DESPITE both being only 19 years old, Edinburgh duo Man of Moon certainly don’t boast a sound that would mark them out as new kids on the block. The band already sound relatively seasoned on their pulsating debut single, The Road.
Recorded and mixed by Frightened Rabbit’s Andy Monaghan, the track is sonically striking, channelling early 90s psychedelia into a noisy wall of sound.
However, what’s most impressive is their feel for dynamics. The song’s groove, built on drums and scuzzy guitar, builds to a passionate crescendo that finely showcases Chris Bainbridge’s vocal talents.
The band play an assortment of Scottish dates over the next couple of months, including a spot at Wickerman Festival on July 24.
Kieran Robertson is another young artist who is making a lot of noise. The 16-year-old has already recorded his first single in Berlin – a heavy rock interpretation of the Cutting Crew classic (I Just Died) In Your Arms. The Glaswegian songwriter has already gained a small but passionate fan base in Germany’s Goth scene, where he’s being promoted as the next Marilyn Manson, but it would be unfair to pigeon-hole him as anyone’s doppelganger while he’s still so young.
It would also be unfair because even though Robertson may have over-dramatic tendencies, with Kiss-styled vocals and 80s production, even at such a tender age he has already developed a distinctive style and character of his own, which should be applauded.
Neil Young has released the first song from his forthcoming album, The Monsanto Years. The 69-year-old’s latest album takes a swipe at agricultural giant Monsanto for its use of GMO seeds.
The album’s opening track, A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop, does not pull any punches, attacking Starbucks as well as Monsanto and suggesting Young has not lost his appetite for tackling the big issues of the moment.
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