Wiley – Evolve Or Be Extinct

Wiley - Evolve Or Be Extinct

By Greg Salter

Halfway through Evolve Or Be Extinct’s title track, we get Wiley, sounding as relaxed and as confident as ever, pretty much setting out his what’s driving his new material: “You say you don’t like me. So what?/I’m not a show off but when I’m about it’s a roadblock/Stop thinking of old songs/Move on – go change your old top”. Evolve Or Be Extinct is his statement for his longevity – arguably one of grime’s most influential figures, he’s 32 now and knows that while he can stay true to his grime roots, he also needs to justify his continued existence in a UK scene where the kids are continually coming up from behind. … Continue Reading

Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood Of Colour

Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood Of Colour

By Stephanie Stevens-Wade

Back in 2006 we saw Enter Shikari play Take To The Skies hit ‘Sorry You’re Not a Winner’ in a box room full of sweaty fans. The times of the Cheerios t-shirt small crowds and songs of obscurity later morphed into Common Dreads, which introduced chanted political ramblings and dubstep into their sound. A Flash Flood of Colour unites those two incredible albums to create something louder, angrier, heavier, more mature, pumped with adrenaline and drenched in political anguish.

Opening song ‘System…’ is a climax of strings, background guitars, ambient synths and Rou’s gentle spoken words which gradually transform into a heavy vocal joined by the band’s chants leading you into ‘…Meltdown’. “This is going to change everything” roars Rou at the beginning before the huge filthy breakdown of jittery bass, guitars and dramatic strings followed by a drum and bass infused chorus. … Continue Reading

Casiokids – Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen

Casiokids - Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen

First of all, go see Casiokids live. They are the epitome of fun. It is a quirky bunch, and they are having fun being that, and they really exhume that feeling of “funness” to the audience. Not to mention that they have already released some catchy, lovely songs like ‘Finn Bikkjen’, ‘En Vill Hest’, and ‘Fot I Hose’ (they are one of those Scandinavian bands, by the way – where tuneful, easy-on-the-ear songs are grown in back gardens or plucked from trees or available from order at an online grocery shop). Plus, live they are always more fun and the songs always have a bit more punch than their recorded output, especially if one consumes it as an album. So you already kind of know where I’m going with my view on Casiokids’ latest release called Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen. … Continue Reading

Cate Le Bon – CYRK

Cate Le Bon - CYRK

By Russell Warfield

Cate Le Bon. I hope against hope that that’s her real name. Either way, she certainly exudes a smoky nonchalance befitting of such a moniker. From the opening bars of ‘Falcon Eyed’, jaunty guitar chords are stabbed out with a charming sloppiness, underpinned by a loose and carefree drum pattern. The sound feels raw and ramshackle – blissfully uncaring of the fact that it sounds in danger of losing its most basic of grooves at any moment. But Cate gives no fuck for such false concerns. She knows what she’s doing with these ragged little songs, and she’s in no mood to oversell or needlessly polish her efforts. With an opening track which drags its heels to your ears with an deliciously can’t-be-bothered fade in, CYRK announces itself as a record which isn’t desperately interested in trying to arrest or impress its listener. … Continue Reading

Islet – Illuminated People

Islet - Illuminated People

By Paul Faller

Trying to review any release by Cardiff four-piece Islet is a difficult task, but it’s fair to say that they put the ‘mental’ in experimental. I mean that in the best way possible, of course – watching their live show, you’re never quite sure where they’re going to go next, making for a chaotic but compelling spectacle. Following up from their two previous EPs Celebrate This Place and Wimmy, debut full-length Illuminated People certainly aims to capture the unpredictable nature of the band – and at its best, the album absolutely succeeds in doing so. … Continue Reading

The Weeknd – Echoes Of Silence

The Weeknd - Echoes Of Silence

By Milen Jonas

There’s something hauntingly sincere about The Weekend, real name Abel Tesfaye. Raw emotions are generally hard to portray musically in our digitalised day and age. But the young Canadian singer/producer continues to do this with incredible flair in his latest free album, the last in a critically acclaimed downloadable trilogy.

The Weeknd, who shot to fame in early 2011 much to the help of good friend YMCMB rapper and fellow country man Drake, tells the tales of seedy night club encounters, drug fuelled social gatherings and immense heartbreak in his signature falsetto throughout Echoes Of Silence. … Continue Reading

Howler – America Give Up

Howler - America Give Up

By Richard Wink

A New Year comes along, and the sonic cycle spins round one more time. Howler are Rough Trade’s latest big stateside hope – Manic Pixie Indie Dream Boys for a new generation waiting for an indie rock band to change their lives.

America Give Up is a bustling bundle of burning ambition; a deliberate intention from the band to create a stir, and see a bit of the world. If you were exposed to The Strokes back in the early noughties in your teens as I was, then this is nothing new. Ditto, if Alex Turner wrote the songs that soundtracked your first pint a few years after Is This It, back when you had your first fist fight outside the kebab shop in front to the Taxi rank whilst you tried to impress the girl of your dreams; then, though you’ll appreciate Howler, you will feel this album is not much more than a nostalgic nod to your salad days. … Continue Reading

The Maccabees – Given To The Wild

The Maccabees - Given To The Wild

By James Blake

The Maccabees: a band who have precariously teetered on the edge national treasure-dom since 2007’s Colour It In. Orlando Weeks and Co. have managed to pull themselves free from the wreckage of the noughties guitar boom and kept relativity quiet about the affair throughout. However, their latest offering Given To The Wild acts as a loud hailer, addressing the masses to take notice of a band who finally feel at one with their sound.

As the sporadic vulnerability of the introduction swirls into life, it could perhaps be perceived as anxiety, an overwhelming desire to impress. But as this etherial entity dissolves away we are soothingly transported to a world of soaring melodies, exceptionally tasteful production and the welcome return of well worn guitar treble as Child reminds the listener of that signature Maccabees sophistication. … Continue Reading

Various Artists – The First Rock And Roll Record

VA - The First Rock And Roll Record

By Rosie Duffield

The origins of rock and roll are somewhat murky, and are the cause of many discussions amongst musos the world over.  Though not a definitive answer to the question “where did rock and roll begin?” The First Rock And Roll Record certainly takes in a cross-section of genres to help fuel the fire on that age-old question.

This isn’t a rock and roll record, despite its name – but don’t let that put you off.  What it is is an extensive collection of songs that might have had some influence on the rock and roll genre all those years ago.  The three CD collection opens with a song that is believed to be the start of it all; a barely audible, scratchy recording taken at a religious camp meeting in 1916.  It continues on with later tracks that were the first to mention the words “rock” and “roll” – and the results might surprise you. … Continue Reading

Guided By Voices – Let’s Go Eat The Factory

Guided By Voices - Let's Go Eat The Factory

By Kenny McMurtrie

In the past I’ve used good old-fashioned money to buy good old-fashioned CDs by Guided By Voices. I never play them anymore, instead preferring the occasional song to be thrown up randomly by my mp3 player. I consider myself a fan though, despite being able to name off the top of my head at time of writing only one song by them (‘I Am A Tree’). When Robert Pollard’s voice wafts through my earphones I’m pleased to be able to recognise it and sometimes am even moved to take the player out to read the name of the track and the CD it originated from. … Continue Reading