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Gig review: SWEET- Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 5 April 2025
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Album review: BLACK STAR RIDERS – Another State Of Grace
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Album review: TONY LOWE & ALISON FLEMING – Human Sleeping
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Album review: JELLYFISH – When These Memories Fade (boxset 7″ singles)
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Tag Archives: alternative
Quick plays: D’ERCOLE, THE ROCKET DOLLS, GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV

D’ERCOLE Made To Burn Rock Company [Release date 18.07.18] Album number five from D’Ercole which consists of Phil Vincent – a man never shy of being in a recording studio! – guitarist Damian D’Ercole and drummer BF D’Ercole. Other guest … Continue reading
Album review: BLUE OCTOBER – I Hope You’re Happy

Up/Down-Brando Records [Release date 17.08.18] Blue October return with their ninth album with expectations high after the excellent ‘Home’ album released in 2016. Vocalist and main songwriter Justin Furstenfeld is in a happy place in his personal life being a proud and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alternative, BLUE OCTOBER, dance, I Hope You're Happy, JUSTIN FURSTENFELD, melodic, review, rock
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Quick plays – LUCERO, ORIONS BELTE, FRED MIKA, JOHN BUTLER

LUCERO Among the Ghosts Thirty Tigers [Release date 03.08.18] Alt rock/country outfit Lucero have been going for twenty years and Among The Ghosts is their ninth studio album, co-produced by Matt Ross-Spang, who has produced the Drive-By Truckers amongst others. … Continue reading
Album review: THE FIERCE AND THE DEAD – The Euphoric

Bad Elephant Music [Release date 18.05.18] The Fierce and the Dead – Matt Stevens (guitar, synth, piano), Kev Feazey (bass, programming, synth, percussion), Steve Cleaton (guitar, piano) and Stuart Marshall (drums, percussion) – return with their fourth album. Opener ‘Truck’ … Continue reading
Quick plays: SAGA, CUDDLY SHARK, THADEUS GONZALEZ

SAGA Live In Hamburg earMUSIC [Release date 01.06.18] ‘Live In Hamburg’ was recorded back in 2015 in one of Saga’s main national fan bases Germany. It was originally released as limited-edition, however now it gets a full release. Some of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alternative, CUDDLY SHARK, live, Live In Hamburg, prog, punk pop, reviews, rock, Saga, Silver Inside, Thadeus Gonzalez
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Album review: ASH JOHNSON – The Mad Ship

Stunted Records www.stuntedrecords.co.uk [Release date 25.06.18] Ash Johnson has been a key figure on the North Lincolnshire music scene for many years working in various bands in the area. Now on the suggestion of the record label boss he has … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rising Stars
Tagged album, alternative, Americana, Ash Johnson, Mad Ship, review, rock, singer, songwriter
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DVD review: IGGY POP – American Valhalla

Eagle Vision [Release date 06.03.18] “American Valhalla” tells the story of Iggy Pop and Josh Homme’s experiences creating Pop’s 2016 “Post Pop Depression” album. We get to watch the very inception of the album from idea to finished product, and … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged album, alternative, American Valhalla, DVD, Eagle Vision, Iggy Pop, Josh Homme, Post Pop Depression, punk, QOTSA, review, rock
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Quick plays: THE DARK LIGHT, MOOD GROOVE, GREG RUSSELL & CIARAN ALGAR

THE DARK LIGHT Keep Off The Grass [Release date 06.04.18] The Dark Light formed in 2015 and this is their debut album with a line-up consisting of Gerrard Edwards (vocals), Henning Brand (drums), Roberto Cicorella (guitars), Sonny Moylan (guitars) and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alternative, Benjamin Lazar Davis, folk, funk, Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar, In Transit, JK Northrup, Keep Off The Grass, melodic, Mood Groove, review, rock, the Amazing, the Dark Light, Utopia and Wasteland
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Quick plays: ESP 2.0, ROAMER, UNRULY CHILD

ESP 2.0 22 Layers Of Sunlight [Release date 20.04.18] www.suncreative.com ESP released a very enjoyable prog rock album in 2016′s ‘Invisible Din’ and now they are back with a revamped line-up. Composer/producer/guitarist Tony Lowe and Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alt rock, alternative, Big Country, Esp 2.0, Layers Of Sunlight, Marcie Free, melodic, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Roamer, rock, Tony Lowe, Unhinged: Live From Milan, Unruly Child, What The Hell
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Quick plays: SHINE NOIR, GEORGE ST.CLAIR

