1992 and 1993 were bumper years for the NME reader. For those less interested in the Transatlantic grunge wave led by the globe conquering ‘Nevermind’, there was a whole world of other music to explore. So much, that in fact, this period could certainly be seen as a genuine musical landmark. In 1992, Carter USM reached the top spot on the album chart with their third long player, ‘1992: The Love Album’ and The Orb achieved a similarly unlikely feat with ‘UFOrb’ barely two months later, surely to the dismay of the omnipresent Mick Hucknall. The Wonder Stuff were riding high off the back of some great singles and Manic Street Preachers released ‘Generation Terrorists’, a hugely grand double platter of a debut. They’d always said it was to be their only LP; you have to wonder how things would have panned out had the Blackwood boys stuck to their word. In ’93, Carter made a headline appearance at the Glastonbury Festival and upset Michael Eavis, appeared at the Smash Hits Poll Winner’s Party and upset Phillip Schofield and still found time to record a new album. Suede ushered in a new era of Bripop with their debut album and some great singles, Radiohead hit the charts for the first time, while Senser made waves with a crossover mix of rap, rock and electronica.
Monthly Archives: January 2018
Tour dates from As The Crow Flies, a new band featuring ex-Black Crowes man Chris Robinson
Not content with only fronting the Chris Robinson Brotherhood – an excellent jam band bringing the spaciousness of Grateful Dead to other retro styles – Chris Robinson, the one-time Black Crowes frontman – has formed a new band, As The Crow Flies. The main reason for this? He’s got a great catalogue of songs that deserve live performances; much loved songs that wouldn’t necessarily fit the Brotherhood ethos.
What’s more, there’s a string of US live dates scheduled for April and May.
OUTTACONTROLLER – No Echo EP
Having previously regaled the world with tales of TV Zombies, R. Stevie Moore and Pizza on their ‘Television Echo’ LP in 2015, Canada’s Outtacontroller begin 2018 on a similarly energised and fuzzed out wave with four more more songs of trashy debauchery.
Although comprised of recordings made at a brand new session, thematically speaking, there’s common ground covered on their ‘No Echo’ EP, since ‘Prime Time’ echoes their love of TV and ‘Something Wild’ hints at a band who believe firmly in the old Spinal Tap maxim “have a good time, all the time”. There may only be ten minutes’ worth of new music here, but this disc represents quality over quantity.
NARCOS FAMILY BAND – Pink Blues EP
Labelled “the heaviest band you’ve never heard” by the DyingScene website, Narcos Family Band already have a reputation to live up to. Since they’re not a strictly a metal band (or better yet, a doom metal band), they’d have a hard job being the heaviest all the while bands like Heriot and Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard have plied their trade, but they’re definitely bloody raucous…and if “bloody raucous” is one of your staples when it comes to discovering new music, then ‘Pink Blues’ should definitely be sought.
MASON SUMMIT – Summer Cold
In the last quarter of 2015, Mason Summit left a lasting impression with his third album ‘Gunpowder Tracks’. Exploring various avenues of pop, Americana and folk, the singer-songwriter showed a talent and knowledge of influences that stretched beyond his years. With the world awash with great music in the digital age, it didn’t quite reach the size of audience it deserved but, for those who actually heard it, the feeling was unanimous – this was an unexpected gem that set expectations high for a follow up.