Another drizzly Download Festival is now in the books but even the dismal weather and the mud couldn’t stop 90,000 metalheads from having a great time at Donnington Park at the weekend. With headliners as varied as Def Leppard, Slipknot and Tool’s first performance at Download in 12 years, there was something for everyone. Away from the main stage also saw headline performances from All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth and Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus as supergroup Simple Creatures, Enter

Cheshire-based hip-hop collective deliver an impenetrable statement of intent on their blossoming sophomore EP. Hip-hop has invariably been an illusive genre to conquer since the illustrious first golden age of the genre transformed music worldwide in the late 1980s. With its diversity, incalculable temperament and sweeping lyrical mindset, the brand has undergone more changes in its history than the presenters of Top Gear, yet at its core lies a primal set of foundations, a

This Friday (21st June) sees the return of Hot Chip with their seventh studio album ‘A Bath Full of Ecstasy,’ their first since 2015. The London-based indie-tronica quintet famed for earlier songs such as ‘Over and Over’ and ‘Ready for the Floor,’ deliver an album celebrating joy and happiness while pursuing the melancholic approach of pain and toil which it takes to get there. A Bath Full of Ecstasy is also notable as it is the first time that Hot Chip have not self-produced

The classically trained London singer-songwriter delivers a documentation of life’s uncertainties on his glowing sophomore record. The burgeoning mass of British singer-songwriters that have emerged in recent years has slowly moulded into a quagmire of similarity and simplicity, taking away some of the joy from acoustic guitar-based music due to its increasing predictability. However, when London-based Charlie Cunningham released his hugely successful debut album Lines in 201

‘Doom Days’ pretty much sums up the feeling that most of us hold about the world in its current state. Headlines are turning ever bleaker and the world is seemingly a darker place than it has been in a long time. This is ultimately what Bastille’s third album is trying to capture. However, in a time of sadness and madness, Bastille have been able to offer a more optimistic snapshot of reality. Personally, I don’t think anything will top ‘Pompeii’ (a song that it definitely st

Honey Gentry’s storm of ethereal, DIY enchantment provided poetic justice to those desiring artistic integrity when her debut EP Moonlight was released last year. Her passion for life’s non-tangible aspects alongside the adoption of the Honey Gentry alter ego have made the singer-songwriter an enticing prospect in a world dominated by predictable pop music. Despite a slight six-month gap in releasing music, Gentry’s latest euphoric and soul-stirring single is by far her most

Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds played a short acoustic set at Rough Trade on Sunday in support of his new book ‘Dear Future Historians,’ which is a collection of all the Shikari lyrics, including essays explaining them. This is the second edition of the book, and this time round includes the lyrics from the most recent Shikari album ‘The Spark.’ Rou performed several songs off ‘The Spark,’ including lead single ‘Live Outside,’ and also played ‘Constellations’ from 2012’s

The second weekend of All Points East kicked off on Friday 31st May with a day that can only be described as an absolute triumph for British heavy music. Everything from Lotus Eater opening the North stage, all the way up to Bring Me the Horizon’s two-hour headline set was an exhibition of the best that British metal has to offer. Indeed it was clear that despite moving away from heavier music with their latest releases, BMTH still have a keen interest in promoting smaller ba

The Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of Twitter and most rapidly growing pop star to emerge from the UK since Adele surprises with a stripped-back debut which shows hints of greatness, but struggles to justify 12 songs of lethargic balladry. It’s a miracle I ever listened to this album. Its title is a top contender for The Mic’s ‘Worst Album Name of the Year Award,’ an accolade I’m considering setting up purely due to Divinely Uninspired’s existence, and the idea of yet anothe

The all-smiling, all-snarling, all-dancing punk trio caught up with The Mic backstage in Leeds to talk about their headline tour, a debut album and social evolution. Over the course of the past eighteen months, Tunbridge Wells trio Lady Bird have attempted to cause a perpetual shift within our social consciousness through the medium of brash, witty punk rock. Having worn the label of one of the UK’s brightest new sparks, the band are now putting plans into motion for what loo

