TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,551
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Post by TheThorne on Sept 24, 2019 17:16:03 GMT 1
I haven't listened to it all the way through yet but everything i have heard I love. I also really like that he makes proper fun videos like you used to see on MTV2. Not sure if MTV Rocks play him they seem to be stuck in 2002 whenever I watch the channel.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Nov 28, 2019 16:19:30 GMT 1
FEEDER - Tallulah Release Date: August 9, 20192019 saw feeder release their 10th studio album Tallulah, amazingly at charted at #4 in the uk making it the bands 2nd most successful album after 2005's Pushing the Senses, I saw them live a few weeks ago and they were fantastic, I haven't had much time to write full reviews lately so what i'm going to do rate them instead and add a bit of a summary at the end, this way I can knock out two or three at a time. 1. Youth 10 2. Blue Sky Blue 8.5 3. Daily Habit 8.5 4. Fear of Flying 9.5 5. Rodeo 7.5 6. Tallulah 7.5 7. Shapes and Sounds 7 8. Guillotine 6.5 9. Kyoto 7.5 10. Kite 8 11. Windmill 7 12. Lonely Hollow Day 5.5 SummaryA real return to form from Feeder who have been a bit hit and miss with their last few albums but Tallulah hits the spot for old school Feeder fans, It was supported by 4 singles: "Fear of Flying", "Youth", "Daily Habit" and "Blue Sky Blue", they were all fantastic. Feeder have had to overcome their fare share of adversity and survived a decrease in chart success in recent years to create relevant music some 22 years after their debut album and they looked to be enjoying every minute when I saw them live 7.75/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Nov 28, 2019 16:59:44 GMT 1
THE SHERLOCKS - Under Your Sky Release Date: October 4, 2019The boys from Barnsley dropped their second album earlier this year, I was a huge fan of their debut album "Live for the Moment (2017)" and with the help of producer James Skelly (The Coral), I had high hopes their follow up would be just as good, they are one of only a handful of new indie bands to really break into the scene in recent years, they started 2019 in fine form with stand alone single "I've Gotta Be Me" but how will the album fare 1. I Want It All 7 2. NYC (Sing It Loud) 10 3. Waiting 8.5 4. Magic Man 9 5. Dreams 7 6. Time to Go 7 7. Give It All Up 6.5 8. One Day 8.5 9. Now & Then 8 10. Step Inside 8 11. Under Your Sky 8 SummaryGenuinely not a bad song on the album, I have loved every single these guys have put out and their album tracks are solid, this one is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish, The Sherlocks are fast becoming one of my favourite bands to breakthrough in the last few years, definitely an album worth checking out for mid 00's indie kids, if they were around 15 year ago they would clean up 7.95/10
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Post by greendemon on Nov 28, 2019 17:06:41 GMT 1
Fair review of 'Tallulah'; I too think it's the best album I've heard from them for quite a few years. They absolutely smashed it live which was great to see
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Nov 29, 2019 23:20:59 GMT 1
PUPPY - The Goat Release Date: January 24, 2019London-based trio Puppy released their debut album back in January, they caught my attention with, World Stands Still, Bathe In Blood and Poor Me all charting in my personal chart so they have been on my list to review for a while, if your unfamiliar with them their label Spinefarm Records describes the album as "12 tracks that successfully combine the left-field melodic turns of Weezer, the hazy fuzz of Smashing Pumpkins and the straight-to-the bone sonics of the Big Four of Thrash, the end result being a signature sound that hides a bloody, occult-esque heart beneath its festival-ready choruses. With eight of the album’s 12 tracks produced by Neil Kennedy (Creeper, Boston Manor) and the remaining four by Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood, Ghost), ‘The Goat’ is a record that’ll inspire grins from even the most grizzled of metalheads and headbanging from the most hesitant of indie kids" 1. Black Hole 8 2. Vengeance 7.5 3. Poor Me 9.5 4. Just Like You 6.5 5. And So I Burn… 7 6. Entombed 6 7. World Stands Still 9 8. Bathe In Blood 7.5 9. Nightwalker 8 10. I Feel An Evil 7.5 11. Handlebars 7 12. Demons 7.5
Summary
