Review
by Gareth Dobson
Infuriating. Beguiling. Abrasive. Confusing. Incredible. If you're lucky, you'll catch Primal Scream when they are all of these things. We did with the release of 2000's astounding album, 'XTRMNTR', but all too often they can fall short of the yardsticks they gouge in to the ground themselves with such zealous f»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Yo Pete Yorn! Wholovesyababy? Everyone. Well, over there they do. Here? Whossat?
Well, he's this guy, y'see and he's from LA and he writes songs and sings them. But he does it really well. The album (well THE album over there, and simply the album over here) 'musicforthemorningafter' is a wicked melange o»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
'There's a funny taste in my mouth
and it tastes like my dad'
So sings Major Matt Mason USA, arguably the most shambolic troubadour to emerge from New Yoik Citah in the last twenty years. He's also a bit of a genius.
It's 8:45pm and London's Metro Club is pretty much full. The man»
News
by Gareth Dobson
Ryan Adams is set to release the follow-up album to last years 'Gold' this autumn.
The album, believed to be called 'Demolition' has been pencilled in for a September 23rd date on Lost Highway Records. The announcement was initially made on the official »
News
by Gareth Dobson
God bless ateaseweb. And they're playing 'Lift' again.»
News
by Gareth Dobson
Morrissey, the biggest English performer in Mexico (true!) is set to return this autumn with a new single and album.
The title of both are yet to be confirmed, but the single has been pencilled in with a 9th September release date, and the album is due to follow two weeks later on the 23rd.
It»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Matthew are a 5-piece from the Windy City (that’s Chicago to you and me) who do a nice line in big slabs of guitar with pop hooks.
But doesn’t everybody else these days? ‘Streams’ comes on all thoughtful guitar with a nice slow-mo Foo Fighters riff. It’s impressive, but too mid-paced. I mean,»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
“Tell me what you see
Was it a dream? Was I in it?
Life seemed so obscene until it's over
Who knows?”
So sang Richard Ashcroft, and retrospectively, for messrs Tong and Jones – former Verve members and now bassist and lead guitarist for The Shining - a very poigna»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
If enthusiasm alone was a barometer of rock and roll greatness, this would be the best gig of all time. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to rock’s second childhood, as young whippersnappers and old veterans alike proceed to grace the Astoria with the kind of wide-eyed passion that seems oddly out of sorts in today’s leth»
News
by Gareth Dobson
Idlewild are continuing their run of promotional appearances to coincide with the release of 'The Remote Part' on the 15th July with a free, all-ages gig at the Hanover Grand the following Thursday, 18th July.
The band take to the stage at the Hanover Grand (that’s just off Regent Street) at 7.00 with door»
News
by Gareth Dobson
ITV2 is to show its cutting edge status by agreeing to televise the V2002 music festival live for the first time.
ITV2 has signed a deal to broadcast action from the weekend event, which includes sets from top bands Stereophonics, Nickelback and Counting Crows, will take place simultaneously»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Do you remember when Nick Cave released his solo track ‘Into My Arms’? Mmm. You, like me, probably sighed “Ohhh, this really is quality. But why the fuck are they releasing it? What, exactly is the point?”
The point, is... I don’t know actually. More plastic burned for no real reason. It’s no»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
It may worry you that Ascend To The Stars has backing from such a notoriously unimaginative source as MTV for its second album, but fortunately for the Stockholm-based four-piece, they also have more creditable peers. They have played with At The Drive-In, Get Up Kids and The Promise Ring. A»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
For their sins, of which we can assume there are many, Garlic met via an advertisement in renowned grab-bag paper Loot. What sort of people read this tomb of boot-fair culture? Well, people who know their way round a guitar for starters. A-side ‘Not Over Yet’ is a sublime mix of Malkmus-esque (not Pave»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
I assume this band are called The Angel Race, otherwise, this is the name of the demo, and then I don’t know what they’re called.
