ALBUM REVIEW – BHAJAN BHOY: TO LOVE IS TO LOVE (VOL.1 & 2)
It might be glib to suggest that anyone apart from government sponsored purveyors of dodgy PPE had a good pandemic but Ajay Saggar definitely used the time productively. Between January 2021 and June 2022, he spent most days at his Soundation Studios recording and mixing music aided by a top team of collaborators, the result of which are two Bhajan Bhoy albums released separately on the same day, ‘To Love is to Love (Vol. 1)’ and ‘To Love is to Love (Vol.2)’. The time-spent... Read More
LIVE: SOPHIE JAMIESON – 02/03/2023
– Castle Hotel, Manchester – Sophie Jamieson I came across Sophie Jamieson’s astonishing, raw debut album at the very start of the year. Gold Flake Paint, one of the best music blogs around, has a knack of presenting albums to me in their end of year roundup that I’ve never heard of, but because of their brilliant writing instantly know I will enjoy. I trust them implicitly. The final line of their small review dared me to listen: “tread carefully, and tread... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW: GNOOMES – AX OX
A psychedelic twist on electronic music is what Gnoomes have been carefully crafting over their four albums, now having fled their home country of Russia, and relocated elsewhere, their latest album is awash with hypnotic electronica. Opening track ‘Ural Sun’ sounds like a dystopian dream, with deep rumbling sounds which build into a mountainous soundscape whereas the title track ‘Ax Ox’ finds them layering synths over a dreamy swirl of guitars, and a fierce... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – H HAWKLINE: MILK FOR FLOWERS
It takes bravado to open an album with a track that feels like a close sibling to an all-time classic symphonic pop song, ‘I Saw The Light’. With its piano line echoing Todd Rundgren’s melody, indulging in jigs with dual saxes, a brilliant dip as most the instrumentation temporarily drops out leaving a solitary piano and H Hawkline (Huw Evans) singing “and I miss you”, the opening title-track is a hard act to follow. However, with his third album, ‘Milk For Flowers’,... Read More
Silent Radio – 01/03/2023 – Freebie Jeebies
Join Ian Burke as he presents another hour of music that can be found online on a pay-what-you-feel-you-should basis. Listen, enjoy and support the artists you like so they can keep doing what they do. This edition’s cover star is Patchnotes. TRACK LISTING Patchnotes – Exhale (feat. Kyla Hall) / Kicksie – You’re On / Geist – Into The Night / Other Half – Slab Thick / Northeast Regional – Heiress / Truck North –... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW: PLACEBO – NEVER LET ME GO
Placebo have always walked the line between clever lyrics, and a dark melodic edge, with guitarist and singer Brian Molko and bassist Stefan Olsdal being the two original members who have kept the Placebo flame burning bright for over twenty five years. Molko has always had an astute lyrical wisdom, which thankfully is still as cutting as ever, and on their ninth album can be found tackling global issues as well as personal ones. ‘Forever Chemicals’ launches with... Read More
APRIL 2022
We have trawled through the forthcoming gigs in and around Manchester so you don’t have to. We believe that if we are going to recommend a gig to you, then it should be exactly that, a recommendation. Our gig guide is handpicked and every act has been listened to before making it onto the list. It has been compiled by the ears of our editors and not by any promoters, band’s management or PR’s. ************* APRIL 2022 1 – Aurora – Albert Hall 1 – Ibibio... Read More
Silent Radio – 29/03/2022 – Freebie Jeebies
Ian Burke returns with another hour of his pay-what-you-like picks from around the internet. This week’s cover stars are Weatherglow. TRACK LISTING Weatherglow – Look Alive, Sunshine / New Goo – Hollow / Beige Monk – Fear is Love / Greeter – Green Car / Emilie Zoé – Parents’ House / Spooky Visions – My Evil Plan / Ace Buchannon – Accolade / Sanchez & Walz – Strange Days / Cabo Boing – Social... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – DESTROYER: LABYRINTHITIS
In the overwhelming majority of cases, it is easy to guess what a band will sound like based purely on its name. Without any knowledge of their respective catalogues, it would not take a genius to work out that Napalm Death were going to have a more abrasive sound than, say, Lush. However, Destroyer are an exception to this rule. Their moniker would suggest a brutally noisy sub-metal act but this would be thoroughly misleading. In a career spanning over 20 years, they have created... Read More
LIVE: THE WEATHER STATION – 17/03/2022
– Gorilla, Manchester – The Weather Station Tamara Lindeman, front woman and driving force behind the Canadian band The Weather Station, stops for a chat with the crowd towards the end of their excellent gig here at Gorilla. Looking longingly towards the corrugated roof of the venue, she tells us “we look at the stars and dream, but what we have down here is more important”, a reminder that getting together in large groups of people to forge a connection... Read More
