Moon King is the combination of two long-time friends and musical collaborators from Toronto – Daniel Benjamin and Maddy Wilde. They started out by releasing 2 EPs, Obsession 1 and Obsession 2, and are now about to unveil their first full-length album, Secret Life, on Last Gang Records. It’s dreamy and intense, the vocals reaching…… Continue reading My interview with Daniel Benjamin of Moon King
My review of Undertow – the brilliant new album by Drenge
If you listened closely to Drenge’s first album, you would have noticed, floating here and there on the tidal wave of energy that burst out of each song, a moment or two of subtle craft. A drop of wordplay, a gap of silence that added more weight to what came next, a neat turn or…… Continue reading My review of Undertow – the brilliant new album by Drenge
Review of new self-titled album from American Wrestlers
Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to achieve. Think of The Kinks. A song like “Waterloo Sunset”, the timeless Ray Davies classic, manages to be both easily memorable and emotionally complex all at once. Sometimes listening to a song is like a doorway to a different life. More than the sum of their parts,…… Continue reading Review of new self-titled album from American Wrestlers
My interview with Gary McClure of the band American Wrestlers
American Wrestlers. With a title like that, it’s hard to know what to expect. And for quite a while, when the songs were first released on the internet, there was no information as to how they came about or where they were from. Then the quality of the music began to attract attention, and eventually,…… Continue reading My interview with Gary McClure of the band American Wrestlers
My interview with LA Band Gateway Drugs
On their Facebook page, Gateway Drugs describe their genre as “drug pop.” It might be tongue in cheek, but if your ideal drug experience is fun, unpredictable, swirling, and unbound by rules, then the band probably has a point. Straight out of Los Angeles, Gateway Drugs are the three Niles siblings – Gabe, Noa, and…… Continue reading My interview with LA Band Gateway Drugs
My interview with Nick Hemming of The Leisure Society
UK based group The Leisure Society are releasing their new album, The Fine Art of Hanging On, on April 13. Since their debut album The Sleeper in 2009, they have been praised by both audiences and fellow musicians for their emotional and musical range as well as the orchestral balance of their songs. In a…… Continue reading My interview with Nick Hemming of The Leisure Society
My interview with Pop Levi and Bunny Holiday – Crush DLX
Crush DLX is a musical partnership formed by the joining together of two very provocative personalities, Pop Levi and Bunny Holiday. Bunny is a model and designer for American Apparel, whose icon-busting take on Southern California imagery is both playful and edgy. Pop Levi is an indie music perennial, a producer and multi-instrumentalist. He’s been…… Continue reading My interview with Pop Levi and Bunny Holiday – Crush DLX
Unsigned discoveries – my interview with UK band Portrayal
Alice Severin is starting a series looking at some great unsung and unsigned bands, who are on the cusp of wider recognition. First up, UK duo Portrayal. Rob Tranter and Joe Crook hail from the West Midlands and are producing stellar electronic music. They’ve been noticed by BBC Introducing, and are putting out an album…… Continue reading Unsigned discoveries – my interview with UK band Portrayal
My review of Glass Riffer – the new album by Dan Deacon
On his album America Dan Deacon explored themes around the vast landscape of the states, borrowing from what at moments was like a mix of marching bands and American genres of music run through a filter of electronics that concluded with a four part ode to the country. And while Deacon is a stalwart member…… Continue reading My review of Glass Riffer – the new album by Dan Deacon
My interview with Rupert Edwards from Dick Diver
Dick Diver hails from Australia, and consists of two guitarists, Rupert Edwards and Alistair McKay, drummer Steph Hughes (Boom-gates) and bassist Al Montfort (Total Control). Formed in 2008, their first album, New Start Again, met with critical praise. Calendar Days, the follow-up, was described by Rolling Stone as “everyday Australian life made bittersweet and poetic,”…… Continue reading My interview with Rupert Edwards from Dick Diver
