LIVE: LITERATURE THIEVES / NATALIE MCCOOL – 17/06/2014

– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – It’s Tuesday night, the Castle’s selection of ales are flowing and we have four acts to look forward to tonight. Billed as a co-headline show for Literature Thieves and Natalie McCool, support comes from See Emily Play and The Bear Around Your Neck. Slowly making his way to stage, […]
– FIRST CHOP BREWING ARM, SALFORD – Young British Artists – or YBAs as they now prefer to be known – have kept us waiting. I’ve been lucky to catch them low down the bill at the odd festival in the six years the Manchester foursome have been together, and whenever I try and Google them […]

LIVE: YBAs – 14/06/2014

LIVE: FUCKED UP – 15/06/2014

– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – I’ve been spending the past few weeks submersing myself in the superb new long player from Canadian punks Fucked Up. Glass Boys is the band’s fourth album, considerably shorter than their previous record (a four part rock opera entitled David Comes To Life) but still expansive in production and powerful in […]
– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – Almost 3 years since I saw them play The Ruby Lounge, Wye Oak return to Manchester with a whole new albums worth of tunes to blend into their set. Despite the extra depth in the sound that runs through ‘Shriek’, the  band continue as a duo – Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner […]

LIVE: WYE OAK – 11/06/2014

Album Review: Tom Vek – Luck

It’s quite crazy to think that we’re nearly at the 10 year anniversary of the début Tom Vek album We Have Sound. Even though it fitted in with the punk funk scene of the time, it still lived in its own little world and remains one of most unique sounding débuts of its time. Shortly […]
– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – I love a good freebie. If it’s going free, I’m on it. I’ve always got a keen eye on Twitter, looking for whatever I can get my claws on. So I was delighted when it was announced a couple of months back that the rad Glaswegian three piece Paws […]

LIVE: PAWS – 05/06/2014

LIVE: EMA – 04/06/2014

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – Musicians have really had it in for technology this year; Damon Albarn conjured up a nightmarish future where everyday robots were in control, St Vincent took up the role of robot in Digital Witness singing ‘I want all of your mind’, but it was EMA who dealt the most […]
Morrissey-baiting Glasweigan indie punk trio PAWS’ second LP Youth Culture Forever opens with something of a curveball. Erreur Humaine starts out deceptively bluesy until stabs of grunge guitar kick the record into life. It combines alternating whispers of cello and huge guitar blasts with a charming tendency to try and fit too many syllables into […]

Album Review: PAWS – Youth Culture Forever

LIVE: THE FLAMING LIPS – 27/05/2014

– O2 APOLLO, MANCHESTER – By virtue of where I live, my trip to the Apollo this evening takes me past Manchester Arena. Swarming around the arena are many excited young faces. Often the popularity of pop groups irks me a little, but this evening I’m pleased. It was Little Mix that were to be […]
– KRAAK, MANCHESTER – I’m back for another gig at Kraak Gallery tonight. My new spiritual home of sorts. Although tonight is a four band bill, I regretfully make it to the venue half way through, but I must admit it is the final two bands that I’m most eager to see, in particular tonight’s […]

LIVE: GOODTIME BOYS / GRAPPLER – 29/05/2014