Review
by Gareth Dobson
Life after Oasis could be interesting for Liam Gallagher. Currently
curtailed by the lyrical adolescence of his big brother, all we've gotten from
the man recently is some good emoting.
So it's interesting to hear what the king of dentistry can do away from the
big stages. Or, at least»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
You can only wonder how it all went down in the biggest sheds England has to
offer over the last fortnight.
Usually home to the likes of U2, REM and Oasis, November
and December saw people pack into these giant mausoleums to sway their weary
bodies to David Gray.»
News
by Gareth Dobson
Pram, the long serving, multi-disciplined electronicists, are to release
their eighth album early next year.
The new album by the Birmingham collective, to be released on Domino
is entitled 'Dark Island' and sees the light of day on January 20th.
The full track listing for the ten-»
News
by Gareth Dobson
After a reasonably quiet 18 months, Radiohead are kicking into
gear, both as a band and individually.
Most attention will obviously go to the band's sixth album, as yet untitled,
which is currently being recorded somewhere in the UK. Work started on the LP
on September 1st in Los Angeles »
News
by Gareth Dobson
The skewed-pop genius that is Badly Drawn Boy is currently giving fans the
chance to have their own song, poetry or other writings recorded by Mr Gough himself.
In order to win your bespoke Gough work, you have to own his latest album 'Have
You Fed The Fish?' Additionally, in a Willy Wonka s»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Nickelback, you poor, poor confused people.
"'Never Again' sees the grunge-rockers tackling the thorny issue
of domestic violence in a typically powerful and thought provoking way."
trumpets their press release.
'Typically powerful and though provoking', it turns out,»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Strange really, in a releasing a single that is so undeniably pop, it really does
seem like Alternative 3 are living up to their moniker. Tellingly, its
a strange time for music.
Singer Justin Dempsey sounds like a cumulative blending of singers from
Britpop's hey day - but mainly prime Al»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
What with the release of ‘Earphoria’, an album of prime-era
SP songs, accompanying DVD and word of Billy's new band Zwan, now seems as apt
a time as ever in which to worship at the alter of the album which made the
Smashing Pumpkins one of the biggest - and best - ban»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Ideally, it's the way that all gigs (in the non rock world) should be. Upstairs
in a pub, a few tables, a few candles, hushed silence and one man, his words and
a guitar. It's an ideal sort of night.
The small, appreciative crowd have gathered on a rainy November evening to
watch Irish folksman Fionn Re»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
"So am I still waiting
For this world to stop hating
Can't find a good reason
Can't find hope to believe in"
It appears that Sum 41 have hit puberty, and unlike the rest of the
world's teenagers who deal with their emotional turmoil in their poorly-lit
bedrooms, Ca»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
The Dublin Castle on a Tuesday night is usually a fair place to go see
some quality up-and-coming bands, and so it proves once again tonight.
first up are Mavis (that's them in the picture up there); a four-piece from Sunderland who offer a selection
of bitter-sweet Emo pop-tunes. If DiS we»
News
by Gareth Dobson
The Smashing Pumpkin's legacy continues with the news of a new(ish) CD and
DVD set to hit the shops over the next month.
Originally released in 1995 on VHS video, 'Vieuphoria' is a collection
of live sessions and rarities recorded by the Pumpkins between 1992 and 1994.
The DVD»
News
by Gareth Dobson
Rock Action heroes Mogwai are to return to the studio in the coming weeks to
continue with the recording of their fourth album.
The band are currently working with producer Tony Doogan, who has previously
collaborated with and produced Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub
an»
News
by Gareth Dobson
Pulp released their 'Greatest Hits' album - and maybe their swansong
- yesterday, and have made it's tracks available on a listening post online.
The full tracklisting for the CD is;
Babies / Razzmatazz / Lipgloss / Do You Remember the First Time? / Common People
/ Underwe»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
A guitar line soars through the stratosphere, a tremulous holler rises up.
Nothing changes in Suede World.
