Gorillaz - The Singles Collections: 2001-2011 (Album Review)

Cool Britannia poster boy Damon Albarn may have predicted, shaped and driven the early years of the Britpop revolution as the frontman of Blur in the early 90s, yet almost twenty years later it is unlikely the gold-toothed maestro could ever have imagined the groundbreaking exploits and global success he would enjoy as the mastermind behind virtual band Gorillaz.

Written by: Mark Molloy | Date: Friday, 09 December 2011

Robinson - Without Love (Single Review)

It is fair to say that when you’ve run out of things to write songs about, there is always one subject to turn to…. LOVE.

Written by: Emma Newlyn | Date: Monday, 05 December 2011

Patrick Wolf - Brumalia (EP Review)

London boy Patrick Wolf returns after a summer of festival appearances with his latest EP, Brumalia. The word itself is the name of the Roman winter festival celebrating the shortest day of the year and the EP lives up to it's title with a pleasantly wintery sound that is completely appropriate for its late-November release.

Written by: Steven James | Date: Thursday, 01 December 2011

Saidah Baba Talibah - (S)cream (Single Review)

“It’s a love song, a statement, telling your baby that they're doing it juuuuust right…” So says Toronto based singer/songwriter Saidah Baba Talibah about new single '(S)cream'.

Written by: V O'Hagan | Date: Wednesday, 30 November 2011

NITKOWSKI - Stay in the Home You Love (Album Review)

Out of all the UK’s fine purveyors of noise dominated rock, Nitkowski are possibly the easiest to love on the face of things. Live at least this is a band that, despite the fact that they love to experiment and bemuse their listeners, packs a pretty direct punch and so are all the better as a result. “Stay in the Home You Love” is the band’s second full-length album and the trio (two guitarists and a drummer) seem determined not to make it as fun as a standard live set.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Wham! - The Final (Album Review)

It’s been 25 years since George Michael and Andrew Ridgely left their Wham! career behind on a high. To celebrate (commiserate?) they released ‘The Final’, a compilation album that documented their short, but amazingly successful career in pop. Now, 25 years later, to celebrate the Anniversary, ‘The Final’ is being re-released to remind everyone exactly what Wham! brought to the music industry – and I don’t mean Andrew’s “air” guitar skills.

Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Monday, 28 November 2011

Thin Lizzy - At The BBC (Album Review)

The passing of members can often be controversial in terms of continuing on in the band’s namesake, none more so than Thin Lizzy minus Phil Lynott. While the band notably reformed initially in 1996 with John Sykes taking over on vocals, in a testament to the band they decided not to release any new material on the tours that followed, instead performing a back catalogue from prior to their break.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 28 November 2011

Staind - Staind (Album Review)

The new self-titled album by hard-rock artists ‘Staind’ takes a step back in returning to the angrier, aggressive basics that loyal fans would have sadly missed as the band transformed into a rock-pop glamour laced with ballads such as 2001 single ‘Its Been A While’. The American band seems to be returning back to the fundamentals that made them so popular back in 1995, and bring themselves back to the studio ready for the release of their seventh studio album – with a conspicuous edginess to all ten of their brand new tracks suggesting that these guys definitely have something to prove to the unsuspecting public.

Written by: Catherine Rea | Date: Friday, 25 November 2011

Master And The Mule – 6ixty 5ive (Single Review)

Unnecessarily cheesy title aside, Master and the Mule’s debut single is a pretty impressive slab of vaguely progressively oriented metal. Comparisons to Tool will no longer waste no time in arriving on the scene but to write off this Leeds based quartet as copyists would be doing a disservice to the passion and verve that they display during this track at least. Vocally dextrous and musically attention grabbing, this band have retained the use of dynamics apparent during their previous existence under the moniker Immune but have developed their songwriting skills if this effort is anything to go by.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 25 November 2011

Westlife - Greatest Hits (Album Review)

Time and time again we see boybands fleetingly entertain the masses, disappear from view and – if they’re lucky – milk a comeback a few years down the line. So, imagine the sadness the music world faced when the lead success in longevity as a boyband announced their plans to disband in 2012. We are, of course, referring to the Irish wonders, Westlife.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Thursday, 24 November 2011

Rihanna - Talk That Talk (Album Review)

After another successful year and only a year since her 'Loud' album dropped, the Barbadian beauty has now released her sixth studio album ‘Talk That Talk’. There is still a buzz and a sense of hype from ‘Loud’, so the big question is why rush a new release? Well, the girl sure knows how to talk that talk, we cannot deny her talent but it seems like she’s took a step backwards musically this time.

