reviews on glasswerk

perhaps it is a slight cop-out to shuffle readers off in other directions when i haven't had proper time for proper music blogging

but i suppose it is more like providing a service

you may have missed out on recent reviews of mine surfacing on glasswerk, and this way i can also tie them up with embedded players, so that you get a fuller effect of what i've been listening to and what i've really been feeling


as i mentioned last time, i got to see MC Lars' gig in Wimbledon courtesy of glasswerk, where he was ably supported by Akira The Don and MC Chris



and it was MC Chris in particular that was an absolute revelation to me, an absolute comedy genius and a talented rapper that tackles such hard hitting subject matter as Neville Longbottom dealing weed, ninjas, more weed and obscure references to Star Wars bounty hunters that really endeared him to me

full review here


mc chris - IG-88 (killsaly remix)


I'm not much into slating bands that have obviously put their hearts into producing music, and try to live by the motto that if you haven't got anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all, but when you end up with a bunch of CDs sent out that need reviewing then i guess you're not gonna love them all

The Cymbals fall into this category, not a bad band exactly, but they failed to have much of a lasting impact, hence my creative criticism in this review and a lack of embedded mp3 for you to trial, check them out if you think that they'll appeal, but i've got more tracks to showcase here that are more interesting than a throwback to 2006


much more interesting in a rather chin-stroking manner is the Leicester based electronica experimentalist (with a rather un-Google friendly name) AFS, whose single, The Prince, was released to coincide with last months royal wedding, despite having nothing at all to do with it other than the tenuous title, but i could quite easily forgive that, as you'll find in my review

and after checking out a little more AFS online i also found this, his previous release entitled Mothers Day, that samples a message from a father to his sons that was found on a mystery cassette tape by a friend in Canada



and the last artist artist i want to feature is Barbara Panther

Barbara Panther's self titled debut album was released earlier this month, and in the time i have spent listening to it for the purpose of reviewing i have became quite a fan, recommending her to friends (and blog readers alike) and have continued to go back to the album, purely for the reason that it is a great listen

The easiest way to sell Barbara Panther would be as a mix of M.I.A and Bjork, then throw in a bunch of other strong female frontwomen and brave electronic production that still retains a pop sheen and you're probably thinking along the right lines.

The full review is here, but rather than take my word for it, i would urge anyone and everyone to give her a listen, the full album is streaming via City Slang's soundcloud, and i shall leave you with one of my favourites from the album

Moonlightpeople by BarbaraPanther

R.I.P Gil Scott Heron

Gil Scott Heron is an inspirational voice that i shall miss, and a voice that will live on forever

may he rest in peace






Giles Babel - go crazy (a tribute to Gil Scott-Heron)

Odd Future

it seems to be getting quite cramped here in this music industry with all this hype surrounding Odd Future taking up so much room.

things have been bubbling up for quite a while now, and it must have been the middle of last year as they were dropping their second mixtape that the words Odd Future first connected with me.

but in the past month or two everything seems to have come to a head for the hip-hop collective as talk of their name and of their members appears to be absolutely everywhere, everyone wants a piece of them, and in the last two weeks alone Odd Future seem to have cemented their current reputation with an NME cover piece and a riotously recieved showcasing slot at Camden Crawl.

and as a person in tune with current trends and eager to latch onto the newest and most exciting music before it is embraced by the wider world, it may surprise you to know (as it sure surprised me) that i have never even heard any music by Odd Future.

i'm pretty sure i should like them, purely the fact that the groups full given name is Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All and that among their members are the fascinating and ridiculous monikers Tyler the Creator, Hodgy Beats and Earl Sweatshirt is enough to light the blue touch paper for me.

Yes, i've read the reviews, they've been hard to avoid, and i'm even aware of the bizarre little news story that Earl Sweatshirt had gone missing from the line-up for months, only to be traced to a 'therepeutic centre' on a Samoan island.

i even decided to scroll through my generic mp3 player, and it turns out that i do have Odd Future's Radical mixtape downloaded from last year, as well as tracks from Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt and the whole mixtape 'Nostalgia, Ultra' by Frank Ocean that dropped in February this year, yet i have still never knowingly listened to any of these tracks.

but it isn't just the hype-mongering NME that are flying the flag for Odd Future, an innordinate amount of hipster blogs and even America's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon are more up on things than i am.

so, with the possible exception of my girlfriend, who listens to Geoff Lloyd on Absolute, am i really one of the last people on the planet to tune into Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All?

i think it's about time that i popped in my headphones to rectify this glaring oversight and see if i believe the hype.

