From Belfast via Bristol, the whispery folk balladeering of Ryan McMurtry makes a light-hearted but lasting impression on his joyous new EP “Thoughts Like Birds”. Strings, brass, and backing vocals help to accentuate the true spirit of McMurtry’s dryly performed songs. Sacrificing energy for clarity, the pieces are delivered inContinue Reading
Embracing who we are in a world that rewards cookie-cutter copies of the herd is one of the significant challenges of adulthood. However, accepting and coming to love our shortcomings is one of the greatest pleasures awaiting those brave enough to ignore the status quo. Someone aware of this factContinue Reading
For a band that released 6 5-song EPs in 2022 (!!), Angeleno shoegaze outfit The Loud Bangs don’t sound spent on the finale Salvation Memorial Hospital. Shoegaze is the de facto ‘in’ genre of alternative music. The explosion of shoegaze bands may send millennials shouting cultural appropriation, but shoegaze mayContinue Reading
Being fragile in a world where stoicism is seen as the highest virtue is difficult. We are often forced to harden our soft inner nature to better fit society’s hard edges. And while fragile people can be beacons of light in our cruel world, showing us all the precious yetContinue Reading
Dash Hammerstein is an alternative folk singer from Brooklyn who upholds musical traditions while imbuing his songs with a modern perspective built around spiritual disenchantment and the absurd. His latest EP, “Time Travel – Hot Pretzel”, is a waggish and exciting take on coffeehouse folk, chamber pop and folktronica thatContinue Reading
Elon Musk wants to terraform Mars. He says this is to ensure the future survival of humanity but is there a better example of a ‘God complex’? Being responsible for creating literal worlds and the artificial manipulation of planets is a fascinating concept, but it exposes the darker ambitions ofContinue Reading
In 2015, professor Mark Hamilton from the University of Connecticut published a paper titled “Astrology as a culturally transmitted heuristic scheme for understanding seasonality effects: a response to Genovese (2014)”. It put forward that our zodiac signs are just a handy way for us to remember and quickly recall informationContinue Reading
Review by Liam Birch Oblivs are an indie-rock duo of Charlie Wilmoth and Andrew Slater, who also play in the band Fox Japan. The five songs across their latest EP “Managers” showcase an exciting immediacy and originality. “Up in the Air” sees a synth-sheened veneer superimposed over a confident,Continue Reading