Puppy borrow heavily from 90's alt rock with their big riffs and pop hooks, at times they sound remarkably like Ghost with their hypnotic mix of melodic but heavy riffs with a sinister occult undercurrent running through the record, the album art is another nod to this, no doubt one of my favourite metal albums of the year, Poor Me and World Stands Still were fantastic singles and will both feature highly in my songs of 2019 countdown, they also have some cracking album tracks here too so overall a very good debut album 7.58/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 10, 2019 12:27:54 GMT 1
LONGFELLOW - LongfellowRelease Date: November 22, 2019Wow this is a nice surprise, Longfellow are a London 4 piece that make atmospheric indie pop along the lines of Kodaline, Bears Den and Sunset Sons, they have been releasing EP's and singles since 2013! and finally released their debut album last month, I recognise 9 of these tracks already having charted them in my personal chart over the last 6 years so when I saw they have finally dropped an album it had to be my next review. 1. Brooklyn 7 2. Therapy 7.5 3. Gabrielle 8.5 4. Iscariot 8 5. Plasticine 8 6. Siamese Lover 9 7. Chokehold 6 8. Where I Belong 8.5 9. Fabric 6 10. Choose 7 11. Medic 9SummarySome of these tracks are over 6 years old and still sound fresh today, most have been re-recorded which I guess they had to do or the album would've sounded somewhat disjointed being a collection of songs released so far apart. I have been charting these guys since 2014 and I'm so glad they have finally released their debut album, over the years I have charted Siamese Lover #2 and Kiss-Hug-Makeup #5 in 2014 Medic #1, Where I Belong #6 and Choose #47 in 2015, Elastic Heart #11 in 2016, Brooklyn #60 in 2017, Therapy #36 and Plasticine #25 in 2018, Iscariot #11 and Gabrielle re-release #45 and still climbing in 2019. 9 of these songs made it onto their debut album so it felt very familiar, if anyone missed these songs time around, I recommend checking out this album 7.68/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 11, 2019 15:54:13 GMT 1
SUNSET SONS - Blood Rush Deja VuRelease Date: November 1, 2019Sunset Sons started out as surfers who loved making music, the British-Australian indie band released their debut album in 2016 and supported Imagine Dragons on 36 arena dates across Europe, they were great live when I saw them on that tour in 2015. Blood Rush Déjà Vu was recorded between their adopted hometown, the surf commune of Hossegor on the south-west Atlantic coast of France and Kensaltown Studios in London so lets crack on and give their second album a listen. 1. Superman 10 2. Say Hi 9 3. Eyes Wide Open 7 4. Take Control 7.5 5. Problems 7.5 6. Favourite Mistake 6 7. Heroes 9.5 8. One Of A Kind 6.5 9. Alien 8
SummaryTheir second album Blood Rush Déjà Vu shows a more mature, dark and urgent side of the band, whilst keeping to their trademark festival anthemic rock and laid back dreamy beach retrospectives, it might only be 9 tracks long but it is packed full of great songs with Superman and Heroes being two of my favourite tracks of 2019, Sunset Sons are a really underrated band that consistently release quality songs 7.88/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 16, 2019 14:36:09 GMT 1
CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN - The BalanceReleased date: April 26, 2019April saw Van McCann and his band release their third album in 5 years, their debut album charted at #10 in the uk and their follow up album "The Ride" topped the uk album chart in 2016, this year saw the band score their first top 40 hit with "Longshot" and another huge album with "The Balance" peaking at #2 in the uk 1. Longshot 10 2. Fluctuate 9 3. 2all 9.5 4. Conversation 8.5 5. Sidetrack 6.5 6. Encore 8.5 7. Basically 7.5 8. Intermission 5 9. Mission 7.5 10. Coincide 7.5 11. Overlap 8.5SummaryI'm a huge fan of Catfish and the Bottlemen and with "The Balance" they have gone back to a more familiar sound to their debut album merging some of their more grown up sound from their more experimental second album to great effect, singer Van McCann has stated, "I feel like everybody started thinking too outside the box trying to be arty and different" with their second album and for their new record "We wanted to stay inside the box." 8/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 16, 2019 15:04:50 GMT 1
