ALBUM REVIEW – KUGELSCHREIBER: CHEERLEADERS

Throughout recording ‘Cheerleaders’, Kugelschreiber (which translates from German as ballpoint pen) had a Post-it note in sight that read “What would Prince do?” However, this album sounds nothing like the diminutive, purple-clad wonder. The other influences cited for the record are ABBA, Field Music, Broadcast and Pixies. Unsurprisingly, there is little in common with such […]
Foster the People have come a long way since their 2010 hit single ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ broke the charts, making it easy to look back on the band’s previous records with a sense of nostalgia. Torches was a decent indie pop debut that allowed the group to find a temporary style for the time being. […]

ALBUM REVIEW – FOSTER THE PEOPLE: PARADISE STATE OF MIND

ALBUM REVIEW – TINDERSTICKS: SOFT TISSUE

When the first Tindersticks album emerged in 1993, immediately they stood out from other bands within the independent sector. Their lush, orchestrated sound, decorated with pianos and violins, was at odds with the prevailing zeitgeist. This was the post-grunge era that also saw the first glimmers of what would become Britpop, both highly conservative forms […]
Many things have come from Brooklyn; Jay Z, most of Wu Tang and a bridge. Gooseberry are tipped to be next. Picking a band name isn’t everyone’s forte I suppose. The trio consists of vocalist/guitarist Asa Daniels, drummer Evin Rossington and Will Hammond on bass who blend blues and alt rock to create their sound. […]

ALBUM REVIEW – GOOSEBERRY: ALL MY FRIENDS ARE CATTLE

SINGLE REVIEW – TOM A SMITH: I DON’T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO REMEMBER ME FOR LONGER THAN YOU EVER KNEW ME

When Tom A Smith played Deaf Institute earlier this year, he introduced two new songs into the set.  The closer – a cover of LCD Soundsystems “All My Friends” – was incredible, a fine example of a band reinterpreting and making someone else’s song their own. But the most intriguing song of the night was […]
Oasis are back…but could they have faded into non-existence before it had even started? The 29th of August 1994, Oasis’ ‘Definitely Maybe’ was released. 30 years later, this album made by five working class Mancuniun lads is still regarded as one of the best debut’s and began the story, culture and community of Oasis. Unbeknownst […]

ALBUM REVIEW – OASIS: DEFINITELY MAYBE

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 30 AUGUST 2024

There are some absolute crackers among this week’s releases. Dorothy Carter            Troubadour     A reissue of her 1976 debut on which, in addition to hammered dulcimer and psaltery, Dorothy played the flute and sang. She chose songs from all over: Appalachian folk tunes, old and ancient psalms and hymns, Scottish, Irish, French and Israeli melodies, with […]
With a contested discography that is thought to be in the region of 2,000 releases, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry indisputably had a prodigious musical output. His own releases together with his production and other work for the likes of Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Clash, The Beastie Boys and Junior Murvin mark him out as […]

ALBUM REVIEW – LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY & YOUTH: SPACESHIP TO MARS

ALBUM REVIEW – SABRINA CARPENTER: SHORT N’ SWEET

Actress turned pop sensation, Sabrina Carpenter, has released her sixth studio album ‘Short n’ Sweet’. Carpenter has struck both commercial and pop culture gold with her first two releases from the record, ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please Please Please‘, with both tracks hitting the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and the latter peaking at Number […]
If you’re looking for a break-up album this shouldn’t be your first choice. More Break-up Songs is the debut album from Darren Hayman’s newly led band New Starts and feels like an immediate misstep. The influences of The Breeders and The Velvet Underground, among others, can be felt throughout the project; however, I think they […]

ALBUM REVIEW – NEW STARTS: MORE BREAK UP SONGS