After a very favourable review of The Ordinary Boys eponymous comeback album, Rachael Hutchings has a chat with lead singer, PrestonÔǪ Quench Music (QM): What encouraged you to release another album 9 years after the previous? Was there any reason why you waited so long? Preston (P): All of us in the band are so busy with real life that I didn’t ever think that … Continue reading Interview: The Ordinary Boys
Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair has held the title of ‘Best Vintage Fair’ for three consecutive years in the UK now, so when it arrived at Cardiff’s City Hall on the 11th October, it was only right for Quench Fashion to pop over and see if the hype was worth it! Read on to find out how our insider, Teri-May Howells, spent her Sunday at this … Continue reading Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair: A Review
If you havenÔÇÖt heard of The Vryll Society, LiverpoolÔÇÖs finest new offering to the UK, you will have soon. After a slew of glowing festival reviews over the summer, theyÔÇÖve embarked on their first main headline tour promoting their new album ‘Pangea’ which is due for public release from Deltasonic records on October 26th. Our resident Liverpudlian, (if you didn’t already know, but you probably … Continue reading Interview and Review: The Vryll Society
For many of us, it may seem like a lifetime ago that the self-assured Preston and his gang of merry indie men were all over our screens with classic noughties tracks such as ÔÇÿBoys Will Be BoysÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿI Luv UÔÇÖ. Arguably, The Ordinary Boys disappeared from the EarthÔÇÖs surface around 2006, following the generally average reception of the album ÔÇÿHow to Get Everything You … Continue reading Album: The Ordinary Boys – The Ordinary Boys
Recorded at SheffieldÔÇÖs Yellow Arch Studio, ÔÇÿHollow MeadowsÔÇÖ is Richard HawleyÔÇÖs love song to the best of ballroom ballads; he touches on romance, on days gone by, and on growing old. The album reflects HawleyÔÇÖs clear maturity in the studio with elements of country in ÔÇÿSerenade Of BlueÔÇÖ and a more ballsy rock feel to ÔÇÿWhich WayÔÇÖ, he spans the genres and does so with … Continue reading Album:Richard Hawley ÔÇô Hollow Meadows
Bring Me The Horizon are going to get a tonne of shit for this album; but they donÔÇÖt care, and nor should you. The opening track ÔÇÿDoomedÔÇÖ sets the tone nicely and frames the albumÔÇÖs pop sensibility, whilst retaining Bring MeÔÇÖs bite. Yes, this is very much a pop-orientated album, which will shock people. Where the four absolutely monolithic singles, ÔÇÿDrownÔÇÖ, ÔÇÿHappy SongÔÇÖ, ÔÇÿThroneÔÇÖ and … Continue reading Review: Bring Me The Horizon – ‘That’s The Spirit’
Quench Music’s insightful contributor, Oli Richards, chatted with Battles’ enigmatic, Ian Williams. Have a read of how it went below. Quench Music (QM: One striking element of new record ÔÇÿLa Di Da DiÔÇÖ is its lack of vocals and/or vocal samples. What triggered this stylistic departure after 2011ÔÇÖs ÔÇÿGloss DropÔÇÖ? Ian Williams (IW): Vocals have always been a garnish to the dish; not the main … Continue reading Interview: Battles
Quench’s┬áMark Sweeney called up the busy man that is Ciaran Lavery last week and this is what spoke about…. Quench Music (QM): Hey! ItÔÇÖs great to speak to you! YouÔÇÖre just off the back of a pretty big tour and youÔÇÖre starting Switzerland and Germany, before the UK tomorrow. ┬áHow is the tour going? Ciaran Lavery (CL): The last few weeks have been a blur! … Continue reading Interview: Ciaran Lavery
Sweet Baboo and Co. provide somewhat of a Welsh homecoming as they round off a long and successful string of live performances celebrating the release of fifth studio album, ÔÇÿThe Boombox BalladsÔÇÖ. Stephen Black (as the front-man is also known) thanks everyone for turning up and showing their support. The night had been generously coordinated by Shape Records and a great deal of warmth and … Continue reading Live: Sweet Baboo – The Globe – 03/10/15
ÔÇÿI Cry When I LaughÔÇÖ is the highly acclaimed, debut album for South London based singer, Jess Glynne; who is known for her collaborations with Clean Bandit in their #1 hit ÔÇÿRather BeÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿReal LoveÔÇÖ. The first track on the album is the introduction, ÔÇÿStrawberry FieldsÔÇÖ, which is by far the most different song on the record; not much of a melody, strong drum … Continue reading Album: Jess Glynne – ‘I Cry When I Laugh’
