This band could be your life - 2:54

In the first of an irregular series: meet 2:54.

Two sisters: drone rock, shoegaze, Mazzy Star, a bit metal, a bit stoner, named after a moment in a Melvins track....all good.

Below are songs 'Creeping' and 'On A Wire'

Creeping by 2:54


On A Wire by 2:54

Album Review: Papercuts

Oh you really are being spoiled today, music fans! Today sees the release of Papercuts' Fading Parade on Sub Pop (I even spelled it right this time), and if you want to read a review of it you know where to go.........

....onwards to The Line Of Best Fit, pop pickers! You won't be sorry. Probably.

Album Review: Forest

Chilly Swedish trio Forest released their self-titled debut on Service Records earlier this month, so if you'd like to know what I think of their electronic soundscapes, and receive a lecture on Swedish art history into the bargain, head over to The Line Of Best Fit to find out more.

"Come closer and see / see into the trees..."

OFF! : First Four EPs

Kind of a hardcore supergroup featuring the original and best Black Flag frontman Keith Morris (yeah, you heard right Henry Rollins), plus members of Red Kross, Burning Brides and Rocket From The Crypt, First Four EPs is over before you know it.

If brevity be the soul of wit, it's also the modus operandi of these chaps as the longest track weighs in at a massive 1min 33secs. There are no surprises to be found here, it's a big old punk rock punch to the face, with Morris sounding like an angry teenager (or the angry kid he was in Black Flag and Circle Jerks) rather than the 51-year-old man he actually is. It is a touch embarrassing for the young pups in bands these days to realise that a group with the combined age of about 160 is producing music this energetic and thrilling, but that's just how it is with these guys - anger is an energy, as some fella said once. Chris Martin, right?

It's a total blast.


Upsidedown by OFF

Destroyer: Kaputt

There's so much that should be absolutely hated on Dan Bejar's, aka Destroyer,new album Kaputt. The soft-rock, blue eyed soul, jazz-lite, smooth sounds are the sort of thing that made the 1980s the musical decade that taste largely forgot......yet somehow this album is utterly charming and a fantastic listen.

Jam-packed with synths, sax solos, little electro sounds, and "chicka-chicka" guitar work worthy of Nile Rodgers, it's an engaging listen from the get-go. However, the acceptable side of the '80s is also there, and you can hear snippets of New Order, Roxy Music, Talk Talk, Depeche Mode, and the ambient sounds of the likes of Tangerine Dream.

I'm slightly disgusted with myself for enjoying Kaputt so much.....but I don't care - embrace it!

Have a taste of 'Chinatown' below:


Destroyer - Chinatown by mouxlaloulouda

Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.

Mogwai have been part of my musical life since I left school, and I still remember the moment in 1996 when I got my hands on the 'Tuner/Lower', and then 'Summer' 7-inches within a few months of each other. I never expected them to still be around 15-odd years later, still producing fantastic music.

With Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will the noise-rock veterans prove they've still got some tricks up their sleeve. 'White Noise' is probably the prettiest the 'Gwai have ever sounded at the start of a record, 'Mexican Grand Prix' sounds like an angry Stereolab, and the riffs of 'Rano Pano' are a visceral treat.

What else? 'Letters To The Metro' is lovely, 'Too Raging To Cheers' threatens to explode - but its controlled aggression is excellent. 'You're Lionel Richie' builds to the crescendo that perfectly fits the album's close, proving that these lads still have what it takes to blow your socks off.

There's also a bonus CD containing 'The Singing Mountain', a 23min beautiful orchestral epic created for a Douglas Gordon (he of Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait fame) film. It's really quite something, showcasing the influence that Barry Burns has in the band.

All in all, a beast of a record and easily their best since 2003's Happy Songs for Happy People.

Album Review: Sean Rowe

Ramblin' man Sean Rowe releases his new album, Magic, on Monday. Want to know what I think about it? Of course you do, that's why you should head over to The Line of Best Fit to find out more!

Here!Click on this!


(Spoiler alert: this review contains unkind words.)