Music, Henry Northmore

Judas Priest - Nostradamus

3 Jul 2008

METAL (Columbia) Rob Halford’s howl and tracks as powerful as ‘Breaking the Law’ and ‘Painkiller’ have cemented Judas Priest’s status as a driving force that helped shape the entire metal genre. Formed back in the early 70s vocalist Halford left…

Soundshok - The Bringers of Bloodshed

3 Jul 2008

METAL (Rising Records) Metal from the small Scottish town of Arbroath as Soundshok unleash their debut on an unsuspecting world. If you hadn’t already guessed from the title, The Bringers of Bloodshed, Soundshok are heavy - very fucking heavy - and…

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

5 Jun 2008

METAL (The Null Corporation) Trent Reznor has always been an innovator and after several years of dispute with his record label he’s finally free to operate by his own rules. With his first taste of freedom he released a 36 track instrumental album…

Cavelera Conspiracy - Inflikted

27 Mar 2008

VERY HEAVY METAL (Roadrunner) Brazillian metallers Sepultura are pretty much untouchable in the world of thrash. Their Chaos AD and Roots are classics of the genre. However, frontman Max Cavalera split from the band in 1996, going on to form Soulfly…

Serj Tankian

27 Mar 2008

METAL ABC, Glasgow, Tue 1 Apr System of a Down were a singular prospect in metal – intelligent, intricate and unique. Now vocalist Serj Tankian has released his first solo album, Elect the Dead, and, as you’d expect it’s as distinctive as his former…

James Blunt announces Glasgow date

26 Feb 2008

Love him or hate him you can't deny the success of the man behind 'You're Beautiful'. James Blunt has just announced he will be playing live at the SECC in Glasgow on Friday 10 October supporting his second album All the Lost Souls, the follow up to the…

Happy Mondays, The Enemy and The Wombats announced for new Cumbria Festival

26 Feb 2008

A new boutique festival, Forgotten Valley, has been announced for Cumbria, the first music festival for the Lake District taking place at Westmorland Country Showground, 23–25 May. Happy Mondays and The Enemy have been announced so far and the likes of…

Paramore postpone Glasgow show

Gig news

21 Feb 2008

Tennessee's pop punk emo kids Paramore have postponed their forthcoming show at the Carling Academy, Glasgow. They were due to play on 28 February, with support form New Found Glory. A band spokesperson said: 'Paramore have been forced to…

Girls Aloud and Runrig to play Edinburgh Castle gigs

21 Feb 2008

Sassy pop sensations Girls Aloud and Celtic rockers Runrig are the latest names to join the run of gigs at Edinburgh Castle this summer. Girls Aloud will be playing on 25 July, and Runrig take the stage the following day. Girls Aloud tickets are…

Gallows

14 Feb 2008

HARDCORE PUNK ABC, Glasgow, Sat 23 Feb If you’re under the misapprehension British rock was in trouble you obviously haven’t heard Gallows, the most exciting band Britain has to offer at the moment, a snarling feral injection of true hardcore and raw…

The Raconteurs, Ian Brown, Kaiser Chiefs and more confirmed for T in the Park

13 Feb 2008

The first names for this year's T in the Park, 11--13 July, have been confirmed as The Raconteurs, Ian Brown, Kaiser Chiefs, The Prodigy and The Pigeon Detectives by festival organiser Geoff Ellis. The Prodigy will headline the Radio 1/NME Stage on…

Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong

31 Jan 2008

INDIE All skinny jeans and wiry frame Joe Lean is a complex multi-media construct. Born Joseph Beamont, ex-drummer with The Pippettes (under the stage name Robin of Loxley) also known by his acting name Joe Van Moyland as seen in Peep Show, Nathan…

The Vernon Elliot Ensemble - Ivor the Engine and Pogle’s Wood

13 Dec 2007

SOUNDTRACK Ivor the Engine and Pogle’s Wood (Trunk) Smallfilms (a partnership between writer and narrator Oliver Postgate and animator Peter Firmin) made some of the most endearing children’s television shows from the 50s through to the 70s…

Dan Deacon

29 Nov 2007

Starting off in grindcore improv act, Rated R, Dan Deacon is now perhaps best described as ‘an absurdist electronic music composer/performer’. Counting Talking Heads, Devo and They Might be Giants among his influences, Deacon imbues that quirky take on…

Rodrigo y Gabriela

29 Nov 2007

Not many instrumental acts can step up and headline the Barras, but guitar duo Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero have proved sheer talent alone makes for a fascinating night of live music. Surprisingly the Mexican double act met while playing in…

Roísín Murphy

29 Nov 2007

She’ll probably always be known as the voice of Moloko, especially with such huge hits as ‘Sing it Back’ and ‘The Time is Now’ in her back catalogue. But Roísín Murphy is now onto her second solo album (Overpowered), which combines her captivating…

Sex Pistols review

SECC, Glasgow, Sun 18 Nov

20 Nov 2007

They were never gonna provide the filth and the fury of their 70s heyday, but there are few bands that stand for an entire genre as succinctly as The Sex Pistols so resolutely stand for punk. Fair enough, a 30th anniversary tour (marking the release of…

Max Richter

15 Nov 2007

Classically trained pianist and composer Max Richter was a founding member of avant garde ensemble Piano Circus, who commissioned works from the likes of Brian Eno and Philip Glass, going on to work with Future Sound of London and Roni Size. This is a…

Queens of the Stone Age

15 Nov 2007

QotSA pretty much define the phrase ‘stoner rock’. They may have lost some of their power and fury with the departure of Nick Oliveri in 2004, but new album Era Vulgaris is a return to form, a snarling Josh Homme leading the charge though the depths of…

Down - album review

Heavy metal

1 Nov 2007

From the first rolling drumbeat you know we’re in Black Sabbath country. Fronted by Pantera’s Phil Anselmo and featuring assorted members of Corrosion of Conformity, Eye Hate God and Crowbar, Down were always going to be a monstrous proposition. This is…

Blueflint

18 Oct 2007

Deborah Arnott and Clare-Louise Neilson, aka banjo duo Blueflint, play haunting bluegrass shot though with a yearning sadness and soothing harmonies. Influenced by old-time Americana they have added a full backing band (including Roddy Neilson, Ian…

Mr Hudson & the Library

18 Oct 2007

The ultimate hybrid, Mr Hudson & the Library mix mournful piano with emotive vocals, acoustic guitar and grime. It’s not a marriage you’d imagine would work, but Mr Hudson creates a startling new sound as Chet Baker-inspired rhythms are underpinned by…

Kaxons interview

6 Sep 2007

The List It’s been the buzzword in the music press for the last year. But what does the term ‘new rave’ mean to you? Simon Taylor-Davis I don’t really think the term new rave has anything to do with the actual music: it’s terminology for an attitude.

Tenori-On

23 Aug 2007

It’s hard to neatly sum up the Tenori-On. The bare facts are these: it’s a new music device from Yamaha; it produces a light show that corresponds with what is being played; it can be programmed in real time and is a new innovative, intuitive…

Kula Shaker

Strangefolk

16 Aug 2007

INDIE ROCK Kula Shaker, and in particular lead fop Crispian Mills, come in for a lot of stick. They were pretentious, they were overblown but they also had some great tunes. The media glare, the rise of lad culture and some unfortunate quotes…