Friends in higher places? A neater name? A London postcode? It remains a mystery what more Her Name Is Calla required, to collect the fame and the fortune that they’ve so richly deserved over the years. It certainly hasn’t been for lack of effort or endeavour. For more than a decade this beast of a band has composed some of […]
Read moreIn the past year or so, Pijn and Conjurer have proven the UK metal scene to be full of life and promise. This, a full-on proper collaboration between the two bands, might even be better than the sum of its parts, though. Given the people responsible (and perhaps even that title if you didn’t know it was a Peep Show reference) you’d […]
Read moreBenjamin Power pushes buttons. I mean that literally of course- he writes experimental electronic music and performs live behind an array of machines – but figuratively too. Since establishing the Blanck Mass moniker almost a decade ago, Power has navigated from experimental alien ambience into increasingly challenging sonic territory and taken what feels like every opportunity to engross, but also […]
Read moreSurprise! It’s been nearly five years since the last Cloudkicker release and while that may not seem a long time for some, Ben Sharp had produced something new every year between his first full-length under the moniker in 2008 and most recent record, 2015’s ‘Woum’. And while Sharp never declared an end to his one-man band, he was certainly, and […]
Read moreThree years since it first emerged to passionate praise and perplexed head-scratching and seemingly nothing in between, Bon Iver’s last album, the enigmatic ’22, a Million’, still rewards repeat listens. From its abstract artwork and song titles, ‘i,i’ initially promises more of the same. There’s even a grand concept in play- this is apparently the final ‘season’ of Bon Iver, […]
Read moreTime is a funny thing. Over 20 years ago Jeromes Dream were another fiery screamo outfit with wild ideas and a weird sense of humor. Depending on who you asked, their biggest achievement was either recording a split with Orchid or pissing everybody off with a change in sound on their second and final record. In the years following their […]
Read moreThere’s a distinctly unfashionable whiff to Junro’s debut album. The New England outfit’s chunky, melodic rock is reminiscent of early Incubus, latter-day Taproot, and even Alien Ant Farm. Despite that, or perhaps even because of it, ‘From Hell’ is an engaging and addictive listen. The title track is a bouncy, surprisingly technical slice of punk, ‘Invincible’ feels like the best […]
Read more‘Green and Gray’ is great. So great. Maybe Pile’s best album to date. So in a way it pains me to report that it’s unlikely to alter their long-held status of The Most Underrated Band Ever. The Boston outfit are something of an acquired taste, see, and their seventh album pretty much picks up where their sixth left off- tight, […]
Read moreI don’t know man. I feel seen here. The fourth album from the very UK-based USA Nails is about the human hamster wheel. My human hamster wheel. This is 12 tracks in 25 minutes, raging at the relentless monotony of commute, clock in, clock out, check social media, sleep and start again. ‘Smile’ is fuzzed-out noise-rock fury, ‘Creative Industries’ turns the refrain […]
Read moreSpotlights know magic. Before now, Chino Moreno, Mike Patton, and, yes, even Moderate Rock have all fallen under the spell of husband and wife doomgazers, Sarah and Mario Quintero. Their debut album seemed to come out of nowhere, emerging from a cloud of smoke to celebrity endorsement and rave reviews, and their second record, the stunning Seismic, not only managed […]
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