Black Gold are 2 multi-instrumental Brooklyn musicians, Erick Ronick and Than Luu, who got together after their paths crossed repeatedly while on tour with various bands including Panic At The Disco and Scissor Sisters and decided to explore the special musical chemistry they generated. The result of this is the album “Rush”, preceded in the UK by the single “Breakdown”.

This is one of those albums that creates an instant impact from the dirty opening synth intro of “Detroit” and leads you through a kaleidoscope of musical styles. The arrangements feature electronic and acoustic instruments blended together with a batch of songs which ranges from ballads (“After The Flood”) to widescreen epics (“Plans And Reveries”) and everything in between. Read more

‘Crash Love’ is the eighth studio album from alternative rock back AFI and features their latest single ‘Medicate’, which was released in October 2009.

The new album, which was two years in the making, is quite different to their previous ‘Decemberunderground’ and while it isn’t as strong as it’s predecessor, it’s still a great listen and will be huge with AFI fans everywhere.

Lead vocalist, Davey Havoc said: “Honestly I’ve never been more proud of an AFI record. We are thrilled to hear it come to life.”

The single ‘Medicate’ is a really catchy and memorable song with a good sound and lyrics; it’s easy to see why it was chosen as the first release from the new album. Read more

The title to Kasabian’s 3rd album (West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum) certainly has the skill to intrigue, and from a personal view, it has the music to support it. It seems that after two relatively good albums from the band and 3 years work, Kasabian have finally found their ‘niche’ with tracks such as ‘Underdog’ and ‘Fire’ catapulting the band into ‘Headline’ material.
 
Serge Pizzorno (guitarist) certainly comes out from the dark on this record, with a variety of different rifts that grab the audience from the moment they hear them. ‘Fast Fuse’ for example, tricks the listener into thinking a raucous hammering of a guitar will confront them when instead a quite hearty and jumpy melody follows, this emphasising how this new album not only excites but also interests the listener.
 
Tom Meighan’s role (lead vocals) is also elevated on this album, with his voice having to adapt to the new approach Kasabian have undergone. He pulls it off well.  On ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ Meighan really exerts a matter of feeling through his voice, bringing the track together to create a deep moving sound. Read more

When I hear a lot about a band in the music media, there’s always the niggling question of how much of is hype and scene-following and how much is about the genuine qualities of the band.  “Union” is one of those albums which sets all my alarm bells ringing.

The press release accompanying this album focuses heavily on the novel partnership between the band and HMV and the digital pre-release of the album and the single “Evacuate” earlier this year, while saying very little about the actual music, which is an interesting indicator of the content of the album. Read more