DiSvsMatt has written the following articles:
18 months ago, DiS' Matt Hocking interviewed The Distillers who were in Britain to support their 'Sing Sing Death House' LP. Pre-major league success, Brody talks of her love for Hole albums, Tim Armstrong and "sh*tty punk rules". We're not going recycle information as a 'classic interview', but we think it's insightful nonetheless...»
Trekking across London on a day that started with absinthe and pizza for breakfast to see an unsigned band I’d only heard of, over DJ Shadow and Too Many DJs may seem a tad strange to the average music lover. And when I arrive to find pints at £3, a first band that sounds like a sinfully caustic
Nerf Herder, everyone’s favourite ‘Buffy Theme’ purveyors, were in town and had literally 7 Minutes (that’s a minute per questions, kids) to fill in a 7 Questions questionnaire. Nerf Herder released ‘American»
According to their press release Bates Motel “play metal the way it should be”, which for me, brings to mind bands like Manowar, Sodom and Overkill. Fortunately for BM there are none of those elements present on this demo, the band instead focussing on a more distinct hybrid of Tool, »
God Only Knows why they chose this name but musically, God Only Knows travel the post-rock electronica route, creating a contorted sound that could very well act as the soundtrack to an episode of Lonely Planet, the echoing beats and atmospheric sounds and noises conjuring up Gersky-like images of mysterious cul»
Hits 96. Now That's What I Call Music. The Best Dance Album in the World EVER! Ibeefaa party anfems. Lisa Lashes. Dave Pearce. Ministry of Sound. Brit Pop classics. Disco Mania. Hard Rock Heavyweights. What purpose do these records actually serve? Big name acts on big name labels with big-selling hits off b»
Playing this intimate club show before their “arena rock” tour with nu-metal posers Lostprophets , The Movielife are here, albeit extremely jetlagged, playing their first live show in two months having just finished recording the follow-up to 2000’s highly addictive ‘This Time Next Year’ alb»
What do you get when a group of intelligent, highly musical young artists attempt to fuse their love for obscure classical music, jazz, video game soundtracks and punk rock? The answer: Ozma, an LA band whose imaginative approach to quirky guitar-based power-pop has seen a rabid following develop around the vari»
Dag Nasty. The seminal hardcore punk band. The band that arguably ‘created’ emo with their ‘86 classic ‘Can I say’. The band that was subsequently responsible for the ‘Can I Say’ tattoo on Blink drummer Travis’ chest. And a band who’s members went on to form or join equally legendary punk bands Down By»
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yea-eah, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeeeeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yee-eah! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeeeeah!” What? There are other lyrics? Look, when it comes to Millencolin you know you’re in for something catchier than nits in a playground, and ‘Man Or Mouse’, the opening track from t»
And so they return, fists raised high, hardcore dedication no doubt tattooed on their head and knuckles, bringing back the old school energy on this, their third album. However, rather than wallowing in the overly-used DC hardcore formula, ‘Dedication’ sees Raised Fist take their already pretty int»
“Hello and welcome to, day thirty of my life” sings vocalist Richard Fox before a head rush of lo-fi guitar strummings and meandering basslines welcome a fresh and exciting musical direction for the once-vocalist of acclaimed midlands hardcore mob Restraint. Gone are the passionately gritty shouts and in »
I guess if I was a particularly wary parent browsing through a record store for something good and wholesome for my teenage child then taking into account the band’s name, record title and label I’d probably pick this up. But rather than being the next Creed (Hey - this is on Rev after all) Christiansen h»
The Underworld in Camden is sold out. Groups of people are audibly venting their frustration outside, visibly upset at the prospect of missing out on one of the most talked about bands in extreme, aggressive music making their first appearance in the UK in over three years. Make your way down the stairs however, squeez»
American Nightmare, the much acclaimed hardcore force from Boston, have been dealt a huge blow in recent weeks due to another band from Philadelphia claiming to have used the name long before the Bostonians. Philly's American Nightmare have now taken the matter to the courts where Boston's A.N. will»
