The Fray celebrated two decades of How to Save a Life with a sold-out, multigenerational crowd at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The night felt less like a nostalgia trip and more like a full circle celebration of a band whose songwriting has quietly shaped an era.
Read Morefeeo (aka Theodora Laird) emerges from South London’s fertile experimental scene with her debut album ‘Goodness’, released by AD93. Over the past decade, AD93, an offshoot of Young Turks, itself born from XL Recordings, has quietly become one of the most ruthless laboratories for experimental sound.
Read MoreUpon his EP’s recent release, Native James has gained a reputation amongst the rap-metal scene as a definite leading successor amongst up and coming artists. After a successful stint in London supporting the pre-established, ‘Letlive.’ he has released his new EP entitled, ‘CONFESSIONS OF A SINGER’; a release that has been extremely well received by critics and fans alike.
Read MoreOne thing about Bristol: there will always be an excuse to throw a party, and Bonfire Night is no exception to this rule. Below the Belt Productions and Community Jam Collective, two Bristol-based collectives currently taking the city’s creative scene by storm, joined forces again to bring a night of bands, DJs, drinks, food, and all round great vibes to Ashton Court Mansion.
Read MoreLast Thursday night, London’s live-music heartbeat pulsed loud at 229 The Venue, Great Portland Street, as the ITM Live Tour — part of the four-year In The Making (ITM) programme — launched its first official UK date. The night proved that the capital’s grassroots scene is alive, fearless, and brimming with next-generation talent.
Curated and driven by Cassel (Cassell The BeatMaker), the show captured exactly what ITM stands for: creativity, collaboration, and raw musical honesty.
Read MoreLarkin Poe (Rebecca and Megan Lovell) have been in the game a long time. Starting in 2005 as ‘The Lovell Sisters’, their americana rock music has carried them through the decades to become the Grammy-winning powerhouse band they are now. Taking their updated name from their real relation to Edgar Allan Poe (their great-great-great-great grandfather was his cousin!), you might be surprised at how hopeful their music is.
Read MoreWith the rise of artists like CMAT and The Last Dinner Party, there’s a real yearning in the air for complex, femme singer-songwriters, especially those that have darker and deeper influences. We’re living in an era of lore-forwards music; in the sense that, artists are working harder than ever to integrate their music into their own creative universes, via short films, stage set pieces, accompanying choreography, and more. And though it may seem like a lot of hard work, Bristol-based artist Anna Colette makes it look seamless.
Read MoreBristol’s active stance on worsening conditions in Gaza and the West Bank has recently been elevated in the local music industry thanks to the illustrious disco heads, Paradisco.
They’ve gathered friends & family from the last 10 years of events - 18 artists from near & far, all pitching in to raise funds towards MAP (@medicalaidpal) in the face of an ever-increasing genocide.
Read MoreIt’s very likely you’ve heard the name Newton Faulkner - maybe his 2007 breakout hit ‘Dream Catch Me’ is in a playlist or two of your own - but if you haven’t been keeping up with his recent work, I am sure that it will delightfully surprise you. I had the chance to catch Faulkner playing an in-store performance at Bristol’s Rough Trade, as he travels the UK & Ireland to promote the release of his new album ‘OCTOPUS’.
Read MoreSocial narratives, elite swagger and a shameless amount of northerness, Polite Bureaux, like cigarette-filled pub garden conversations, have brought raucousness, unapologetic social commentaries and foul mouthed philosophies to the table with their recent album release, ‘EXCEPT YOUR SKiNT’.
With what feels like a future generational album of electronic berserkness, post punk riffs and charisma tinged references, the band bring together some of most complex arrangements in styles representing some of life’s simplest moments.
Read MoreSometimes an album or release can perfectly speak to a moment or period of your life. ‘My Love is Cool’ soundtracked the angst of adolescence, ‘Visions of Life’ shows a more positive entry into early adulthood, ‘Blue Weekend’ gave us colour in the greys of commuting life. Our generation grew up with this relatable progression from Wolf Alice and here we are today for the 4th chapter, ‘The Clearing’.
In this release the band welcomes a new tide of 70s soft rock influence whilst maturing in class and quality. The tracks from start to finish, Ellie’s vocals and the band’s instrumental compositions are so rich in flavour. This is unapologetic proof that Wolf Alice have been and still are at the top of their game.
Read MoreTruly enigmatic through each and every step they take as an artist, an upbringing fuelled by an illustrious exploration of creativity, an example of blatant uniqueness, Sonotto, is an artist who holds this unforgiving, unrelented and unmatched energy.
They are a true performer and a warhorse of a producer, whose every release is a cliff-hanger - imagining what could this multitalented individual possibly bring out next. And this week, they pick back up where they left off with the two-track EP, FORGET ALL THAT YOU LOVE.
Read MoreWhen Shanti Celeste and Peach stepped up, they played a blinder of a B2B, gradually ramping up the energy until the whole room hit boiling point — literally. As the 11pm curfew neared, the theatre was sweltering, makeshift fans were working overtime, and dancers started swapping their own clothes for Spice on SZN-branded tank tops.
Read MoreA respected and reliable name in the UK indie, electronic and dance scenes, Joe Goddard reveals another layer of his stratified production mind with the MC-laden EP, Kinetic, released in early May.
Here we see the electro aficionado host a dream selection of collaborating artists, similar to previous projects. On this instance, his proven record of birthing basslines gives us 5 tracks, 4x4s to fill the floor, 3 MC features and a post punk duo all firing off in this one extraordinary siege of UKG.
Read MoreAlmost two decades on, a marriage and four studio albums, the LA based duo JOHNNYSWIM complete the pentalogy with the raw and recently released album, When the War is Over, providing an insight into their individual feuds with self discovery, heritage, emotional and health challenges.
Read MoreGrammy Award Winners, OK Go's long-awaited return with The Adjacent Possible marks a striking evolution in their musical journey, as the band takes bold steps into new sonic territories - whilst still maintaining their signature creativity.
Read More“The album itself, swallowed whole (ideally after a meal. Don't take this one on an empty stomach, folks), is simply stunning. Tracks like 'Burn The Mall' and 'Nine Years' WILL install themselves in your cranium and take up permanent residence in there, all while not paying any rent and destroying the furniture at any given opportunity. You know what? You won't even mind.“
With punchy lyrics that hit the feels written by Dinning, a strong and melodic production, and best-selling vocal work, this song makes it easy to see why Dinning has been penned as ‘writing the soundtrack for the queer kids’. “Look Who’s Holding the Gun” for Dinning is not so much about love in general, it goes deeper in meaning. He hopes the song helps people recognise that you can’t help who you love but you can begin to see when someone isn’t in a position to give love to us.
Read MoreAn Aussie festival staple, the producer behind the A-League’s theme song, winner of Queensland’s 2021 best electronic track, Young Franco has popped up from Down Under with his debut album, It’s Franky Baby!
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