LIVE: ED HARCOURT – 29/06/2016

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – The world certainly seems to be on fire, as Ed Harcourt warns a lurking crowd. He and his band – with silent John J Presley guest starring, are warmly welcomed. There’s a misty atmosphere surrounding this track, ‘The World Is On Fire’, from his brand new album Furnaces, produced by […]
CIVIL CIVIC have announced their second album, THE TEST, will be released on Gross Domestic Product on October 14th. Watch their video for THE HUNT below, where the duo raise questions on the current inequality crisis, the New World Order and capitalism in an historical context. “The poor are angry, the rich are empty and […]

CIVIL CIVIC ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘THE TEST’

LIVE: LOVE REVISITED – 23/06/2016

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – It’s a suspiciously warm evening on the eve of the so-called ‘Independence Day’. The storm, in every single sense, is dangerously approaching. After a proper warm up courtesy of Proto Idiot and Nine Black Alps, Baby Lemonade comes full of love, with a very special guest star: Love’s original […]
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – Ty Segall is a name that I’d heard a lot over the years but never investigated until recently. The incredibly prolific multi-instrumentalist released his eighth album in eight years at the start of the year and was the first time I had embraced the genius of this man. Emotional Mugger […]

LIVE: TY SEGALL & THE MUGGERS – 23/06/2016

LIVE: CAR SEAT HEADREST – 22/06/2016

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Car Seat Headrest (let’s do CSH from now on for the sake of my fingers) are what one would call ‘quite prolific’. Starting off as the solo project of Will Toledo (apparently called CSH due to recording the vocals for his first album in the back seat of his […]
– GULLIVERS, MANCHESTER – On Record Store Day I witnessed TVAM hand over a tape to Mary Anne Hobbs. Whether that was the pivotal moment in Lauren Laverne naming him as her BBC 6Music recommendation of the week I’m unsure. Like The Cocteau Twins, the Wigan-based solo musician buries his voice under his distinctive brand […]

LIVE: TVAM – 21/06/2016

LIVE: EINDHOVEN PSYCH LAB DAY 2 – 11/06/2016

– EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS – Day two is welcomed in by Statue, a Dutch six piece who offer up four guitars alongside bass and drums. They present numerous references to symphonic rock and hints of influences such as Sonic Youth shine through. It’s clear that they are really pleased to be here as they rock along […]
– BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER – ‘Wait, this one’s got a fuck tonne of chords in it.’ Ben Folds flexes fingers, readies himself and then launches into another track and blow me he’s not kidding.  These aren’t 1, 4, 5 progressions, power chords or riffs.  These songs are complex, thought out, elegant.  And they hang beautifully […]

LIVE: BEN FOLDS & YMUSIC – 17/06/2016

LIVE: ELVIS DEPRESSEDLY – 15/06/2016

– AATMA, MANCHESTER – “You know we pass from death to life, because we love each other. ” sings South Carolina native Mat Cothran on Elvis Depressedly’s lethargic ballad ‘Thou Shall Not Murder’. Such a cutting introduction to the ethanolic track not only serves to highlight the honest and bare atmosphere that colours the evening, […]
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER –  When I first heard Light Up Gold, Parquet Courts’ second album, it’s half spoken half sung vocals and repetitive melodies immediately led me to draw comparisons to The Fall. New track ‘Outside’ has been likened to Pavement by many and a review described their album Human Performance as sounding not dissimilar […]

LIVE: PARQUET COURTS – 18/06/2016