08 UK London Underworld
28.10.08 UK Brighton Engine Rooms
30.10.08 UK Nottingham Bunkers Hill
31.10.08 UK Birmingham Barfly
03.11.08 UK Manchester Satans Hollow
04.11.08 UK Plymouth White Rabbit
05.11.08 UK Newport TJ’s
08.11.08 Belgium Ravelingen Fallout Fest
09.11.08 Germany Dessau Beatclub
13.11.08 Germany München Feierwerk
14.11.08 Switzerland Oberentfelden PorömPömPöm
15.11.08 Italy Bologna Rock Circus
16.11.08 Italy Rome Traffic
17.11.08 Slovenia Lasko SMOCL
19.11.08 Austria Wien Arena
21.11.08 Slovakia Banska Bystricia Club 77
News - An October Aiden Tour
Aiden will tour europe next month in October:
Oct 1 2008 Academy 3 Manchester
Oct 2 2008 Academy 2 Sheffield
Oct 3 2008 Academy 2 Liverpool
Oct 4 2008 Islington Academy London
Oct 5 2008 Barfly Birmingham
Oct 7 2008 Brook Southampton
Oct 8 2008 Orange box Yeovil
Oct 9 2008 Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff
Oct 10 2008 Academy 2 Bristol
Oct 12 2008 Rescue rooms Nottingham
Oct 13 2008 Roadmender Northampton
Oct 14 2008 Sugarmill Stoke
Oct 15 2008 Waterfront Norwich
Oct 16 2008 Effenaar Eindhoven
Oct 17 2008 P60 Amstelween
Oct 18 2008 X 500 Hereford
Oct 20 2008 Molotow Hamburg
Oct 22 2008 Nosturi Helsinki
Oct 23 2008 Pakkahoune Tampere
Oct 25 2008 Klubben Stockholm
Oct 26 2008 Brewhouse Goteborg
Oct 28 2008 Magnet Berlin
Oct 29 2008 Underground Koln
Oct 30 2008 Condrad Sohm Dornbim
Oct 31 2008 Backstage Club Munich
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
News - Senses Fail: Garden State
Senses Fail have uploaded "Garden State" from their forthcoming "Life is Not A Waiting Room" album to their MySpace page. The album is being released on the 6th of October through Vagrant Records.
News - New Zao Album In Progress
Zao are recording a new album with As I Lay Dying’s frontman Tim Lambesis and Daniel Castleman. The as yet untitled release will come out in 2009 through Ferret Music.
News - The Haunts Of London
Submitted: "Haunts release the single "London's Burning" through Black Records as an exclusive free download only single on 31st October for 1 week or buy it as a bundle with B-sides including a cover of White Wedding by Billy Idol.
The single will be followed by their self titled debut album on 17th November 2008.
UK tour with The Holloways.
Full dates below:
Fri 24th Oct Newcastle Academy 2 0844 4772000 Doors 18:30 16+
Sat 25th Oct Glasgow Garage 08444 999 990 Doors 18:00 16+
Sun 26th Oct Leeds Faversham 08444 771000 Doors 17:00 18+
Mon 27th Oct Manchester Club Academy 0871424 4444 Doors 18:00 16+
Tues 28th Oct Brighton Concorde 2 01273673311 Doors 17:00 16+
Wed 29th Oct Birmingham Custard Factory 08444 771000 Doors 17:00 16+
Thurs 30th Oct Oxford Zodiac 0844 4772000 Doors 17:00 16+
Fri 31st Oct Sheffield Leadmill 08444771000 Doors 17:00 16+
Sat 1st Nov London ULU 08444 771000 Doors 17:00 16+
All shows are £12 each, London is £14."
News - Meet Me In St Louis Day
Submitted by Kev of BSM Records: "Wednesday is national Meet Me In St Louis day. Their brilliant debut (and unfortunately, final) album ’Variations On Swing’ was released on 24th September 2007 so we’re encouraging people to bunk off work, put the album on, crank it up loud and celebrate that date every year! Big Scary Monsters Records have set up a minisite at www.bsmrocks.com/mmisl where people can buy t-shirts (plus the album at a special low price), watch videos and listen to the album in its entirety to help with the experience."
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Review - Bayside - Shudder
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8 out of 10
Bayside have had one hell of a journey since their formed eight years ago. Three records, numerous line up changes, constant touring and in 2005 the death of their drummer John "Beatz" Holohan when their tour van crashed, but despite a shopping list of adversity Bayside have returned with their fourth studio record "Shudder" and are exhibiting what they claim to be a decidedly more 'Punk' sound.
