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Music Reviews / Previews

MySpace Trawl – Seventythree

by Matthew Laidlow

After a three weekish stint of being away, the feature that you all know and more then likely love has returned to prod you in the direction of music featured on MySpace that we believe should be heard by you, our beloved readers.

This week our discovery has taken us up to Sunderland, where our ears have fallen in love to the sounds of the funky breaks combo Seventythree. Sunderland, and the North-East music scene as a whole, has recently been churning out more bands then you can shake a stick at. At one point, anyone coming from the North-East could only say that Lindisfarne, Sting and crap rapping from Ant and Dec were the only semi-successful musicians. Not the hippest stuff to stick on your iPod. But with the rise of guitar bands like the hound-loving Futureheads and pressure-applying Maximo Park, some credible stuff has finally arrived. Hoorah.

After a three weekish stint of being away, the feature that you all know and more then likely love has returned to prod you in the direction of music featured on MySpace that we believe should be heard by you, our beloved readers. This week our discovery has taken us up to Sunderland, where our ears have fallen in love to the sounds of the funky breaks combo Seventythree. Sunderland, and the North-East music scene as a whole, has recently been churning out more bands then you can shake a stick at. At one point, anyone coming from the North-East could only say that Lindisfarne, Sting and crap rapping from Ant and Dec were the only semi-successful musicians. Not the hippest stuff to stick on your iPod. But with the rise of guitar bands like the hound-loving Futureheads and pressure-applying Maximo Park, some credible stuff has finally arrived. Hoorah.
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CD Review: Peter Bjorn And John, Writer’s Block

by Stuart Heritage

The Swedish don’t have the best reputation on these shores at the moment, thanks to one of them deciding to take two knackered strikers, a 20-foot asparagus and a toddler to the World Cup instead of any actual players. However, if there’s any justice in the world, Writer’s Block by Peter Bjorn And John will help us all fall in love with Sweden all over again.

And that’s because Writer’s Block by Peter Bjorn And John is a dizzying mixture of quirky low-fi grooves, classic songwriting and infectious whistling. The result is that Writer’s Block by Peter Bjorn And John is one of the most dazzling albums you’ll hear all summer.

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Hecklergigs: Tobias Froberg 05/08/06

by C J Davies

Singer-songwriter.’ As bastardised terms go, it’s an innate high-flyer. Kind of like ‘attitude’ or ‘customer relations’ or people who misuse the word ‘literally’ (Sports commentators take note. ‘He literally shook the earth with that penalty’? No he fucking didn’t).

Anyway. What hecklerspray is trying to say – in a ludicrously roundabout way, such is our teasin’ style – is that such a term can inspire shudders akin to hearing phrases such as “Darling I’m pregnant”. Think about it: James Blunt. K T Tunstall. Jamie Cullum. Or actually don’t think about them. We wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.

Anyway. What we’re STILL trying to say – in even more of a ludicrously roundabout way, such is our even more teasin’ style – is that it would be a real shame if new Poptones signing Tobias Froberg found himself lumped in with that generically unsavoury crowd.

Singer-songwriter.' As bastardised terms go, it's an innate high-flyer. Kind of like 'attitude' or 'customer relations' or people who misuse the word 'literally' (Sports commentators take note. 'He literally shook the earth with that penalty'? No he fucking didn't). Anyway. What hecklerspray is trying to say - in a ludicrously roundabout way, such is our teasin' style - is that such a term can inspire shudders akin to hearing phrases such as "Darling I'm pregnant". Think about it: James Blunt. K T Tunstall. Jamie Cullum. Or actually don't think about them. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. Anyway. What we're STILL trying to say - in even more of a ludicrously roundabout way, such is our even more teasin' style - is that it would be a real shame if new Poptones signing Tobias Froberg found himself lumped in with that generically unsavoury crowd.
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Downright Dynamite Downloads Of The Week: The Format, Janove Ottesen, Emiliana Torrini…

by Shawn Lindseth

It’s been a pretty glum week here at the hecklerspray, what with us only now learning that Princess Di apparently suffered an untimely death. Did you guys know about this? And that’s not the worst thing we learned – something called WWI is apparently imminent, and our father is wanted for tea-bagging a dead plesiosaur.

