LIVE: TREEFIGHT FOR SUNLIGHT – 06/09/2011

– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – Support band ‘New Hips’ are a tech-rock four-piece based around young music graduates with all sorts of equipment – two guitars, bass, two keyboards, trumpet, one-and-a-half drumkits, and effects boards all over the place. It’s quite a surprise that they manage to use it all. It’s quite challenging, very […]
‘It’s A Long Long Way’ is the latest release from Seasick Steve’s new album, You Can’t Teach A Dog Old Tricks.  In the typical Seasick style, ‘It’s A Long, Long Way’ has great lyrics while Steve’s delivery make it incisive and poignant. It is a very versatile effort which I could image being played both […]

Single Review: Seasick Steve – It’s A Long Long Way

LIVE: My Reading Festival -26-28/08/2011

My Chemical Romance: They are the first headliners of the weekend, and boy do they kick things off in style. Now many people often slate My Chemical Romance, be it because they are secretly trying to mask their forbidden love for them, or that they really just hate them, but whether you like it or […]
I used to go to music college with this guy: http://youtu.be/6eehugX2zOI *. I occasionally went to his house to listen to mind-bending music, look at his (insane) art and borrow books like Robert Sheckley’s ‘Dimension of Miracles’. He has an amazing collection of 60s garage and psychedelia as well as obscure gold, like The Residents’ […]

Album Review: Cranium Pie – Mechanisms Part 1

EP Review: Walton – Walton EP

It’s always nice to see an email come through from Hyperdub, even more so when it contains the debut EP from a hometowner. On this latest release, Sam Walton brings us four interesting and original tracks, pulling influences from House, UK Funky and grime whilst keeping the energy levels high. ‘Aggy’ starts proceedings. Hard kicks […]
– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – If you are to be judged by the company you keep, then Jesca Hoop is in some pretty esteemed company. Beatnik Bard Tom Waits is already somewhat out there… so imagine what his nanny might look like.  Jesca Hoop was that gal, nanny to his three children and […]

LIVE: JESCA HOOP – 27/08/2011

Album Review: Beirut – The Rip Tide

Beirut (aka Zack Condon) is quite the peculiarity.  His song writing technique is tantamount to musical colonialism (with all the positive and negative connotations involved) as he claims and manipulates great swathes of sovereign musical territory, and bedecks them with layers of semi-operatic baritone. On Gulag Orkestar he gobbled up much of Eastern Europe; on […]
– A CELLAR IN CHORLTON, MANCHESTER – Ahead of the release of their new album (September 5th), I happen to catch Airship in concert at a 30th birthday house-party for the guitarist from my band. To say it is a ‘somewhat intimate venue’ might be an understatement, as fifty-plus people risk fire-related death, crammed in to one […]

LIVE: AIRSHIP – 26/08/2011

ALBUM: DJ SHADOW – THE LESS YOU KNOW, THE BETTER

Having followed DJ Shadow since the release of his seminal debut album ‘Endtroducing…’, I’ve yet to hear anything from the Californian producer that surpasses it. I still very much enjoy his work and follow his career, though nothing compares. ‘The Less You Know, The Better’ would appear to be an appropriate instruction, if I’m to […]
– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – Sebadoh are the band you should love…why you ask? Basically, Lou Barlow is the lecturer that you wanted to teach you English literature and philosophy whilst Jason Lowenstein is the kool guy that you wished taught you the guitar, bass, drums, keyboards etc – mainly because he plays them all!!! […]

LIVE: SEBADOH – 23/08/2011