by Camille Stanley and Max Modell This month the Mercury Prize-nominated artist Jorja Smith embarks on her headline UK tour, with the Bristol show on Friday 5th October being the nearest appearance for Cardiff University students who are eager to hear her impressive, soulful vocals live. Smith will be showcasing her debut album Lost and Found which was written between the ages of 17-20 and … Continue reading Jorja Smith: Tour Preview
by Dylan Graham ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå My first reaction to hearing about Big Boy Bloater and the Limits was that of sheer amusement. What a wacky name for a band, I thought. However, the title stuck with me and I wasnÔÇÖt surprised to find out that they had been booked to play in a similarly eccentrically named venue in Bristol – Mr WolfÔÇÖs Noodle Bar. As I … Continue reading Live Review | Big Boy Bloater + the Limits at Mr Wolf’s Noodle Bar, Bristol
It is exciting to see new genres being explored and for festivals to progress -┬á by Maisie Marston Reading ÔÇÖ92 had Nirvana. Reading ÔÇÖ94 had Primal Scream. Greenday and Smashing Pumpkins the next year, then Rage Against the Machine and The Prodigy next. In more recent years, 2016 and 2017 have provided some acts in the way of rock music; Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, the … Continue reading The Changing Face of Reading and Leeds Festival – a For and Against Discussion
By Ellie Harradine The thing about going to a festival is, people are so happy. So what is Victorious Festival, and why has no one heard of it? Well, unless youÔÇÖre on the south coast of Hampshire, there is little reason for you to have known about it. The festival first opened its gates in 2012 at PortsmouthÔÇÖs Historic Dockyard, and then due to increased … Continue reading Review: Victorious Festival, Portsmouth
By Mike O’Brien |┬á I recall having a conversation about music with a friend of mine last Summer. ÔÇÿWhat do you think about people who say music saved them?ÔÇÖ she asked, the subtext rich with doubt and bemusement. Ultimately, as with any passion or pursuit, some enjoy more intimate relationships with music than others. But it has certainly saved me. Having bounced from hospital to … Continue reading Music is your odyssey and mine.
*Trigger Warning* – this article contains details of abuse, rape, and suicide. By Elly Savva Following a shooting in Miami on the 18th of June, the 20-year-old ÔÇÿup-and-comingÔÇÖ Floridian rapper XXXTentacion (born Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy) has died. The rapperÔÇÖs rapid rise to musical success has been concurrently overshadowed by his criminality and multiple allegations of violent abuse. His previous arrests include charges of aggravated battery, … Continue reading XXXTentacion’s death reopens the debate on the separation between art and the artist
by Dylan Graham ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå This yearÔÇÖs Festival of Voice welcomed numerous wonderful artists from a wide range of countries, genres and backgrounds. However, all good things must come to an end, and this yearÔÇÖs festivities closed with a mammoth set from the British legend that is Elvis Costello. Costello, along with his band The Imposters, were the only act of the evening. Their performance lasted … Continue reading Elvis Costello & The Imposters review: a banging Closing Night to #FoV2018
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå by Jessica Heap To start the evening we were treated to H. Hawkline, a Welsh singer-songwriter not dissimilar to Rhys himself and from my seat, almost identical bar a maroon shirt. Perfectly timed, Hawkline delivered multiple songs with no introductions to fit as many in as possible, including 3 whose lyrics were written that morning. As a solo act, Hawkline offered a different sound … Continue reading Gruff Rhys review: #FoV2018 bringing out the voices of Wales
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà by Maxwell Modell There is something uniquely beautiful about the love we have for musicians and their music. Over time they become some of the most important emotional figures in our lives, remaining prominent through lifeÔÇÖs highs and lows. They never leave our sides, never question us and always embolden us. Yet, this relationship is entirely unrequited and internal. As such, it is something … Continue reading Camille O’Sullivan shines at Festival of Voice with her new show “Cave”
