LIVE: HOT CHIP – 25/10/2019
Hot Chip -VICTORIA WAREHOUSE, MANCHESTER- Somehow I’ve never managed to see Hot Chip live, despite them being one of my all time favourite bands. I was, like many, caught hook, line and sinker by the majestic ‘Over & Over’, that monkey with its miniature cymbal burrowing its way into my brain like the world’s most potent ear worm. From then on in I’ve been fully on board with their brand of bangerz and tender love songs, a formula which has seen them amass one... Read More
LIVE: PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS – 25/10/2019
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets -BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER- A lot can happen to a band in just over a year and for Perth’s Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, to use the term bumper would be a huge understatement. Returning to Manchester for the fourth time in thirteen months, the band, somewhat unsurprisingly, have sold out yet another venue and continue to deliver their ever-expanding talent and whole-heartedness for their profession. Support comes from Crows, an up and coming English... Read More
LIVE: SQUID – 22/10/2019
Squid -YES, MANCHESTER- I don’t even know where to start with this. Part of the ridiculously brilliant Speedy Wunderground crew (including black midi and Black Country, New Road), Squid are making weird, wild, unpredictable, fascinating music seemingly with no boundaries or conventions, just doing what the fuck they like and seeing what happens. Tonight in Yes’ packed Pink Room, singing drummer (who the hell doesn’t love a singing drummer, they’re the absolute best)... Read More
JEFFREY LEWIS & THE VOLTAGE SHARE ‘DEPRESSION! DESPAIR!’
Jeffrey Lewis The world’s favourite underground indie-rock songwriter, Jeffrey Lewis, will release his new album ‘Bad Wiring’ via Moshi Moshi Records on November 15th. They today share a video of a Soho Radio session performance of new album track ‘Depression! Despair!’ Jeffrey has received jaw-dropping praise from practically every major news and music outlet over the years, as well as awed testimonials from the likes of David (Silver Jews) Berman, Jarvis (Pulp) Cocker,... Read More
LIVE: FRANKIE COSMOS – 21/10/2019
Frankie Cosmos -NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER- New Yorker Frankie Cosmos (or Greta Kline, to give her her given name), is nothing if not prolific. Since 2014 she’s released four albums and two EPs, with two of those albums and one of those EPs coming within the last year. It’s not just the volume of albums either; across those two recently released albums there’s a total of 39 songs (and another 4 on the EP) – she has music tumbling out of her at a rate of knots. If you... Read More
KEELEY FORSYTH ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM ‘DEBRIS’ & SHARES TITLE-TRACK VIDEO DIRECTED BY MAXINE PEAKE
Keeley Forsyth An intimate, raw document of profound personal change, ‘Debris’, the debut single by Keeley Forsyth, starts looking to piece together what’s left behind. Lyrically it captures a tumultuous time for Forsyth, with minimal piano and string arrangements by pianist/composer Matthew Bourne placing that elemental voice front and centre. Born and raised in Oldham, Keeley Forsyth made her name as an actor. While the creation of music has been a constant, she... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW – MARK LANEGAN: SOMEBODY’S KNOCKING
What would you get if you crossed the husky deep vocals of a rock bluesman with dark synth pop, the answer is the new Mark Lanegan album ‘Somebody’s Knocking’. Lanegan stated on the press release that he’s been into Joy Division, New Order and electronic music all his life, even before his days in seminal 90s rock band Screaming Trees, and always wanted to make a more electronic album, and for his eleventh studio album, it finally feels as if he’s letting his inner electro-pop... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW: SIR WAS – HOLDING ON TO A DREAM
Despite the word ‘dream’ being closely associated with the music of Sir Was, the opening track of ‘Holding on to a Dream’ begins with a sense of urgency; the pop element of his ‘Dream Pop’ being most apparent. The pop that Sir Was does purvey isn’t annoying and has the right amount of reflection too, this is most apparent in his lyrics which are distinctly upbeat and display his newfound sense of confidence as an artist. Sir Was or Joel Walsberg needed fifteen... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW: KIM GORDON – NO HOME RECORD
Kim Gordon – No Home Record Having sustained my first ever moshpit injury at a Sonic Youth gig in the early 90’s at The Reading Festival, involving someone else’s Doc Marten boot, squelchy mud and my head, to seeing their last ever gig in Manchester, it’s fair to say Kim Gordon’s former band, Sonic Youth, have occupied a large portion of my musical life. What appealed was the sheer quality of the songs, they were true musical pioneers, constantly evolving and... Read More
LIVE: HENGE – 19/10/2019
Henge -ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER- It’s cold. Save for one brief run and the odd cursory hands over my eyes glance at the news, I’ve spent almost all day reading under a blanket. It gets to early evening and my housemates are making bread from scratch. Our home is just one pumpkin spiced beverage away from wholesome autumnal perfection. ‘This hasn’t got anything to do with music,’ I hear you cry. Patience, dear reader. Patience. Back to my kitchen. Dough is rising on the... Read More