Single Review: Coherantt ‘Your Still a Soldier’

Coherantt serves up over six minutes of thumping drum and bass in the DJ’s latest single release ‘Your Still a Soldier’. With a heavy bass running throughout the whole track, the single sounds quite dark at times whilst the lyrics ‘Your Still a Soldier’ are chanted throughout. Mixing drum and bass beats with electro, Coherantt shows that Northern artists and record labels are helping the Drum and Bass scene to expand and blossom.

Forge Music says: 4/5

Alexandra Rucki

Official Site:Coherantt
Myspace: Coherantt @ Myspace

Merry Christmas from Forge Music

Merry Christmas to all our writers and readers, and expect to see an official website in the new year.

Don't forget to support Forge Radio's bid for Christmas number one! You can buy their cover of Band Aid's 'Do they know it's Christmas?' from the Itunes music store for only 79p, which is donated to charity.

Single Review: Skilf (feat. Michelle Ericsson) 'Slow Me Down'

Brighton based mc Skilf, an ex-performing arts student, offers us an old school slice of garage served up with smart, fast-paced lyrics and smooth production. ‘Slow Me Down’ features Californian singer Michelle Ericsson who brings a silky melody to the mix, overlapping the hip hop beats and funky bass line; a formula that will definitely get heads nodding. Skilf quotes Bob Dylan as well as Wu Tang Clan amongst some of his influences, so it would be foolish to expect anything less than an eclectic and appealing single. An interesting sound that is worthy of note.


Pippa Moore

Picture: Skilf @ Myspace

Single Review: The Fratellis 'A Heady Tale'

There is no intro to this single, you just jump into the energetic and vibrant music of The Fratellis. Jon Fratellis' vocals are a bit monotonous sounding but the upbeat and refreshing percussion by Mince Fratellis (drums) save the day. Everything starts coming together and making sense when the guitar and piano break in. The quirky lyrics about heartbreak are original and amusing and make this band ,who have been around for a few years now, stand apart from the sea of indie on the market. This is promising new work from The Fratellis and is one for eclectic ears who like a mix of jazz and rock.

Forge Music says, 3/5

Iris Provias


Official site: The Fratellis

Pendulum @ The Academy - Wednesday, December 10th

Rumour has it that this gig sold out two days into Fresher's Week. Whether this is true or not, Pendulum are a band on the ascent at the moment and they know it. The swagger of their resident MC, Ben ‘The Verse’ Mount, constantly insisting in forceful tones that the crowd “make some noise” or start a “ring of mayhem” was therefore barely needed to work the Academy into a frenzy. Consequently, he came oddly close to sounding like a particularly hardcore holiday camp rep.

Butlins aside, you know exactly where you stand with a band whose aims are as beautifully simple as Pendulum’s. Hence, this was not a gig where the audience was required to stand around in a semi intellectual manner, nurse a pint of best and comment on how musically aware of each other the group members are. Indeed nursing a pint of best was impossible in an atmosphere that came dangerously close to crushing the front rows of the audience in a swirling mass of jumping bodies.

Even so, the sextet are an incredibly tight outfit. Given their past in Australia’s underground dance and drum ‘n’ bass scene, their musical preciseness has developed into one of their major selling points. Speaking of major selling points, Pendulum’s best riffs have long been more than catchy, and they are truly mighty in the flesh. 'Blood Sugar' with its' angry squawks and apocalyptic intro, is made all the more impressive for the pulsating bass that accompanies. However, not all of these hooks are as memorable, 'Granite' in particular suffers from repetition of the main riff for just slightly too long and becomes almost grating.

There was a sense that the Academy couldn’t quite contain the wall of noise it was being asked to deal with. This created a sense of noise spilling over; of the gig suddenly becoming too much for human consumption at any point. It is almost as if Pendulum have a sound tailor-made for parks and stadiums, not compact indoor venues. It remains to be seen whether they can surpass their status as extremely popular and evolve into the next true super group, whose blend of rock, drum ‘n’ bass and electronica sets the trend for years to come.

