reviews

European Apple fans have been eagerly awaiting this year's Apple Expo. As last year's event was cancelled, and most could not really warrant the cost of travelling to America, this year's Expo was the first major Apple-related date for Europeans in two years. There were of course a lot of product releases and newsworthy events at the Expo this year but attempting to document them all would be nigh on impossible, so I will now try to present my own personal highlights. Developing for the Macint...

There was excitement and enthusiasm in the air of MacExpo 2001, and there was a reason. Perhaps because Apple was exhibiting at a UK show for the first time in five years, or perhaps because Mac users currently have a lot to celebrate, there was one of the largest turnouts of visitors and exhibitors in the history of the show. In a time of economic downturn (especially in the computing market), Apple is one of the very few IT companies currently running at a profit. A major upgrade to an amazin...

To me Java is one of the most exciting and promising technologies of the past few years, but it's potential hasn't been reached in a lot of circles yet, especially in the consumer field. ThinkFree Office is an exceptional implementation of Java, being a multi platform MS Office compatible office suite. It runs on Windows Mac OS 9/X and varying flavours of UNIX, thus parts of the interface may seem a little un-Mac like but when you?re developing cross platform certain compromises must be taken....

Drawwell is a stripped down version of Workswell, so lets take a quick look at it's feature first and then focus on the extras in Workswell. Drawwell is a vector based illustration and DTP application, providing a vast array of easy to create objects from squares to shape bursts and doughnuts. All are easily modifiable through an inspector panel where you can set position, size, colours and textual content. Drawwell is Cocoa based, so you get all the features associated with OS X native applica...

Pinski Zoo consists of Steve Harris on Drums, Steve Iliffe on Keyboards, Karl Bingham and Stefan Kopinski on bass and Jan Kopinski on Saxophones. The band is more or less Jan Kopinski's brainchild, born of Polish and Irish origins his career spans from teaching to film score writing. The band as a whole has been performing on and off for 20 years gaining awards, critical acclaim and international recognition along the way. Not being a Jazz fan or expert (I'm not saying I don't enjoy the music,...

Rwanda is one of the many modern tragedies to have occurred in Africa, 1994 is a year that will permanently be etched into the memory of Rwandans, a year when within 3 moths over a million people were killed and the survivors left to fend for themselves despite their suffering and despair. Whilst I appreciate that this is one horror amongst a horror-filled world, this event has been widely overlooked by the worlds powers and the Rwanda Fund (<a href='https://www.rwandafund.org' target='_blank'>_...

Louis Eliot started his love affair with music at an early age, his influences spanning from the Wild Cornish countryside to the bohemia of Ladbroke grove with pretty much everything you could think of in-between. His career started in the early 90's with 'Kinky Machine', who's two albums achieved a reasonable degree of success before (Ironically) the band were overtaken by the likes of the very bands who'd supported them in the past, coupled with problems from their new label MCA, the core of...

Tonight was going to be strange from the outset, attending a gig staged by kids because they were influenced to do so by my (ex) band. The minute I entered I felt awkward and proud simultaneously as I heard the excellent 'Criminal Housewives' and their Sham69 fused cover of 'My Little Brother'. Following them were 'LeboviciAB84', 'The Sam Assortment' and 'Space Peacocks' with their Glam fashions, bouncy tunes and intriguing fusion of 'Formed a Band' and 'Modern Art' resulting in a motley stage...

Nestled amongst the headliners gear Simon Breed (and the Birthmarks) makes a 3-piece sound like anything from a 5 piece with full brass section to a lone voice. Captivating songs including obscenities aimed at problem bosses to beautiful ditties about Brotherly Love, Simon Breed takes the image of a man with an acoustic guitar and fucks it right up. Published in Fly Magazine, November 2005

First piece of advice to Bearsuit, Buy at least one Tuner between you, second, Play in time. Work on that and your shouty girl, whiny boy vocals, bloopy keyboards, fuzzy guitars, fun lyrics and cute look will show of your catchy melodies 1000 times better. There are plenty of bands in the pop-punk genre (most 5 years ago) so stand out from the rest by buying gear that works and stop being so damn cute. Published in Fly Magazine, December 2005

I started Aberfeldy's set in a grumpy mood, intentionally not wanting to enjoy their Scottish tinged Americana. Predominately because at their worst Aberfeldy are twee and twodlesome with songs about 70's fashions and late night TV presenters, which grates with me, but after three songs I was drawn into their happy go lucky world. Because at their best Aberfeldy pen pure slabs of sugar soaked pop, catchy, full of hooks, superb musicianship and loveably lyrics that are just too damn sweet to res...

The Fades return after a 6-month hiatus, refreshed and rewritten, their Modish riffage doesn't fit into the modern scene but I doubt they care. They are also at a distinct advantage that their new material is as good if not better than their older material, leaving some of the old favourites sounding a little tired and getting better crowd reactions. The Fades are back, long live the Fades. Published in Unpublished

Yo Zushi takes to the stage in a suit resembling a cross between an old school comedian and a golfer, producing a charming set of beautiful love songs and stories, Yo Zushi?ƒÙs smooth voice floating above the finely crafted bed of music. The set is pleasant if a little samey, in fact all a bit too nice, no grit, no balls, like a middle class Leonard Cohen. More ?ƒÚJolly Good?ƒÙ than soul searching stories of suffering. <a href='https://www.yozushi.net' target='_blank'>www.yozushi.net</a>...

I love Milkkan. They're wonderfully rough, ramshackle at times, but write such catchy, upbeat and lyrically impressive songs that you can forgive them, in the same way that the Libertines used to, but with less pretension. Milkkan have a similar root to their music to, not in style but in attitude. That sort of lovable Londoner, knees up, rough diamond with a heart of gold kind of manner. Their songs vary from hatred of A&R men (a common theme in songs at the moment...) to childish love songs a...

Wow! 28 Costumes are awesome! Catchy songs, with choruses that leave you singing until you're tucked up in bed. So tight, I don't think there was a single note out of place, and full of humour, a song breakdown that involves snoring noises is a new one on me. Bursting to the seams with character and good songs, 28 Costumes are a kick in the face to the pussy footing of lots of bands in the current music scene, definitely one to watch if the scene has any sense.<br><br><a href='https://www.28co...

3 skinny boys in black and a girl who resembles their teacher bash, screech and holler through a noisy bass led set. What a bass sound, (like an extreme Stranglers ?ƒÚBarracuda Bass?ƒÙ), blooping keyboards that occasionally emerge through the racket adding a perfect accompaniment to the chaos, bound by a tight but messy drummer and capped with inaudible vocals and guitar. It?ƒÙs rough, they need another 6 months of rehearsals, but at the heart is genius waiting to be realised. <a href='h...

Ladyfuzz's press releases don't say much, they let the music tell you everything you need to know. Kerfuffle sounds like the band listened to all the hip and cool music from the past year, rolled it all into one and made something that sounded a thousand times better than any of the sub standard, carbon copy angular guitars, pseudo disco beat claptrap rip off bands doing the rounds. Their beats are original and boom and throb, the guitars are sharp, the bass heavy and rumbling, the vocals in th...

Ludes sound messy and ear splittingly loud tonight, but with upbeat music comprising equal parts ska, strut, swing and old style dirty rock & roll, a full barfly is pulsating with sweaty bodies and beats. The singer's in the crowd, the guitarists are all over the place, the drummer's wild and the crowd are spilling pints on each other, any band who can get most of a London venue dancing on a Tuesday night deserves respect. Published in Fly magazine, May 2006

'Hustle' Describes Jeff's voice very accurately, it gently ambles about, not looking like it's up to much, but generally seedy, occasionally sneaking up on you and taking you by surprise. The music fluctuates somewhere between laid back acoustic strumming to mellow soundscapes and even venturing into cool electronica at times, in another twist of synchronicity the album artwork of paisley patterns, cigarettes and out of focus women sums up the whole sound well, appealing, but leaves you feeling...

I have a rule, I always give bands 3 songs before I decide whether to stay or not, I have been to a lot of the gigs, and this was the first time I have ever walked out before the 3 song limit. I didn't get it, was I missing something? The band took ages to set up, then sounded like a 6th form Punk band learning to play with each other. As I left I heard people asking for their money back and others telling them 'Oh, give him (Dan Treacy) a chance, he's had a hard time… That may be true, but if...

Awwblot (for short) are an extremely competent and confident 5 piece from Worcester, who take the increasingly popular dual boy/girl vocals trick and fortunately aren't irritating. This 4 track EP has its ups and downs, the lead track, Dance, Damn you, dance is an anthem in the making showing off all the bands lyrical and musical talent in one convenient package. The problem with an outstanding track on a CD is that it makes the others, whilst perfectly fine in their own right, not seem so stro...

I can't quite figure out if Betty Curse is the next (Glam Metal) Avril Lavigne or if she's doing this seriously, and with collaborations from 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster and Little Hell I'm still not sure. Either way the album promises to be a great head banger of an album, loud powerful guitars, and lyrics about blood, relationships, being young and religion. All the Goth Kids in Camden Town now have a new figure head, I foresee a London Astoria all ages show within 6 months and Charing Cros...

She's had a strange life, and as would be expected has produced a strange album. Having worked with artists from diverse musical backgrounds from Country to Hip Hop and classical composers and a long term recovery from Illness has helped produce a dark and twisted but equally beautiful album. Sandy's voice is one of the strangest I've ever heard, it is almost childlike, the only comparison I can draw is to the female psychic investigator in Poltergeist(!), high pitched, but gravely and full of...

