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Megan Jenkins

Music Journalist & Photographer, based in Cardiff, UK. 

Currently writing for Distorted Sound Magazine, Hive Magazine & Out Jamz.

HIVE •

Kublai Khan TX — ‘Exhibition Of Prowess’ album review

In a year when hardcore has hit the mainstream and found a new level of popularity, it only  seems right that Texas heavyweights of the genre and fan-favourites Kublai Khan TX release their new album ‘Exhibition of Prowess’.The album itself begins with a roaring start in the form of the opening track ‘Supreme Ruler’. At just under a minute in length and with minimal lyrics, the entire song is essentially a breakdown, but it shows us the no nonsense approach that Kublai Khan has to their music ri...
Out Jamz •

We needed a Femininomenon: Summer 2024 Delivered

Brat. H-O-T-T-O-G-O. The mere existence of Reneé Rapp. A few months ago, all these things would have been appreciated in the overtly queer spaces of Twitter or Tumblr like the days of old, but a recent shift has seen them flood the mainstream with songs about girls kissing girls and pulsing hyper pop tracks that rival even the most experienced DJs of Ibiza.  2024 has seen a monumental shift in the way we consume queer media.
HIVE •

Pride Month Artist Spotlight: Brandi Carlile

If you don’t think you’ve heard of Brandi Carlile before, you’re wrong. As a multi–Grammy Award winner and a defining voice of the 2000s, her career has gone places that many of us can only dream of. And yes, she sang ‘The Story’ from the divisive musical episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Carlile is one of the few people to go through most of their careers being open about who they are. She came out in 2002 before she could even release her first album
HIVE •

Pride Month Artist Spotlight: Rob Halford

It feels wrong to talk about pride and not talk about Rob Halford. As the frontman of the ever-influential heavy metal band Judas Priest and as one of the first male faces to come out of the closet from the male-centric genre, his influence on queer heavy musicians is unmatched.After decades in the closet, Halford outed himself as gay in a 1998 interview on MTV, which ultimately came as no shock to the people that had watched him for years as he popularized leather culture in metal
HIVE •

Pride Month Artist Spotlight: Bitchin’ Hour

In the rather idyllic county of Hampshire, just around the corner from Jane Austen’s home, there are the beginnings of a revolution. Diversifying the often-derivative lineups of punk shows is bitch rock four-piece Bitchin’ Hour. They're challenging everything we know about the punk music scene, diversifying the lineups full of old white men trying to relive their glory days by turning up to venues covered in glitter and shouting about how much they love women.
HIVE •

Pride Month Artist Spotlight: MUNA

It’s really difficult to put into words just how much I appreciate and love MUNA and their music. Just put yourself in my shoes: it's August in London and MUNA is playing Gunnersbury Park in support of boygenius. I sprinted from the hotel, determined not to miss the opening notes of ‘What I Want’ and when I arrived mere minutes before the group took to the stage, I took a quick look around and found myself at a concert surrounded by the most overtly obvious, openly queer audience.
HIVE •

Pride Month Artist Spotlight: Chappell Roan

“My name is Chappell Roan. I’m your favourite artist’s favourite artist. I’m your dream girl’s dream girl. And I'm gonna serve exactly what you are: cunt!”

What was a well-kept secret until earlier this year has exploded into popularity thanks to an incredible set at Coachella, viral lyrics, and an opening slot for Olivia Rodrigo on the Guts World Tour. Chappel Roan’s music is for the masses, incorporating all the best parts of 80s pop with some devastatingly relatable & snarky lyricism.

Roan
Distorted Sound Magazine •

Dead Pony: Exploring Infinite Possibilities

There is no denying that life right now is incredibly hard for many of us. We constantly search for an escape from the mundane routines we find ourselves locked into, desperate for a distraction from the monotony that comes with the average 9-5 job. Scottish four-piece DEAD PONY are using their debut album Ignore This as an excuse to break free and transport themselves into a world packed full of the undead, action, and all things theatrical.
Distorted Sound Magazine •

The Karma Effect: Bringing Classic Rock To The Modern Age

The New Wave of Classic Rock scene has proved to be a breeding ground for talent over the last ten years, boasting bands like Those Damn Crows, Florence Black, and Massive Wagons among some of its more successful alumni. Even down to the grassroots level, its dedicated following has supported all bands that fall under the genre, building them up from small pubs to arena shows and further beyond, never letting them forget their roots. The next band to catapult out of this scene is The Karma Effect
Distorted Sound Magazine •

