Brainfeeder is the brain child of Cali-svengali Stephen Ellison, aka Flying Lotus, aka a dude so cool that he makes Proff Brian Cox look like Dappy. His label is home to a roster of super cool virtual knob twiddlers and a partridge in a pear tree of freaky dancin' goodness. Everybody say Zeit! Geist!
Alajendra provides a wondrously angelic and multi-layered vocal to match the energised velocity of the pacier set. The electro and synth laden songs are all of a very high quality and contain more hooks than a blanket of Velcro. Let the bells ring out.
In a musical career spanning 38 years, David Sylvian, has become somewhat of a byword for quality, a touchstone of consistency and an ever present ambassador for subtlety and sophistication.
There's much to admire about some of the bizarre noises that will emerge from your headphones during its 30 plus minute runtime. It's a bit like an artificial sugar rush, fun while it lasts, but you'd like something with a bit more substance afterwards.
With nearly half of the set consisting of new material you could argue Feeder had a backup plan of sorts in the shape of their encore. In my opinion, they didn't need a backup plan but I'm glad that they did. And what a perfect encore it was: we were treated to 'High', with The Kasbah erupting into a singalong. A brilliant end to a brilliant night.
The band must not take themselves too seriously, the darkly humorous 'To Hell' exemplifies this with lyrics like; "we're all going to hell/it's hot/it's hot in hell," topping it off wit a "Hell Yeah!" The band performs a genre that is very fun to make but at the same time very difficult to make right.
What's clear is that this new release from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings continues to bring the funk and soul that they do with genuine class. Displaying great musicianship and soulful delivery, 'Soul Time!' continues their revivalist movement with aplomb and style. Cool!
I guess it would have been a shame to never have heard this material so I suppose it's good for a fan to have heard tracks featured on this album. For Jill Scott, it may not have been put together possibly quite how she would have liked but there's no denying it sounds good and that's purely down to her talent.
Despite not being able to really decipher the lyrics of Ryan Dooley, tunes like 'The First Time' and 'New Education' are clearly indie anthems whilst 'The Horizon' has a touch of Oasis' Britpop swagger.
Future releases from Holiday Shores should be met with excitement; the trial and error approach the group seems to be using for their sound should eventually come off to something truly impressive and may even resemble the mountain of sound they are climbing in this album.
Fabric Records are back with a new collection, this time showcasing the impressive and experienced talents of DJ Sneak! Any lover of house music may well have heard of DJ Sneak, whose impressive contribution to house music has lasted over twenty years.
Despite his album being destined for popular success, the record label has still let Mav unleash his hip hop lyrics, even if they are delivered through a more soulful voice than the more conventional London-rap-like delivery. Showing that hip hop and soul are an interesting combination, you can expect to hear the talented name of Maverick Sabre a lot more this year.
Despite the numerous references and comparisons, Sam Genders is clearly an individual talent and it is impossible to pinpoint Diagrams' specific sound. However, the obvious pop basis makes 'Black light' thoroughly accessible, whilst the experimentation with electronics gives you something a bit different to listen out for each time round.
Inme's 'The Pride' is a strong album that can stand alongside their previous work. The problem is that there is not a track noteworthy enough to break back into the limelight outside of their support and fans of the genre. But that isn't to say the album should go unappreciated.
Having released their sixth studio album last year, Snow Patrol are currently in the midst of a UK arena tour that includes three nights at the O2 Arena. From here they will hit mainland Europe and then North America, before the festival season kicks in to play.
Various Cruelties - Video Interview & Live Session |
Kathleen Edwards - Interview |
Shaggy - Interview |
Roll Deep - Interview |
Maverick Sabre - Interview |
Dot Rotten - Interview |