After the release of two critically acclaimed albums this year from East India Youth and Wild Beasts, the pairing made for a live show that was an ensemble of soaring synths. As East India Youth took to the stage, William Doyle was not held back by the nightÔÇÖs first of many sound issues, with his performance showcasing why he is much more than just a … Continue reading Live Review: Wild Beasts, Bristol O2 Academy
At the end of February, Paolo Nutini released a live version of ÔÇÿIron SkyÔÇÖ on YouTube, a song from his upcoming album. It followed the pre-release of single ÔÇÿScream (Funk My Life Up)ÔÇÖ. The video, filmed in Abbey Road, showed a new maturity in NutiniÔÇÖs sound. ┬áIt was melancholic and soulful, a critique on the constraints of society. The single was critically acclaimed; even Adele … Continue reading Album Review: Paolo Nutini – ‘Caustic Love’
ÔÇ£MikeÔÇÖs on daytime radio, and John played Reading + Leeds, and IÔÇÖm still playing the Purple Turtle on New YearÔÇÖs EveÔÇØ. So goes the lyric on Deaf HavanaÔÇÖs folk-tinged lament ÔÇÿThe Past Six YearsÔÇÖ, referencing friends in Lower Than Atlantis and Young Guns. Penned at a time when the band was struggling for direction and for their future, tonight sees them return to Cardiff having … Continue reading Live Review: Deaf Havana, The Great Hall
Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Jack Steadman sits down with Jade Atwood and a cuppa to discuss ‘So Long, See You Tomorrow’ and the band’s immediate future. With a highly successful UK tour, a number one album and positions on some of the biggest festival line-ups under their belts, Bombay Bicycle Club have arguably reached the highest peak in their career thus far. It seems everything … Continue reading Interview: Bombay Bicycle Club
Alec Evans talks to Benji Webbe of Skindred ahead of their Newport Helicop-tour show at Newport Centre Your last shows were part of the Soundwave Australian touring festival. How do Australian crowds compare to the UK, particularly Wales? Benji Webbe: Yeah, that was good fun, that was real good fun. We played on a great stage with bands like Clutch and Chino from the DeftonesÔÇÖ … Continue reading Interview: Skindred
ÔÇÿpilotÔÇÖ is the debut album from the London based duo playlounge [they like lowercase, IÔÇÖm not just being lazy ÔÇô ed]. The opening track, ÔÇÿi am a lionÔÇÖ shows you instantly what this band are about. Noise. Lots and lots of noise. Its starts the album with such enthusiasm screaming a very loud ÔÇÿHELLO WEÔÇÖRE HEREÔÇÖ but yet is so rhythmically sound it keeps you … Continue reading Album Review: playlounge – ‘pilot’
RadstewartÔÇÖs debut EP proper, ÔÇÿWiccans and BeatlemancersÔÇÖ is as confident and catchy an indie pop record as youÔÇÖll hear this year. The Cardiff boys have garnered a great deal of interest lately and ÔÇÿWiccansÔǪÔÇÖ serves to continue their rise to indie royalty in the ÔÇÿdiff. The EP starts with a riff very similar to The Pixies garage classic ÔÇÿWhere Is My Mind?ÔÇÖ This may be … Continue reading Album Review: Radstewart – ‘Wiccans and Beatlemancers’
If youÔÇÖve spent the last seven years blissfully unaware of the melodic noise-pop sounds common to Johnny Foreigner records, then describing ÔÇÿYou Can Do BetterÔÇÖ as exactly what you would expect is nothing more than an empty remark. If, on the other hand, youÔÇÖve followed the band from the beginning, then you shall not be disappointed. Having admitted taking inspiration from the favourites of their … Continue reading Album Review: Johnny Foreigner – ‘You Can Do Better’
ItÔÇÖs hard to know what to expect from a band like CHVRCHES. When the band consists of essentially two guys behind keyboards and a singer, one might not expect much of a performance from the live show. In some ways this is true, but at the same time they are somehow completely mesmerising. This probably has a lot to do with the combination of the … Continue reading Live Review: Chvrches, Cardiff Solus
Dillon Eastoe quizzed Deaf Havana frontman James Veck-Gilodi ahead of the band’s show at Cardiff’s Great Hall on April 15th. Grab the last few tickets here. Your UK tour kicked off last night, without giving too much away what can we expect from a Deaf Havana show in 2014? A lot of sweating! ItÔÇÖs a bit more of a show now as opposed to just … Continue reading Interview: Deaf Havana