SHINE NOIR – s/t Alternative rock, from Germany, anyone? Formed when Anne wanted to record a few of her singer-songwriter songs, the guys who owned the studio – Olli (guitars) and No (drums) decided to add their own metal and … Continue reading
Quick plays: BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN, ALL THE LUCK IN THE WORLD, RAINTIMES

BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN Hearts Of Glass Proper Music [Release date 09.02.18] www.bethnielsenchapman.com Beth Nielsen Chapman’s latest album is nearly all her own songs, with many of them being re-recorded versions where the piano on the originals is replaced by guitar. … Continue reading
Album review: BLITZEN TRAPPER – Wild And Reckless

Lojinx [Release date 03.11.17] Not stumbled across Blizten Trapper before until their new album arrived onto my review pile. They have been around since 2000 and ‘Wild And Reckless’ is their ninth studio album, so some catching up to do … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alternative, Americana, Blitzen Trapper, country, Eric Earley, review, rock, Wild And Reckless
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Book review: Smashing it Up: A Decade of Chaos with the Damned by Kieron Tyler

Omnibus Press The book focuses on their formation and subsequent first decade, where along with the Clash and the Sex Pistols, were one of the first punk bands. The influence of the band stretches far and wide, be it them … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged alternative, book, Brian James, Captain Sensible, Dave Vanian, Kieron Tyler, Omnibus Press, punk, Rat Scabies, review, rock, Smashing It Up, The Damned
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EP review: THE VIRGINMARYS – Sitting Ducks

Self Release [Release date 22.09.17] The Virginmarys have had a roller coaster ride of a career to date, with many favourable plaudits for their music from the press, big name tour support slots and their debut album made the US Billboard … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged alternative, EP, modern rock, review, rock, Siting Ducks, The Virginmarys
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Album review: THE TUBES – The A&M Albums

In Part 1 (above) of a two-part special, Fee Waybill chats about the formative years of The Tubes. (First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 28 June 2015) Part 2 (above) discusses the band’s progress from the early-1980s to … Continue reading
EP review: SAINT APACHE – Wolf Machine

[Release date 21.07.17] Wolf Machine is a 4 track long EP, by alt-rock band Saint Apache. It is an absolutely solid entry into alt-rock, and could comfortably sit alongside other popular artists of the genre. The whole EP has a … Continue reading
EP reviews: THE LOFT CLUB, DIG DEEPER, GOODWOOD ATOMS

THE LOFT CLUB Heart’s Desire www.facebook.com/theloftclubband The Loft Club released this EP back in October 2016 and have had big success on Spotify with a Niklas Ibach dance remix of the EP’s title track. Their sound recalls greats like the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged alternative, Bandcamp, Dig Deeper, EP, Goodwood Atoms, indie, melodic, pop, review, rock, the Loft Club
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Quick plays: BURNT OUT WRECK, CHESS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

BURNT OUT WRECK Swallow Cherry Red Records [Release date 24.03.17] Gary Moat was the drummer with Scottish rockers Heavy Pettin’ and for his new band, Burnt Out Wreck, he leaves his drum kit behind to head for the mic stand. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged AC/DC, album, alternative, Anna Coogan, Bo Diddley, Burnt Out Wreck, Chess, Chuck Berry, compilation, country, folk, For All Our Sins, Gary Moat, Heavy Pettin', Just Go Wild Over Rock 'N' Roll, KROKUS, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Sound of the Sirens, Swallow, The Lonely Cry of Space and Time
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Album review: THE MARK LANEGAN BAND – Gargoyle

[Release date 28.04.17] Not being hugely familiar with Mark Lanegan’s previous output, I was able to spin this album with neither pre-conception nor expectation…and pretty impressed I was too. Straddling between the truism that “you can only objectively critique that … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alternative, Gargoyle, Mark Lanegan, review, rock, Screaming Trees, the Mark Lanegan Band
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Album review: AS LIONS – Selfish Age

Better Noise [Release date 20.01.17] We first heard As Lions when they released a four track EP featuring tracks from their forthcoming debut album. Immediately, as with the opener here ‘Aftermath’, you knew this was something special. Strong on melody, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alternative, As Lions, Austin Dickinson, electro, pop, review, Rise To Remain, rock, Selfish Age
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Quick plays: THE WEEKS, ABEL RAISE THE CAIN, HAPPYNESS

THE WEEKS Easy Lightning Rod Records [Release date 07.04.17] The Weeks have been around since 2006 and they consist of Cyle Barnes (vocals), Samuel Williams (guitar/vocals), Cain Barnes (drums) and Damien Bone (bass). They have toured with the likes of Kings Of Leon … Continue reading