The opening track "Boy" has some vague undertones of the Velvet Underground at its start due to lead singer Anthony Raneri's low, almost droning vocals while the guitar riffs are comparable to Iron Maiden style shredding every now and again switching into a more simplistic crunch. With lyrics like, "Learn to drown before you learn to swim" their Emo-Core credentials are evident whilst there are moments that have an almost Stadium Rock quality. "The Ghost of Saint Valentine" explores a more melodic sound akin to So Cal Punk groups such as Social Distortion, while "No One Understands" sounds closer to Jimmy Eat World.
"What and What Not" is suitably dark and brooding though the Pop Punk style vocals steer it away from becoming too dark. It makes perfect sense that Bayside recently toured with Alkaline Trio, given this more 'Punk' direction though they still hold onto a melodic streak. However "A Call to Arms" sits closer to Sum 41 style Pop Punk, albeit without being quite as cliché.
"I Can't Go On" is reminiscent of the work of Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab For Cutie/ The Postal Service), featuring not only similar vocals but conjuring a foreboding and almost medicated kind of atmosphere complete with soaring crescendos. "Demons" sound like piece of finely crafted 'myspace poetry', complete with MTV references, to a cardboard cut out Pop Punk backing of treblely bass and uber fast palm muted riffs stumbling into soaring lead parts, which are also present in "Have Fun Storming the Castle".
"Howard" is probably the strangest song I have heard in about five minutes (there is some pretty wild stuff floating around the cities of South Korea you see). It primarily appears to be a Ramones style break neck ballad about Howard Hughes. Hughes was probably one of the most enigmatic and fascinating heroes of 20th century America and certainly worth writing a song about, as he is easily up there with Ron Jeremy in terms of cultural importance. "Roshambo" (Rock, Paper, Scissors) is of a similar ilk but has no notable cultural references or mention of any prolific Americans of the 20th century and therefore has less chance of being used on the National Geographic channel, although it's title does make reference to a game that is popular amongst South Korean school children, but then I am sure you could of lived out your life quite happily without knowing that. Yet I would not be able to live out mine happily if I had not informed you of that and likewise I feel it is of great importance to inform you, dear reader, that the last track of Bayside's latest offering is a markedly different from the rest of the record. It reminded me of the last track of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers landmark "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", which was a lightening fast skiffle rendition of Robert Johnson's "They're Red Hot", which contrasted so differently with the flowing and hedonistic Funk Rock found on every other track.
Bayside's last track "Moceanu" starts as a haunting Gypsy Folk ballad more akin to Devendra Banhart or Gogol Bordello than Alkaline Trio. It trips into Tom Waits territory here and there, while there are dark movements in the shadows of this track: it sounds wide and spacey, yet cosy, almost like it was recorded by candle light in a cavernous space. Your attention is therefore focused on one small place but you know there is much more else out there, you just cannot see it yet.
"I liked reality when it was a dream"
A stark ending to a record that at first may sound relatively superficial but in fact holds many of the scars and half forgotten dreams of Bayside's chequered past.
Listen: www.myspace.com/bayside
Tracklist:
1. Boy
2. The Ghost of Saint Valentine
3. No One Understands
4. What and What Not
5. A Call to Arms
6. I Can’t Go On
7. Demons
8. Have Fun Storming the Castle
9. Howard
10. Roshambo (Rock, Paper, Scissors)
11. I Think I’ll Be Ok
12. Moceanu
Review - Estelle - Pretty Please (Love Me) (Feat. Cee-Lo) (Single)
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6 out of 10
As one of the standout tracks from Estelle's critically acclaimed album 'Shine', 'Pretty Please (Love Me)' was obvious single material; with sharp percussion, an upbeat melody, retro backing vocals and Motown vibe, it's the perfect soundtrack to the late September sunshine. The guest vocals from Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley fame (who also gets a song writing credit on the track) fit perfectly and reiterate what a winning combination Estelle and those American boys are!
Listen: www.myspace.com/estelleonline
Tracklist:
1. Pretty Please (Love Me)
Review - Avenged Sevenfold - Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough
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9 out of 10
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
There was a time - Halloween, two years ago in fact, when I decided not to like A7X anymore after they cancelled their live show at Nottingham Rock City to work on the new album. I was really annoyed. The new album was okay. I suppose, but it wasn't until Afterlife appeared on Rockband (or Guitar Hero 3 - I can't remember which) that I suddenly began to realise that the break was a good thing and A7X were now actually better than they would have been had they stayed on tour to deliver that fateful performance at Halloween.
The result? The Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough release. Absolutely awesome. With what can only be described as cinematic quality, the A7X crew plough through a kind of greatest hits set with power and finesse. In fact the only reason it doesn't score top marks, is that the fantastic audio is, well, too fantastic and it feels like it can't possibly have been taken from the live feed.
In short, fans will love this - and non-fans might become fans that will then love it.
