#478: Sleaford Mods - Key Markets

It’s often said that Key Markets music is a product of its surroundings and circumstances, so it should come as little surprise that, the latest effort from the prolific Sleaford Mods, is driven by the current socio-political climate of the UK, and the duo’s fierce distaste for the way things are at the moment. And whilst the record was recorded last summer, the aspects of it that are politically focused hold no less salience following this year’s election result. For the most part however, Key Markets focus falls on the working class, and those for whom current politics have clearly failed.

This review was originally written for Artrocker. Click here to read in full.

#477: Introducing...TRASH

Forming in Chesterfield a little over a year ago, four-piece TRASH have spent the last twelve months putting in the leg work expected of any young band, successfully garnering an impressive amount of fans, thanks in no small part to their debut EP, Pretty Swish. It wasn’t until their recent signing with Clue Records however, that I was introduced to them.

This piece was originally written for Louder Than War. Click here to read in full.

#476: Catching Up With...Elefantasy

It's been roughly 18 months since Elefantasy first uploaded four tracks to their Soundcloud page and their name began to circulate - not least because of their tender years, then aged just 15 - and going so far as to gain national radio airplay via John Kennedy at XFM.

Since then, they've grown, both figuratively and literally. Original members Kieran Panchal (vocals/rhythm guitar) and Alex Lydamore (lead guitar) being joined by Sam Thorpe (bass) and Hayden Miller (drums), and they have honed their sound from the rough and raw material of their debut EP, to the sharper and more polished edges of the forthcoming 'Waiting For Nothing', out this Friday, a record which is the sound of a band moving beyond the formative stages, and really beginning to come in to their own.

This interview was originally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.

#475: Elefantasy - Waiting For Nothing

Elefantasy

Waiting For Nothing (self-released)

July 24 2015

7/10

It may have been a year since their last release, but that doesn't mean to say that Essex-based Elefantasy have spent the last 12 months idle. Between leaving school (yes, really), doubling their numbers (they were initially a two-piece) and streamlining (if only marginally) their earlier somewhat disparate sound, it's been a busy year for the band, culminating in the release of their second EP 'Waiting For Nothing'.

This review was orignally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.

#474: Introducing..The Lion and The Wolf

Encompassing the true spirit of the lone troubadour, Thomas George, otherwise known as The Lion and the Wolf, quit his job in January 2014 and has been relentlessly touring ever since, employing the same DIY approach to this as he did his early bedroom recordings. And whilst those demos have since been given the full band treatment, fleshed out over the summer of 2014 resulting in The Lion and the Wolf’s debut long-player, the DIY ethics are retained thanks to George’s insistence on using minimal digital plug-ins.

This feature originally written for Louder Than War. Click here to read in full.

#473: Mbongwana Star - From Kinshasa

From just a single listen, From Kinshasa proves to be a refreshing, diverse and utterly addictive record. Formed from the ashes of the highly acclaimed Staff Benda Bilili, Mbongwana Star (Mbongwana means ‘change’), looked to the younger musicians of Kinshasha’s shanty towns to find people who’d employed the same resourcefulness as the guys who spawned Staff by creating their instruments from whatever they could find. The result is a bizarre and raucous hybrid of tradition and contemporary necessity; something which inevitably caught the eye of Parisian producer Doctor L and brought about this beautiful combination of influence and textures.

This review was originally written for Louder Than War. Click here to read in full.

#472: Grimm Grimm - Hazy Eyes Maybe

Occasionally fractured and almost always fragile, the debut solo album from Koichi Yamanoha quite possibly poses more questions than it answers. Having left his former band the psych-punk trio Screaming Tea Party behind, Hazy Eyes Maybe sees Yamanoha forgoing the noise and chaos of his previous venture in favour of a subtler, more nuanced approach to his craft. Inspired equally by his interest in classical music, as well as his preoccupation with dreams and memories, Hazy Eyes Maybe is a wistful and often melancholic record which doesn’t so much run towards its conclusion as gently meanders; the soft twists and turns mirroring perfectly the machinations of Yamanoha’s mind.

This review was originally written for Artrocker. Click here to read in full.

#471: Introducing...Millie Manders

Introducing...Millie Manders

This feature was originally written for Louder Than War. Click the link above to read in full.

#470: Introducing...Micky P Kerr

Introducing...Micky P Kerr

This feature was origially written for Louder Than War. Click the link above to read in full.