A mélange of dark and introspective sounds, the British band LOCKS recently released their debut album, Skeletal Blues, which is a collection of Gothic blues that explores the complex darkness inside everyone of us. The string-based quartet (guitar, fiddle, and double bass plus drums) works from where Lou Reed or even an older Leonard Cohen might have left it […]

With a defying voice and an innovative dream-folk-pop sound, Malena Zavala is making a lot of noise with her first album, Aliso. The record is a collection of sounds and influences that range from ambient layers of synthesizers to clean and crunchy guitars. Malena’s songwriting is very consistent and nuanced, and her melodies flow effortlessly over any kind of beat, making […]

The O2 Academy in Islington was given over to Rock Against Violence – a charity fundraising gig on behalf of Solace Women’s Aid. The charity provides shelters and advice to women who are the victims of domestic abuse in the UK. It supports more than 10,000 women and children per year. The annual event is hosted by Roadkill Records – […]

A night of three faces of punk rock at Camden’s Electric Ballroom – from the haven of grunge punk to full on hardcore punk-rock with a diversion through the weird and wonderful, too. Saturday night in the heart of trendy North London could never be called dull. Scrap Brain DEMO by SCRAP BRAIN DIY grunge punks. Why write songs that […]

Regular readers will know me as an indie kid. If I was pushed to give you my favourite genre, I’d plump for indie-dance, so tonight’s three-band lineup, including the mighty Chk Chk Chk, was right up my street. Anyone who has walked along Camden High Street may have noticed The Electric Ballroom. The iconic North London venue sits between the […]

Anyone who reads my stuff on The Revue will know I tend to cover smaller indie bands, usually in Victorian pubs. However, a trip to The Water Rats in London’s King’s Cross gave me something very different to chew on. The Water Rats is a historical building. Bob Dylan made his UK debut in 1962 here, and Oasis performed their […]

The Dears The Dears delighted their UK-based fans on Saturday night with 90 minutes of nothing but music. With barely a break for Murray Lightburn to let the band know he was ready for the next song, the Montreal duo had the packed-out London venue dancing and singing along to their packed out setlist. Opening with “Take It to the […]

Absent Kelly presents….Sonic Sketch, featuring Dishy Tangent. Notting Hill Arts Club 9 September 2017 What’s not to like about Dishy Tangent? Four good looking blokes from Canning Town in the East End of London, creating great tunes. I was asked by DJ Sonic, or bass player Del Sajiwandani as he is also known, to take some portrait shots of the […]

It’s festival season, which means the majority of female acts unfairly get swept under the carpet whilst the guys take the limelight (see this BBC article as proof). Perfect opportunity for BERRIES’ single release, and what an event it was! The audience at The Old Blue Last in London were treated to tune after tune from the energetic indie-rock band. […]

When I think of The Libertines, I think of two half cut blokes strumming guitars and stumbling about the stage in some shambling bromance. If you had asked me the names of the band members, I would have struggled other than to offer you Mr Barat and Mr Doherty.  John Hassall was/is the bass player in that apparently earth breaking garage […]

One of our favourites made her way over the pond, giving us the first opportunity to see Miya Folick in person. The Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter didn’t disappoint, treating the audience at The Lexington in London to a wonderful set. Armed with a film camera, she urged the crowd to pass it around and get some shots for her to get […]

The irony of naming an album “Eternally Even” (via ATO Records) by someone who has done as much high-profile identity shifting as Jim James is not lost on us here at The Revue. James has been anything but even over the years, both within and without My Morning Jacket. Following the 2015 release of MMJ’s excellent The Waterfall, James found time during the […]

Welcome to this week’s serving of new music cocktails. Today we’ve got an eclectic blend of sonic spirits from across the globe, from the deserts of the Algerian Sahara and the Scottish coast to London and Canada, plus three acts playing this week’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Let’s kick things off with a tune that will boost your heart rate. Imarhan – “Imarhan” (Tamanrasset, Algeria) […]

This week’s serving of new music cocktails features several artists who will be playing at this month’s South By Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Texas, plus some other new music that we can’t stop playing. We begin with an enormously talented Icelandic group that will entrance your ears and get your Monday off to a sublime start.   Samaris – “Wanted 2 […]

When I met up with Ottawa band The A.M. Resolution last June, the folk-rock duo was about to enter the studio to record their first songs as a band. These songs have now been released as an a-side and b-side track. “Now You Know” is a folk-rock tune about the perils of a rebound relationship, especially when you’re not quite ready to get […]

Canadian-born, Nashville-based singer and songwriter Lindi Ortega is back with a fourth album called Faded Gloryville. Since its release in August 2015, the  artist known for her authentic country voice and red cowboy boots has been touring the country sharing stories of love, loss and faded dreams. Ortega was recently awarded Roots Artist of the Year at the 2015 Canadian Country Music Awards, her second win […]

  The award-winning, Toronto indie band, The Strumbellas, are set to play Mavericks on Friday, December 12. I spoke with lead singer Simon Ward to get some insight on how 2014 was for them and on what we can expect in 2015. KSP: Simon, you just won a Canadian Folk Music Award for contemporary album of the year and earlier this year […]

Pink Feathers is Liz Anjos from Portland, OR and after releasing her mesmerizing track “In A Spell” over a year ago she has since guest appeared on a few different tracks with RAC and has garnered a following with her lovely dreamy voice. She just released her debut EP Invisible Lines this week and it is some pretty stellar electro dream pop. If […]

I have a thing for very well polished indie/pop/rock bands and the majority of the time I get into a band and then they become “mainstream”. Walk the Moon and Bastille are perfect examples for me. Walk the Moon started with a large college aged following and finally grew to blow up onto the mainstream alternative rock charts. Bastille played live last year […]

I have been following these guys for a few months. Hockey Dad are a duo from Australia and they are a nice mix of surf rock sprinkled with a tinge of shoegaze that is truly worth listening to. Hockey Dad came out with their debut EP Dreamin’ this past summer and ‘Seaweed’ is the second single off that release.  Their first single ‘I need […]