Articles
athomas has written the following articles:
ray On - (If This Isn't) The End Of The World
A two track demo from a band who like to plod. Think of Blur at their more reflective maybe, minus the ideas. It's very dull. The second track picks up somewhat, still rather too anonymous it sounds like SFA on morphine. Certainly the better of the two but Ray On need some spike to lift them»
Dirty Vegas - Days Go By
Big in America due to this, Days Go By is a progressive house track that accompanied a car ad. The video centres on a man break dancing on a pavement so it's a shame Dirty Vegas themselves aren't as interesting. In direct contrast to that other song from a car ad, Aqualung's Strang»
The Cling - Ugly Girl
The Cling are a melodic fuzzy guitar band with an opening track that starts a bit like Menswe@r, but soon changes into straight down the line indie rock in the style of Gene. There's certainly no doubting their ability and they expertly steer away from trad rock wank for the most part. Track»
Las Ketchup - The Ketchup Song
'a hey a ha a hey a alalalalala....'. Chances are if you've been on holiday to Europe over the summer, or within spitting distance of The Box you will have known this song for some time now. Las Ketchup are three slightly odd looking women from Spain who are the proud exponents of this year'»
Invinyl - Pills N' Thrills
A Northern Irish four piece aged between 22 and 25, Invinyl have been working on their fairly regular rock sound since 1999. Opening track, 'Pills N' Thrills' combines a chugging guitar riff with an unsettling vocal that has more than a hint of Mansun about it. This progresses to, 'Grab »
Ciccone, Your Highness at London Upstairs at the Garage, Thu 19 Sep
It's a quiet Thursday night in Highbury. Very quiet in fact, there are less than thirty people milling around the punk rock scout hut that is Upstairs @The Garage when Your Highness take to the stage. The silence is shattered very abruptly. Your Highness are one of Organ's favourite bands an»
Twenty Twenty Vision - Complication
Twenty Twenty Vision is one Adrian Lomas, his guitar, and generic midi instruments. Making do with what's available the result isn't too bad. The three tracks here are laid back acoustic affairs with layers of cheap sounding synths and strings. The biggest problem is not the instruments though, a song is »
Miss Bromley at London Bull and Gate, Tue 03 Sep
It's been a long wait since their last gig but Miss Bromley's toilet circuit appeal doesn't seem to have wained. A large group of friends and fans have turned out to hear material from the student band's latest cd, The Kinky EP of Sex. More established tracks like Holiday and The Kinky House of Sex<»
Elaine Lachica - 9
Elaine Lachica is a quality artist. You can tell this by the press pack that accompanies her cd. Why have a cd case when you can have a clear blue document folder, why supply a photocopied press release when you've got colour printing and semi transparent film paper, why indeed. Reading her biog it's clear we»
God Love You For a Liar (formerly Plastik) at London Monto Water Rats, Wed 04 Sep
First on a Wednesday bill at the Wate Rats is always going to be tough. Plastik shrug off the frustration of playing to ten people hiding at the back with consumate professionalism though. A set of new material awaits, less hysteric, smoother, and in places more than a little reminiscent of Muse. The o»
The Exiles - Now Showing
"I've got my cards laid on the table, you won't show your hand...", cue epic sounding guitar solo riff with fuzzing guitars underneath trying their hardest to write an anthem. It's very nearly there, leaving aside the predictable solo work this could be any of the bands that never quite made it »
Sheepdug - Diffyun
A duo from Scotland going since 1995, Sheepdug, attempt to bring something new to the indie guitar genre with an eclectic bunch of songs that swing from garage rock with Beck-like vocals ('American Dream') to acoustic and vocal only sliding pop ('Space Queen'). With only two members i»
JohnJohn - demo
Honest guitar pop. It's a dangerous phrase because although it tends to imply confidence, technical ability, uplifting vocals and tunes capable of making you nod you head there's also a flipside. Honest guitar pop is played in every pub across the country, it's usually played by men in secure jobs who like to &q»
Paul Oakenfold - Starry Eyed Surprise
Bored of playing with his cross fader Paul Oakenfold decides he can do this dance pop crossover thing all the kids seem so keen on at the moment. The result is a laid back summery affair based on a hypnotic sample looped continuously, sharing the same kind of vibes as Mint Royale's 'Don't Falter»
Kosheen - Harder
The first time I heard Kosheen it was with their drum'n' bass spectacular, 'Slip N Slide Suicide'. At that point they were raw and vibrant with their closest contemporaries living their lives on the UK underground. Since then quite a lot has changed. 'Hide U' put them on TOTP, 'Hungry' su»
