5 Seconds of Summer, at any given time, could have been considered punk, or pop, or alt-rock — but never a boy band. Much to the band members’ despair, their early association with One Direction as openers for the Take Me Home Tour  seemed to permanently brand their punk act. They’ve been trying to shake the title ever since. The Mic's Aaliyah Field reports on the soon-to-be-released poppy-punky-rocky record. I kept up with 5SOS in my early teens and I remember very distinctly that “boyband”...

Welly was back at Nottingham’s The Bodega  for the second time this year. His self-deprecation is an extremely humble act, because there is no way that what Welly is experiencing right now is anything but a comeuppance. Having released their debut album “Big in the Suburbs” in March this year, the band is surrounded by an air of excitement and budding recognition. “They say you play the Bodega twice –once on the way up and... nice to see you again”, Welly quipped. The Mic's Aaliyah Field ...

Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin form the synth pop duo we know as Magdalena Bay. Previous prog rockers Tenenbaum and Lewin pivoted to...