Whilst I raved about The Bishops for some time, I've always written them off as being fairly light hearted and their lyrics straightforward. After listening to their forthcoming single my opinion has changed, their lyrics may be simple but are extremely dark, it's a very misleading combination of upbeat music and downbeat lyrics. The Bishops sound and style is unmistakably 60's influenced, but with a very modern twist, I'm not entirely sure what that twist is, but it makes the sound theirs, the...

The Boyfriends have never been know as the cheeriest of bands, and with their newly confirmed Morrissey support, they're not putting and end to that reputation. Adult Acne is in a similar vein to previous material, Martin Wallace's vocals floating above a wall of sometimes jangling, sometime crashing guitars, a slightly funkier than normal bass line and fairly unobtrusive drums. I couldn't quite catch all the lyrics, but I gather the songs probably about being ignored and overlooked, a good old...

The Angular Recording corporation built it's reputation on doing what it felt like doing, and putting out bands who had a similar attitude, so it's a shame that this single from The Lodger is a little generic. The a-side is pleasant enough, a catchy tune and quite danceable, the b-side, sweet with some nice harmonies, but it doesn't grab me. Though admittedly the more I listen to the single, the more I like it, a grower. <a href='https://www.thelodger.net' target='_blank'>www.thelodger.net</a>...

The hoodie wearing kids are dancing and shouting, arms in the air as their self appointed spokesman for the night simultaneously castrates and celebrates the US pop and sub-pop cultures they embrace. The hecklers at the back are drowned out by his tight and hard rocking band and his witty hip-hop rhymes, we leave with a smile on our faces and sweat on our backs. In the words of the man himself, That's Fresh! <a href='https://www.mclars.com' target='_blank'>www.mclars.com</a> Published in Fly...

Balls is the BFB's third release, and usually by the third album bands are starting to mellow, The BFB seem to be going completely in reverse getting rockier as they release more, not that their going to be donning Leathers and playing the Download festival any time soon. Balls is more direct than previous releases, the tracks are shorter, they kick in quicker and are more danceable. However fear not, the same Alt-country roots are still there, the same Jet black dark and arrogant lyrics still...

I'm not sure quite why I like this, the lyrics are very repetitive, in fact even the same lyrics repeated over and over again, but it's simple and catchy, it sticks in your head in a nice mellow if slightly eccentric kind of way. What more could you want from a song? <a href='https://www.jimnoir.com' target='_blank'>www.jimnoir.com</a> Published in Maps Magazine

Sol Seppy holds the stage like an entranced group of Children intrigued and delighted by their toys, their playmates and the noises they are making. The predominant lack of percussion in the intertwining melodies produces a cathartic dream like feeling, the crowed are invited and captivated, drawn into the bands' private world for half an hour, sharing the beautiful soundscapes produced. The band finish, the crowd cries for more, but we're back in the real world now and the night must carry on....

This is The Playwrights first proper release, plagued by bad luck and misfortune, it's been a long time coming and the sense of dissatisfaction and listlessness is evident. Songs like Why We've become invisible, Fear of open spaces, Dislocated and Where the stress falls are full of lyrics brimming with frustration of provincial and everyday living, the draw and darkness of big towns. The music is incredibly frantic, complementing the lyrics perfectly, the drums rattle about, somehow holding it...

Who's a Terrorist now? is one of the best tracks I heard this year, raucous, scathing, and teeming with aggression and hard-edged passion, everything a track should have in my opinion. The B-Side In Good Time isn't quite as raucous, and some of the lyrics are a little cheesy and cliched, but it's still an excellent track with an awesome guitar line and a glorious sing-a-long chorus. Definately a band to watch for, they will be big. <a href='https://www.scullyofficial.com' target='_blank'>www.s...

I always try very very hard not to reference other bands in reviews, but there is one so blindingly obvious reference point in V//Formations' sound that I have to use it. The Pixies, I'm not even sure that this will mean anything to the band, but there's the same caterwauling vocals, the same rolling bass lines and the same discordant guitars. However V//Formation are like the aforementioned band in (what I imagine they sounded like) their early days, darker, rougher, full of more spit and veno...

There's quite a lot of this shouty, shouty, fast guitars, pseudo-disco drums stuff about at the moment. All a bit manic, songs structures that never really have any choruses or middle eights, just 3 minutes of loudness, there's probably some sort of ridiculously named sub genre, but I don't know what it is. The Scare have a fair pop at it, the singer's voice is quite often more mental than most of his peers, at times descending into odd screeches and wails, but the problem is the lack of dynami...

Marissa Nadler is an artist hard to judge on just two tracks. Marissa has an incredible voice, the sort of voice that could, with the right oppputunities and a lot of luck become a classic voice. Her range and emotion are incredible, sucking you right in to the beautiful melodies and this is why two tracks are not enough, I don't want it to end yet, I want more.<br><br><a href='https://www.marissanadler.com' target='_blank'>www.marissanadler.com</a> Published in Maps Magazine

Sorry, this is horrible, bloody disco beats all over the place for no real reason, stupid inane lyrics about taping a TV program and irritating Xylophone plastered over the top of some horrendously recorded tinny guitars. It's not a bad song, it has a catchy chorus, I'd just like to take the band, rearrange the song, strip it down and rerecord the whole thing to make the hooks audible and less grating. <a href="https://www.winterkidsmusic.com" target="_blank">www.winterkidsmusic.com</a> Publi...

The show of a skilled solo artist is the ability to fill a room with your sound and presence, and whilst The Social is a small venue, Findlay fills all corners of the room admirably. His melodies and harmonies are haunting but beautiful, filling you with an enormous sense of calm and stillness. At the end of his set he quietly finishes and disappears into the room, his unassuming manner unaware of his effect on the audience.<br><br><a href='https://www.findlaybrown.com' target='_blank'>www.find...

The two tracks on Pink Grease's forthcoming offering has a wonderful tension throughout both tracks. The lyrics to Ordinary girl ooze with an impassioned plea, for what who don't know, but it's very effective! Hate has a similar feel, it's tension supplied by a confession of sorts, a claustrophobic outburst against the world or perhaps more personal. One thing's for sure, Pink Grease have thrown aside their lighter past for a new darker outlook on the world and a tighter sound to fulfil it, goo...

These are songs for summer, beautiful close melodies, upbeat harmonies and wonderful lyrical couplets. But the weather outside is confused, and so seemingly is the band, the sound is not brilliant, everyone looks constantly surprised and lost. However it comes across as charming, complimenting the music well and Jim Noir get away with it. <a href='https://www.jimnoir.com' target='_blank'>www.jimnoir.com</a> Published in Maps Magazine

The ill informed might term Scully Ska, Lad Rock or some other such badge. Scully are the sound of frustration and displeasure with the arseholes and idiots that constantly ruin lives. They are the sound of celebrating the pleasures and excesses in life, and it all comes right in the end, usually in a big sing-a-long chorus. Scully are the sound of real life. <a href='https://www.scullyofficial.com' target='_blank'>www.scullyofficial.com</a> Published in Maps Magazine

The predominant problem for me (especially being a southerner) with jangly guitar bands singing with Northern accents, is that they all start to sound very similar, It's an unfair comment especially in You and the Atom Bomb's case. The two tracks on this single sound like different bands, which in my opinion, is a good thing. Track one is a fast-paced blistering riff led rant about and celebration of bad landlords and cheap rentals, track two a more laid back, melancholic affair about boy watch...

Strange, the 4 tracks on this Camera sampler are a little MOR for my usual tastes, but I kind of like them, in a mellow, sitting back with a bottle of beer and gently sighing kind of way. Some nice harmonies and tunes trip away with nowhere special to go, along comes another song and so it goes. In their rockier moments, Camera start to get more interesting, bring on the rock boys! <a href='https://www.cameratheband.com' target='_blank'>www.cameratheband.com</a> Published in Maps Magazine

Great album title! Televise really aren't my thing, but I get the feeling that if shoe-gazing music is your thing, then they'd be pretty ace, so I'm not going to write a review of them, and just tell you to take a listen... If you want to. <a href='https://www.televiseband.co.uk' target='_blank'>www.televiseband.co.uk</a>

Thanks to bands like The Editors and the Departure there seems to an ever increasing amount of bands making effects laden, sound-like-they're-playing-in-a-cave albums, full of big guitars and echoing vocals. So whilst At the Lake may not be particularly original they have a damn good go at the sound, with some excellent guitar riffs, great choruses and oodles of reverb of course! <a href='https://www.atthelake.co.uk' target='_blank'>www.atthelake.co.uk</a>

The Voices are not the sort of band I'd normally go for; I gather they call it Shoe-gazing, basically lots of noise, not much structure, just repeated, building patterns. However, there's something about The Voices that pulls me in, firstly I guess I'm impressed by the noise they make for a three piece, there's also something wonderfully calming and ethereal about the tracks on this album, they wash over you, enveloping your senses, and forcing you to just stop and listen. An excellent soothing...

Somewhere in the recent months of the live music explosion, Indie music seems to have separated into two camps, thoughtful, clever, rocking music and music to bounce around to. Larrikin Love fall squarely into the later category, the kids love them, bounding and shouting around like idiots to pretty much every song, the band can do no wrong with their odd Indie-Ska-Gipsy crossover. However hooks and structure seem hard to find in their songs, everything rumbles along in the same vein with no re...

