Album Review: Washed Out – Paracosm

In 2013, it’s easier than ever before to find new music. The advent of Spotify and the omnipresence of the Internet as a whole means that any new artist can record something with a reasonable degree of competency, and instantly expose it to millions of people with the click of a mouse. Despite the recent […]
– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – Owen Pallett is an extraordinarily talented man. As well as his stellar solo work under his own name and the Final Fantasy moniker, he has also worked on string arrangements for many a band including Beirut, Arcade Fire and Last Shadow Puppets. And it is his strings that […]

LIVE: OWEN PALLETT – 12/08/2013

Album Review: Crocodiles – Crimes of Passion

With summer almost over, it’s a shame the new Crocodiles album Crimes of Passion has arrived in August as it would have provided the perfect soundtrack to soak up those boozy afternoon sessions in the park. Formed after their previous punk bands had split, Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell decided to continue on their musical […]
With her last album comprising a collection of songs for children and having recently given birth to her second son, it would be an easy assumption that Laura Veirs’ latest material is characterised by more insular themes. However, this is hardly the case at all. After the lofty, scientific subject matter and metaphors of Carbon […]

Album Review: Laura Veirs – Warp and Weft

LIVE: TEXAS IS THE REASON – 03/08/2013 (MANCHESTER) & 04/08/2013 (LONDON)

Journey – An act of travelling from one place to another. The past weekend has been that journey. One that has spanned nearly two decades of waiting, one that has been filled with emotion and one that ended with sheer beauty and happiness. Texas Is The Reason released one album, one EP and two split […]
– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – Almost 45 years ago, to the day, outraged folk fans booed throughout Bob Dylan’s performance at the Newport Folk Festival. Allegedly, the crowd were a little miffed that Bob had dared go all electric and spoil their folky fun. Tonight, about 3,000 miles east, just 70 people were privy […]

LIVE: MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS – 30/7/2013

LIVE: JOHNNY FLYNN – 30/7/2013

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Roughly 4 years ago, I conceived an article extolling the virtues of the burgeoning folk scene. It would focus on 4 bands, namely, in order of quality, Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn, Noah and the Whale, Mumford & Sons. It didn’t get written largely because I’m a bit of a […]
– ALTER EGO, MANCHESTER –  There’s a fizz in Alter-Ego. A rare air of anticipation bordering on the non-belief that Braid – no, whisper it –  Braid, are in town. In this very building. Tonight. The very idea that this could happen was preposterous even a few months ago, after all, they split up in […]

LIVE: BRAID – 25/7/2013

Album Review: Mayors of Miyazaki – Holy Cop

In the opening 30 seconds of Holy Cop, I relate the sound of Mayors of Miyazaki to At the Drive In, Biffy Clyro (Puzzle) and Coheed & Cambria, but vocally they are very much apart from all of the above. To pull one from left field, Holy Cop is like a super-tight, atonal, staccato version […]
The eagerly awaited debut album Body Music by AlunaGeorge (aka Aluna Francis and producer George Reid) is a collection of smooth tones, dance basslines and sweet vocals. Despite this being their first LP they have already been around for over a year gracing every ‘ones to watch list’ of 2012 and touring throughout Europe. The […]

Album Review: Alunageorge – Body Music