Single Review: Social Distortion – Machine Gun Blues

I reviewed Social Distortion’s new single for There Goes The Fear.

Since forming in the late 70s, Social Distortion have been a mainstay of the American punk scene. Never quite breaking into the mainstream as much as newer bands, but still managing to keep their loyal fanbase interested. After many lineup changes and six studio albums, Social Distortion are now gearing up to release their seventh LP entitled ‘Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes’.

Read the full review here: http://www.theregoesthefear.com/2011/01/single-review-social-distortion-machine-gun-blues-album-stream.php

Review: Festivals Britannia

I reviewed the BBC4 documentary Festivals Britannia  for Virtual Festivals.

It’s always good to learn something, even better if you’re actually interested in the subject. Thankfully, then, the BBC were able to offer up a documentary covering the highs, lows and most importantly history of music festivals in the UK.

Of course, being the BBC, the amount of history covered was astonishing. From archive footage of 1950s jazz festivals (which, incidentally, is where music festivals began) to the old news reports of the illegal rave scene in the 90s, it was all included. This was somewhat of a problem, though. It’s quite hard to report on the biggest musical change of the last 30-plus years in just 90 minutes.

Read the whole review here: http://www.virtualfestivals.com/latest/features/9153/-/-Festivals-Britannia-a-TV-review

Review: Warpaint – The Fool

I reviewed Warpaint’s The Fool for There Goes The Fear.

Since their 2008 EP ‘Exquisite Corpse’, Warpaint have been on the radar of all those with an interest in atmospheric rock. Now two years on, the all female quartet have released their debut album entitled ‘The Fool’.

Starting with the exceptionally chilled ‘Set Your Arms Down’, the tone of the LP is set almost instantly. Soft, slow and relaxed music is intertwined with some great vocals from front woman Emily Kokal. Her voice is so delicate yet so powerful, it’s almost entrancing at times. Comparable to artists such as the xx and jj, the experimental minimalism of Warpaint is quite complex. Many layers in each track are so well timed and used so precisely that every nuance is a necessity. Tracks such as ‘Warpaint’ and ‘Majesty’ are brilliant examples of how well structured the Los Angeles foursome are.

Read the rest of the review here: http://www.theregoesthefear.com/2010/11/album-review-warpaint-the-fool.php

Review: Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin

Here’s a review of Les Savy Fav’s lastest album, for There Goes The Fear.

Sometimes there are bands that just deserve to be famous. Those bands who you simply know are good but whenever you mention them to someone else you’re looked at like you just slapped their grandmother. It simply defies belief that some bands just aren’t famous, despite being head and shoulders above the current top five bands in the charts. One of these bands is Les Savy Fav.

To read the rest of the review, click here: http://www.theregoesthefear.com/2010/09/album-review-les-savy-fav-root-for-ruin.php

Live Review: 2000 Trees Festival

Here’s an in-depth review of this year’s 2000 Trees Festival with a photo gallery too! Written for The Linc.

Not just a music festival, 2000 Trees Festival was a weekend of relaxation and entertainment. Cheltenham’s Upcote Farm has hosted over 2000 music fans each year since 2007 and this year over 50 bands played across three stages.

Although Friday brought a downpour which left revellers looking like drowned rats in wellies, it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. Emotional instrumentalists Maybeshewill opened the main stage and woke the crowd as they thrashed their way through a blowaway set, including “Not For Want Of Trying”. They just couldn’t stop bouncing.

Continue reading the review and check out the pics at: http://thelinc.co.uk/2010/09/nothing-but-good-music-at-2000-trees/

Review: Violent Soho – Violent Soho

Here’s my review of the Aussie alternative rockers Violent Soho’s debut eponymous album for OneMetal.

Hailing from Brisbane, Australia this alternative rock four-piece are ready to show the world why Aussies still produce some of the hottest prospects on the music scene. Violent Soho‘s debut self-titled album is a ten track flurry of punk rhythms coupled with grungey vocals and an attitude that Harry Enfield’s comic embodiment of adolescent snottiness Kevin The Teenager would be envious of.

To read the rest of the review click here: http://www.onemetal.com/2010/09/02/violent-soho-violent-soho/

Review: Godsized – The Phoney Tough & The Crazy Brave

I gave the Croydon metallers latest EP a going over for Onemetal recently, have a gander!

Often, a band’s image is deceiving. Sometimes, a band who look big and scary can play some of the softest, most emotional music you’ve ever heard. Similarly, some of the skinniest, jean wearing weaklings can make such an almighty racket you find yourself feeling guilty for judging them beforehand. Sometimes though, you just want a band to sound how they appear.

Godsized look like they literally invented metal. They sport some of the most impressive beards you’ve ever seen, and a stare that could make a grizzly bear cry. At first glance then, the music you hope to come out of your speakers would be the most down-tuned brutal noise your brain has been forced to endure. The artwork itself for The Phoney Tough & The Crazy Brave is overtly metal: skeletons, guns, bullets, the word ‘death’ and an ace of spades. If the picture managed to cram in a scantily-clad woman, it would be a poster on every metaller’s bedroom wall.

Read the rest of the review here: http://www.onemetal.com/2010/08/24/godsized-the-phoney-tough-the-crazy-brave/

Review: Silent Witness: Graphic Novels Without Words

In a diversion away from my usual music writings, I was asked by Onemetal to write a review of an exhibition at Lincoln’s Collection based on graphic novels.

To some they are just glorified comics, but to others they are an art form. Over the past five years graphic novels have taken a dramatic rise in popularity despite having been in the public domain for many years. Their recent inception into book stores could be attributed to the films Sin City and Watchmen. These adaptations of some of the most popular graphic novels of all time rapidly became cult status and propelled graphic novels into the mainstream.

To continue reading, click here: http://www.onemetal.com/2010/08/05/silent-witness-graphic-novels-without-words-2/

Review: Young Guns – All Our Kings Are Dead

Young Guns released their debut album earlier last month and I gave it the ol’ review for Onemetal.com.

At the minute there are a very large handful of bands all seemingly trapped in the same vein of music. All wanting to distinguish themselves as ‘alternative’ by the ever useful genre tag ‘alternative rock’, these bands rarely stray from the same formula. Big sounding noise coupled with a lot of gang vocals and the ability to excite people live with the most mediocre of techniques. To stop any confusion here are a number of ‘alternative rock’ bands: Lostprophets, Fightstar, The Blackout and We Are The Ocean. One of the newest faces on the scene though are the Buckinghamshire quintet Young Guns.

To read the full review, click here: http://www.onemetal.com/2010/07/31/young-guns-all-our-kings-are-dead/.

Feature: 2000 Trees Festival 2010 In Pictures

I was at this year’s 2000 Trees Festival with a photopass and managed to get some pretty good pictures. Check out the 20 shots I gave to Onemetal.com.

2000 Trees Festival this year saw over 2000 revellers set up camp at Upcote Farm in Cheltenham for two days of eco-friendly fun and even better music.

Main Stage kicked off on Friday with the mindblowing instrumentalistsMaybeshewill.

To view the rest of the article which includes pictures of Frank Turner, The Subways, Pulled Apart By Horses and Sonic Boom Six then click here: http://www.onemetal.com/2010/07/27/2000-trees-festival-2010-in-photos/