Music Reviews
LIVE: The Walkmen
A good friend of mine once described New York Indie crooners The Walkmen as 'the ultimate wintertime band'. Their music, as beautiful as it is unsettling, brings to mind a vast array of romantic images. To listen is to allow yourself...More
LIVE: Black Lips
For one night, and one night only, Brighton's Audio is transformed into a 1950s school dance, filled with 'drapes'. Bad kids, leather clad, jeans clad, excited and sweaty. It's chaos; both band and audience are kicking up a ruckus....More
LIVE: Late of the Pier
A steady stream of stripe-shirt clad teenagers, complete with neon paint and glowsticks, makes its way down Madeira Drive and along the seafront towards the rapidly growing queue outside Concorde2....More
LIVE: Secret Machines
New York's Secret Machines have existed on the fringes of the indie rock scene for a while now, steadily refining their mix of krautrock beats, stomping choruses and a penchant for vaguely psychedelic wig-outs....More
LIVE: Passion Pit
with neither Passion Pit nor Hockey ever having played a UK show, you could be forgiven for thinking that this Tuesday night show would be on the underside of busy. But then again, these two bands are currently....More
LIVE: NME Awards Tour
It’s a warm midwinter’s night and the North Laines are buzzing with a steady flow of well-dressed teenagers. This can mean only one thing; the NME Awards Tour is in town....More
LIVE: Das Pop
Any band that insists on playing all its shows with big silver balloons spelling its name out on stage is almost certainly guaranteed to entertain. Das Pop, paying their second visit to Brighton...More
LIVE: Red Stripe Music Award
Showcasing unsigned musical talent from across the UK, the Red Stripe Music Award offer unsigned artists the chance of securing slots at three of this summer’s most celebrated festivals including Brighton’s very own...More
LIVE: The Gaslight Anthem
New Jersey 4 piece The Gaslight Anthem are not your average modern day band. A full on old school good time rock ‘n’ roll band with a sound that is easily comparable...More
Brighton Tattoo Convention
There was not a horse in sight at Brighton racecourse on this cold, snowy weekend. Replacing them was a colourful crowd of tattooists and the tattoo-ed descending on this uppermost...More
LIVE: La Roux
La Roux, despite being tipped for big things just about everywhere, has released just one single, “Quicksilver”, and, before tonight’s gig...More
LIVE: God Is An Astronaut
One of Ireland's best kept secrets paid their first ever visit to Brighton and an intrepid group of eager attendees witnessed a powerful display of upbeat and inventive instrumental music...More
LIVE: Iration Steppas
Originally starting out hosting dances with their own massive sound system, the Iration Steppas have been releasing tunes for over 15 years...More
LIVE: the blueskies
It’s a cold, wet and windy night on Brighton seafront. People on the street are trussed up like Arctic explorers whilst wrestling umbrellas and huddling under bus shelters...More
LIVE: Of Montreal
A friend affiliated with Digital – the venue set for these American sensations - told me that when Of Montreal’s tour manager came to the club his initial words were...More
LIVE: Sebastien Tellier
Sebastien Tellier oozes a perverted kind of sexuality as he saunters onto the Concorde2 stage. He emanates a holier-than-thou aura as he fondles his microphone stand, looking like a cracked-out, greasy Jesus...More
LIVE: Hjaltalin
The Arctic Circle lengthened its diameter on this January eve with the Icelandic based Hjaltalin landing on the south shores. Having been named "The new Icelandic sensation" amidst their debut release "Sleepdrunk Seasons" one can...More
LIVE: Ugly Duckling
Ugly Duckling never quite became the beautiful hip-hop swans their debut album, “Journey to Anywhere” promised. Numerous label switches and patchy follow-ups meant a chequered ascendancy, but as tonight’s performance...More
LIVE: Animal Collective
On walking into the heaving first room of Concorde 2, it is evident that tonight's show is so much more than just another gig. The hype that has been built up around new album "Merriweather Post Pavilion" has rocked blogs all over...More
LIVE: Little Joy