I always like going to punk gigs in Birmingham. Especially those DIY efforts because then you get to see more of those awesome unsigned punk bands that Brum seems to have in abundance. Tonight was no exception and although Lost Eleven lose points with their guitarist’s hideously trendy shirt (you know the sort –»
Having been mightily impressed by Vendetta Red’s crazy and very destructive performance at Reading festival I was particularly chuffed to see this single exposing these perky yanks on a Virgin listening post last week. Slip it on and first track ‘Three Chord Valentine’ is immediately recognisa»
Arriving early to the Vic Inn on this glorious summers evening rewarded me with an extra special treat aside to the fun-filled frolics that awaited me in the form of Nerf Herder and Vanilla Pod. As luck would have it cockey oiks Captain Everything! are in tha house and with their crazed voca»
“If I show you my boobs will you buy something?” Wh-HUH? I’ve barely put one foot inside Rock City and I’m being offered all kinds of visual delights by a somewhat familiar DEP merch girl. Well, I guess it’s worth a try. Not only does she proudly exhibit her enhanced jugs but when I later recall seeing he»
Coming from the Orange Goblin / Clutch school of stoner rock, relative unknowns Something In The Water have emerged from the underground in a cloudy haze of deep grooves and cracklingly heavy distortion. ‘Verbal Litter’ is the rock ‘n’ roll explosion that blows the lid off this 7” EP, l»
A three-way split CD, this disc showcases three of post-hardcore-emo’s top of the class hopefuls. Opening up the proceedings are the UK’s very own rough-hewn Rydell. It’s taken me a while to adapt to their brand of emo-rock but maybe that’s just their vocalist’s tendencies to verge on the out-of-tune on occasion»
Oh, how I’ve waited for a band like The Copperpot Journals! While possessing many aspects of emo – the intricate instrumental flourishes and impassioned backing shrieks – they’re a band that are far too developed to be lumped in with the bland & boring tear-jerkers (Saves The Day / Hot Rod Circuit)»
All. Probably one of the shortest band names in the world and at the same time having a bigger meaning than any other name out there. But it means something deeper than just ‘everything’ – its every name, every one, every idea: it’s All. “The idea of All is something that I always thought was interesting”»
Being introduced to Donots guitarists Guido & Alex and bassist Purgen backstage at Manchester Academy, the first thing I notice about the band, apart from their awesome tattoos, is their sheer excitement at the prospect of playing to almost 2000 people at their first UK show (in support to Millencolin). I»
Having just returned to Europe from a mammoth US tour with Bombshell Rocks and jumping straight into a European tour with anarchist punkers Anti-Flag and Germany’s Donots I finally get the opportunity to collar a Millencolin, guitarist Matthias, to find how they’ve progressed as a band since their inception in ’92, »
Yes, it's true! The search is indeed on for the UK air guitar champion of 2002! And according to the offical history of professional air guitar England is home to some of the most exciting imaginary fret-board stroking in the world. We've all done it. Alone in the bedroom. Slip a cassette in the stereo. P»
Although I could see this coming, with ‘Four Days…’ The Killerest Expression have truly surpassed themselves, their potency for crafting infallibly catchy music being taken to new and exciting levels which prove they are no longer a fledgling band finding their feet but are now a formidable punk rock forc»
There’s a good chance you won’t have heard of Division of Laura Lee. It’s a chance that probably extends to their music and an assumption some of the more art-rock types and those who believe their finger to be well and truly syncopated with the pulse of new music, may find defamatory should they actually hear t»
Punk bands everywhere seem to be obsessed with live albums right now (or is it just bands in Fat Wreck and Epitaph’s live album series?) and now it’s All’s turn. As many of you are probably aware, All are basically the Descendents with a replacement singer for Milo, when he decided to go to »
What’s the first thing you think of when I say emotional UK metal? I’m guessing probably one or two of the hoards of unsigned bands trying, but failing oh so terribly, to emulate their arena rock US counterparts by taking the most heart-wrenchingly emotional melodies and backing it up with that stop-start down-tuned di»
