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Articles

benmarwood has written the following articles:

13288

Elf Power - Back To The Web

Review by ben marwood

Despite being in their twelfth year, you could be forgiven for not knowing who Elf Power are. After flirting briefly with the UK music scene back in 2000 with 'A Dream In Sound', the three albums that followed showed promise yet ultimately fell short.»

13249

The Wendy House - Welcome

Review by ben marwood

The harsh reality with budget compilations is this: they’re rarely any good. Unfortunately Welcome yields the same end result as most other releases of this nature.»

13064

Jackson Analogue - West of Here EP

Review by ben marwood

If instead of selecting the core of Rage Against the Machine, Chris Cornell instead emerged with some guy from Counting Crows and some of Kings Of Leon, then the Jackson Analogue would probably be the result.»

13554

Good news, bad news, Shooting At Unarmed Men news.

News by ben marwood

Too Pure's sharp-tongued trio, Shooting At Unarmed Men, have announced details of a new single and album - just don't expect them to play it live.»

13534

A Life In Bandages - Final Act of Treachery/Skeleton Mare

Review by ben marwood

A Life In Bandages’ statement is clear: they’re here to eradicate musical conformism, but why preach change so vocally when you’ve borrowed your sound from others?»

13420

Wire Jesus - The Intruder/Another Day

Review by ben marwood

There’s no denying that the sense of imagination surrounding Wire Jesus is interesting, but they may find themselves overlooked by those who favour something a little less overblown.»

13422

The Video Nasties - Demo

Review by ben marwood

Not only have The Video Nasties concocted a potion for the present out of that which was consigned to the past, they’re favourites of Xfm’s John Kennedy and they’re still in their first year of existence.»

13176

Warner Music buy Rykodisc

News by ben marwood

Music giant Warner Music Group have snapped up Ryko Inc, home to Rykodisc, for a mere $67.5m (£38.7m).»

13010

Daft Punk - Musique Vol 1: 1993 - 2005

Review by ben marwood

With most of the songs in chronological order, ‘Musique Vol. 1’ is the sound of Thomas Bangalter and Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo going from underground house producers to zillion-selling dance icons in the blink of an eye.»

Heartwear Process at London Monto Water Rats, Sat 01 Apr

Review by ben marwood

The Heartwear Process just shouldn't work, yet the Reading quintet somehow find themselves just weeks away from the release of their debut single.»

13256

Million un-Dead: Frank Turner readies debut EP

News by ben marwood

A mere six months after the dissolution of Brit punk-rockers Million Dead, their former frontman has already announced plans for his debut five-track EP...»

13098

Robert Pollard - From A Compound Eye

Review by ben marwood

If someone, somewhere built the perfect house out of indie, only for a giant ACME bomb marked ‘WARNING: lo-fi’ to drop through the roof from a great height, then 'From A Compound Eye' is the sound of Robert Pollard picking through ground zero.»

13082

The Council - The Council - EP

Review by ben marwood

It is not uncommon for PR blurbs about small new bands to be Liberal With The Truth. Perhaps they believe I will just copy out them out, in which case I’m happy to announce The Council as the best thing in London at the present time. I think not. 'The Council - EP' is not bad per se, there’s just very little to get excited about.»

13097

Hefner - The Best Of Hefner

Review by ben marwood

If you like your indie honest, slightly filthy and faintly twee then do yourself a favour, make this top of your list.»

13052

The Organ - Brother/Love, Love, Love

Review by ben marwood

There's no doubt that ‘Brother/Love, Love, Love’ will catch the attention of more than a few people wishing for it to be 1989 all over again and with the debut album finally getting a UK release in April, you could be hearing a lot more from this lot very soon indeed.»

12959

The Crimea - White Russian Galaxy

Review by ben marwood

‘White Russian Galaxy’ may not be the crowning achievement of Tragedy Rocks, but it is the safest bet for a daytime radio hit and likely to turn thousands of Kubb-ites onto this particular brand of deranged pop.»

