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Showing posts from May, 2024

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Francis of Delirium + Gia Ford + Dog Race: Oslo Hackney, London [Live]

on May 16, 2024

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Music Observer: March & April '24 highlights

on May 05, 2024

amistat Ber Chappell Roan Dictator Francis of Delirium Fraulein Holly Humberstone Lizzie Esau Noga Erez philine Platinum Mind Quiet Houses Quiet The Art ROE Sophia Alexa The Mercians Thom Yorke

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New release horizon scanner:

17/5 - Tess Anderson: Before I come unhinged (Album)
17/5 - renforshort: Clean hands dirty water (EP)
17/5 - Billie Eilish: Hit me hard and soft
4/6 - Sea Girls: Midnight Butterflies (Album)
27/6 - The Felice Brothers: Valley of abandoned songs
12/7 - Jake Xerxes Fussell: When I’m called (Album)
6/9 - The Howl & The Hum: Same mistake twice (Album)

Labels

2021
2022
2023
2024
222
A Cause In Distress
about me
acoustic
Africa
Album

Alela Diane
Alex Jayne
Alice Robbins
alt-country
alt-folk
alt-pop
alt-punk
alt-rock
alternative
Amber Saqladi
ambient
Amelia Coburn
American
Americana
amistat
Andrea von Kampen
angst
Arcade State
Australia
Avalyn
Baby Queen
BACKSPACE
Barn on the Farm
Ben Mark Smith
Ber
Beren Olivia
best of
Beth Orton
Big Thief
Birmingham
BLAB
Black Foxxes
Bleach Lab
Bleachers
Blue Violet
blues
Bob Vylan
Bolton
BOTF
Brighton
Caity Baser
Cambridge Folk Festival
Canada
Candar
Carenza Carole
Carpark
Cassels
Cassia
Cerys Matthews
Chappell Roan
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Chloe Foy
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Chris Greig
Chvrches
cinematic
Cloves
Coach Party
Comforts
Comic Sans
Conscious Route
country
Coventry
cover
Crawlers
Cruel Sister
Das Kapitans
Death Of The High Street
Deep South
Devon
Dictator
Diving Station
DIY
Dog Race
Dogs! Teeth!
dreampop
Drew Thomas
Dry Cleaning
Dublin
duo
Durand Jones
Dutch Mustard
Dylan
Edie Bens
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Eevah
electronic
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Eleri
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Ella Clayton
Emily Carr
Emma Mae
emo
EP
Essex
exclusive
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Farm Band
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First Aid Kit
Five O Fives
Fizz
Flowerovlove
folk
Folk by the Oak
Foo Fighters
Frances Gein
Francis of Delirium
Fraulein
Freya Beer
Freyja Elsy
Friday highlights
fusion
garage rock
Gefahrgeist
Gen and the Degenerates
George O'Hanlon
Georgi Clarke
Gia Ford
Gina Leonard
Girl Scout
Glasgow
Glastonbury
gloomcore
gothic
Grace Calver
Graywave
Greysha
Grrrl Groannn
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Guns n Roses
Hachiku
Halsey
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Headshrinkers
Hidden Orchestra
Hilang Child
Holly Humberstone
Holy Coves
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Hyyts
IDLES
indie
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instrumental
interview
Ireland
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IWD
Jack Rasmussen
Jacob Collier
Jamaica
Jemima Coulter
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Jen Dixon
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JJ Lovegrove
Joan Shelley
Jodie Nicholson
Jools
Joseph Porter-Bolger
Josienne Clarke
Judy Blank
Katherine Priddy
Kathleen Edwards
King Creosote
Kingfishr
Kitty Macfarlane
Kitty Perrin
Lanterns on the Lake
Lastlings
Leeds
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Lemondaze
Leo
Lewis Capaldi
Lincolnshire
Lissy Taylor
Little Comets
live music
Liverpool
Lizzie Esau
London
Lossline
Loupe
Lucy Gaffney
Lucy Spraggan
Luxembourg
Lynks
Ma.Moyo
Mabes
Macedonia
Mae Krell
Mali Faraz
Mama Liz's
Manchester
Mark Stevens
MarthaGunn
Matilda Mann
Matt Maltese
Maya Lakhani
Medium Build
Megan Wyn
MEMES
Met Lounge
Metric
Millie Blooms
Mind Aid
Minerva Daisy
Moonlight Parade
music
Nadia Sheikh
Netherlands
Newcastle
NewDad
Nia Wyn
Nice Guy
Nick Cave
Nitin Sawhney
Noga Erez
noir
Norah Jones
Northern Ireland
Norwich
Nottingham
Nova Twins
Oliver Beardmore
Olivia Dean
Olivia Rodrigo
Omeara
online
Oxford
Ozric Tentacles
Peggy Sue
Peterborough
philine
photos
Pillow Queens
Plasticine
Platinum Mind
Pluto Shervington
poetry
pop
pop punk
post-punk
preview
psychedelic
punk
Queen Cult
Quiet Houses
Quiet The Art
Rai Kah Mercury
rap
RAYE
Record Store Day
reggae
Region
Rescue Rooms
retrospective
rock
ROE
roots
ROSIE
Ross Stewart
Rough Trade
RSD
Sam Fender
Sam Lambeth
Sam Shields
Sara Jackson-Holman
Sarah Johnsone
Sarpa Salpa
Scotland
secret gig
Serotones
She's in parties
shoegaze
Sigrid
Silvi
singer-songwriter
Soda Blonde
Soot Sprite
Sophia Alexa
Sophie Janna
soul
space rock
spoken word
SPRINTS
Spyres
Stamford
Supersaurus
Swedish
Swim School
synth
Taylor Swift
Teeside
Ten Hands High
The Big Moon
The Boxer Rebellion
The Candle Thieves
The Covasettes
The Crayon Set
The Empty Page
The Felice Brothers
The Florentinas
The Great Leslie
The Hackles
The Howl and the Hum
The Innocence Mission
The Lumineers
The Merchants
The Mercians
The Murder Capital
The Musician
The Mysterines
The National
The Royston Club
The Shed Project
The Slow Readers Club
The Staves
The Tenters
The Wind and the Wave
Thom Yorke
Thrillhouse
Thyla
Tim Buckley
Tiny Desk
Tizane
Todd Snider
Tom Jones
Tove Lo
Transviolet
Twist Heilx
Twisterella
Tyler Gelrud
Union Chapel
video
Virgins
Vona Vella
Wales
Warren Ellis
Wet Leg
Wilco
William Doyle
William The Conqueror
Wolf Alice
Wrest
Wyldest
YNES
YONAKA
YOVA
Yumi and the Weather