Listen: www.myspace.com/avengedsevenfold
Tracklist:
Live DVD:
1. Critical Acclaim
2. Second Heartbeat
3. Afterlife
4. Beast And The Harlot
5. Scream
6. Seize The Day
7. Walk
8. Bat Country
9. Almost Easy
10. Gunslinger
11. Unholy Confessions
12. Little Piece Of Heaven
CD:
1. Demons
2. Girl I Know
3. Crossroads
4. Flash Of The Blade
5. Until The End
6. Tension
7. Walk
8. Fight
9. Dancing Dead
10. Almost Easy
11. Afterlife (Alternative Version)
Review - Various - Kerrang The Album
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2 out of 10
Wicked, I thought when the Kerrang compilation popped through the door in the latest batch of review material, that's bound to make decent listening on the way to work this morning. In earnest, I whacked the CD into the player and headed through the track listing. Kerrang has certainly changed since it was the pinnacle of all things metal.a very long time ago. There are one or two gems on here - Slipknot's 'Psychosocial', Slaves To Gravity's 'Mr Regulator' and of course, the Cancer Bats tune, but come on, these tunes aren't the best of metal and rock from 2008 are they?
For instance, prominent on the album are some seriously old and over played tunes. Green Day's 'American Idiot' from 2004? 'Keep your hands off my girl' by Good Charlotte from 2006? 'The Kill' by 30 Seconds To Mars from 2006?
Come on Kerrang, don't patronise your loyal customer base. This is a compilation for idiots and children. Don't bother.
Tracklist:
CD 1:
1. Kid Rock - All Summer Long
2. Nickelback - Rock Star
3. Weezer - Pork And Beans
4. Biffy Clyro - Saturday Superhouse
5. Good Charlotte - Keep Your Hands Off My Girl
6. Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
7. Slipknot - PsychoSocial
8. Enter Shikari - Sorry, You’re Not A Winner
9. Linkin Park - Given Up
10. Serj Tankian - Empty Walls
11. Airbourne - Runnin’ Wild
12. Black Tide - Warriors Of Time
13. Killswitch Engage - Holy Diver
14. Dillinger Escape Plan - Black Bubblegum
15. Scars On Broadway - They Say
16. Bullet For My Valentine - Waking The Demon
17. Slaves To Gravity - Mr Regulator
18. Gaslight Anthem - The ’59 Sound
19. Nightmarchers - I Wanna Deadbeat You
20. Coheed And Cambria - Feathers
21. 30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill
CD 2:
1. Green Day - American Idiot
2. My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade
3. Fall Out Boy - This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race
4. Elliot Minor - Parallel Worlds
5. Simple Plan - When I’m Gone
6. Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
7. Alkaline Trio - Love Love Kiss Kiss
8. Blackout - Spread Legs, Not Lies
9. Funeral For A Friend - Waterfront Danceclub
10. Madina Lake - House Of Cards
11. You Me At Six - If I Were In Your Shoes
12. Billy Talent - Red Flag
13. Fighting With Wire - Everyone Needs A Nemesis
14. HIM - Wings Of A Butterfly
15. Avenged Sevenfold - Afterlife
16. Machine Head - Aesthetics Of Hate
17. Atreyu - Falling Down
18. Kids In Glass Houses - Give Me What I Want
19. Kill Hannah - Lips Like Morphine
20. Cancer Bats - Hail Destroyer
21. Gallows - Orchestra Of Wolves
Review - Reemer - Snakes And Ladders
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5 out of 10
"Stick the album in your CD player and you can expect an explosion of infectious energy, soaring melodies and passionate lyrics" according to the band's press release. So yesterday, I did indeed stick it in my CD player expecting an explosion of infectious energy, soaring melodies and passionate lyrics. I am still waiting.
It is not that this album is bad. Not at all. It's just not quite what I was expecting after such a great debut single - Rock Star, just a few weeks ago. I'll be honest; there are one or two places where I just got a bit bored. There are some solid moments though and musically speaking I kind of like it, I just can't listen to the full album without getting slightly annoyed with the rather droning sound of a vocal that sounds entirely generic in comparison to other floppy haired indie bands.
Listen: www.myspace.com/reemer
Tracklist:
1. Maniac
2. Summer Sun
3. Invisible Man
4. Too Bad
5. Thieves
6. Words
7. Rockstar
8. Same Old Games
9. Miles
10. Find My Place
Review - Various - Corleone Records DVD "Everything I Own Is Broken Or Bent"
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8 out of 10
You will either be into Corleone Records or you will have never heard of them. The Providence, RI based label has been releasing left-field noise for many years, 10 in fact. And that’s what this DVD is all about. Celebrating those 10 years and all the bands (and I use that word in a very loose sense here) that have been part of the label.
