Silverchair DVD: Good News For UK Fans
Silverchair have announced that their much-anticipated debut DVD will be available outside of Australia - although on import only.»
Articles
misterben has written the following articles:
Silver Sun - Disappear Here
Not many bands can shift gear this often in 30 minutes and 40 seconds without abandoning the kind of cohesiveness that enables an album to cling onto its integrity. In the case of Disappear Here, there is no desperate clinging in sight, for if Silver Sun have acquired one thing in the six years since they last graced us with their recorded presence, it is the ability to cling firmly to what they know, yet still sound exciting and original.»
The Beekeepers - Third Party, Fear And Theft
The Beekeepers are one of those long lost bands that never really got going. But although they imploded before recording their long-awaited début full-length, a re-visit to their mini-album, ‘Third Party, Fear and Theft’, reveals it to be much more than just a pale indication of what could have been.»
Ginger at Oxford Zodiac / Academy 2, Tue 27 Jan
Ginger himself has said that acoustic gigs only work in small venues. By a similar logic, it could be argued that acoustic gigs don’t really work if said small venue is only half full. Watching the generally unresponsive crowd at Oxford’s Zodiac tonight, one has the feeling that Ginger has misjudged matters slightly. What previously succeeded because it was so special, so unexpected, so unique, is now becoming a little too run-of-the-mill.»
Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars - Planet: Fame
If you’re at all familiar with the kind of androgynous glam rock recently pioneered by the likes of Rachel Stamp and King Adora, song titles like ‘More Effeminate Than You’ and ‘Teenage Sex’ will send you reasonably accurate signals.»
Crash Kelly - Penny Pills
A band that cites T-Rex, Kiss, Guns N’ Roses and Cheap Trick as major influences really doesn’t need much of an introduction. Crash Kelly’s debut full-length is everything that lovers of the glammed-up side of rock & roll could hope for, and arguably more than they might expect in an era when the genre is generally seen as having only novelty value. Their retro leanings are evident in the raw guitar riffs, big rock solos and Sean Kelly’s inspiring vocals, which sound like they’ve been brought up on an artistically healthy diet of cigarettes and alcohol.»
Upcoming DVD Roundup
More bands than ever are jumping on the DVD bandwagon and releasing live performances, promo videos and other such footage. Here's a round up of what's coming up.»
The Year of Rock & Roll Continues
Throughout 2003, DiS has been documenting the comings and goings of a new wave of rock & roll artists who are showing that, even when rock music itself has broken into the mainstream, there is always an alternative. But what bits have we missed?»
Wildhearts: Top of the World?
With another controversial album under their belt, British rockers The Wildhearts announce single and touring plans. New album The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed met with a typically mixed response from fans, but the band will be promoting»
Adams Returns to Whiskeytown
Solo guitar hero, Ryan Adams, has announced plans to reform Whiskeytown with Caitlin Cary and drummer Skillet Gilmore. In a post on his website, Adams recently announced that a reformation of his former alt-country act Whiskeytown was likely, a»
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Happy? You should be...
What do pigeon-holes matter anyway? All this talk of rock & roll is running the risk of getting myself put in an uncomfortable little box, along with all the bands I've been ranting about over the past few months. Now's the time to put my cards on the table: the truth is, when
Silver Sun say "You Can't Kill Rock'n'Roll"
Silver Sun's frontman James Broad has announced more details about the band's forthcoming third album. Further to our earlier report, DiS can reveal that the recording of Silver Sun's long-awaited third album is now complete. Contrary to earli»
The Bookoo Movement - Beep Beep!
