Live Reviews!

Foals: The Roundhouse, London

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Great venue. Check. Great line-up. Check. Free tickets. Check. As music festivals go, iTunes' month-long residency at Camden Roundhouse certainly takes some beating ...
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by 4orTheRecord on 21-Jul-10 23:13

Cymbals Eat Guitars at Camden Barfly

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It's not until you get Cymbals Eat Guitars in a small venue such as the Camden Barfly that you get a full glimpse of the talents at their disposal. Delicate, tentative but often bursting with visceral power...
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by 4orTheRecord on 29-Jun-10 21:59

Rox at the Scala

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The Scala is packed, really packed. There is of course the usual pre-show chatter amongst the crowd, but tonight there is something special in the air, a palpable sense of anticipation. Despite being approximately...
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by 4orTheRecord on 29-Jun-10 21:10

Local Natives : Shepherd's Bush Empire

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Nights like these are ones Local Natives will surely cherish for years to come. With the sun beginning to drop on a balmy summer’s day, the California quintet kick off their first...
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by 4orTheRecord on 21-Jun-10 13:26

RPA & United Nations of Sound @ Shepherd's Bush Empire

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I'M surprised a bunch of clipboard-grasping scientists haven't scrutinised water samples from the 1960s and early 1970s in the Greater Manchester area for a devilish record label exec hoping to clone a frontman...
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by 4orTheRecord on 19-Jun-10 22:47

Flight of the Conchords : Birmingham N.I.A

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In the fiction of the TV show, Flight of the Conchords are a struggling pop-folk parody duo, desperate for gigs. In reality, their UK tour has sold out a string of arena dates country-wide...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 21:17

The Divine Comedy : London Tabernacle

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"It's standing in here. I forgot about that. We should have put chairs in. Sorry." So says Neil Hannon somewhere towards the start of what is probably...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 21:09

Florence And The Machine: Hammersmith Apollo

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Florence Welch is quite simply the nation's most magnetic female performer. Owner of that captivating, enthralling je ne sais quoi, which means letting her out of your sight, even for a second, simply isn't option...
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by 4orTheRecord on 25-May-10 23:23

The Crookes : The Sugarmill

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There’s no denying that Sheffield four-piece The Crookes has got the look down to a tee. In a nutshell they look like they’re on Heartbeat playing a gig in a barn or something and the story would go something along...
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by 4orTheRecord on 17-May-10 21:02

Throats/Trash Talk/Rolo Tomassi : Manchester

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Throats are quite the force. With a set time of 6:30, they have no qualms with performing unusually early and waste no time in completely overtaking The Roadhouse. Heavier than fuck, they play their...
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by 4orTheRecord on 13-Apr-10 23:54

Twisted Wheel : Gloucester's Guildhall

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All eyes are up front tonight as Oldham trio Twisted Wheel swagger on to end the mother of all punk-tipped rock’n’roll nights at Gloucester’s Guildhall. Supported by Cheltenham’s finest, Century Man...
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by 4orTheRecord on 12-Apr-10 23:32

Stiff Little Fingers: The Sugarmill

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oing to a gig with your Mum and Dad is probably not the idea of a great night out for many people. The same can’t be said however for a Stiff Little Fingers gig! Being around since the seventies...
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by 4orTheRecord on 28-Mar-10 17:04

Delphic: Stoke Sugarmill

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Never before has there been a more dramatic understatement than the following: “Please be aware that there will be heavy use of strobe lighting during tonight's performance.” This is the mandatory poster...
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by 4orTheRecord on 22-Mar-10 19:39

NME Awards Tour 2010 : 02 Birmingham Academy

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Opening tonight’s events and arguably one of the night’s strongest acts The Drums, have come along way from the NYC underground music scene where they learnt their trade. Playing to an unusually large crowd...
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by 4orTheRecord on 27-Feb-10 20:07

Detroit Social Club : The Sugarmill, Stoke

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Since Detroit Social Club were last at The Sugarmill, they've been a bit busy. Signing to Fiction Records, touring with Primal Scream and finishing an album, which is out in May according to one of their street team...
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by 4orTheRecord on 21-Feb-10 16:01

Wasted Life : Newcastle

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The bad weather and cold didn’t stop a determined group of punks from making their way to the Full Moon in Newcastle-under-Lyme on Thursday night to see Wasted Life...
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by 4orTheRecord on 21-Feb-10 15:07

Trouble Vision : Corsica Studios

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Amidst the murky depths of south London’s Elephant Castle there is an underground club that often warms the hearts of frost bitten party goers. Corsica Studio’s in-house night, Trouble Vision, offered respite...
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by 4orTheRecord on 17-Feb-10 21:58

Cocos Lovers : London

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By 8.35pm Cocos Lovers had set their instruments up in the middle of the room, the stage behind them undisturbed. I observed this process with a knot in my stomach, the remaining audience members in greater knots of expectation...
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by 4orTheRecord on 13-Feb-10 20:22

 

Singles and EP's!

