• The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding

    September 2, 2017 - By 

    Sun Kil Moon miserabilist Mark Kazolek famously dismissed the The War on Drugs “beer commercial lead guitar shit” shortly after the release of 2014’s instant-classic third LP Lost In The Dream. Despite being desperately unfair to the Philadelphia outfit – effectively a vehicle for frontman Adam Granduciel since the departures of founding members Kurt Vile and Steve Gunn – it does tap into the band’s own internal paradox: their music is undoubtedly rooted in the stadium-filling giants of 80s rock, from Granduciel’s Dylanesque purrs and Mark Knopfler-style lead guitar, while ambient flourishes recall U2’s Eno lead pre-Joshua Tree experimentalism. The…

  • Arvo Party – Arvo Party

    September 1, 2017 - By 

    There’s been something of a LaFaro-shaped hole in Belfast’s music scene since their dissolution a couple of years ago. In a city that’s had no shortage of post-hardcore-leaning bands over the years, LaFaro stood far in front, assisted by a rawness and lack of pretence, not to mention frontman Jonny Black’s vocals that swapped the usual throaty screams and Americanised emoting with a sarcastic snarl handed down from Steve Albini and mclusky’s Andy Falkous. After going on to join Cahir O’Doherty’s Goons – a band who were similarly riffy but lacked that same LaFaro spark and never really got going…

  • Patti Cake$

    September 1, 2017 - By 

    Geremy Jasper, former vocalist of 00’s New York band The Tears, has channeled his younger creative frustrations into feature debut and Sundance hit Patti Cake$, an upbeat tale of an unlikely hip-hop hustler and solid contender for the year’s feel-good rankings. Its got magic indie dust and an against-the-odds underdog ethos and its leads, Danielle Macdonald and Siddharth Dhananjay, two best friends and hip-hop partners, are a memorable and winning double act. Macdonald is Patricia Dombrowski, aka Dumbo, aka Killer P (the titular tag comes later), a plus-size, white, ginger woman desperate for rap glory. Dhananjay is Jheri, an Indian-American who…

  • The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – The Echo of Pleasure

    September 1, 2017 - By 

    On their fourth full length release, The Echo of Pleasure, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart have taken a sharp stab at the all consuming 80s aesthetic that has engulfed the world over recent months. It wraps itself around the guts of frontman Kip Burman’s thoughts as he patiently waits to become a father, exploring ideas of love, longing and the human experience. Waiting to become a father is a peculiar state of limbo to be in. While you count down the days, you are already living in the altered existence that comes with having a child. On this…

  • Rough Night

    August 31, 2017 - By 

    The one-two punch of last month’s raucous Girls Trip and, now, Rough Night, has sent columnist chins a-stroking about the mainstreaming of the ladette comedy and the gender politics surrounding it. To be fair, the films are noticeably similar in tone and structure, focusing on a group of quasi-estranged old college girlfriends who meet up for an escapist trip of partying, raunchy talk, and bonding. Some have changes in their life they haven’t shared with the others; others have unspoken tensions about adulthood’s diverging priorities. The friends drink, fall out, and make up. (And kill a stripper) Rough Night centres…

  • Jack Cooper – Sandgrown

    August 30, 2017 - By 

    After more than a decade in the music industry, Jack Cooper has found a moment to himself to release Sandgrown. The Blackpool native has fronted indie-rock bands The Beep Seals and Mazes in the past, and is currently making music with James Hoare under the title Ultimate Painting, but his first solo record consists of a set of nine easy-going folk inspired tunes with the lyrics, the instrumentation and the production all handled by the man himself. In his own words, Sandgrown is a “loosely connected concept record” that centres around the seaside town of his youth. Not just the…

  • David Lynch: The Art Life

    August 31, 2017 - By 

    After five years in the making that started off with a Kickstarter campaign, directors Jon Nyugen (Lynch), Rick Barnes and Olivia Neergaard-Holm’s (Victoria) biopic documentary The Art Life is the quintessential homage and insight into the extraordinary career of David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive). And while the focus is directed on his painting and influences from his childhood onwards, the insights into his work processes and day-to-day life are remarkably honest and enlightening, making for an essential watch for any fans of his films, music or art. Initially, we are introduced to Lynch as he works on a painting in his…

  • Nadine Shah – Holiday Destination

    August 29, 2017 - By 

    The past few years have seen a sizeable shift in the workings of politics and global affairs. The media is becoming more and more ‘bias’ from each side, and everyday people are forced to have some sort of stance on every event that occurs worldwide. This somewhat sudden worldwide-moral responsibility has been placed acceptingly on the shoulders of most, but for some, they refuse to acknowledge these horrific events due the fact that they are not affected directly. This peculiar bubble of self importance is targeted directly on Nadine Shah’s third record Holiday Destination as she projects her political beliefs…

  • Liars – TFCF

    August 29, 2017 - By 

    While a new Liars album is always cause for celebration, reactions seemed somewhat tempered this time around for the announcement of eighth LP TFCF (short for Theme From Crying Fountain) by the revelation that the band is now a solo project, with only frontman Angus Andrew remaining. Drummer Julian Gross, part of the trio since their second album after expending their original rhythm section, had already hung up his sticks shortly after last album Mess due to a bad back making touring difficult, but the departure of founding member Aaron Hemphill came as more of a surprise. This, coupled with…

  • Matthew Bourne – Isotherm

    August 29, 2017 - By 

    Picture a venn diagram with three circles. Label one “classical”, the next “minimalism” and the remaining with ‘maximum emotion’. Occupying the centre ground sit A Winged Victory For The Sullen, James Heather and Ólafur Arnalds among others. Each are pioneers of the neoclassical movement in their own way, and are united by their signature combinations of sweeping ambient brushstrokes tinged with electronic roots and often brought to life by earthier elements, such as choirs and string quartets. In doing so, they’ve blown the doors off classical music, redefining everything from its audience, its medium and its purpose. The latest to…