Where to start with Grizzly Bear…? It’s undeniable that they’re one of the most prestigiously talented and inventive acts around, but their idiosyncrasies can be off-putting to the casual listener. They’re critical darlings, with a reputation for immaculate musicianship, dazzlingly intricate live performances, and Jonny Greenwood says they’re his favourite band. With this years release […]
In trendy Shoreditch, trendy brewery Goose Island threw a block party in the Red Market, just out the back of trendy venue Kamio.
Fresh from the release of debut album, ‘The Loved Ones’, the prospect of seeing a British act who so seamlessly combine the beauties of vintage revivalism and contemporary culture is truly exciting. However a question is begged of how the live performance will live up to the record.
This very ordinary Sunday night became a big pen mark in many people’s calendars when it was announced as a date in support of LCD Soundsystem’s comeback album, the fantastic ‘American Dream’. Held at The Warehouse Project in Manchester, this was a very intimate show for a band with such an intense following. Joe Goddard […]
A dishevelled landmark, a prospective reassuring vibrancy, standing on the toes of its far trendier brother, Shoreditch, Dalston displays many of the traits the youth have grown to love about the borough of Hackney. It appears even for somewhere so close to the Islington border, Dalston cannot escape gentrification. Living side by side with those […]
Mud, madness and magic – Bestival delivers in spectacular style at its beautiful new Dorset home.
The end of summer generally also marks the end of festival season. This year, Bingley Music Live returned at the start of September to round off another year of excellent festival entertainment. Boasting a refreshingly eclectic line-up for a small festival – from legendary arena-sized acts to tomorrow’s indie leaders – it seemed like a […]
Courtney Marie Andrews has been playing the music game for a good while. Andrews is no novice when it comes to both writing and performing, having put out six LP’s since 2008, but it’s the latest of these, ‘Honest Life’, that’s seen Andrews really breakthrough worldwide.
‘24-7 Rock Star S**t’ is the latest release from The Cribs and sonically it is their rawest offering to date. With Steve Albini on production duties, it’s no surprise really. Tonight’s album launch show is at Belgrave Music Hall. The everlasting beauty of The Cribs’ live shows is that they basically sound like the records […]
Heir cut a reminiscent pop template of decades gone by, as they energetically blast The Castle Hotel’s tightly-packed capacity crowd back to the ’80s. It’s a fitting warm-up to prepare for long-awaited appearances at Reading & Leeds Festivals.
Reputation unblemished, the soaring expectations set by Larkins for their homecoming live show – after a heavy summer of festivals and tours of Germany, and the UK – are at rocket level.
Victoria Park welcomed the magnificence of Citadel for a third year running.
Lying south of the River Thames, Lewisham really embodies the spirit of London’s underground cultural movements. In dodgy looking council estates and niche neat bars, London’s disaffected youth shine through the nonsense of the city’s money-minded centre, just a stone’s throw away. The quirky Montague Arms, with its pseudo classic aesthetic, is where we call […]
Big summer concerts in Hyde Park are somewhat of an institution in London. Recently these events have been organised under the umbrella of the double-weekend-spanning British Summertime Festival, which has amassed itself an eye-watering list of alumni since 2013. I find myself attending the final day, roughly themed around the “Americana” genre, which is headlined […]
An overarching sense of realness was what I found most striking about 24-year-old soul singer-songwriter Rhys Lewis. At a recent London showcase, he was as polite and unassuming on stage as he was whilst being interviewed; there was no preconceived character, no pretense.
I am often a little apprehensive before I attend shows that rely solely on acoustic performers. Will the singing be up to scratch? Will the artists in question be able to generate enough dynamic contrast to keep it interesting? Will the exposed nature of the performance reveal songwriting inadequacies? The acoustic singer-songwriter genre suffers from […]
A small collection of intimate shows were announced in April, that would see the Manchester art-pop collective Everything Everything squeeze their five person live set-up into some of the country’s most exciting venues – the hometown show to take place in the marvelled Albert Hall. Arriving on the hottest day of the year, a few […]
Some might say recently music has changed Hackney forever, others claim that Hackney has changed music forever. Whatever you believe, it’s hard to deny that the once overlooked London borough is now one of the hubs for all things music in London. Sebright Arms is just one of many fine examples of good venues, hosting […]
To many in the know, Shepherd’s Bush is one of the London’s most underrated gem’s in terms of nightlife. There’s a lot more to do than just losing oneself in the vast open retail therapies known as the Westfield conglomerate. For a town so steeped in culture that dates to the birthing of some of […]
After a year in America, The Staves have returned home for a string of intimate shows on British soil, beginning at Gorilla in Manchester tonight. Their latest release was February’s ‘Tired As F*ck’ single, providing the name for this mini tour.