NEWS: DUSTIN WONG AND TAKAKO MINEKAWA – NEW ALBUM ‘SAVAGE IMAGINATION’
Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa Dustin Wong and Takako Minekawa are artistic omnivores, soaking up a myriad of cultural artifacts and styles, savoring bits and pieces and recontexutalizing them into an entirely delightful and playfully intricate songs. Their songs are embued with a relentless cheerfulness that belies their technicality, steeped in the history of Japanese pop music and exuding the joy of discovery and exploration. Dustin and Takako are serious musicians not... Read More
LIVE: PERFECT PUSSY / JOANNA GRUESOME – 01/08/2014
Perfect Pussy – THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – The rumour that Joanna Gruesome were forged in the midst of anger management classes may or may not be true, but it seems a fitting beginning based on their performance tonight. Careering from gleeful pop to controlled aggression across an 8 song set, they appear simultaneously self-deprecating yet certain, with a group of songs that appear to single out and celebrate life’s absurdities, casting their gaze over... Read More
NEWS: SNOOP DOGG TO PLAY ALBERT HALL THIS SUNDAY NIGHT
Snoop Dogg One of the most famous rappers on the planet today, the star will be taking us on a journey via the decks, spinning records past and present and spanning his twenty year career in which he’s risen from featuring on Dr Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ to become one of the most influential rappers on the planet. A man who’s sold 30 million albums worldwide, Snoop is the personification of the ‘90s gangster rap scene and during this show he’ll be cherry-picking a select... Read More
LIVE: KEVIN DEVINE – 02/08/2014
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – It’s a funny notion that as I grow older, I much prefer watching something loud and noisy than something more hushed and acoustic – you’d think it’d be the other way around. But tonight is an exception, mainly because I’ve spent my day seeing how long I can stay in bed for, so a bunch of acoustic acts seems like a great idea for such a hazy day. First up is a Brooklyn based songwriter who is usually part of a full band... Read More
LIVE: HALFLING’S LEAF / TRIBAL FIGHTERS – 31/07/2014
Halfing’s Leaf – THE BAYHORSE, MANCHESTER – Hollowed out beneath Thomas Street, from the basement of The Bay Horse comes a tremendous noise. It’s populated by long hair, leather jackets and tattoos, kick drums, wails and distorted guitar. Halfling’s Leaf, after three years are playing their final, farewell gig and it is in fact the first time I have seen them live, making tonight a unique, jet black snowflake. First however are Tribal Fighters, whose intricate... Read More
02/08/2014
We celebrate Simon’s birthday and talk marmite musicians. TRACK LISTING Carter USM – Surfin’ USM / Bromheads – Kerosene / Championlover – Mask Of Bees Pt1 / The Soft Walls – Black Cat / Grandmaster Flash – It’s Nasty / Easy Star All Stars – Karma Police / Joan As Policewoman – The Magic / Money – Shadow Of Heaven / Kevin Devine – Little Bulldozer / Lower – Soft Option / Get Cape. Wear... Read More
LIVE: GUITAR WOLF – 31/07/2014
– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – In the parallel universe in which Guitar Wolf reside, time has not stood still, but in fact, permanently loops round between 1958 and 1978. The mothership jettisoned Guitarwolf Seiji, Basswolf UG and Drumwolf Toru in sealed crystal caskets to preserve the purity of rocknroll from the Planet of the Wolves. The mission to bring the purity of unadulterated raw rocknroll to the rock cliché-ridden masses of earth began in Nagasaki, Japan... Read More
NEWS: GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY – THE FAREWELL TOUR
Get Cape Wear Cape Bye For a full decade, Sam Duckworth has existed (artistically, anyway. and with the exception of a couple of side / solo projects) under the moniker of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Yet, all good things must come to an end. Or at least transform. And so it comes to pass that Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly will embark on its final live performances this coming September. For all shows outside of London, GCWCF will end as it began ; one voice, an acoustic guitar, and a... Read More
NEWS: MONEY – NEW VIDEO TO ‘SHADOW OF HEAVEN’
Having released a short film for ‘Goodnight London’ last month, MONEY have just unveiled a somewhat more DIY video for ‘The Shadow Of Heaven’, the title track from their debut album. Directed by their friend Liam Healy, the video brilliantly captures the band’s distinctive aesthetic along with the madcap antics of singer and lyricist Jamie Lee.MONEY are Jamie Lee, Charlie Cocksedge, Billy Byron and Scott Beaman. Having formed in Manchester amidst... Read More
NEWS: CATE LE BON RETURNS WITH THIRD ALBUM ‘MUG MUSEUM’
Cate Le Bon returns this Autumn with ‘Mug Museum’, perhaps her most beguiling and complete song cycle to date, which will be released 11th November on Turnstile. Having finished live commitments for CYRK towards the end of 2012, Le Bon returned to Wales to write the songs that would become Mug Musem. The album is informed by a period of taking stock after a bereavement. With Le Bon subsequently relocating to California, Mug Museum was recorded at the recently... Read More
