Songs like this make me proud to be British. Musically, our underground alt-rock scene is thriving right now, packed full of frequently mathy and always epic tunes – and Atiptoe are doing more than their fair share with tracks like Sir Real. Read more…
Few bands mark their territory as clearly as Seven7 do. Fusing brutal intensity with seductively exotic scales and topping it all off with harsh, unyielding vocals while channelling and challenging the likes of Dream Theater and Alter Bridge, these guys are nothing if not ambitious. Read more…
As regular TMMP readers will know, Guildford-based music venue The Boileroom is currently facing the possibility of closure. To say that this situation stirred up some intense feelings is something of an understatement; artists as diverse as Jamie Lenman, Arcane Roots, Enter Shikari and Ed Sheeran have voiced their support for the small venue, while The Boileroom’s Change.org petition has attracted nearly 20,000 signatures from outraged live music fans.
In this exclusive interview, I sat down with Dom Frazer (The Boileroom’s owner and Director), Lydia Stockbridge (In-House Booker & Promoter), Duncan Smith (Assistant In-House Booker & Promoter), and Pip Ellis (Designated Premises Supervisor) to discuss their venue, its present predicament, and the reality of living life in live music. Read more…
Andrew Ford is a man of many talents. He’s a multi-instrumentalist able to turn his hand to almost any musical situation imaginable; a meditation and mindfulness expert; and a fantastic teacher who keeps on giving and giving. His latest musical project, Inner Pieces, also inspired the very first short fictional piece to be featured here on TMMP.
I got in touch with Andrew to discuss meditation, happiness, the past, present, and future, and many more topics besides. Let’s get stuck in: Read more…
Tapestry
When the opening band kicks off with a riff that transports you back to the glory days of alt-metal, you know it’s going to be a good night. Read more…
This EP is a triumph.
Yearbook are masters of syncopation, turning bars of 4/4 inside out and making common time sound as uncommon as it gets. These tracks aren’t so much “songs” as they are guided tours through Yearbook’s collective musical consciousness, unorthodox constructions laced with elements of the familiar and, yes, catchy. As with Yearbook’s live shows, there’s an ever-present middle finger raised in the direction of compromise and comfort zones; if Coheed and Cambria decided to take on the world of math-pop, they would sound as Yearbook do right now. Read more…
After this weekend’s metal-focussed extravaganza, I decided to look for something a little more summery. Fortunately I didn’t have to search for long, thanks to a certain TMMP favourite. Read more…
As far as I can remember, I’ve never reviewed a tune twice here on TMMP. But I’m doing it now. Why? Because even though I previously wrote about it as part of Rose Coloured Records’ Doorstep – Volume 1 compilation, If I Was A Whale is worth the extra effort. Read more…
Musicians have been courting controversy for a long time. Legendary Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini made his name as “The Devil’s Violinist”; Elvis’s hip-swinging performances were the cause of public outcry in the 1950s; Marilyn Manson was blamed for the Columbine High School Massacre; and every week brings a new celeb-mag revelation about Rihanna and whatever she’s wearing (or not wearing) right now. But these guys may have overstepped the line. Read more…
Here at TMMP, grassroots music is a big deal. I’ve never understood why people will happily watch rubbish, stuck-in-a-rut TV talent shows that promote an illusory path to instant fame (and drop almost every winner once the last pennies have been squeezed from their exhaustive promotional activities) when hundreds of far more fascinating stories can be found just down the road, at a local music venue like The Boileroom in Guildford. It’s incredible to think that so many great, even world-class talents can go ignored, despite being within such easy reach year in, year out. Why wait for the next week’s TV-scheduled slot when you could just poke your head out of the front door and experience something first-hand? Read more…