“That’s not punk because…”

In the music community, especially online, you will hear, “that’s not punk because…” People tend to take things like this, in my opinion, too seriously. Obviously it wouldn’t make sense to categorize DJ Mustard, or other similar artists as punk. But typically these arguments aren’t things based off of the important things, like music or […]

Label Spotlight: Big Scary Monsters

Big Scary Monsters is an East London based independent record label specialising in no genre in particular. It was formed soon after the millennium and in the last decade has put out music by Tall Ships, Caspian, Matt Pryor, DZ Deathrays, Gnarwolves, Pulled Apart By Horses, Kevin Devine, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., Woahnows, This […]

Label Spotlight: Art is Hard Records

Art is Hard Records is a small DIY label founded in 2010 in Exeter, but is now based in both London and Bristol. Run by only two people, Art Is Hard has put out releases for many bands now dominating the scene; Joanna Gruesome, Playlounge, Best Friends, The Black Tambourines, Nai Harvest, King Of Cats and Diet […]

A short Seeing Your Scene guide to Halloween

It’s that time of year again to listen to the Misfits and carve weird punk related things into your pumpkins. What else can you do to make it more exciting? Well, for starters, make sure you listen to Good Mourning by Alkaline Trio. Between Matt Skiba’s scratchy vocals, and the eerie lyrics – specifically “This Could be […]

Run Wild: Lydia on change, songwriting, and the past

Arizona’s Lydia are used to change. They started out as a rocky emo band with their debut, This December; It’s One More and I’m Free which set them up perfectly for the follow-up: the cult classic, swelling winter record, Illuminate. In 2010, backing vocalist and keyboardist Mindy White, who now fronts States, decided to leave […]

Label Spotlight: Sub Pop Records

Sub Pop is a much-loved record label founded in 1988 by Bruce Pavitt who then later formed Sub Pop Records LLC with Jonathon Poneman in Seattle, Washington. The label was a key player in the Seattle grunge scene movement in the late ’80s and early 90’s and an early home for many iconic and pioneering […]

In Appreciation Of… Pop Music

Corey Taylor, the front man of Slipknot, recently was quoted criticising pop music. He commented: “it’s so auto-tuned and it’s so beat corrected and it’s so canned and processed and lifeless. You might as well be listening to a fucking piece of wood at that point.” I couldn’t disagree more. Wikipedia says: The terms “popular music” and “pop […]

Label Spotlight: Local Colour Records

Local Colour Records are a DIY label from the South of England putting out emo/punk bands, but mainly “any bands [they] like and think are cool.” The label is run by twin brothers Alex and Charlie Flowers who grew up and live in a tiny town, suffering the struggles a lot of us face: a […]