As always in mentioning Providence you can’t fail to mention Lightning Bolt, the most well known musical export from the area. LB’s Brian Chippendale pops up on here on a couple of occasions. His solo Black Pus project gets a live clip thrown in alongside Mindflayer, which is Lightning Bolt with synths instead of bass really. Brian Gibson isn’t left out either. Getting to play drums in a live clip from Landed. And it's a good example of the manifesto set out by Corleone. To show each artists commitment to honesty, however that takes shape. Which means you get some awesome warts and all live footage alongside some very arty for arts sake clips as well, or "the special needs, mom dressed kids" as a friend of mine will call them. Highlights for myself where Snake Apartments gross out video to accompany there very-Melvins esque noise rock, The Body’s claustrophobic cellar rock out, Lorna Doom’s suburban hip-hop, Bonedust’s ritual like creepiness and Fang Island’s video featuring them playing to a class of little children all dancing like crazy. Make the DVD well worth a look. Get Killed, WORK/DEATH, Lazy Magnet and Night Wounds are all cool as well.
There are many other things to enjoy as well. The bonus features have a short film by Bluetip’s Jason Farell, live sets from Mahi Mahi and The Body, poster gallery, music videos and two commentary tracks featuring many of the DVD’s musical culprits.
There you have it really. It's mostly going to be bought and watched by fans of the label itself but I reckon if you need a change of pace and maybe some kind of new musical direction to look in then have a little rummage through the Corleone suitcase of noise. You might just find something good.
Listen: www.myspace.com/corleonerecords
Tracklist:
Review - Skreintax - Breathe ft. Graziella (Single)
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8 out of 10
Before popping this CD into my car this morning, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Skreintax are a duo combining Skrein and Dr Syntax - two artists I'd never heard of before, and so upon hearing "Breathe" for the first time, I was more than pleasantly surprised. It's a beautifully laidback and almost soulful single. Reminiscent of anything from Groove Armada's "Vertigo", it's the type of track you could picture yourself listening to in a trendy riverside wine bar - chilled, a little jazzy, but nothing to intrusive. Graziella's fabulous voice adds a touch of class to the proceedings and the otherwise dodgy lyrics that creep into the verses occasionally, but this really is a great late-summer song.
B-side, "Reach" loses the laidback and chilled themes of "Breathe". There is a far more defined beat, and the rap is far more prominent. However, it's still not brash or abrasive - it's fantastic. The recurring guitar riff is almost haunting, and again, Graziella's vocals add an extra layer to this almost anthemic sound.
Fans of the likes of Flobots, Plan B or Saul Williams are likely to fall in love with this duo, but there's also a wider appeal in that both tracks are so cleverly crafted, that it's impossible not to notice such a truly great sound.
Tracklist:
1. Breathe ft. Graziella (Radio Edit)
2. Reach ft. Graziella (Radio Edit)
3. Breathe ft. Graziella (Dirty Edit)
4. Reach ft. Graziella (Dirty Edit)
Review - The Lazarus Plot - Do You Want To Be Someone? (Single)
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7 out of 10
I'm sure I've seen The Lazarus Plot before, and after listening to this single, I'm now wracking my brains trying to work out why it is I can't remember where or when it was that I saw them. "Do You Want To Be Someone?" is a wonderful track. It's tender without being soppy and sincerely hopeful without sounding like James Morrison.
The Lazarus Plot left the idea of simplicity at the door when recording this track; the layers that come together in this recording are fantastic, and are particularly enhanced by the strings and piano towards the end. The vocals suit the music that these guys are making, but are a little weak and this really is the only thing I can recognise as a downfall.
Certainly not a bad effort, and I should definitely hope that I'd remember the next time I see these guys in a live setting.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thelazarusplotmusic
Tracklist:
1. Do You Want To Be Someone?
2. Do You Want To Be Someone? (Radio Edit)
Review - Various - Stench Of Muscle
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6 out of 10
With the stratospheric rise of MySpace and messageboards, the DIY scene has blossomed. Some would call this a curse, but I definitely see it as a blessing. Stench Of Muscle is a compilation CD that is the result of a years worth of DIY shows in the Leeds area.
The majority of the bands that appear on the CD are based in the sunny climes of Leeds (Ha ha!), with the occasional straggler from fields afar like Rome, Glasgow and London. There is a real mix of artists on this compilation ranging from the chilled out, to utterly apocalyptic and it showcases just how large the range of musicians is that are doing things for themselves. However, this also means that a lot of the music that passes through these circles is utter garbage. The latter half of this CD proves this. However stand out tracks from the likes of That Fucking Tank, Serious Sam Barrett and Gay Against You definitely redeem the latter halves failings.
I can only recommend picking this up if you want to experience what our super underground, super elitist scenes are producing. As they saying goes, "you have to dig through a whole lot of shit to find the few rare diamonds".
