Tagged: gigreviews

Having made the Music Liberation ' Future Sounds of 2012 ' list, Lucy Rose was a name we were always going to look out for during the year ahead. So when the opportunity came about to catch her playing her largest gig to date at the Jazz Cafe in Camden , we jumped at the chance. Not even the ' heavy onslaught ' of snow which decided to engulf the capital the moment we set off could dampen the spirits and anticipation of checking out the young lady from Warwickshire, who in a [...]

All photos by Michael Rickard ( Twitter ). There's no formula for hype but if you wanted a modern example of how to bottle it, Azealia Banks is it. In 2010, she was knocking out club rap tunes like 'L8R' . Like Rye Rye and Yo Majesty! before her, it was fun but lacked a punch to take it to the next level. Well that level hit 18 months on, when Banks debuted '2122 with the backing of a slew of producers like [...]

The name may well ring a bell. That's most probably due to Missing Andy's success on Sky 1's "Must Be The Music" last year. Or it could simply be because you've been listening out for the rare Top 40 hit that isn't simply a big name performing atop a shallow dance beat, but is instead music made and crafted, attempting to convey some sort of message. In the band's own words "No one is speaking up for our generation." Vigilantism was however set aside for the support acts, the notable, and local, Tales Of George most definitely ensured [...]

• lucidonline - Missing Andy - Alive (Explicit Version)

What makes a good concert? Well, for me, a good show tends to be when Danny Glover's line from Lethal Weapon : "I'm too old for this," doesn't come to mind. Last weekend, I spent about three and a half hours at one of the few venues that cater to kids under the age of eighteen— The Smell . There, my friend and I waited for King Tuff and White Fence , respectively. Both bands play a type of psychedelic rock that is reminiscent of the sixties, more so White Fence than King Tuff, [...]

I know it is only January, but spring just cannot seem to come soon enough, for me; not only because spring brings, hopefully, less rain, but it also brings the release of a new full-length album from Yukon Blonde . Yukon Blonde is a name that has been spreading like wildfire across the Canadian music scene. Tracks like: "Loyal Man"; "Blood Cops"; and "Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore"; all from their 2010 self titled album, have been burning up charts across the country all year. Here in Vancouver, [...]

Minny Pops and Rats on Rafts - double Dutch Where were you Sheffield, eh? Another midweek show, another slightly underwhelming crowd. And for a bill that deserved so much more. In fairness it's probably wasn't the most obvious night out: a local band splitting up, a Dutch band very much at the beginning of what will hopefully be an upward curve and a revived Factory band from 30 years ago (also Dutch), who [...]

The Toronto band The Skeletones Four have released their first album "Gravestone Rock" August 23, 2011. Might I add hardly holding myself back, "Hooolyy can they play a live show! I found myself in some type of music hypnosis asking other smiling beer holding audience members, "this is sooo dope, right?!" "Totally, rad!" and carried out our enthusiastic conversations over their music in similar cult-802s-High-School-movies fashion about how blown away we where by their performance. Apparently this is something that happens quite often when going to a live Skeletones Four show. More [...]

You'd probably be forgiven for expecting Toro Y Moi, playing Coalition as part of the South coast's 'Viva La France', to be another French producer set to carry the electro torch. As a native of South Carolina USA though, with no ascertainable French connection, that's probably not the case. Aside from questioning the metrics used for choosing Viva La France's acts, Toro Y Moi's South Carolinian roots do help explain his part in the much touted 'chillwave' movement of Summer 2010 that has helped, and hindered, his career thus far. The reason being that Toro Y Moi and fellow 'chillwave' [...]

• Toro y Moi - Freaking Out

Michael Kiwanuka's place on the BBC's 'Sound of 2011' was a pretty safe bet. Somehow, he has managed to capture a strong online audience, as well as an even stronger radio following. A feat far harder than people consider. Much of this could well be to do with his timeless sound. A combination of jazz and soul that harks back unabashedly to some of his early influences of Otis Redding and Bill Withers. It's common to find bands taking a genre and giving it a 'modern twist'. Michael Kiwanuka however seems more than content to reside within the boundaries of [...]