There had been so much hype surrounding this gig that it seemed almost impossible that Little Joy could live up to expectations. In a way they were nothing like the expectations: this wasn't a showcase for...More
LIVE: Joe Strummer Remembrance Night
It was December 2002 when punk rock warlord Mr Joe Strummer was found dead in his Somerset home, aged 50. In his prime he was a force of nature. By 22 he was the commanding ambassador for the 1970s...More
LIVE: The Damned
It’s the Sunday before Christmas. Outside the Komedia, Brighton’s North Laine is filled with festive spirit but the Komedia is filled with a very different spirit indeed: the spirit of punk rock. Hardly surprising, because along with The Sex Pistols...More
LIVE: The Ghost of a Thousand
If you like your music loud, lethal and relentlessly abusive then you'll no doubt have checked out The Ghost of a Thousand already. However, for those of you who've yet to take those tentative first steps into Brighton's unbelievably rich...More
LIVE: Wintersleep
There seems to be something of an indie-rock revolution happening in Canada these days, thanks in part to generous public funding for musicians and a thriving, confident domestic scene...More
LIVE: Herman Dune
Sitting in the Duke of York’s Picturehouse waiting for a band to come onstage makes you feel momentarily dislocated from the present, like you’ve been transported back in time to the heady old days of folk. The old venue has a charming...More
LIVE: Vivian Girls
As with fashion, films and art, music fads are cyclical. We’re just coming to the end of our second wave of the eighties, so as is to be expected, now begins the reawakening of the ‘90s. Stuffed into a sold out Freebutt...More
LIVE: Moriarty
From the beautiful horse’s mouth Moriarty sound like: “a velvet couch, a subterranean salt cathedral and the Russian Taiga.” Hailing from everywhere, but especially cherished in France, these bohemians were playing only two nights...More
LIVE: Jesse Malin
New York rock troubadour Jesse Malin has been making music for over 25 years. After emerging from the 1980s punk scene in New York, he formed a highly successful solo career, working with the likes of Bruce Springsteen...More
LIVE: Joan As Police Woman
Joan Wasser is blessed with a wealth of natural musical ability, from violin (which she began to learn aged 8) to her regular solo instruments of piano and guitar. Enticing an enviable crowd...More
LIVE: Positivity
Positivity sets out to be a party night for people who love all things hip-hop, funk and soul. And what a job they do. While the majority in attendance were obvious hip-hop fans (recognisable by the abundant baggy jeans and hoodies), it was...More
LIVE: Alabama 3
The “Alabama Muthafuckin' Three!” (as they are gleefully announced by a small, unknown Welsh lady) are not a band to compromise. Operating decidedly on their own terms throughout their career, their forthcoming album...More
LIVE: Super Dub Pressure
Clandestine Cultivations, the label and promo company behind Super Dub Pressure, have been serving Brighton a healthy slice of dubstep for about the last five years. The move from SDP’s original...More
LIVE: Audio Bullys
Out to promote “Dope Fiend”, their new single (and illustrated comic), Audio Bullys -Tom and Simon plus a guest drummer - popped into Digital as part of a three date tour. Playing before the Audio Bullys, the Nextmen...More
LIVE: Shearwater
Shearwater are one of the hush-hush musical triumphs of the past few years. What began as a side project for Okkervil River stalwarts Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff, has evolved from a diversion from the main event...More
LIVE: Guillemots
As part of their “Fishbone for a Drink” tour (aka “weird venue tour”) Guillemots descended on St George’s Church in Kemptown. It’s an interesting place for a gig, but not the weirdest on this tour....More
LIVE: The Whip
It may have been over a decade since the baggy-trousered hedonism of Madchester was laid to rest, but The Whip are making sure the coffin lid isn’t closed just yet. As they appear amidst Brian Eno’s dreamy soundscape...More
LIVE: Fight Like Apes
“Levi’s Ones To Watch” seems a precarious title that proposes great things. I was wondering if tonight’s acts would live up to the high standards naturally expected from the crowd. There are only about 10 people watching when Esben...More
LIVE: Ida Maria