Listen: www.myspace.com/stenchofmuscle
Tracklist:
1. Please - The Shame
2. Cowtown - Jumpin' Rabbit, Moving Eyes
3. That Fucking Tank - Owl End
4. Gay Against You - Let's Build A Chinatown PT.II
5. Cissy - Ghost Ride The Whip
6. The Points System - Britney
7. Honey Ride Me A Goat - Newts Pump A Concocted Ulcer
8. Hair & Make Up - Fingers
9. Park Attack - Shitheel (Live in Edinburgh)
10. Hiroshima Rocks Around - Closed Mouth
11. 7 Hertz - Wrong Dance, Take Two
12. Poltergroom - Toilet Door
13. Tattie Toes - Taiko Lullaby
14. Serious Sam Barrett - Heather
15. Chris Sharkey - Fucknac
16. Mucky Sailor - Never Too Much
17. House Mouse - Broken Tooths
18. Elizabeth - Biella Kalimba (Non-Gabba Edit)
19. Bilbao Syndrome - Depression Costume (Live in Leeds)
20. Chops - Chop Of The Pops
21. Pifco - Hope It Floats
Review - Shy Of The Depth - Shy Of The Depth
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8 out of 10
Since the early days of Johnny Truant, Brighton has become a haven for the more technical side of the UK metal scene. The aforementioned surely inspired Architects, who most definitely inspired Shy Of The Depth to pick up their instruments. However, that lovely little seaside town isn't the only influence that shines through on this four track EP. There are clearly nods to the Swedish gods Meshuggah and more than a few ideas that wouldn't sound out of place on a Necrophagist record. Polyrythyms fly everywhere whilst the bass slaps and pops in all the right places, underpinning the groove that nails the seizure like guitar lines solidly to the rest of the tracks. The musicianship on show from all five members is undeniably awesome and shows why Justin Hill and Dan Weller (ex-Sikth) personally invited them to the WellerHill Production complex to record this EP. All round awesomeness.
Listen: www.myspace.com/shyofthedepth
Tracklist:
1. Frozen Still Flows
2. Worth Is Wealth
3. Unborn Menace
4. Bastard Approach
5. Unborn Menace (Promo Video)
Review - I Concur - Oblique (Single)
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9 out of 10
Yet another great product that's been through Forward Russia's Tom Woodhead production mill. You know I was gutted to hear about Forward Russia's 'hiatus', but the more I hear of his production the more I'm getting over it. There's something very awesome about I Concur's 'Oblique', actually I suppose I must mention that 'Oblique' is in fact not an I Concur song, rather a 3 year old song by front man Tim Hann. Anyway.
Yet another band with a 'big' sound being lazily compared to Explosions in the Sky et al. There however is a lot more to these guys than a generous dousing of reverb and a generous helping of delay - though admittedly it does tick those boxes too. Oblique is wonderfully cyclical, in a satisfying way, it repeats and wraps around reminding me of the finer moments of Interpol. It culminates excitingly as though reaching a climax reminding me of My Bloody Valentine also. There's an 80's sound to them too, especially vocally; layered, building, powerful and ultimately anthemic.
The b-side "Captors" is pretty good too.
Oblique is a delicious single, and a band clearly to be reckoned with alongside the exciting 'post rock' scene in the North West.
Listen: www.iconcur.co.uk
Tracklist:
1. Oblique
2. Captors
Review - Polysics - We Ate The Machine
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7 out of 10
With the release of this (Their twelfth) album, Tokyo's 'pogo punks' Polysics continue the Japanese tradition of putting pop music through some kind of Anime-mechanix and seeing what comes out the other end. In the case of We Ate The Machine, it's a sandwich. If you're the kind of person who cuts off their crusts or discards the bread altogether before gorging yourself, this album's for you. Topped and tailed by tracks which sound like either French (Or perhaps Ukrainian) entries for Eurovision, or Blur pumped full of helium and LSD, it is tracks three to ten which provide the real, hearty filling. Just hope your stomach's ready.
Rocket's blasting bass peels back the ears and is pure Melt-Banana goes pop, with the kind of bonkers joy only Japanese bands seem to be able to manage. The title track has a robot playing along to glitch-metal of quite insane pace, with a carpentry set. DNA Junction bursts open on autistic piano and a catchy chant of 'rather bad than be uncool!'. Pony & Lion is pure Manga-Zep, complete with OTT solo and Brontozoid riff. Irotokage shoves a 1970s disco full of amphetamines and Mind Your Head soundtracks a circus of the insane, ringmastered by Max Headroom and with acrobatics by Erasure.
Exhausting, life-affirming, mind-blowing stuff - to be honest, you may find the closing tracks a relief in their Banzai tweeness. And why the hell are they only playing one gig in this country? Honestly, it's enough to make you buy an orange boiler suit and pogo in frustration.