The Scare look out of it tonight, perhaps they would be a tighter band if they weren't off their heads, but they wouldn't be the Scare if they were sober. A big, loud, sometimes wonderful mess of heavy rock, new wave and egotistical posturing, riffs that fly around like there's no tomorrow and a seething mass of sweaty bodies. This is pure rock and roll, it may not always be pretty, but who ever said it should be. <a href='https://www.thescare.net' target='_blank'>www.thescare.net</a> Publish...

Not the most interesting of Findlay Brown's material, but this is a commercial single after all. This is sad stuff; a haunting beauty, subtle intertwining melodies, an amazing silky smooth voice, the makings of greatness, but not a storming chart success. <a href='https://www.findlaybrown.com' target='_blank'>www.findlaybrown.com</a> Published in Maps Magazine

Apparently this song has appeared all over some sort of Football programming... Having no interest in Football, I cannot verify this. However the title track of this single is another mellow, slightly childish bouncy offering from Jim Noir, his unique lyrical style again fully evident and his wonderfully repetitive but never dull melodies in full flow. Not as inspiring as his last single outing, but still an artist doing completely his own thing and making a damn good go of it. <a href='https:...

Sorry Roland Shanks, you've been around a while, maybe you were one of the first to do it, but if I hear another disco-beat-rumbling-bass-line-shouty-singer band, I'm going to scream very loudly. Maybe Roland Shanks have got more interesting songs, in fact the B-side even hints at that fact, and I know you're a bunch of down to earth guys, but don't just jump on the band wagon to try and get into the singles chart, or (possibly) to be more precise, don't let your label push you onto the band wa...

Snowfight in the City Centre are yet another band who of late seem to be wearing the big sound shoes. Slow burning anthemic numbers, lots of instruments, probably a string section if they could afford one. A little outdated and not to everyone's taste, but not too overindulgent, which is a good thing. <a href='https://www.snowfight.net' target='_blank'>www.snowfight.net</a> Published in Maps Magazine

Every time Jeremy Warmsley releases something new his style seems to change, is he a creative genius full of thousands of ideas or just a little indecisive? I promise is a melancholic little ditty, gentle tip-tapping drums, acoustic guitars, plink-plonking melodies and wistful romantic lyrics. It wont set the world on fire but it could set a few romances alight. <a href='https://www.jeremywarmsley.com' target='_blank'>www.jeremywarmsley.com</a> Published in Maps Magazine

The Immediate's careful and beautifully crafted melodies are somewhat lost in the echoes of a half empty Scala tonight. These are pop songs of the highest calibre, the kind that would be critically acclaimed and incredibly commercially successful if handled correctly. The band are already winning over the 7.30 crowd tonight, give them 6 months and the Immediate will be everywhere. <a href='https://www.myspace.com/theimmediate' target='_blank'>www.myspace.com/theimmediate</a> Published in Maps...

The Noisettes formed as the band they are now in the wilds of South East London at the infamous Brits school in Croydon less than three years ago. Consisting of Shingai on vocals and bass, Dan on guitar and Jamie on drums, the band rapidly rehearsed and recorded their debut 4-track EP, Three moods of the Noisettes, releasing it in Summer 2004, the band then went on to receive critical acclaim and some lucrative support slots with the likes of Babyshambles and Mystery Jets. But that makes them...

I've been aware of the Needles for some time, this album has been a while in the making and it gives the feeling that the songs were possibly written over a long period of time; it's a schizophrenic sounding album. Some songs are straight ahead power rock songs, others reminiscent of 60's ballads whilst others are more contemporary sounding rock songs. Therein lies the problem, the more contemporary sounding and the fast, frantic rock songs are the highlights, things start to tire around the mi...

There's an odd sound and feeling to Winterkids' single, track one seems to be veering dangerously to sounding like an early 90's baggy anthem, whilst the b-side is doing a very good impression of a pop-heavy-rock hit which would get the 13 year olds in baggy jeans and hoodies moshing like mad. Throughout both the tracks the vocal has some horrible production on it, it's so compressed and so saturated with reverb it's a real effort to listen to, this is what gives both the tracks the odd sound t...

I love Awwblot? They're an excellent live band and their last EP had some of the best dance floor fillers I've heard for a while. Which is why I don't understand this release. There's one recorded track, which isn't one of their best, and two live tracks, which aren't some of their best either. The lyrics are repetitive and the music doesn't show off their incredibly tight, catchy and cleverly arranged pop tunes at all. Don.t lose your way so early boys and girls... <a href='https://www.awwblo...

This is good stuff, very rough, but very inventive and showing a lot of potential future promise. Songs that are self aware of the ridiculousness and trials and tribulations of the music business have always been a winner and this demo deals with this and other issues admirably, The Death of a band due to constant touring and lack of money, teen scenesters and troublesome girlfriends. Lyrical genius over a solid wall of music, it needs work but watch this space, as Billy Ruffian will be at the...

Bonnie Prince Billy, William Higham, Palace Music... Is an artist who is something of a cult genius to has fans and admirers, but to outsiders, someone who's appeal has always been hard to fully understand and comprehend, this album has done something to address that opinion. The songs are all fairly similar, a country / folk crossover, sparse, usually just guitar and vocals, occasionally an accompanying percussionist, instrument or vocal. Lyrically Bonnie Prince Billy Is typically fairly downb...

An odd choice for a single, quite slow, dark and fairly bitter lyrics, not exactly something to set the dance floors across the land alight. The B-side is in a similar vein both tracks are awash with brooding, building melodies, always restricted, always maintaining tension that never quite releases, haunting harmonies and waves of reverb soaked instruments adding to the melancholic majesty of it all. <a href='https://www.doloroso.co.uk/' target='_blank'>www.doloroso.co.uk</a> Published in Ma...

I try to avoid mentioning other artist's names as much as possible in reviews, but after just reviewing the new Bonnie Prince Billie album the similarity in style is so close I had to check I was listening to the right CD on several occasions. To be fair James Yorkston's voice is different and there's less of a country influence on his music, but melodically the songs are in the same melancholic, downbeat, lamenting vein played over a bed of gentle acoustic guitar and occasional accompaniment....

Yee Gods, why are people still making, releasing or most crucially sending people like me such middle of the road Funk-Soul Ballads?! To be more constructive, it's well played, catchy and well structured songs, but sounds like late 70's pop music. Chiming vibraphones, a singer who's probably clicking his fingers whilst singing, string backings and falsetto middle eights. If you like this sort of thing then I'm sure it's great, but sadly the Beauty room are not my musical cup of tea at all. <a...

It's always hard to judge a band on one track, but on the basis of this one I'd like to reiterate a statement to VWF and many, many other bands I have been making fairly frequently over the past few months... Please, please, please no more disco beats for the hell of it! Yes they make people dance, but there are other ways to do that. I say this in relation to VWF because they sound like a band who'd rather be playing some sort of ska/rock-riffage crossover, and whilst that might not be 100% or...

Betty Curse is one my guilty pleasure, I really shouldn't enjoy her music, she's obviously contrived, manufactured, she even admits it, maybe that's why I like her so much. There's something about the paint by numbers Glam-Pop-Rock that's just so damn appealing and fun. Something about the glammed up sense of pleasure, the ever so slightly silly and tongue in cheek lyrics so clearly written for Teenage Outsiders to sing along to. Maybe because it's not aimed at me and I can see the music for wh...

My first words on Camera were that they were a little too middle of the road for my tastes and that I looked forward to hearing more on any forthcoming albums. Sadly the album doesn't contain any more of the rock I was looking forward to but it is a pleasant enough album, and the first few tracks are uplifting and get the foot tapping, but slowly as the album progresses the songs tend to have the same feel and sound and disappear into the background, which is never a good thing. It needs a litt...

If you are, or have ever been a jilted lover, pinning after an ex flame, frustrated by your situation and difficulty in moving on, then Join Dan Sartain. Currently undergoing similar feelings the album strikes a deep chord with me. Dan's wonderful twanging accent spits bitter, lamenting lyrics over a bed of reverb soaked electric guitar and minimal bass and drums. The albums got death, love, pain and suffering, a must for all melancholics everywhere, embrace your new leader. <a href='https://w...

Sounding equal parts new wave solo artists and post grunge acoustic artist (Think Nirvana's Unplugged in New York if that makes no sense) this is a riotous rollercoaster sort of an album. Some tracks big and wonderfully over produced with too many instruments crashing about and (unfortunately) Jay's voice incredibly badly EQ'd and swimming with effects whilst others are quiet, delicate and heartfelt, stripped down and bare. Thus the album is a little disjointed and schizophrenic, but also keeps...

On the few dates I caught Kate live I found her absolutely enchanting and I can't even say exactly why. I think I'm a sucker for that sort of artist who quietly slinks onto a stage with no sort of presence whatsoever, an almost apologetic charm, and as soon as they start to sing the room stops to watch what is going on. Her voice is smooth but with rough overtones, most likely a natural talent with no training and whilst her guitar lines are simple and fairly similar across songs they complimen...

There's something of a melodious beauty to the tracks on Into the blue again, so much so that a majority of the tracks are purely instrumentals. It?ƒÙs laid back, the usual band line up supplemented with strings, vibes, keyboards, samples and multiple vocalists. The songs are slow building, with layers of instruments and harmony gradually added as opposed to straightforward verse, chorus, verse chorus. A calming and peaceful album full of inspiring melody, it's the sort to return to after a h...

