domgourlay has written the following articles:
Dorias Baracca are by no means the finished article, and even buoyed by an EP as delightful as this, it would be churlish to claim otherwise. However, the potential on display here is frightening...»
While 2008's The Hungry Saw had an almost by-numbers feel to it, Falling Down A Mountain is anything but...»
In what was a very rare opportunity to get an audience with the man himself, DiS spent a cold January evening chatting to the quite amiable Stephin Merritt - a man dubbed "the most miserable man in rock" on more than one occasion - and found ourselves discussing the sincerity of folk music, the influence of alcohol on creativity and future ventures into writing stage and film musical scores. »
They say the sum of the whole is greater than the individual parts and Yeti Lane are living proof of that old chestnut. Having spent seven years as part of critically acclaimed post rockers Cyann & Ben, the trio had to quickly employ a back-up plan culminating in a drastic change of direction when Cyann quit the group at the turn of last year.»
Unfortunately, No Hope, No Future doesn't quite come up to the mark, and while one man's average is another's state of contentment, one would expect an outfit with the undoubted potential Good Shoes possess to settle for that little something more. »
Despite forming as far back as 1995 and releasing their first album Not Here Not Now almost a decade ago, Malory have remained a peripheral source of mysterious delights, preferring to experiment with elements of techno, post-rock and acoustic melodrama on each subsequent release rather than go out for the all-out noise attack favoured by many of their contemporaries. »
London based independent Erased Tapes may only be entering its third year of existence, but already they've carved out a reputation as being one of the most prominent when it comes to discovering innovative new artists from all around the globe.»
In the case of White Lies, it has been a hugely successful twelve months, despite being ladled with disparaging levels of adversity at times, and although there's still a tad of indifference as to whether this year's triumphs can be repeated and sustained in the future, no one can deny they've rightfully earned their current elevated status...»
Hailing from Athens, Georgia, previously renowned in a musical sense for the diverse likes of REM, Neutral Milk Hotel and Mastodon, Dead Confederate occupy such a vast musical landscape that even attempting to pin them down would be a nigh on impossible task.»
It isn't so much a revitalised Manic Street Preachers here, but something more akin to a rebirth, such is the vehemently passionate stance all three of the band have seemingly taken on themselves to deliver with this record. »
Four years on from the first Reverence festival, Club AC30's three-day event just got slightly bigger and ridiculously better. As well as attracting a line-up that throws together some of the shoegaze genre's most feted artists both past and present, they've also taken the venture into the more upmarket confines (not to mention selling pints of Leffe on tap) of the ICA just around the corner from Leicester Square's expensive tourist traps.»
Long established Birmingham duo Broadcast have been favourites of many a DiSser for some time now, despite their output being much more sporadic over the past few years...»
In little over thirty minutes time The Specials are due onstage for the second night of their two-day jaunt in Nottingham, yet still Rock City's doors remain firmly closed...»
When Adam John Miller announced at this year's Indietracks Festival that The Manhattan Love Suicides were no more, many tears were shed in anger, particularly by those that hadn't been fortunate enough to witness their ramshackle lo-fi indiepop in the flesh... »
Has the world gone completely ga-ga for shoegaze? Over the next couple of weeks it will feel like it has. Having literally spent the past six months counting down the days at the prospect of seeing My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Swervedriver et al thirty-six times over at this year's ATP: The Nightmare Before Christmas event at Minehead, the wonderful Club AC30 only go and announce the three-day Reverence series of shows at London's ICA venue.»
The first time DiS saw Frightened Rabbit play in this venue two years ago, then as a three-piece, you could count the number of punters on the fingers of both hands...»
As the brainchild behind Spectrals, Louis Jones could perhaps be forgiven for hiding behind his shy exterior. Aged just twenty, his solo project wasn't initially intended for public consumption, but having created the obligatory myspace page, the last six months have record labels queuing up for a piece of his Spector-goes-surfing inspired lo-fi pop. »
As London's most influential record store for the past three decades, Rough Trade have been responsible for providing many a fledgling artist a stepping stone from the underground to a far wider audience...»
As leading lights of the UK independent scene, Leeds’ Dance To The Radio have not only established themselves as one of this nation’s finest record labels, they’ve also developed a tendency to spot new talent while many of their peers are still chasing the previous year’s media-hyped scene...»
If 2009 was something of an auspicious year for We Were Promised Jetpacks, the next twelve months should firmly establish them as a force to be reckoned with. »
If Japandroids haven't exactly enjoyed the most comfortable of trips to Nottingham today, then Brooklyn's A Place To Bury Strangers must have broken the record for the most tiring. Having stepped off a plane from their homeland literally hours before arriving, one could forgive them for being jetlagged and ultimately wanting to get tonight's show out of the way in order to get a good night's rest...»
Twelve months ago The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart were something of an underground secret. To say this past year has been a triumphant one for the Brooklyn foursome would be little short of an understatement...»
Parisian multi-instrumental three-piece Yeti Lane may be the latest signings to acclaimed shoegaze label Sonic Cathedral, but their sound is anything but typical of that or any other genre. »
As leading lights on the ambient electronica circuit for the past seven years, Genoa's Port-Royal should need no introduction to anyone familiar with the genre...»
The story of The Feelies reads something like a low-budget soap opera. Despite forming in the late seventies during punk's halcyon days, it took them a further three years to release their first record. »
Now just a two-piece consisting of Chapman and August Jakobsen, the 2009 version of Maps is more at home within the sweaty confines of a late night club...»
'Spencer Percival' and popular b-side 'Victress', dedicated here to Sol Campbell, further emphasise iLiKETRAiNS status as a most understated - if eccentrically adverse - national treasure. »
For Leeds-based Spectrals (aka Louis Jones but tonight extended to a four-piece rather than the one-man band responsible for their recordings) it's something of a triumph against the adversity of a somewhat frosty reception afforded them in their native West Yorkshire...»
French imprint Kitsune Maison have been responsible for some of the most groundbreaking dance-orientated music this side of the Millennium...»
Despite Godflesh coming to an end six years ago, Justin Broadrick has continued in a similar vein with Jesu, and in that time managed to establish a reputation for being one of the heaviest, loudest outfits currently sitting amongst the post-rock/metal genres»
