The signs are all there. A few weeks ago saw Bloc Party drummer Matt Tong talking about the band taking a break in order to “gain a bit of perspective on life outside of the band.” And now comes news that lead singer Kele Okereke is working on a solo album. Bloc Party really could be no more.

As I’ve often recounted, Bloc Party have been a part of my life for the last six years, although my love for them has waned somewhat over the last couple as their style changed and mine pretty much stayed the same.
But I’d still …read more

The Rakes were one of several bands which started gaining traction in the British music scene around 2005. Their contemporaries include Bloc Party, The Futureheads, and Maximo Park, three of my favorite British bands. Unfortunately, The Rakes are the first of that group to split.

The band announced the split today and the cancellation UK and US tours in the process. The UK leg was due to start in Leeds on Oct. 26, but all ticket holders will now be issued with full refunds.

My love for Bloc Party goes back to 2003 when I first head of them. I’m not as keen now since they’ve changed their style from alternative rock to dance rock (if there is such a thing) but they’re still one of the best bands in the country. Except they may not be a band anymore, as they’re taking an extended break and aren’t sure when, if ever, they’ll be back.

As far back as July, Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke intimated that the band would be taking a break after their current touring commitments. He stated that the future was …read more

When Oasis split, or when Noel Gallagher quit the band at least, at the end of August, many people were devastated by the news, even if in hindsight it had been a long time coming. To be fair, a lot of people were glad as well, pleased to see what they saw as out-of-date Britpop dinosaurs fall from grace.

Kele Okereke, the lead singer of Bloc Party, was in the latter group, as when he announced Oasis wouldn’t be taking the stage at the Rock en Seine festival he seemed less than cut up by the news. Whereas Ian Brown, formerly …read more

In case you still haven’t heard, Oasis have split up. Well, Noel Gallagher has left the band, whether the rest of them continue on or not without him has yet to be decided. They final straw for Noel came when he and Liam fought before playing their headlining set at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris on Friday night.
Video has now surfaced of Bloc Party telling the crowd that Oasis had canceled. The YouTube clip shows Kele Okereke breaking the news to the crowd, and reveling in the fact their cancellation meant Bloc Party were effectively headlining.

Oasis and Bloc …read more

Oasis have split up, with Noel Gallagher declaring he had left the group in an official statement issued to the press. The Manchester band were due to perform Rock en Seine festival in Paris tonight (Aug. 28) but canceled just before they were due on stage.

There has been speculation as to what sort of state the band were in for weeks now. Noel and Liam have been having a very public war of words in that time, but it wasn’t known whether this was just their normal brotherly love/hate relationship or something a little more serious.
Last weekend saw the band …read more

Bloc Party are one of those bands I got in to very early on in their career. I first heard them all the way back in 2003 and 2004 when early versions of She’s Hearing Voices and Banquet started doing the rounds on radio stations such as XFM. Then in early 2005, they released their brilliant debut album Silent Album and I was hooked.

Then came second album A Weekend In The City, which was still brilliant, and contained gems such as Hunting For Witches and The Prayer. However, Bloc Party then took a rapid departure from what we knew them …read more

Arctic Monkeys blew everyone away when they crashed on to the Brit Music Scene in 2006 with their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. It’s an album that was amazing then and is still great to listen to now. They followed that up with the equally fantastic Favourite Worst Nightmare in 2007 and are now preparing to unleash their third studio album on the world.

Humbug is the name of Arctic Monkeys’ new record and it’s due out between August 19 and August 25 depending on where you live. The album’s cover has already been revealed, …read more

Maximo Park remain one of my favorite British bands of recent years. More than Bloc Party, The Futureheads, or even Art Brut, here is a group that lives up to the hype time and again, and manages to deliver the goods on a consistent basis.

Maximo Park are preparing to release their new album, Quicken The Heart, due out next Monday (May 11). The first single, The Kids Are Sick Again, was released today and gives a great impression of what to expect from the LP.
I’m eagerly awaiting the new album but lead singer Paul Smith recently told The Daily Star …read more

I’ve been a fan of Maximo Park since they released their debut album, A Certain Trigger, in 2005. Two years later they released their second album, Our Earthly Pleasures, which unlike their peers’ (The Futureheads and Bloc Party) efforts managed to live up to the promise of their first release.

Maximo Park are one of those bands who have a really intense and loyal following but don’t quite ever manage to move into the mainstream. But they have another chance to do exactly that with new album, Quicken The Heart.
The first single to be released from Quicken The Heart is The …read more