I don't seem to the only one noticing that whilst the mainstream rock circles are getting progressively louder, fuzzier and dischordant, there's an increasing amount of fantastic mellower more subtle artists rapidly appearing on the scene. This is an excellently compiled album featuring tracks from the likes of Dan Sartain, Simon Breed and Gemma Ray that all contribute to creating a well balanced and superb compilation for those wanting something a little quieter, but by no means calmer, altern...

I've never really been a fan or understood the appeal of Bright Eyes, so a collection of rarities and unreleased tracks was never something I was going to be taken with. I don't like his funny warbling voice or his lyrics, the music's alright, but nothing special, to be short, I don't get it. The tracks on this album are probably for hardcore fans only, some being poorly recorded, whilst others are not going to be his best material, otherwise they would heave been released already. For a comple...

I was expecting Brinkman to be heavier for some reason, maybe something to do with the name, the label, the song title, who knows why. The band is in fact a fairly laid back melodious three piece. The lead track a lamenting ode to the unrequited love of a Hollywood starlet a task the band manages to carry out without sounding like sordid stalkers. The B-side Harlesden is an equally harmonious ditty dedicated to life in one of London's less salubrious suburbs. I look forward to hearing more. <a...

IV Thieves have been listening to too much Britpop, which isn't a bad thing, but last time I checked the Britpop revival hadn't arrived yet, so I'm not sure what the band are aiming for. Sounding like a big old mix up of the better and lesser known bands from the aforementioned era rolled into one, they produce a good mix of jangly guitar chords, appregiated breaks, a whining vocalist, and of course, tambourines. <a href='https://www.myspace.com/ivthieves' target='_blank'>www.myspace.com/ivthi...

Mattafix sound like the prevalent Ragga/Reggae/Pop lite that used to bother the charts in the early 90's, I'm not entirely sure who this is aimed at these days. The CD has one A-side and then seven remixes of the same track which is a little self indulgent, some sound no different, whilst others sound nothing like the main track. I gather the band are popular in parts of Europe and amongst warmer climates such as South Africa and Australasia, but sadly in rainy Britain, they're not for me. <a...

New Rhodes have been floating around the peripherals of various music scenes for several years, always being associated with each one, but never quite part of any of them. Is the time right for them yet? This single isn't a marked change in direction or style for the band, the same melodious laid back jangly guitar rock, nice vocals, nice tunes, nice boys. It wont set the world alight, but New Rhodes till maintain their own little place in the UK music scene. <a href='https://www.newrhodes.com...

The Answer, for some reason, sounded like they were going to be a mod band, I should imagine that if the Answer ever met a Mod band, a fight would probably ensue, being a Heavy blues rock act of the finest order. Not usually my cup of tea, but they;re so damn good at it with poodle perms, riffs aplenty, reverb soaked vocals and solos all over the shop, in fact everything you could want out of a good old fashioned slice of Rock and Roll action. <a href='https://www.theanswerband.com' target='_b...

Sorry, I really can't stand this overproduced US Punk Metal crap, that pretends to be from the street and honest, but sounds like it's produced with all the best equipment available, heavy computer processing and a multi thousand dollar budget. Oh, and it all sounds the same. <a href='https://www.zebrahead.tv' target='_blank'>www.zebrahead.tv</a>

Very rarely does everything come together in a perfect compliment of personalities and musical abilities. Songs full of humour and razor sharp wit entices the audience and the brilliant harmonies, funky bass lines and drums keep them dancing and smiling for the sets' duration. The band leave the stage to rapturous applause and on comes another generic indie band, most of the crowd follow through the door. <a href="https://www.myspace.com/blahblahblahandfriends" target="_blank">www.myspace.com/...

With a name like Bass Clef, it was never going to be Fay Indie rock was it? Marvellous dark dub with fat (phat?) synth bass lines, frantic beats and eerie vocal snippets, each track melding into the next in an hour long slab of inventive dance music, a little repetitive in places, but hey, that's the point.

Not a solo artist as the name may suggest, but a New Wave band hailing from New York, and damn it for one track samplers, I like what I hear, but it's not enough to get a fully fledged opinion. Some ubiquitous disco beats and funky bass lines but they simply can't be escaped at the moment, so might as well accept them. Clever dual boy / girl vocals and a great sparse sound filled out with some clever arrangements. Oh and of course they look great to, but that doesn't matter, does it. <a href='...

A difficult album to review, it starts with a handful of beautifully crafted songs, resplendent in gentle guitar picking and breathy vocals. Then some rockier numbers with awesome jagged guitars, then it all gets a little dull and my attention is lost and distracted to other things. A great shame, it starts so well. <a href='https://www.iainarcher.co.uk' target='_blank'>www.iainarcher.co.uk</a>

This is one of the best singles I've heard all year, from the quiet, delicate passages to the ear splittingly overdriven choruses of Violence, to the heartfelt orchestra backed Morning Music and the beautiful harmonies on Tiny Flower, an amazing single that shows the brilliant diverse talent of a promising artist. <a href='https://www.rosekemp.co.uk' target='_blank'>www.rosekemp.co.uk</a> Published in Maps Magazine

An eclectic and eccentric bunch, The Hidden Cameras are a bunch of ever evolving Canadians, doing crazy things and not really fitting in. Awoo possesses that clever feel a lot of Canadian music has, fast, frantic lyrics full of witticism and sung in a deep, throaty voice, twinkling, jangling guitars, keyboards and sparkling strings offsetting the vocal style beautifully. Personally though I prefer the B-side, Why I understand, it's more upbeat, more in your face, but does sound like it was made...

I've been familiar with the Pipettes for quite a while, watching their fluctuating line-ups and increasing fortunes, this is one of their older songs and the first time I've heard their material in new slicker recording form. It's lost the Punky-Girl-Pop edge they used to posses but lyrically is still of the bitchy, biting ilk the Pipettes do so well. It's a short song, a few verses, and a few choruses and then over, a sweet slice of Pop one which poses the question I constantly ask with the Pi...

The Drill Hall is more used to holding Jazz concerts, theatre and comedy performances, this is the first 'Indie' night to be held at the 600 capacity venue but the young crowd are more than making up for the small attendance, constantly dancing, singing along and shouting for more. The Hot Puppies also do an incredible job filling the hall with their grand sound, songs with big sweeping choruses, impassioned female led vocals (a crooner for the rock generation if you like), a pounding drummer a...

Chapter 24's intriguing mix of 60's beat combo, jazz and breakbeat drums is the perfect crazy emotional and musical rollercoaster soundtrack to a late Saturday afternoon. Bridging the gap between lethargically recovering from Friday's hangover to bracing yourself for doing it all over again. Raw and rough round the edges but with hearts and ideas in the right place. <a href='https://www.myspace.com/chapter24' target='_blank'>www.myspace.com/chapter24</a> Published in Fly Magazine, October 200...

A bubble machine is on stage pumping into the audience, a strobe flashing near the drum kit as the 7 members of Delta Mainline awkwardly squash onto the small stage in front of an already warmed up audience. The venue is too small for their big sound, occasionally hard to define and losing distinction when the whole band is in full swing. Delta Mainline create big epic slabs of noise, building multiple layers of melodies and noise and for the most part without becoming too self-indulgent. Vocal...

The front row is a mixed bag of hard rockers and country fans intently listening to the similar mix emitting from the stage. A constantly pulsating and alluring cellist, a rake-like singer who conjures an incredible voice from the depths of somewhere not pleasant, a pounding bass player built like a tank and the tallest drummer ever seen build a dark world around them, dragging the crowd in, willing or not. <a href='https://www.murderbydeath.com' target='_blank'>www.murderbydeath.com</a> Publ...

I've been following the musical exploits of Ben and Chris for a fair few years as they morphed from their old band (Tempertwig) to this new two-piece. Unlike other two pieces Nosferatu D2 don't rely on heavy overdrive, effects or production to pad out the sound, just the same guitar sound all the way through, one vocal and some of the most amazing frantic drumming I've ever heard. Lyrically it's dark stuff, rejection, being let down, laments to lost youth and scathing commentaries on suburban l...

Mira Calix makes no excuse at this being an Art Installation of sorts, an experiment in musical boundaries rather than song writing. Whilst it's all very interesting, I hate to sound narrow minded but I'm old fashion, I like songs, verses, choruses and bits that you want to whistle, an hour of noise is not my idea of fun. There is the occasional beautiful moment, but there's too much fiddling around, too much indulgence and lack of structure for my tastes.<a href='https://www.miracalix.com' tar...

Somewhere buried beneath all The Disco Beat crap and Indie-Fop rubbish that plagues the current music scene is an encouraging and burgeoning army of Singer-Songwriters with something to say. Clayton Blizzard is one of it's finest exponents, his lyrics are incredible, he raps, he sings, he improvises, but unlike some of his contemporaries, he can write original tunes, played with skill and ease on his acoustic guitar. He speaks the truth with a dose of un naive reality, the residents of Notting...

Despite a name influenced by wondrous family fantasy romp, Willow the band are yet another overproduced slab of boring American influenced trite. I barely noticed the tracks change from one to the other, I was just glad when it was all over. <a href='https://www.thedykeenies.com' target='_blank'>www.thedykeenies.com</a> Published in Unpublished

ULU is full of sweat, teenage hormones and casual day time radio listeners, Jingle jangle and the kids all dance, Uh Oh and the kids all chant, but there's something fundamentally important missing, where are the songs? The Maccabees set is like one long yawn, lots of nice sounding chords all strung together, where are the verses, the choruses, the hooks, the ups, the downs? Where's the stage show, the presence? Where's the Rock & Roll? <a href='https://www.themaccabees.co.uk' target='_blank'>...

