The Test Drive: Northern Uproar – Hey Samurai!
Northern Uproar will release a new album on October 9th 2015. 'Hey Samurai!', the Mancunian band's fifth studio album, is set to impress fans and critics alike, challenging preconceptions through its unique blending of...
The Test Drive: Angéline – Back to Pike Place
Originally from Loire Atlantique in France, singer/songwriter Angéline is now based in London, the city in which she studied for her music degree. She describes her latest EP 'Back to Pike Place' as bold...
The Test Drive: Pure Phase Ensemble 4 feat. Mark Gardener – Live at SpaceFest!
A lot has happened since the Shoegaze heyday in the 1990s, but more and more, this year is proving to be one of the Shoegaze revival, with bands like Ride, Slowdive, Swervedriver, Medicine reforming...
The Test Drive: Trip Wire – Get In And Get Out
For fans of those indie bands of yesteryear like The Replacements, R.E.M. and Hüsker Dü (like me) then Trip Wire is most definitely for you! From the opening of "Fall Through" to the ending of...
The Test Drive: The Bros. Landreth – Let It Lie
"Let It Lie" is the new album from Canadian alt-rockers The Bros. Landreth. The band itself is a tight outfit poised to take the country scene by storm but just underneath that lies the...
The Test Drive: Hot Glew – May I Come In?
Hot Glew is the brainchild of Nashville native Brett Keller. Nashville has long been the music Mecca east of the Mississippi and this is yet more proof of this. What we have here is...
The Test Drive: My Cruel Goro – My Cruel Goro
Likely not many have pondered on what the result would be musically if you were to add one dash of Italy and one dash of Icelend, for instance. Sounds more like the recipe for...
The Test Drive: The Spitfires – Response
The Spitfires bring me back to the days of The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Steve Jones' later project The Professionals as well as later pioneers Bad Religion and Rancid. What sets The Spitfires apart...
The Test Drive: Rock Back For Nepal Volume 3
A couple weeks ago I reviewed the Rock Back for Nepal Volume 2 and, after hearing Volume 3, now think Volume 3 is the strongest of the three. But not by much as all...
The Test Drive: Painted Fish – Painted Fish
With a distinct swagger all their own combined with the attitude of The B-52s, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, and Alannah Myles, Florida based band Painted Fish have painted themselves as the feel good pop-rock...
The Test Drive: Yeti Love – Yeti Love
"Yeti Love" is the new album from songwriters Peter Hamilton and Dave Sears aka Yeti Love and are the modern folk explosion of the indie scene. This album is a well thought and crafted...
The Test Drive: Zurich – Small Wars
Zurich are a three piece that sounds like five. The album is called "Small Wars" but these five tracks won a big battle and that battle is near perfection. The band has very carefully...
The Test Drive: Downers – Noose
"Noose", the new album from Downers, is a seamless hybrid of pop sensibility and the sonic boom of the grunge of old. Think Dinosaur Jr meets Pearl Jame meets The Smashing Pumpkins (but with...
The Test Drive: Elora – Cada día es así
Elora is a band from Barcelona, Spain and they are clearly on a mission. Their new album, titled "Cada día es así" (translated "Every Day Is So") is a perfect balance of white noise...
The Test Drive: The Jackals – People
The Jackals hail from Scotland's capital city Edinburgh. A tight knit musical unit who are known for their blistering live performances, the band's sound combines cryptic lyrics with expansive guitars, underpinned with the solid...
The Test Drive: Silverbird – Pureland
Pureland is Silverbird's debut album and is set to be released on September 18th 2015.
Songwriter Tim Barr founded Silverbird after spending several years on New York's vibrant music scene playing gigs as part of...
The Test Drive – High Tiny Hairs – High Tiny Hairs EP
Swirling, dreamy pop hooks accentuated with the haunting sounds of a Farfisa organ cloak the sombre and sardonic musings of former Fuck Knights guitarist and Nightinghales front man Ben Bachman in his new project,...
The Test Drive: Elasea – Where I Belong
Elasea have a new album set for release this Monday entitled "Where I Belong". After just listening to it I realize I belong right here listening to "Where I Belong". Each track is a...
The Test Drive: Ilana J – Free Falling From The Ground Up
Ilana J is a British singer songwriter. Having turned down the opportunity to enter the prestigious London College of Music at thirteen in favour of a more traditional academic education, a successful healthcare career...
The Test Drive: Damien J Brennan – Shine
Damien J Brennan was born and raised in County Down, Northern Ireland. He learned to play the guitar and began busking whilst backpacking through Italy and Australia. Shortly after his return home he began...
The Test Drive: Icicle – Theorems
Hailing from Montreal, Canada, Icicle's second album 'Theorems' is released on September 15, 2015.
This follow-up solo record consists of twelve very strong and personal compositions created during an exceptionally intense period for the artist....
The Test Drive: Various – Rock Back For Nepal Volume 2
You may remember that a couple of weeks ago we reviewed "Rock Back For Nepal Volume 1" and were pleasantly surprised by the album. This installment starts of heavier than the last and for...
The Test Drive: Gatherer – Heavy Hail
Gatherer are a band from Melbourne, Australia and they are releasing a new album titled "Heavy Hail" on August 7th. Part Industrial. Part Heavy. Part Pop. Part EDM. All substance. This album does not...
The Test Drive: The Goood Things – EP #2
When I first interviewed The Goood Things back in September I instantly considered lead singer Mike Hannah a friend, and I'm glad to say that we have been ever since and I've since interviewed...
The Test Drive: Ancient River – Keeper of the Dawn
Ancient River, the sonic brainchild of singer/songwriter James Barreto, is an ever-evolving source of rock n’ roll and psychedelia, its influences flowing from the swampy roots of the American south to the far reaches...