• MichaelKiwanuka - Home Again

Muruch's L.A. guest reviewer, Laura Foxworthy, also attended The Lumineer's show at The Hotel Café on January 6th. Following are her thoughts on their performance... The Hotel Café always had this element of appeal to me personally and enjoys a certain "indie" reputation due to its association with Zach Braff and the "indie" soundtracks of [...]

Muruch's L.A. guest reviewer, Laura Foxworthy, caught Ariana Hall's live performance at The Hotel Café on January 4th. Following are her thoughts on the concert... For the New Year of 2012, two of my resolutions were to see more live music and to write more. I also decided to try experiencing new music in a [...]

***image2***It's said that Dan Michaelson's last album Sudden Fiction is named after an American literary movement that values economy of expression, but hearing him play those songs live you can equally detect an economy that reflects Austerity Britain; songs are pared back, reduced to the essential notes and tones, because extravagance is no longer the order of the day. Tonight the men formally known as Coastguards colour in Dan's spare songs with a blush of pedal steel, a sprinkling of piano notes and a slash of cello, while Dan brings a murmur of guitar and his voice, a deeply [...]

The life of an electronic producer come DJ come remixer can often be a confusing one. Reviewers and fans alike constantly attempt to pigeon hole them, but with their interests and talents stretching throughout the musical spectrum, this can be a difficult task. It's this exact same variance in their roles in the music industry that has led to much disappointment from fans of their DJ and live performances. You only have to look to Nero's autumn tour of DJ dates and the mass criticism heaped upon them by the crowds of eager fans waiting to have their brains melted. [...]

• Yuksek - Always On The Run

David J Roch David J Roch is not a man of our times. An undertaker by day and a singer songwriter by night, he evokes the passion and melancholy of a Romantic poet tinged with the drama of a troubadour. The album 'Skin and Bones' filters the raw emotion of traditional ballads, powered by the strength of his voice which can take you on a journey from uplifting heights [...]

There always seems to be a built up anticipation when I go to watch a band perform live; especially when it's a band that I've seen before and thoroughly enjoyed. I get a strange kind of feeling - might be nervousness - wondering if they'll be as good as last time, or perhaps, maybe I had my beer headphones on, or maybe this time…then the curtains part, the first cord is struck and I'm lost in waves of familiar sound, worry free. Now throw all that in a converted movie theatre, the Rio on Vancouver's cultural [...]

There always seems to be a built up anticipation when I go to watch a band perform live; especially when it's a band that I've seen before and thoroughly enjoyed. I get a strange kind of feeling - might be nervousness - wondering if they'll be as good as last time, or perhaps, maybe I had my beer headphones on, or maybe this time…then the curtains part, the first cord is struck and I'm lost in waves of familiar sound, worry free. Now throw all that in a converted movie theatre, the Rio on Vancouver's cultural [...]

TWB I haven't looked forward to a gig this much for, ooh, at least a fortnight, (in fact, since The Correspondents brought their late night electro-swinging, dub-stepping shenanigans to the Concorde 2, but that's a story for another music zine). Descending into Sticky Mike's intimate depths, this evening's event is given an unexpected frisson when word gets out that the hunched figure at the end of the bar is none other than the legendary Brian Wilson – [...]

Dear hot single girls of London, Please consider this a Public Service Announcement: have you been wondering where all the beautiful boys of London are hiding? Sure you catch a glimpse here and there of these rare creatures, but is there anywhere you can find them altogether in one place? Some say in whispered tones that First Thursdays in east London is the place to go. Beautiful boys looking at art and drinking beer- swoon. Like shooting fish in a barrel they say. Actually, the answer you've been waiting for is Durrr. Good-looking men as far [...]

For some individuals, going to a concert over the weekend is a highlight worth sharing with their co-workers come Monday morning, even if it meant standing behind a farter whilst listening to music lacking passion. For me, paying a small fortune to see a band I've followed since their inception brings me joy, BUT only if the band fulfills the expectations I've built up for them. This past weekend, a friend and I headed over to the "new" venue, The Satellite , to be tortured for three and a half hours—we paid fifteen dollars each. [...]

Tiesto brought the house down last Wednesday in New York as part of the Pacha NYC 6-Year Anniversary Celebration. Check out our photos from the sold-out event: Related Posts: Benny Benassi Photos @ Pacha NYC 3.18.11 [...]