When I first listened to this CD I wanted to slate it completely, sounding like a horrendous hash of all my least favourite current musical genres, including Emo, disco-beat shit, Jingle-Jangle Indie Fop and obligatory Northern accents (not that there's anything wrong with that, it just seems that the Industry is almost looking for them!). Whilst there is a little too much of all of the aforementioned genres in Dartz!'s sound I'm glad I gave it a second listen as beneath all the spine chilling...

Despite a promising album name and some splendid song titles such as Let the Blind lead the Blind and Talentless Fuck this album on the whole pretty is terrible. There is too much Emo crap at the moment and far too much Disco beat nonsense (I keep saying this over and over again, I feel like I'm repeating myself far too much!) so why the hell combine the two! Commercial success I guess. <a href='https://www.divedive.co.uk' target='_blank'>www.divedive.co.uk</a> Published in Music Towers

With a name like Duke Garwood I was hoping for some low down dirty blood, guts and spit blues, which this release is to a certain extent, but with an off-kilter, lo-fi edge. However too many times on the album you're left wanting tunes with direction and more of Duke's soulful, gritty voice and less meandering music that sounds mostly improvised, it all starts to drag after a few tracks <a href='https://www.dukegarwood.co.uk' target='_blank'>www.dukegarwood.co.uk</a> Published in Maps Magazin...

I seem to have been sent an abundance of random noise albums recently, I don't quite understand the point of recording an album of meandering melodies that don't really go anywhere. All very nice and pleasant, and a smattering of pretty melodies, but all to no avail. <a href='https://www.ellisislandsound.free.fr' target='_blank'>www.ellisislandsound.free.fr</a> Published in Unpublished

Elements of Orphan Boy sound similar to many other bands currently on the bandwagon, some elements are even cringingly similar. Thankfully there seems to be a little more to the band. Firstly they poses an aggressive rawness presently lacking in so many bands, frantic, shouted lyrics on the Dull mundanity of life, great crashing guitar chords and driving instrumentals. If only more bands of this genre could be as imaginative. <a href="https://www.orphanboy.co.uk" target="_blank">www.orphanboy....

Rose Kemp's Live shows are phenomenal, such an expression filled and fuelled singer coupled with a tight proficient band make for a blistering combination. Rose Kemp's Debut single, Violence was a particular favourite of mine, a brooding builder it was one of my favourite singles of last year. Hand Full of Hurricane contains some incredible tracks; Rose Kemp's voice soars in Rock Majesty and drops into serene heart felt moments. The music cleverly arranged, played and produced with skill and th...

10 minutes spent playing an E chord, ear splitting and ostentatious guitar solos and more posing than you care to shake a stick at are a few of the elements delighting a packed and buzzing Water Rats Tonight. Imagine part Led Zeppelin, part LSD from 'The Producers' (The original film) and part Menswe@r and you're half way to a rough idea of knowing what a night with Pop Levi is like. Published in Fly Magazine, March 2007

Collaborations seem to be becoming increasingly popular, varying from perfect pairings to just plain embarrassing, this release is somewhere in-between. The first few tracks are brilliant; especially 'Live with me' that not only features Mark Lanegan on vocals sounding like the ghost of Johnny Cash, but is also a cover of a Massive Attack song. Tracks 2 and 3 are also wonderful dark laments, full of brooding bass lines and discordant chords, from here on the music remains fairly interesting and...

I'm instantly suspicious of bands who try to make themselves sound a lot more interesting than they really are, if you've got nothing to say or it's too early in your career to have anything interesting to say on a press release, then just keep it simple, let the music talk for itself. Fortunately in the Vice's case the music does a fair job of this, despite being a low key and budget release. The band's sound is currently schizophrenic as they find their voice, fusing a few 'fashionable' style...

Proficient debut demo from London five piece for those who remember the sweeter and more melodious side of Britpop and have since got jobs, got lives and grown up? A bit. <a href=https://www.myspace.com/arcturian target=_blank>www.myspace.com/arcturian</a> Published in Unpublished

Despite my suspicions that Big Strides may have a lot of money behind them (headlining the Electric Ballroom already?) this is a brilliant single. Each track has a different style from bluesy-funk to mellow Ballad, un yet still possessing a similar feel and sound, all superbly captured and recorded. Three boys to watch out for. <a href=https://www.bigstrides.net target=_blank>www.bigstrides.net</a> Published in Angry Ape

IV Thieves last single, Day is a Downer received a fairly muted response from me and after listening to If We Can't Escape My Pretty it was a definite case of too few tracks to properly judge a band, the album is awesome, unrelenting, rock and riffs fill it from start to finish. Three of the Four Thieves take turns on lead vocals which leads to a variable if slightly schizophrenic feel to the album, albeit with a John Lennon-esque delivery at their core. Each vocal seems to be complimented perf...

Why are so many recent bands from America so gangly? And why do they all seem to wear the same T-shirt's and shoes? And why do the drummers always have masses of curly hair? Anyway, after conjuring up images of generic American bands, Low vs. Diamond's sound is far from generic. A strangely enigmatic singer despite his odd dancing and slightly comedic sunglasses, big sweeping keyboards and guitars and a bass player who some how manages to stay in time whilst waving his bass about all over the p...

This is a demo, so I will treat it as such and offer Pocus Whiteface some constructive criticism, which I hope is what they want. There are some wonderful riffs here, some amazing crazy guitar noises, discordant chords, thundering bass lines (played by a brilliant bass player) and manic shouted vocals (though they could do with greater projection), all of which are good in my books. The bands' main flaws lie in their structure and arrangement, despite no song being longer than four and a half m...

I wanted to review this fifth album from the Newcastle Lo-Fi stars as they reminded me of my fanzine writing days in the late 90's. Therein lies the problem, despite claiming to have influenced the current crop of highly successful bands from the North East of England (which I can't hear myself), the band remind me a little too much of the late 90's, they haven't really changed. If you're after a proficient slab of good old-fashioned Lo-Fi Indie then look no further, Spraydog are definitely the...

Whilst I'm all for supporting new music and anything that raises the profile of good new artists I'm not entirely sure what this fairly long running scheme in partnership with FOPP, The PRS Foundation for new music and Clear Sound and Vision is trying to achieve. Looking at the judging panel which includes staff from the NME as well as big wig A&R men and listening to the music on this sampler CD one can't help but wonder that the award is aiming to find new music with the biggest commercial po...

Glenn's old outfit, 'Squeeze' were a British new wave band hailing from SE London in the early eighties (from the same area as me! In fact several members sent their children to my school?) chalking up a string of hits such as 'Cool for Cats' and 'Labelled with Love'. A small but loyal fan base followed the band into their 'MOR years', but an ever fluctuating line up and a ubiquitous series of splits and reunions led to Squeeze's eventual demise. Now Glenn tours the world in an RV with family i...

From The Answer's opening chords it's immediately obvious why the band are more popular in Australia than their homeland of Ireland, bearing more than a passing resemblance to a certain electrically themed Australian four piece, a member of the crowd even shouts, 'Welcome Home!î Fortunately there's more to the band, they seemingly channel aspects of every major 'Rawk' band from the past four decades, and carry it off it extraordinarily well with a vast show of talent and tunes. The band are on...

The life of support acts to large touring artists is a tough one, playing early to half empty rooms for little money to people who are largely indifferent to your efforts and sadly tonight is no exception as a multitude of people seem happy to pay $30 to only watch one band. The Regular Johns kick off proceedings with a dangerous name for any rock band, as despite their high energy stage show, faultless playing and excellent stage presence, musically they are sadly no more than a fairly regular...

A Guitarist / Vocalist, two drummers, a Tambourine / Trumpet player and a Tambourine player, initially 'Bang Bang Aids' line up seems extraneous, the drummers are just playing in unison and one of the Tambourine players doesn't actually seem to do anything. As the band progress through their set the songs start to take on a looser feel, the drummers counteracting each other, even the tambourine player's incessant chip eating and the band's banter adds an element of charm to the jagged and (I su...

Any band who start their set with a ten minute under water puppet show earn Brownie points in my book. Also possessing a drummer who acts like a coiled spring the entire gig, sat staring intently on his drum stool watching everything on stage, exploding into fits of frantic drumming also earns points and I haven't even mentioned that NinetyNine write damn fine songs to. The set is schizophrenic with soft mellow soundscapes, loud raucous pop and even a track in Arabic. The songs are short, spars...

Shooting at Unarmed Men (SAUM) strike me as band that have good nights and bad nights that drastically effect their performance, the last gig of theirs I attended was lacklustre and neither the band nor the audience seemed to enjoy it. Tonight however is a completely different story, the band are as tight as a gnat's arse, delivering biting, sardonic lyrics with venom and gusto, rumbling bass lines locked into a booming kick drum, jagged guitar and discordant counter riffs, the chemistry shinni...

There's something odd in the air tonight, or to be more precise, probably something odd up the nasal passage or in a pill, the atmosphere at Bootleg is intense and disconcerting, we seem to be the only lucid members of the audience and the only people who don't quite seem to understand what's going on. Style over content is my first impression of Teenager, none of the band seem to know what's going on throughout the set as singer 'Nick Littlemore' rides a lengthy ego trip that might make him lo...

Bit by Bats are a great band, in 'it' for all the right reasons, whilst a vast majority of bands in Melbourne posses some of the most fantastic and expensive equipment but don't do anything with it, Bit by Bats take their average guitars and amps and make some marvellous melodious music with it. No pretension, no fashionable prancing or posturing, just talent, tunes and exuberance. The music ticks all the right boxes to, solid rumbling bass lines and drumming countered with fuzzy guitar lines a...

