This fourth album from ex-God Machine man Robin Proper-Shepard is very much, as he kindly almost notes himself in the title, like seasons. When winter crashes crassly into autumn for instance, with a flagrant disregard for its moderation and crisp, artful aesthetics, you instinctively resist its harshness and crave for the serenity of the period passed. That is until you find your own comfort and allow yourself a more flattering perspective on the beauty that still surrounds you. Inversely, this Continue Reading

Those aren’t song titles to be sniffed at. No sire. Reckless arrangements of words not seen on a record sleeve since there was last a Liars album out. And possibly featuring our favourite title of the year so far in ‘If Your A Wizard, Then Why Do You Wear Glasses?’. Also take note of that sentence’s grammar. Pretentious? Them? The jury’s out though on whether such applaudable creativity was applied to the songs contained within. Or, for that matter, whether Continue Reading

Few are the occasions that I actually want to look like Lenny Kravitz, strap on some Ray-Bands and start jive-talking. Why? I’m a family man and a settled member of the parent-teacher community in a tiny village in Yorkshire. And this wouldn’t sit too well in the minutes of the next meeting, I can assure you. Hand on heart though, at the first squelchy bass strains of Amp Fiddler’s new single ‘I Believe In You’ I want to do just Continue Reading

Released in the UK during the Summer of 2003 off the back of the deliriously popular big beat and footie-tastic ‘A Little Less Conversation’ (featuring Elvis Presley) ‘Radio JXL: A Broadcast From Computer Hell Cabin’ from Junkie JXL is ticklin’ the toes of those yanks all over again with this rainbow calibre dance-fest. And what a strange and carefree melting pot of styles it is too. From the big vibrant colours of the Saffron contributions (remember Republica?) to the shattering Continue Reading

4 years since the release of his hip-hop debut, Illogic returns with studio album number three, ‘Celestial Clockwork’ produced by Blueprint. Gone but not forgotten, Illogic toured extensively and appeared on Aesop Rock’s 2001 album ‘Labor Days’, before heaping on his efforts on the tour-only ‘Write to Death.’ of 2003. And is it worth the wait? Well yes, I guess it is. Lyrical, surreal, philosophical and broadly psychedelic, ‘Celestial Clockwork’ boasts a terse selection of autobiographical stories and intergalactic wisdom Continue Reading

In 2003 the NME proposed The Stills’ ‘Still In Love Song’ a serious contender for single of the year, and Carlos from Interpol thought the album ‘Beautiful, Classic and Honest’. Strong words, eh? So what do we think? Well far be it from Crud to miss any bandwagon opportunity, this fella’s gonna jump on it too. Whilst not as cranky or as bleak as Interpol, nor as quirky, wriggling and glamorous as Stellastarr*, Montreal’s The Stills do furrow that same Continue Reading

Interpol, Duran Duran, Blondie, The Cure? That’s right. The Killers are all these. Sounds unlikely? Not really, Stellastarr* managed this same weird kind of alchemy with their own debut as recently as 2003. And it may come as no surprise to learn that these Vegas boys are supporting the Stellas on their own tour starting at the end of February. Shouty, robust and sizzling with the same kind of retro hi-hats that make The Rapture so appealing, ‘Somebody Told Me’ Continue Reading

Banjo, fiddle, accordion, guitar. You guessed it, you’re listening to the new release from ex-Grant-Lee Buffalo frontman, Grant-Lee Phillips, the follow-up to 2001’s equally ratable solo album, ‘Mobilize’. A bit of a slow-burner, but I bet that if you decided to put this on your stereo in place of your standard issue for a-quiet-night in Norah Jones LP, you certainly wouldn’t be retching with the same slippery ease by the end of the evening. If it was a film, this Continue Reading

You have to wonder about this major label attachment the Von Bondies are wearing these days. What exactly is hooking up to the hulking machinery of the Warner empire going to achieve, for either party? Their debut album, ‘Lack Of Communication’, was a ragged and lively example of Detroit’s rock n roll pulse still beating a strong jittery beat in the modern world. It provided a pretty worthy underground subtext to some of the bigger mainstream noises being made by Continue Reading

There may be cause to lament the passing of the Electelane of old, the minimal instrumental 60s-psychedelia grrrl post-rock force of their driving debut ‘Rock It To The Moon’. That Electrelane it seems is dead. But then you’d suppose once you’ve made it to the moon, there’s little point just turning around and going home for the anti-climax, is there. What they’ve used it for is a new plateau to launch themselves from, and launch they have. In several directions. Continue Reading