TEMPLES - Hot MotionReleased date: September 27, 2019Temples are an English rock band, formed in Kettering by singer and guitarist James Bagshaw, they have released three studio albums, two EPs, and a number of singles. Their debut album, Sun Structures, was released in 2014 and charted at #7 in the UK then in 2017 their follow up album "Volcano" peaked at #23 and this year "Hot Motion" peaked at 51. They are at their best when they are making trippy, 70's psychedelic rock so lets see what "Hot Motion" has to offer. 1. Hot Motion 7.5 2. You're Either On Something 8.5 3. Holy Horses 8.5 4. The Howl 6.5 5. Context 10 6. The Beam 8 7. Not Quite The Same 7 8. Atomise 6.5 9. It's All Coming Out 7 10. Step Down 6.5 11. Monuments 8
SummaryAnother great record from Temples, their 70's psychedelia mixed with their pop sensibility stand out on this record, Pitchfork best described their sound as "Pink Floyd and Revolver in the streets, Knights of Cydonia in the sheets" with the highlights being the excellent Context and the psychedelic Holy Horses 7.63/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 17, 2019 15:04:24 GMT 1
SAM FENDER - Hypersonic MissilesRelease Date: September 13, 2019The North Shields singer-songwriter released his debut album Hypersonic Missiles in 2019 to great success as it went straight to #1 in the album chart, he is a Brit Critics’ Choice award 2019 winner, nominated in 2018’s BBC Sound Of poll so lets see if his debut album lives up to the hype. 1. Hypersonic Missiles 9.5 2. The Borders 10 3. White Privilege 7.5 4. Dead Boys 8 5. You're Not The Only One 7.5 6. Play God 8.5 7. That Sound 7.5 8. Saturday 9 9. Will We Talk? 9 10. Two People 7 11. Call Me Lover 7.5 12. Leave Fast 7 13. Use (Live) 6
SummaryThe album starts off with a banger, the saxophone solo in Hypersonic Missiles would make Bruce Springsteen proud and with 7 singles this album is packed full of quality songs, Sam Fender is an excellent singer-songwriter, lyrically this album isn't full of the usual filler you find modern singer songwriters singing about, he covers all sorts of political and social issues such as kids in gaza, male suicide, white privilege, liberals, the right wing press and the frustrations of living in a small town, my only criticism is the album does tail off towards the end but it is a cracking debut album 8.0/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 17, 2019 16:04:41 GMT 1
HONEYBLOOD - In Plain SightRelease Date: May 24, 2019Scottish indie rock act Honeyblood are now the solo project of Stina Tweeddale and In Plain Sight is the third album under the Honeyblood name, they have had quite a few hits in my chart since 2014 with Killer Bangs #30, Read For The Magic #17, Sea Hearts #20, Swell Love #47, The Third Degree #90, Glimmer #70, She's a Nightmare #100, Bubble Gun #23 and You're Standing On My Neck #4. So lets get into their new album 1. She's a Nightmare 7.5 2. The Third Degree 7.5 3. A Kiss from the Devil 7 4. Gibberish 6.5 5. The Tarantella 6 6. Take the Wheel 7.5 7. Touch 6.5 8. Glimmer 8 9. You're a Trick 5 10. Twisting The Aces 5.5 11. Harmless 6Summary Honeyblood still have their lo-fi/Garage rock sound but there isn't a lot to get excited about on their new record, there are highlights though, She's a Nightmare and The Third Degree are a decent start to the album, both minor hits for me in 2019 and both good songs but from there the album is all a bit bland and samey, Take the Wheel and Glimmer try to get the album back on track but it never reaches the heights of their previous album Babes Never Die for me. My two favourite Honeyblood songs of 2019 are Bubble Gun and Standing On My Neck but neither are on the new record and with Stina Tweeddale tweeting Honeyblood are releasing new material in 2020 we might not have to wait long for another album to drop 6.63/10
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Post by Shireblogger on Dec 17, 2019 17:20:05 GMT 1
I'll be keeping a close eye on this. Your comments about the albums I've bought this year - e.g. Sherlocks, Sam Fender are right in line with mine, although I was disappointed with Catfish & the Bottlemen. Therefore, I'll give a listen to those that you rate highly, and I haven't heard, to see what I've missed.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 17, 2019 17:43:55 GMT 1
