Daniel_Indeed has written the following articles:
LCD Soundsystem's last record, Sound Of Silver, was not very good. This single from that record is not very good either... »
Akron/Family don't rely on technical wizardry to dazzle the audience. Their ensemble approach is more akin to an annoying bunch of Christians shooing an initially cold-hearted congregation into their slightly juvenile way of worship...»
This is quite a frightening little package from dark-folk sonstress Scout Niblett. The pure dirt of 'Dinosaur Egg' is reminiscent of something a lot more sinister than the wandering narrative of its poetic inspiration (apparently a setting of a David Shrigley poem), and our Scout wails with the intensity of PJ Harvey but about something much more daft than she'd ever attempt...»
Now, it's difficult to concentrate on the first track of any record when the packaging smells so damn good as the crispy sugar-papery inlay of 65daysofstatic's new record...»
Strangely, given the title of this record, the opening 'Pass The Hat Around' on Help She Can’t Swim's latest is entirely evocative of a middle-England indie disco circa 1999...»
When the elements you perceive a band to have are listed out in front of you, it can make shocking reading when it simply doesn't sound like what you thought it did...»
Stupidity is a difficult thing to convey convincingly in pop music. Shitdisco, apparently a synonym for a very clever brand of effected stupidity, are trying very hard to make everyone think they're stupid...»
Jack Peñate is a difficult artist to quantify and get a handle on. Outwardly, he seems extremely fresh, happily devoid of most of the faux-ragga swagger of several of his inevitable contemporaries, but there are inward elements to this EP at least that stunt his growth...»
Sometimes, you need to sit down. Don't you think? You can't always push forward and edge ever-closer to sitting on a rocking chair while you survey all you've conquered from the top of the hill. Sometimes you can sit on that rocking chair and not have to bother about walking forwards. And when you sit in that chair, Mittens will softly assemble themselves in your living room and play pop music for you...»
Fortune Drive have, apparently, amassed the kind of critical support reserved for a band that sound a lot more accomplished than they actually do...»
Psst. All these bands nowadays, they use disco beats. Had you noticed? Lots of them have shouty girl vocals too. It's supposed to be liberating, I suppose. Throw in some synths and some scratchy (don't you love the word "scratchy" when it's describing guitars?) guitars, and you'll probably have an image in your mind of every band ever to release a single in the last couple of years...»
That band who everyone says are really tall and used to be all over the Melody Maker and who are actually still really really good at psychedelic pop, The Butterflies Of Love, are about to embark on a tour of our fair isles. Well, isle...»
Ooh, sprightly! Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are, after four albums, apparently still a great deal more energetic than the majority of their contemporaries...»
With a new album to promote, one might expect The Bees to wring their new Octopus LP till it's dry. We've followed them for many years now, laughing at the monkey noises, bobbing our heads to the lilting psychedelia and going "cripes!" at the superb Tamla-esque production of their records, so it's time we let them play some new stuff, yeah...»
When there's such a dearth of tense electro-indie acts screaming from the big cities (whaddya mean you can name seven just by playing word association inspired by objects you can see in your bathroom?!), it comes as quite a surprise to hear that The Electric Cinema have thankfully tried something a little more adventurous...»
Get ready, cos The Rakes are back! Err…»
For anyone flicking to the bottom of the page expecting a four out of ten or something, prepare yourself: Charlotte Hatherley's new record is not shit! It's pretty alright, actually! There are weird and interesting songs on there that are better than most of the cock rock swill Ash seem to have been producing after Free All Angels! Wow...»
Listening to Les Incompetents’ music is a strange experience, something like a private joke gone slightly too far. They became semi-legendary in London for being entirely wrong, cack-handed and quite hilarious, but never achieved anything so conventional as releasing an album or more than two singles...»
In the intensely crimson Buffalo Bar, some bands play. They are uniformly shit until Mittens arrive. Mittens, who play the kind of pop favoured by a naked Jason Lytle slathering cream all over The Mountain Goats. This is bracing, utterly fresh and stripped-down popular music, devoid of any garish over-indulgence. Whizz-bang and that's a song...»
One might expect Low, in such cramped conditions as London's tiny Spitz venue, to opt for the most intimate of sets. Nothing too crushing, nothing too happy-sapping, maybe laying off the whole murder ballad scene. Just for one night...»
In Brixton's uncomfortable and dimly lit Windmill (though everyone always says how much they love it, I can't see it), the worn décor and fuzzy regular clientele seems somewhat disparate to the excess of twee on display this evening. And don't start getting all upset because I used the word twee. It's not derogatory...»
DiS hits London to talk upside-down pockets, canine singer-songwriters and their piano requirements, 'going digital' and Fight Pop with Glasgow's Dananananaykroyd. Along the way uncovers shocking admissions - "I think Girls Aloud are amazing" - and discovers exactly what it means to be "on the Hee-Ho"...»
Zippy from the opening, The Hours' debut record Narcissus Road immediately asserts itself as rather unsettled. The skittish shuffle of opener 'Ali In The Jungle' is quietly furious, berating musical luminaries of today by referencing figures of yore – "The greatest comeback since Lazarus" is a particularly choice equation...»
Oh, to be anthemic. It must be great...»
As one wanders round the 100 Club before anyone takes the stage, it is impossible not to feel as if tonight is going to be somewhat confusing. A legendary punk venue in its own right, this place has more seen legends come and go over the years than most. Why, then, is a band like Future Of The Left scheduled to play...»
While it would be nice to think that they could get by on their sneaky lyrics and involving narratives, the truth is a little less savoury. Assembly Now are far too indebted to their own climate to have the power and confidence to leave it behind...»
Often accused of going stale and negating their early countrified indie-pop promise, The Butterflies of Love return with something to prove. Their latest LP is, on the surface, reminiscent of their first two records (except for the sketchy stuff on the second one when they ran out of money, that was just odd…) but with regained zip and energy, renewed wooze and a glorious sense of pomp.»
There's real warmth to one-man technology-wastrel Drone's, err, drones...»
From a duo comprising former members of Galaxie 500 and Luna, one can expect nothing less than some pretty tunes with a sadness set to rival the both of them. And Dean & Britta give us that in the title track, a gorgeous, lilting mental breakdown with electro-acoustic melancholy running through its veins like regret through Keith Harris...»
