Elusive Scottish band/one man outfit The Son(s) are back with their new EP Leviathan, a follow up to their eponymous debut album. (more…)
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Reviews
SINGLE REVIEW – Me And My Drummer – You’re A Runner
Me And My Drummer have already made a lot of noise back in Germany, so it was only a matter of time before they headed over the channel to give the UK a bit of a shake up. (more…)
REVIEW: Quarantine Collective Launch
Review by Niall Flack
Friday the 13th of April saw the launch of the first Quarantine Collective release – a split single between Hornets and Strait Laces. The Quarantine Collective is a new record label formed with a DIY punk attitude aiming to put their blood and sweat into bringing their music to a wider audience and to not go unnoticed. (more…)
REVIEWED: Lostprophets
Review by Niall Flack
Check out our photos from the gig here.
Lostprophets returned to Belfast on the 16th of April on the second date of their tour in support of new album Weapons. (more…)
Quickbeam – Seven Hundred Birds
Glasgow three piece Quickbeam released their first single, Seven Hundred Birds earlier this week, and I managed to get my hands on a copy. Well, I say “get my hands on”, somebody sent it to me, and asked me to give it a listen. And here we are.
The single’s title track is a slow starter, but a good indication of what to expect from the release. Gorgeous strings, well structured composition and a melody that awakens an ache in the heart. This is music to to sit alone in the dark to, post-breakup, empty wine bottles strewn across the room, crying into your own beard. Vocalist Monika Gromek adds a tone of bittersweet melancholy to the proceedings, which is offset beautifully in the single’s b-side, “Empty Space”, by the introduction of Andrew Thomson and (I assume) violist Nichola Kerr lush harmonies.
Both tracks are minimalist in production, allowing the music to speak for itself, and just as the listener finds themselves relaxing into the wistful pictures painted by the lyrics, the songs end, abruptly and with little fanfare. It’s almost as if the door to the band’s soul is being slammed shut before they can reveal too much.
The single is released via Comets and Cartwheels, and you can download it at the band’s official site for £1.58.
The Destroyers – Hole In The Universe
I’d be lying if I said I’d managed to catch The Destroyers first album, Out Of Babel, and having heard their latest single – Hole In The Unviverse – I am infinitely grateful they’ve finally managed to pop up on my radar.
The band boast an impressive 15 piece line up that includes a full brass section, and (based on this single) create songs that sound like a collaboration between Tom Waits and Mr Bungle, with a heady dash of traveller punk thrown into the mix.
There’s an overwhelming sense of fun in the band’s music that can sometimes get lost when a band tries to introduce politics into their mix. Their lyrics, far from being your typical word furniture, seem to serve a higher purpose. While you could enjoy this single by skanking around like an idiot, if you take the time to sit down and actually listen, you’ll find that beat-poet and lead singer Paul Murphy actually has a lot to say about some of the issues that are affecting the world at large. It’s more rabble rousing than sermonising, so there’s no need to be scared.
All in all, a great single that has piqued my curiosity for their upcoming album.
Their second album, which is also called Hole In The Universe (may cause some confusion), is due out on April 2nd, but you can get hold of the single Hole In The Universe from iTunes today.
Atom Eye – Trilogy Part 2
It’s a testament to Elsie Martin‘s skill as an artist that she’s managed to take decontextualised children’s laughter, and make it even more terrifying than it usually is. Opening Trilogy Part II in this manner is a stroke of genius, especially as the rest of the track builds up ever so gradually, laughter swelling, slowing down, a drone here and there before we’re smack bang in the middle of a nightmarish horror score. You can practically see the blood dripping down the cinema screen.
The London film collective, Yeast have put together three short films to complement the Trilogy. I’m expecting long dark hallways, surreal imagery, empty playgrounds – horror visuals to rival Lynch, Argento and Carpenter. They’ll be available to view once Trilogy Part III completes this ambitious project on 30th April. If they’re as powerful as the music they accompany, I predict a lot of people will be sleeping with the lights on for the foreseeable future.
You can download Trilogy Pary II at Atom Eye‘s official website.