Words by Rowan Lees Musicians are some of the best placed people to speak about mental health.┬á Hectic tour schedules away from home, life spent constantly in the public eye, and a constant pressure to be ÔÇÿdroppingÔÇÖ new material arenÔÇÖt exactly a recipe for mental acuity. Music Minds Matter found that musicians are three times more likely to be suffering from mental health issues … Continue reading Facing The Music – The State of Mental Health in Music
It took the Arctic Monkeys 5 years to make a come-back. Tranquillity, Base, Hotel & Casino is unexpected, different and an excitingly mysterious album. ItÔÇÖs an evident new step in their career. TheyÔÇÖve grown up and their songs have grown with them. Their new piano-driven, retro vibe, witty lyrics mark the start of a new era for the Sheffield group. The 70ÔÇÖs-like opening track, … Continue reading Tranquillity, Base, Hotel + Casino Album Review
Words by:┬áLuisa De la Concha Montes Last Friday, Kele Okereke played at Clwb Ifor Bach with an acoustic set in an intimate environment, which is quite contrasting to what he is normally associated with, as the front man of Bloc Party. Many fans still remain unaware that for the last eight years, he has been quite invested in developing his solo career.During an interview back … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Kele Okereke @ Clwb Ifor Bach 26/04/18
A performance poet with years of experience on the open mic circuit and a history with AkalaÔÇÖs groundbreaking Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company, Deacon has this year begun to turn his skills to music. With a debut EP in the works and already making waves online, he kindly sat down for a chat with Quench before his show supporting Akala at The Globe. So how is touring … Continue reading Interview: Deacon
Brooklyn trio Sunflower Bean first burst onto the scene in 2016 with their debut full-length record, Human Ceremony, which gave us an abundance of starry-eyed and jangly psych-pop gems, boasting a myriad of retro influences. Now they return with sophomore album Twentytwo in Blue, released March 23rd on Mom + Pop Records. Whilst each band member is still only twenty-two (hence the album title), their … Continue reading Sunflower Bean Twentytwo In Blue Album Review
By Max Modell A chorus of pop-punk rising from the audience greeted me as I entered Y Plas in preparation for seeing Waterparks. This set the tone for the evening as the first of the two support acts had yet to come on and the crowd were already amped.┬á It was a mix of teens and those who wish they could be teens again, such … Continue reading Live Review: Waterparks @ Y Plas, 08/03/2018
By Luisa De la Concha Montes Days before Everything EverythingÔÇÖs concert in Bristol, we were panicking. The starting date of the tour was supposed to be in Dublin, but because of the weather, the band had to postpone it. On top of that, they also had to cancel and postpone their gigs in Norwich and Birmingham. So, there we were, continuously (and a bit desperately) … Continue reading Live Review: Everything Everything @Colston Hall, Bristol, 5/03/18
Formed in Brighton back in 2013, Indie pop band Fickle Friends have been establishing their place in the live music scene for some years now.┬á Kicking off the first night of their current tour in the Globe on Albany Road on the 26th February, their bright and energetic set showed that this band know how to work a crowd.┬á┬á The combination of the synth pop … Continue reading Live Review: Fickle Friends @The Globe 26/2/18
There are a few essential ingredients need to be great punk act and The Blinders seem to have all of these. They have a raw angry sound, thrashing guitars, screaming vocals and an over simplified evocative political message. This is all brought together by natural stage presence and charisma. This all promised a lot, but did they deliver? Not wholly original, The Blinders draw influences … Continue reading The Blinders @ The Globe – Live Review
Genre fusion is becoming increasingly popular in the modern music scene. This has allowed many artists who would normally have niche audiences expand to the edge of the mainstream. GoGo Penguin are one such band. They are a jazz trio and in that sense are rather traditional, however their hypnotic energic beats and rhythms often feel like they would be more at home in electronic … Continue reading Gogo Penguin @ Trinity Centre Bristol – Live Review
Recently there seems to be a huge number of Scandinavian popstars bringing out some absolutely great music. They seem to have put their own spin on pop and we love it. We have had our eye on Sigrid for a while now and she has now go the title of ÔÇÿBBCÔÇÖs Sound of 2018 number oneÔÇÖ. Could they be taking over the music indursty? HereÔÇÖs … Continue reading Scandinavian singers putting a new spin on the pop music we know