"Its the t-shirts that you choose / like you're in the airforce / The language
that you use / reacts like chemicals". Nothing changes in Suede World.
A sophisticated synth g»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
They say life is made of moments, well for a slew of NY bands at the moment, including
Radio 4, it appears that life was made of a six month period between the
start of New Order and the end of Joy Division. Even the title of this track reminds of Ian Curtis' doom-laden lyrics (Transmis»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Ah Space, where have you been?
To hell and back apparently. Gone a long time amid record company chaos, departing
members and seemingly, a musical rethink.
It's clear that the time away has affected Tommy's songwriting mentality.
The askew lyrics are still there, "We're are a»
In Depth by Gareth Dobson
Its Wednesday afternoon and I am sitting at my desk, and I am so tired. Yes
I've been out everyday since time immemorial, or at least that is what it feels
like. Why? I don't know. Watching bands, seeing people, living my life. Trying
to get away from all the madness, all the bullshit. But its pretty hard, its»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
For some people, there are only two words that matter in life, whichever order
you put them in. Those words are 'Fischer' and 'Spooner'. For those
of you that have missed the ever-so exclusive trend, slinky electronic squelches
are in. Indeed, they are apparently, all that matter.
So cream your»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Bright Eyes, bright young thing. Native of Omaha, Nebraska, 23 years of
age, five albums to his name and a slew of solo projects in tow.
Its only now that the gifted misanthrope has really come to the fore, with
a sold-out tour underway and set to hit London imminently.
This single then, is hi»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Would you complain if you woke up and it was a beautiful summer's day everyday?
No, probably not. And that, in essence, is similar to a new Coldplay
single. You know what you're going to get, but it doesn't actually diminish
the quality of said thing.
And verily, it swoons. 'The Scientist»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Tonight's event is like Ultimate Warrior vs The Rock in a WWF showdown;
both are muscle-bound, freaked-up beasts of chaos and destruction, but in very
different ways. It is very much new school versus the old school. Except that
both bands are new to the rock block, and their influences are actually»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Wow, life must be pretty cool for The Datsuns right now. In addition
to their leader being voted the third coolest man in rock (not quite as cool as
the drummer from The Strokes it seems, sorry.), they're also releasing
their second ever UK single!
But, stopping for a moment to wipe a tear from»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Surely, planning permission is required to build riffs this big. Or so you would
think. Still, anything that you construct, you'd probably expect these guys to
unceremoniously demolish.
Winnebago Deal are a two piece from Oxford. And no, they are nothing
like the White Stripes. Unless Jack »
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Interpol it seems, are a band out of time and out of place. Perhaps that's
why they manage to offer up something as compelling as this.
The touchstones are evident, but equally, only a pointer. Joy Division
is the obvious beginning place. Paul Bank's vocals manage to produce
the same»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
If this review were as lazily formulaic as its muse, it would say:
"Moby has returned to fray with the third single from
his chart-topping album, '18', and its one of the highlights of the album.
Soaring, epic strings are accompanied by a heartbreaking, emotive voice on a
t»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
You are taking the piss, right?
V-Twin, noted for their immensely affable indie shoddiness, have decided that
now is a time to go, yes, rock.
Possibly its garage rock. That impression would be garnered based on the 'let
it all hang out' production, and the breakneck speed that the fir»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
"1!2!3!4!" The hallowed call of the rock n roll superstar. A phrase
that has been uttered so many times in this vast, soulless, cow shed of a music
venue it should have no meaning whatsoever anymore. It probably doesn't, but tonight
its a clarion call to musical arms. The Boss is back in town.
»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Having surreptitiously infected the airwaves with their previous album 'KY',
Lemon Jelly return with an album that is at once more advanced than their debut,
while retaining all that was good about it.
Namely the mischievous sense of humour and uniquely British playfulness which
the ba»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Its Friday night at the Monarch a notorious night on the bands circuit. As
someone confided to me recently: "don't bother going out on a Friday night,
that's when the out of town bands come in".
"That", I countered, "Is where you're wrong".
Well, h»