Alexis Jordan : Happiness

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Although unlikely to get many heralding the re-invention of the wheel, Alexis Jordan...
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by 4orTheRecord on 18-Aug-10 16:35

Young Legionnaire : Colossus/Iron Dream

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Visceral, raw and impressively potent, Young Legionnaire's double single release is...
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by 4orTheRecord on 18-Aug-10 16:28

Richard Ashcroft : 'Born Again'

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Every time the latest jaunt ends, it’s never long until Richard Paul Ashcroft comes bouncing back with a new project. His latest incarnation is RPA and The United Nations of Sound...
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by 4orTheRecord on 22-Jul-10 00:24

Crocodiles : 'Sleep Forever'

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Despite possessing a dream-like summer atmosphere, “Sleep Forever” fails to offer up much else. Listenable and not without it's charm, there is little to here to capture the imagination...
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by 4orTheRecord on 29-Jun-10 21:46

Mumford & Sons : 'Roll Away The Stone'

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Yet another cut from their acclaimed Sigh No More debut, the London-form folk-rock quartet with a natty penchant for tweed waistcoats and scruffy beards have, along with lead singer...
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by 4orTheRecord on 29-Jun-10 21:05

Kele : 'Tenderoni'

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Free from the shackles of his edgy, slightly mournful bandmates, a beefed up, dancey Kele has washed Bloc Party right out of his hair with...
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by 4orTheRecord on 19-Jun-10 22:55

Young Fathers : 'Automatic/Dancing Mantaray'

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I had completely forgotten about Young Fathers until this single landed on my doorstep. Sadly, the first thing that sprung to mind was that I either didn’t like or did not “get” them...
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by 4orTheRecord on 19-Jun-10 21:51

The Good Natured : 'Your Body Is A Machine'

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At only 18 (maybe 19 now, I lose track of time), The Goodnatured is pretty young in the game. Regardless though, she has a marvellous voice and a very distinct sense of melody...
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by 4orTheRecord on 19-Jun-10 21:33

Little Death : 'Just Say Maybe'

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Back, post hiatus, from their 2008 debut mini album, Little Death are back to make use of the stir they created around themselves pre the new decade. This release combined with being straight off...
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by 4orTheRecord on 19-Jun-10 21:19

Fiction : 'Curiosity'

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It wouldn’t be too unfair to say that I don’t have a great deal of knowledge about Fiction. They’re relatively new, getting a lot of hype on the internet and playing some good shows around London at the moment...
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by 4orTheRecord on 19-Jun-10 21:10

Stairs To Korea : Paul, Is This How You Wanted It?

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As peculiar as the track name may be, Stairs To Korea’s latest proves a pleasing effort. Thanks to simple instrumentation and a likeable demeanour...
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by 4orTheRecord on 16-Jun-10 12:12

Chapel Club : Five Trees

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How on earth do you follow a single as vibrant and addictive as “Oh Maybe I”? Well, if you're Chapel Club, you release a single that oozes with yet more charm...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 21:42

Musee Mecanique : 'Sleeping In Our Clothes'

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Considered and carefully orchestrated, “Sleeping In Our Clothes” possesses both composure and vulnerability in equal measure. A slow burner – perhaps too...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 20:33

Chateau Marmont : 'Nibiru'

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The word electro is enough to send a cold chill down many music fans spines as the industry continue to constantly force feed the public poor watered down versions of a genre that for so long was for music purists...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 12:12

The Ghost : City Lights

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You might not think that think two Danish Twenty-something’s could hold the future of credible indie-electro in the palms of their hands, however if The Ghost’s debut single 'City Lights'...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 12:05

The Drums : Forever And Ever Amen

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The Drums throwdown another single of their stylistically summer indie-pop vibes, which has led to criticism from various angle. Yet, they have never claimed to be anything...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 10:28

Hot Chip : 'I Feel Better'

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It really does seem like only yesterday I was dancing away to the sounds of the yet-to-be-released “The Warning”, second album from the Hot Chip boys while at University. But here we are four years later...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 10:19

Villa Nah : 'Running On/Ways To Be'

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Minimalist, poised and slightly kitsch, “Ways To Be” is an infectious number from start to finish. With very but synth and vocals, it is a testament...
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by 4orTheRecord on 17-May-10 21:51

 




Read The Hype!

