On a first listen, you would be forgiven for thinking John Smith was an old fellow sitting on his porch in the deep South of America, full of wisdom and worldly tales. So it may come as a surprise to…
Category: Reviews
Album: Clogs – The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton
How would you define beauty? And what would you consider beautiful? Surely the Garden of Eden represents the epitome of beauty? Humans have developed a view of it in their minds and throughout the years have struggled with weeds to…
EP: Pete Roe — Merry-Go-Round
When I was little I used to think that Merry-Go-Rounds were fun, yet as soon as I jumped on those golden sparkly horses I would feel disappointed because they wouldn’t take me anywhere far. The Merry-Go-Round is Pete Roe’s first…
Live: Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling @ Hop Farm
I am not ashamed of my crush on Johnny Flynn, for he is not only beautiful like an angel but he is hugely talented. I was also not the only one who clapped and wooped as he walked onto the…
Live: Adelaide’s Cape @ The Gladstone, London Bridge
It’s rare that I write a gig review that begins with a discussion of the venue, but in this case I feel I have little choice in the matter. The Gladstone is a lovely little pub round the corner from…
Album: School of Seven Bells – Disconnect from Desire
When New Yorkers Alejandra and Claudia Deheza (twins, no less) join forces with former Secret Machines guitarist Benjamin Curtis they become: School of Seven Bells. The band’s second album is shiny enough to make decent pop music without relinquishing any…
Live: Bob Dylan @ Hop Farm
With Bob Dylan at Hop Farm FFS got what we expected. We’ve heard enough about his performances not to imagine we were in for a lot of crowd interaction but by being there we were paying homage to the best…
Album: The Mynabirds – What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood
Before there was a Buffalo Springfield or a Crazy Horse (though after there had been The Squires), Neil Young was briefly in a band called the Mynah Birds, who were signed to soul label Motown. Only a handful tracks were…
Live: The National @ iTunes Festival, Roundhouse, London
Ah, The National; that type of band who, through perseverance and solidity, capture people’s hearts one by one, slowly but steadily, brewing their musical barley until it is ready for consumption to lift people’s spirits and to quench the thirst…
Album: Dear Winesburg – Dear Winesburg
In the midst of the re-emergence and popularity of folk music (which is very much deserved for a genre that has been so overlooked for so long) you’d hope that it might encourage people to delve deeper and look past…