Stoic alternative icons attempt to rejuvenate the spark of yesteryear on wavering new EP Despite being arguably one of the biggest rock bands on the planet, New York trio Interpol have forever felt destined to be heroes of the underground scene. Their first record Turn on the Bright Lights has been hailed as one of the greatest debuts to have ever graced the alternative world, and follow-up albums Antics and Our Love to Admire were met with critical acclaim and rapturous supp

The young Irish band’s debut album ‘Reasons to Dream’ is set to be released this Friday (24th May) and it is definitely something to get excited about. If you can’t wait that long, the first single ‘The Others’ is out now. whenyoung have created an interesting sound with their new album, with an array of messages and themes being found through the tracklist. From typical pop to politically charged tunes, whenyoung are able to create a good balance between feel good and think

The National. The umbrella that stops the hail from hitting your head, the first sip of water the morning after a heavy night of drinking, the woolly jumper that shields you from a bitter winter frost, you get the drift from this obsessional fan. The National are great, and they’re back with their eighth studio album at the perfect time. As I settle down after another arduous day of masters degree assignment writing, the stress-ridden short term future all of a sudden appears

Last month, former Libertines and Babyshambles frontman Peter Doherty introduced us to his third musical project, ‘Peter Doherty and The Puta Madres.’ Doherty’s latest work is a lot folksier than his previous repertoire, demonstrating inspiration from his new Margate abode, and includes fantastic Doherty-esque instrumental interludes illustrating the individual musical talents of each Puta Madre. Arriving at 7:30, I managed to catch the majority of Riding the Low’s set, a con

Enigmatic troubadour Ethan Barnett delivers a statesmanlike performance at his sold-out Nottingham show. Such is the nature of the fickle fiend that is the music industry nowadays that we find ourselves in dire need of musicians that naturally exude some taste for artistic integrity and flair. The market price for British born singer-songwriters who manage to portray an element of domesticity and serenity has risen exponentially in recent years as the likes of Ed Sheeran, Jam

At one time, Britain’s rising stars could only look to the likes of The Great Escape Festival and SXSW in America as showcases for new talent, but on Saturday 4th May, a new behemoth on the festival calendar announced itself with a stellar line-up across a multitude of stages and venues. Taking place across the first band holiday weekend of May, Live at Leeds 2019 proved to be an event fit for all music fans, highlighting the very best of new British talent alongside some sta

The UK’s biggest rock and metal festival kicks off on Friday 14th June this year and will see over 90,000 people converge on Castle Donington for three days of non-stop riffs. This year’s festival is headlined by three legends of the genre: Def Leppard on the Friday playing their legendary Hysteria album in full, Slipknot on the Saturday, and prog legends Tool closing the festival on the Sunday night of what is sure to be a fiery weekend. Much speculation has accompanied the

Australian Stella Donnelly and her band brought their show to the Bodega this bank holiday Sunday, providing a treat for the lucky fans who were in the venue. On the back of the release of her debut album ‘Beware of the Dogs,’ the musician, who is originally from Wales, brought the house down with an array of songs from the album as well as from her previous EP ‘Thrush Metal.’ The support act for the evening was Nottingham based singer-songwriter Alex Milne. Milne is a regula

‘You know what? Best night of the motherfucking tour.’ This is what Jacoby Shaddix, vocalist for the Californian quartet, proclaimed during the encore of their sold out show at Rock City on Sunday night, and with good reason. Never having seen Papa Roach, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had, however, seen the support, Nothing More, back in 2015, and I was extremely excited to see them again. I interviewed Mark Vollelunga, Nothing More’s guitarist, earlier in the day, and he

The Dutch giant looks ready to compete with the very best with a stellar line up for 2019’s edition. With British festival prices soaring to new heights, it’s becoming increasingly popular amongst Brits to take the plunge and enjoy one of the many European festivals dotted across our great continent. With often perfect weather, cheaper tickets and expansive line-ups, it’s no surprise that European festivals have become the go-to place for both a holiday and a tailored festiva