It may just be me, but it’s just impossible not to like Scandinavians. It might be their accents, the way they are so very polite, or maybe purely their general cheery demeanour. In Ida Maria’s case...More
LIVE: Murcof
It's not often you get to sink into the Duke's plush crimson seating for an event other than a film and get to luxuriate in some cutting-edge audiovisual stimulation. The music of Murcof will never be...More
LIVE: Micah P Hinson
The alt-country, bad-guy-turned-good cult figure Micah P Hinson, is a modest looking man. Baseball cap, hillbilly plaid shirt, eyes squinting through large, dark framed geek-glasses...More
LIVE: Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev in triumphant return shocker! as the headline might scream. And triumphant it was, as psych-pop's elder statesmen delivered a magical audio-visual experience to a fit-to-burst Concorde2 crowd. Treating us...More
LIVE:Filthy Dukes
Have you ever inserted a tube of Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke? The resulting chemical reaction is a little bit like watching Filthy Dukes live: explosive, effervescent and you’ll want it to start over again as soon as...More
LIVE: Evil Nine
Consisting of little more than main men Tom and Pat on bass guitars and a keyboard, together with a drummer, Evil Nine took full advantage of Digital’s immense soundsystem...More
LIVE: Motorhead
Being home to one of the biggest and most vibrant musical epicentres in the UK, Brighton is routinely graced by international artists of the highest calibre...More
LIVE: Hot Chip
Hot Chip are one of the biggest bands of the past few years. Not Girls Aloud- performing-on-X-Factor-big, but after three albums (one of which was nominated for a Mercury Music Award) they’ve gone about gaining...More
LIVE: Fucked Up
This is the grimiest, smelliest, sweatiest gig I have been to in a long time. And I love it. It’s just how a proper gig should be. You should smell, breathe and feel the music...More
LIVE: Alphabeat
I have many guilty pleasures: a baby blue dressing gown I wear on cold mornings, watching Laguna Beach when hungover, and listening to Alphabeat embarrassingly loud...More
LIVE: Cage The Elephant
Over the past couple of years, Kentucky punk-rock quintet Cage the Elephant have gained a reputation for their incendiary live shows – on-stage brawling, crowd baiting, unpredictable antics – and their sell-out...More
LIVE: Eugene Mcguinness
On a night when the world’s eyes are firmly fixed on the United States of America, there is something special unfolding at the Freebutt and it arrives in the form of modern day troubadour Eugene McGuinness...More
LIVE: Florence and the Machine
A whirling, tumbling maelstrom, Florence Welch throws herself around the stage, flaming red hair flying in all directions. The sheer quality and range of this girl's voice is pant-wettingly rare: several-times-a-century rare. ...More
LIVE: Deadmau5
Deadmau5, (pronounced “Deadmouse”), is the current darling and poster boy of the progressive house scene. He arrived at Digital tonight in a flurry of hype, fresh from last month’s triumphant set during Matter’s opening week...More
LIVE: Vessels
Explosive. Uplifting. Inspirational. These are just a few of the multitude of gushing adjectives I could pluck from my linguistic knapsack when attempting to put into words how I felt after seeing this band play...More
LIVE: Olafur Arnalds
For such a small country, Iceland seems to produce more than its share of talented musicians. We all know Bjork and Sigur Ros, but how many can say they are down with some of the country's other musical delights...More
LIVE: Roots Manuva
The last time I saw Roots Manuva was a short PA at Fabric backed solely by DJ MK, and while containing all the appropriate tunes, Smith seemed to just be going through the motions...More
LIVE: Mumford and Sons
In a year's time you won't be able to escape the sight and sound of Mumford & Sons. Jo Whiley will 'discover' the London folk four-piece. Your uber-cool uncle will be buying their album in Asda....More
LIVE: Lykke Li
Is this heaven or is this hell? Lykke Li is a woman on the fence, the fence that is surrounding popular music today. Her debut album, 'Youth Novels' has echoed greatness since its release earlier in the year and this is seen most visibly in the...More
LIVE: Does It Offend You, Yeah?
