Preview: Devildriver / Sylosis / Bleed From Within, Cardiff Solus, 03.04.14

The California-based groove metal band return to the UK in support of their new album, Winter Kills, released last summer. Without a doubt, Devildriver have now hit their stride, with six studio albums under their belt, and a dedicated following of fans, they are without doubt one of the biggest metal bands to come out of America in the past decade. With an unrelenting, brutal … Continue reading Preview: Devildriver / Sylosis / Bleed From Within, Cardiff Solus, 03.04.14

Preview: Jungle at The Globe, Cardiff

The word ÔÇÿelusiveÔÇÖ is often thrown about when discussing new, emerging bands, but in the case of Jungle, it couldnÔÇÖt be more appropriate. Despite revealing very little about themselves, the group have built up a large fanbase, including Radio 1ÔÇÖs Huw Stephens who called them, “One of the most intriguing and fresh sounding bands out there”. Further recognition for Jungle came when they found themselves … Continue reading Preview: Jungle at The Globe, Cardiff

Feature: And The Beat Goes On – Cardiff and Underground Dance

It is truly remarkable that in a matter of years, CardiffÔÇÖs electronic music community has grown from one or two niche club nights, to a plethora of burgeoning events, each with their own sounds and styles, comfortably putting it as one of the most interesting in the country. The scope of size and breadth of the venues facilitating this kind of music is, also, remarkable. … Continue reading Feature: And The Beat Goes On – Cardiff and Underground Dance

Student-Friendly Beauty – Powders

Kirsty Fardell talks us through the best powders on the market for a student budget.┬á Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder – ┬ú3.99 at Boots This is a great product to keep a shiny face at bay. There is little worse than seeing club photos with a bright flash highlighting your oily face from the night before, so this saviour is a must-carry product. It doesnÔÇÖt … Continue reading Student-Friendly Beauty – Powders

LFW 2014: Best Collection

Julien MacdonaldÔÇÖs Autumn/ Winter and Spring/Summer 2014 collections both featured many standout pieces. Unlike many other collections, which stuck to simple black and white, Julien injected nudes, gold, silver, green, blue and red tones to make distinctive pieces. He also incorporated longer hem lines with most dresses knee length or full length, with the sleeve length also following suit. The clothes are clearly not designed … Continue reading LFW 2014: Best Collection

Interview: George Ezra

Eleanor Wilson chats to upcoming singer-songwriter George Ezra about what 2014 holds for him. YouÔÇÖre currently in the middle of your first UK headline tour. How has it been going so far and how have your audiences been? ItÔÇÖs been brilliant! ItÔÇÖs really interesting because a lot of the people coming to the gigs have just heard the first EP, so theyÔÇÖve heard a handful … Continue reading Interview: George Ezra

Feature: Going It Alone

In the light of Independent Venue Week, Hannah Embleton-Smith finds out from industry insiders how Cardiff fares with small-time success in ‘Going It Alone’. The past few years have seen drastic changes for the dynamic of CardiffÔÇÖs independent music scene. With small venues becoming increasingly concentrated around ClwbÔÇÖs stomping ground, is the city seeing the revival of its independent culture or increasing marginalisation? As the … Continue reading Feature: Going It Alone

Communication Problems

With the image of heads buried in their hand-held screens surrounding us, Andy Love examines the way smart phones have changed our social interactions in ‘Communication Problems’.┬á ÔÇ£This one has a better battery life, better definition screen, better camera…it’s also flatter,ÔÇØ says a girl wearing glasses to two of her peers who listen closely as if sheÔÇÖs a wizard telling a story. Smart-phones progress so … Continue reading Communication Problems

Fear and Self Loathing

If the grass is perpetually greener on the other side, maybe itÔÇÖs time to build a fence and shield gloating neighbours from view, argues Aimee-Lee Abraham┬áin ‘Fear and Self Loathing’.┬á We used to lurk nervously in the self-help section, wary of the stigma housed in its pages, fearful of contagion. We would lie through our teeth to cashiers, improvising tales of the poor uncle who … Continue reading Fear and Self Loathing