Listen: www.myspace.com/polysicsjp
Tracklist:
1. Moog Is Love
2. Pretty Good
3. Rocket
4. I ate the machine
5. DNA Junction
6. Kagayake
7. Pony & Lion
8. Arigato
9. Irotokage
10. Mind Your Head
11. Digital Coffee
12. Boys & Girls
13. Blue Noise
14. Dry or Wet
Review - The Bedroom Project - The World Is Not Watching
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6 out of 10
Listen: www.myspace.com/thebedroomproject
Tracklist:
1. Lighting a Match
2. The Story of Lex McKlane
3. Clipping the Apex
4. There is no Shelter
5. Everything You Need
6. As the Mist Clears
7. Make Your Way Out, Please
8. Who Built This Empty Space?
9. Faking the Circumstances
10. Wall Street in Flames
11. It Never Ends
Review - The Bedroom Project - The World Is Not Watching
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6 out of 10
Listen: www.myspace.com/thebedroomproject
Tracklist:
1. Lighting a Match
2. The Story of Lex McKlane
3. Clipping the Apex
4. There is no Shelter
5. Everything You Need
6. As the Mist Clears
7. Make Your Way Out, Please
8. Who Built This Empty Space?
9. Faking the Circumstances
10. Wall Street in Flames
11. It Never Ends
Review - Nanas Revenge - Man Down
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8 out of 10
A few years ago, you could barely move without hearing of another UK skate punk band bounding around the country. A lot of bands peddling their wares, playing everywhere - but at times it seemed to all meld into one. Slowly but surely, these bands ebbed away (Though admittedly I’d moved on to listening to music that made my face melt) and now the scene doesn’t seem the same any more.
But enough of the semi-tearful reminiscing - time to get to the matter at hand and dive back into 2008.
Hailing from Barrow In Furness but now Leeds based, Nanas Revenge is out to bring the fun back again. Having spent their time honing their live trade with oodles of local shows (And the odd tour) - they’ve finally made their way onto top independent label Lockjaw.
Their first release for Lockjaw is the 7 track mini album - "Man Down". Though it’s less an album - more a statement of intent. Right from the word go the pace quickens and the melodies shine through. Many bands struggle with the balance of tracks like this, going all out for pace and sacrificing the songs, but these boys don’t seem to have that problem. Good quality songs, with a few sing-along choruses bunged in there (Just to add to the addictiveness)
It’s not all one-dimensional either; flashes of ska and some nice (Slower/mellow) intro pieces keep the interest going. Though I did think track 5 (Home and Away) was going to stay a bit too twee and ballady - thank Christ it didn’t!
Overall, a nicely written album that shows a lot of promise. I look forwards to seeing where the band goes from here.
Listen: www.myspace.com/nanasrevenge
Tracklist:
1. A Foot In the Door
2. We Can Change It
3. Major Tom
4. Rigor Mortis
5. Home & Away
6. I Never Knew
7. Another Way
Review - Mister Manana - Caprisun & Wrongbow
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5 out of 10
Note to all fame-hungry bands out there - if you're going to sell your artistic souls for product placement, always do so after your cool and moody faces are all over the news-stands, not before. No doubt driven mad by the constant mispronunciation of their name, Carlisle's Mister Mañana have ignored this sage advice and arrive with this, their fourth self-produced EP. Musically, it's hard to fault. There's plenty of light and shade, managed flawlessly on the whole (Human Fly's rushed, incongruous brass section notwithstanding). The monstrous, made-for-stadia riffs recall Soundgarden at their doom-laden best, or Mogwai at their least fuzzy. There is epic balladry and we even tickle the toes of Prog. You'll notice I haven't mentioned the singing yet.
Ah yes. The singing. Described elsewhere as 'like drinking syrup from a razorsharp (sic)-edged tin can' (From a positive review, if you're wondering), Andy Bartlett's voice gives a quite schizophrenic performance. During opener Capricorn, for example, it seems to be aiming for E. Vedder but arrives at K. Cobain via D. Filth, rather at odds with the loping, smooth and rock-heavy melody. This holds for much of the EP - the vocals just don't seem huge enough to match the music. The Passing Of is the best on offer here, an epic, Pearl Jammed ballad in which Bartlett manages to match the shifting darkness of the song well. Witch Hunting promises much and the first half delivers, only for it to fade into feedback after five minutes and return as one of those acoustic interludes on early Black Sabbath albums. Mark Lanegan apparently materialises to sing and there seems to be Isobel Campbell singing drunkenly in the background. Have we stumbled into 'hidden bonus track' territory? If so, it could do with being hidden better.
Perhaps more Wrongbow and less Caprisun need to be drunk before the next release. And may I suggest Jak Dan-Yulls?
Listen: www.myspace.com/mrmanana
Tracklist:
1. Capricorn
2. Human Fly
3. The Passing Of
4. Witch Hunting
Review - Forcefeed - Forcefeed
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9 out of 10
Following in the latest trend of self-titled releases (Three of the reviews I have written today alone are named after the bands), Dutch five piece metal act Forcefeed are a force to be reckoned with (James' Note: I'm unsure as to whether Gray intended that terrible pun, so on behalf of Gray DSD apologies for the groans I am sure you emitted. I shall slap him on the wrist for you). This album is a no frills, balls out, slab of metal brutality that leaves the listener thoroughly satisfied having spent the best part of an hour raging around the room in full air guitar mode.
