Rough Edges, Real Times: The Indie Albums That Captured 2025’s Wild Energy
It feels like we’ve been saying this since 2016, but 2025 really did feel like another dumpster fire of a year. Political tensions sharpened, online noise reached new extremes, and the sense of living in a permanent instability became harder to shake. Everywhere you looked, people grew more polarized, more burnt out and scrambling to […]
Recap: LEISURE @ Thekla, Bristol
I went into LEISURE’s sold-out Bristol show at Thekla convinced it would be a fairly chilled affair—R&B-funk sounds that would provide a gentle glide into the weekend. What I got was the exact opposite—pure, unfiltered energy that transformed the entire room. Jackson Homer, a Midlands-based producer and DJ, kicked things off with warm, house-leaning grooves […]
Recap: Water From Your Eyes @ Strange Brew, Bristol
Strange Brew has a reputation for the unpredictable and the eclectic. From African funk to mind-bending electronica, it’s Bristol’s go-to stage for acts that defy convention. That character was on full display when Water From Your Eyes took over the venue on a particularly icy Tuesday night. A man with metal on his teeth screamed […]
Recap: Wet Leg Take Bristol by Storm with Infectious Anthems, Fierce Stage Presence, and Indie Fire
Wet Leg’s ascent shows no signs of slowing. After producing an instant indie classic with their debut single “Chaise Longue” in 2021, the Isle of Wight outfit has been on one hell of a rollercoaster. Hell, in the few weeks before this show, the band appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, received three Grammy nominations—including one […]
Recap: Mac DeMarco @ The Prospect Building, Bristol
There’s something fundamentally off about seeing Mac DeMarco on a soaking-wet evening in November. His slacker-rock catalog is built for hazy afternoons and sun-drenched loafing, after all. He’s one of the few artists who plays better in an easygoing festival slot than in a standalone show. With Storm Claudia rolling in and the rain absolutely […]
Album Review: Nusantara Beat, ‘Nusantara Beat’
Amsterdam’s music scene consistently punches above its weight in retro-inspired global sounds. Nusantara Beat’s self-titled debut album reinforces that reputation. Emerging from Amsterdam’s fertile psych-funk scene, the Indonesian-Dutch ensemble—including members from EUT, Jungle by Night, and Altin Gün—blends surf guitars, hypnotic percussion, and shimmering folk textures into music that feels both reverent and vibrantly alive. […]
Live Recap: Simple Things Festival 2025
With the holidays just around the corner, you’d think festival season was long over. But Bristol had one last gem to offer, and it didn’t disappoint my time or my wallet.. The Simple Things Festival started out as a multi-venue music event in Bristol’s city centre and has steadily grown into a sprawling celebration of […]
Album Review: Whitney, ‘Small Talk’
Whitney’s fourth album, Small Talk, marks a confident, self-produced leap forward for the Chicago duo. After years of collaborating with outside producers, Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek take full creative control, producing a sound that feels natural, spontaneous, and deeply aligned with their strengths. While it’s a compact project with just 11 tracks, its short-and-sweet […]
Recap: BC Camplight @ Electric Bristol
The first night of a tour can go either way—nervy and uneven or full of spark. BC Camplight’s show at Electric Bristol landed firmly in the latter. The Manchester-based songwriter (real name Brian Christinzio) launched his tour in support of A Sober Conversation—his best album yet and one of this year’s standouts—with a new band, […]
Album Review: Witch Fever, ‘FEVEREATEN’
Pressing play on FEVEREATEN feels like Witch Fever grabbing you by the collar and daring you to keep up. The Manchester four-piece have never been known for subtlety, but their second album raises the stakes— it’s louder, darker, and far more ambitious. If 2022’s Congregation was the sound of things kicking off, FEVEREATEN is the […]