ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 1 NOVEMBER 2024
Silent Radio’s guide to a busy week of new releases. Trust Fund Has It Been A While? Fans of seventies singer-songwriters, and particularly Nick Drake’s first two Joe Boyd-produced albums, will find much to recommend here, while Belle and Sebastian’s early folk-inflected material is another obvious touchstone. Hard-Fi Don’t Go Making Plans EP EP whose lead song’s defiant themes were initially inspired by the UK Government’s... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – COURTEENERS: PINK CACTUS CAFE
It has been four years since Courteeners released their last album ‘More. Again. Forever.’ Coming out just before the world shut down leaving many like me locked inside listening to music all day every day. The album was a more mature Courteeners as opposed to their “lad-ish” nature that many fans had come to know them by. And Pink Cactus Café is no different to this From the singles released, fans would be instantaneously surprised if they hadn’t listened to the band’s... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – PIXIES: THE NIGHT THE ZOMBIES CAME
Grunge pioneers, surf-rock legends and enduring icons Pixies have returned with their horror-themed ninth studio album The Night the Zombies Came, and the first effort containing new bassist and vocalist Emma Richardson, after a long-standing 11-year stint of bassist Paz Lenchantin, who departed from the group earlier this year. The album contains 13 songs and incorporates a fresh theme of horror, never before seen in the Pixies’ discography. Despite this new motif, the haunting... Read More
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 25 OCTOBER 2024
As the clocks go back this weekend, that allows an extra hour for catching up with new releases. Here is the Silent Radio guide. Khana Bierbood Monolam Thai band who share a love for the western psychedelic music of the 60’s-70’s. As they began writing songs they found a likeness in their sound and the Thai Funk, rock’n’roll imbued Luk Thung and traditional Lao Molam-inspired music styles of those eras. Chuck Prophet & ¿Qiensave? ... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – FIONN REGAN: O AVALANCHE
Although ‘O Avalanche’ consists of eleven separate songs, it overwhelmingly feels like a forty-minute mood piece, almost like a short arthouse film. The words are poetic and return to themes like landscape and environment as it evokes the place in which it was written, Mallorca. Sun-dappled energy shines through. It is very much a solo record as Fionn Regan wrote and performed the whole album on a range of instrumentation: acoustic guitar, bass, piano, harmonium, rhythms,... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – TRUST FUND: HAS IT BEEN A WHILE?
The answer to the album’s title is ‘yes’. It has been six years since their previous album, ‘Bringing The Backline’. In the intervening period, Trust Fund has shrunk from being a group into primarily Ellis Jones’ project. From a full band indie rock sound, they have made a welcome diversion into classical guitar and string quartets. The closest reference points for ‘Has It Been A While?’ would be Nick Drake or early Belle and Sebastian and the album does not suffer... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – THE PAINTED CEILINGS: MAYBE THERE’S A DIFFERENCE
Collecting the last kisses of the sun, Maybe There’s A Difference transports us back to a warmer season. With an ear pressed to nature’s headphone, the spiralled form of a conch concocts wave-like vibrations of a nautical buzz. With the first pinches of strings, the sound of The Painted Ceilings coats you with the salt air of the sea. Reeling into the first track of the debut the fun nature of this band is apparent. Fresh faced with skills beyond their years, jaunty guitars... Read More
LIVE REVIEW: BEYOND THE MUSIC FESTIVAL: VARIOUS VENUES ACROSS MANCHESTER – 9-12 OCTOBER 2024
With several of our writers having been part of our city’s previous music industry festival, In The City, which ran from 1992 – 2010, we were overjoyed when Beyond The Music picked up the baton and created what the music industry, and Manchester’s music scene has been missing – a festival devoted to honest discussions, educational talks about the music industry and music scene in general, matched with three nights of mind meltingly brilliant gigs from over... Read More
LIVE REVIEW: BEYOND THE MUSIC: OFF THE SQUARE: HOLLOWBODY, MSIX, NESSA MAY, CHEIDU ORA, THE KAIROS – 10/10/24
Running through the streets of Manchester isn’t an ideal way to get to a gig but nothing about today has been normal compared to my day-to-day life, starting my day sat listening to panels and like-minded people talk about issues the music industry faces. As I reach Off the Square I’m early, really early. Standing outside before any of the bands get there, I should probably go sit somewhere but it’s been a pain in the arse to find so I’ll just wait it out. I worm myself... Read More
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 18 OCTOBER 2024
Another busy week with plenty of releases that are worthy of more than a cursory listen. Here is the Silent Radio guide. Snowgoose Descendant The album features a collaboration of some of Scotland’s most esteemed musicians, including Raymond McGinley (Teenage Fanclub), Chris Geddes (Belle and Sebastian), Stevie Jones (Arab Strap), Tim Davidson (Tracyanne & Danny), Stuart Kidd (BMX Bandits), and Adam Stearns (Trembling Bells). It... Read More