Tyler The Creator (Odd Future) - Splatter

new reviews on glasswerk

in the hands of a new editor, it appears that glasswerk seems to be upping its game and has already hooked me up to review MC Lars when he hits London this month and provided me with a care package that arrived last week of CDs to be reviewed.

not wanting to waste too much time, i have had they have been on rotation in order to help form my opinions and two of my reviews have been posted already this week.

not wanting to deprive you of my valuable opinions, i thought i may aswell bring these to your attention, while also throwing a little light on the artists reviewed so far.

first up was Daniel Haaksman

a DJ and label boss of Man Recordings, Haaksman will be releasing his ethnically enriched debut album, Rambazamba, later this month, but you can read my account of it right now on glasswerk

and those that wan't to know what i'm talking about may want to give a little listen to the current teaser of the album available to stream, that picks the tracks to pieces and shuffles them together to provide a 17 minute long taster session

Daniel Haaksman - "Rambazamba" album teaser

and the second review online is of MidiMidis

presenting an intriguing blend of chiptune and forgotten indie, their double A-side single was released on monday, and after streaming the lead track The Despondent below, i would suggest that you glance over my review and make me aware of your own opinions of the band and their latest release.

MidiMidis - The Despondent

why local news isn't just for local people

My local newspaper has often featured campaigns of local, and sometimes national interest.

Still raging on is the fight to save Chase Farm Hospital from closure by NHS bosses, as are controversial court cases against Enfield residents Andrew Symeou, accused of murder and held awaiting trial in Greece, and autistic computer hacker Gary McKinnon, who infiltrated the FBI and upset an awful lot of high powered Americans and is now facing extradition.

But one campaign that has been fought more recently has been within The Enfield Advertiser itself, as its own arts and entertainment section has seen its prescence within the paper drastically cut over the past couple of months.

Now, of course I have a vested interest in this, as well as writing for glasswerk and my own music blogs, I have also been a regular music contributor to The Enfield Advertiser since 2009.

I have always strived to be active within my local music scene, since back when me and a few friends put on our own club nights with ourselves DJing, as we wanted something to go to on our own doorsteps without venturing to Camden or beyond.

Since then, me and my close friends continued to DJ when a new promoter (and former Enfield Advertiser music columnist) breathed new life into the scene by putting on regular live music nights, becoming friends and fans of many local bands that graced the stage during these halcyon days of our local scene.

I have continued to follow those bands and how they have grown and splintered over the years, and when I began volunteering at a local council funded youth music project I was exposed to a whole new wave of exciting bands and artists, and met many more people, some of whom have remained good friends, along the way.

Being given the chance to write for my local paper and cover the bands I know and love was an ideal opportunity, not just for me to have my work published in a physical form but also to show support and spread awareness of a local scene, getting news of our plight, our hard work and our achievements into the homes of around 90,000 households across the borough of Enfield.

But now, just as is the case with music venues across the country, the entire entertainment section of The Enfield Advertiser is under threat, which may seem a stretch of an analogy, but I honestly believe that both have an impact on local music scenes and in turn the UK's future of music.

Sure, in this digital age we still have blogs, webzines and countless social networks, but as a medium it can become somewhat diluted and ultimately hit and miss in the grand scheme of things. And for those that still respond to a physical product, those that still read the liner notes of an album or cherish their collection of 7" singles, a printed article in a widely distributed periodical is something to be proud of, to clip out and keep, for their parents and grandparents, and even for when they themselves become parents or grandparents.

So it is a fight, not for myself, my role is purely voluntary (although jobs would be lost and strike action has been discussed), but for a local voice and for a local scene that I am extremely fond of and overwhelmingly proud of.

Mine may only be a small voice, from a small North London suburb, but I'm sure it is a voice that may be applicable and representative of small towns across the country, each with scenes that are just itching to be noticed by peers and a wider audience alike.

I was writing about music long before I become active within the Enfield Advertiser, and will continue to do so no matter what the outcome, but coming from a town that still has no real music venue despite it's ever-evolving vibrant scene and various campaigns and movements, to not lose an important aspect of our community seems to be something worth fighting for.

for more info, see previous article 'living for The Weekender' and the facebook event

Beady Eye

Beady Eye seem to be occupying a rather strange position within the music industry.

as times changed, Oasis it seems would stay the same, and the rise of Beady Eye is testament to this.

Oasis claimed an esteemed position as one of the UK's most exciting, most vital and most bankable bands during the britpop era, in a day and age when record sales hadn’t yet been severely rocked by the likes of Napster.

