Former DJ with chart act The Dust Junkies, Ganiyu releases his debut solo single, ‘Special’ on 1st July – the first release from the new Manchester/London label, Key Recordings. With its chilled out tempo, acoustic guitar riffs, and a half spoken Mancunian purr of a vocal, the track saunters quite happily in and out of left field, making this a pleasant slice on indie pop. Ganiyu describes his music as ‘organic soul’ but this single is a little too short Continue Reading
Not to be confused with the heavy metal band that shares the name, this Wayne is an alternative pop/rock group riding the wave of the current onslaught of the British Pop rejuvenation that has become a dominant force in music, again. While the band is based in Birmingham Alabama, Wayne has drawn resemblance to bands such as Coldplay and Travis with their notable debut, Music On Plastic; however, despite the fact that there are some similarities to an Oasis-esque/ Brit-Pop Continue Reading
A tinkling drama-drive piano might not be the most salient move ever for a five-piece pop-punk outfit to thrust out of the mix – but believe it or not – if it wasn’t for this wee embellishment, the SoCo’s would naturally run the risk of being obscured by the sheer teeming plethora of emo-charged punk core bands on the block. The latest in batch of pop-smart, radio-ready young rockers being manicured to teen perfection by MCA and Drive-Thru Records, Something Continue Reading
If you go down to the woods today, be sure of a big surprise. Or even Sheffield for that matter. With leafy shadow all a flicker and the crunch of braken under foot, Will Jenkins reports back on Pulp’s pine-fest UK comeback.17/06/2002 Walking through the neatly arranged Pine forest towards the natural amphitheatre where the concert was to be held, traipsing behind all the other fans and teens intent on cheap lager and a brief flirtation behind the trees, I Continue Reading
A new album, a cult following. Not been seen for years. Sound familiar? The garage door is open wide and the ‘serialists’ push forth. Whilst waiting the necessary time to meet Godot, Allan and Kim, talk shop.14/06/2002 After 21 years and 15 albums, New York’s perennial uptown hipsters have laid down tracks for a 16th: Murray Street. What follows, gentle reader, is a fictitious account of a real interview with Kim Gordon. Since conversations often reveal more detail and insight Continue Reading
With an obvious appreciation for junkyard noise poet Tom Waits’ approach to song construction (using peculiar instruments and idiosyncratic and metaphoric lyrics), the release of Sharpen Your Teeth by reluctant pop star Ugly Casanova, is another remarkable discovery for Seattle based Sub Pop Records. The Washington based Emo band Modest Mouse first noticed Edgar Graham a.k.a. Ugly Casanova in the summer of 1998. Showing signs of psychological unevenness that endeared them to him, the trio invited Casanova to tour. While Continue Reading
In going with the typical Conor Oberst, this is music that makes you think. No, it doesn’t call for you to run in front of the oncoming subway train in a hasty fit of depression, as does his continuing work in Bright Eyes, but it sure makes me contemplate setting fire to the new city developments in protest of the mass industrialization of our country. We all know the story…out goes mom and pop’s coffee shop, in comes thirteen Continue Reading
These boys perpetuated an adequate amount of internet chat room gossip after their inexplicable-albeit short-lived-hiatus a few years ago. The drummer packed up and left for Berlin, and two other members hit Denver for whatever reason. They missed one another enormously though, and a few tear-stained letters went back and forth. Now the Bloodlet legacy has come back to embalm any “nice“ bands they get booked now with as they tour the planet relentlessly. Promoters, you have received your official Continue Reading
Changing direction without losing the core of your audience is perhaps the most difficult thing to do in music (The Beatles and David Bowie notwithstanding). Another feat, which is tricky at best, is to turn out a techno/house record that will somehow be unique; even the Chemical Brothers last attempt was somewhat comprised of past efforts and previous formulas. Daniel Ash attempts to do both on his third solo self-titled album. Being the one time Bauhaus guitarist, as well as Continue Reading
You’ll know Dot Allison, whether you think you know it or not, as the perfectly sweet angelic foil to Death In Vegas’ dour military-esque drive on ‘99’s epic soiled diamond of a tune, ‘Dirge’. Before that, in hazy early 90s acid-house days she gave vocals to scene pioneers One Dove. Her debut solo album, out in ’99 on Heavenly, kind of got lost in the slipstream and the Death In Vegas collaboration may have done criminally less for her than Continue Reading