dionisio has written the following articles:
Regardless of Kim Deal's past life as bass player in one of the most influential bands... well, ever, The Breeders' new fourth LP has plenty of its own merits. DiS chats to her about the Steve Albini-produced Mountain Battles»
Where they go from here is anybody's guess but with "Couples" The Long Blondes have managed to turn two years of inter-band heartache into an ambitious pop record»
For all their lack of pretension, it's impossible to mask the fact we've already heard pretty much everything The Surgens have to offer many times before»
What did you get up to on Easter Monday? Us? We launched our monthly DiScover club in Sheffield with Johnny Foreigner and Fury Of The Headteachers. Much fun was had»
This City Holds Us All possesses a wide-eyed energy and youthful exuberance - not to mention melodic intricacy - that's sadly lacking from other guitar bands of Situationists' ilk. A fine start to their recorded career»
Midnight Boom certainly stands up to comparison with The Kills' previous outings - sometimes bettering them - and, if you've been seduced by their charms in the past, be prepared to fall in lust all over again»
Even in such an oversaturated singer songwriter market, there's always room at the inn for artists of true class. Sadly, on this evidence, Kenneth Ishak's going to have to be left out in the cold»
BSP asked us whether we liked rock music, but it's Berlin-based trio MIT's oeuvre that das kids seem to be most down with: an electro-tinged dance-punk hybrid as peddled by the likes of !!! and Holy F*ck»
It's an obvious point to make, but music originating from Oxford these days - and historically - is a bit clever. Enter The Keyboard Choir, a six-piece electronica ensemble whose compositions are blessed with an intangible air of pathos»
Remember that exciting announcement we told you we had up our sleeves regarding Drowned in Sound-tastic live activity in Sheffield? You don't? Damn. Anyway, we're teaming up with the good people at The Harley (recently voted Sheffield's number one bar) for a regular DiScover showcase in the Steel City»
The Fleshtones' sound is certainly an enduring one, and if you're interested in hearing how the old hands at this genre do the business, Take A Good Look! is certainly worth, well, a listen»
"We used to play punk rock, and still think we do," state Swedish quartet Royal Downfall in the letter accompanying their second LP. DiS's reply follows»
Belle & Sebastian largely leave this writer cold, so given their obvious similarities there are certainly people to whom this record will appeal. But, for all Murdoch and co's often cloying tweeness, you can't argue they don't have the songs. With The Young Republic, on the other hand, that's their one and only - but pretty damn crucial - pitfall»
There's no doubting that MV & EE's Matt Valentine and Erika Elder are talented musicians. The only question - and it's a big one - is whether they'd make better music if they cut out the excess and tried to write in a more concise, focussed manner»
Leeds art-pop types Grammatics, fresh from a successful support stint with The Futureheads, have been added to the bill for fellow Dance To The Radio stablemates The Pigeon Detectives' Astoria show next week»
This Gift is the first record where Sons And Daughters actually sound like they might be trying to appeal to the masses. Is that a criticism? Is it heck. They've produced, by their standards, a glossy pop record, and it suits them. Result: this is the best, most complete, S&D long-player to date»
"And there's no ecstasy left to save us", states Jim Muir on the opening line of his Slideshow's debut LP, and the tone is very much set. Unfortunately, it ain't a particularly exciting one»
DiS is delighted to announce details of a one-off Sheffield event. It's on Thursday February 21st at Bungalows and Bears on Devonshire Street, is free, kicks off at 8pm and will be fun»
They might well be a band in transition, but, on this evidence, whatever Grammatics choose to evolve into over the next few months promises to be nothing if not compulsive listening for fans of ambitious, leftfield pop»
While reference act of choice The White Stripes march onwards to ten nights at the 02, The Old Romantic Killer Band are two hungry, lean young bucks. There's not an ounce of meat on these bones»
It's never going to be the kind of record to set your heart on fire, but for those cold winter nights spent drinking tea and generally mooching around, Los Angeles trio Biirdie's Catherine Avenue is, well, nice»
Orchestral, string-swept pop can still be a wonderful thing (see: Jens Lekman, Beirut), but only when it's not really, really dull. Anthony Reynold is, sadly, but for sure, there are people to whom this sort of thing appeals»
If you're content to make a record that simply apes those who inspire you, regardless of its qualities, you're going to be judged in their shadow»
When you've been slightly disappointed by a previous live outing, you don't want to risk your relationship with a band. But fortune favours the brave, and here we are in Madrid's intimate El Sol club awaiting The New Pornographers, and the moment of truth»
Sons and Daughters: overlooked maybe, but certainly not under-appreciated. It might be dropping a bit late for Christmas, but, on this evidence, come early 2008 you'd be foolish not to unwrap This Gift»
The Steel City relies largely on the record releasing endeavours of Thee SPC, who've been responsible for giving the likes of The Long Blondes and Monkey Swallows The Universe a leg-up early in their careers.»
The impression that this is a song - and band - wildly out of step with both their musical and geographic peers (they're from Leeds, for goodness sake) all add to the appeal»
This hidden gem of a record has been out on limited release for many months but it's only now, in November 2007, that you'll actually be able to purchase it in conventional record stores»
The look? Top hats and surgical masks. The sound? The bluesiest dentist's drill you'll ever hear»
We're giving YOU the chance to put your questions to the band when we meet up with them this coming Friday..»
