ALBUM: The Chemistry Set – This Day Will Never Happen Again

The UK has a long, illustrious line of gently psychedelic guitar pop bands going right back to the likes of The Moody Blues (you better believe it), through XTC, Shack and The Coral, proponents all of sweet, sweet melodies and lush, pastoral arrangements. The Chemistry Set can – and should – count themselves as part […]
– THE NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER – An amusing game to play before any gig at the city’s smaller venues is to try to guess which individuals in the crowd are members of the headlining band. When, for example, post-rock is on offer, this can present hours of fun. With his distinctly un-Mancunian drawl […]

LIVE: MY JERUSALEM – 17/01/2011

LIVE: THE CORAL (ACOUSTIC) – 15/01/2011

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – First off, props to the Ruby Lounge, celebrating their relaunch tonight – the whiff of fresh paint and newness is heavy in the air. Nice job too, guys – that über quirky ambience is all present and correct, but the removal of those pillars down the side of the […]
FEAT. SAM CARTER/LIAM BAILEY/NANCY ELIZABETH/AIDAN SMITH/CORTINA DELUXX – BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – Being quite a newbie to Manchester I’d heard of the folk night Hedge, but never had the pleasure of experiencing it.  Tonight Hedge in collaboration with Humble Soul Records returns to the Manchester scene after a fairly long break with a […]

LIVE: HEDGE – 15/01/2011

ALBUM: Ensemble – Excerpts

With its crisply crafted songwriting – reminiscent of Leonard Cohen and The Lilac Time – sophisticatedly interspersed with lush orchestration, and lashings of distortion, Excerpts impresses immediately. The resulting (and desired) effect of such interplay is of an album amorphously going in and out of focus. The title, Excerpts, and track 2’s name, ‘Things I Forgot’, […]
I like “wonky”. I like “folk”. Man, truth be told, I even like “pop”. So Hannah Peel’s description of her style as Wonky Folk Pop right away pitches her 100% centre-stage on my radar. Hannah’s star is definitely on the rise, with reviewers blanketing pretty much everything she turns her hand to with praise (and that […]

ALBUM: Hannah Peel – The Broken Wave

ALBUM: British Sea Power – Valhalla Dancehall

Hats off to any band who call their own debut album The Decline of British Sea Power – although you’d imagine they were really referring to the waterborne capability of our nation, rather than their own musical fortunes. Which brings us to 2011.  Somehow strange to realise that Valhalla Dancehall is the band’s fifth long player; they seem somehow fresh […]
– THE APOLLO THEATRE, MANCHESTER – There are not many rules surrounding Christmas songs but there are a few. Namely that Christmas songs (and we’re talking Slade, Mariah Carey and stuff with sleigh bells basically – Low and Sufjan are a grey area) should not be played until, at most, one week before Christmas. Until […]

LIVE: THE POGUES – 17/12/2010

LIVE: ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN – 12/12/2010

– THE OLYMPIA, LIVERPOOL – As I write this, on the eve of my birthday, it’s a time for reflection. I’m not talking about some hideous navel gazing, but more on what a great day it’s been. Today I saw my football team win, at home, with only ten men. Tonight in Liverpool Echo and […]
– THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT, MANCHESTER – Why does the Warehouse Project hate me? I don’t know what I’ve done to offend them, unless giving them lots of money is offensive, and judging by the crowd tonight, and the crowds it has attracted over the last few years, it has certainly raked in its fair share […]

LIVE: MODERAT/HUDSON MOHAWKE/JOY ORBISON/BEN KLOCK/MARCEL BETTMAN – 11/12/2010