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: This Is Spinal Tap

Bands are often formed by longtime friends who share a passion for all things music. They spend time together sharing their love for bands before deciding to pick up an instrument and noodling away at various riffs they’ve heard, before it becomes a full-blown jam session and something of more substance. These bands will play together in garages or practice rooms before moving to the stage, bringing their dreams into reality and living their dreams. But what happens when this bond and camaraderie
HIVE •

Maggie Rogers — ‘Don't Forget Me’ album review

After being thrust into stardom thanks to a viral video featuring Pharrell Williams, Maggie Rogers went from standard (but talented) university student to music sensation almost overnight. After releasing two studio albums, earning herself a Grammy nomination and playing festivals and shows across the globe, Rogers enrolled in graduate school at Havard and it's at the tail end of earning this postgraduate degree that we are treated to her third studio album ‘Don’t Forget Me’.
HIVE •

Knocked Loose: Live @ SWX, Bristol

The last few years have seen hardcore move away from being one of music’s most well-kept secrets to becoming something a little more mainstream, thanks to Kublai Khan TX Tik Tok dances and viral Coachella sets. The venue this evening, SWX, isn’t a Bristol venue that you would instantly associate with hardcore, being used as a nightclub more often than not. The last few months have been a good start in adding ‘hardcore-friendly’ to its attributes and tonight is no exception.
Distorted Sound Magazine •

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: The First Chart-Topping EP

When ALICE IN CHAINS released their third studio EP, Jar Of Flies, at the start of 1994, the level of success that it would harbor was unexpected. It would be the second acoustic EP for them to release, after 1992’s Sap, and would signal the start of their mainstream success. It was the first EP in music history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, with the first week sales exceeding 141,000 copies in the US. The record was self-produced, written and recorded over just one week at Londo
Distorted Sound Magazine •

Grove Street: Treading The Path To Righteousness

There is absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind right now that the UKHC scene is alive and well. The scene has served as a breeding ground for some of the most talented and dedicated groups that the music industry has seen, with fans giving them a run for their money in the dedication department. One of these groups that has been lucky enough to see the light of day is GROVE STREET. With the release of their debut album The Path To Righteousness, we caught up with drummer Josh Williams to find out
Distorted Sound Magazine •

Sophie Lloyd: Beating Imposter's Syndrome

The internet can be a wonderful place. Well, when it’s not full of incels or argumentative comment sections, that is. A lot of celebrities can attribute their careers and success from the meteoric rise of social media, but over the last decade it has proved to be the most fertile breeding ground for musicians and artists of all genres. YouTube and TikTok has led to the rise of artists like JARED DINES and ROB SCALLON and rewarded them with dedicated fanbases and millions of clicks. One other art
Distorted Sound Magazine •

Guilt Trip: From Rain City To The Ritz

Think of your favourite hardcore or hardcore-adjacent band in the UK right now and chances are they are a part of MLVLTD. Malevolated is a record label formed by none other than giants of the scene MALEVOLENCE and provides a sense of community for other similar bands that find themselves on the same bills as the leaders of the new generation of hardcore. Finding themselves a part of this community among the elite is none other than Manchester’s GUILT TRIP.
Distorted Sound Magazine •

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: AM - Arctic Monkeys

September 2013 will live in infamy for indie music lovers. THE 1975’s self-titled, LORDE’s Pure Herione, and HAIM’s Days Are Gone would all be released within just a few weeks of each other, giving fans of all branches of alternative music something to sink their teeth into. While all these albums would prove to be massively successful and influential in their own rights, they would soon be overshadowed by one of arguably the most iconic albums to come out of the 2010s; ARCTIC MONKEYS’ AM.
HIVE •

Forwards Festival 2023 review

Where would you expect a festival to be held in Bristol? In a collection of small venues in the city center? Possibly smack-bang in the middle of student living? The best place is actually Clifton Downs, a short 15 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of city life to a suburban wonderland of semi-detached houses that has turned into a festival site for a short weekend. This year’s Forwards Festival has enlisted the site in an effort to bring together all walks of society in the name of one
HIVE •

The Aces - Live @ The Globe, Cardiff

Whenever a gig listing says ‘Cardiff’, chances are that you’ll be in the city center at one of the many clubs on offer. Just a five-minute car ride away from these options is The Globe, an otherwise unassuming venue that finds itself sandwiched between a pizza shop and a small Italian restaurant in the middle of a terraced street.

Support for the evening comes in the form of Belot, a songwriter from London. Accompanied by her band, she weaves tales of some of the most relatable situations that
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