The love affair soured slightly when the unconceivably hyped third album, Be Here Now was released, facing a backlash from critics, and by the time Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants was released in 2000 the game had changed around them, as the whole album was leaked online ahead of its official release.

Despite these knocks, Oasis remained a well loved band right through to the very bitter end, garnering magazine covers and number 1 albums throughout their career, and accompanying tours would see them selling out stadiums across the summer.

But Oasis had become part of an old guard in the music industry, sternly sticking to the tried and tested path that had put them on the top of the heap, and so it is that the prescence of Beady Eye sees them as a band out of step with modern times.

Liam Gallagher must have been heavy-handedly coerced into allowing Bring The Light to be made available as a free download, having been expectedly outspoken on the subject in the past.

It was this first taste of the new band that reverberated around the internet and saw interest sparked as the track spread like wildfire and whether reactions were positive or negative were un-important , after gossip and speculation the second coming of Liam Gallagher had arrived, further tracks were teased out throughout the winter, with videos posted to youtube for Four Letter Word and The Roller, accompanied by a couple of low-key 7” releases.

Despite being this country's most scrutinised ‘new’ band, Beady Eye seem to have faced incredibly mixed reactions, they have still graced magazine covers and sold out shows, but radio hardly seem to have warmed to them, limiting exposure to newer audiences, and The Roller only scraped into the top 40 at number 31, yet only 2 weeks later the debut album crashed into the charts at a highly respectable number 3, placed only behind Adele and Jessie J.

Feedback on the album seems to have been overwhelmingly positive from most quarters, and those presuming the band would flounder without the songwriting and guidance of Noel Gallagher, had obviously been paying little attention to Oasis’ latter output, as Andy Bell and Gem Archers contributions had already been notable, and Liam’s growing talent has advanced in leaps and bounds since he penned the simple (and often mocked) Little James for Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants.

Time will tell if Beady Eye can lay claim to the kind of devotion that had Oasis heralded as rock royalty and saw summer stadium tours become massive events in their own rights, with a supporting cast of bands that resembled a mini-festival. Their talent, their passion and their commitment is not in question at all, but if they can jump straight back in where Oasis left off and be accepted as natural successors without falling back on Oasis’ rich back catalogue is yet to be seen.

The album is unlikely to convert any nay-sayers that had no interest in Oasis but with a legion of die-hard Liam acolytes still standing firm, I'm certain Beady Eye have hardly noticed.

Beady Eye - Bring The Light
from the album Different Gear, Still Speeding



read my album review for Beady Eye's 'Different Gear, Still Speeding' on glasswerk.co.uk

The Fetts

some bands are formed out of mutual interest or a common bond that has brought it's members together.

the big question then, is how far do you see this thing through?

while the majority of local acts will knock together a number of demo recordings for their myspace and be content to play the occasional gig once in a while, there are also those that take it all a little bit more seriously.

The Fetts are one such band that have seen fit to give fans something solid and substantial to fill shelf space with, releasing their debut album, Transitions, last month and holding a couple of intimate gigs to celebrate this milestone with their true fans, launching the album with a gig in Hertford, swiftly followed by a recent turn at Enfield's own Bar Form.

the band, formed in 2008, have been passing out free CDs at gigs for a while now, serving as a taster for those that like what they have seen live, but now the entire album can now be ordered by those wishing to dig a bit deeper.

so what can you expect from debut, Transitions?

in a previous live review i noted that the band's sound was firmly rooted in 90's rock and the album delivers a substantial return on influential investments in the post-Cobain glory days when bands were making waves in a musical landscape reshaped by the invention of grunge, channeling the rootsy and raw music that still kept an eye and thoughts on lucrative arena touring.

This skewed Americana served up via North London fuses Counting Crows with Feeder in a slowburning melodic rock sound that reflects the high standards the band must have surely set themselves when recording this self-funded album at St Alban's Unsigned Studios.


The result is an album that grows more rewarding with each listen, particularly during the latter part of the longplayer where my personal highlights, Turning Point and I'm Not A Machine, come into play at the half-way mark and kick everything up a gear, not backing down until the accomplished album is brought to a close with the powerful, I Must Be Blind.

And when the album went on sale exclusively through Zavvi, dedicated fans soon helped place it at the top of their pre-order chart throughout January and early February, ahead of highly anticipated albums from Chase and Status and Beady Eye, proving that the three piece must be garnering something of a cult following already.

The Fetts - Not A Machine