Posted in Cd Reviews

Death In Texas is continually stepping up their game and their newest single “Fear Of The Hundred” is no exception.

With a bass line and drum beat supporting a hauntingly beautiful piano melody, Death In Texas has created a tune that defies all logic. Listening to this track, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how they managed to create a song so full of contradictions to run so smoothly. This beat with that piano melody and those lyrics?! It shouldn’t have worked and yet it did.
Clearly, this trio has the whole Progressive Pop genre all figured out.

I know, I know, how can defining a song as a contradiction be a compliment? Well easy; the lyrics, dark in nature, match the deep rhythm of the bass and drum (played by Terry and Kane), while the light piano and soft yet strong vocals...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Tangowerk is the first solo album from Berlin based producer NHOAH. With this project he has brought together some very different sounds and merged them into one of the most interesting and unusual albums I’ve heard for some time. South American Tango music, modern electronic music, 80s pop and a whole host of other influences have been combined in Tangowerk.

The Tango and electronics make up the core of the sound with other influences appearing at different times throughout the album.

Brief comments on a few of the tracks..

The album opens with ”One more kiss”. The vocals are real crooner style and these are set against music which is a mix of South American classical dance and electronic. At times it’s got an 80s pop feel to it as well as having the Tango feel...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Indie rockers Darktown Jubilee come from Manchester – a city that has spawned countless Indie rock bands. The band formed in 2010 and after releaseing a couple of singles, are now releasing their debut album.

The album opens with ”Breakdown”. The song was released as the first single from the album and it’s clear to see why. Smooth vocals, a great tune and strong chorus plus enough guitar to give it a solid rock base make this a really good song. I’ve listened to it a lot already and it doesn’t lose any appeal with repeated listening.

Next up is ”Stay”. The keyboards are more prominent here and give the song a different feel. It’s another great song.

”The great escape” opens with acoustic guitar and piano-like keyboards...

Posted in Press Releases

THE TREATMENT CONFIRMED AS MAIN SUPPORT TO STATUS QUO ON THEIR UK TOUR THIS MARCH FEATURING THE CLASSIC ‘FRANTIC FOUR’ LINE-UP…

UK rockers, The Treatment, will be joining Status Quo on a UK tour that sees the most celebrated Quo line-up back together again!

Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster & John Coghlan, the original line-up of the mighty Quo, have invited The Treatment to play as sole Special Guests on a nine-date tour of major UK venues, starting at the Manchester Apollo on March 6th 2013!

Says Treatment front-man, Matt Jones…

“We absolutely cannot wait for the upcoming Status Quo tour. All of us have grown up listening to Quo, so to get the chance to open the shows for the original line-up is a true honour...

Posted in Press Releases

BENEA REACH SET TO RELEASE THIRD STUDIO ALBUM, ‘POSSESSION’, ON MARCH 25TH 2013 VIA SPINEFARM RECORDS
+ BRAND NEW VIDEO FOR FIRST SINGLE, ‘THE MOUNTAIN’, OUT NOW.

Watch the video here:

Grammy-nominated Norwegian tech-metallers BENEA REACH will release their third full-length offering of epic progressive metal on March 25th via Spinefarm Records.
Titled, ‘Possession’, this latest album was produced by Benea Reach & Thomas Wang, then mixed & mastered by Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Mnemic, Raunchy) at Antfarm Studio.
Known for his bipolar vocal ability, BR frontman Ilkka Volume veers memorably from low belly-aching screams through to high manic shrieks – almost as if the band had a dual-vocal set-up. He’s excited about the new record, and can’t wait for it to be heard…
“We...

Posted in Press Releases

VOLBEAT TO RELEASE OUTLAW GENTLEMEN & SHADY LADIES APRIL 8th,2013
Rob Caggiano Joins Volbeat As Second Guitarist

Danish metal band Volbeat has announced that the upcoming studio album Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies will be released on April 8, 2013. The band has also shared that former Anthrax and The Damned Things guitarist Rob Caggiano has officially joined the band. Caggiano served as producer on Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, alongside long-time production partner Jacob Hansen, who produced and mixed the band’s prior four albums. Caggiano’s producer credits include The Damned Things, Bleeding Through and Anthrax amongst others, and he was a member of Anthrax for two tenures from 2001-2005 and again from 2007-2013. Singer and guitarist Michael Poulsen shared,

”The band is very proud...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Lawnmower Deth, self-proclaimed Godfathers of British Thrash and Usurpers of the buffoonery crown, have announced their only club show of 2013.

Since being pulled out of retirement for a one-off show at Alexandra Palace with Bullet For My Valentine, the band have refuted reports of reformation. ”It’s a regurgitation, get it right!” states singer Qualcast Mutilator.

Appearances have been rare but always event-based. Three Download festivals in four years, Damnation Festival, Hammerfest Festival, Bloodstock Festival, and now announced for 2013 Hard Rock Hell Festival.

However, the draw of an even rarer club show in their home town was just too much. This will be the band’s first home town gig in 20 years, and their only club show of 2013.

Nottingham Rescue Rooms on December 20th, 2013 w...

Posted in Press Releases

WAMPIRE SHARES NEW SINGLE ”THE HEARSE” VIA PITCHFORK
DEBUT LP CURIOSITY DUE IN MAY VIA POLYVINYL
”THE HEARSE” 7″ OUT MARCH 5TH, AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW

After forming Wampire, Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps steadily began to make a name for themselves in the same Portland, OR, scene that has produced labelmates STRFKR as well as Unknown Mortal Orchestra. It makes sense, then, that Wampire came to Polyvinyl’s attention when the duo opened for STRFKR at a hometown Portland show and that UMO’s bassist Jacob Portrait produced Wampire’s debut full-length, Curiosity.

The choice of Portrait was a natural one, with both Tinder and Phipps believing he’d be able to contribute almost as much to the record as they would...

Posted in Press Releases

WAY TO BLUE – THE SONGS OF NICK DRAKE – Navigator Records, April 15, 2013

Featuring Teddy Thompson, Vashti Bunyan, Green Gartside, Robyn Hitchcock, Lisa Hannigan, Scott Matthews, Krystle Warren, Danny Thompson and more – recorded live in London and Melbourne

“Every week, somewhere in the world, singers gather in clubs and halls to sing the songs of Nick Drake. It is sobering to think that more people now hear his songs in a month than ever heard them in his lifetime.” – Joe Boyd

Undoubtedly one of the most influential English singer-songwriters of the last 50 years, Nick Drake found little mainstream success during his lifetime; however, since his untimely death at the age of 26, his fragile acoustic, autumnal music has touched the hearts of millions of people.

Over the years sin...

Posted in Press Releases

This spring sees the release of an extended edition of the hugely successful debut album, Wonderful Life by Black. Released in 1987, the album is probably best known for its title track, which was a huge hit in the UK, throughout Europe and beyond, and went on to spawn countless cover versions and appear in many in adverts, TV programmes and films. The single was originally released on the independent label Ugly Man in 1986 and sold out of its initial pressing of 1000 copies. Black soon signed to A&M Records with whom he reached the UK Top 10 in June 1987, with the single Sweetest Smile. A slightly reworked version of Wonderful Life followed soon after and also hit the Top 10. The album Wonderful Life went on to sell well over 1.5 million copies.

This special 2-CD edition comprises the fu...