“Hello I’m Johnny Cash” sings Bill Callahan as the opening line on ‘Pigeons’ the first track on his new album ‘Gold Record’. Perhaps a cheeky nod to those who have noted that over the years Bill Callahan has slowly transitioned from indie rock quirkiness with his Smog output into more mellowed, yet no less acerbic, […]
Which band can claim to have had The Beastie Boys at their debut NYC gig, Madonna supporting them in the early 80s, and also labelled ‘that jazz band from Wythenshawe’? Welcome back, A Certain Ratio. I used to listen to ACR on the long bus journey from Wythenshawe to Altrincham on my Walkman (yes I […]
In the preceding summer, I erroneously misheard this song’s name while it was still in its unrecorded, (about-to-be) live-debuted infancy; the unpleasant temperature, noise pollution and the perturbing similarity of piss and kiss as syllables (matter of tongue placement) all proved decisive factors in an error I was powerless to reverse from being carved into […]
The explosive crack of the snare, check. The ferocious drive of the bass, check. The controlled screech of the guitars, check. The snarl of the vocals, check. Yep, this is an Idles record. The band’s first two albums, ‘Brutalism’ and ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’ have brought lots of success and the winning formula […]
Following a decade writing scores alongside Danny Bensi for some of the most watched TV shows and films over that period, and releasing albums as part of Tarantula and Priestbird, Saunder Jurriaans is stepping out of the shadows to put his name front and centre for the first time. I’d only heard one of the […]
There is a lot of great pop out there currently, whether that be the futuristic sounds of Charli XCX or someone who makes great old fashioned pop tunes like Taylor Swift. But there shouldn’t be room for this new album by alternative pop trio Liimo, which has my vote for the most boring album of […]
The Lemon Twigs are releasing their album ‘Songs for the General Public’, which contains 12 tracks, on the 21st August 2020. Their third album succeeds their 2018 release, their concept album ‘Go to School’, and contains completely different themes and ideas – the new album disregards any sort of link between itself and their second […]
A distorted reality is very much like a reality that sits, squeals, blinds and disposes the necessary for the nuisance of a hollowed-out product. But enough about the year 2020! (devilishly fiendish pun Rich) more fresh music rumbling out the gates for our pleasure is where I am, regardless the day, time or year. Girls […]
Stuart Moxham was part of indie-folk legends Young Marble Giants whose minimalist approach gained many fans including Kurt Cobain, whose own music may have been a million miles away in terms of volume and power, yet the similarities were there in the sentiments and attitude. When Young Marble Giants went their separate ways in 1980 […]
The second album can always be a challenging experience for any artist or group, but for The Aces they make it seem so easy. Coming off the back of their well-received first album ‘My Heart Felt Volcanic’ and a tour supporting 5 Seconds of Summer, they continue their streak of creating infectious pop songs. The […]
GIG GUIDE
Our gig guide is handpicked and every act has been listened to before making it onto the list.
See this month's guide
NEWS: BEYOND THE MUSIC FESTIVAL COMING THIS WEEK
ALBUM REVIEW - SASHA AND JOHN DIGWEED: NORTHERN EXPOSURE REDUX
ALBUM REVIEW - BHAJAN BHOY: ELECTRISOL
ALBUM REVIEW: JOHNNY MARR - THE AGE OF EVERYTHING
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 2 OCTOBER 2026
GIG GUIDE - OCTOBER 2026
ALBUM REVIEW - BLOSSOMS: SONGS FROM THE WEDDING CAKE
ALBUM REVIEW - YUSUF/CAT STEVENS: BUDDHA AND THE CHOCOLATE BOX
ALBUM REVIEW KEO: PUT A SMILE ON FOR ME
ALBUM REVIEW - KODALINE: WE WERE ONLY YOUNG