Rather than opening Macbeth with the classic battle featured in Act One of ShakespeareÔÇÖs tragedy, Australian director Justin Kurzel presents a motif that appears throughout the film: childhood, and the innocence (or lack of) that comes with it. The dead baby, or ÔÇÿbabeÔÇÖ, placed centre frame in the opening shot isnÔÇÖt so much a standalone metaphor within itself, but a reflection on what is to … Continue reading Review: Macbeth
I am a lone vessel in this vast void of nothingness. One man stranded on Mars with only his wits, spirit and science skills to accompany him. The Martian (directed by the one and only Ridley Scott) is a very unique film, and it delivers on so many levels. As a science-fiction action-adventure film there are plenty of jaw-dropping and intense moments in which the … Continue reading Review: The Martian
Billed as ‘a buddy comedy heist movie,┬áClerks meets Dog Day Afternoon,‘┬áConvenience┬áis one of the best British comedy films in recent years. Ray Panthaki, perhaps most known for co-producing instant cult hit┬áKidulthood, presents us with a film undoubtedly in the leagues of Shaun of the Dead and Four Lions. Convenience – of which director Keri Collins won the Bafta Cymru Breakthrough Award for┬á -┬árevolves around Ajay … Continue reading Review: Convenience
Solace? More like boring. I donÔÇÖt understand this film. ItÔÇÖs meant to be a mystery thriller but I didnÔÇÖt find any mystery and little to no thrills. Solace has an interesting concept: a series of murders take place that all share a similar method of killing, which leave no trace of the killerÔÇÖs presence, and FBI detectives named Joe (Jeffery Dean Morgan) and Katherine (Abbie … Continue reading Review: Solace
ÔÇ£So, did you ever hear the story of the Johnstone twins? As like each other as two new pins, of one womb born on the self-same day, how one was kept and one given awayÔǪÔÇØ A complex question that is thrown back and forth in the world of theatre is ÔÇÿWhat makes a good show? The answer, though it may seem somewhat ambiguous, usually … Continue reading Review: Blood Brothers, New Theatre.
Editor’s Note: This article was published in the September 2015 edition of Quench as part of the Cardiff issue. In the print edition, Phil Terrett of Oyster World Games was incorrectly named as Chris, and Finger Punch’s game Tracks and Turrets was incorrectly named Tanks and Turrets. These have been amended for the online edition. Wales Interactive’s Soul Axiom. ItÔÇÖs a sunny summersÔÇÖ day and … Continue reading The Wales Game Dev Show 2015
Zenn Wong investigates the claims and risks of all-you-can-eat buffets. With the rise in popularity of vegetarianism, as well as a general increase in health-consciousness (see: trendy-yet-dubious juice cleanses and paleo diets, organic-all-natural-low-fat-no-artificial-additives-no-everything groceries, the inescapable cult of ÔÇÿcourgettiÔÇÖ ÔÇô faux spaghetti made from spiral-cut courgette) itÔÇÖs a small wonder that all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants still seem to be doing reasonably well, or even thriving in … Continue reading All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: Worth the Money?
In todayÔÇÖs society, the concept of privacy seems to go amiss as social media, publications and news all focus in some way on the human form and how ┬áit appeals to audiences. Lucy Kirkwood (best known for her stunningly observed work as a writer on gritty teen drama Skins and Sky OneÔÇÖs The Smoke) writes NSFW. Kirkwood┬áprovides a┬ásnappy and shocking insight┬áwhich solely focuses on the … Continue reading Review: Not Safe For Work, Chapter Arts.
Welsh actor Craig Roberts (Submarine, Comes a Bright Day, Bad Neighbours) makes a very strong directorial debut in Just Jim, a film in which he also writes and stars in. The black comedy follows un-cool Welsh teenager Jim, played by Roberts, leading a seemingly boring teenage life who longs to catch his crushÔÇÖs attention and become popular in school. This is where Emile Hirsch (Lords … Continue reading Review: Just Jim
So youÔÇÖve slogged your guts out through A-Levels, managed to miraculously survive results day and found yourself as a budding Cardiff University student. The world is your oyster; youÔÇÖre flown away from the nest and are ready for the time of your life. And while you are more than likely to be ecstatically excited, you may also be, quite frankly, shitting yourself. With those endless … Continue reading Back to School: Let us jog your memory as to why Cardiff could be the best place in the world.
