Chin Music drew a respectable crowd and chose a high-speed exciting song, reminiscent of My Chemical Romance, to open with. The subsequent ‘Silence Is Everything’ alternated melodic and angry guitars and demonstrated that, although the band are capable of producing complex, layered songs, the singer’s voice doesn’t quite match the band’s sound. He seems to […]
The delightfully named One Flew Over took to the stage led by Sideshow Bob’s hair-twin. This photogenic four-piece (five if you count the hair as a separate band member) rock band from London come complete with a set of wind chimes, girlie groupies and a drummer who can’t keep his trousers up. The set started […]
I didn’t really know what to make of this CD when I received it and I’m still not entirely sure now! To quote from their biog (because otherwise I’d confuse us all further) Oort is ‘a new project designed to test the production capabilities of the green room’, which I gather is a recording/production studio. […]
This CD from London-based four-piece band Sleepless is something I’m always on the look out for – value for money! Not one of the five tracks is a filler or a humdinger; they’re all fab in their own way. Track one, ‘Alright’, starts with a strong Elastica-esque riff and some corking croaky vocals. The lyrics […]
Four-piece The Park Race hail from The Home Counties and describe their sound as a combination of pop, indie and folk. Because of this, each track on the CD varies and as a collection of songs, it’s really enjoyable to listen to. First song ‘Hey Mister’ is a catchy, summery track that would be at […]
Mellow first track ‘After 8’ begins with a Primal Scream style drum intro and funky meandering guitar before lead singer Sarah Millard’s distinctive voice erupts to destroy the calm. The finest elements of this track are the superb bass-line and the jazzy instrumental section which is augmented with an agreeable vocal riff: ‘bah bah-bah, bah […]
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 […]
The Autons tout themselves as Dr Who fans who met whilst auditioning to be android extras in their favourite show. Being one of those people who is somewhat ambivalent about the good Doctor, I was dubious about seeing this band. My doubt soon subsided, however, as the Portsmouth three-piece confidently took the stage and gaily […]
Although their name is taken from one of the chill-out areas of Glastonbury, The Healing Fields aren’t only accessible to a select few that have a speedy redial button, or a friend-of-a-friend who ‘knows someone’. In other words, unlike the festival itself, anyone can ‘get into’ this London-based band. In fact getting into this demo […]
Every once in a while you review something out-of-the-ordinary, like this three-track demo from ‘Rockidle’, the musical alter-ego of Derek Hagan. A singer-songwriter originally from Ireland, Hagan is a one-man band who chose his satirical name in protest against the recent deluge of ‘talent show’ type programmes. With each track on this disc, the Irish […]
Like a more chilled-out The Rakes, Portsmouth based four-piece The Ridgeway opened the night with a tight and varied mix of melodic rock songs. Confidently possessing the stage, they embodied the stylish rock-star persona and musically came across as really nice – to the extent that even their angry songs sounded just mildly peeved. ‘Hold […]
Dead!Dead!Dead! are back with their second EP and in keeping with their trademark arty / dark / pop approach, every track’s a corker. So enthralling is their vast sound and original style, that it’s a challenge concentrating on anything else while you’re listening to them. First song, the superlatively titled ‘Mightiest Melodrama of Them All’ […]
Tonight The Joiners was all about writhing, swearing, and reluctant audience participation. With the stage in darkness, Southampton four-piece Sarah Jane Smith launched straight in with heavy guitars, loud drums, and barely audible shouted lyrics. Looking a bit like a foreign band, possibly German, SJS’s mid-song references to current affairs went down like the C-word […]
Glasgow five-piece The Towers have a collective height of 24′ 8″ so it’s understandable that their heads are in the clouds when they’re writing their dreamy rock songs. ‘My New Fear’ opens with sweet high Delays-style wails, then goes reassuringly punky. The lead vocal is strong and raw, and the different elements work to create […]
Local four-piece, Magnolia, started the night off and were accompanied by an impressively large collective of family and friends. Looking very young and green they excelled in parts such as the Kravitz-esque guitar solos and thumping basslines, but overall don’t seem ready to be gigging yet. The lead singer’s voice sounded nasal and not quite […]
This is the second release from Birdpen, the enigmatic two-piece from Southampton. Despite the potential drawbacks of their geographical location and number of members, they’ve created a sound that’s so unusual and professional sounding you have to double check they’re not from some obscure city in America. ‘Fake Kid’ lures you in with eighties style […]
Having been compared to The Clash and The Foo Fighters, energetic four-piece, The Authentics, are doing big things in and around their local town of Leicester. ‘The Right Stuff’ is their fourth release, and it starts promisingly but ultimately fails to engage or excite. It’s brave to name a song after a Saturday night entertainment […]
Forget Ferrero Rocher, because when My Mantra decide to throw a party, the last thing on their shopping list is a glued pyramid of chocolate to make sure everyone feels like they were really spoiling us. In fact, with three of the area’s leading bands in support, all leading up to the storming set of […]
Tomboy; a name you’ll be familiar with if you’re a regular gig goer in Southampton. This four-piece have been working the local circuit for almost a year and ‘False Exit’ is their second EP. Naming legends Bowie and Queen as influences, it’s clear this band are aiming high. Their tracks are innovative and creative, and […]
You don’t get more ‘rock’ than My Mantra. Clad all in black, peppered with tattoos, and with mean looks to match, they’re dominated by their frontman and come across as impressively confident on stage. Many of the songs like ‘Trading Punches’ and ‘Wasted’ build up with teasing drums or melt in with the tap-tap-tap of […]
Flood the Sky are a three-piece from LA who have got the American soft-rock sound down to a tee. They say they’re ‘as indie as it gets’ because they set up their own record label and recorded their album themselves, it’s just a shame their music doesn’t show as much initiative. To their credit, the […]
Hailing from Winchester, five-piece rock band The Bullycats have perfected a sound that takes you out of the dreary confines of Hampshire and transports you to a dusty bar in the Deep South. As you relax and soak in the scene, the bartender slides you a whisky on the rocks in the form of ‘Delta […]
According to their website, the definition of this band’s name is an addiction to aural and visual stimulants, for which no cure is available. So, it’s reassuring to discover that four-piece Neon Vice live up to their seedy name and ambiguous song titles with real dirty rock. ‘Bring It All Down’ has an edgy opening […]
The Bullycats are a five-piece rock band from Winchester who’ve been playing their Kings of Leon-esque country/rock locally for a couple of years. Their instant appeal can be attributed to the vocalist’s stunning gravely twang and stylishly clumsy dance moves. His country and western voice sounds like it’s generated by a night on Jack Daniels […]