'Beep Beep' is the sign of a band with few ideas of its own, yet with enough vigour to succeed in becoming king of the cheesy rock anthem. The tune deserves to be a rock club classic, constructed around a safely familiar rock riff (imagine a sped-up version of Weezer's 'Hash Pipe') which laun»
Thunder - Loser
These days, you don't need to be a good musician to play rock music. Guitar parts are simple, strong vocals are less important than good looks and the rhythms are basic. While there's nothing spectacularly complex about the music Thunder perform, what's oddly refreshing about their classic rock sound is that t»
The Wildhearts - So Into You
The Wildhearts are well-known for writing B-sides that normally outshine the A-side, and in the case of their latest offering this is a bloody good job, because 'So Into You' is not an altogether brilliant track. What's good about it is that it has a hugely infectious verse, it gives Ginger and CJ a chan»
Danny Frye quits rock & roll
The legendary Danny Frye announces his exit from rock & roll land in favour of a film music career. Ask anyone who matters in the world of rock & roll, and they'll tell you how important (and prolific) Danny Frye is. In his time, he's performed with the Ramones and members of the Stooges<»
Therapy? go mental
Before they embark on a European tour, Irish rockers Therapy? announce plans for an exciting DVD release. The project will include rare promo videos, and "some live performances from the past 13 years plus plenty of 'private' footage of the band on and off stage." But the main feature of the DVD wi»
Fight for the right to Rock & Roll
As trendy metal and power punk become increasingly more prominent in the music mainstream, anyone would be forgiven for thinking that more melodic rock & roll simply isn't being produced. But as last month's report showed, this is far from the case; the pr»
Why DiS loves IDLEWILD
Last year, DiS took some trips down memory lane, looking at our personal responses to music - moments that made us turn around and change the way we thought in some way. The accounts showed, amongst other things, that since music is a highly personal mediu»
The Cognition - So Different / Bamboo Section
If you like your guitar music non-exceptional - good but not amazing, note-perfect but lacking in passion - then this could be for you. As with so much music these days, there's nothing specifically wrong with what London four-piece The Cognition have to offer, but if 'So Different' is the best th»
Kinesis - And They Obey
There's nothing like a nice bit of wall-of-sound riffage to brighten up a bored and disappointed rock fan's listening experience. From the evidence on display here, there's nothing boring or disappointing about what Kinesis have to offer, which is instead diverse but consistently interesting - a rare talent in »
3CR: tour and single details
3 Colours Red come blasting back into the UK music scene with a tour and new single. UK outfit 3CR have signed a singles deal with Mighty Atom, and will release Repeat To Fade, backed by 'Vitriol' and 'Shopping Trolley Children'. on May 19. The band are also touring the »
Rock & roll is the new rock & roll
If you’re a little bit bored of the “nu” breed of rock & metal being bandied around at the moment, 2003 could be your year, as the rock & roll crowd of the 21st century is being promised a return to the halcyon decade of… the 1990s. Rock & Roll Reformations It almost seems too good to be true as name»
Great White Tragedy
Great White's guitarist Ty Longley has been confirmed dead following a fire caused by pyrotechnics at a recent show. On Thursday evening, at about 11pm, Rhode Island venue The Station caught fire as a result of pyrotechnics used in the first song of the band's set. The venue is said to have contained more»
Wildhearts: "Wanna be part of history? Well, now's yer chance."
British rockers The Wildhearts are inviting fans to join a musical revolution as their new single storms into the charts and the band announce a whirlwind of activity over the coming months. The band released their new single on Monday, and wit»
The Wildhearts - Stormy In The North, Karma In The South
The Wildhearts - aren't they that band that's been around for ages, keep missing the big time and keep splitting up? The answer may well be "yes", but perhaps this oft-repeated question is missing the point. The real issue here is, what rock bands are there that stand out of the melée of trend-following nu»
Silverchair sell out 'Across The Night'
The eternally unlucky Silverchair have finally announced some live dates, in the wake of their cancelled worldwide tour earlier this year. Plagued by frontman Daniel Johns' arthritis, the Australian trio, who were due to tour th»
Kitty Hudson - Three Chords And The Truth
OK, this isn't rocket science, but sleazy, melodic, distorted rock'n'roll rarely is. Kitty Hudson grab their listeners by the proverbial throat and shove an extra-large portion of melody in their proverbial face. A first listen gives the impression that there is nothing left to discover, but at the same time it»
The Sun gets even Silverier
Silver Sun, the melodic power pop outfit who have not released a note since 1998, have announced plans for a new album. The band - who in the '90s produced minor hits such as 'Golden Skin' and 'Too Much, Too Little, Too Late' - were dropped by Polydor following the release of their second»
The Soundtracks of our Lives (pt.2)
Last week we brought you some of our personal memories of music: ways in which our lives were shaped by music, or occasions on which a gig, band or album made us turn round and change the way we thought. Here are some more of those memories. »