Near the beginning of 2024, US post punk band Sun Atoms broke a near three year silence when they released the single ‘Ceiling Tiles’. That track provided the perfect reminder of their great sound with its angular riffs, pulsing rhythms and light gothic tones. In a little over five minutes, the music transported the listener back to the early 90s with its alternative feel, but Sun Atoms’ music still played very well in the present.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
THUNDER – The Complete EMI Recordings 1989-1995
When it comes to rock bands, Thunder are a British institution. Their classic rock sound has long conveyed a timeless style, and in the live setting, Danny Bowes, Luke Morley and company are second to none. What’s even more amazing is that Thunder’s greatness was evident from the very beginning. Whereas some bands work hard to hone their sound and have to learn to win over a crowd, Thunder displayed a natural ability the moment they arrived. Part of that was obviously due to Danny and Luke warming up with their former act Terraplane, but Thunder’s live presence was much greater than their predecessor. Almost perfect proof of this can be heard during their very first Donington Monsters of Rock appearance. It’s a difficult task – sometimes even thankless – being the first band on at a festival, in front of a demanding audience, but on Saturday 18th August 1990, Thunder played a blinding forty minute set that proved they were more than “just another band”. They gained an army of fans that day, and it’s a festival show that still got talked about many years after the event.
MIKE TRAMP – Songs Of White Lion II
Back in the late 80s/early 90s, White Lion released four enjoyable but hit and miss albums. Their 1991 swansong ‘Mane Attraction’, in particular, captured the band in top form, with the epic ‘Lights & Thunder’ and the rocky ‘Leave Me Alone’ showing off the Mike Tramp and Vito Bratta musical partnership at its finest and arguably most intricate.
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Ring The Bells & Sing: Progressive Sounds Of 1975
Whenever a new, yearly themed box of prog rock cuts gets released by Esoteric Records, genre fans automatically know they’re in for some great listening. Even when their ‘Underground Sounds’ and ‘Progressive Sounds’ anthologies merely recycle a world of album cuts, these affordable multi-disc sets create something that isn’t just well rounded; when approached in the right mood, they’re compilations which are incredibly absorbing. Whether approaching them from a nostalgic perspective or in the hope of discovering something new – hopefully both – these anthologies supply a huge amount of entertainment.
RODNEY CROMWELL – Exercise Class EP
Adam Cresswell first came to the attention of alternative music fans as a member of Saloon. Between the late 90s and mid 00’s, the British band carved out a musical niche mixing elements of post punk, hard edged indie and Krautrock. Their use of angular riffs and vintage synths created something abrasive but distinctive, and the best moments on their 2003 release ‘If We Meet In The Future’ made it very easy to understand why Saloon’s blend of Neu!, Stereolab and Cinerama made them a John Peel favourite.