When I was about nine or 10 and just starting to take a serious interest in music, my elder brother, in a rare show of fraternal indulgence, took it upon himself to introduce me to the delights of indie synth-pop. To my great surprise and eternal gratitude he presented me with a cassette tape (ask your parents kids!). On […]
New Releases
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Anyone familiar with the work of Matt Bailey‘s Salient Braves will know what to expect from this their debut crowdfunded LP. Bailey’s sardonic, often laugh out loud lyrics, mercilessly turn the microscope on Brexit Britain and the notion of national pride. The tramp on the cover is an abiding metaphor for many of the lowlife characters who lurk within, […]
I was lucky enough to catch Suzie Stapleton opening for Boss Hog at the Hackney Oslo earlier this year. Playing for someone else’s audience is never easy but, despite wrestling with some recalcitrant loop pedals, a solo Stapleton secured a great reception. The Sydney-born singer-guitarist won over the crowd with her smoky, rasping voice and full bodied swamp-blues playing style and she’s been […]
Frontman Neil Arthur is disarmingly modest about their achievements, but Blancmange were one of the most successful bands to emerge from the experimental electronic music scene of the early ’80s. Blending pop melodies with dark lyrics and avant-garde programming and recording techniques, they went on to rack up seven Top 40 hits. Don’t Tell Me and Living On The Ceiling both reached the […]
Tucked away down a side street across the road from Ealing Broadway tube station lies a tiny, London night spot, widely credited as the birthplace of British rock. Hot, sweaty and damp, The Ealing Club, became a focal point for a new generation of fans and musicians inspired by American Blues artists like Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry and […]
By rights The House of Love should have been as much of a household name as U2 or fellow Creation alumni Oasis. Riding high on the back of a string of sparkling indie singles and rapid sales of their self-titled debut album, they were officially the late ‘80s next big thing.
Incredibly, OMD have been making music for nearly 40 years now and The Punishment Of Luxury is their 13th studio album. It’s a varied collection that sees them again refusing to trade on past glories, tackling complex themes with invention and not a little humour.
Canadian-Ukrainian space pop duo Ummagma have unveiled the new video for their collaboration with Cocteau Twins co-founder Robin Guthrie. Taken from their forthcoming LCD EP, Lama, features Guthrie’s trademark soaring guitar arpeggios and sound washes over Shauna McLarnon‘s cool clear vocals.
Named after the iconic French deep sea diver, CousteauX are back from the depths with their first new album in more than a decade. Slimmed down from the original five-piece, frontman Liam McKahey and principal songwriter Davey Ray Moor have reunited as a duo, with an X added to their name to mark their return.
Credited with creating the distinctive gauzy, ethereal sound of the 4AD label, John Fryer is the true godfather of dark wave music. As a producer and engineer he’s worked with artists as diverse as The Cocteau Twins, Nine Inch Nails and Cradle of Filth.