Tag: indie
-
Westside Cowboy live at the Crescent review – new kids on the block are the real deal
Their claims of genre invention may be a little dubious, but no bother – this fresh-faced Manchester band already has a wealth of perfectly imperfect indie rock zingers, delivered in a succinct York set that promised much bigger stages to come.
-
The Beths live at Project House review – dependable as ever, now with added recorders
New Zealand band the Beths aren’t exactly reinventing the indie rock wheel, but they remain a thoroughly reliable live act. With another rewarding album under her belt, Liz Stokes is an undeniably talented songwriter, although this set lacked the punk oomph you feel could take the band to the next level.
-
Black Country, New Road live at the Glasshouse review – not what it once was
The boundary-pushing Cambridge band have boldly ventured forth into a third album after departing frontman Isaac Wood left a gaping hole in the lineup. Three years on, the band’s spectacular glory days still cast a long shadow over this middling live set in Gateshead.
-
Parcels: LOVED review – playful pop from a band best served live
Existing fans of the renowned pop group will find a healthy offering of funky foot-tappers on Parcels’ light-hearted new album, which will no doubt be morphed into dazzling showstoppers for the band’s huge upcoming shows – it’s just a shame so little of their big-stage theatrics seeped through onto the record.
-
jasmine.4.t live at the Deaf Institute review – triumph and world-weariness from unbreakable trans singer
Returning to her hometown of Manchester after a breakout year, the Boygenius collaborator was let down by poor acoustics in an understandably tired-feeling performance. Still, she can dig into a thrashing System of a Down cover like the best of ’em.
-
Welly: Big In The Suburbs review – puts the fun back in British indie rock
Welly’s debut album is winningly silly, although its political satire feels a little too safe, and the comedy in Elliot Hall’s cartoonish vocals wears thin quickly.
-
Courting: Lust for Life review – overwrought concept album pulls its punches
The Liverpool band’s drive for creative risk-taking is admirable, but the experiment doesn’t pay off on this messy, underwritten third album.
-
Divorce: Drive to Goldenhammer review – endearing, open-hearted folk-rock
Framed around a quest to the fictional place of ‘Goldenhammer’, the Nottingham indie band’s impressive debut is packed with one gorgeous duet after another, plus a wealth of plaintive melodic earworms.
-
Adwaith live at the Cluny review – Welsh indie trio are worth rooting for
The pioneering Welsh-language trio had plenty of quality material from their recent double album to dig into in Newcastle, although the scuzzy guitars and restless basslines were occasionally let down by Hollie Singer’s limited vocal performance.
-
Sam Fender: People Watching review – the Geordie Springsteen delivers a classic
Valorised Geordie hero Sam Fender paints a vivid picture of ordinary working-class life in this extraordinary third record. Never has Fender’s trademark brand of melancholic beauty sounded so potent.
-
Confidence Man live at NX review – ludicrous dance-pop tears the roof off
Fresh from releasing their third – and finest – album, there’s simply no room left for duds in Confidence Man’s supremely silly live show. Even by Newcastle’s high standards, Saturday nights out don’t get much more ecstatic than this.
-
The Last Dinner Party live at O2 City Hall review – red hot girl group come off the boil
Five piece indie rockers The Last Dinner Party were Britain’s most talked-about band during their meteoric rise last winter. The strength of the songwriting remains undeniable, but frontwoman Abigail Morris gave a noncommittal performance on a faintly disappointing Monday night in Newcastle.
-
Shannon & the Clams: The Moon Is In The Wrong Place review – wildly entertaining dive into the abyss
Raucous 60s rockabilly might sound like an unlikely match for an album unequivocally about grief, but Shannon & the Clams pull it off miraculously in this deeply personal record, which shifts from joy to despair – and often a complex mix of the two – with astonishing ease.
-
“They’ll definitely blow your mind”: five of the best female rock bands on the rise
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Alex Walden takes a deep dive into the world of alternate rock music to showcase some new female groups on the rise who are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
-
Courting live at the Cluny review – indie’s next big thing has room for improvement
The Liverpudlian post punkers’ live offering is rough around the edges and their fixation with heavy-handed autotune grates – but they do possess the sort of roof-demolishing closing number most bands can only dream of.
Undertone 