Album Reviews!

Full Time Hobby : Hobbyism

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Indie London label Full Time Hobby certainly have a lot to shout about. Boasting some truly unique and individual artists...
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by 4orTheRecord on 18-Aug-10 16:49

Ali Love : Love Harder

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Ali Love has by no means had it easy. Having risen to critical acclaim...
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by 4orTheRecord on 18-Aug-10 16:42

School Of Seven Bells : 'Disconnect From Desire'

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It is hard to know what to make of Disconnect From Desire in the first instance. Sure, it has everything present to make it a summertime album success; whispy female vocals, check. Eighties influenced electro, check...
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by 4orTheRecord on 29-Jun-10 22:12

Treecreeper : Juniper

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There really is nothing quite like a creative, refreshing record to brighten up a day. And, with it’s stripped down, country rock tinged epics, there is nothing quite like Treecreeper’s Juniper...
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by 4orTheRecord on 21-Jun-10 13:18

Hammock : Chasing After Shadows, Living With Ghosts

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Rarely does an opportunity occur to really consume music anymore. Without wishing to sound too middle aged about it, the “on demand” era seems to be beneficial for everything but free time...
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by 4orTheRecord on 16-Jun-10 12:48

Pagan Wanderer Lu : European Monsoon

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For those that have never experienced the music of Pagan Wonderer Lu, this may be a difficult couple of hundred words. For, unless you have actually heard the head scratching blend of...
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by 4orTheRecord on 16-Jun-10 12:30

Jonny Du Bois & The Hoo-Hah Conspiracy : 'No Light After Dark'

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Jonny Du Bois & The Hoo-Hah Conspiracy have not failed to deliver after 15 months of work in which sweat, tears (and...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 20:53

Bodi Bill : 'Two In One'

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Bodi Bill are definitely onto something, and their album title is the perfect expression of it. Mixing a vulnerable acoustic element with an assured electro presence, he has managed...
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by 4orTheRecord on 31-May-10 20:44

The Golden Filter : 'Voluspa'

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Summer arrives, and with it comes the much anticipated debut full length (on UK label Brille Records, its named after the ancient Nordic poem Völuspá which relates the story of the creation of the world and its coming end) from the rather magnificent...
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by 4orTheRecord on 30-May-10 15:00

The National : 'High Violet'

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Let’s get this out of the way early: The National are currently my favourite band. Why? Because their last album ‘Boxer’ is one of the best modern-day records I’ve heard, because their lyrics have more intelligence in one sentence...
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by 4orTheRecord on 23-May-10 16:12

Crystal Castles : Crystal Castles

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Crystal Castles are dark horses. For all the wailing, spitting fervour of their debut album, their second eponymous outing proves the method in their apparent madness. Naturally, the screaming remains, yet with it comes balanced...
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by 4orTheRecord on 17-May-10 22:01

Exit Calm : 'Exit Calm'

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“Pure Genius – the assembly of iron and wood because temples must be made. And the avoidance of all that whiny, sexless bullshit passing for rebellion at the moment”...
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by 4orTheRecord on 17-May-10 21:17

Pin Me Down : 'Pin Me Down'

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Before jumping in with the ‘bring back Silent Alarm’ cohort I’d like to attempt some objectivity. Let’s pretend that Bloc Party don’t exist until you finish reading this and consider the album as a separate entity....
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by 4orTheRecord on 17-May-10 20:23

James : 'The Night Before'

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James are back. Ok, ok, they officially reformed in 2007, shortly before every other moderately popular act from the 80s and 90s started to follow suit...
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by 4orTheRecord on 10-May-10 22:52

Acid Washed : 'Acid Washed'

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Confessional time. I, in reality, actually know very little about this Parisian bunch (except, of course, that they are Parisian) and they are into making dreamy, disco-infused electronica...
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by 4orTheRecord on 03-May-10 12:51

Anais Mitchell : Hadestown

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Hello and welcome to this review of the concept album Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, a folk opera based on the story of Orpheus and set in a post-apocalyptic Depression era America. If this sounds off-putting don’t worry...
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by 4orTheRecord on 03-May-10 12:27

Darwin Deez : 'Darwin Deez'

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Lauded as one the next big things, not to mention the coolest moustache in music, New York indie chap Darwin Deez's synonymous debut album shows infrequent...
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by 4orTheRecord on 02-May-10 11:36

The Futureheads : 'The Chaos'

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Sunderland’s own post-punk four-piece The Futureheads seem to have been around forever so it was with mild surprise that I got to review another album; to me they never seemed to quite catch on, despite the fact they’ve...
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by 4orTheRecord on 27-Apr-10 22:50