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LIVE: Deerhunter at SWX – 05/11/19

Bradford Cox is famous for several reasons. The first, of course, is for being the frontman and creative force behind Deerhunter – one of the most imaginative bands to emerge from the turn of the century. The next reason is probably his tendency to take whatever opportunity he finds to mess with people. He’s been known to unleash plenty of signature light-hearted jibes onto his audience over the years. Cox is a man who likes maintaining his status as an artistic dissident.

Temples Live at Rough Trade – 29/09/19

Luckily for Temples, criticism of the record proved itself to be irrelevant in a live setting. The album had only been out for two days before the band’s gig in Bristol, but those huddled at the front already knew the words to most of the songs. The audience was so immersed that they spent much of the show with their eyes closed anyway, solving any problems that the band’s caricature-like image might cause.

Single Review: Kite Thief – ‘Pinky Promise’

Kite Thief is a band that proves ’emo’ music doesn’t have to be naff. They’re a bit pop-punk, a bit thrashy, and a bit prog: a blend of genres that can be very unforgiving if you don’t get it quite right. Luckily for Kite Thief, though, they have managed to pull this off, and not just by the skin of their teeth.

Belishas at The Louisiana – 06/07/2019

One of Belishas’ clear selling points is the extreme air of Englishness they emit in both their sound and image. Ewan Ferguson’s vocal delivery is in that archetypal half-singing-half-talking drawl of early 2000s indie rock n’ roll, similar to Carl Barât and Pete Doherty. The lyrics are a mix of being entertainingly to-the-point – almost childish at times – and poetic. ‘You’re so boring!’ in ‘Chlorine Maureen’, and ‘You’re like a grapefruit way after it’s ripe’ in ‘Dorian Grey’ are candid, a bit bitchy, and very funny indeed.

Gallery: Dinosaur Pile-Up at Rough Trade – 08/06/19

Dinosaur Pile-Up recently played Rough Trade to promote the release of their album ‘Celebrity Mansions‘. The Undercover Groupie herself couldn’t make it to get a review in sadly, so we sent along top tog Max Harris to capture the best bits on camera. Photos by Max Harris. Find his work @rustymediacreative on Instagram.

Single Review: IOTA – ‘My Enemy’

After a year and a half of relentless gigging with no recorded music to their name, Bristol’s indie rockers IOTA have finally released their debut single ‘My Enemy’. This strident critique of life in a society ‘brainwashed’ by the media neatly captures the spirit of the band, preserving the polished-yet-raw spark the group radiates in live shows.

Some Bodies at The Crofters Rights, Bristol – 28/05/2019

If you’re one for watching indie films, sipping white wine whilst munching on fish finger sandwiches, and having profound conversations about Tolstoy with strangers on a night out, chances are you’ll like Some Bodies. An artsy blend of indie, surf, pop and old school rock, the band’s sound is enigmatic and a little bit weird, far from being a clear-cut member of any one genre.