The Cutters are obviously a professional outfit going from the quality of this demo and their website. Having formed in the spring of 2004 they have gigged across the country from Liverpool to London and back to their home town of Middlesbrough. As you’d expect they have an enthusiastic following in their home town having […]
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Emerging from the concrete blandness of Southampton University (their words, not mine), If I Had a Hi-Fi are a rock band who have managed to record an interesting debut demo in an abandoned residence with a subsidence problem. The first impression of the band comes from ‘100 mph’, a sub-two-minute rocker with a pacey verse […]
Loopy often live up to their name and the arrival of a Christmas single, duly entered in the Richard and Judy 2005 Christmas Song competition, does suggest that they are about to do it again. There is no shortage of cheesy moments, with sleigh bells, church bells, jangly guitars, and lyrics more chirpy than a […]
The Wutars are the biggest thing in Wycombe at the moment and have both the unabashed guts and disarming charm to get away with bragging about it. Taking lots of classic indie and rock and roll influences, they construct a clean sound with lots of space, rhythm, and melody. ‘Extensive Research’ has a sputtering verse […]
Of the three CDs the Editor gave me to review, Cracking Amy immediately caught my eye. One look at the band photo reassured me that I was not in store for a gentle meander through my Sunday afternoon. So what are they like? Well, ‘Loved to Death’ starts with an instrumental tune ‘Intro of the […]
Blacksmith hail from Boscombe (by the way of the Isle of Wight) and are made up of Lance (vocals), Sam (drums), Brendon (bass) and Baggage (guitar). ‘Suck My Disc’ is (as far as we’re aware) their first demo and delicately balanced between three covers and three of their own. In their biography they say that […]
Long term sabbaticals were a theme for the night, with both Rat:Daddy and The Downtown Maniacs playing their first gigs in a long time. The Usual were the first band on, playing a messy but entertaining set that showed a certain naivety in terms of songwriting and ability that was balanced on stage by a […]
Salvo are a three piece band from London that have taken their jaded disillusionment of life and shoved it up the backside of their punk and metal sound (a sound so angry they’ve already burned through two drummers.) Kicking off with a gnarly riff that is the bastard son of metal and grunge, Salvo certainly […]
With Misty’s Big Adventure pulling out of their headline slot, the two bands on the bill found themselves shoved up the listings and playing a later King Tuts show than they were both expecting. Whilst this would have been a good experience for the acts, it probably deprived them of playing in front of a […]
Wow! Review covered? No? Alright then. There’s no question why ‘The Revolution Will Come’ is the title track, the drum intro and powerful lyrics being just the start. With this tune Caplyn prove there’s life in the old theory of less is more with a simple but gripping intro that wouldn’t go amiss on REM’s […]
Of all the CD’s I have reviewed, Telex certainly lead the market with their wondrous assortment of ephemera, which accompanied this five track CD. I was immediately intrigued to find out what they sounded like… Track one, ‘Motion Sickness’, begins with subtle strumming guitars and an almost etheral loop and gentle drums. Soon after, a […]
With a clear ringing guitar riff, like early U2 or the janglier moments of The Stone Roses early work, Glasgow band Moses’ ‘Activate The Rhythm’ EP quickly kicks into life with the opening track settling into a comfortable danceable rhythm. The instruments feature quite low in the mix, allowing space for the vocals to prowl […]
When Santa takes time out of his busy December schedule to introduce you on stage, a band had better make sure they give a kicking performance and fortunately Strike The Colours lived up to their cheery introduction from the busy, yet ultimately quite lazy, rotund chap. Performing at the increasingly popular Dolly Mixture night in […]
Returning with a brand new line up and refreshed vigour, Rat Daddy couldn’t wait to give us a flavour of their new sound to digest. Far from being a bitter pill, the soft rusk of ‘Calling on Everything’ opens with sweet sliding guitar work before using the verse to build us up to the solid’s […]
I need something to lift my mood after a certain review, Vexation are next on the list, so lets see if they can achieve the impossible. ‘Educated Guess’ starts with a grinding riff and vocals that are not too dissimilar from Weezer. The mix is a bit hissy, but as soon as the song bursts […]
Decoration are about as indie pop as it gets as jangly guitars, plain vocals, and bitter-sweet songs are the order of the day. The Lightening Seeds mixed with U2 is the best description for ‘Pine’, which sees down-beat lyrics about a break-up mingling with the chirpy bass and busy guitars. David Essex’s ‘Hold Me Close’ […]
Oh dear, oh dear. It’s times like these I’m glad they lock the windows on the fourteenth floor but, looking on the bright side, I did manage to get to track six without succumbing to the desire to cut my own knee off. However, with the band literature stating ‘Alcohol Fuelled’ to be Comeg’s fourth […]
Winging itself all the way from Slovenia, a handful of tunes from Noxire’s third offering ‘Being Superstitious’, along with some new demos, arrived a few months ago and has been gradually making its way up the ever teetering CD pile, all helped along by singer / bassist Marcel’s periodic e-mails. What a nice and patient […]
The final Unsigned Band Showcase of the year at BCSU, High Wycombe and, if the rumours are true, the last ever? I have to say, I was waiting with A LOT of anticipation for this gig as a bit of new meat at the union is refreshing to say the least. First band on were […]
What to make of Butterfly Bangs? On record they sound agile, delicate, hinting at Bloc Party’s tunefulness. In performance, they just sound as if they like the Strokes, to the point of slavish imitation. Is it actually the same band? Maybe there was a mix-up and the guys who did the recordings are playing tribute […]
With Christmas almost upon us, it’s fair to say that the top forty is about to receive the usual offerings of soppy festive love songs, a few dodgy cartoon assaults, and a sickening Westlife cover version. What we need at this time is a healthy dose of cynicism to really get that festive spirit going […]
Angry, melodic and passionate are the three words that Female-fronted rockers Kenelis use to describe themselves and on this evidence, it’s hard to argue. Moments of an intensely angsty wall of noise blend well with the ability to deconstruct their sound into something that’s delicate, yet carrying an air of expectation. ‘Leave Me I’ll Kill […]
Liner describe themselves as ‘a band who mix up vibes and styles creating a rich blend of soulful grooves, funky beats and raw rock n roll’. In essence, it’s the rock ‘n’ roll that gets the most coverage on this record, with main points of reference being the late seventies, the late nineties, and a […]
According to my wise old friend Professor Google, Henry Chinaski was Charles Bukowski’s alter ego and featured in at least four of his books. It’s also a popular band name on both sides of the Atlantic. I discovered that Bukowski lived in Los Angeles and devoted his days to writing and drinking to excess. He […]