Kicking off Little Red's second Tote Residency night is 'Definite Article' with their first gig under a new name that is not much better than their old, 'Squeaks & Squeals'. Vocalist Mark wears a silly hat and the band have a drum machine so songs never quite get going, but contain enough pleasant harmonies and melodies to maintain interest. As the room fills 'Magnum Gumbo Detonator' take to the stage, vocalist Bernie's slightly inane grin seemingly happy with the crowd. They're a funk band wit...

Operator Please tick all the right boxes, they're young, attractive and every member falls into one of several 'kooky kid' categories, something to appeal to everyone, they also appear to write very catchy songs. All of which begs the question if the band are manufactured, or at least some sort of stage school band. Their 'shtick' is very cutesy, toying with that confusing late teens state of mind where you still want sweets and concession fare on the bus, but you also want alcohol, parties and...

The recently expanded and invigorated Peabody have an unhealthy obsession with their guitars. Swapping backwards and forwards after pretty much every song, the band have a guitar tech beside the stage who does nothing but tune their guitars for them, but the band still insist on double checking tuning before commencing each song, putting the dampeners on any inter song banter aside for the pleasantries. Initially it's amusing and charming, as the set continues the habit becomes somewhat annoyin...

Art Brut's frantic angular art-rock-pop, with it's lyrical tales to warm the hearts of all shy Indie Kids has been a surprising worldwide success, this is the bands second album, and their first without me. This was always going to be a hard review to write without being personal as the band were such a defining part of my life, I know the people involved, I know what they're like and, most crucially, I can hazard a fairly good guess at what and who most of the songs are about.<br>Some of the r...

The Wesley Anne is a warm, snugly kind of place this evening, reminiscent of old European style pubs and bars with a roaring fire, long sofa benches full of the chattering classes sipping red wine, cosy and familiar smells wafting throughout the venue lulling everyone into a sedate sense of security on this bitter winter's evening. So how does a relatively inventive and upbeat artist such as Early Gray chip into such a crowd when they all seem happy and reluctant to experience any intrusions? H...

Catching the last few songs of Mammal's impressive and powerful set, it's easy to see, hear and feel the appeal of Metal even if the music isn't quite to your taste. The brutal, almost primeval beats stir something inside, the raw guitars, screaming vocals and awesome stage presence forcing attention to the stage and the vision of (frequently hairy) men flinging themselves around a stage and motivating the audience with consistent and unlevelled passion, aggression and dedication. Metal audienc...

2005 was a great year for British music, with several young and energetic acts releasing critically and commercially successful albums, since then some fell by the wayside and some became huge, whilst others remained at a constant level of success and musical ability. The latter applies for Maximo Park; they never quite enjoyed the massive success of bands such as The Kaiser Chiefs or Bloc Party, but have also so far escaped the constant criticisms and monitoring of their material or the trappi...

The past 10 days I've been stupidly busy with some freelance work editing videos for a State government project, ohh the glamour! So i'm giving you a double whammy this week as I have loads of great articles backlogged and ready to go, here they come! I'll also get my latest music news in here sometime soon... Firstly we have [Children Collide](https://www.indieoma.com/public_journal.php?d=432aca3a1e345e339f35a30c8f65edce) and then we have [Clutch](https://www.indieoma.com/public_journal.php?d=8d3bba7425e7c98c50f52ca1b52d3735) (US)...

For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere summer has just reared it's hot and sweaty head, and with summer comes festivals and international artists! So suddenly Australia is awash with bands from across the globe playing what are affectionately termed 'Sideshows', it's good news and bad news as everyone struggles with time and money to catch all the acts they want to see who will probably never return to these shores any time soon. One such band is Clutch, heading over for the Meredith music...

Embers are an experimental four piece consisting of two saxophones, bass and drums who make an extraordinary amount of noise, conjuring incredible and unbelievable sounds from their instruments. I spoke to Adam Simmons and Kris Wanders of the band, their answers are shown in normal text and italics respectively, and their answers just goes to show the differences between band members? How did all the members of the band meet each other and why did you all decide to do what you are doing now?...

This is the Trojan Horses first gig in two years and the rapidly filling Gershwin room at the Espy is enjoying the warm Summer evening that is the perfect accompaniment to the band's lilting Ska beats. Most of the band members take turns on lead vocals, injecting their own unique styles into each track, they're sharp, tight and from the crowd's reaction, obviously sorely missed in their absence. Ernest Ranglin is a legend you've probably never heard of, at a ripe old age of 75, this small and...

Ding Dong is sadly a little empty tonight, maybe everyone is at home performing some last minute research into the capabilities of their local party candidates. We hope. Goofang are a perfect opening act, one of those slightly schizophrenic bands, with a set of songs that never quite stick to one genre or style but sharing a 'sound'. Some songs take a strut down funky street, others taking the well-trodden Indie-ish route whilst others wander down several paths at once. The band are still find...

It's very disorientating to enter a venue previously visited on the other side of the world in a completely different place, but that's the wonder of the Speigel Tent. Plastic Palace Alice are seemingly everywhere almost over night. Through some well-placed gigs, a tight press campaign and a lot of posters adorning every blank space all over town the band have transformed from Melbourne underdogs to a slick force to be reckoned with. Tonight was always going to be an odd gig, the crowd is que...

Hey Mr C, how you? Yes, it's been too long, I'm very well thank-you. I've Mainly been finishing Capital, releasing the 'This Gun' EP and trying to get my live gigging self shipshape for next year. Had a struggle with lineups and lack of rehearsal time but it's coming together now and it'll be an ace year. **Blair's gone, Howard is gone, Bush is going to go, is the world changing or are we just replacing like with like still?** It's not massive change but it still counts - it's not like-for-like e...

<b>You started playing and writing music from a young age (12 - 14), why so young? What motivated you to do it? </b> Music wasn't something I was always into, some friends started a band in High school and I wasn't keen but my Mum encouraged me, saying that if I didn't do it I might regret it and I could always quit, and that was it from then on. <b>What would be the motivations for starting a band at Primary school? </b> The reasons would be different at that age, but the core was the same,...

<b>How did everything begin, why did you want to get into music in the first place? </b> To be part of something, it was part of my culture, getting into DJ'ing and remixing, then making records and things develop from there. <b>What's different between your live sets and DJ sets, and which do you prefer? </b> I don't have any particular favourites, the ultimate buzz comes from working on a track and it all clicks into place. Everything balances each other out really; complimenting each othe...

I am a big fan of the Jam; they rate in my top three bands and depending on what mood I'm in, they are my favourite band. Not only that, they are a big influence on my music and a motivation to get into music in the first place. I had always resigned the band to the 'bands I'd love to have seen but know I never will' list stored away at the back of my mind, so imagine my surprise when nestled amongst the plethora of reformations recently I noticed that they were reforming, well, sort of. From t...

I have a recently rediscovered passion and interest for History, absorbing many tomes over the past few months, my favourite being brief surmises of 'all of History'. Possibly it's laziness or a fear of delving to deeply into specific areas of History so early into my enthusiasm, or perhaps a desire to get an overall picture of the state of the world before specialising. Whatever the reason Bill Bryson's infamous book that comes highly recommended from many sources is nothing to do with human...

Putting on gigs in venues that are a little outside of the normal circuit is always a challenge, you pick a good night of the week, get a good line up together and promote the hell out of it unyet attendance is still not what it could and should be. Such is the lot of the Noise Bar tonight, a buzzing and eclectic line up but just because it's that little bit further from Coolsville the 40 or so people here are the only ones privileged and smart enough to realise a good deal when they see one....

Allow me the indulgence of stepping outside the traditional third person / present tense to make an observation on context, situation and assumption. Once I saw Cameron (lead singer of Baseball) sat at a tram stop, his usual crazy haired self, decked in the un official uniform of Melbourne musicians, tight jeans, singlet and Dunlop volleys. Outside of his element people were avoiding him, labelling him as one those 'crazies' and best ignored or stared at. In his element fronting a rock band all...

One man talking solidly for three hours with no breaks and only taking one drink the entire time is a pretty intense experience for all involved, especially when one of those is Henry Rollins. He stands rigid in one spot, legs arched, tense, constantly looking as if he's about to leap into a fight. He covers topics from war and politics to loving music and sex, never elitist and never patronising. He tries hard to remain down to Earth and on the side of the common man, at times I find this hard...

The Knockouts are straight ahead psychobilly rock and roll, feeling slightly stifled but warming up towards the end of the set. Strangely similar in delivery to old Ska band, the Selecter, their material is fairly paint by numbers, simple and uncomplicated conjuring images of Smokey bars in the American deep south, surrounded by far too much leather and cigarette smoke if it hasn't been banned yet? Gentle Ben and his sensitive side features Ben from 6ft hick on lead vocals showing his, well, u...

Playing Rock & Roll with a drum machine is a tough task, trying to maintain passion, emotion and flexibility within the confines of a machines rigid confine. Whilst TV for Cats aren't the most engaging band to watch, their lack of human backline doesn't notice and musically they are as flexible and fluid as any band with a sweaty skin pounder in the back row. The tunes are bright, edgy and catchy, with ingenious arrangements and musical tricks scattered throughout their set. Skull squadron hav...