In fact, everything about this band is great - the image, the songs, the sounds - that is everything apart from the band's cliché metal name. which is a shame in my mind, because it's all that stops me from becoming their biggest fan.
Listen: www.myspace.com/forcefeedband
Tracklist:
1. Grinder
2. Break Away
3. No answers
4. Of The Masses
5. You Alone
6. Moderation
7. The End Of All
8. Buried And Gone
9. Egotrip
10. Aftermath
Review - One Match For My Existence - One Match For My Existence
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7 out of 10
Hailing from Austria, not a country known for its musical output, well, not for hundreds of years anyway, OMFME insist they stand 100% behind what they do. Taking some choice influence from some very current and popular bands such as Finch, Thrice, Yellowcard, Story of the Year, and Fall Out Boy, OMFME have successfully carved their own brand of poppy punk rock that keeps you listening wondering what the guitars and drums will serve up before hitting you with some of the most heartfelt lyrics and vocals I've heard in a while, despite suffering from the odd lexical cliché now and again.
On top of this, if you like your screamed vocals there are just enough to keep you happy.
This EP is radio friendly, heavy on guitars and catchy vocals and sounds fresh - looking forward to seeing if they can carry it out live too.
Listen: www.myspace.com/omfme
Tracklist:
1. A Plague Inside
2. My Inner Tragedy
3. Spinning Too Fast
4. A Static Blemish
5. A Plague Inside (Acoustic)
Review - Hoodoo Fifties - Smorgasboard
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8 out of 10
The best pop albums are the ones where you have clear variety composition yet each track sounds distinctly like the band, regardless if it reminds you of another band or not. ’Surely this is missing the point’ I hear you cry, amongst a thousand personal insults, ’surely the point is that the album is enjoyable?’ Whilst I’m not actually disputing this, I do find that variety helps an album along immensely, making sure it doesn’t sound like the same track stuck on repeat.
Hoodoo 50s have certainly managed to pull that off, their new album Smorgasboard being an aural delight. So what if six tracks in you can hear Mike and the Mechanics and a few tracks after that you can hear the Cure, the band always sounds like themselves. So, aside from an unmistakable sound what do you get? Variety, that’s what. From the keyboard dominated roots of ’Just About Pap’ to the serious mature pop of ’Falling’, from ’Feeling Bright’ with it’s Keene like trappings to the rhythmic Indie rock sound of ’The Funk Song’ with it’s Robert Smith style vocal and the disco rock of ’Cacti’. And the great thing is that it doesn’t sound like a jumbled pick and mix bag, which is often the problem you have with an album like this (See the review of Edgar Winters ’Rebel Road’). To be honest this album should’ve been released on a label earlier in the year as it would of made a good summer soundtrack for a lot of people, as it is this is a self-release by an unsigned act and why this isn’t coming out on Parlaphone or Rough Trade is beyond me.
In all it’s a fantastic release and, whilst not pushing many boundaries, the mix of styles makes you wonder what the band will bring in next. Well worth picking up.
Listen: www.myspace.com/hoodoofifties
Tracklist:
1. Duodeviginti
2. Time
3. STD
4. Unspecified Sexual Practices
5. Southside
6. Falling
7. The Funk Song
8. Jaundiced
9. Cacti
10. A.F.K.
11. Just About Pap
12. Feeling Bright
Saturday, 20 September 2008
News - In The Trenches
Submitted: "Solid State Recording artists Trenches are currently the front page feature for Myspace Metal and Pure Volume. The group which features Jimmy Ryan (former vocalist for Haste The Day) just released their debut full-length The Tide Will Swallow Us Whole yesterday."
Friday, 19 September 2008
News - All Hail Metallica!!!
Submitted: "Death Magnetic, the ninth studio album from multi-platinum hard-rock band Metallica, is the best-selling album in the USA and Europe this week, debuting atop the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at No. 1, making Metallica the only band in it's chart history to have five albums debut at No. 1. (1991’s Metallica (known as The Black Album), 1996’s Load, 1997’s ReLoad, and 2003’s St. Anger).
Death Magnetic also scored big around the world with No. 1 debuts Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, New Zealand, Norway (who sold more albums in 2 days than a week's sales of a new U2 album), Poland, Portugal, Sweden (their biggest 1st week sales in 2008), and Turkey (which doesn't have an official chart but the album was No. 1 on every retail chart)."
