Check out Beck.com, this week and you’re sure to find full on streams of the new album, scheduled for offline release on September 24th. In celebration of Beck’s 32nd Birthday, and of course, the new release, the site will add a whole new track to the listening post right up until the formal release date. Beck is also known to be lining up a few low-key tour dates for August, concentrating as you can well imagine on the oddball and Continue Reading
“A Jackknife to a Swan” is pretty un-ska. They’re busy writing songs about Mafiosos, and the whole affair sounds more like anthemic chorus-metal to me. The horns do come up from a triangle in Bermuda to affect the choruses, but the band seems sick of all that silly skanking business. Good for them, but we’ve got this whole Bosstone legacy to put to bed, don’t we? The up-strokes on the guitars framing “Everybody’s Better” reach artificial realms previously populated by Continue Reading
It is one thing to be confused for an irreverent yet sophisticated genius; it is another thing entirely to be recognised as a Martian. Although he is only one of the members of the Flaming Lips, as the central songwriter Wayne Coyne is often identified as a man apart; far removed from our planet. All of these out-of-this-world descriptions are a little unfair as this portrays the man as an unhinged eccentric and his songs to be far-out and “just Continue Reading
Garage punk sells its soul down at the local Virgin Megastore. Is this the beginning of the end of the new wave of garage punk bands as two rising acts succumb to in-store gigs and subsequent signings at Virgin Megastore, Oxford Street, London, over two successive days? By Marc Sallis.10/07/2002 Monday 8th July, 2002 As I fought my way through the rush hour human traffic on London’s underground network I pondered what was waiting for me as The D4 prepared Continue Reading
James Berry weighs up the massively anticipated Oasis Finsbury rock revival. A load of old indie cobblers? Service Berry …10/07/2002 Stumble through the gates into Oasisworld and all seems familiar and well, yet another day in the land of fickle brotherly love. The Jam playing from loudspeakers, chunky sunburnt lads sparked out on their backs by 3pm and precarious cardboard trays of lager being ferried with varied success as far as the eye can see. Then there are the sporadic Continue Reading
A Tribute To Marilyn MansonVarious ArtistsCherry Red Records Tony Engelhart The self-proclaimed Anti-Christ Superstar, Marilyn Manson has been steadily pissing off the Christian Coalition, Parents and the Conservative Constituency from his very first recording. While many critics have dismissed Manson as an Alice Cooper clone, he is just the latest shock rocker building a loyal fan base on the sex, drugs, and Satanism platform which has been around since the 1970’s. While his live shows are as theatrical as Cooper Continue Reading
The voice bleeds like David Gray, but the band sound much more, gloriously, messy that anything ‘White Ladders’ could dish up – Little Plato are a Manchester band and ‘Spirals’ is their third release. The title track is a grungy waltz shot through with melancholy vocals, and filled out with scratching and stabbing guitar riffs. It’s followed by ‘Crystal Unclear’ which sounds similar, but more mellow and acoustic, that is, until the chorus kicks in, and their simple indie sound Continue Reading
It’s not really rock music – it’s pop with the guitars turned up – and while the spirit of Savage Garden hovers ominously in the background, this album nevertheless has some moments of MOR greatness. At their best, Atticus Fault combine the craft and whimsy of XTC and on tracks such as ‘My First Trip to Mars’ and ‘Too Late’, chiming guitars and strong vocals make for catchy and accessible tunes. ‘My First Trip to Mars’ is the obvious choice Continue Reading
There is a musical heritage accredited and followed in the States that is dismissed and erased in the UK. Where most American groups, even with the eradication ethos of punk, acknowledge a rich pop inheritance and are willing to incorporate with references past-masters or have a revisionist view of ignored forebears, UK bands are more often not so readily aware of anything prior to the advent of ‘Our Lord’ Noel Gallagher. Whether it is Americana content matter or filching the Continue Reading
It has now been 10 years since Moby arrived on the scene and is once again garnering rave reviews for his latest project, 18. In addition, he remixed the song ‘Sunday’ for David Bowie’s (with whom he is currently on tour) most recent record, Heathen. While his success is unparalleled in the house/techno/trance genre, many techno fans have shown contempt towards Moby for diluting and trivializing the form. Yet, so many other artists working in this style of music -The Continue Reading