I'm a bit of a Catfish & the Bottlemen fan boy, they have 4 songs in my top 50 songs of the year but they are going over old ground with their new album so I can see why it might be a bit disappointing. If you liked Sherlocks and Sam Fender and you haven't checked out Sunset Sons and The Amazons I'd recommend checking them out first, Barns Courtney is fun indie pop too
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 18, 2019 18:01:32 GMT 1
FURIOUS MONKEY HOUSE - Love, Scum & Dust
Release Date: September 12,2019Furious Monkey House are a Spanish rock group formed in 2014 by their music teacher, this is their second album and they've barely turned 16, their English lyrics and 90s grunge sound is right up my street. I came across them when they released Echoes and Reckless earlier this year and loved them both, apart from that I haven't heard anything else by them so lets give this album a spin. 1. Run, Bruno, Run! N/A 2. Reckless 8 3. Echoes 9 4. Leave Me Alone 7 5. No Lo Ves 5.5 6. Space Dog 6 7. Lluvia 6.5 8. Runaway 7 9. Your Song Is This 7 10. You Are Here 6 11. Rats & Wolves 7.5SummaryFor a bunch of 16 year olds signing in their second language this is a great effort considering it all started as a music education project, at times the singer sounds like Lauren Mayberry from Chvrches over grungy guitars, Echoes and Reckless are still my favourite songs from the record but my discovery of the record is final track Rats & Wolves. 6.95/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 20, 2019 22:25:42 GMT 1
YONAKA - Don't Wait 'Til TomorrowRelease Date: May 31, 2019Yonaka are a British rock band from Brighton. To date they have released three EPs and their debut album Don't Wait 'till Tomorrow which reached 38 on the UK Albums Chart and 10 on the UK Vinyl Albums Chart. They combine heavy riffs, melodic hooks, and on-stage punk furor like the wild spawn of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Royal Blood, I have been following these guys since early 2018 1. Bad Company 8.5 2. Lose Our Heads 9 3. Awake 7 4. Guilty (Four Your Love) 7.5 5. Rockstar 7.5 6. Creature 8 7. Don't Wait 'Till Tomorrow 9 8. Punch Bag 8 9. Fired Up 8 10. Wake Up 7 11. The Cure 8
SummaryFrom the moment the record kicks in, it’s clear the main selling point for this album is singer Theresa Jarvis and her amazing vocals and the rest of the band shown off their remarkable instrumental ability here, they have created an debut album full of explosive, soaring, atmospheric songs cementing themselves as one of the most exciting bands around 7.95/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 24, 2019 17:08:52 GMT 1
THE DARKNESS - Easter Is Cancelled
Release Date: October 4, 2019Justin Hawkins and his band released their sixth studio album in 2019, they are more of an album band these days with Easter Is Cancelled peaking at #10 in the UK, I will review the standard 10 track edition, they did release a deluxe version with 4 bonus tracks 1. Rock and Roll Deserves to Die 7.5 2. How Can I Lose Your Love 8 3. Live 'Til I Die 9 4. Heart Explodes 9.5 5. Deck Chair 6.5 6. Easter is Cancelled 7 7. Heavy Metal Lover 6.5 8. In Another Life 8.5 9. Choke on It 7 10. We Are the Guitar Men 7.5
SummaryAt their best the Darkness tread the tightrope between sublime and ridiculous with their quirky brand of glam rock falsetto rock. “Rock’n’roll is so uniform now,” reckons bassist Frankie Poullain. “Everybody dresses the same, looks the same, sounds the same. It’s pathetic. It deserves to die. Let’s kill the cliché. Let’s break the crucifix. That’s partly what the album is about.” At times its all a bit Spinal Tap but Easter Is Cancelled is certainly a fun album. 7.7/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 27, 2019 14:50:27 GMT 1
HATCHIE - KeepsakeRelease Date: June 21, 2019Harriette Pilbeam known professionally as Hatchie, is a 26 year old Australian singer-songwriter and musician. She released her debut EP, Sugar & Spice, in 2018 and her debut studio album Keepsake on June 21, 2019. From what I have heard Hatchie's music is a cosmic concoction of dream-pop and shoegaze with an element of 80s synth pop thrown in there for good measure. 1. Not That Kind 7 2. Without A Blush 8.5 3. Her Own Heart 9 4. Obsessed 6.5 5. Unwanted Guest 6 6. Secret 6 7. Kiss The Stars 6.5 8. Stay With Me 7 9. When I Get Out 8 10. Keep 8