Chris Goding

Official site: Pendulum

The Prodigy @ The Academy - Thursday, December 11th

Photo: Samuel Valdes Lopez

The second half of the ’90s was a strange time: grunge was dead and buried and a new fad broke and entered our hearts: electronica. Spearheading this movement via intense videos and seriously infectious beats were The Prodigy. Their breakout album, Fat of the Land took the whole world by storm, generating a few copycats and parodies, whilst becoming one of the bonafide albums to have and brag about. Then they disappeared. Rumours flew by and after a disappointing single (2002's horrid 'Baby's Got Temper') and an uneven album (2004's Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned), all hopes for a comeback were done for.

However, today was the day those hopes rose from their graves, uniting a generation of old and new fans alike. To much anticipation, one by one, The Prodigy appeared on stage. Not one syllable had been spoken, but the public went mental, liberating all their pent up energy in jumps and fist pumping.

The band responded by giving their all, including their best known tracks ('Breathe' , 'Firestarter') and injecting new life into tepid songs such as 'Spitfire'. Did people know all the songs? No, and they couldn't care less, as The Prodigy guided them for over an hour of utter madness.

The Prodigy use theatrics and charisma wisely and repetitively, and it makes one wonder why fans think that Liam Howlett is the reason why the band is called The Prodigy? You should see him, surrounded by high-tech equipment, always commandeering his soldiers of sound.

They respond by dominating that uncontrollable, raging beast - the general public, and rendering the whole place into an electronica-fueled gestalt. The line between performer and public blurs, making the Carling Academy tremble to its very foundations.

Barring the few minor technical glitches that made the gig start a little late, it delivered completely, blowing away people's minds, leaving bruises on all parts of the body and producing a satisfactory ear ringing. Yes, for one night, The Prodigy were outnumbered, but they will never be outgunned.


Samuel Valdes Lopez


Official site: The Prodigy

The Gentlemen @ Leadmill- Sunday , November 30th

“Is there anyone here that you haven’t seen since the last Gentlemen gig?” ask the members of The Gentleman. A huge cheer from nearly all the crowd follows. It seems that being a fan of The Gentlemen is very much a community affair. They could be described as The Leadmill’s house band, having supported Palladium, We Are Scientists and many others at the legendary venue.

Due to their loyalty for their hometown, they have a concentrated fan-base, albeit somewhat small. The 800-capacity venue is a long way from full, but with so many familiar faces, it’s obviously a much cosier and friendly affair.

Since this was a night for Sheffield bands, it seems only right to mention the support band - Dead Like Harry. They peddle an interesting form of lilting epic rock, which someone should mention to their head banging bassist. The band play like professionals, but when there are attempts to try to tug at the heartstrings with pathetic opening lines such as ‘You used to be my angel/You used to fly so high’, it appears somewhat wet.

So onto The Gentlemen, who play enthusiastically, despite being exhausted after spending the day filming their music video in the same place. Lead singer Nicholas Noble – imagine Ricky Wilson and Avid Merrion’s lovechild after a shopping spree with Napoleon Bonaparte – beams throughout and the boys are clearly enjoying their upgrade to headliners. The band’s bio promises a wide range of influences, but in truth their nearest cousins musically, for better or worse, would have to be Fall Out Boy.

The band preview a wide range of material from their forthcoming new album, with 'Unique’ and the like sounding tighter than their previous stuff. Despite a disastrous attempt at a French language ballad (which even goes over the head of my French-studying friends) the whole show is a joyous affair, no doubt aided by all the people who’d been there drinking for the afternoon’s shoot.

Maybe it’s time to get a bit more of an extended family though lads?


Rowan Brunswick


Listen to the support band: Dead Like Harry @ Myspace

Listen to the headliners here: The Gentlemen and here: The Gentlemen @ Myspace

Music News: Alexandra Burke crowned winner of Britain’s X-factor

Alexandra Burke was announced as the winner of X Factor last night, bagging a one million pound recording contract and the opportunity for stardom.

