Rogue Wave: a big kiss to a brighter future
Former Sub Poppers Rogue Wave have overcome illness, death and label difficulties to release their third LP. DiS finds them looking to the future»
Articles
tom_edwards has written the following articles:
Swound! - Into the Sea
The four brothers Staszkiewicz draw upon an A-Z of '90s alterna-rock and grunge-pop, taking in everyone from fallen teenage nearlymen Symposium, Noise Addict and Radish, to the big hitters like Weezer, Redd Kross and Pavement along the way. On one hand it's dumb, frivolous and light as a feather. On the other it's a barrel of fluffy fun and endearing as a hamper of kittens.»
Various - Fear Of A Wack Planet
Few people will fall in love with absolutely everything here, nor should they expect to. What can be appreciated is the unity of purpose that overrides something as inconsequential as genre. »
Kasms - Spayed
With KASMs and its collaborative, DIY-hearting assault, it sounds like he might just have found his fit. Led by the scruff of the neck by singer Rachel-Mary Callaghan, whose on (and, frequently, off) stage performance style could be fairly described as ‘confrontational’, KASMs have channelled their very own urban nightmare into a compelling whole on their debut album.»
Hundred Reasons - Quick The Word Sharp The Action
For those of us still in their teenage years in 2001, it’s pretty difficult to completely harden one’s heart against these endless»
Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Listening to this album makes me feel old. It seems such a long time ago I was coerced into listening to the newly released Mach»
The Nerves - One Way Ticket
The band behind 'Hanging On The Telephone' finally gets an official round-up.»
Sunny Day Sets Fire - Summer Palace
Summer Palace showcases this multi-national indie pop troupe's propensity for kaleidoscopic, lush music that recalls early Mew and Blonde Redhead in its scope...»
Hot Leg - Red Light Fever
As you’d imagine, Justin Hawkins' new band Hot Leg picks up a little too neatly where the forgettable One Way Ticket To Hell… And Back left off, mixing that trademark histrionic falsetto with oversized rock riffs that could have been vetoed by Def Leppard for being too cheesy.»
Jackie-O Motherfucker - The Blood Of Life
Ever since the release of their beloved Fig. 5 album back in 2000, Portland’s Jackie-O Motherfucker have been carving out their own mind-bending niche in the dusty basement of modern popular music.»
Land Of Talk - Some Are Lakes
Following up on their promising 2006 debut, the Montreal trio return with a brittle follow-up.»
This Town Needs Guns - Animals
Following last year's well-received split with Cats And Cats And Cats, Oxford math-rock combo This Town Needs Guns deliver a slightly disappointing debut album»
Dartz - The Sad History Of The Village Of Alnerique
Dartz have dropped the formerly-trendy exclamation mark from their name and, with it, most of the indie-dance leanings of their earlier work»
The Vines - Melodia
Stripped of their deal with EMI, Sydney’s most famous prodigal children return for one more round with little more than three chords and a prayer.»
Bellafea - Cavalcade
Bellafea know how to produce a sizeable racket, from the pounding rhythm section to the walls of guitar that give the album its razor-sharp edges»
Naomi Hates Humans - Pipe Dreams And Lullabies
Naomi Hates Humans offers no particular answers to her predicament, although it is one most of us could identify with. Pipe Dreams… could be the start of something interesting»
Jeremy Jay - A Place Where We Could Go
Californian Jeremy Jay leaves behind the electronic elements of his Airwalker EP on this spare, Calvin Johnson-helmed debut album»
Pattern Is Movement - All Together
The duo of Pattern Is Movement have developed their innate musical telepathy into something approaching the supernatural»
Alphabeat - This Is Alphabeat
What was once an exceptional record is now merely a rather good one. A shame, but it can’t entirely derail Alphabeat's vision»
Sun Kil Moon - April
Like a steam train clacking its way along an unending track, Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozelek has become the perennial weary traveller of the rock world»
Monotonix - Body Language
For those who enjoy seriously overdriven guitars and the heavy metal stylings of The Fucking Champs (whose Tim Green produces here), Monotonix have plenty to offer throughout these six tracks»
Pennywise - Reason To Believe
LA-based pop-punks Pennywise's latest LP Reason To Believe will undoubtedly keep the moshpits rocking, but it’s 2008 and yeah, we’ve heard it all before»
DiScover: Applicants
Welcome, please, to the colourful world of Applicants, where Atari Teenage Riot battles with 'Into The Groove'-era Madonna in a world-pulverising showdown»
Jill Cunniff - City Beach
Overdue return from the wilderness for the one-time Luscious Jackson songstress. Summery grooves and breezy melodies abound»
Ben Lee - Ripe
Ripe is by far the most overtly ‘pop’ record in his oeuvre. The result is a record that could sit comfortably alongside indie-MOR bands such as Semisonic, only with a definite bedroom recording feel courtesy of Ben Lee’s unaffected vocal...»
Courtney Love at London Bush Hall, Mon 09 Jul
No one would question Courtney Love’s aptitude for rock stardom. The woman has had more lives than Keith Richards and, over her career, has out-partied and out-misbehaved any male pop icon you could care to mention. Thus, it seems like a small miracle that she’s here tonight, on her 43rd birthday no less, to play her first UK show in seven years...»
Sebadoh - The Freed Man (deluxe edition)
A beacon of non-conformity in the slick, sheeny hard rock landscape of late ‘80s America, The Freed Man stands up alongside works by Daniel Johnston and Half Japanese as an intimate portrait of the abounding creativity that flourished outside the glare of the spotlight...»
Tiger Force - A Wasp in A Jar
A Wasp In A Jar is a strong start for Tiger Force, proving that while natural selection may be cruel, sometimes it all works out for the best...»
Back To The Future: DiS meets Ash
Freshly pruned to their original trio, Ash are back in the UK to promote their forthcoming fifth album, Twilight Of The Innocents. DiS's Tom Edwards finds five to talk about the new album with the Northern Irish three-piece...»
Headlines at London Camden Barfly, Thu 22 Mar
It’s hard not to get drawn in by a band that have as much fun onstage as The Headlines – five young men whose ID, frankly, you’d want to check out before taking home...»