Nero - Welcome Reality
By Stephanie Stevens-Wade
Nero play a pretty good part in ripping other artists’ songs to shreds and making them their own. ‘Blinded by the Lights’ and ‘In for the Kill’ were overplayed until either our ear drums or speakers gave way, but does their debut album Welcome Reality have the same effect? … Continue Reading
The Deer Tracks - The Archer Part Two
By Stephanie Stevens-Wade
Sweden have presented the UK with an array of talented musicians throughout the years from ABBA, Robyn, The Hives and The Cardigans to Lykke Li, Fever Ray, Jose Gonzales and The Tallest Man on Earth (we’ll forget about Basshunter, Eric Prydz, Ace of Base, Rednex and Roxette…). And here’s another pair to add to the list. … Continue Reading
After listening to his A Million Miles EP last year and debut single ‘Pictures’ was adored by every DJ, I was captivated by Benjamin Francis Leftwich. His soft vocals echoed around the room, every lyric was clear and sunk into my heart and the guitar pieced together perfectly with his delicate voice. It was like Natasha Kahn and Bon Iver had created the perfect musical love child. And then I heard the album Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm… … Continue Reading
Supergrass, Foals, Radiohead and The Epstein (recently reviewed), all started in a bedroom, club or pub in Oxford before releasing their first EPs. The city has one of the biggest growing new music scenes in the country but the competition hasn’t stopped Cat Matador. The five-piece have already shared the stage with the likes of The Joy Formidable, Twilight Sad and Fixers and graced the line-up of The Great Escape this year. With their show next month at the O2 Oxford Academy, it is time to draw attention to their beautiful recently released EP, The Address. … Continue Reading
After the release of their triumphant, critically acclaimed debut album in 2009 Last Of The Charaguistas, The Epstein return with the release of their EP I Held You Once. First track (of the same name), is heart warming folk rock at it’s best. The repetition of ‘I held you once, it was the longest night of my life’ builds and builds from a lonely melodic acoustic strum to an intricate instrumental crescendo. Individual elements come together including vocals from the whole band to create something quite powerful. … Continue Reading
T In the Park
July 8-11, 2010
Balado, Kinross, Scotland holds the 17th T in the Park Festival with 85,000 revelers, who are welcomed with brilliant sunshine on Thursday afternoon and a beautiful sunset in the evening. This is the perfect start to one of the biggest festivals of the year. Campers are still arriving but that doesn’t stop The Temper Trap, drawing a huge crowd to the Radio 1/NME Stage on Friday afternoon. In awe with his surroundings, lead vocalist and guitarist Dougy Mandagi dedicates his band’s hit single ‘Sweet Disposition’ to the crowd. … Continue Reading
Pull Tiger Tail
Pull Tiger Tail were the hyped, hotly tipped 3-piece indie band of 2006. With a novelty name, a few popular songs on MySpace and neon clad indie kids for fans, 2007 saw the release of four singles but no album to show for their hard work. They haven’t exactly had the best of luck over the years after having numerous troubles with their record company and their website being hijacked by thieving, Romanian, Internet, spamming nerds. However two years after its recorded, 2006’s buzz bands debut album roars, conveniently named PAWS.
Dan Arborise
When his debut album Around In Circles was released in 2006, critics called Dan Arborise a folk singer for the 21st century. His latest instalment, Of Tide And Trail, shows his desire to continue to make beautiful music with confidence, and take it much further. The singer-songwriter has been dubbed the Nick Drake of the 21st century as his work weaves a similar enchantment to Five Leaves Left as it’s a record inspired by John Martyn’s folk-jazz, and the languor of Nick Drake’s delicate vocals.
Stairs To Korea
On MySpace, Stairs to Korea’s genre is listed as ambient/death metal/Christian rap, but please don’t expect anything of the kind! That’s a good thing, right?
North London’s Will Vaughan is Stairs to Korea. Making budget anthems through slipshod use of modern technology and a dinky white guitar, he’s quite like a one man band but without the harmonica strapped around his face… just a marvelous beard!
‘Boy Bear it in Mind’ is the debut single, an enjoyable and upbeat song which coincides with the optimism in the lyrics, “in your youth, make plans for far off lands, and high velocities/boy bear it in mind, don’t let it destroy you, you’ve got to love those things that you find, let the rest annoy you”.
Already compared to Los Campesinos!, his sound is more comparable to The Young Knives with its simple guitars, frail voice and distinctively British accent. Equipped with a tender voice and pure talent in creating so many sounds with only one pair of hands, this man is the latest in our eternal hunt for shonky heartfelt interesting pop music. … Continue Reading
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