ALBUM REVIEW: THE FALL – THE 1970s, 12 CD BOXSET

There have probably been as many box sets and reissues of The Fall’s material, as there have been members in the band, it was once stated that you couldn’t walk more than a few yards in Manchester without bumping into a former member of The Fall. Yet this beautifully packaged new collection presents an enticingly […]
In Autumn 2022, ‘Sometimes I May Be Introvert’ deservedly received the Mercury Music Prize, the culmination of a year of awards combined with record sales that finally reflected critics’ response to Little Simz. The release as a single of that album’s ‘How Did You Get Here’ felt like her basking in anticipated success while celebrating […]

ALBUM REVIEW – LITTLE SIMZ: NO THANK YOU

ALBUM REVIEW – ANDREW WASYLYK: HEARING THE WATER BEFORE SEEING THE FALLS

Whenever music, as distinct from lyrics, conjures a sense of place, it is invariably of wide, open spaces rather than the interiors of an office or over-crowded home. Scottish composer Andrew Wasylyk’s latest album, ‘Hearing the Water Before Seeing the Falls’, from its title onwards fits this template but does so with immense beauty, showing […]
– Academy 3, Manchester – The last time Nada Surf was in Manchester in March 2020, the world was on the edge of a precipice. In the days after, the band cut short their tour as the country entered lockdown indefinitely. In the two years that followed, it was hard to imagine gigs without risks, […]
Nada Surf

LIVE: NADA SURF – 30/11/2022

ALBUM REVIEW – FELA KUTI: AFRODISIAC

Whenever I reflect wistfully on attending well over 1,000 gigs, right near the top of the list for commandeering an imaginary time machine and nipping back to relive it would be Fela Kuti with a 35-piece band in Manchester in 1989. Having grown up listening to English chart music with its three-minute 7” pop singles […]
It is rare to discover a musician extoling the virtues of repetitive motions like walking, seed planting and sweeping when discussing the creative process. For Marianne Parrish, who performs as Maja Lena, spells working on a no dig permaculture vegetable growing project and in a natural horsemanship yard allowed space for her imagination to flow, […]

ALBUM REVIEW – MAJA LENA: PLUTO

ALBUM REVIEW – RICHARD DAWSON: THE RUBY CORD

The Ruby Cord’ is the final part of a trilogy that started with ‘Peasant’ which was set in medieval times and was followed by the social realism of ‘2020’, an album that saw Richard Dawson hone his idiosyncrasies into a more traditional song format. ‘The Ruby Cord’ is more impressionistic and open-ended, exploring the idea […]
‘Goodbye Asshole’ is the debut album for San Francisco Scuzz-Wave based band Fuckwolf. At first the album title and design create a bold glance of sounding as an ode to no one. It leaves you wondering will be there be sense of heartbreak? Rejection? The trio of Tomo Yasuda on guitar, Simon Phillips on drums, […]

ALBUM REVIEW: FUCKWOLF – GOODBYE ASSHOLE

ALBUM REVIEW: STEVE GULLICK AND JAMES JOHNSTON – EVERYBODY’S SUNSET PLUS VIDEO PREMIERE FOR SAVE OUR SOULS SINGLE

Steve Gullick and James Johnston have both made a name for themselves in their respective creative fields. Gullick as a photographer who has taken some of the most iconic images in rock photography from Nirvana to Spiritualized to Wet Leg and more. As a founder member of indie rockers Gallon Drunk, former member of Nick […]
‘English Primitive I’ was festooned with praise by eminent critics, including the Poet Laurette, Simon Armitage, and Stewart Lee who labelled it as 2021’s stand-out album. To those asking whether the second volume could maintain such distinguished standards, the short answer is an emphatic, ‘Yes’. With column inches to fill, I will gladly wax lyrical […]

ALBUM REVIEW – DAVID LANCE CALLAHAN: ENGLISH PRIMITIVE II