We’re so late to the party with this one, but it’s such a spectacular album we couldn’t resist sharing our views on it. Originally released in June last year via TopShelf Records, ‘Whenever, If Ever’ is the debut record from Connecticut natives The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to…
For as long as we can remember, Oxford has been home to some of the most dynamic, exciting and interesting bands around. After the huge success of Ride in the early 90s, shoegaze still holds a delightful hold over many of the bands formed in OX. And it’s in this genre where we find ArtClassSink,…
In our second batch of ‘Top 5s of 2013’, we take a look at the long players that have soundtracked the past twelve months. Again, they’re featured in no particular order. Dutch Uncles – Out of Touch in the Wild It was third album lucky for Dutch Uncles as this release finally got them the…
Yes, we’re joining in with the fun and games of the best of 2013 –and we’re starting with some of the EPs that have soundtracked our year, in no particular order… Superman Revenge Squad Band – There’s Nothing More Frightening Than the Passing of Time Heartfelt lyrics with self-depreciating humour made this mini-album one to…
Today I’ve been listening to ‘Hospice’ by The Antlers and also watched the mid-season finale of the fourth season of The Walking Dead. What better way to keep up this run of miserabilia than by listening to an album by a band who insisted the audience ‘join them in Hell’ at this year’s 2000 Trees…
When the opening line of an album is ‘Misery soaked you’, you know you’re in for a heartfelt, passionate and sombre listen and so it goes on the debut album ‘Comfort Songs’ from New York-via-Boston-via-LA resident Cloud (known to his parents as Tyler Taormina). Gravelly vocals and sparse instrumentation feature on the first track ‘Cars…
Having scattered themselves around the country following the release of their debut album, the five-piece (originally from Leeds) Killing Fields of Ontario have made a welcome return with sophomore effort ‘How the World Ends’. Having played with acclaimed folk-pop bands like Sparrow and the Workshop and Broken Records, the record promises a more sprawling sound…
Following on from a phenomenal amount of hype and an appearance in the BBC’s Sound of 2011 poll, Anna Calvi’s self-titled debut album did not disappoint. With its dark atmospherics, her alluring voice and well-received singles in ‘Desire’, ‘Suzanne and I’ and the astounding ‘Blackout’, she ‘became a favourite with the whole ‘alternative’ music spectrum…
Ben Parker, formerly of cult favourites Nosferatu D2, went on to perform as Superman Revenge Squad, an acoustic act with a wry sense of humour, heartfelt lyrics and a great line in self-depreciation. Now, he’s expanded this project into The Superman Revenge Squad Band, which finds his gentle tones and minimal strums backed up by…
Recorded with much-admired producer Ethan Johns, Laura Marling releases her fourth album in six years ‘Once I Was an Eagle’ on 27 May via Virgin Records. Always extremely productive, this album sees Laura provide 16 new songs for her loyal following and also features prominent use of cello, played by her lifelong friend Ruth du…