The twenty-year old singer from North London beat off runners-up JLS and Eoghan. Despite being the bookies favourite to win, Burke reacted with shock when she was announced the winner. She performed Silent Night, sang a duet to Listen with Beyonce Knowles and concluded the first part of the show with You Are So Beautiful.

Burke has had no previous professional vocal training, but was taught to sing by her mother, who used to sing with Soul II Soul. In 2005 she auditioned for X Factor and got to the judges houses stage, but Louis believed her to be too young at the time and she didn’t make it to the final stages.

The ratings for this years X Factor have been higher than ever, regularly beating BBC one’s Strictly Come Dancing in the battle for viewers. This is the result of appearances from international stars such as Britney Spears and Beyonce Knowles. Furthermore, the replacement of judge Sharon Osbourne by Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole has no doubt contributed to increased ratings, as the singer regularly generates more media interest than the contestants themselves.

Watch the X-Factor final here: X-Factor Final

Alexandra Rucki

The Worst Ever Christmas Songs...

Traditionally, Christmas is a time for giving and, apparently, it's also a time for recording some of the most annoying and horribly cheesy tunes ever to grace the airwaves:

Cliff Richard – ‘Mistletoe and Wine’
Fortunately, the family’s spending Christmas round ours this year, which means I’m not forced to endure my Auntie’s annoying obsession with Cliff Richard and ‘Mistletoe and Wine’. There’s not a lot to say other than this is the most infuriating Christmas song ever recorded. Well Cliff, I’ll never forgive you and it’s hard to forget 3 minutes of relentless, torturous, wet nostalgia.

The Wombats – ‘Is This Christmas’
As if the thought of Les Dennis attempting a career come-back wasn’t bad enough, the Wombats invite him to collaborate on a Christmas single. It’s the biggest fart of a Christmas song ever...so dreadful Jo Wiley might even play it. Hopefully she will though and thus irritate an unprecedented number of people and banish the Wombats to the celebrity graveyard inhabited by their fellow scouser. The video’s even worse; just the three of them; the Krusty-the-Clown-lookalike singer, the annoying bassist and the drummer yelping ‘Is This Christmas?’ Yes it is, now shut up.


Joe Christmas

Picture: The Wombats @ Myspace

Music News: Blur reform for Hyde Park gig

Seminal brit-pop band Blur have announced to NME that they are reforming to play live next year, headlining at Hyde Park on July 3rd.

The full line up - Damon Albarn (vocals) Alex James (bass) Dave Rowntree (drums) with inimitable guitarist Graham Coxon, will appear together for the first time since Coxon left the band in 2002. Albarn and Coxon both indicating that they have put their past differences behind them.

Tickets go onsale at 9AM this Friday (12.12.08)

Horray!

Read the interview: NME

Pippa Moore

Music News: Could Robo-Hand Allow The Long Blondes to Reform?

What happens when music and science collaborate? Well a robotic hand it seems…

Photo: Ross Parry for The Telegraph

Former guitarist of Sheffield based band The Long Blondes hopes to be able to play again following a stroke, thanks to the help of a robotic glove. In October the band were forced to split as guitarist Dorian Cox suffered from a stroke, causing the right side of his body to be paralysed so he was unable to play the instrument anymore. However, advances in modern technology means this may no longer be the case as it has been reported Cox is undergoing neurological physiotherapy, including training sessions with a mechanical glove.

The apparatus is known as a SaeboFlex and assists patients by supporting their wrists and helping them to grasp and release objects.

"It's a fantastic service, it's helping tremendously and I think it can work wonders me and others – it's almost like a gym for my hand," Cox told the Telegraph.

But does this spell a reform for The Long Blondes? Well with lead singer Kate Jackson already announcing that she has been working on solo material, even if Cox does recover a reform may not be the case. Nevertheless, at least there is an element of some hope for fans in the form of a mechanical hand.

Alexandra Rucki

Club Preview: Fantastic Damage @ The Bowery

Finally! A night out in Sheffield that actually plays some Anticon. records. For over ten years, the indie record label has reliably produced some of the finest in leftfield and experimental hip hop, yet is still highly underrated.