Written by: Charlotte Thandy | Date: Tuesday, 22 November 2011

&U&I - Light Bearer (Album Review)

It would be churlish to fill this review up with references to Blakfish, the band to which all three members of &U&I previously belonged, but so many are interested in seeing how the two acts compare that it is hard not to. For whilst it is best perhaps to look at this band as an act completely distinct from Blakfish, no such association or lack of should at all affect how much listeners enjoy this record. This is one of the best debut albums by a British act in a number of years and announces &U&I as a major player on the British post-hardcore scene.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 22 November 2011

The Misfits - The Devil’s Rain (Album Review)

Lurking in the air since Jerry Only successfully won his legal battle against Danzig to create and tour under the veil of the Misfits name, that age old debate over whether the band’s varying incarnations can ever live up to what many deem ‘the glory days’ of the band rears its head once more. It’s a sad state of affairs when one of the most impacting bands on punk rock is affiliated more with their iconic logo from the past over their continuing run within music; but sadly, that is the case of The Misfits.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 21 November 2011

Max Rafferty - Lonely Town (Single Review)

Presumably already sick and tired of comparisons to his former band The Kooks, ex bassist Max Rafferty is due to release his self-titled debut single ‘Lonely Town’ on November 22nd.

Written by: Emma Newlyn | Date: Thursday, 17 November 2011

Metallica and Lou Reed - Lulu (Album Review)

On paper it seemed like an exciting idea, a chance for both Metallica and Lou Reed to try something fresh, to challenge themselves and their own song writing capabilities bringing each other out of their comfort zones. Co-produced by Metallica, Reed and Hal Willner to the major label Vertigo, it looks like the troupe had both money and freedom on their side to do everything just the way they wanted. But sadly there is nothing to hear that would really suggest it.

Written by: Owen Sheppard | Date: Wednesday, 16 November 2011

The Vaccines – Wetsuit (Single Review)

London-based indie rockers The Vaccines have easily made 2011 their year. A top 4 album, huge touring support slots, sell out headline tours, magazine covers, award nominations, and even being named as NME’s number one band of the weekend at the legendary Reading and Leeds festivals. Debut album ‘What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?’ has produced some new classics in the making, and its sixth and final single release is certainly following suit.

Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Tuesday, 15 November 2011

†HYMNS† - Cardinal Sins / Contrary Values (Album Review)

†Hymns† really are something of an enigma. A collaboration between ex-Blakfish man Samuel Manville and former SOS drummer Peter Reisner, this self-described ‘atheist rock’ band are clearly determined to spread a message alongside creating their music; no prizes for guessing what that message is. Don’t go running off and calling them Satanists though…that’s just silly.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Steak Number Eight – All is Chaos (Album Review)

For a post-metal act Steak Number Eight are surprisingly unthreatening. A young Belgian group who take influence from the likes of Pelican and fellow countrymen Amenra, this quartet do not quite seem to have got the hang of the game on this second full-length 'All is Chaos'.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 14 November 2011

Joseph Coward - If You Want To Get Going, Get Talking (To Me) (Single Review)

It’s more upbeat than some of it's predecessors but does that matter one bit? No.

Written by: Chris 'PJ' Martin | Date: Friday, 11 November 2011

Future Of The Left - Polymers Are Forever (EP Review)

Sadly most of the country does not seem to have noticed that Future of the Left are one of the best bands on the planet, never mind just in Britain. After forming out of the ashes of Mclusky and Jarcrew, both of whom were also very awesome, in 2005 the Andrew ‘Falco’ Falkous led crew have already released two excellent albums. 'Polymers are Forever' suggests that the best may be yet to come however.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Thursday, 10 November 2011