It’s not horrible, some nice guitaring, and a good soaring chorus on the first track. I thought that guys voice sounded a bit weedy, like a cross between Ben Folds and Mor»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
“Quick!”, said the people at Regal, “There simply aren’t enough gentle acoustic strumalongabands in the UK at the moment, lets sign up every single acoustic act that don’t have a deal yet.”
“Ok”, said Regal employee number one, “We’ll start with Alfie and Woodstar»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Leaves are from Reykjavik, and quite possibly have just heard about British Indie music circa 1996. A very exciting time for these people no doubt, but they didn’t have to go and reproduce a Mansun song, note-for-bloody-note. Just because Mansun left these sceptred isles years ago, doesn’t mean that we have forgotten w»
In Depth by Gareth Dobson
‘We’ve never even been to France!’
When Badly Drawn Boy made an appearance in Manchester a couple of weeks ago, he was reported to have made some less than pleasant comments regarding former labelmates, Alfie. Tony Naylor called it a “sour note” and mused that it was unseemly to»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Thing is, I received this album a little while ago, but I haven’t managed to review it yet. Why? Well, because there’s something quite indescribable about it. It’s just odd. “Piss off! You’re a music journalist!” (In the very loosest sense, I hasten to add) you cry! Alright, this is the way I see it...
Capitol»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
One track, one pound, one day of release. The only ‘one’ that’s missing to give it the full complement is the fact that it’s probably not going to be number one. Leave that to the other set of Mancunians. Whilst the Burnage-originated five-piece see their star in the descendance, the band that formerly called themselve»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
“A lot of people have already said their bit, so I’m just going to do what I do best, sing”.
The perma-shambling Chris Martin wanders on stage with these simple words and sits down at his rickety little piano. The venue is London’s pigeon-infested Trafalgar Square, the cause is Oxfam’s drive for fai»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
The last time DiS saw Ryan Adams , He was playing the London Astoria aided only by a cellist and violinist. After playing a selection of covers and songs that he had written the day before, he got the huff with an inattentive crowd and wandered off. The time before that, at the same venue, he appeared as his own»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
After eight months of critical acclaim for his Album ‘Gold’, it appears that the Ryan Adams marketing machine is finally grinding into action. Perhaps his record company has decided to realise the potential of this very obvious of stars, or maybe the difficult little fucker has finally ceded to the lures »
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Consider the case of Embrace; five young men from Yorkshire with a mission to make their own musical mark on the world. Your first single is released on Fierce Panda Records and is sold out before it hits the shops; your sibling dynamic that is central to the band leads to obvious and fiercely debated comparison»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
A short, sharp, burst of evil fuzz glam groove is Mum & Dad’s first offering for a while, and my, haven’t they got nasty!
Imagine Earl Brutus with really bad hangovers attempting to play the Scream’s XTRMNTR on the set of The Exorcist. Lip-smackingly sinister, 'Kiss of Death' i»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Men of the people, Travis, those cuddly, loveable pop Scotsters with their pathos laiden tunes of hope, forgiveness and yearning. They love their fans, and wouldn’t do anything to rip them off, cos they’re the good guys. Right? Well, why are they here at all?
Wembley Arena is perhaps the most uniquely soul»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Despite positive press attention and some high profile live spots for quite some time, this is the first 'Schools offering to be made widely available to the Great British Public, as a precursor to their soon to be officially released (but actually out for some time, really) album, »
Review
by Gareth Dobson
Elf Power release their second Shifty Disco single to mark the celebrations of the label’s 60th (in release years) birthday.
Notably, it is produced by Dave Friddmann, the man responsible for albums by Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips and Mogwai. Hints of Wayne Coyne’s band can»
Review
by Gareth Dobson
This is the second single to be released from Simian’s disappointing LP 'Chemistry Is What We Are', which failed to meet the standards set by Source label-mates Kings of Convenience and Turin Brakes last year.
This song is a lopsided shuffle in the vein of Englishness past in w»
In Depth by Gareth Dobson
In the three and a half years since Cornershop offered their last release, the ‘Sleep on the Left Side’ single, the world has seen nu-metal, garage (then ‘speed garage’) Coldplay, Travis»