13053

The Hymn For Hefner: two posthumous releases on the way

News by ben marwood

More than three years after disbanding, Hefner’s former frontman has announced the release of two CDs charting the band’s history, the first of which is imminent...»

13009

The Radium Screen - White Faces

Review by ben marwood

Back in 2002, garage-rock guitarists Brian Huffines and Aaron Hodge decided to embrace electronica and ditch guitars in favour of keyboards, samplers and computers. ‘White Faces’ is the first offering from the Louisville, Kentucky pairing.»

12960

Nine Black Alps - Glitter Gulch EP

Review by ben marwood

Featuring four b-sides from previous 7” releases and two new songs, the Glitter Gulch EP is, in effect, four songs not good enough to make the cut for debut album Everything Is and two that probably won’t figure on their second long-playing effort...»

12513

Darren Hayman - Table For One

Review by ben marwood

In a field where the linear, lowest common denominator fake-heartbreak falsetto pop of James Blunt and the morose, indie-by-numbers Richard Ashcroft are currently in favour, ‘Table For One’ displays something which Darren Hayman’s counterparts sorely lack: imagination and eloquence.»

Samurai Seven Split: alliteration blamed

News by ben marwood

Awesome surf-pop Peel faves The Samurai Seven have split...»

12242

Not-So-Silent Shout: the Knife actually play live

News by ben marwood

Bonkers Swedish duo announce details of a new album, single and a rare UK live date...»

12564

The Freelance Hellraiser - Want You To Know/Pound for Pound

Review by ben marwood

Reminiscent of material from Moby’s Play album, ‘Want You To Know’ is based heavily upon a song of the same name by Chicago’s 60s psychedelic soul outfit Rotary Connection, but whilst Kerr’s updated version may be slick-sounding and far better produced, in the process it robs it of its soul and intimacy.»

12814

Mr Fogg - Giving In

Review by ben marwood

All three tracks on show are comparable to Dntel or Styrofoam from the depths of Belgium, whilst there’s an ambience to second track ‘Cogs’ not unlike that mastered by Autechre.»

8605

Jeffrey Lewis, My Latest Novel at London The Luminaire, Mon 20 Feb

Review by ben marwood

Where else tonight could you see a 'low budget video' as Jeff incorporates his drawing talent into the set, abandoning the microphone and instead loudly singing a story a capella to accompany the pictures he has drawn?»

12643

My Luminaries, The Sand Creek Massacre at Reading Fez Club, Sat 11 Feb

Review by ben marwood

It’s a textbook homecoming show; passion, commitment, disregard for the curfew.. you have to believe that My Luminaries have got an excellent shot at success in 2006.»

12448

Morning Runner - Burning Benches

Review by ben marwood

Taken from their imminent debut album ‘Wilderness Is Paradise Now’, ‘Burning Benches’ is, for the most part, middle-of-the-road indie. As well as label-mates Coldplay, the obvious choice of comparison, its sound shares common ground with the likes of Keane and Athlete.»

12615

Ursula Rucker - Ma'at Mama

Review by ben marwood

With song titles like ‘Rant (Hot In Here)’ and ‘I Ain’t (Yo’ Punk Ass Bitch)’, one look at the tracklisting for ‘Ma’at Mama’ would probably suggest that you prepare yourself for some jive-talkin’, man-hatin’ hip-hop. Whilst what awaits you is indeed urban, it is actually fifty-five minutes of socio-political spoken word soul which draws from many musical influences.»

12523

Calla - Collisions

Review by ben marwood

It's not an album for all moods, it’s so intense that it cannot be taken lightly, it’s not upbeat and it’s not going to trouble the music-buying public for their attentions, but ‘Collisions’ is deep, it’s dark and you could do worse than spare it 40 minutes of your life.»

12517

Silver Jews play first ever UK shows

News by ben marwood

David Berman's alternative-country outfit Silver Jews play four rare dates in the UK this April.»

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