When it rains it pours.Perhaps glum is an understatement. With that background, you’ll understand the sullen nature of this week’s recommended downloads. Yeah, they’re mostly slow, but they are so good. We’ve got tracks from The Format, Porcupine Tree, The Notwist, Janove Ottesen, Emiliana Torrini and The Tokens for a little pick-me up.

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This Week’s Singles! Paris Hilton! Frank! Horrors!

by 586 MEDIA

Paris Hilton
Stars Are Blind
Wea

Paris Hilton – heiress, Heat staple, (home) movie star – has been threatening to launch a singing career for almost two years now. In fact, the Paris album had become something of an urban legend, even starting to rival the age-old rumour that Jamie Lee Curtis is actually, y’know, a hairy great fella. So it comes as a bit of a surprise in July 2006 to find her peddling a rather lovely slice of sun-soaked, pissed-on-the-beach reggae pop. So what if Stars Are Blind bears more than a passing resemblance to reggae classic Kingston Town? So what if her vocal performance is the least convincing since Patsy Kensit trilled her way through I’m Not Scared? And so what if her upcoming cover of Do Ya Think I’m Sexy is enough to have us waking up in a cold sweat begging for a Lisa Scott-Lee comeback? Right now Stars Are Blind is the perfect summer pop single, and we’re not ashamed to admit that we’re bloody loving it.

All kinds of funky-ass singles reviews after the jump, from Boy Kill Boy, Raconteurs, The Hedrons, TV On The Radio, The Common Redstarts, Frank, The Horrors and Panic! At The Disco…

Paris Hilton Stars Are Blind Wea Paris Hilton - heiress, Heat staple, (home) movie star - has been threatening to launch a singing career for almost two years now. In fact, the Paris album had become something of an urban legend, even starting to rival the age-old rumour that Jamie Lee Curtis is actually, y’know, a hairy great fella. So it comes as a bit of a surprise in July 2006 to find her peddling a rather lovely slice of sun-soaked, pissed-on-the-beach reggae pop. So what if Stars Are Blind bears more than a passing resemblance to reggae classic Kingston Town? So what if her vocal performance is the least convincing since Patsy Kensit trilled her way through I’m Not Scared? And so what if her upcoming cover of Do Ya Think I’m Sexy is enough to have us waking up in a cold sweat begging for a Lisa Scott-Lee comeback? Right now Stars Are Blind is the perfect summer pop single, and we’re not ashamed to admit that we’re bloody loving it. All kinds of funky-ass singles reviews after the jump, from Boy Kill Boy, Raconteurs, The Hedrons, TV On The Radio, The Common Redstarts, Frank, The Horrors and Panic! At The Disco...
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This Week’s Singles: Madonna! Pet Shop Boys! Aguilera!

by 586 MEDIA

Madonna
Get Together
Warner

“Do you believe in love at first sight? It’s an illusion; I don’t care,” is a fairly inane pop lyric but, surrounded by the pulsating Gallic disco of Get Together, it sounds utterly life-affirming. The third single from Madonna’s Career Salvation on a Dancefloor album – released to coincide with the European leg of her arena-raping tour – recalls Stardust’s Music Sounds Better With You thanks to its thumping bass line and transcendent, arms-in-the-air chorus. Sexual icon, queen of the dancefloor, H&M designer: is there nothing Mrs Ritchie can’t do?*

*Except, of course, act.

