ALBUM REVIEW – LOS PIRANAS: UNA OPORTUNIDAD MAS DE TRIUNFAR EN LA VIDA
A huge amount of music appears in the Silent Radio inbox. Whilst these releases are often a source of joy, they usually take a familiar form. As such, it is a delight to be confronted with something that sounds if not unique then distinctly unusual yet is also instantly pleasing. Such accolades can be applied to ‘Una Oportunidad más de triunfar en la vida’ which translates as ‘One more chance to succeed in life’. It is the latest album from Columbian Avant-Latin experimentalists,... Read More
GIG GUIDE – MARCH 2025
Spring is in the air and with it comes a glorious diversity of gigs in Manchester and Salford. Plenty of choice here and your chance to support bands and local venues. 1st Evil Blizzard Academy 3 1st Loose Articles Levenshulme Library 1st Nubya Garcia Factory... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – ELLA RONEN: THE GIRL WITH NO SKIN
From a singer-songwriter album, you might hope for a great voice, emotion, mystery, clarity, melody and sonic variety. The ten tracks that comprise Swiss-Israeli storyteller and activist Ella Ronen’s ‘The Girl With No Skin’ tick all these boxes. They are a collection of songs that mix autobiography with the air of magic realist fables. Some of the biographical experience is extraordinary and uncomfortable, exemplified by the opening song, ‘Truth’. It recounts her experience... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – THE K’S: I WONDER IF THE WORLD KNOWS?
I Wonder If The World Knows? is a debut of burgeoning brilliance that traverses through the years leading up to its creation as if exploring its own mind. Across twelve tracks, Earlestown originals, The K’s step into the skin of moments gone by and reimagine them thought for thought, note for note. Standing on the brink of an explosive career, the indie four-piece turn anecdotes into anthems guided by agile, socially charged lyrics and the kind of riffs destined to be chanted... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – VIAL: BURNOUT
In a follow up from 2021’s LOUDMOUTH, VIAL return with a short fit of rage entitled Burnout. Clocking in at just under 20 minutes the album epitomises girly pop-punk much akin to that of Olivia Rodrigo. A study in feminine rage this album tackles subjects ranging from chronic illness, to friendship breakdowns and even hitting on your friend’s dad, which plays out on the track ur dad, a role-reversal of the classic pop-punk track of Stacy’s Mom. Burnout also includes... Read More
INTERVIEW: AJAY SAGGAR (BHAJAN BHOY)
Ajay Saggar photo by Rob Verweij Assiduous Silent Radio readers will have noticed numerous reviews referencing Ajay Saggar over the past couple of years. In addition to releases under his solo guise, Bhajan Bhoy, there have been collaborations as Chela and Volksempfänger. Prior to his April tour of Scotland and northern England, we asked him about his life in music. In addition to being a member of many bands (Dandelion Adventure, Donkey, The Bent Moustache, King Champion Sounds),... Read More
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 29 MARCH 2024
Here is our roundup of the releases sneaking out on Easter Friday. High Llamas Hey Panda Their 11th studio album which combines Sean O’Hagan’s love for the music of J Dilla with his capacity for sumptuous melodies and ridiculous chord changes. Chastity Belt Live Laugh Love On which the band refine their trademark sound: lush intertwining guitars, meticulous rhythms, a careful balance of melancholy and optimism. Rage ... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – VARIOUS: CONGO FUNK! SOUND MADNESS FROM THE SHORES OF THE MIGHTY CONGO RIVER (KINSHASA/BRAZZAVILLE 1969-1982)
‘Sportswashing’ may be a new term but examples can be seen well before the attempts made by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to cleanse their global reputation through engagement with top quality entertainment. In 1974, the country then named Zaire staged a World Heavyweight championship fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman known as the Rumble in the Jungle. The promoter, Don King, required 10 million dollars to get these boxers in the ring and one of the few people who could... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – THE SECRET SISTERS: MIND, MAN, MEDICINE
After being asked to review ‘Mind, Man, Medicine’ by The Secret Sisters, I was immediately compelled to research their story. With almost one million monthly listeners on Spotify alone and an impressive two GRAMMY nominations under their belts, I decided to press play on the Alabama born siblings’ new record. There was one core question I had going into writing this article : Who exactly are The Secret Sisters? I am almost immediately overwhelmed by the emotional... Read More
LIVE REVIEW: WILLIAM DOYLE – DEAF INSTITUTE 24/03/2024
What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday evening. William Doyle is on a tour around the UK supporting his fantastic new album Springs Eternal, just him and his friend Alex Painter playing tracks that have been, according to Doyle’s Instagram, “repurposed…to work extra nicely as a duo, trying to replace things where a human could stand in for a laptop, or strip back layers of unnecessary music fat. It will be a UNIQUE PERFORMANCE and, I imagine, the only time these songs will... Read More