SINGLE: Harper Simon – Wishes and Stars

Missing the obvious I was going to write, “Harper Simon is a fine musician who sounds a lot like Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel”, when I read the press release and sure enough: he is Paul Simon’s son. Like father like son. I know children want to plough their own furrows, usually in the opposite […]
I know that the current abiding image of Iceland is that of a country with no national bank, and an unpronounceable volcano intent on ruining our travel plans (I was in the US at the time and sadly it didn’t strand me there). But ever since a younger manifestation of myself became obsessed with “Agaetis […]

SINGLE: Ólöf Arnalds – Innundir Skinni

LIVE: PARKLIFE 2010 – 12/06/2010

– PLATT FIELDS, MANCHESTER – There’s something intractably lucky about any festival on Platt Fields. Despite the weather’s reputation for pissing on Mancunians day in day out year in year out – though it didn’t save a friend of a friend getting literally pissed on during Fake Blood’s set – every time there’s a festival […]
– FAC251, MANCHESTER – This is a night in which the old goes head to head with the new. Across the city at Platt Fields, Ian Brown is playing Stone Roses tunes to Manchester’s indie community, but here at Fac251, the future is taking shape. With Oasis gone for good and The Verve in statis, […]

LIVE: EXIT CALM – 11/06/2010

LIVE: THIS CITY IS OURS – 11/06/2010

– SACRED TRINITY CHURCH, SALFORD – Since its conception, I’ve been a fan of This City Is Ours. Pushing boundaries in the right direction and shrugging off stereotypes is an approach most events lack – more content to fall in line with their cheap drinks and latest flavour of the month sounds. This evening saw […]
– CLUB ACADEMY, MANCHESTER – Male Bonding have been making a name for themselves in London over the past couple of years releasing a truckload of singles and constantly playing gigs. They managed to get themselves signed to Sub Pop who put out their wonderful debut album ‘Nothing Hurts’ last month. It’s an album full […]

LIVE: MALE BONDING – 10/06/2010

SINGLE: LADY GAGA – ALEJANDRO

It is difficult to believe that it is less than two years since the driven, eccentric Lady Gaga became an international force, such is the power she currently enjoys in the world of pop. Gaga fever looks set to continue this summer with the release of ‘Alejandro’, drawn from her repackaged double album The Fame. […]
– THE RITZ BALLROOM, MANCHESTER – It’s been a long time since I last visited the Ritz. Many a Monday night of my youth (I) was recklessly wasted there before I was old enough to get into real clubs. It’s hardly changed – by which I mean: ‘they appear to have done no maintenance whatsoever’. […]

LIVE: BAND OF HORSES – 08/06/2010

LIVE: THE MISERABLE RICH – 08/06/2010

– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – Band On The Wall is a classy venue that attracts quality acts for genuine music lovers. The first support Dan Whitehouse sings alone onstage with his guitar to an attentive, silent audience. After the song he comments on how nice it is to finish a tune and realise […]
It will be of no surprise to you that Bloc Party’s whining crooner has come out as a song and dance man with this debut single from forthcoming album “The Boxer”. Freed from the shackles of his behemoth band, Kele is expressing himself just as you would expect given the popularity of “Flux” – a […]

SINGLE: Kele – Tenderoni