Get The Blessing – OC DC

Is it just me, or is it about time we, as intelligent music fans, stood up and had a respectful minute silence for saxophone players? Take it from someone who tried to learn, the sax is not an easy … Read More

The Colours – Family EP

Jangling guitars open The Colours’ debut EP, promising similarities to Bloc Party’s debut album, Silent Alarm. The similarities do not continue much further however, as the melodic rhythm is broken by somewhat shaky vocals, sounding almost post-punk, but which … Read More

JODIE MARIE – I Got You

Jodie Marie, a 20-year-old from Narberth in Pembrokeshire, was quickly signed to major record label Decca after her discovery in West Wales. She was the first artist signed by Simon Gavin since Duffy, though her refreshing and promising style … Read More

Pythia – The Serpent’s Curse

Okay, so I’ll admit that I am no one’s go-to woman for sleek, classical/operatic female-fronted power metal. Left to my own devices, I’d rather my speakers dripped a bit of boozy rust along with its distorted chords. This, by … Read More

Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself

“No one can break your heart, so you break it yourself”, says Andrew Bird in Eyeoneye, first single from Break It Yourself, seventh album of his solo career.

Here the magic violin of the multi-instrumentalist from Illinois produces another … Read More

Xiu Xiu – Always

Album no.9 for Jamie Stewart and its creature Xiu Xiu, a project where continuity and avant-garde are synonyms. Whether this continuity lies in Jamie’s mournful pitch or in the gloomy lyrics is not known, but these songs deserve more … Read More

Phantogram – Nightlife EP

From the opening bars of their third EP you are struck by a booming and almost relentless drum beat that returns throughout. The opening track, ’16 Years’ utilises this alongside airy vocals that recall Arcade Fire. The strong backing … Read More

Van Halen – A different kind of Truth

I have been waiting fifteen years for this and, when I first heard the first single Tattoo I was a bit disappointed, but this song has really grown on me and it is a great start to the album … Read More

Maia – Living in the Alligator

Maia are a four-piece folk band from Huddersfield, but they are certainly not your average folk band. Well, that’s because they aren’t. I called them folk but they are in actuality disco sci-fi folk pop. Quite a combination, right? … Read More

Alex Highton – Woodditton Wives Club

Woodditton Wives Club started out its life how all good folk albums do, on a low budget. Highton originally recorded the album using one microphone in his garage, and despite the re-recording being more refined, it still retains an … Read More