In Depth
Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of 2012: 100-51
DiS' albums of the year countdown begins...»
This Week's Singles 29.10.12: Mac DeMarco, Two Fingers, Colorama, Bat For Lashes
Single of the Week! Mac DeMarco - 'Ode To Viceroy' (Captured Tracks) You, lazy, are not allowed to invoke the Beach Boys when appraising any songs with honeyed, three or four-part close harmonies. The Dogs of Criticism also decry comparisons to »
"I've got a couple of pubes showing... what's the problem?" DiS meets Bat For Lashes
In the two years since that Two Suns, Bat For Lashes moved back from NYC to Brighton and spent some time getting to know herself away from life on the road. She spent hours recording on her own in her flat in-between visiting her old tutor at the university of Sussex and taking classes in life drawing, pottery and children’s book writing. She also worked with the most collaborators in her entire career including David Sitek, Beck and Justin Parker. The result, The Haunted Man, peels back the layers to reveal the artist at the centre of Bat For Lashes’ previous colourful carnival. »
Electric Picnic 2012: The DiS Review
These are interesting times for Ireland’s Electric Picnic festival. »
Stack chats with Loud and Quiet about being a free music magazine
Ah, that weird week between Christmas and New Year's Eve. It's a week when DiS likes to kick back and read, and we thought it'd be a good chance for you (and us too) to catch up on some of the best bits of writing from this year. But it's the holidays, and we're feeling mega-lazy, so we've let Steve from Stack Magazines - a brilliant magazine subscription service that sends you a different magazine each month - takeover the site. This week, you can read the fruits of chats with the editors of some of his favourite music magazines, each sharing some insights from the year that was and their favourite thing they read in 2011. Here Steve chats with Stuart Stubbs, editor of Loud and Quiet...»
Guide to 2011 - Part 2: Albums DiS is looking forward to in 2011
Yesterday DiS reviews editor Andrzej Lukowski revealed the 11 albums he’s most looking forward to in 2011. In part two DiS founder/editor reveals his eleven... »
Spotifriday: DiS does Hallowe'en - 50 Song Spotify Playlist
On this playlist we've mixed theme tunes from TV shows and songs from horror movie soundtracks with some ghoulishly titled tracks from some of DiS' favourite acts, plus some gothic ridiculousness from Cradle of Filth and found Burroughs reading some Edgar Allan Poe. »
To space... and beyond! (well, the Isle of Wight) - a Bestival preview mixtape
September is upon us and that means festival season is as good as over. Thank goodness then, for Rob Da Bank and his space-themed Bestival, a one last hurrah and glorious standout in a dizzying summer calendar. There's even the threat of sun this year. B»
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Glastonbury Diary 2009, Sunday
The concluding part of DiS' Andrzej Lukowki's adventures at Glastonbury 2009.»
Glastonbury In Photos: Bat For Lashes
If there was an algorithm for the perfect Glastonbury artist, then Natasha Khan with her glorious electronic folk-pop swoopiness, shark-jumping fashion sense, Mazzy-Star-meets-Yeasayer lushness and ancient-India-via-the-Brooklyn-Apple-store choice of instruments go beyond perfect Glasto fodder. Her set on the Other stage was one of the highlights of the weekend... and yes, that is Charlotte Hatherley, formerly of Ash, in her band. Click here for more photos and coverage of Glastonbury 2009. »
In Photos: Glastonbury 2009 - Day 4
Glastonbury Sunday In Photos takes in everything from Blur to Yeah Yeah Yeahs via Emmy the Great, Nick Cave, a man dressed as a smurf and lots more. Click here for all of our Glastonbury coverage.»
Primavera 2009: DiS's highlights
Primavera Sound 2009 had one of the best bills we've ever seen, with an eye-boggling array of talent on offer. Here's what our intrepid writing team came back babbling excitedly about.»
Karate Kid crushes, Scott Walker and H&M: DiS steps into the world of Bat For Lashes
_Though she doubtless pines nightly for the days when Bat For Lashes was signed to Drowned In Sound records, it has to be said that Natasha Khan has done alright for herself since BFL's debut single 'The Wizard' emerged three years ago. »
The Weekly DiScussion: Brits at the bookies, and our favourites
A week, just over, on and we’ve had time enough to let those Brit Award nominations sink in. Now we're wondering: who's actually going to win, and do we want them to? Here, the DiS office picks its ideal winners, and compares them to the favourites at the bookies. Snap? Rarely»
The Weekly DiScussion: are we one awards ceremony short of three-dozen too many?
