Another day and yet another Arcade Fire aping, instrument shop plundering, baroque pop album. However, Fleet Foxes have kind of ruined it for everyone by setting the bar so high. So, for the likes of Sea Wolf, Bodies Of Water and a whole plethora of bland imitations, it's become more of a race for second place rather than the top spot. Read More…

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Port O'Brien

I want to love this album, I really do. It’s absolutely bursting with ideas, humour and fun, but therein lies its downfall. ‘Life In The Bus Lane’ reminds me of one of those ‘Tigger’ people, brimming with energy but never seeing things through to the end. There comes a point when you just want the band to stay their hand from the button marked ‘quirky’ and see one of their ideas out. Read More…

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Applicants

Broadcast 2000 is essentially the vehicle for multi-instrumentalist and all round talented fellow Joe Steer. With a little help from a few friends, Joe makes perfect, quirky little summer’s day tunes. Read More…

Sat 26 Jul – Butthole Surfers

Butthole Surfers R.I.P?

Butthole Surfers were once one of the world’s most challenging, edgy, iconoclastic and avant-garde bands to emerge from the US mid-80’s alternative scene. There was an unspoken battle between band and audience as to who could take the most acid without going on a bad trip under the intense onslaught of disturbing visuals and antics emanating from the stage.

Today, Gibby Haynes and the team are appearing alongside members of the ‘Paul Green School Of Rock All-Stars’. This does not bode well…. Read More…

Japanese band, Nisennenmondai, make a kind of rhythmic industrial noise. They produce strange sounds by hitting various parts of guitars, or playing said instruments with a heightened amount of tone. There are stabbing, percussive guitar sounds and some equally machine gun-like drum patterns all over this record. Read More…

Can Warp do no wrong at the moment? There was a time when you knew exactly what lay between the grooves on the labels’ release without needing to read a review or undo the cellophane wrapping. Gone are those days and replaced by a label that has a truly eclectic roster, from then jerky indie of Maximo Park, through the Trip Hop of Leila, the jaunty quirky pop of Born Ruffians and finally on to the cleverer than Einstein math rock that is Battles. So where do Pivot come in to this? Read More…

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Pivot

Ever wondered what it sounds like in a serial killers head…? Well wonder no more, just whack 'Acid Or Blood' into your HiFi (that's the name of the album not some sonic experiment), sit back and discover a world of schizophrenic, visceral, abrasive, hardcore pain. Needless to say, this is not the album to sip a glass of Pinot Grigo with; more bury the head of a small child to. Read More…

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Racebannon

Iconic band of yesteryear releasing first album in x years (five in this case)? Dan’ll cover that.
I don’t know whether it’s because I’m the oldest guy In the E&D office, but these records keep landing on my desk. However, unlike the recent comeback attempts from James and the Wedding Present, to name but two, Wire have returned with something really quite special.
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Wire

Tue 8 Jul – Red Sparowes, Guapo
Traditionally, when reviewing a gig like this, the support band doesn’t get much coverage but in this case they deserve an honourable mention. Guapo were extraordinary, not entirely for the right reasons, but extraordinary nonetheless. Read More…

It's a critical moment for The Hold Steady. In the wake of their breakthrough 3rd album 'Boys And Girls In America' the pressure's on to deliver a convincing follow up.

From the moment the first bars of 'Constructive Summer' belt out of the speakers, with its insistent driven guitar and piano riff you know they've nailed it. 'Our songs are sing-a-long songs' proclaims Craig Finn in the opening verse, and in that little phrase perhaps sums up the appeal of The Hold Steady in the face of being almost frighteningly unhip on paper. Read More…