News - Millencolin September UK Tour
Millencolin are touring the UK this month:
23-Sep - Birmingham - Academy
24-Sep - Bristol - Academy
25-Sep - London - LA 2
26-Sep - Portsmouth - Wedgewood rooms
27-Sep - Nottingham - Rock City
28-Sep - Manchester - Academy 3
29-Sep - Glasgow - Garage
News - Do You Wish You Were James Bond?
Scouting For Girls release their new single "I Wish I Was James Bond" on the 3rd of November through Epic Records.
Tour dates are as follows:
1st November - Bournemouth, Solent-BIC - SOLD OUT
2nd November - Plymouth, Pavillions
3rd November - Brighton, Centre
4th November - Southend, Cliffs Pavillion - SOLD OUT
6th November - Newcastle, Academy - SOLD OUT
7th November - Grimsby, Auditorium - SOLD OUT
8th November - Wolverhampton, Civic Hall - SOLD OUT
10th November - Manchester, Apollo - SOLD OUT
11th November - Manchester, Apollo - EXTRA DATE
12th November - Swindon, Oasis - SOLD OUT
14th November - Cardiff, Arena
15th November - Liverpool, University - SOLD OUT
16th November - Nottingham, Arena
18th November - Leeds, Academy - SOLD OUT
19th November - Glasgow, Academy - EXTRA DATE
20th November - Glasgow, Academy - SOLD OUT
22nd November - Doncaster, Dome
23rd November - Portsmouth, Guildhall - SOLD OUT
26th November - London, Hammersmith Apollo - EXTRA DATE
27th November - London, Brixton Academy - SOLD OUT
29th November - Bridlington, The Spa - EXTRA DATE
30th November - Coventry, Ricoh Arena - EXTRA DATE
1st December - Birmingham, Carling Academy - EXTRA DATE
2nd December - Blackpool, Empress Ballroom - EXTRA DATE
Thursday, 18 September 2008
News - I Set My Friends On Fire Album Launch
I Set My Friends On Fire’s debut album "You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter" is coming out on the 6th of October through Epitaph Records.
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Review - Lovvers - Think
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8 out of 10
You know the White Stripes? You know how there's something in there but it's pretty much buried beneath a big pile of poop? You remember how the Hives almost had it, but they were just a little bit too pop friendly? Well friends, welcome to the wonderful world of Lovvers.
Ignore the rubbish name. Lovvers play a wonderful brand of filthy, scuzzy, distorted garage rock and roll like it's still the late 60s and the Stooges have got a time machine and gone forward and listened to Black Flag and REALLY LIKED IT. I bet they're ace live. They're ace on record.
Listen: www.myspace.com/letscommunicate
Tracklist:
1. Human Hair
2. No Romantics
3. The Kids (Laugh Out Loud)
4. Teenage Shutdown
5. No Fun
6. Wasted Youth
7. Talk Cheap
Review - Underoath - Lost In The Sound Of Separation
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9 out of 10
Lost in the Sound of Separation marks a bit of a return to form for Underoath, whose last three albums count combined sales in excess of one million copies. Kicking off with the ferocious "Breathing in a New Mentality" the record continues on a relentless journey of metalcore glory. Fans of the band will certainly fall in love with the uplifting "Too Bright to See Too Loud to Hear" which shows a lighter side of the band in the form of a ballad, a much slower pace for the Underoath crew.
Beyond exceptional, it's a breathtaking brain-rattling affirmation that the six men of Tampa, Florida, have taken a huge creative step forward and I like it a lot. Stand out tracks include "A Fault Line, A Fault of Mine" and "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures".
Nice one.
Listen: www.myspace.com/underoath
Tracklist:
1. Breathing in a New Mentality
2. Anyone Can Dig a Hole But It Takes a Real Man to Call It Home
3. A Fault Line, A Fault of Mine
4. Emergency Broadcast: The End Is Near
5. The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed
6. We Are the Involuntary
7. The Created Void
8. Coming Down Is Calming Down
9. Desperate Times Desperate Measures
10. Too Bright to See Too Loud to Hear
11. Desolate Earth: The End Is Near
Review - MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice Remix) (Single)
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6 out of 10
Remixes are a dodgy affair. Seriously, you can get anything from the same track with a massive synth bass drum beat behind it to a complete reworking and reinterpretation that's nothing short of a cover version. Sometimes they’re great and sometimes you get absolute tosh (see Scooter), so when this one dropped on my doormat and the press release said it was a re-release due to "huge demand at club level" I thought ’uh-oh’.
To be honest its not that bad, not amazingly different but not awfully terrible either. If you’ve heard the original it’s pretty much the same only now it sounds like it’s been produced and put together by Rockwell (did a track with Michael Jackson). It comes out pretty well though the lack of good timing for breakdowns make it a pain to try and dance to.
It sounds alright and it's good for listening but it’s not a must have.
Listen: www.myspace.com/mgmt
Tracklist:
1. Electric Feel (Justice Remix)