Album Review: Florry, ‘Sounds Like…’
If you’re looking for an album with the laid-back ease of a cozy sweater combined with the wonky Americana spirit of a speed-balling Dylan, then Florry’s latest record, Sounds Like… is for you. Hailing from Philadelphia’s DIY circuit, Florry makes the kind of tunes that could just as easily belong in 1975 as they could […]
2025 Dot to Dot Festival: Everything That Happened This Year
The Spring Bank Holiday is always a busy time for Bristol’s music scene. In the picturesque grounds of Ashton Court, 30,000 dance fans gathered for the city’s biggest festival, Love Saves The Day. To the south, beer festivals were in full swing. And for those who preferred their music eclectic— and ideally heard in a […]
Album Review: Pan Amsterdam, ‘Confines’
Album Review: Pan Amsterdam ‘Confines’ Words: Sam Walker-Smart It’s not every day that a near-middle-aged jazz trumpeter reinvents himself as a sardonic, genre-hopping rapper — but Leron Thomas, aka Pan Amsterdam, is no ordinary musician. With a résumé that includes collaborations with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and Robert Glasper, Amsterdam now splits his time between […]
Live Recap: Orchards + congratulations @ Exchange, Bristol
With summer seemingly arriving early in the UK and temperatures unusually soaring, stepping into the claustrophobic void of the Exchange felt jarring. I was here to feel a different kind of heat this Thursday night, the kind only a loud, sweaty double bill of Brighton-based acts could deliver. Known as a hub for great art, […]
Album Review: Tapeworms, ‘Grand Voyage’
It’s no secret that Y2K aesthetics have been making a comeback in music lately. In recent years, mismatched clothing, dangerously high platform shoes, and plastic accessories have paired with cartoonish synths and retro beats in the music of many Gen-Z acts. For someone like me, who experienced this the first time around, it feels a […]
Album Review: Great Grandpa, ‘Patience, Moonbeam’
On paper, separation, distance, and uncertainty don’t seem like a good recipe for creating music. Then again, indie rock band Great Grandpa thrives on crafting unusual songs with unpredictable twists and turns. Patience, Moonbeam is the Seattle outfit’s first album in six years, and it’s one they feared they’d never get to make. After the […]
Album Review: Divorce, ‘Drive To Goldenhammer’
For a debut album, Drive To Goldenhammer has surprisingly big shoes to fill. Since forming in 2021, Nottingham quartet Divorce has made an impression since day one. Every single they’ve dropped thus far has been, frankly, nothing but excellent. Their singular brand of impassioned alt-country earned national airplay and press from the get-go. Their busy […]
Album Review: Chase Petra, ‘Lullabies For Dogs’
Entering adulthood and all the confusion it brings are evergreen themes in music—and for good reason. Life isn’t always a cakewalk. Having played music together since they were literal children, Chase Petra’s Hunter Allen (vox/guitar) and Evan Schaid (drums) have quite literally grown up on stage. Joined by bassist/vocalist Brooke Dickson, Lullabies for Dogs captures […]
Live Recap: Heartworms @ The Thekla, Bristol
Photo Credit: Hal Fade With the fallow vibes of January now behind us, it’s refreshing to see Bristol’s live music scene spring back to life in recent weeks. No venue embodies the city’s maritime spirit quite like the iconic Thekla, a 424-ton, 173-foot former trading vessel that has hosted performances and club nights for over […]
Album Review: Heartworms, ‘Glutton For Punishment’
Flooded as we are with new artists and tunes daily, building genuine anticipation for an album release has become increasingly difficult. Even the biggest acts have resorted to surprise drops or short rollouts for new material. Our attention spans are shot, and the business model has changed to reflect that. So, why the preamble? To […]