Artists such as cLOUDEAD, Why?, Subtle, Themselves and Aesop Rock have continually impressed with a mix of ambient and hip hop overlayed with surreal lyrics often delivered in polyrhythmic, spoken-word style.

This night, taking place at The Bowery, is brought to us by Children For Breakfast & Pickers, Knickers & Shitkickers every Monday and is completely FREE. The perfect opportunity to chill out with a pint and get lost in Anticon....

Picture: Why? @ Myspace

Record label: Anticon Official

Club: Fantastic Damage @ Facebook

Pippa Moore.

Single Review: Keane, 'Perfect Symmetry'

Following hard on the heels of the brilliantly absurd mid-90s pop of ‘Spiralling’ is a new Keane single, ‘Perfect Symmetry’. The name feels appropriate, as it marks a return to the ringing piano and uplifting melodies that saw their debut outsell the likes of Gwen Stefani and Scissor Sisters back in 2004.

Keane are still commonly viewed as a better example of bland than band, which is a shame; post-rehab, Tom Chaplin may remain baby-faced but when bellowing, “Oh boy, you ought to leave this town!” he sounds more fearless than a bulletproof Iggy Pop. Chaplin claims this is their “anthem of peace”... a bold statement, but confronted by the Killers-style communal synth sing-a-long three minutes in, even Dubya would be hesitating over the big red button marked ‘WAR’.

Forge Music says, 4/5


Jeremy Peel

Ultimate Playlist: The songs that have shaped your life

This week, Pippa Moore explains why eclectic is the way to go:

Why? – The Hoofs

Jacques Du Tronc – Et moi, et moi, et moi

Tori Amos – Crucify

Of Montreal – Lysergic Bliss

Chromeo – Fancy Footwork

My love of alternative hip-hop and spoken-word begs the inclusion of Why? on this list because their music is witty, beautiful and poignant. Although Tori Amos may seem a particularly cliché choice, this record is like none I have ever heard before – dark, mysterious and challenging. Jacques Du Tronc is a brilliantly funny and witty Francophile. My increasing interest in electro and house means that Chromeo simply to be on the list (especially considering this song has been remixed by the likes of Crookers, amongst many others) as well as Of Montreal, because their music is catchy and originial and because Kevin Barnes is a genius, if not slightly bonkers...

Of Montreal photo: Leó Stefánsson

Of Montreal @ Myspace

Single review: Portishead, 'Magic Door'

The high pitched beep at the beginning of this track should serve as a warning to the uninitiated. Portishead is a bleak land populated by fractured beats and the tortured vocals of Beth Gibbons. Add into this dramatic piano thuds and a strangled trumpet that sounds like a drunk elephant and you have ‘Magic Door’, the penultimate track on their album ‘Third’. But for fans of Portishead of old, we expected more than this. Gibbons laments ‘I don’t know who I’m meant to be’, and sadly, we don’t know either.

Forge Music says, 2/5

Kimberley Long

Club Preview: Ebony Bones + Rosie and the Goldbug @ Fuzz 4/12/08

After the disappointment of both bands cancelling last weeks Fuzz, this Thursday’s Fuzz club with two promising bands will be sure to provide indie fans with their fix of good music for the week. Support comes in the form of Cornish trio Rosie and the Goldbug. Headed by Rosie on the keyboard, their music has been compared to the likes of Kate Bush, Blondie and the Pretenders. First single “You’ve Changed” was released this Monday, check them out on www.myspace.com/rosieandthegoldbug.
Headlining this Thursday is electopop post punk songstress, Ebony Bones. Expect mayhem and lots of colour and chaos on stage. With lyrics like “Don’t Fart on my Heart” there is something we can all identify with in her music…have a listen on www.myspace.com/ebonybones.
Expect usual fuzz-club DJ’s playing the latest in indie-pop afterwards in Foundry, and Bleach for all the best in rock, punk, ska and metal in Fusion.


Alexandra Rucki