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Plasticine + Comforts + Candar: Signature Brew, London [Live]

Live music has the power to turn a mundane day into an unforgettable, joyful one; to transform your emotions; and to bring a group of strangers together. Making the decision to take a bit of time out, perhaps putting up with some inconvenience to go down to a smaller live venue, could have a bigger effect than you think. On you, as well as the musicians who are taking risks, often travelling a long way at their own expense, and making themselves vulnerable on that stage. On Wednesday I went for the first time to Signature Brew in Haggerston East London, a small capacity venue built under a brick railway arch. I was aiming to see Plasticine , an Edinburgh/Glasgow grunge-revival band who I came across last year. I also had the chance to hang out with them before the set and spend some time putting the world to rights over a few beers (except drummer Ross, who generally doesn’t drink before shows). We discussed Scotland’s off-licensing laws (I had no idea they were so strict) and an unfo

Music Observer: March & April '24 highlights

A bumper two-month edition of my highlights post this time, as I missed publishing the last one ... MARCH All these and more on my March playlist The Mercians - Sarah Connor Keeping the indie-rock flame burning strong by infusing innovative elements with tried and tested guitar riffs, and loads of passion and energy. Straight out of Leicester, and set for widespread domination at this rate. (left) [Listen here .] amistat - same old eyes One of my top tunes of the year so far, this a beautiful piece of timeless songwriting. It's from a rich, sparkling EP full of music in the US folk/roots tradition but given a fresh twist. The artists are twin brothers originally from Germany, bringing a really interesting infusion of cultural influences. [Listen here .] Holly Humberstone - work in progress (EP) Holly's newest EP was released on 15 March, bringing together previously unreleased demos as a follow-up and compliment to her autumn album. Her choice to do this rather than cr

Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department: the Anthology [Album]

This blog focuses on music from smaller, independent artists – but sometimes there are big releases which deserve attention, too. Taylor Swift is an artist who's hard to ignore, and I don't want to ignore her because I've really enjoyed lots of her music in the past. So when 'The Tortured Poets Department' finally dropped last Friday, I found myself writing a track-by-track reaction post. As you'll see, this means a partial departure from my usual Music Observer golden rule: I only write about music I love. (There are countless other reviews of the album; ones I think are particularly worth reading are those on Pitchfork , CLASH and The Guardian .) Part 1 1. Fortnight feat. Post Malone - Great synth vibes, although a bit like 'Last Christmas' (is that necessarily bad though?). I like this chilled way of starting a massive double album like this. With so much ahead, it feels like TS is pacing herself. There's no real chorus or build - an interesting

Carpark + Devon + Sister: Moth Club, London [Live]

Last Friday night, I went down to The Moth Club, a fantastic small venue in East London, to see Carpark play their biggest headline show to date. I first saw the girls play a Twisterella show almost three years ago; since then I've got to know them well, thanks to this interview they did for me in 2022 and then hanging out with them after their Barn on the Farm debut in 2023. They have a great, honest energy, and have really grown as a band, and as individual musicians, over the past few years. The Moth Club gig featured a well thought-out line-up. The two support acts were both skilful and passionate: complementing and paving the way for the headliner, rather than obviously playing second fiddle. Sister are a London-based sibling duo, now playing as a four-piece. They pumped out a well-polished set of glam/funk-leaning hard rock vibes, bringing an intense sense of immediacy tp the intimate (and very glittery) space. Their live sound is pleasingly warm, thanks in part to the be

Amber Saqladi: Becoming a modern-day Siren [Interview]

Amber Saqladi began her journey as a song-writer scribbling poetry at age seven, before graduating to writing songs with a felt-tipped pen on sheets of A3 paper. But it took some time for this pastime to evolve into a way of life. "It's always been something I've done but it was never anything I really took seriously growing up. I was a very academic kid, so that's what I expected to do," Amber explains. By 15, though, she had started writing music more seriously, and gigging. "Since then, it's become undeniable that that's the thing I enjoy the most - being able to be creative, and be academic at the same time," she says. Amber quickly established herself as a familiar name on the music scene in her home town of Leicester, where she also recorded her first three singles at HQ Studios . "The music scene in Leicester is absolutely lovely - it's very community based. I can always count on the other musicians there to support me, and I