Tonight, Exeter Phoenix played host to an incredible band, a band that have redefined the meaning of chic with their effortless styling of post-punk classics, transforming them from a sweat soaked gig in the 1980’s to a laid back Parisian bar, full of cocktail dresses, strappy heels and bearded musos (not bearded musos in strappy heels), sipping their drinks whilst nodding along to the groovy vibes emanating from the stage.
Read More
REVIEW: Did you miss THE BRITS 2024? Well, allow us to tell you what RAYE didn't win....
Did you miss that telly show where RAYE won just about everything? If you did, fear not as we sat through every painstaking minute of it to bring YOU the things worthy of reporting on, like CMAT flashing her arse, which was one of the more comical moments of the night!
Read More
Credit - Andy Talbot
INTERVIEW: We caught up with the politically outspoken avant-garde punk MERYL STREEK ahead of Bearded Theory 2024....
Ahead of one of the greatest lineups that BEARDED THEORY FESTIVAL has ever put on, we wanted to catch up with acts performing over the weekend.
MERYL STREEK is a performer that we saw in 2023 whilst supporting the mighty P.I.L. on their UK tour, we really enjoyed his set and wanted to learn more about his influences, his dislike of fancy dress, acts that he’s excited about seeing at Bearded Theory Festival and his own dream festival lineup, best buckle up….
Read More
LIVE: THE WEDDING PRESENT celebrate 35 years of 'BIZARRO' with 2 October live shows
THE WEDDING PRESENT CELEBRATE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEMINAL ALBUM:
‘BIZARRO’
PERFORMING IT LIVE AND IN-FULL AT AUTUMN SHOWS, PLUS HITS FROM THEIR VAST BACK CATALOGUE
REVIEW: We take a listen to WHERE'S MY UTOPIA?, the new long player from YARD ACT....
In the video for the stand-alone single 'The Trenchcoat Museum' (released between Yard Act's superb debut album The Overload and this long-awaited follow-up) singer James Smith describes the band as "a bunch of sell-outs, whereabouts currently unknown". Thankfully, the band are present and correct for an album that massacres any hint of them not living up to the hype.
Read More
LISTEN/TOUR: AMBLE release new EP 'Of Land and Sea' and new UK live dates....
Of Land and Sea EP – available now on all streaming platforms and
NEW tour dates announced!
Listen here
SINGLE/ALBUM/TOUR: THE K'S release new single 'Black and Blue' from forthcoming album 'I Wonder if the World Knows' out 5 April....
Today, THE K’S reveal the new single “Black And Blue”, ahead of their highly anticipated debut album ‘I Wonder If The World Knows’, out 5th April via LAB Records.
Read More
TOUR: EMF and JESUS JONES announce first ever co-headline tour for Oct 2024 - Tickets on sale 1 March
EMF + JESUS JONES
ANNOUNCE CO-HEADLINE TOUR THIS AUTUMN
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS:
ECHOBELLY
(LONDON + MANCHESTER ONLY)
Credit: Helen Kincaid
PRE-ORDER/TOUR: BLANCMANGE to release career spanning collection on 11 May....
Photo Credit - @finn_constantine
WATCH: Ho99o9 unleash pummelling new track ‘A Machine Of’ - Music video available now....
WATCH: Radical, nonconformist, Japanese singer and multi-instrumentalist, Mieko Shimizu drops video for ‘My Tentacles’
“My Tentacles” is the quixotic single re-release by radical, nonconformist, Japanese singer and multi-instrumentalist, Mieko Shimizu.
Read More
PRE-ORDER/TOUR/WATCH: Everyones fave duo THE LOVELY EGGS announce new album 'Eggsistentialism' for 17th May via Egg records....
LISTEN/TOUR: Ahead of their first ever UK tour DEAD CHIC release 'The Venus Ballroom Live'....
French/English DEAD CHIC debuted in 2022 with their first single ‘Too Far Gone’ which immediately caught the imagination of the french music media being described by Rolling Stone France as “…a mixture of heavy rock and soul, cinematic and brilliantly orchestrated”.
Read More
REVIEW: RHODA DAKAR took to the decks in Dartington with a stunning ska/reggae fueled set...
Tonight saw the legend that is Rhoda Dakar performing a DJ set at Things Happen Here in the heart of Dartington. I last saw Rhoda perform on the main stage at Beautiful Days Festival in 2017, that was seven years ago, I know, where does the time go eh? I was excited to see her in DJ mode and was interested to know what tracks would form the basis of her 90-minute set.
Read More
CREDIT DANIEL TOPETE
NEWS/LISTEN: IDLES 5th long player 'TANGK' becomes their second NUMBER ONE album!
‘’A band growing out of a well-understood niche and into a wider kind of power.’’ - ★★★★ The Observer
‘’Categorically repositions its makers as contenders in the biggest arena.’’ - ★★★★ MOJO
‘’IDLES own Kid A moment… marking a very significant and exciting shift.’’ - ★★★★ Record Collector
“A return to joy as an act of resistance… IDLES prove they don’t just do howling fury.’’ - ★★★★ The Guardian
“A dynamic, unusual album, filled with originality and passion and quite unlike anything else out there.’’ - ★★★★ The Times
‘’TANGK aims for a different spot and hits it.’’ - ★★★★ Financial Times
‘’That radical honesty hasn’t gone anywhere; that heart has only grown bigger, and it fills every groove on this beautiful album.’’ - ★★★★ Kerrang!
