the kinder, gentler kelis…

“Before you,
My whole life was acapella!
Now a symphony’s
The only song to sing
Before you,
My whole life was acapella!
Now a symphony’s
The only song to sing”
 
When we last saw Kelis, she was involved in a highly publicised divorce from her husband, the influential New York hip-hop icon, Nas. Two middling and transparent attempts to [...]

all that’s left for you is doubt…

Not long ago, I featured a purely ferocious band out of Manchester called Delphic and their single Counterpoint with its beautiful arpeggios, bleeps and blips. It’s great to see that they’ve been getting a lot of attention recently. They’ve scored a pretty sweet gig as openers for fellow Mancunians, Doves, on [...]

omg! omd’s back…

With all the brilliance of the new electronic pop bands coming to the fore and the second wind we’ve seen this year by the likes of Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys, the time is right for another giant to return to the fold. Yes, friends, let’s rejoice for the band known as Orchestral [...]

this is like a flashback…

“I’m coming round and now my vision is so clear
If I could change my state of mind then I would disappear
The love I get from you is something I can’t chance
And I could let you slip away without a second glance“
Oh hai, Calvin! You’re back! Third time’s the charm, eh? Your [...]

could you wanna take my picture?

Always nice to hear some new tunes from a band with a very bright future ahead of them. You may remember I first mentioned the delectable British electro-pop band Heads We Dance back in May and took quite a liking to their bouncy poptastic sound. The band is now back with [...]

there’s something in the water in manchester…

“Late at night, I’ll run through the streets and empty corridors.
I’ll find my counterpoint, inside a red room locked behind a door. Behind a door”
I mean, really. It simply is not fair. There must be more musical talent in Manchester, England than the whole US eastern seaboard. You know the names [...]

xmas with neil and chris…

 
Sure to cap off what has been one of the best years in their storied history, the Pet Shop Boys are set to release a Christmas EP simply titled….Christmas. It’s due to be released on 14 December in the UK with no US date at the moment and includes five tracks. One of these tracks [...]

can you dance? yes…you can.

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? When two titans collide and a magic so organic and so perfect simply happens and you’re left to wonder what ever kept these forces apart in the first place? Don’t believe me? Grab a listen to U Can Dance, the blistering new single from two of [...]

who are you and what have you done with julian casablancas?

First things first. I am a Strokes fan. Check that. I am a HUGE Strokes fan. Dating back to the first time playing at Arlene’s Grocery way back when then getting my filthy mitts on The Modern Age EP, I was smitten with this band who quickly became the pride of New York and the [...]

introducing…spleen united!

“The city really loves you, baby
But the city never really does
The feeling of corruption stays and
And, then you think about the things you’ve lost”
Their sound has been described as “a rock version of Underworld” and reminds listeners of acts such as Cut Copy and Depeche Mode. Upon reading that, I had [...]