New Music Reviews
Cage the Elephant, O2 Academy, Glasgow review - old-fashioned rock n' roll from Kentucky sextetWednesday, 19 February 2020
Matt Shultz was clearly taking no chances. The Cage the Elephant frontman appeared onstage underneath a large umbrella, presumably bought to cope with the day’s deluge of rain. In the ever effervescent Shultz’s hands it was swiftly used as a prop, kickstarting a lively evening of old fashioned rock 'n’ roll. Read more... |
Sam Lee, EartH Hackney - capturing the spirit of the momentTuesday, 18 February 2020
Sam Lee has a strong, richly resonant and recognisable voice – and equally strong beliefs. His album Old Wow has really caught the spirit of moment: it is already being hailed as folk album of the year, even the decade, and last night’s gig at EartH in Hackney, the London leg of the album launch tour, was packed. Read more... |
The Murder Capital, QMU, Glasgow review - Dublin outfit find catharsis through pummelling songsMonday, 17 February 2020
It might have been 24 hours after Valentine’s Day, but James McGovern still seemed to have a touch of romance in his head. At one stage during the Murder Capital’s bruising set he referenced his floral-patterned shirt as evidence that he was feeling the spirit of the previous day, and perhaps that should not surprise, for the Murder Capital are a band with plenty of heart. Read more... |
Album: Lanterns On The Lake - Spook The HerdMonday, 17 February 2020
Spook The Herd concludes with “A Fitting End”. In a cracked, reflective voice, Hazel Wilde sings: “I want a door to the Nineties…what a fitting ending, what a perfect scene.” By hoping for a portal into the recent past, it seems an attempt is being made to escape into – or even bring back – times when there was less negativity to deal with than today. A form of nostalgia maybe. Or a criticism of where things are now. Read more... |
Reissue CDs Weekly: The Honeycombs - Have I The Right? The Complete 60s Albums & SinglesSunday, 16 February 2020
August and September 1964 were golden months for Pye Records. The Kinks hit number one on the British charts in September with “You Really Got Me”, their third single for the label and the group’s first success following two flop 45s. Read more... |
theartsdesk on Vinyl 56: Kreator, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Disney, Twin Atlantic, Elton John, Buddy Rich and moreSaturday, 15 February 2020
Welcome to the biggest plastic reviews party on earth. Now that vinyl is steadily successful as niche musical medium, some have rightly been considering its environmental impact. Perhaps the best overview is given by Kyle Devine’s feature in the Guardian, which is well worth checking (please come back if you do!). Read more... |
Album: Pat Metheny – From This PlaceSaturday, 15 February 2020
From This Place (Nonesuch) is a complex, meticulously produced and many-layered album which demands concentrated and repeated listening. In many ways, it is all the better for it. Pat Metheny himself has written an essay or “Album Notes” of no fewer than 2,020 words to explain how the concept of the album evolved, as it went through a several-stage process of conception, recording, arranging, production. Read more... |
Angel Olsen, Eventim Apollo review - rock reinvention at its loudestWednesday, 12 February 2020
Angel Olsen’s show at the Eventim Apollo has been much hyped and publicised over the past weeks, an indie chanteuse reinventing herself, recasting herself with a darker, more rocky sound. Read more... |
The Hu, O2 Academy, Bristol review - heavy metal meets throat-singingWednesday, 12 February 2020
There is natural logic in the unholy marriage between heavy metal and Mongolian throat singing. Read more... |
Lonnie Holley, Cube, Bristol review - outsider with visionTuesday, 11 February 2020
Alabama-born Lonnie Holley, the seventh son of 27 children, more or less abandoned as a child, comes from a tradition of African-American visionaries who reach back through the generations to a culture of great aesthetic and ethical sophistication, one which the slaves’ horrific voyage across the Atlantic wasn’t able... Read more... |
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