Sturgill Simpson is on fire on his new record. This 9 track 40-minute record is brimming with confidence, with joy and with a funky country groove that is hard to believe at times. It’s like one giant party for the…
If Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros were to be described in a single word, that word would be communal. Whether considering singalong, clap-along anthems ranging from the seminal “Home” to lesser-known burners like “They Were Wrong”, Alex Ebert’s brainchild…
At the time of the whole Let England Shake album/tour cycle Harvey stated that if her next record took 10 years then so be it. That her ‘next’ record is here after half that time is something of a relief…
The Lumineers 2nd album arrives four years after the band’s debut. It’s an ample period of time between debut and sophomore releases. The band hasn’t reinvented the wheel and has indeed returned with an eleven song collection of wonderfully lively…
After 10 years, 5 albums, countless gigs and a split-year farewell tour, the good ship Bellowhead, captained by John Speirs and Jon Boden, sails off into the sunset. This live set- 2 CD’s of tracks recorded in Autumn 2015 across…
“The next song is a sad one… as is the rest of the set”. Drinking, drinking with people you hate, relationship breakups and mental illness. It’s fair to say the subject matter of John Joseph Brill is not the cheeriest.…
Parquet Courts are a band you need in your life. The band signing to Rough Trade last year was both obvious and intriguing. The mostly bizarre, almost completely instrumental EP/album ‘Mona stic Living’ from late last year was anything if a…
Finally, this writer’s thirst for a new Laura Gibson record has been quenched. The wait at times since January 2012’s La Grande did feel at times interminable. Empire Builder comes with a story of its own, as the result of…
This week saw a couple of gems from the Emerald Isle host an intimate show at the O2 Academy in Islington. Both have enjoyed fame through the exposure of YouTube, to varying degrees. Bry (formerly BriBry, and known to his…
The Electric Factory is a far cry from the clean and cool converted train station venue, Union Transfer, where Andrew Bird last played in Philadelphia supporting 2012’s Break It Yourself. The Electric Factory is quintessential Philadelphia, from the Ben Franklin logo to…