Music, Henry Northmore

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…

Arctic Monkeys

ROCK

26 Apr 2007

The weight of expectation hasn’t affected the Arctic Monkeys one iota. They’ve hardly broken their stride and have tossed off a second album of casual brilliance. It almost feels unfair how off the cuff Favourite Worst Nightmare feels; the lyrics are as…

Serj Tankian interview: full transcript

System of a Down vocalist talks to The List

20 Aug 2008

System of a Down were a singular prospect in metal, intelligent, intricate and utterly unique. Now vocalist Serj Tankian has released his first solo album, Elect the Dead, as you'd expect it's as distinctive as his former band. Classical pianos morph…

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…

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…

Glasvegas interview: Full transcript

21 Aug 2008

Henry Northmore talks to singer and songwriter James Allan and his cousin and guitarist Rab Allan from Glasvegas, the hottest band in Glasgow, as they get set to play Hydro Connect as well as their own headline dates How did Glasvegas first get…

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…

Hydro Connect Festival - Glasvegas

City limits

21 Aug 2008

It’s hard to think of a band that sums up the Glasgow experience as succinctly as Glasvegas. Primal Scream and The Fratellis may have captured the hedonism, Biffy Clyro the anger and Franz Ferdinand the art, but Glasvegas are the streets of Glasgow writ…

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…

Seasick Steve

9 Aug 2007

Every now and then pop culture throws something into the public consciousness based solely on quality. It may not be fashionable, it’s not part of a new movement, it doesn’t fit into any scene, it’s just good. This year’s phenomenal anomaly is…

Glasvegas - The Christmas Album

27 Nov 2008

SEASONAL ROCK Available via download or as part of repackaged re-release of their debut long player this isn’t quite the full on Christmas ‘album’ Glasvegas promised, but they have delivered six outstanding songs for the holiday season. And it…

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…

Turbo Negro

Retox

1 Aug 2007

The ultimate Viking rock raiding party, Turbonegro are here for your women (and boys), drugs and booze. Norway’s premier deathpunk act plays fast and loose with their morals and their riffs.

Bowerbirds - Hymns for a Dark Horse

14 Aug 2008

FOLK (Dead Oceans) Bowerbirds, a trio of folkers from North Carolina create tumbledown tunes of love, nature and wistful remembrance. It’s charmingly enigmatic, touching with its veiled simplicity and ramshackle, scratchy folk. Layered vocals…

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…

Killswitch Engage

3 Jan 2007

5 REASONS TO SEE 1 They’re the illegitimate sons of Slayer They are leaders of the metalcore movement that take the blueprint of thrash as laid down by Slayer, but ramp it up with elements of their hardcore roots. In fact, their rock forefathers…

Rapture, The - album review

The Rapture

18 Sep 2006

PUNK FUNK The Rapture pretty much invented what people laughingly refer to as ‘new rave’. Punk funk, pulsating basslines, brass and fuzzed guitars; the scrawny illegitimate offspring of Madchester and Iggy Pop. Their last album spawned the monstrous…

John Dolmayan

18 Sep 2008

There are plenty of famous faces who love comics: Jonathan Ross, Edward Norton, Sam Raimi, Jon Bon Jovi, Simon Pegg, Jerry Seinfeld, Quentin Tarantino and Nicolas Cage. Even Anthrax wrote ‘I am the Law’ about Judge Dredd. But not many are as passionate…

Dragonforce - Ultra Beatdown

4 Sep 2008

DragonForce play the most extreme power metal and it’s impossible to review Ultra Beatdown without the words ‘pompous’ and ‘bombastic’. They sound like every Iron Maiden song every written, all played at once, due to the sheer speed of delivery from the…

Slipknot - All Hope is Gone

4 Sep 2008

Slipknot - All Hope is Gone (Roadrunner) Slipknot could so easily have been a gimmick. Nine masked men in boiler suits battering out heavy metal. But from first single (‘Wait and Bleed’ back in 1999) they have constantly proved their musical…

UNKLE - End Titles . . . Stories for Film

7 Aug 2008

ELECTRONIA INDIE (Surrender All) James Lavelle has been joined by Pablo Clements (The Psychonauts) for the latest incarnation of UNKLE. Collecting music scores and soundtrack work End Titles . . . seamlessly drifts from grungy dance beats to almost…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Róisín 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 Róisín Murphy is now onto her second solo album (Overpowered), which combines her captivating…

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…

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…

Records - Megadeth

21 May 2007

METAL Once one of the most influential thrash titans (part of the ‘big four’ alongside Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer), Megadeth went one faster, one harder than the rest of the metal pack. However in 2002 it looked like frontman Dave Mustaine would…

Records - Maxïmo Park

Maxïmo Park

27 Mar 2007

INDIE It may be a cliché, but second albums are tricky. Deviate too far from the sound that took you to the big time and ‘you’ve lost your touch’. Conversely, plough on down the same furrow and ‘you’ve run out of ideas’. And it’s in the latter camp…

Steven Seagal and Thunderbox

The Ferry, Glasgow, Tue 16 Jan

20 Dec 2006

BLUES Marked for Death, Above the Law and Hard to Kill are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the best in action trash starring the pony-tailed martial arts master Steven Seagal. Hard, dark and brutal are his trademarks with the odd side…

Cradle of Filth - album review

Cradle of Filth

27 Nov 2006

METAL There will always be a place in the history of metal for Cradle of Filth. They’ve been reliably upsetting our self imposed moral guardians since their inception. However, this is Cradle’s main problem - as an idea they’re like a bolt from the…

Trivium - album review

Trivium

2 Oct 2006

METAL Opener ‘Ignition’ is a killer track, all thundering riffs and heavier than thou grooves, if someone told you it was a lost Metallica track you’d have no reason to doubt them. And they count the aforementioned Metallica and Iron Maiden…

Slayer, Trivium, Mastodon & Amon Amarth

30 Oct 2008

When it comes to metal they don’t get any more influential than the founding fathers of thrash: Slayer. While pretenders to the throne may go heavier and faster you can’t match the peerless Reign in Blood and in particular the blueprint for thrash metal…

Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun

18 Sep 2008

POP There’s no disputing Brian Wilson’s genius – Beach Boy’s classic Pet Sounds is proof alone – and it’s wonderful to have him back from his self-imposed exile; performing live (particularly his joyous set at T in the Park in 2007) and releasing…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Klaxons 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.

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…

LCD Soundsystem - preview

LCD Soundsystem

28 Feb 2007

ELECTRO-ROCK Not many people have created as distinct a sound as James Murphy. As half of production duo DFA, Murphy launched The Rapture, The Juan Maclean and Black Dice, then remixed the hell out of the likes of Gorillaz, Justin Timberlake and Nine…

Beck

Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, Tue 22 Aug

4 Sep 2006

INDIE Beck almost threatened to outshine Radiohead in this triumphant support slot. The atmosphere was that of an upbeat funk party complete with dancing bears, cutlery as instruments and puppets galore. For once the flourishes didn’t feel like…

Radiohead/Beck

Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, Tue 22 Aug

23 Aug 2006

Beck almost threatened to outshine Radiohead in a triumphant support slot with an upbeat funk party complete with dancing bears, cutlery as instruments and puppets galore. For once the flourishes didn't feel like gimmicks but added to the audio-visual…