Articles
Mike_Diver has written the following articles:
The Locust at London Camden Underworld, Thu 28 Aug
Three bands best described simply as noisy bastards in one miserable, dank hole charging £3.20 a pint. The makings of the best gig of the year, right? Hmm, wrong I’m afraid. Yes, you're assured of seeing something rather different tonight, but the noise borders on the unbearable on at least one occasion. Trenc»
The Fire Theft - The Fire Theft
The Fire Theft is Jeremy Enigk, William Goldsmith and Nate Mendel (still of the Foo Fighters of course), but ‘The Fire Theft’ isn’t another ‘Diary’ – this is about as far away from Sunny Day Real Estate as you could get without having the trio resort to anti-folk. Enigk’s vocals re»
Matchbook Romance - Stories And Alibis
Yes, the band’s name, the album title, and the song titles (‘Playing For Keeps’, ‘Lovers & Liars’, ‘Stay Tonight’, ‘She’ll Never Understand’) all scream “EMO!” like no record ever has before, but there’s something unnaturally likeable about New York State’s Matchbook Roma»
Nine - Killing Angels
Mummy, the scary men are shouting and screaming and scaring me! Look Mummy, they’ve got scary pictures of skulls on their CD! Mummy? MUMMY! Don’t be scared kids, really. Sure, Sweden’s Nine are on the wrong side of hospitable music-wise for most of their latest album – all blood-curdling voca»
27 - Animal Life
27 were last seen in the UK opening for Boston-based titans Isis, but they sat awkwardly on a bill including the equally monstrous Cult of Luna and Brighton’s ‘answer to Converge’ (um, that’s shit by the way) Johnny Truant. They were the angel on your left shoulder to Isis’ flaming devil »
Little Girl With Cherries - Demo (2001-2003)
This CD represents a 7-track showcase, of sorts, for Warwickshire-based instrumental trio Little Girl With Cherries, comprising Katy Brown (guitar), Catherine Preston (bass) and non-little girl James Gardiner (drums). The songs were recorded live over two separate sessions – the first (tracks 1-3) in August 2»
Finch - New Beginnings / What It Is To Burn
Ergh, Finch. I’ve panned them before, and after just a few seconds of this new double A-side single (backed with 'What It Is To Burn') I feel a similar experience coming on real fast… Yet I’m feeling, I don’t know, generous perhaps? Should I wake up and realise that Finch are, you know, ok»
Emotive Exposed - A Period Of This
With Boston-influenced (the city, not the band – think Isis) metalcore shaping up to be the emo of, say, 2004 (?), what better time to get into a genre that’s shows all the signs of EXPLODING! Over here we’ve got Eden Maine, Beecher and Johnny Truant doing things with rock music that has one foot f»
Johnny Truant, Eden Maine, Emotive Exposed at Upstairs at the Garage, Islington, Sun 06 Jul
I’ve seen bands get first-night nerves before, but at their first ever London show Wolverhampton’s Emotive Exposed show no signs of trepidation, acting instead like seasoned pros. Their mix of Dillinger Escape Plan style jazz-metal (or something) and frenetic metalcore makes for an exhilarating surprise, and »
Black Cross - Art Offensive
Less than two seconds have passed and my ass has just been booted up to the ceiling, such is the impact of Black Cross' opening title track on their debut album. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Black Cross were originally called Black Widows, and it was under that name that they were signed to New York’s i»
Boy Sets Fire - Tomorrow Come Today
Politics and hardcore go together like peaches and cream, and Boy Sets Fire are perhaps the best-loved exponent of politically and socially aware hardcore, bands like Fugazi aside. ‘Tomorrow Come Today’ is their first release through what is essentially a major, but they’re no less pissed off. Exhi»
Sage Francis, themselves, sole at London King's Cross Scala, Sun 15 Jun
I’m in no position to claim that I know anything about hip hop. I’m white, middle-class (I guess, even if I am broke as fuck), and my record collection consists primarily of hardcore bands that go ‘errRRAAGGHHhh!’ a lot, and some where they don’t so much. My hip hop knowledge is thus: Public Enemy are good – seen ‘em,»