Rex, Camden Barfly, 4th October

‘How you been? Have you told your mother about me?’, sings Rex as he opens his set at The Barfly in Camden on Sunday. I’ve been well thanks, and yes, yes I have. In fact I’ve told pretty much everyone I know about you since you dropped your album last month. Rex, also known as Alex, released his first track back in June, ‘Corduroy Dreams’. It’s a croony lazy love song full of wit and…

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Aquilo – St Pancras Old Church, 30th October

I first heard Aquilo about 6 months ago with the track ‘Part Of Your Life’. It was part of a delicate EP released shortly afterwards, which shows exactly how pop melodies can be crafted into a soundscape of unadulterated bliss. I was immediately excited after hearing this and since then have been looking forward to the time I would see them live. Coming from the Lake District, this was their first London show, which they…

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“Young Blood” EP and exciting new artist, Saint Raymond

Keep your eyes set on this promising singer-songwriter from Nottinghamshire. Callum Burrows, better known by his stage name Saint Raymond, is not afraid to get you addicted to his indie-pop gems and after the success of his E.P “Young Blood” smashing the U.K charts, we can be eager in expecting great things from the creative teenager. Only 19 years old and having already supported HAIM and Ed Sheeran, it is fair to say there is…

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Album Review: The Swans – ‘To be Kind’ [9/10]

Band Name: The Swans Album name: To be Kind Label: Young God Records / Mute 9 / 10 The Swans weren’t the first 80s underground band to make a comeback after 2000; they’re not even the only ones who refused any nostalgic get-together tour. But when they did come back, they weren’t just a reunited band – they were a changed band. Michael Gira assembled a different line-up, including a huge drummer accurately named Thor, and…

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Arctic Monkeys at Finsbury Park

Alex Turner and co have, over the last few years, made the transition from great rock band to true artists. With their most recent album, AM, going straight to number 1, their headline Glastonbury set alongside the Rolling Stones last summer, and now their sold-out 45,000 capacity shows at Finsbury Park in London, Arctic Monkeys have made sure they won’t be forgotten about any time soon. www.gigwise.com The Finsbury Park shows took place on the…

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Go Around Captain – ‘Everything I Own Is Nicked’ EP Review.

Go Around Captain   ‘Everything I Own Is Nicked’ is the debut EP from Preston based band Go Around Captain. Since September 2013, Go Around Captain have gained a reputation and local respect in the north west of England for their explosive, energetic live shows. The band already has an impressive repertoire of bands they have played alongside including ‘This Town Needs Guns’ and ‘Victor Villarreal’ (formally of Cap’n Jazz.) The guitars on…

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Duncan Brookfield, The Troubadour, London

I caught Duncan Brookfield at The Troubadour Club in Earls Court the evening after what had been a warm but cloudy day in the city. Please excuse my weather forecast, but the mood of the day captured Duncan’s sound perfectly. He began with ‘Hurt’, a song which started slowly and immediately showed off the warmth of Duncan’s voice and the poignancy of his songwriting, however as the song progressed and the rumble of the drums…

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Lily Juniper

Lily Juniper is a 17 year old London based singer songwriter currently studying at The BRIT School, and her sound epitomises the innocence that most of todays youth has so long outgrown. On her EP, released January last year, lie three songs that speak of confusion, love and longing. Lily’s soulful, gentle voice complements her poetic lyrics, and her simplistic melodies are all that is needed. The standout song for me is Not Enough, opening…

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Part Of Your Life- Aquilo

I listened to ‘Part Of Your Life’ by Aquilo on a train coming out of London in the rain, and it was the perfect accompaniment. Trains make me think, and the electro-hypnotic flow of the track makes it easy to either zone out, or stay deadly focused. This is not a summer song, it suits the rain, but that doesn’t mean it’s in any way dreary. It flows smoothly through an abyss of calculated noise…

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Frank Turner at the O2 Arena

On February 12th, 2014, Frank Turner played his biggest headline show to date, accompanied by the Sleeping Souls, at the O2 Arena in London. To say he looked at home on such a huge stage would be an exaggeration, but he absolutely knew how to handle it. After support from Beans on Toast and Flogging Molly, the crowd were more than ready for Frank to start his show, a near 2 hour set combining all the classics,…

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