The summer festival circuit is over and your album is working its way to the nether regions of the chart. What do you do next? Take one last victory lap of a tour to cash in on every last bit of success you can...More
LIVE: Cajun Dance Party
I didn?t realise that this gig was a 14+ until I was walking in beneath the Concorde 2 sign. Weirdly, the doors were displaying the exact set times of each band...More
LIVE: This Will Destroy You
One of the more recent additions to that popular boy?s club known to many by the much over-used ?post-rock? label, This Will Destroy You make the listener a grand promise before a single note is played...More
LIVE: The Melvins
Although never having a strictly mainstream presence in the music scene, the Melvins have enjoyed cult success backed by their dedicated fans for over 20 years...More
LIVE: Friendly Fires
Having been touted as "ones to watch for 2008" for some time now, Friendly Fires might feel they have a lot to lose. Having just released their debut album...More
LIVE: Tricky
Tricky has always been something of an enigma, with visits to both ends of the quality spectrum over his career. Past shows have been trumpeted as captivating...More
LIVE: Ladyhawke
In a world where there are endless television "talent" shows looking for the next pop star, I find it totally incomprehensible that seven million people watch ... More
LIVE: White Lies
Much hyped in the music press as indie’s next great white hopes (geddit?), West London 3-piece White Lies have a lot to live up to... More
LIVE: Big Beach Boutique
Question: How many people can be crammed into the narrow space that is Madeira Drive? Answer: Too bloody many. Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside... More
LIVE: The Mirimar Disaster
The Freebutt was like a glass half empty when Mirimar Disaster came to play their version of heavy metal, on what was the last stop of their tour ... More
LIVE: Pelican
It seems like every fantastically loud instrumental band of the moment will be visiting Brighton this autumn: Lite, Russian Circles, This Will Destroy You... More
LIVE: UK Air Guitar Championships
You can guarantee that when the DJ and host utters the phrase: 'the winner is pretty much always the loser' you are in for a great night... More
LIVE: Wildbirds and Peacedrums
A highly anticipated show this, as one of Sweden's most original musical exports since The Knife visit The Albert... More
LIVE: Gotye
On a brisk Monday evening, still nursing the last vestiges of post-festival blues, it was left to a bunch of chirpy Aussies to bring the sunshine back into our lives... More
LIVE: The Virgins
Prior to embarking on a tour of America along with Black Kids, New York pop-funksters The Virgins have brought their mix of indie and soul to a few venues in Britain... More
LIVE: Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks
It should come as no surprise that the most often overheard phrase at a Stephen Malkmus gig is ?indie icon
LIVE: Loufah & DJ Chef
When Krafty Kuts comes to town, naturally most are swayed his way by the sincere possibility of breaks mayhem... More
LIVE: Black Lungs
As the sweat dripped off the low ceiling at Audio and a heavily-tattooed Wade MacNeil ordered his band to strip to the waist, it was clear Black Lungs were in no mood... More
LIVE: Beachdown
It was a rocky start on Friday - the sky was black with cloud and the wind whipped over the Downs, freezing my hand to the can of Tuborg.... More
LIVE: One Night Only
Tonight's One Night Only show at Concorde2 was a 14+ show as long as there were accompanying parents. Without that admittance, the venue would have been half-empty tonight and, although I have never been to a Smash Hits roadshow... More
LIVE: Cold War Kids
A certain glint filled the audience's eyes tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, the Brighton cherry-pop by subdued Americans Cold War Kids... More
LIVE: At Home By The Sea
Concorde2 is ? and has long been - something of a Brighton institution for live music, so a small two-day festival to celebrate its 21st birthday is an entirely appropriate tribute to the joys of alternative music. Read on for At Home By The Sea... More
LIVE: Vodafone TBA featuring N*E*R*D
For those of you not in the know, Vodafone have been putting on gigs all over the country for a while now, bringing some of the biggest names... More
LIVE: Loop
Now in its second year, Loop aimed to bring cutting-edge music and digital art right to heart of the Brighton. With the aid of two impressive stages, Loop turned an otherwise plain bit of grass into such a fun festival atmosphere ... More
LIVE: Bonde Do Role
Brazil's Bonde Do Role is an eight-legged, four-boobed, all-singing, all-dancing tune machine. With a line up consisting of two guys and two girls, these rampant young scamps are notorious in their homeland of Curitiba... More
LIVE: Hadouken!