SummaryBuried within the hazy swirls of distortion Hatchie wears her heart on her sleeve laying before us heartbreak, hard lessons learned and bad decisions she's made, but this isn't just a shoegaze album with the usual heartbreak hidden amongst the swirling guitars, there are so many layers to the production here it transforms the album into a full on pop record, the shoegazey dreampop gets a bit samey around the middle of the record but the 80s synths and electro pop moments are a real joy on her debut album 7.25/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 27, 2019 16:35:14 GMT 1
STARCRAWLER - Devour You
Release Date: October 11, 2019Starcrawler are an American rock band from Los Angeles that blend the sludgy, doom-laden riffs of Black Sabbath with the urgent pop-punk of The Runaways, they only released their self titled debut album in 2018 and have quickly is their second album Devour You in 2019, they have 6 songs in my top 400 tracks of 2019 but one of those is "Pet Sematary", a cover version of the Ramones song featured in the motion picture soundtrack for the self-titled film Pet Sematary but the track is only included on the Japan release so wont feature here. 1. Lizzy 7.5 2. Bet My Brains 8.5 3. Home Alone 8 4. No More Pennies 9.5 5. You Dig Yours 9 6. Toy Teenager 7.5 7. Hollywood Ending 8.5 8. She Gets Around 9 9. I Don't Need You 7.5 10. Rich Taste 7 11. Born Asleep 7 12. Tank Top 8 13. Call Me a Baby 7.5
SummaryProducer Nick Launay, who previously worked with bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds has done an amazing job producing this album, at times Starcrawler frontwoman Arrow de Wilde sounds exactly like Karen O, the whole band have that raw garage punk sound going and they have captured that raw sound on this album which isn't easy. There's not a single song under a 7 out of 10 here for me 8.03/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 28, 2019 13:10:49 GMT 1
FANGCLUB - Vulture CultureRelease Date: July 5, 2019Fangclub are a Dublin Alternative Rock band with members Steven King (guitar/vocals), Kevin Keane (bass) and Dara Coleman (drums). In keeping with the punk/grunge style of their music, Fangclub took a D.I.Y. approach to their burgeoning career by packing themselves off to the coastal village of Ballyheigue in Kerry to record over 25 tracks. While on one of their first DIY tours, with the band still sleeping in their van, they came to the attention of Universal Music's Irish team. Suitably impressed that Fangclub had already recorded two EPs and their debut album Universal signed the band, two year after their self titled debut album they are back with their second album Vulture Culture released on 5 July 2019 1. Last Time 7 2. Vulture Culture 9 3. Nightmare 9.5 4. Viva Violent 8 5. Every Day 6.5 6. Hesitations 8.5 7. Kingdumb 7.5 8. Heavy Handed 6.5 9. All I Have 8 10. Black Rainbow 6 11. Slow 7
SummaryVulture Culture is a great punk-grunge crossover album, they remind me of 00's band Nine Black Alps in places but with a more fuzzed up sound, we have plenty of frenzied guitars but this record is full of poppy melodic hooks too. Lead singer and guitarist, Steven King, says "the theme of the album became violent, there's a lot of violence in the tone of it, towards yourself and other things'". 7.59/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Jan 4, 2020 15:10:53 GMT 1
BRING ME THE HORIZON - AmoRelease Date: 25 January 2019Ok this one has been long overdue a review, Amo is the sixth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon, between August 2018 and October 2019 they released 7 singles from this album, receiving critical acclaim from music critics. 1. i apologise if you feel something 6 2. MANTRA 10 3. nihilist blues (feat. Grimes) 7.5 4. in the dark 9.5 5. wonderful life (feat. Dani Filth) 7 6. ouch 7 7. medicine 10 8. sugar honey ice & tea 9 9. why you gotta kick me when i'm down? 7.5 10. fresh bruises 4 11. mother tongue 8 12. heavy metal (feat. Rahzel) 7 13. i don't know what to say 8
SummaryWith Amo Bring Me the Horizon explore a diversity of sounds, what strikes me most about this album is the level of experimentation alongside the lush orchestration working with everyone from popstar Grimes to Beatboxer/rapper Rahzel to Dani from Cradle of Filth so there is probably something for everyone on here. There are some fantastic alternative rock songs on this record that really stand out and whilst the experimentation is generally well received I think the album is let down by one duff track in fresh bruises and a bit of a nothing opening track 7.73/10
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