Articles
LunchboxOneupmanship has written the following articles:
Cryptacize - Dig That Treasure
When the Cryptacize formula pays off, the resulting concoction is something very special indeed. Shame about the fool's gold»
The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
The fourth album from Winninpeg's The Weakerthans serves as a fine showcase for the convincingly eloquent and profoundly melancholy characters played by frontman John K Samson»
Soulwax - Most Of The Remixes...
If you’re after inventive, danceable remixes that still remain faithful to the original material, it doesn’t get much better than Soulwax, and Most Of The Remixes… comes highly recommended»
Alabama 3 - M.O.R.
So, you dedicate an hour of your life to a bunch of self-confessed “washed-up cokeheads in their 40s” - it could go one of two ways. Alabama 3 have dined out on their elegantly wasted shtick their whole career, yet a good deal of this, their sixth album, suggests they may finally have run out of steam...»
Grammatics - Shadow Committee
The responsibility of the debut single is considerable. It’s got to convince the listener that this band, with their lack of pedigree, is worth investing time in. It’s got to represent the act as unique, innovative, necessary. In short, it’s got to quickly warm up a cold audience and leave them wanting more. No mean feat, yet by these criteria, ‘Shadow Committee’ does a good job...»
Blanket - Blankit
The debut long-player from Brighton/London experimental folk three-piece Blanket is a work of hidden depths, blind corners and wicked concoctions, headed up by one of the most beguiling voices one could ever wish to hear...»
Battle - Break The Banks
It’s been a long wait, but Battle's debut album has finally arrived. While the record shows the band have undergone considerable development over the last year, it does very little to boost their reputation...»
Monkey Swallows the Universe - The Casket Letters
Despite all that is great about this record, there simply aren’t enough killer tunes for it to rank amongst the year’s very best. But to even be thinking in those terms demonstrates how much there is to enjoy here, and how MSTU could have it within their power to produce something truly special in the future...»
The Rakes - The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect
The grubby world of indie rock ’n roll has never had it so fashionable. Enter, then, The Rakes – a dapper indie foursome if ever there was one – with their new single, a radio-friendly edit of their 18-minute soundtrack to a Dior Homme fashion show...»
The Thrills - Nothing Changes Around Here
It’s a confident and gloriously upbeat return for the Dubliners as they preview Teenager, their forthcoming third album...»
Oi Va Voi - Oi Va Voi
To say that the third album from London-based five-piece Oi Va Voi is a disappointing affair wouldn’t quite hit the nail on the head. Because, to be blunt, it’s an astoundigly bland, wearingly tedious long-player, with precious little to recommend it...»
yourcodenameis:milo - I'm Impressed
Another great outing from Newcastle’s yourcodenameis:milo, this is the single number two from second album proper They Came From The Sun...»
yourcodenameis:milo - Understand
‘Understand’ sees everyone’s favourite Newcastle-based post-hardcore five-piece yourcodenameis:milo preview their second album proper, They Came From The Sun. Shaun Abbott’s drums are pleasingly purposeful, Ross Harley’s bass is pleasingly prominent and Paul Mullen’s vocals are pleasingly melodic, the end result being a rather fine download-only single...»
Maximo Park - Our Velocity
The Newcastle five-piece return with a track of immense power and focus, whetting the appetite for forthcoming second album Our Earthly Pleasures...»
Howling Bells - Low Happening
I must admit, I’m a relative latecomer to Howling Bells. But judging by this single, it seems the wildly enthusiastic notices the Aussie expats have been garnering since the release of their eponymous debut album are absolutely bang on...»
Tilly and the Wall, Kate Nash, The Little Ones at King's Cross Scala, Islington, Wed 28 Feb
Tilly and the Wall are the dictionary definition of infectious – resistance is futile against their riotous joie de vivre. In other hands, such unfettered happiness could be sickly and ring hollow, but even a cursory examination of their lyrics is enough to prove that this is optimism born out of dark times...»
