SINGLE: Angus and Julia Stone – And The Boys

To begin I’d like to resort to basic national stereotypes. Australians are not renowned for their subtlety. They produce bands like AC/DC and Men at Work. Their national monument is a giant rock. Their drink of choice is the delicately brewed XXXX lager, and their film stars spend their time displaying their larger-than-yours knives. So […]
Birmingham based Machine Boy first came to my attention last year via Tom Robinson’s BBC 6 Music Introducing, a bi-weekly show which brings listeners a totally playlist free two hours of music. Each and every track played is recommended by the general music loving public and aims to bring the freshest and newest music out […]

EP: Machine Boy – People

ALBUM: Motion Picture Soundtrack – The Shapes We Fear Are Of Our Own

“Every time I put this CD in my computer it makes a horrible noise”, is not the kindest way to start a review, but it’s true. I hope it’s only my promo copy of The Shapes We Fear Are of Our Own that’s dodgy and not the whole run. At least the disc is self-aware […]
– ACADEMY 3, MANCHESTER – Javelin’s bizarre intro – which I can only describe as ‘cosmic’ – segues straight into the main body of their set, which is stuck somewhere between very chilled and very dancy – with fat beats, floaty synths and falsetto vocals. The slightly everyday-sounding, yet ambitious lyrics mark this apart from […]

LIVE: YEASAYER/JAVELIN – 21/02/2010

LIVE: MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS – 21/02/2010

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Right from the start, from hearing the opening bars of ‘Obsessions’, I have been hooked on Marina And The Diamonds. It’s always been clear to me that her appeal is multifaceted. Crucially she combines exemplary song writing skills, with the vastly under-appreciated but essential quirk of being an eccentric. […]
From past experience we all knowPlanet Mu delivers the goods. Since its conception it’s yet to bring you anything your ears didn’t want to hear and has always been a merchant of the new and experimental. The Internal Tulipsare no exception to the rule, and with a LP entitled “Mislead into A Field By A Deformed Deer”, […]

ALBUM: The Internal Tulips – Mislead into A Field By A Deformed Deer

LIVE: SO SO MODERN – 20/02/2010

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – So it’s a Saturday night, I’m heading towards the Deaf Institute, the bars are filling up and leading up to a yet another busy weekend evening. Having only recently discovered this band I am quite excited to see them and if the music is anything to go by, their […]
– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – It’s started early tonight and the small yet loyal clan of followers are seated at tables. The audience consists mainly of men, the majority of which are bespectacled and lacking in hair. Jonatha knows two members of the crowd, the second not well enough to remember his name: […]

LIVE: JONATHA BROOKE – 20/02/2010

LIVE: BANJO OR FREAKOUT – 19/02/2010

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – It’s a golden rule that the best gems are always those stumbled upon. Bands are the same. I arrive at The Ruby Lounge a little early, in search of liquid refreshment, only to be reeled in by London-based duo Banjo or Freakout. Frontman Alessio Natalizia and his sidekick drummer […]
– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – There is a buzz about The Ruby Lounge as The Soft Pack take to the stage. The bar empties and the dance floor fills with an odd assortment of young indie types and older-looking mods. This sudden surge pricks my anticipation, expecting bigger and bigger things from this four-piece […]

LIVE: THE SOFT PACK – 19/02/2010