LIVE REVIEW: Thomas Truax – 21/09/2009

– TROF, MANCHESTER – Not only is Thomas Truax a talented songwriter and musician, he is also an inventor of probably the most bizarre looking instruments you could possibly imagine. Now the tricky thing for me to do here is explain what each of them does, but I shall try my best. Apart from his […]
– BOSTON ARMS, LONDON – At the beginning of August I had a decision to make. This was due to the fact that Billy Childish and Musicians of the British Empire had lined up two dates at The Dirty Water Club in Tufnell Park. I had to decide whether to attend one or both. On […]

LIVE: BILLY CHILDISH & MUSICIANS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE – 18/09/2009

LIVE: BOB LOG III – 17/09/2009

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – Have you ever seen a one man band? Have you ever seen a one man band wearing a pair of Chelsea boots? Have you ever seen a one man band wearing a pair of Chelsea boots and an electric blue human cannon ball jump suit that is adorned with […]
– LOWTHER DEER PARK, PENRITH – Now in its fourth year, Kendal Calling has grown at an unprecedented rate. When it opened its gates for the first time in 2006, the capacity was a mere 900. This weekend they have sold all six thousand tickets for its arrival in the beautiful surroundings of its new […]

LIVE: KENDAL CALLING 2009

ALBUM: Joe Pernice – It Feels So Good When I Stop (Novel Soundtrack)

The problem With It Feels So Good When I Stop is that it was recorded as an accompaniment to his novel of the same name, and though I know it would infinitely augment the quality of this review I can’t be bothered to read it. However, if I was to take a wild stab at […]
Gracenotes only gives you one option – Nice, Nice, Very Nice is folk it solemnly declares. But don’t let that mislead you, as it most certainly isn’t. Acoustic singer-songwriter… OK, so those are misnomers too. Whatever it is or whatever it isn’t, Dan Mangan’s got an earnest voice, wrapping his vocals around decisive lyrics – these aren’t […]

ALBUM: Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice

LIVE: BILLY CHILDISH – 19/07/2009

– 24:7 THEATRE HUB, MANCHESTER – As the Manchester International Festival came to an end, the 24:7 Theatre Festival held its official opening night in a small function on the ground floor of New Century House. Finding tonight’s venue was not the easiest of tasks, as it is tucked away in a corner of a […]
– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – The usual step up from headlining your own small intimate gigs will see you generally filling the support slots for bigger names. The main change will be that you now know the audience are not there to see you and have in all honesty, probably never heard of you. Even […]

LIVE: OPTIONAL WALLACE – 18/07/2009

ALBUM: Plastiscines – About Love

I was quite excited for the album ‘About Love’ by Plastiscines;a quartet of “super-extra-hot French girls” who promised to take us by the scruff of our necks and force-feed us French grunge. By the time I’d reached track three, my illusions of this band being a part of ‘Girl Power’ 2010 were shattered, and I was […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – To celebrate the seventh instalment of the much acclaimed Kitsune Maison compilation series, this ultra cool label have taken on a month long tour to spread the word. Starting and Paris and ending in Hamburg, it shall cover the U.K, Europe and even as far afield as Japan. Ever […]

LIVE: KITSUNE MAISON PARTY WITH CHEW LIPS / AUTOKRATZ – 17/06/2009