Concorde2 opened its doors to the mighty neon love children known as Hadouken!, a band hailed as “rather bloody good actually!” ... More
LIVE: Hot 8 Brass Band
Ever wondered what relevance brass instruments have to 21st century music? Mark Ronson-produced schmaltz aside, one would be hard pushed to find a horn section as fresh-sounding and entertaining as New Orleans' magnificent... More
LIVE: Boutique Theatre
The Boutique Theatre troupe have been performing their own brand of titillating and teasing burlesque in a recent sell-out run of Brighton shows and have been touting their flirtatious fun since 2006... More
LIVE: Ratatat
The draw for punters at this busy Friday night gig? Brooklyn-based hip-hop influenced electronic duo Ratatat are in town... More
LIVE: Buzzcocks
Back in 1994, I had a ticket to see Nirvana at Brixton Academy, with Buzzcocks in support. Back then, they were already confirmed as a legendary and important band from the English punk movement... More
LIVE: DJ/rupture...
A rare mid-week treat for a lucky few Brightonians as Brooklyn's DJ/rupture and MC Jahdan dropped in for a blisteringly tight bassline lesson at the recently improved Freebutt... More
LIVE: Battles
Battles are a tough proposition for the uninitiated. Whether you tag them with the whole ?math rock? label or not, on early listens they are the aural equivalent of the first time you try to do a simultaneous equation... More
LIVE: Red Sparowes
Featuring members either in or linked to Isis and Neurosis, LA supergroup Red Sparowes' gig at The Engine Room was a memorable and rare occasion...More
LIVE: The Dirty Money
The Old Blue Last is normally a venue more associated with the skinny jeans and leather jacket brigade of London?s trendy Shoreditch. Enter The Dirty Money... More
LIVE: The Presets
When did the Aussies get so damn good at electronic music? France may have Daft Punk and Justice but snapping at their heels come great acts from the land down under... More
LIVE: Revenge of Shinobi
Sometimes you have to re-acquaint yourself with the simple pleasures; like watching unsigned bands in small venues. Freed from all the media hype, without the PR machine churning out yards of empty hyperbole...More
LIVE: Spiritualized
You might think that Spiritualized's albums have passed you by.?If so, I recommend perusing their album artwork if nothing else... More
LIVE: Melt-Banana
Yasuko Onuki, Agata, Rika Mm? and Sudoh Toshiaki make up the troops of a Melt-Banana army that has savagely ransacked any terrain they stood on since their formation... More
LIVE: Cult of Luna
The Concorde2 was buzzing with people to see Swedish metallers Cult of Luna. There was a sense of anticipation and I was genuinely looking forward to seeing them live... More
LIVE: Deerhunter
On paper, Deerhunter should be a great band. In fact, the thought of five kids from Atlanta that play ?ambient punk? sounded cool enough for me to make a special effort... More
LIVE: Atmosphere
Eleven years after their first album, Minnesota?s Atmosphere still shun major records labels yet their latest offering debuted in the Billboard Top 10... More
LIVE: Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell
The walk at sunset to St George?s Church from Brighton city centre is a long but pleasant stroll. Leave the bustle of St James? Street behind, get in character and enjoy it... More
LIVE: Those Dancing Days
After seeing Bruce Springsteen for the first time, producer Jon Landau is famously meant to have said: ?I?ve just seen the future of rock ?n? roll?... More
LIVE: Royworld
Those who peeled themselves away from the Dome bar long enough to check Royworld out seemed to find them acceptable enough... More
LIVE: De La Soul
Coming to light in 1983 with debut album ?3 Feet High & Rising?, De La Soul have had plenty of time to perfect their live performance... More
LIVE: Club NME
