misterben has written the following articles:
Here at Drowned In Sound we're not just into the next big thing, blindly following trends as though we didn't have minds of our own. Music is about passion, not fashion, and that's why we all have very personal memories relating to the soundtracks of our past. Here are just some of them - make of them what »
Singer Pink has become the subject of another row over offensive language. The singer, who recently topped the charts with the best possible compromise between rock and commercial pop, offended viewers of ITV's Saturday morning »
Jam Master Jay, DJ of Run DMC, was shot and killed yesterday (30st Oct.)in New York City. The incident happened at a recording studio in Queens, New York, where an unidentified gunman shot Jam Master Jay in the head and wounded another person in the ankle, before escaping. Run DMC, known for »
Anyone who's turned on one of the apparently 'alternative' music TV channels recently will know what a state the mainstream of guitar-based music is in at the moment. If the bands aren't actually manufactured in a literal sense, then the one-dimensional nature of their songs means that they might as well be. Then, ou»
Big Green Monkeys sound like little boys with guitars, and until recently, they were exactly that. Now, having spread out across the country to go to University, they've become young men with guitars, although thankfully this hasn't done too much damage to the youthful excesses of their music. By "excesses" I »
Lumiere, the band with apparently constant lineup problems, have at last found a formula they're happy with. Since their first tentative steps into London's music scene way back in 1998, it seems that Lumiere have rarely had a stable lineup. The most recent change was the shocking departure of singer »
This is music with energy and subtely in equal measure. The singalong punk quality of 'Bob Bizarre' and 'Sheila's On The Bus' (complete with gruff vocals, jangly guitars and "yeah yeah yeah"s) is juxtaposed with the more carefully constructed 'Higher Than You' and 'White Trash', the latter »
Further to the tour dates announced previously in DiS, The Wildhearts have now confirmed that they will be touring in April. The dates are yet to be confirmed, but for eager fans, tickets for several dates are already being advertised on »
The Wildhearts, who once said that they would never reform, and described themselves as "on hold" following their disastrous comeback tour of last summer, are to play some live dates in April. Their website, for once, doesn't even hint at the new tour, but tickets are already on sale for the followi»
The writhing mass of a punk-rock-glam-pop-metal hybrid that is AntiProduct will release the follow-up to its debut album, later in 2002. The band's website has announced that AntiProduct are considering making their second album a double CD. Frontman Alex Kane »
It seems likely that Chesney Hawkes' next single will be 'Come and Get It', a Badfinger cover. 'Come and Get It' is one of the many covers which Chesney Hawkes has been performing live alongside his original material at recent shows. News of its release (currently scheduled»
Therapy?'s drummer has left the band under "entirely amicable" circumstances. Graham Hopkins, who replaced original drummer Fyfe Ewing after his departure in 1996, recorded three full-length albums with the band, as well as numerous singles and other sessions. The band's most recent album was las»
Chesney Hawkes' comeback single, 'Stay Away Baby Jane', will finally be released by ARC on the 31st of December, backed by b-sides 'Almost You' and an Axton Speedway Mix of the a-side. Chesney has been touring for most of the year, playing generally to receptive crowds of students. To p»
What more could a lover of loud guitars and catchy melodies want than a record that begins with a cheesy pop song about California and ends with the heaviest riff the millennium has so far seen? With his second solo single, Ginger yet again keeps his promise to offer his fans everything - screaming sax solos»
Almost immediately after the close of the Silver Ginger 5 tour, Ginger has announced yet more solo activity. His website reports that the musical workaholic will be performing some solo shows with SG5's Jon Poole and The Wildhearts' Stidi. I»
The release of Chesney Hawkes' comeback single, 'Stay Away Baby Jane' has again been postponed, this time to 31st December. In response to fans' dismay, Brian Wade has issued a statement which explains why the release date keeps changin»
Danny McCormack, whose previous punk rock outfit The Yo-Yo's split earlier this year, is now fronting The Chasers, whose EP 'Onwards And Upwards' was released this week. The band, consisting of Danny (bass and vocals), Neil Chaser (guitar and vocals), Paul Buckingham (keyboards and vocals), Dar»
Lumiere are a band with an ideology, and part of that ideology involves treating their fans to as much audio and visual delight as possible. As though gracing London venues virtually every month with their atmospheric, '80s-influenced gothic, dreamy pop isn't enough, the band have produced this - an enhanced»
Now that the first of Ginger's 12 'Singles Club' singles, 'I'm A Lover Not A Fighter', has been released, Infernal boss Dante Bonutto has confirmed that the second single will be 'Cars & Vaginas', with b-sides 'You, Me & BT' and 'Not Bitter, Just A Little Disappointed'. A release »
It's a remarkable and little known truth, but a truth none-the-less, that Ginger has never released a bad song, and current indications are that he never will. As if to test out this hypothesis, for his first truly solo venture the man has decided to release 12 three-track singles within the space of 12 mont»
Unique rock band Therapy? are to release new material in July, August and September, as reported on their website. The first release will be a six-track EP entitled 'Gimme Back My Brain EP, featuring one brand new track ('Gimme Therapy?') and some cov»
Chesney Hawkes has announced on his website that he hopes to finish the recording of his album soon, although no release date has been stated as yet. The album, which is produced by Charlton Pettus, will feature single 'Stay Away Baby Jane', a clip of which can be found at the artist's website. A»
It is tempting to be brutally scathing about acts who, like Pill Box Hat, attempt to substitute technical aptitude for imagination. Title track 'Sandown Row' is unbelievably bland, the sort of watered-down indie guitar music that - as a result of its total lack of commitment to anything inventive or arrestin»
After several successful gigs with their revised 2001 lineup, electronic-influenced rock band Lumiere have announced that drummer Ai has now left the band. Her decision to leave, apparently owing to "musical and ideological differences", follows the departure of singer Shelley and bassist Toshi earlier in th»
In the music world there are two main agents at work. The first is the creative genius of its stars; the second is the cynical relationship between the record companies and the music press. Normally, unfortunately, it is the latter of the two which determines the success of a record. What happened with Radi»
There's never been anything particularly rock'n'roll about computers. That's why, whatever processed crap is in the charts, and however many samples you use, guitars will always be able to pull more people than computers can. Why? Because there is a certain vitality to live music that draws people in and, right ther»
As fans of The Wildhearts and of Ginger's numerous other projects prepare for a battering of gigs and record releases in June, there have been some hints that The Wildhearts will be releasing a new record. Although nothing with The Wildhearts ever goes according to plan, early indications are that the»
Chesney Hawkes, the recording artist best known for his early-'90s hit single 'The One And Only', has recently announced plans to re-launch his solo career after splitting with his band, Ebb. Chesney is now writing his own material, and his forthcoming single 'Stay Away Baby Jane', for which MP»
Ginger has made further announcements regarding his plan to become the most prolific British songwriter and performer. In addition to the Wildhearts UK tour and solo acoustic dates, Ginger w»
BURBsAudio, the independent label which releases records by bands featured on the British Underground Rock Band Site, has announced a new deal which should considerably help its bands' exposure in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Not only will a new compilation CD be commercial»