Whoever named tonight's event 'Uh Huh' should be given a gentle slap round the face for concocting such an uninspiring name for such an inspiring line up. The Corner is sadly sparser than expected tonight but those of us present are up for a full on (especially with no mind numbingly annoying and boring lengthy sound checks) night of cutting edge Rock and Roll in the company of some of the hottest and most vibrant bands in the Country. Reptiles are a big fuzzy mess, lank and greasy hair covers...

There's an odd and intriguing dynamic within Actor/Model, Karen on guitar and keyboards and Phil on drums seem to spend a vast proportion of the set staring at Ricky on guitar and vocals, giving the general impression that he's the only one who has any idea what's going on. The band have a foot firmly planted in early to mid 90's Indie but are unashamed to admit to it, hammering through a set of meandering guitar noises underpinned by awesome fat and fuzzy keyboard sounds.Bachelor of Arts are o...

The prester quest is a story of two men's present day retracing of a journey from Italy to Ethiopia made by a Papal Emissary in 1177. His mission to deliver a letter to a supposedly (and widely believed to be) real King of a fantastical Christian land in the heart of Islamic lands. I read a similar 'retracing the steps' book (Victoria Clarks, The Wayfarers) about a year ago, which was an amazing read, so this book had a lot to live up to. It starts slowly and doesn't really get going until abou...

Sailors and Swines show little care that they are first act on the bill tonight, playing to a half full room of waifs and strays. Their blend of edgy, disjointed, noisy angst ridden rock grabs your attention and hits you right between the eyes like a brightly coloured brick. Some of the band's material is a little samey but they are young, new, fresh, exciting and perform the audience wake up role admirably.I Heart Hiroshima posses that care free attitude so common in bands from Queensland, the...

Kids are looking younger, reviewers are feeling older, fake ID's are getting better or a combination of all of the above, but the extremely enthusiastic crowd at The Palace tonight looks exceedingly youthful and full of vim, vigour and exuberance.<br>The Getaway Plan's guitarist has an uncanny and highly skilled knack of playing his guitar extraordinarily frantically whilst giving the impression that it's stuck to him, his black plank barely moving a millimetre from his body. The band are obvio...

In another example of Western governments unable to comprehend why their populations are dead set on destroying themselves in a wave of hedonism or violence, and instead of attempting to understand the motivations behind this they instead restrict them every way possible with an ever increasing amount of legislation. In its infinite wisdom the Victorian state government has decided to follow Queensland and introduce a 2am lockout in the CBD in an effort to curb late night violence. Melbourne i...

A bitterly cold winter's Sunday is a hard night to stage a gig and expect a crowd to venture out into the wild winds. However Manchester Lane seems to be everyone's perfect choice to evade the inclement weather outside, there is a constant to-ing and fro-ing of waiting staff from the Kitchen, the bar is busy with clanking glasses and the venue is nigh on full with an enthusiastic and appreciative audience chatting in these highly civilised surrounds. Laura Jean and the Eden Land Band more appea...

Sebastian Bach represents everything good and / or bad about heavy rock depending on your point of view. He and his band tick all the anticipated and expected boxes, long flowing curly locks, tight (and for some members, stripy) jeans, sleeveless vests, stupendous Marshall stacks and some on stage moves straight out of 'Rock moves 101'. The crowd is equally suited to the band, resplendent in a sea of metal band T-Shirts, VB cans, Devil hands and increasingly drunken swaying. The music is more...

Whilst descending the Hifi's mysterious winding staircase The Shake up grab you with an immeasurable charm, a distant beat and melody that draws the listener in, causing an urge to push to the front of the milling crowds and discover the band who are creating such a loud, catchy and cohesive sound. The big surprise is that the band are only a three piece, the bigger and more pleasant surprise is that the venue is nigh on full, appreciating the band's efforts and not just idly killing time befor...

Living within the European focussed world view that many of us have had instilled into us from an early age it is often hard to forget that there are and were highly developed civilisations besides the Europeans, and the Europeans weren't necessarily always the first to achieve or discover things. In 1421 Gavin Menzies sets out a believable hypothesis that the first nation to 'discover' and 'chart' the rest of the world outside of their own locality was the Chinese and not those who we're led t...

Dr Invisiablo either play incredibly complex music and make it look ridiculously simple or they play incredibly simple music and give the impression that it's incredibly complex. Either way their blend of highly arranged Punk-Pop-Hard-Rock is highly effective with all members firing on full cylinders, drummer Adam Pedretti particularly intimidating the audience with his ability to let rip insanely amazing drum patterns with ease. Tonight is only a two band bill so Dr Invisiablo have plenty of t...

Perhaps the closest reference point to Douglas Coupland for those of you unfamiliar with his work is Kurt Vonnegut, a reference point that I'm sure Douglas Coupland hears frequently. If you're unfamiliar with either's work then I guess the best description would be, 'different' or maybe 'hyper real', characters sort of shamble through in a state of confusion that no one else suffers from with odd occurrences happening to them that no one else considers odd. JPod is a book about and aimed at Gee...

Its always amazing to see the backing bands of jet setting solo artists, a group of musicians who at the drop of a hat can just pick up a set of songs and play them like they've been playing them all their lives. Most of Mark's set tonight is of fairly melancholic plodding numbers with an alt-country twinge, all reverb laden guitars and low booming vocals, very reminiscent of the headliners former outfit. The skill of the musicians around him brings out Mark's songs, lifting them from a middle...

Entering a gig and feeling young compared to the majority of the audience is an increasingly rare experience for some reviewers and tonight's Rubber Records 20th Birthday Party ranks highly in one of those experiences. Most of the acts on tonight's impressive bill had their heydays in the 90's, so again, if you weren't in Australia in the 90's a lot of the cultural reference points may be somewhat lost on you. With nearly twenty bands across two rooms there's a lot to pack in and as almost expe...

The Zombie State's tagline is 'Melbourne finds itself in the grip of the vengeful dead. Who will stand and fight?. Not wanting to give too much away, this is somewhat misleading and doesn't quite allude to what the play is really 'about'. For student theatre this is a big budget production, a high quality nightmare corridor with two plastic booths stage front form the set for most of the production, with many door ways providing ample opportunity for the cast to appear from in a disconcerting w...

It's hard to effectively review a guide to cycle paths in South East Queensland when you're stuck in Melbourne with no chance of attempting them anytime soon. The guide produced by Bicycling Australia is exceptionally well produced and thought out with ring bound easy to clean laminated pages for those journeys where your hands spend more time fiddling with oily parts than on the handlebars. There are 47 rides spread across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast to keep you busy for ma...

Steph Brett possesses a peculiar quality rarely found in singer-songwriters but one that delights and ensures an audience firmly on your side. Technically she is not brilliant, she fumbles chords, awkwardly plays with the microphone and even manages to pull the jack plate out of her guitar towards the end of her set. Un yet there is a vibrancy and character in her silky, caramel voice and personality, an understated charm that wins through every problem and technical hitch, as an example, to co...

Friday night gigs need to start earlier to pull in the punters and keep them awake, bar a few overly enthusiastic members of the crowd, most of those hanging around the Northcote Social Club band room are looking like they'd rather be in bed and the support band's job is a tough one to extract any sort of enthusiasm or energy. 'Look Who's Toxicî start well with a flurry of fast and frantic songs about the life of rock and roll nerds, themes such as ninjas, junk food, fictional creatures and F...

'Slow' is an increasingly popular worldwide movement encouraging us to all, well, slow down. To take time out from our increasingly (and frequently self inflicted) hectic lives to appreciate what is around us, to take time to notice little things that were previously unnoticed, investigate places un-investigated, try new experiences and treat the world in a different, more relaxed and inquisitive manner. Affirm Press's 'Slow Guides' to Melbourne and Sydney are the first (of hopefully many) in...

The Byzantine Empire was a long forgot segment of Mediterranean History that seems to be undergoing something of a rediscovery recently. I'm unsure why it's history seemed to slip down the back of the rhetorical sofa as it's certainly a most tumultuous and colourful history full of victory, disaster, insane characters, powerful characters and the usual battles, religious turmoil and tales that accompany any medieval history. This is a summarised version of John Julius Norwich's three volume Byz...

I find this small collection of images documenting London's derelict underbelly appealing for two reasons. I know the author from his days as an Indie label 'boss' and the fact that he turned to a successful sideline in snapping pictures of abandoned buildings is fascinating. Secondly a lot of the subjects within the book are familiar to me, sometimes in the same state as within the book and sometimes in their previous non-dilapidated state. My own connections aside this is a great little book...

Michael Franti appears to be something of an institution in Australia, possessing a modicum of popularity in most of the world but verging on something else on our far flung shores, acting like a shaman and appointed leader for the current or reformed hippies, crusties and ferrals. It takes a rare talent and presence to grasp the crowd in the palm of your hand and inspire them into singing along with every word you utter, to have them clapping and dancing to every beat from the opening notes...

The Hives are past masters at staging a rock show, working their way through all of the tricks in 'Rock Live shows for beginners', the vast majority of 'Rock live shows for intermediates' and making fair headway into the advanced volume. Even before the band take to the stage we have subdued red lighting, a vast backdrop and a tremendous amount of 'milking it' as the crowd gets rowdier awaiting the band's emergence. Finally five figures emerge resplendent in splendid matching black and white (...

<a href=https://www.slowguides.com.au>www.slowguides.com.au</a> 'Slow' is an increasingly popular worldwide movement encouraging us to all, well, slow down. To take time out from our increasingly (and frequently self inflicted) hectic lives to appreciate what is around us, to take time to notice little things that were previously unnoticed, investigate places un-investigated, try new experiences and treat the world in a different, more relaxed and inquisitive manner. Affirm Press's 'Slow Guid...

