Reviews

I’ll dispense with their already well-documented musical history, Craig Nicholl’s perfectly manicured insanity and the fact that debut album, ‘Highly Evolved’ became on of the most talked about releases of 2002. I’ll dispense with it because like Craig Nicholl’s perfectly manicured insanity, it’s really quite boring. Last years news is this years fish n’ chip paper, and The Vines have long since been tickling any trout of any worth. Still those carefully choreographed antics on the Late Show with David Continue Reading

A little fun. That’s what self-styled bad boy, Armand Van Helden promised, and that’s what he delivered. Yep, just as you were thinking your obsession with New York City was on the decline, club music has reclaimed the city that never sleeps and wrenched it squarely from the hands of garage rock just as Casablancas was settling down to a well earned forty-winks. But in this city, you do anything but rest. And this little bristling mix of music spanning Continue Reading

Trading on the increasing popularity of all those canny post-punk algorithms currently being recycled by the likes of The Rapture, Franz Ferdinand and Radion 4, ‘Death Disco:  Songs from Under the Dancefloor 1978-1984′ is a feisty little treasure trove of only the most angular and decisive guitar methane from the period just prior to the onslaught of new-romanticism; just as electro was whooping spotty-faced academic misfits into a mild-mannered frenzy and just as the B52’s were being heard overhead. And Continue Reading

It seems kind of perverse to be sat reviewing a Courtney Love album, especially here today, in 2004. We’re immediately au fait – or at least dismissively comfortable – with Courtney the widow, Courtney the addict, Courtney the love interest, Courtney the plaintiff, Courtney the professional celeb, Courtney in rehab and behind bars, maybe Courtney the actress and certainly Courtney the momentous attention-seeking widescreen-deluxe public fuck-up. But aside from the fact that (including ‘America’s Sweetheart’) she has actually released 3 Continue Reading

Whether or not it’s because the songs refuse to gel, or whether it’s because ‘The Angel’ (ah hem) has produced, arranged, programmed, engineered and written this disc herself, ‘Covert Movements’ ultimately conveys an unusual degree of randomness and freestyling. Fair enough, that’s what you get with dub, but with dub you should never have too much going on. And here, there’s precisely that. What could have been a memorable album is by turns shapeless and undisciplined. Tracks like ‘Still Burnin’ Continue Reading

Most artists wait until the twilight of their career to invite their friends round for a good old jamming session, and then use the subsequent recordings to boost what is usually an ailing career.  You know who you are.  But when the artist in question is Melissa Auf Der Maur, a modern day musical Mowgly, raised by rock instead of wolves, and the friends are some Queens, a Pumpkin and some desert degenerates, reading like one fucked up pantomime cast, Continue Reading

In 2003 the NME proposed The Stills’ ‘Still In Love Song’ a serious contender for single of the year, and Carlos from Interpol thought the album ‘Beautiful, Classic and Honest’. Strong words, eh? So what do we think? Well far be it from Crud to miss any bandwagon opportunity, this fella’s gonna jump on it too. Whilst not as cranky or as bleak as Interpol, nor as quirky, wriggling and glamorous as Stellastarr*, Montreal’s The Stills do furrow that same Continue Reading

4 years since the release of his hip-hop debut, Illogic returns with studio album number three, ‘Celestial Clockwork’ produced by Blueprint. Gone but not forgotten, Illogic toured extensively and appeared on Aesop Rock’s 2001 album ‘Labor Days’, before heaping on his efforts on the tour-only ‘Write to Death.’ of 2003. And is it worth the wait? Well yes, I guess it is. Lyrical, surreal, philosophical and broadly psychedelic, ‘Celestial Clockwork’ boasts a terse selection of autobiographical stories and intergalactic wisdom Continue Reading

Released in the UK during the Summer of 2003 off the back of the deliriously popular big beat and footie-tastic ‘A Little Less Conversation’ (featuring Elvis Presley) ‘Radio JXL: A Broadcast From Computer Hell Cabin’ from Junkie JXL is ticklin’ the toes of those yanks all over again with this rainbow calibre dance-fest. And what a strange and carefree melting pot of styles it is too. From the big vibrant colours of the Saffron contributions (remember Republica?) to the shattering Continue Reading

Few are the occasions that I actually want to look like Lenny Kravitz, strap on some Ray-Bands and start jive-talking. Why? I’m a family man and a settled member of the parent-teacher community in a tiny village in Yorkshire. And this wouldn’t sit too well in the minutes of the next meeting, I can assure you. Hand on heart though, at the first squelchy bass strains of Amp Fiddler’s new single ‘I Believe In You’ I want to do just Continue Reading