Tag Archives: music review

music review

NINJAH: Keep Britain Lively (Tantrum Records 2018)

ninjah

New album from one of Cardiff’s most eccentric artists, on Tantrum Records

It’s quite possible that many of you will have seen Ninjah perform live and not have realised it. He is the dude with the white dread locks often seen around Cardiff city centre playing random objects, such as bins or benches, with his ever present drum sticks.

Everyone that matters on the Cardiff scene will know him for a different reason though. As well as random drumming he is an accomplished singer, video maker and just all round creative type. Continue reading NINJAH: Keep Britain Lively (Tantrum Records 2018) →

music review

CLUSTERFUCK: Pesticide (Tantrum Records 2018)

Question: What do you get when you put a shed load of Cardiff’s most unhinged creative types in a room together?  Answer: Clusterfuck. And this is their latest release. Thirteen slices of deranged floor fillers.

The biggest problem with ‘techno’ (or whatever you want to call it) is that many artists find their killer beat and just rework it time and time again resulting in – erm – repetitive beats. Clusterfuck can never be accused of falling into that trap.

What we have here just shy is fifty minutes of phat beats and dope breaks that get ya ass shaking and head spinning, with each track taking you in a new direction. The common denominator is that the bass lines are deep and heavy throughout, causing involuntary bobbing up and down but the BPM counter always manages to stay below the red line of ‘gabba’.

It helps to fend of the repetitiveness by bringing in a host of ‘special guests’. Efa Supertramp, Keef It Real, Captain Hotknives and Donald Trump are just some of the crew that help this paddle this album down the crazy river. Their irreverence and cheeky sense of humour also prevents this becoming just another boring techno record. Nothing is too serious, too hot or too heavy for these guys.

Drugs, death and Swansea are just a few of the topics covered here. They somehow manage to demonstrate that they are anti-establishment without really saying it. They are probably anarchists but don’t even know it, cos they are too busy having a party to contemplate shit like that. Which is how it should be really.

Get it on, bang a gong, get it on – ow – get it on.

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music review, punk

KILLDREN: Overkill is Underrated ep (Self released, 2018)

One day, in the dim and distant future, Efa Supertramp will sit down, take a breather, or even possibly sleep. Until then, she is gonna run around fuelled on adrenalin with fingers in all sorts of pies, like this latest project, Killdren.

Not satisfied with running her own record label, writing zines, travelling all over Europe playing solo gigs, setting up squatted art galleries, sticking it to the ‘man’ and doing a degree, last year she teamed up with a sampler, a lap top and Nick Ronin from Tunbridge Wells to form rave outfit Killdren. Continue reading KILLDREN: Overkill is Underrated ep (Self released, 2018) →

music review

THE BREWER’S DAUGHTER: Make Believe (Self Released 2016)

John Baine (AKA Attila) is not really a Stockbroker. Ray Burns is neither a Captain, nor Sensible. Rhiannon Crutchley, however, really is a Brewer’s Daughter.

When not helping dad out with bottling craft beers her time is split between recording and gigging on her own as The Brewer’s Daughter, playing fiddle with Tarantism, touring with the likes of Back to the Planet and Hawkwind, or just sailing up and down the canal in the narowboat she calls home.  She even played the legendary 100 club in 2017. Continue reading THE BREWER’S DAUGHTER: Make Believe (Self Released 2016) →

music review

HEADNOISE Special Effects Improves The Defects (Self released 2017)

South Wales based electro pop band HEAD NOISE with their fourth release; a six track mini album – ep – ish – thing.

This has the vibe of that arty period in the early eighties when post punk was going off in different directions and no-one had quite worked out what synth pop was supposed to sound like. Continue reading HEADNOISE Special Effects Improves The Defects (Self released 2017) →

music review

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING: Every Valley (PIAS Recordings 2017)

psb every valleyWith their third album, Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) remind us that concept albums do not need to be about Topographic Oceans or operas about pubescent mods coming of age. This album looks at the social impact of the fall and rise of an industry on the local community.

PSB’s modus operandi is to create funky instrumental music with occasional rocky outcrops, then layer over the top vocal samples. In the past that has included public information films (hence the band name), audio from NASA and specifically recorded interviews.

For Every Valley the focus is very much the south wales mining communities, how the coal industry provided hope, dreams of a job for life, and provided the glue that held a whole community together. It also document’s the decline and the death of the industry – and how the sole of the community also goes into decline when the main source of employment is ripped out of it. Continue reading PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING: Every Valley (PIAS Recordings 2017) →

music review

VARIOUS ARTISTS: Surplus Fest Sampler Volume 1 (Surplus 2017)

surplusCan’t wait for the festival season to start? Fear not, this fifteen track sampler from the Surplus Crew will help blow those winter blues away.

Given that most of the best bands on the underground festival circuit have played at Surplus, an album put together by the crew would inevitably be worth a listen. “Of course it will be good”, we thought to ourselves. But then – “Hold on – who are this lot?” Yes, fair play to the Surplus Crew, they have managed to dig out some bands we had not come across before – and boy is this album a belter. Continue reading VARIOUS ARTISTS: Surplus Fest Sampler Volume 1 (Surplus 2017) →

blog, news

REMEMBERING ABERFAN – Charity Single

Aberfan_digi_release_sleeve_600

There are only a handful of towns and cities in the world, whose name is so intrinsically linked with an event so tragic that it is invoked every time the place is mentioned. Sadly, there is one a few miles from where I live. Aberfan.

Fifty years ago this week (21st October 1966) ‘coal tip number seven’ slipped and engulfed the school at its foot. In doing so it took the lives of 144 people, 116 of them children. The story of this event is one of personal tragedy and outrage at the attitude of the government and the coal board.

