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…
2014 has been a difficult time for underground live music in the UK. With small venues across the country facing all manner of issues, it was heartening to see the team behind Guildford’s Boileroom make it through an emotionally trying licence review process and move on to host some incredible gigs and community-oriented events. With any luck, 2015 will see a change in fortunes for venues like the Boileroom.
From intimate showings from ska legends to inhumanly tight math-pop sets via beatboxing virtuosity and an audience with the professor of punk, here are TMMP’s top gigs of 2014. Read more…
To say that I was looking forward to this show would be an understatement. Long-time TMMP followers will have already seen me wax lyrical about this Southampton-based math-pop quartet – but until this night, I’d not ticked off the final – and most important – box on the ‘Band To Watch’ checklist: The Live Show. No matter how good a band sounds on record, if they suck live it’s going to be tough to justify really getting behind them. Read more…
Somewhere in the labyrinthine depths of the Scala, Allusondrugs got this Friday night off to a raucously grungy start. Stir remained as shiver-inducing as ever, while the Reuben-esque Am I Weird? elicited laughter followed by hectic headbanging. Throughout this short but perfectly formed set, Allusondrugs shone through the dirt like a five-piece Nirvana, with jagged guitars rending the air before climaxing amid a frontman-versus-guitarist wrestling match. Read more…
When it comes to math-rock, ‘control’ is a key word. When odd time signatures, super-syncopated riffs, and all manner of other rhythmic tricks come into play, the results inevitably become difficult to suss out. In other words, the music feels unpredictable. Hyperactively labyrinthine. Out of control. Read more…
Regular TMMP readers (as well as my family, friends, and any stranger who’s sat next to me on the train for more than five minutes) will probably be sick to death of hearing me rant about how goddamn amazing Marmozets are. Well, I have many a good reason for doing so – and this 13-track slab of genius is another one to add to the list. Read more…
Sometimes the old ways are the best.
Over the past fifteen years, the music world has been revolutionised by digital technology. There have been many positive developments facilitated by the Internet, from social media sites to digital music stores and crowdfunding platforms. Smart and savvy musicians now have access to a wealth of tools that previous generations could only dream of – but the physical world still holds the key to a thriving, successful career.
The ease with which a band can break through barriers previously manned by a handful of power-hungry gatekeepers represents the bright side of digital music – but there is also a widely recognised and heavily debated Read more…
As someone who’s already interviewed Marmozets, preordered their debut album (previewable here), seen them kick seven shades out of a wildly ecstatic live audience at Guildford’s own Boileroom, and ranted and raved personally to anyone who’ll listen about how goddamn awesome this math-happy quintet is and how far they’re set to go in the months and years to come, I see no reason to take an understated and polite path when it comes to Born Young And Free. Read more…
The age of the rock star asshole is over. Today, personality traits like approachability, professionalism, and the ability to kick a listener’s ears in and make them like it will take a band a long way. For proof, consider what Marmozets have on their plate right now (a hotly-anticipated album set to drop next month via the legendary Roadrunner Records), and keep reading. Marmozets are so switched-on they probably glow in the dark – and for such young contenders they’ve already amassed a wealth of wisdom, some of which was shared with TMMP in the run-up to Marmozets’ show at The Boileroom this past Tuesday… Read more…
When a Saturday night bill is only two bands long, that’s a lot of pressure for the musicians involved. Many acts would crumble like month-old birthday cake at the thought of it. These guys were more than up for the challenge: Read more…