The Ghost Frequency have a fresh sound, essential if you're young and want to listen to something that's your own and not what your older brother or sister is listening to... More
LIVE: We Are Scientists
It?s the eve of The Great Escape Festival, and what better way to see in the weekend of revelry and frolics than a pre-festival party with those American indie pop rockers We Are Scientists... More
LIVE: Shapeshifter
New Zealand?s Shapeshifter are a relatively unknown D&B band comprising of singer P. Digsss, a live drummer and a few others... More
LIVE: Rolo Tomassi
Rolo Tomassi are one of those bands that will generate polar opinions in every listener; you will either love them or despise them... More
LIVE: Sad Season
Prolonged sound problems accompanied by the dubious task of tumbleweed clearing preceded tonight?s main act Sad Season... More
LIVE: Centurion
Despite a good turn-out for this seven-band bill headed by Centurion, the crowd seemed reluctant to enjoy themselves... More
LIVE: DJ Yoda
Sampling a variety of film clips and using specialist equipment, DJ Yoda put together tonight?s 90-minute set which allowed him to scratch the actual film footage... More
LIVE: Anton Barbeau
California's self-proclaimed 'cult hero's cult hero' Anton Barbeau plays songs which you might you hear in an American romantic comedy... More
LIVE: Soulwax
Belgian super-producers Soulwax have released three band albums, reworked one of them into dance music, remixed everyone from DJ Shadow to The Gossip... More
LIVE: Adam Levy
Plucking notes strung with emotions, master of the guitar Adam Levy opened his set without so much as an introduction. Feeling the strings like a well-known lover...More
LIVE: Plump DJs
On tour to promote forthcoming album ?Headthrash?, Plump DJs have been at the forefront of the breaks scene since 1999... More
LIVE: Low
With the kind of zeal usually reserved for a church wedding, the arrival of Low, three smartly-dressed Americans, was met with an auspicious round of applause from the audience...More
LIVE: Envy and Other Sins
As The Barfly wasn?t exactly buzzing with people, Envy and Other Sins found themselves battling to generate an atmosphere...More
LIVE: 65daysofstatic
Experiments conducted in the 1960s found that exposure to 65 days of white noise would render the listener insane. Never confirming this as inspiration, 65daysofstatic remain guarded about their band...More
LIVE: The Hacienda
Celebrating 25 years since it opened its doors, Concorde2 paid tribute to one of the most important nightclubs ever, Manchester?s The Ha?ienda. ... More
LIVE: Birdengine
Brighton?s Birdengine descended on Komedia to showcase a peculiar brand of strange and dark compositions. XYZ?s Mo Mostowfi lingered in the darkness amongst the many others who showed up to have a listen... More
LIVE: Rough Trade Unsigned
Having missed its opening night, XYZ?s Andrea Fox was pleasantly surprised at the new decor for Brighton Coalition... More
LIVE:This Will Destroy You
Bathed in a sickly blue incandescent light and emitting a looming, swelling feedback, Texan post-rockers This Will Destroy You begin a near-seamless set with allusions to an epic film soundtrack... More
LIVE: Teenagers
Strains of warm chorus-drenched melody emanated from The Blueskies, a Brighton-based quartet of sharply-dressed young gents. Their vocoder vocals were layered over each other innumerably, to the quality of an audio recording... More
LIVE: The Duke Spirit
Is there a more under-rated band in British indie music than The Duke Spirit? On the evidence of this performance, the answer is probably not... More
LIVE: Totally unsigned
Although newly-opened venue The Coalition can hold around 650 people, tonight there were only around 15, including XYZ?s Mo Mostowfi, on hand to see three Brighton bands in ?Totally Unsigned?. .. More
LIVE: The Subways