For a band with a career that has spanned nearly 30 years, The Stranglers look in remarkably good shape. Despite the drugs, the changes in musical direction, losing their original singer, losing their original singer's replacement, the good albums and the frankly abysmal albums, the band are still standing strong with some of their original line up and a back catalogue full of catchy and familiar songs. Most importantly, the band looks damn good on stage, resplendent in uniform black. Bassist J...

Umberto Eco is often a difficult read, he has a tendency to take a really good (semi-fictional) plot and wrap in a lot of intellectual posturing that can become annoying and fundamentally far too distracting to continue reading. I am well aware of his vices and whilst I frequently have no idea what he is talking about I still really enjoying reading his books and would even list him as one of my favourite authors. The Island of the Day before is perhaps one of Umberto Eco's easiest reads with a...

Bones are an archetypal Melbourne band, all skinny men, tight trousers, cool looking guitars and discordant noise. There's dozens of them out there pounding the boards at Inner city venues night in and night out, but Bones posses a little extra 'Je ne sais quoi' to raise them above the rest of the throng. In amongst the messy noise and jagged edges are some amazing harmonies and crazy off beat guitar riffs that are so surprising they make you sit up, take notice and even start to smile.Damn Ter...

A lot is being said about the Diamond Sea around Melbourne and a lot is being whispered about them in front of the stage tonight. What's wrong with them? Is it the bad and overly loud mix, their seeming lack of acknowledgement of the audience or something else that is reducing their usually sparkling and lively show into a rather dull and listless experience with every song melding into the next with very little dynamics. 'Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!' are part of a growing plethora of bands with a...

Noise! Noise! Noise! 'Does it Offend you, yeah?' lively blend of electro Indie rock bombards Billboard and the tightly packed boisterous Wednesday night crowd, not letting up for one minute or allowing a second of breathing space for the crowd or the band. The live 'Does it offend you, yeah?' experience varies slightly from their recorded output, which is crisp, clear and bouncy with well-defined beats and melodies. Whereas the live show is such a huge solid slab of cacophony that it's often...

'Concept albums' generally raise the heckles of most rock music reviewers, and an album that contains an 'artistic statement' emblazoned on it's inside front cover in two different languages even more so. It seems that Ember Swift travelled to China in 2007 and felt an unnerving feeling of having been there before, of deja vu and of an unusual one-ness and comfortable familiarity, thus creating the urge and need to write an album about her experiences. A lot of The New Project is horrendously...

Grafton Primary posses an eclectic fan base, drawing in an increasing amount of musical sub genres, uniting them for fleeting moments in one room. Taking up centre ground are the chattering fashionistas, eyeing each other up and comparing clothing brands. Bang in front of the stage are an unruly bunch of mainstream-esque dance fans, jostling for space, hassling photographers and generally annoying most around them. Hanging around at the back are groups of lesbian punks and lurking in dark corne...

Somewhere along the way in the past few years of his rapid rise, Jamie T has transformed from a charming cheeky London chappy playing anywhere that would take him with only his trusty acoustic bass as company into a cockier (but still fairly charming) world travelling, eternally casual superstar. His past awkward and apologetic inter song banter replaced with the trusty How are you doing insert town name? and I'm going to need help on the next one, you guys ready?.His wordy chatty, monologue, c...

The Thornbury Theatre is one of a growing number of old community centres and theatres around Melbourne that are being turned over from their traditional purpose into the hands of the youth to do what they will with, usually using their opulent interiors to host events that the original attendees would probably greatly object to. It's a perfect venue for Lightning Bolt to play, a venue so unsuited to them in size and decor it's almost perfect in it's imperfection. If you don't already know, th...

What's going on in Sydney? Are there copious amounts of young men mating with drum machines, synthesizers and 80's dropouts? The city seems to be spawning a lot of electro bands recently that generally favour epic, fantastical sounding names and presentation. Los Valentinos have described their current release as 'Conquistadisco', which, frankly, is a brilliant if somewhat tongue-in-cheek sounding genre but sadly there's few discernable Latin overtones bar one Spanish song title (with English...

Live albums are always a dangerous affair, many will question releasing one at all, why not a proper studio album, is it a stop gap, a lack of interest or commitment from band or label? Quite often it's more because live albums simply don't sound very good, the quality is shoddy, the playing lax and the whole atmosphere is lost when listening on your home stereo. Fortunately for a hardcore-punk / Metal-ish band like Mammal with an infamously high quality live show, they're usually so damn tight...

Unless listless inmates around the world have been ganging together and forming bands, 'Convict-Core' could only really come from Australia and it would be safe to assume that it would sound like something of a mish-mash of the influences upon Australia's history. With these assumptions in hand The Currency's mix of high octane Celtic folk blended with Anglo Punk will come as no surprise. The Currency's live shows are legendary, it takes very little time for crowds to be pulled into the melodic...

Some of the best musical dynamics are created by three-pieces, anyone with half an ounce of musical talent can add sound to the silences with a lot of overdriven noise. Creating a full and interesting sound with the amount of instruments a three piece can potentially play, now that's a real challenge, especially when you stick to pretty much one guitar sound and use overdubs sparingly.It's a talent that a lot of bands from Brisbane seem to possess and have formed into a sound that 'I heart Hiro...

Someone once said that the reason Melbourne produces so many dark, melancholic and moody bands is due to being 'stranded in a paradise at the end of the Earth, isolated from the rest of the world'. Which is possibly why so many musicians, the Spoils included, run off to seek fame and fortune elsewhere, but does gallivanting off in far-flung shores, acquiring fame and fortune change their music at all?The musicians, and they are real and proper skilful musicians capable of playing just about any...

CiviCRM like many open source tools is a blank canvas and a set of paints that different implementers will take in many different ways based on their myriad uses and requirements. This is why the cookbook concept always works so well, most implementers, developers and users will carry around their own sets of recipes, tips and tricks to accomplish particular results that may or may not be anything like someone else's. Tony Horrocks has done a great job bringing together many of these into one...

**Drupal for Education and elearning by James G Robertson and Bill Fitzgerald** One of the commonalities with packt's Drupal titles is that whilst covering a variety of themes, they often include a lot of basic material that is included in all titles. This makes the titles great for those looking to cover a particular theme or topic from start to finish, but for those looking for more depth (or reviewing titles) you will spend some time reading through familiar territory such as installing, module...

I picked this book up as part of a book bundle somewhere, but escapes me with one right now. It's timing was perfect as research for the development of Chip Shop as it covers the history of video games from 1970 up to the year 2000. The writing quality is average, which is typical of this style of book written by an (obvious) enthusiast. Each year gets its own chapter and occasionally reads like a collection of essays as topics are sometimes repeated in different chapters. In terms of content...

In my continued efforts to read as mazy works of dystopian fiction as possible, next on my list was Battle Royale. On a side note, are there many works of purely utopian fiction? Or would that not sell? Back to the east Asian republic. Set in the non-too-distant future, a large Asian empire now rules over an undefined area, full of social control, aggression and suppression. Once a term a class of school children are chosen to compete in a battle to the death on an abandoned island with no hope...

I have been wanting to read this as part of my research into dystopian fiction for my One day the World Ended project and I have mixed opinions on this book. I loved the concept and it's scarily close. Whilst reading some of the book I was in NYC and it seemed even closer to reality. However, the pacing of the book was odd, it had a lot of padding and then the 'dramatic conclusion' is about twenty pages. Some of the writing is a bit trashy to, comparisons to Brave New World are not deserved....

As part of creating Chip Shop (and future game ideas) I read recommendations on reading about (and playing) various types of games, not just board games. I'll admit that I have generally sucked at modern computer games, but I am still amazed by the storytelling, ideas and visuals in them. This book was an amazing journey for me, an excuse and way of exploring games that I will likely never be able to play or will be too incompetent to enjoy. It covers classics to modern games, obscure to mass...

First, let's get the disclaimers out of the way. I helped [Kickstart](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2146199819/commodore-amiga-a-visual-commpendium) this book, but that wouldn't necessarily make my review biased... I loved the Amiga when I was a child anyway, but this was also a perfect research volume for Chip Shop. I have the PDF digital version, but even so, the full page, full colour screen grabs are beautiful and even if you don't read the text it's an enjoyable read. If you do take the time to read the game, studio and personality descriptions you will uncover great...

I loved this book and couldn't stop reading it, which was a pain as I mostly read before going to sleep. The book takes an era by era look at how the video games and movie industries have tried to collaborate together, and largely failed. The first few chapters were great research for my Chip Shop board game, covering such infamous tie-ins as ET, Indiana Jones, Tron, and a few you might have forgotten about. It was amazing how recent actual successful movie and game tie-ins were, with Tomb Rai...

It's taken moving to a non-English speaking country to realize how wide spread and common place the English languages is in the World. This has piqued my interest in learning about the origins of our bastard tongue and how it got to this position. The book was first written in the 1980s and was most recently revised in 2002, which makes it sometimes sound out of date in style. I would also say that since then English has become even more dominant, and some cultures less resistant to it. The f...

When I saw the announcement of the Yoga Book at IFA I was fascinated. A tablet with a proper keyboard, and a graphics tablet that I could doodle and even write on. Sign me up! I placed an order with Lenovo, realising that their online store wasn't as advanced or friendly as others I am used to. I then waited with baited breath, uncertain what I was going to receive, or when it would arrive. About a month later it showed up and I was happy to see that the package did include a 'live pen' (More...