Brace yourself for a veritable attack of singles reviews, from Pet Shop Boys, Forward, Russia, Snow Patrol, Ray Lamontagne and Christina Aguilera, all after the jump…

Madonna Get Together Warner "Do you believe in love at first sight? It’s an illusion; I don’t care," is a fairly inane pop lyric but, surrounded by the pulsating Gallic disco of Get Together, it sounds utterly life-affirming. The third single from Madonna’s Career Salvation on a Dancefloor album - released to coincide with the European leg of her arena-raping tour - recalls Stardust’s Music Sounds Better With You thanks to its thumping bass line and transcendent, arms-in-the-air chorus. Sexual icon, queen of the dancefloor, H&M designer: is there nothing Mrs Ritchie can’t do?* *Except, of course, act. Brace yourself for a veritable attack of singles reviews, from Pet Shop Boys, Forward, Russia, Snow Patrol, Ray Lamontagne and Christina Aguilera, all after the jump...
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CD Review – She Wants Revenge, She Wants Revenge

by Stuart Heritage

Here’s a puzzle for you; what do you get if cross Justin Warfield – the rapper from the genius Bug Powder Dust by Bomb The Bass, and Adam Bravin – a DJ from sunbaked Los Angeles?

Chances are you aren’t thinking of a sleekly gloomy album that rips-off both The Killers and Joy Division in equal measure, but that’s exactly what She Wants Revenge – the new album by Warfield and Bravin under the guise of the band She Wants Revenge – is. And creepy isn’t the word.

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CD Review: The Sleepy Jackson, Personality

by Stuart Heritage

If you’re going to rip off anyone, you may as well rip off the best. That’s pretty much the thinking of Luke Steele, anyway, whose new album as The Sleepy Jackson, Personality, is so indebted to Brian Wilson that we imagine that he’ll send the boys round at any moment.

And while The Sleepy Jackson are aiming as high as they can, Performance never quite managed to hit their targets, instead falling short and landing somewhere between Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips. But, hey, when has that ever been a bad thing?

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This Week’s Singles: McFly! Rihanna! Gnarls Barkley!

by 586 MEDIA

McFly
Please Please
Universal

McFly’s cheeky chappie amiability has taken them a long way. Two chart-topping albums, eight top ten singles and a role in a Hollywood film isn’t bad going for a band that’s never come close to matching Busted’s charisma and ear for melody. New single Please Please namechecks the boys’ Just My Luck co-star Lindsay Lohan – well, you gotta keep that Did She Really Shag The Drummer rumour alive somehow, don’t you? – and wears its 50s rock ‘n’ roll influences on its sleeve. It’s as pert and perfectly-formed as Lohan’s buttocks but, unfortunately, as memorable as her role in Herbie Fully Loaded. Next time around, boys, why don’t you try writing something that doesn’t sound as though it belongs in a Happy Days prom scene?

And after the jump, more singles reviews from Rihanna, Gnarls Barkley, She Wants Revenge, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Performance, James Morrison and Gary Numan. You’re welcome…

McFly Please Please Universal McFly’s cheeky chappie amiability has taken them a long way. Two chart-topping albums, eight top ten singles and a role in a Hollywood film isn’t bad going for a band that’s never come close to matching Busted’s charisma and ear for melody. New single Please Please namechecks the boys’ Just My Luck co-star Lindsay Lohan - well, you gotta keep that Did She Really Shag The Drummer rumour alive somehow, don’t you? - and wears its 50s rock ‘n’ roll influences on its sleeve. It’s as pert and perfectly-formed as Lohan’s buttocks but, unfortunately, as memorable as her role in Herbie Fully Loaded. Next time around, boys, why don’t you try writing something that doesn’t sound as though it belongs in a Happy Days prom scene? And after the jump, more singles reviews from Rihanna, Gnarls Barkley, She Wants Revenge, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Performance, James Morrison and Gary Numan. You're welcome...
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Hecklergigs: Plan B, 13/7/06, RPM Records, Newcastle

by Matthew Laidlow

There are lots of things that we like in the world. For example, beer, hot summer days and those new Cadbury chocolate bars with cream egg stuff inside them. This may not me to everyone’s taste, but we know something that we like and that you’ll like – free stuff.

So when we got word that Plan B was performing for zilch at a nearby record shop, we raced down to see him do his thing, pretty much purely because we’re cheapskates, really. It seemed that we weren’t the only people who’d got word of this free gig, as we arrived; the shop was beginning to fill up nicely.

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