‘’The most open-hearted we’ve ever seen them… the Bristol band prove that they're so much more than punk.’’ - ★★★★ NME
‘’The band's incendiary energy takes a surprising diversion.’’ - ★★★★ Evening Standard
‘’Breaks enthralling new ground… a home-run of a record.” - ★★★★ Clash
‘’An album that swaps brash vocals for more tender notes. Love is the thing, and it seems like it is here to stay.’’ - ★★★★ The Line Of Best Fit
“Sees IDLES reaching some of the greatest heights of their career.’’ - ★★★★ Rolling Stone UK
“Sonically and vocally as visceral as ever.” - ★★★★ Classic Rock
‘’Delivered with raw honesty but framed by newfound textures.’’ - ★★★★ Something For The Weekend
‘’A sheer triumph from start to finish’’ - ★★★★ Louder Than War
“This is love, but through the unmistakable eyes of IDLES.” - ★★★★ DIY
‘’IDLES are finding increasing room in their rock assault for intricate beauty.’’ - ★★★★ UNCUT
NEWS/LISTEN: PET NEEDS new record 'Intermittent Fast Living' has achieved TOP 20 status....
“Their superpower comes from channelling their normality and repurposing the magic they experience in their everyday lives as insightful, honest rock… this can only be the record that keeps them on their whirlwind of touring success.” - PUNKTASTIC
“It’s a skill for any artist to make you feel both happy and heartbroken by the end of an album. Intermittent Fast Living is a fantastic record that everyone should listen to at some point to remind us that we are all human, this life will go in many directions, and it’s beautiful.” - DISTORTED SOUND MAG (9/10)
“in absolutely sensational record”( 9.5/10) - MAXIMUM VOLUME
Photo Credit: Catherine Bernier
LISTEN/TOUR: Brisbane duo HOLLOW COVES release 'See You Soon' from sophomore album 'Nothing To Lose' due 1 March
BRISBANE DUO TEASE FIRST RECORD IN FIVE YEARS WITH BLISSFUL “SEE YOU SOON” STREAM ON ALL SERVICES HERE
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SECOND ALBUM: ‘NOTHING TO LOSE’ ARRIVES 1 MARCH 2024, VIA NETTWERK - PRE-ORDER HERE
+ UK/EU TOUR DATES IN SPRING 2024
Read More
RADIO: musomusofm new music radio show 23 February 2024 featuring Shed Seven, Bleachers and IDLES
The latest instalment of the musomusofm new music radio show featuring some great tracks from the likes of Bleachers, Shed Seven, Pet Needs and IDLES….
Read More
NEWS: NEIL YOUNG WITH CRAZY HORSE announce new album 'FU##IN' UP' for release April 26th
REVIEW: TESSERACT took over Bristol's O2 Academy with an intense and entertaining show....
There’s nothing better than a sold-out show towards the end of a European tour, tonight, you could sense the anticipation in the air with a mixture of merchandise from onlookers including the likes of Tool and Devin Townsend as the mighty Tesseract brought their live show to Bristol’s O2 Academy.
First up was a young band who are currently making waves on the Mathcore scene, The Callous Daoboys from Atlanta, Georgia. Each song preluded a popular music hit mixed straight into face-punching riffs and vocals. Straight off the bat, they launched into 2022’s ‘Star Baby’, the audience wasted no time in setting up the first ‘wall of death’ of the evening. The rest of the setlist continued to be uncompromising.
Setlist
Star Baby
Violent Astrology
Pushing the Pink Envelope
Waco Jesus
What is Delicious? Who Swarms?
Blackberry DeLorean
Fake Dinosaur Bones
Rather embarrassingly, this listener had not heard any songs from the next band, Unprocessed, but, by the end of their set, he was converted! This tech-metal phenomenon, coupled with a venue full of fans made the German outfit feel very much at home. Manuel Gardner's vocals and guitar technique were amazing to hear and watch. Each song had hints of classic Iron Maiden and Metallica with their guitar licks, yet I could hear elements that reminded me of newer act Polyphia. All in all, a solid set which, despite a small power glitch for the final track ‘Haven’, the room was suitably loosened up and ready for the headliners.
Setlist
Hell
Lore
Fear
Abandoned
Thrash
Deadrose
Glass
Haven
Tesseract, being the incredible prog-metallers that they are, wasted no time showcasing their talents of the past 20 years which kicked off with their first hit from 2023’s War of Being album ‘Natural Disasters’. There is something magical hearing Daniel Tompkins's vocals on stage for the first time, with a direction of sound that is Tesseract. Tonight was also the first time this reviewer had seen main stay, James Monteith on stage with Tesseract after watching him perform with his other band, Cage Fight.
The second song dived straight into ‘Echoes’, which demonstrated the strength of songs on show from the latest concept album.
The setlist was centred around War of Being with the band treating the fans to sprawling atmospherics, impassioned vocal performances and incendiary level heavy riffs. They steered away for an occasional B-road journey which took in hits from their massive back catalogue which kept things fresh and balanced.
Come the end of the 90-minute show of absolute power from Tesseract with the djent tones we have all grown to expect from the Milton Keynes outfit, fans both old and new were treated to an absolute master class.
Setlist
Natural Disaster
Echoes
Of Mind - Nocturne
Dystopia
King
War of Being
Smile
The Arrow
Legion
The Grey
Juno
Encore:
Part 1 - Acceptance
Part 2 - Deception
Review by Pete Jones