As another awards ceremony for musicians - and music websites! - looms on the horizon, DiS wonders: are there too many of these events, filling up our late-night television schedules and covering our already commercially successful LPs with stickers stating "Best This That Or Other, 2007 Awards For Music That Isn't On EMI"? Best live male: Mika? Have you been to one gig all year? Oh, you have... »
Connect Festival 2007: the DiS review
Send one DiS writer to the first-ever Connect festival? We think not. Here, three intrepid festival-goers – Jordan Dowling, Dom Gourlay and Dave Kerr – bring us their experiences of three days that can only be summarised as: a muddy festival in Inveraray, Scotland. With some ace bands, as it happened…»
Mercury Music Prize, worldwide: DiS assesses the awards...
As the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize looms, DiS wondered what other countries do to recognise their best new artists. We also wondered how the British talent would match up to their international equivalents...»
Latitude Festival 2007: the DiS review
Latitude has swiftly become a deep-rooted fixture on an ever expanding festival circuit, offering weary Glastonbury revellers an opportunity to recharge under the Suffolk sun and various meeejia folks the chance to check out a series of fine 'adult-orientated' headliners. DiS dispatched a handful of critical sorts to Henham Park, in Southwold, and asked them to select their personal standouts and new DiScoveries...»
Versus The Fans, the preview: The Fan's Perspective
There’s a clue in the festival’s name, you know; just the slightest suggestion that this ATP, more so than ever before, is about the fans, the men and women that make the festival ‘happen’, three times a year. Here, DiS gets the opinions of one fan on the upcoming weekend...»
DiS podcast: ATP Versus The Fans special
This special, one-of-a-kind, ATP Versus The Fans preview podcast comes at you with presenter Mike Diver trying his best not to swear and failing. Perhaps you'd like to listen to it on the way to Minehead...»
Label Focus #1: Drowned in Sound Recordings
Possibly, you are aware of Drowned In Sound Recordings; given that it’s the sister operation of this beloved website you read, adore and occasionally spam. Gareth Dobson checks in with founder Sean Adams to begin DiS' regular label features.»
DiS's interviews of 2006: DiScoveries, heavy-hitters and silly Some Questions
2006: twelve whole months of DiS running about the country, up stairs and down basements, into hotel rooms and outside into pub gardens, chasing bands. It's what we do, so that you don't have to.»
A Month In Records: October 2006
Yes, we realise this month’s A Month In Records is roughly a week late, but we’ve been suffering from something of an Our 66 hangover (click it for a link!). It’s okay, though: the painkillers have finally kicked in and, a few sour faces aside, we’re firing on all cylinders again.»
A Month In Records: September 2006
Did you dig September as much as we did? Really, we’ve not known a month like it this year: fantastic releases were flooding through our letterbox near-enough non-stop. From metal to folk, to thunderous post-rock and twisted electronica, many a base was covered and covered brilliantly. So this month’s A Month In Records has been one tough mother to compile...»
The Tuesday DiScussion: Is your bedroom the new Abbey Road?
Not since White Town has the British undercurrent of 'bedroom music' been so interesting. Is there a real resurgence in the idea of a studio-free existence?»
DiScover: Bat For Lashes
Bat For Lashes' Fur And Gold follows in the wake of no little critical acclaim for its preceding single, ‘The Wizard’. Comparisons to both Kate Bush and Björk have put Khan in an awkward position, albeit one enviable to many: what happens if those points of reference are ones that she can never parallel in her own way? Khan seems to have become detached from the record’s reception before it’s so much as begun in earnest...»
Festival Preview: Bestival 2006
It's Bestival this weekend (September 8-10), and while it's meant to be the last festival of the year, it's obviously not because there are more coming up. Or maybe it's just meant to be the best? Whatever. It's certainly the biggest Bestival yet, anyway, with some 250 acts - there or thereabouts - performing over three days...»
The Great Escape: Preview and Podcast
DiS is taking a veritable troupe of badness down to Brighton in just a few days to frolic in the surf and eat whelks and other minging seafood. The task in hand is to see at least three bands at the Great Escape – part of the Brighton Festival Month. Handily, you will find The Drowned In Sound Top SIX Bands To Go Rock Out To just below to help YOU see more than three bands over the three-day festival. How amazing?? Yes, quite. Additionally, there are all also all the details you’ll ever need to check out all your favourite Drowned in Sound Recordings bands.»
The United Sounds of ATP, weekend one, a preview
It’s that time of year – the sun’s peekin’ its way past the outer fluff of the clouds, and pale-faced indie boys are thinking about takin’ off their tops. They won’t, of course – we’re too shy for that. Festival-wise, there is but one event that truly whets the insatiable appetite of the indie boy: All Tomorrow’s Parties...»
DiS Digital Singles Club Unveiled
You heard it here first... DiS does singles club in the digital age. 45 digital singles a year (available from all good download stores) and to launch annual subscription later this year.»
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