Naomi Scott / Fifi Rong / Geovarn / Princess Slayer / Jungle Doctors / Bella Figura [Live Review – Under The Bridge, London, 26/2/2015]

music week radarAs a music venue embedded into Stamford Bridge (the stadium called home by Chelsea F.C.), Under the Bridge was an appropriately unique venue for this unique show. An industry showcase set up by trade paper Music Week, networking hub MusicConnex, promoters ILUVLIVE, and south coast music school BIMM, it goes without saying that the high-profile nature of this show inevitably brought its own special set of performance pressures. A quality showcase set has the potential to push an act to the next level, while a duff performance can see a band crossed off “Ones To Watch” lists in the blink of an eye.

On top of the potential for mind-freezing attacks of performance anxiety, this was not Read more…

Posted on 27 February 2015

Tigercub / Kagoule / The Tens [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 23/2/2015]

tigercubAlthough The Tens do possess plenty of heart, balls, and swagger, they’re currently still at the stage where their instruments own them, rather than the other way around. With more practice (as in “Spending more time beating the living crap out of their instruments” rather than “Studiously woodshedding a path to NoSoulVille”), the Tens will eventually become serious hard-rocking badasses. For now, though, they still need more time to develop.

Kagoule started off sounding like Placebo’s musical test-tube baby (a really cool move) before Read more…

Posted on 25 February 2015

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – ‘Ballad Of The Mighty I’ [Review]

noel gallagherNoel Gallagher scarcely needs an introduction – but given that some people out there are unaware of Paul McCartney’s existence, maybe he will soon. Gallagher has a well-deserved and hard-earned reputation as one of the best songwriters of an entire generation – a phenomenon who emerged as a Read more…

Posted on 31 January 2015

Hannah Lou Clark [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 24/1/15]

hannah lou clarkQuatre Femmes Records have great taste – and Hannah Lou Clark‘s Boileroom set offered irrefutable evidence of that fact. Whether performing in a stripped-down setting with an electric guitar and backing vocalists or backed up by a full band, Hannah Lou Clark’s attitude, songwriting skills, and nuanced vocal shone through in Read more…

Posted on 27 January 2015

The Weeks / The Apache Relay / The Greasy Slicks / Gold Phoenix [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 19/1/15]

the weeksI have no excuse for missing most of Gold Phoenix’s intense garage-rocking set. I’m just a bad person.

The Greasy Slicks, on the other hand, are good. As a matter of fact, they’re more than just good – they’re fucking immense. Flat-out fucked drums, flamethrower guitars, and Read more…

Posted on 20 January 2015

Tusks – ‘Ink EP’ [Review]

tusks ink epSometimes, an EP is so good that you can’t quite get your head around it. So Read more…

Posted on 17 January 2015

Our Lost Infantry / Annabel Allum / itoldyouiwouldeatyou / Selectric [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 11/1/15]

our lost infantry press shotOne of my favourite things about the Boileroom is the sheer diversity of musical styles that are welcomed within its walls. For this year’s DengFest, Selectric set up an appropriate air of unpredictability via Read more…

Posted on 14 January 2015

Eliza Doolittle & THOS / Bat and Ball / Tweed & Hyenas / Tusks [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 9/1/15]

smile for hattiThe fact that this show even happened is a true testament to the strength and indomitable passion of its organisers. Few life experiences are as devastating as losing a friend or family member to cancer; when that happens, most of us would become too overwhelmed to function, and with good reason. Nobody would have blamed Tom Morley and the team behind Smile For Hatti (a campaign set up to support the courageous and inspiring Hatti Sandall, who sadly passed away only three days before this gig) had they rescheduled or cancelled this fundraiser – but they didn’t. For that, they deserve all the respect in the world – not to mention the sheer success of this awesome event, which raised over £2000 for Smile For Hatti (which is in the process of becoming a new charity, to which future donations will be directed) and Sarcoma UK.

As far as opening acts go, Read more…

Posted on 10 January 2015

Rose Coloured Records – ‘Doorstep – Volume 2’ [Review]

rose coloured doorstep volume 2Dropped right before Christmas last year, Rose Coloured’s Doorstep Volume 2 compilation doubtless made great stocking filler for a number of Surrey and Hampshire’s resident music fans. It also offers plenty of great reasons to get excited about the Guildford- and Aldershot-centred music scenes in 2015. Read more…

Posted on 05 January 2015

TMMP’s Top Albums Of 2014

The “death of the album” has been declared many times in recent years – but nonetheless, musicians keep making them and are showing no signs of stopping (and thank God for that!). Almost a decade and a half into the twenty-first century, there still exist bands and artists capable of composing immersive, engaging, and fully satisfying collections of songs that stand up to repeated, unshuffled listens. Here are fifteen of them. Read more…

Posted on 29 December 2014

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