The area around the Motorpoint Arena seems surprisingly quiet for the Manic Street Preachers’ only Wales show of their ÔÇÿFuturologyÔÇÖ tour. ItÔÇÖs slightly funny to think that the largest throng in the city centre is currently outside the Cineworld to meet Russell Crowe when one of the countryÔÇÖs finest ever musical exports is gearing up for a show a few hundred yards away. Inside the … Continue reading Live Review: Manic Street Preachers, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
About ten minutes in to Franz FerdinandÔÇÖs gargantuan 90 minute set I am struck by how bizarre a situation I have found myself in: watching Alex Kapranos and co rocking out to a full O2 acadamy. In 2014. Minus ten years and perhaps this would seem normal, but a feeling of sheer nostalgic pleasure proves impossible to resist. I suppose Bristol agreed, a hungry crowd … Continue reading Live Review: Franz Ferdinand, O2 Academy Bristol
The long awaited album by Sky Ferreira has finally arrived. After four unreleased albums, it has been an arduous journey for the 21 year old in creating Night Time, My Time and the result is a raw and rocky affair. The cover artwork features a topless Ferreira standing in a shower, a deviation from the squeaky clean pop star her label wanted and this sets … Continue reading Album Review: Sky Ferreira – ‘Night Time, My Time’
Alec Evans chatted to bassist/vocalist Aaron Pauley from Californian metallers Of Mice & Men, ahead of their sold out GB Live show at Cardiff’s Great Hall. You are currently touring the USA with the UKÔÇÖs Bring Me the Horizon. Are they a good band to have as touring partners? Aaron Pauley (Bass, clean vocals): Oh, absolutely! ItÔÇÖs funny too, because weÔÇÖre from California so our … Continue reading Interview: Of Mice and Men
Spring is finally descending, the sun is beginning to shine; that means one thing, itÔÇÖs time for everyone to realise how much they love Bombay Bicycle Club again. Fitting then that they should pop down to the Great Hall to showcase their impressive new album, ÔÇÿSo Long, See You TomorrowÔÇÖ. The theme of the show is made immediately clear; ÔÇÿwe are not the same Bombay … Continue reading Live Review: Bombay Bicycle Club, The Great Hall – Cardiff
Rodrigo y Gabriela are now on their fifth album. Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela QuinteroÔÇÖs instrumental Mexican guitar duo have built up a promising following ever since the release of debut re-Foc in 2002, gaining a cult following after playing on the streets of Dublin, resulting in second album Rodrigo y Gabriela reaching number 1 in IrelandÔÇÖs album chart while it only reached 53 here in … Continue reading Album Review: Rodrigo Y Gabriela – ‘9 Dead Alive’
Eerie blue stage lights illuminate the Moon Club.┬áThe floor is sticky with its carpet of spilled lager. An audience clad in black overcoats and leather boots lie in wait, eagerly anticipating the werewolves of CardiffÔÇÖs rock scene. Howl breathe new life into a genre that has become somewhat stagnant in South Wales.┬áThe problem is not a lack of heavy rock bands; the problem is the … Continue reading Live Review: Howl and Birth of Joy, The Moon Club, 27.03.14
The title of Southampton rockers Band Of Skulls’ third album is a decent starting point to describing the sound on show here. ‘Himalayan’: the riffs are towering and the rhythm section is colossal. Kicking off with ‘Asleep at the Wheel’, the lead single, guitarist and vocalist Russell Marsden howls, “Where we are going is anyone’s guess!”, before laying down a monstrous Led-Zep style guitar riff. … Continue reading Album Review: Band Of Skulls – ‘Himalayan’
‘Locomotion’. ‘I Should Be So Lucky’. ‘Better the Devil You Know’. ‘Spinning Around’. ‘CanÔÇÖt Get You Out of My Head’. From the beginnings of her fame as Charlene Robinson in┬áNeighbours┬áto joining┬áThe VoiceÔÇÖs judging panel earlier this year, there arenÔÇÖt many figures in pop with quite the same CV of hits as Kylie Minogue. Even after a breast cancer scare in 2005, creating enough awareness publicly … Continue reading Album Review: Kylie Minogue – ‘Kiss Me Once’
Solus is busy before Falling With Style even start.┬á Their sound is powerful, vocal driven, heavy rock ÔÇô not unlike Linkin Park ÔÇô and it definietly precedes their youth.┬á Singer Lucas Woodland performs confidently; itÔÇÖs refreshing to see a young band move on stage with such passion and energy (you can blame raging teenage hormones for that).┬á┬á Unfortunately, the band seem to have little understanding … Continue reading Live Review: Straight Lines, Solus, 09.03.14