The Internet Confessional

Can blogging improve your mental health? Sophie Lodge┬áinvestigates in ‘The Internet Confessional’.┬á In October 2012 15 year old Tallulah Wilson was hit by a train after years of suffering from clinical depression. In January this year her mother condemned the poor censorship of harmful blogging websites like Tumblr that she believed had fuelled her daughterÔÇÖs death. However, the inquest revealed TallulahÔÇÖs Tumblr account was deleted … Continue reading The Internet Confessional

#OCDPROBLEMS

Toby Mott┬ádiscusses Channel 4’s ‘Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners’ and the perception of OCD as a cute quirk.┬á ÔÇ£Obsessive Compulsive DisorderÔÇØ isnÔÇÖt any easier to write than it is to say. As so often seems to be the case with the clinical titles assigned to mental illness, just the terms themselves are enough to evoke an uncomfortable and involuntary wince. Despite the tireless efforts of charities such … Continue reading #OCDPROBLEMS

Morgan Arcade Studios

As one of CardiffÔÇÖs biggest hubs for freelance artists closes, Culture editor Amy Pay documents┬áMorgan Arcade StudiosÔÇÖ short history and questions the future for creatives in Cardiff Next time you walk through town, let your eyes drift. Take in the structure of the buildings, look up to see what occupies the floors above the shops and observe our city properly. Until the beginning of this … Continue reading Morgan Arcade Studios

Spring Trend: Pastels

ItÔÇÖs a new year and that means some great new fashion trends!┬áAdmittedly, itÔÇÖs been a cold and wet start to the year, but contrary to the weather outside, the fashion forecast for 2014 looks brighter than ever.┬áFrom classic checked patterns to loud and proud slogan-bearing t-shirts, this yearÔÇÖs styles are diverse and there is something for everyone. Nothing says spring like soft pastel colours. True, … Continue reading Spring Trend: Pastels

Spring Trend (Editors Pick) – Tea Skirts with Cropped Tops

The length of a tea skirt falls between a maxi and a midi. Whilst the growing spectrum of hemlines may seem pedantic, the images conjured up of Alice in Wonderland style tea parties makes it all seem not so ÔÇÿmad hatterÔÇÖ. Although being pioneered as a spring trend by brand Alice + Olvia┬áthe tea skirt can be seen in many other S/S14 runways and is … Continue reading Spring Trend (Editors Pick) – Tea Skirts with Cropped Tops

Spotlight: Undertone, Cardiff

There are three kinds of basement; that of creepy horror films, the pop-punk band and venues equipped for reams of mega-fun parties. Undertone is the latter, perhaps with a sprinkling of the second (fingers crossed). Undertone, you know, that door next to 10 Feet Tall thatÔÇÖs always blasting your favourite song out as you pass by, has recently had a compete re-vamp and it is, … Continue reading Spotlight: Undertone, Cardiff

Review: East India Youth – Total Strife Forever

ThereÔÇÖs something very special about the construction of East India YouthÔÇÖs debut LP ÔÇô ÔÇÿTotal Strife ForeverÔÇÖ. Somehow, William Doyle has managed to make an album which is sporadic, indecisive and yet beautifully flowing all at the same time. With influences ranging from David Bowie and Sufjan Stevens to Factory Floor, any attempt to pigeon-hole this album into one given genre would be an insult … Continue reading Review: East India Youth – Total Strife Forever

Top Travel Blogs

Like many final year students too scared to face up to real-world demands and find a job just yet, IÔÇÖve recently been planning a post-University gap year to Australia and parts of Asia. Whereas, in years gone by, I remember my parents pouring over endless brochures, atlases and travel guides before deciding on that years summer holiday, my first thought when planning my travels was … Continue reading Top Travel Blogs

Review: Fiddler on the Roof – The New Theatre

Paul Michael Glaser, star of ÔÇÿ70s cop thriller ÔÇÿStarsky and HutchÔÇÖ, leads the talented cast of Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye which is on at the New Theatre until Saturday 8th February. Set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, Fiddler tells the story of Tevye, the father of five daughters who attempts to preserve his family and Jewish traditions in the face of the Tsar … Continue reading Review: Fiddler on the Roof – The New Theatre