Having spent the best part of the last three years producing a follow-up to their debut album ?Young for Eternity?, The Subways have finally made it back to Concorde2 to stir up some pulses. XYZ?s Dave Drummond witnessed their blistering return... More
LIVE: Blood Red Shoes
Brighton?s neo-punk duo Blood Red Shoes returned to the coast to headline The Komedia with two hotly-tipped bands in support. XYZ Ambassador James Watts was part of the welcoming committee... More
LIVE: Rough Trade Unsigned
Kong Promotions and Redhot Promotions have teamed up with Rough Trade to bring us a fortnightly unsigned night at the freshly-unveiled Brighton Coalition. ...More
LIVE: Stone Gods
As a reincarnation of The Darkness, Stone Gods had a lot to live up to without the theatrical Justin Hawkins on board. Tonight they opened for the mighty Velvet Revolver, and XYZ reporter Nats Spada prayed for no shimmering cat-suits. ...More
LIVE: Holy Fuck
So, here?s the recipe for musical shock and awe: First, blend together one thunderous rhythm section that threatens to lay waste to small towns......More
LIVE: Architects
Arriving late, and digesting home-made curry, I managed to miss the first two bands (Whitemare and Brides), but was reassured that the best was yet to come in this Brighton-heavy hardcore line up....More
LIVE: Sam Isaac
It was my first time at Studio bar and I loved its atmosphere; it felt a bit like me and a lot of friends had been invited to a very private party! The room was full so we sat at the front corner ...More
LIVE: Scouting For girls
Ruislip?s Scouting for Girls self-titled debut album has just gone platinum which is somewhat of a rare occurrence in this era...More
LIVE: Jacob's Stories
XYZ?s Mo Mostowfi was expecting a few cups of Fair Trade coffee at St. James?s Redroaster but was instead greeted with the perfect setting for a dark musical feast: an album launch for Brighton-based Jacob?s Stories? ?Undisciplined Art?...More
LIVE: Foals
The NME thought that the tennis-loving Foals were the stars of last year?s SXSW, and as the US music showcase gets underway again, this year could see the band really take off...More
LIVE: My Device
Brighton rockers My Device need no introduction. If you know your local bands, you would at least be aware that this three-piece were awarded NME?s ?Sony Walkman ...More
LIVE: Kid Harpoon & The Powers That Be
Being the final night of Kid Harpoon?s current tour, we are reminded that the ?last date? mentality can dictate either...More
LIVE: Dirty Socials
After the extreme weather that had hit the south coast last week, XYZ?s Nats Spada was in need of a drink and a the music of local band to make her smile...More
LIVE: Sandi Thom
Scottish singer/songwriter SANDI THOM released her debut album ‘Smile... It Confuses People’ in summer 2006 to great commercial success. She holds a record in Australia for having the longest... More
ALBUM: ‘Original Visions’ - SKILF
As an established and prolific MC, SKILF has held down residencies at some of Brighton's most prominent nights, which span several genres, including ‘Devotion’ (drum & bass), ‘Dubpressure... More
LIVE: I-Koma
Although Brighton’s I-KOMA have been around the circuit for a few years, they have only found their feet when settling their current line-up eight months ago. XYZ reporter Mo Mostowfi heard promising reports so went to watch... More
LIVE: The Levellers
It’d be interesting to know what founding LEVELLERS members Mark Chadwick and Jeremy Cunningham would have said twenty years ago if they were asked how long they’d last in an industry so fickle... More
LIVE: Hot Chip
London indie-electro forerunners HOT CHIP have been in the public spotlight for over four years now. Having released their third album in February ('Made In The Dark' follows their Mercury-nominated 'The Warning')... More
LIVE: Rob the Rich
