The Rubens [Interview]

The Rubens Hoops Album Review 2015 2016 UK Australia USA America Interview Lyrics Press Shot Interview

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UK: get ready for an Australian invasion. With their new album Hoops, The Rubens are patiently strutting their way toward world domination – and any blues- and soul-oriented rock fans whose ears get bent by those eleven tracks are likely to find themselves swept away.

Produced by a behind-the-board team boasting Grammy wins and collaborations with Lana Del Rey, Coldplay, and The Strokes, it’s little surprise that Hoops sounds as big, flavourful, and vital as it does. Check out my full review here, and read on for an in-depth chat with The Rubens… Read more…

Posted on 18 May 2016

The Rubens – ‘Hoops’ [Review]

The Rubens Hoops Album Review 2015 2016 UK Australia USA America Interview Lyrics Press Shot Interview

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With Hoops, Australian chart-toppers The Rubens have penned an instant classic breakup album. Infusing a fuzzy rock foundation with plenty of soul and drenching the whole thing in organs galore, each song on Hoops sees The Rubens illuminate a different point on the journey from the beginning to the end of the end and beyond:

Hallelujah: A worldly and cynical “son of a gun” hopes to be saved by a heavily intellectual girl.

The Night Is On My Side: Hoops’ main protagonist struggles to keep his emotional distance while spending the night with Read more…

Posted on 04 May 2016

The Greasy Slicks – ‘Fool Me Twice EP’ [Review]

The Greasy Slicks Fool Me Twice EP Review 2016

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Southern-fried blues rock. Deep-pocketed grooves, filthy riffs, and pitch-perfect guitar solos. Sound like your thing?

Then meet The Greasy Slicks.

Fool Me Twice is made up of four tracks rare in terms of both rawness and quality. The Greasy Slicks have managed to capture the spirit and energy of a captivating live show on record here, and the results sound and just are immense.

Eyes Wide Black starts things off, wasting no time in Read more…

Posted on 20 April 2016

Stiff Bizkit / Spotlight Cannibal / Darko / Flesh Trench [Live Review – The Star, Guildford, 14/3/15]

stiff bizkit starI normally hate tribute acts. I’ve seen a fair few in my time, and they never fail to bring out a borderline-allergic reaction in me. After witnessing a Rage Against The Machine tribute whose guitarist looked like Alastair Campbell, I secretly swore that Read more…

Posted on 15 March 2015

Martin Harley Band / Andy Ruddy [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 27/2/2015]

martin harleyI love seeing musicians progress in leaps and bounds – and Andy Ruddy has done exactly that. The last time I saw him live, Andy Ruddy seemed reserved and nervous – but both qualities have now been completely eliminated, replaced by a confident and strong yet still warm and approachable presence. With a strong stage show, great songs in the singer-songwriter vein, and an album on the way, 2015 is looking very good indeed for Andy Ruddy.

Martin Harley is a local legend, and it’s almost criminal that Read more…

Posted on 02 March 2015

Naomi Scott / Fifi Rong / Geovarn / Princess Slayer / Jungle Doctors / Bella Figura [Live Review – Under The Bridge, London, 26/2/2015]

music week radarAs a music venue embedded into Stamford Bridge (the stadium called home by Chelsea F.C.), Under the Bridge was an appropriately unique venue for this unique show. An industry showcase set up by trade paper Music Week, networking hub MusicConnex, promoters ILUVLIVE, and south coast music school BIMM, it goes without saying that the high-profile nature of this show inevitably brought its own special set of performance pressures. A quality showcase set has the potential to push an act to the next level, while a duff performance can see a band crossed off “Ones To Watch” lists in the blink of an eye.

On top of the potential for mind-freezing attacks of performance anxiety, this was not Read more…

Posted on 27 February 2015

Billy Momo – ‘Drunktalk’ [Review]

billy momoBilly Momo know what it’s like to stand up to your chin in shit and watch as a wave starts to swell on the horizon. Throughout this long and winding album, themes of darkness and despair dance alongside Read more…

Posted on 09 February 2015

Marilyn Manson – ‘The Pale Emperor’ [Review]

marilyn manson the pale emperorBack in the glory days of alt-metal, Marilyn Manson was a massive deal. Nobody else has managed to combine over-the-top religious-Right-baiting showmanship with fierce intelligence and raging, in-your-face rock in the same manner Manson did around the turn of the millennium. But after 2003’s The Golden Age Of Grotesque, things took an awkward turn with a series of albums that Read more…

Posted on 21 January 2015

The Weeks / The Apache Relay / The Greasy Slicks / Gold Phoenix [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 19/1/15]

the weeksI have no excuse for missing most of Gold Phoenix’s intense garage-rocking set. I’m just a bad person.

The Greasy Slicks, on the other hand, are good. As a matter of fact, they’re more than just good – they’re fucking immense. Flat-out fucked drums, flamethrower guitars, and Read more…

Posted on 20 January 2015

Eliza Doolittle & THOS / Bat and Ball / Tweed & Hyenas / Tusks [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 9/1/15]

smile for hattiThe fact that this show even happened is a true testament to the strength and indomitable passion of its organisers. Few life experiences are as devastating as losing a friend or family member to cancer; when that happens, most of us would become too overwhelmed to function, and with good reason. Nobody would have blamed Tom Morley and the team behind Smile For Hatti (a campaign set up to support the courageous and inspiring Hatti Sandall, who sadly passed away only three days before this gig) had they rescheduled or cancelled this fundraiser – but they didn’t. For that, they deserve all the respect in the world – not to mention the sheer success of this awesome event, which raised over £2000 for Smile For Hatti (which is in the process of becoming a new charity, to which future donations will be directed) and Sarcoma UK.

As far as opening acts go, Read more…

Posted on 10 January 2015

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