lcameron has written the following articles:
Writing negative reviews really sucks. Most times when someone's taken the time to write and record and promote a record there surely must something to like about it? And it's not even like blatant copy-cat behaviour fazes me. Bad copy-cats however... This offering from The Keys bears three wildly v»
This wants to be played loud. Less of an album, more 10 little tornados diving straight underneath your skin; perfectly-formed three-minute riot calls to each cell in your body, shredding and reassembling human emotion. Through loss to triumph, from violence to calming bliss, they proudly show off the shared blo»
Wooah! 'Lately Lonely''s Darker Than Midnight-hybrid of warm electroclash bass and icy goth-synths jumps straight at you with the kind of stomping techno beat that's usually reserved for the Berlin Love Parade. Which has a definite freezing-shower effect: a sharp intake of breath and two seconds of disorientatio»
Sweet'n'lazy guitars, sweet'n'lazy lyrics blend with wry vocals that dip into a "hey-hey" at the end of every chorus line, which is mildly annoying. There's more than a few reference points to 'Urban Hymns'-era Verve in here - even before the strings-fuelled finale. Not that that's a bad thing.»
The stage is a cloud of smoke. Singer Bobby Hecksher is a dark figure,
left of centre, swaying like Neil Young on acid, while other Warlocks
intermittently fade in and out of view, hiding behind their brain-meltingly
ecstatic drone. People are getting lost in it completely.
The
It's Hot Hot Heat's debut UK gig and the venue's sold out. Two bars into the first song, a good half of the audience transforms into a moshpit, where it stays going strong until the end of the night. The band look very pleasantly surprised and consequently, throw themselves into a frenzied set that would make ev»
Sleaze...but in a pretty way. That's seemingly tonight's theme. Ok, so I cannot comment on the first support, C64 because I was stuck in a lift (I'd rather not go into the details...) but I mean: Har Mar Superstar...what more can you say?
A one-man cheese-warrior, crooning sleaze-adelic lurve»
The CD certainly looks interesting, in faded blue'n white, with a photo of what looks like a microscopic cell on the front and a scribbled ink painting on the back. So what kind of songs do green buildings inspire, I wonder? Hypnotic ones apparently, is my answer, as Ten past Ten begins to flow up and down»
A rainy night in winter. I'm battling along the streets, braving the elements with only a ChupaChup for company, but I'm sure it will be worth it..."Melodically Post-Apocalyptic ThrashNoisePop" is what they call it themselves...
Our Lady of Miracles.
I am quite simply blown away.
So, with heartstr»
The Buffalo Bar in Highbury is buzzing smilingly. Only two bands on the menu at the The Basement Clubnight, but two very fine ones indeed... In the left corner, hunched over fashionably moody, are new-found indie gods Oceansize, drenching the venue in their blend of etherial dreams and brutal guitar»
The Raveonettes are SEX. From the first minute to the last, they offer languorous Velvet Undergroud sleazevibes on a bed of Jesus and Mary Chain reverb and dark atmospheric. Like the Dandy Warhols in their finer moments, but dirtied up like BRMC... even though this sound is shar»
Two singing bassists who are a real-life couple, backed only by a synth and a drum machine: It sounds like a recipe for either rock'n roll heaven or a doggie's dinner disaster. But fear not, kids, New Yorkers Mommy and Daddy are the former...a full-frontal assault to your eardrums with XL-sized shots of caffeine»
Drunken fairies rocking out, joy divisions and teddybear mutilation...yes it's all true, it was the Metro gig last Friday, here's what happened: Things started innocently enough with the bubblegum punk of Reverend Pike, seemingly from the same school of sound as Brassy and Lungleg. Shouty feisty female voc»
Groop had the sleazepop tag invented for them it seems. Cooing and teasing their way through a dozen songs, with french lisps and drawled out synths, they may be one step too close to fashion and one step too far from music to completely work, but they aren't that far off. The post-apocalyptic ironies of shoutin»
You could call this X-FM EXPOSURE night bill quite an interesting mix. In fact, walking into the first band's set, "interesting" is a good word to start off with...Oxford band The Young Knives definitely look it. And their in-between song banter is a bit like the three Ronnies doing the Mark & Lard show, in a so»
Project Abner are one of those bands that can cross barriers. They can appeal to an audience from completely different backgrounds just by sheer live energy, by simply LOVING to play. From the first note you're hit by 30-odd minutes of complete headrush. Dragged up and down and back again on an emo hardcor»
I like Little Hell.