Various - CreamCollect: Techno
There's been rumours that Cream is not milking (boom boom) the dance scene quite so well as it once did. With the original clubnight indefinitely suspended there's been talk of everything from the smaller clubs rising to the entire scene being in decline. The death-of-dance rumours have been "supported" by th»
Sufferkiss at London Kentish Town Verge, Tue 30 Jul
The Verge is unusually busy for a Tuesday night, and every available surface seems to be covered in flyers. The underground vibe is somewhat ruined by the hapless DJ's choice of top 40 "alternative" releases from the the past few months yet there is a strange anticipation when Sufferkiss take to the stage»
Dirty Vegas - Ghosts
Parlophone's dance imprint presents the all conquering Dirty Vegas, unlikely UK based heroes of America's top 100. The week after the national press panicked that British music was going down the pan on the other side of the Atlantic the trio broke through - in no small part due to one of their tracks bei»
Hoobastank - Running Away
Something has gone wrong here. Debut single, 'Crawling In The Dark' was a memorable, if slightly average, nu rock record saved by it's big chorus. 'Running Away', however, ditches this saving grace and leaves a plodding drone of sanitised grunge MOR slosh. It's not kind but Nickelback appear to be »
SugarComa - Zerostar
Romford's answer to Kittie return after their Music For Nations debut cover of 'Crazy' put them in the top 75 several months ago. It's all here, melodic quiet verses, noisy chorus, and chuggy bit in the middle. Although perfectly acceptable it really sticks to the nu metal blue print just a»
(Review of nothing)
Imogen Heap and producer Guy Sigsworth collaborate on this mature, largely electronic, album. Frou Frou are not for pubescent skate gangs and they won't be getting any invites to appear on SMTV. Frou Frou are for adults, probably with cd multichangers in their family saloon.
Green Day at London Wembley Arena, Wed 17 Jul
Punk bands rarely last beyond one album and some pub gigs. Green Day, along with The Offspring, however, are survivors. Although they made their best album years ago (1994's Dookie), their ability to work variations around the punk blue print has ensured that new fans keep coming whilst the »
The Supernaturals - Life Is a Motorway
This can not be The Supernaturals. A band previously best known for writing the internet bank approved britpop single, 'Smile', 'Life Is A Motorway' is either inspiration or mental breakdown. Gone is the authentic guitar/bass/drum setup of old. In comes a whacking great synth line stolen fro»
Various - Clubmix Ibiza
If you are dedicated to the guitar and the art of hitting drums rather than sequencing them click the back button now. There is nothing here for you. This is strictly a 1/10 regardless of whoever features on the tracklisting. The use of the words Club, Mix, and Ibiza should have given»
Candyheads - Falling Down
There hasn't been a guitar tune that could be described as "chipper" for quite sometime. In fact, not since the heady days of britpop gave brief chart action to everyone from Bennet to Silver Sun has a band succeeded in making poppy guitar music equally at home in a student union and on h»
Fischerspooner - Emerge
With the declining audience for house and trance music MoS has recently expanded its music roster with some brave signings. The first were rock band Kinesis. Brave because rather than follow every other label in signing up the next Linkin Park or Blink182 they went for the next At»
Idlewild - American English
You cannot hate this record. From the earnest vocal to the slowly growing anthem of a tune it pulls in all that is important about emotional guitar music. It's not as fragile as Starsailor and it doesn't bawl it's eyes out like Hundred Reasons and the emo brigade. Lyrically there is definitely something »
Dr Rubberfunk - Step On It
Okay, so this is an improvised jazz record disguised as funky 'chill out' music. There's an argument that messy instrumental breaks, repetitive basslines, and a sample of an old man going "hey hey hey yeah" would be right at home on the Mambo terrace. In reality it would be thrown in the sea.»
The Fades - Life Support
The Fades have been going barely a year yet they're already veterans of the "Steve Lamacq likes us" brigade. Musically it's well honed garage rock without the lo-fi trappings. There's a bit of early Mansun here, some Make Up, and the feeling they should be based in New York rat»
Frou Frou - Breathe In
The debut single from a duo comprising ex-solo artist Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth, previously known for his work with Bjork. Breathe In is a radio friendly piece of upbeat trip hop style pop. Pleasant female vocals layer over a Dubstar-esque drum and synth rhythm with incidental»