Time has felt pretty weird over the last 12 months. Days last forever while months spin by in the blink of an eye. Yesterday can feel like a decade ago.
Tag: New Music
In Conversation with… HUMAN NOISE
There is something undeniably frenetic about the razor sharp songwriting of Sydney based indie-punk outfit Human Noise. With strong ties to both punk rock and singer-songwriter roots, the songs of Eddie Boyd and the band (formerly known as Boydos) are agitated, witty, and above all else, incredibly clever.
WATCH: Bahamas – Live to Tape (Episode 4: Gus Seyffert, Joey Waronker, Sam Weber & Lucius)
Collaboration is something kindred, a bond of connection akin to nothing else in this world. When musicians join together, distant or close, the result can be invigorating and regenerative. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, approaches have had to shift and renegotiate—and live performance has been especially affected. Collaboration has become that much harder but equally […]
TRACK OF THE DAY: The Daylight – ‘The Echo’
Writing a memorable lyric is not easy. Just think how much generic schlock you sing along to in the course of a day.
EP REVIEW: Blu DeTiger – ‘How Did We Get Here?’
Some people were simply born to be in the spotlight. Having played bass since she was seven years old, Blu DeTiger recently in 2020 found herself something of a sensation. With the release of her debut EP How Did We Get Here? on 5th March, DeTiger is fully riding the wave of her breakout year.
TRACK OF THE DAY: Ali Comerford – ‘He Knows’
Deftly merging elegant songwriting with sophisticated instrumentation, Kilkenny based singer and multi-instrumentalist Ali Comerford sets the bar high on her debut release, ‘He Knows‘. Drawing from a background in classical training and performance, Comerford sings and performs every note on this number, deploying a keen artistic instinct and a lightness of touch to her work, […]
WATCH: Jess McAllister – ‘The Bushiest of Beards’
Exeter based Jess McAllister has been busy through lockdown, not only releasing a full-length album in the last year but also sharing a magnitude of excellent homemade videos (including an inspired take on Sugababes classic ‘Overload’) and performing live wherever and whenever possible. Owning your own narrative and voicing personal experience is a large focus […]
Valleyheart: Lostboycrow’s Golden Era
Lostboycrow has always felt more than a simple musical identity, but a source for greater interpretation further than an artist moniker can surmise. Something more akin to a journey, a shared space, a state of home, which might be the reason why like-minded souls have latched on so tightly to the artist’s music. These are […]
TRACK OF THE DAY: JERUB – ‘Feel It’
Nottingham based singer-songwriter Jerub begins the new year with a single that puts all of the past year’s emotions into perspective. Emotive and quietly powerful in personal, as well as global, sentiment, ‘Feel It’ reaches out and takes us steadfastly by the hand.
EP REVIEW: LUMER – ‘Disappearing Act’
2021 is already gearing up to be a very interesting year for the British punk scene. While some of the more established names in the genre have been delivering new music at a very high level of quality, it is just as interesting to take a look at the up-and-coming names and what they have […]
INTRODUCING: Chloe Rodgers
Three exquisite singles at the end of 2020 saw Chloe Rodgers enter the fray with an assured and confident grip on what a pop star can be in the 2020s.
ALBUM REVIEW: Albertine Sarges – ‘The Sticky Fingers’
Some albums have a standing almost more as a work of performance art than one of music, and this The Sticky Fingers, the work of Berlin-based singer-songwriter Albertine Sarges with her newly-formed band of the same name, very much feels like one of those. Not only the lyrics are heavily conceptual in nature, touching upon […]
TRACK OF THE DAY: BLAB – ‘Casual Sex’
Sounding at first like Nirvana’s ‘All Apologies’ wired with an extra shot of caffeine, it’s all about the voice to begin with, intoning “Casual sex makes me feel depressed…“
In Conversation with… ULTRACRUSH
One of my earliest memories of last year is being on a plane to Tokyo listening to the latest release (‘Leave’) from Sydney band Ultracrush. Drenched in a sweet and shimmering kind of melancholy, Ultracrush make music that entwines itself within a moment as if it were its own natural soundtrack. Whilst their latest single […]
TRACK OF THE DAY: Chèlle – ‘Hallucinating You’
Toronto born singer-songwriter Chèlle’s new single, ‘Hallucinating You,’ is delightfully, unashamedly disco-inspired, and still manages to be unique. Chèlle and her producer Jonathan Karkar were influenced by Whitney Houston’s ‘Wanna Dance with Somebody’, and while that influence is apparent, what’s also obvious is that she has her own story to tell and talent to showcase.
ALBUM REVIEW: Shame – ‘Drunk Tank Pink’
The highly anticipated second album by Shame has finally arrived, and it confirms the impression that 2021 has started with a bang and promises to be a very good year for UK music. The South London band has risen to the challenge of the sophomore long player with the same bold attitude they bring to […]
In Conversation with… TESSE
It is so easy to become immersed in the universe that Tom Stephens has created for his musical project Tesse to exist within. There is a sense of poetry and observation on every front. Every sound, texture and visual teasing at its own little story.
ALBUM REVIEW: LICE – ‘WASTELAND: What Ails Our People Is Clear”
LICE have really come a long way. Originally hailed as punks, the Bristol band soon after took a detour by unexpected routes into post-punk territories, and now they have emerged after two years of work with a concept-heavy album that is something else entirely. The album comes accompanied by a booklet – in a style […]
2020 IN REVIEW: Bitter Sweet Symphonies’ Albums of the Year
While it is easy to encapsulate 2020 as a year of challenge and global crisis, the last twelve months have also spurred a great deal of reflection, community resilience and spirit. Initiatives like Tim’s Twitter Listening Party, Snow Patrol’s Saturday Songwrite and Bandcamp’s Bandcamp Fridays have shown what pure intention and dedication can create, especially […]
2020 IN REVIEW: Bitter Sweet Symphonies’ Tracks of the Year
2020 beckoned a new decade, and with it a whole host of change erupted. We’re glimpsing a global population gasping for transformation, buoyed by hope with an awareness that things can get better if we speak up and challenge it to be. The musical output of this year reflected a need for comfort as well […]