Charlotte Hatherley - I Want You To Know
Whilst sharing much of her former band’s attitude, Charlotte Hatherley’s solo material is a different beast altogether from the oeuvre of Ash. Considerably sassier, it’s also comparatively elusive, and arguably more ambitious in terms of song structure. Yet the jury is still very much out on whether it’s actually any cop. ‘I Want You To Know’ probably won’t settle the argument either way...»
Plan B - No Good
With the present vogue for supposedly “real”, “voice-of-the-streets” vocalists, it’s perhaps surprising that Plan B isn’t much more popular than he actually is. And with this single also tipping its cap at the new rave fraternity with an interpolation of the chorus of The Prodigy’s “No Good (Start The Dance)” , it surely touches enough popular bases to hit the upper echelons of the Top 40. »
Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
There’s been much said about Cold War Kids in recent months, with many – these fair pages included – tipping them as ones to watch in this new year. Yet, while Robbers & Cowards does offer much to admire, it’s ultimately a somewhat disappointing record that promises more than it delivers...»
im
In the world of popular music, there aren’t many things more liable to send the listener into a fit of cold sweats than the prospect of a noisy rocker turning their hand to a more sensitive side-project. The concept conjures up harrowing images of hoary old axe-wielders curled over-earnestly around an acoustic guitar, convinced their watered-down tedium somehow elevates them to the level of serious musician. Of course, Funeral For A Friend frontman Matthew Davies is no hoary old rocker, yet still it’s with a certain amount of trepidation that we contemplate his country band, The Secret Show . »
L Pierre - Dip
With L Pierre considered to be Aidan Moffat’s dance project, Dip will no doubt be written off by some as a chill-out record. But that wouldn’t at all be fair...»
The Isles - Summer Loans
Trying out singles by unfamiliar bands is the closest I’m allowed to get to speed dating before the missus has my guts for garters. The task for both single and singleton is remarkably similar – tout your wares in three or four minutes, and maybe you might lure one or two folks over for a one-off night of sweaty fun...»
DJ Foundation - DJ Foundation Presents: (Have They Not Heard) God Is Dead / Sunni & Shia - 'I Shot You Babe'
The recent outrage over a Danish cartoon’s lampooning of the Prophet Mohammed emphasised Islam’s status as the most sensitive subject of our age. So it’s tough, then, to remain indifferent to ‘God Is Dead’, a single which splices excerpts of the Koran with hardcore porn dialogue, all over a resplendent glam rock beat...»
Dustin's Bar Mitzvah - Get Your Mood On
The debut album from the West London four-piece is a gleefully obnoxious, unpretentiously straight-to-the-point effort that has the tunes to match the noise...»
Faithless - To All New Arrivals
They’re a tough nut to crack, Faithless; a band who resolutely pursue their own vision, not giving one rat’s ass for current trends or conventions. To All New Arrivals, their fifth studio album, follows the stunning success of their greatest-hits collection, Forever Faithless, and is testament to their conundrum...»
Rose Kemp - Violence
This Russian doll of a three-track EP reveals 21-year-old Bristolian Rose Kemp to be a rather intriguing talent. The dark, complex material goes much deeper than the obvious reference points – PJ Harvey, most notably – to create a baffling yet absorbing result, greater than the sum of its parts...»
Battle - Back To Earth
The debut mini-album from hotly-tipped London quartet Battle is a fairly decent effort, but it’s not enough to suggest a long, glittering career might lie ahead...»
Ben Folds - Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the lp
Ben Folds - you know the score by now. This release is not out to prove anything that’s not been proved before, but rather to demonstrate Folds’ strength in depth, gathering the highlights of his recent internet-only EPs and soundtrack appearances...»
Mogwai - Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait OST
Anyone even remotely familiar with Mogwai would surely concur that their introspective, atmospheric oeuvre naturally lends itself to film soundtracking – the only surprise is that it’s taken them so long to get round to doing one...»