They're just so much FUN. Thrashy, fire-siren guitars and raging chipmunk
vox. Drumkits in need of counselling after each song. Songs that are essentially
catchy 3 minute pop tunes, but unshaven, on a 7-day bender and fucked hard against
a carpark wall.
Mes»
"It's my sick decomposition", spits opening track 'A Grave To Go To' through an early-Oasis/Primal Scream guitar haze. All muffled attitude and sniffly nose underneath rolling eyes. Ok, so this album gets straight to the point, you think, the dancers take their tops off and you»
There are songs on this album ('Jonny ain't too cross' and 'Restless',
for example) that have me obsessed and playing them all day in my head, if not
my stereo. I don't think my housemates approve, but who cares, I am in love.
There's just something so unashamedly feelgood a»
"Beautiful...just beautiful..." the spaceman voice loops over twinkly, jazzy dance beats. Honey-marinated guitars (think Chemical Brothers ca. 'Surrender') bounce around like rubber ducks in some psychodelic dreamland. This is the yummy Lemon Jelly single 'Spacewalk', causi»
This is a 14-track collection of the first four Cinerama singles, from October 1999 to January 2001, the album sleeve tells me. First time, it's basically Pulp, only not half as good. Try again a few hours later, maybe mood will change. Same thing happens. Try hungover the next day, maybe »
The friendly concierge asks me what I was doing here and smiles politely: He will get the band down for me in just a second… My eyes widen considerably:No, not all 24!...
Luckily, I get waved into reception, and meet just Tim Delaughter, the mind behind and accidental frontman of Texan joy phenomenon»
There is no two ways about it, this is a simply stunning piece of music, sounding fresh and juicy new, while at the same time evoking numerous ghostie playmates from the past. Mixing droopy-sleepy country sounds with churning drum machine loops a la Beck, and serving them up (comfortably!) beside small symphoni»
The brilliantly named Monster Movie's Last night something happened reminds me of this Canadian film I saw when I was a kid. Something about this little boy and his supersmart dog in a tree-filled autumn village.
Anyway, this could have been the soundtrack. A playful, earthy, slightly blurry sound (a»
If Junkboy were indeed "dance music for departure lounges", the airlines in question would probably fly to Venus and Mars, in special noise-reduction planes with fake fur seats and waterfall aquariums as in-flight standard. Yes, easy on the ears and soul this is indeed. Sometimes, like on Ikea, a cheesy brass s»
It's eerie and so innocent at the same time: The stage is bathed in green light while a 1930's silent film soundtrack is playing, and no one in the sold-out venue is making a single sound. Everyone is staring at the spot in the middle as if they could magically make the band appear. When they do come on, they take to t»
Queen Adreena have picked a good day to visit Glasgow. After last week's biblical floods, the sun is innocently playing around the early evening today, and Katie Jane Garside wants to go outside for the interview. But concerned venue staff dissuade her: "You'll just get hassled no end." This seems likely,»
Wow... This is flowing out of my speakers like angelserum. Presumably driving the neighbours mad, cos I've had it on repeat since I first heard it. But no, how could you not love this sonic prettiness? This is usual pretty Saint Etienne making music like the soundtrack to a sunfilled day by the seaside or an»
Now, when you think of the live music scene in Glasgow, you may think of places such as King Tut's, the 13th Note or Nice'n Sleazy's. The name Woodside Social Club, however, doesn't exactly spring to mind! Still, this is where monthly indiefest The National Pop League has been resident for a while, and this is wh»
The Squander Pilots look perturbed. There seems to be only 3 people at the gig tonight. Ok, so it was very last minute that they got drafted in to do this support slot, but even at 9:30pm on a Wednesday night things should be busier than this. You can almost see them swallow bravely every time they cast a glance»