In one morning the anonymous welsh village suddenly became known over the entire world.

I was only four years of age at the time but it is ingrained in my memory. As it probably is in anyone who was around at the time.

Much has been written of this event, and continues to be written. There is little meaningful or constructive I can add. But I post this to bring to your attention a single that has been released with the aim of raising funds for the Aberfan Memorial fund.

Amy Goddard is a folk singer who grew up in the Merthyr Valley and went to school in the neighbouring village to Aberfan.

Remembering Aberfan has been released as a charity single and £2 from the sale of each CD will go to the Aberfan Memorial Charity. You can purchase the single here 

music review

DAMIDGE: Limitation

DAMIDGE: Limitation (Self released 2016)

Damidge Limitation
Damidge Limitation

This four track EP is the missing link between the UK festival scene and the New York CBGBs scene of the early 1970s.

High energy grungy punk with chunky rhythms and guitar solos long enough to keep us closet rockers happy, but short enough to keep the three chord punk purists happy. Al Damidge’s vocals strut across the EP with a nonchalant swagger and if a voice could wear clothes, his would wear leather trousers and carry a flick knife. Continue reading DAMIDGE: Limitation →

music review

THEE FACTION: Reading Writing Revolution (2015)

THEE FACTION: Reading Writing Revolution (2015)

Thee Faction Reading Writing Revolution
Thee Faction Reading Writing Revolution

The collected works of Karl Marx, trade union solidarity, protest marches – these don’t exactly sound like good subject material for particularly funky music. But hey – go figure!

Thee Faction have worked out how to write songs with names like GDH Cole dropped in casually, and still be eminently danceable. Not since the Redskins in the 1980s has unashamedly socialist music been so damn cool.

Taking a leaf out of the Dr Feelgood book of R’ n B, Thee Faction are a tour de force of rock and roll that gets your feet shufflin’, your hips gyratin’ and your head a thinkin’. Being angry has never been so much fun. Continue reading THEE FACTION: Reading Writing Revolution (2015) →

archive, film review

BEWARE OF MR BAKER

BEWARE OF MR BAKER (2012)

beware of mr baker
beware of mr baker

Ginger Baker is often cited as the best rock drummer in history. This a description that sends Mr Baker into fits of rage; he considers rock legends like John Bonnham and Keith Moon with contempt – not fit to lace his shoes – because he is not a rock drummer, he is a jazz drummer.

Beware of Mr Baker is a well constructed documentary tells the story of the rollercoaster ride that Baker has ridden for the last seventy plus years. Warts and all. And boy are there some warts. Continue reading BEWARE OF MR BAKER →

archive, film review, music review

THE GREAT HIP HOP HOAX

THE GREAT HIP HOP HOAX (2013)

the great hip hop hoaxwers
the great hip hop hoaxwers

This is the true story of two Scottish rappers, Silibil ‘n’ Brains, tired of the music industry not taking them seriously, who move to London, put on fake American accent, pretend to be from California and dupe the entire music industry into taking them on. On the face of it an amusing, if not entirely original story. But it soon develops into something very deep and thought provoking.

We start with the boys gigging around their home town of Dundee and trying to get signed. No label was interested. Then, for a laugh, they made some phone calls with an American accent and told people they were from California. Quicker than you can say “apple pie” they are signed to Sony records, playing gigs at Brixton Academy and blowing the massive advance they had been given on booze and women. Continue reading THE GREAT HIP HOP HOAX →

archive, film review, music review

OTWAY: THE MOVIE

OTWAY THE MOVIE: ROCK AND ROLL’S GREATEST FAILURE (2013)

otway the movie premier
otway the movie premier

Those not familiar with John Otway – which let’s face it, is most of the population – could be forgiven for thinking this is a spoof documentary in the vein of Spinal Tap. Such is the nature of the crazy, wacky, bonkers, over the top, rock and roll extravagance that bounces around inside the head of one of rock’s greatest treasures.

But it is not a spoof, this is the story of a uniquely British eccentric rock and roll legend that has spent the last forty years reaching for the stars, not being put off by what anyone else thinks and, most importantly, not being put off by failure. Continue reading OTWAY: THE MOVIE →

music review, news

REACH OUT: WELSH ROCK FOR REFUGEES

VARIOUS ARTISTS: Welsh Rock for Refugees

rock for refugeesWhen the going gets tough, the tough get rockin’. In response to the refugee crisis that is being played out daily on our TV screens and in the media, this thirty track download only compilation has been put together to raise money for Refugee Action.

Compiled in just seven days, by music journalist David Owens, this mixes the cream of the current crop of Wales’ mainstream rock bands, some of the best of the upcoming bands and a sprinkling of previously unreleased and live tracks that have not seen the light of day until now. Continue reading REACH OUT: WELSH ROCK FOR REFUGEES →

music review

THE SICK LIVERS: MID LIVER CRISIS

SICK LIVERS: Mid Liver Crisis (Glunk Records + Baldy Longhair Records 2015)

sick livers

Ever since Chuck Berry first picked up his guitar the term rock ‘n roll has been evolving. It is now used to describe anything from a Motorhead gig, through the act of throwing a TV out of the window to cookery. The Sick Livers, however, are as close as you will get in the 21st Century to the true meaning of rock ‘n roll without donning beetle crushers and a drape jacket.

They kick off with a song about fashion – and giving a nod to the film Full Metal Jacket (This is my Denim), then rattle through songs about girls (You Make Me Wet), songs about drinking (One Man Stag Do) and sometimes about girls and drinking (I Wanna be a Jager Girl). Continue reading THE SICK LIVERS: MID LIVER CRISIS →