It’s a Friday night and I’m in The Ocean Rooms wondering who thought the psychedelic sixties wallpaper was a good idea when Rob the Rich take to the stage, mercifully drawing my eye as well as my ear... More
LIVE: MGMT
Some of New York’s hippest and hottest bands have been storming Brighton’s shores in recent months and, after Vampire Weekend’s recent gig, psychedelic pop pairing MGMT arrive at Pressure Point to an equal fanfare.... More
LIVE: Kovak
On the hunt for some indie-electro shenanigans, XYZ reporter Jen Blakeley headed down to Hector’s House for the re-launch of Club Kovak... More
LIVE: Desperado
XYZ reporter Jen Blakeley went to her first country music night to see if the Joogleberry Playhouse could disprove her preconceptions of cowboy hats and line dancing…... More
LIVE: The Pursuit
Up and coming young band The Pursuit have been busy gigging all around town recently, followed in their tracks by a wave of great reviews and crowd adoration... More
LIVE: Channel 83
Started at the insistence of guitarist, keyboardist and producer DJ Stantz and featuring no fewer than ten members, Channel 83 are an ambitious band, with big ideas... More
LIVE: The Dillinger Escape Plan
Excited by rumours of light shows, fire breathing and stage dives with guitars smashing into faces, it was with trepidation and some nerve that XYZ’s Nats Spada ventured into The Dillinger Escape Plan at Concorde2... More
LIVE: Manchester Orchestra
An overwhelmingly spiritual awakening has only affected this non-believer once before. At 2004’s Reading Festival, New Jersey’s Thursday tore the stage to pieces during the opening bars of their monolithic ‘Autobiography of a Nation’... More
LIVE: Storm Engine
Last Thursday XYZ’s Leo Rahban and Joel Smedley went to Beluschi’s to check out another new and promising band; Storm Engine... More
LIVE: Broadcast Loft Party
It’s a brand new underground party space! Louis’s Café has been decked out in the classic disco style, a signature disco ball glittering over glamorous red drapes and funky projections... More
LIVE: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
Sam Duckworth was nominated for best solo artist at the annual NME Awards, and having heard that he played a US gig despite being discharged from hospital with bronchitis hours beforehand, our expectations were understandably sky-high... More
LIVE: Laser Crabs
Léo Rahban decided to “gig the heck out of it” and headed down to student haunt Hectors House to check out Brighton’s LASER CRABS... More
LIVE: Kula Shaker
After an eight year absence, psychedelica-rockers Kula Shaker are back in the spotlight with a new album and a brand new sound... More
LIVE: The Foxes
Their happy energetic rock is very contagious and their lyrics can only make you laugh.... More
LIVE: Astro-Physics
It was when Brighton's Astro-Physics burst on stage with '24 hour MC' that things really got interesting.... More
LIVE: The Courteeners
With the healthy balance of songs that hit you immediately or unravel gloriously with each listen, I'd already made my mind up that I was going to enjoy this gig... More
LIVE: Dillinja
Dillinja / Ed Rush & Optical / Ink & Keaton @ Concorde 2 then DJ Krush @ The Loft and back again... More
LIVE: Two Gallants
After two hours and two mediocre bands, a collective restlessness is spreading like the plague around the cinema and a modestly-sized audience glance at watches, shifting noiselessly in their seats... More
LIVE: Iron & Wine
The folk styling of London openers Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit bring to mind a lucklustre Clann Zu and the timbre of Mr. Flynn’s fiddle is lost in the mix, their overall sound fails to lend to the expanse of such a bespoke setting... More
LIVE: The Handsome Family
Daniel Knox shuffles quietly to his piano, a small mouth appearing from the centre of his coarse beard. The Komedia’s dark basement is filled with a congregation of chairs, wine glasses and grown-up patrons... More