It would be hard to imagine a topsy-turvier career path than that forged by The Loft. In the mid-80s, they were the first Creation Records band to top the indie charts with the classic ‘Up the Hill and Down the Slope’, appear on TV, record a Radio One session and be invited onto a major […]
Toronto singer-songwriter Abigail Lapell is clearly partial to thematically linked song collections. Following on from the self-explanatory ‘Lullabies’ and ‘Anniversary’ comes ‘Shadow Child’, a bundle of songs about motherhood. Recorded during her pregnancy, it comes with the urgency of an unnegotiable timetable and is rich in metaphor with the title referencing ultrasound imaging of a […]
Pigeon Outtanational Across the album, Pigeon build party music without limits, drawing lines between afro-disco, krautrock, punk-funk and post-punk, with a DIY spirit and an exploratory edge. Tori Amos In Time of Dragons Amos states, “”In Times of Dragons is a metaphorical story about the fight for Democracy over Tyranny, reflecting the current abhorrent […]
Travelling down the M62 in 90 odd degree heat stuck in traffic as everyone has decided to play Manchester today from Olivia Dean, Yungblud to The Scratch. Going a bit earlier to make a day of it, walk the streets and try that Dave’s Hot chicken that everyone is raving about. The sun’s shining, the […]
Due to an incredibly stressful and procrastination heavy week, I originally handed this in using AI! Lol, soz. Alas, my “experiment” has already given me the shivers since sending to the editor, so here’s my actual typed review; as I sit here watching Aussie Rules Football, gasping for a ciggy and desperate for some Turkish delight. […]
Britpop is something that is ingrained in not just music history, but British cultural history in general. When you think of that word, I’m sure you don’t just think of Jarvis Cocker mooning the crowd at a Michael Jackson performance, or the Gallagher brothers giving it large at the BRITS. You probably think about lads […]
Angelo De Augustine Angel in Plainclothes Sufjan Stevens collaborator whose latest is full of heartfelt elegies, powerful melodies, and captivating songcraft – but its scope is far broader, his use of dynamics more intriguing and panoptic. He created it using a vast array of largely antique musical instruments, including such oddities as a Marxophone, a […]
With her seventh solo album, Jesca Hoop finally takes the leap to the producer’s chair. It is a move inspired by the independence of her hero, Joni Mitchell, who has played a prominent role in Hoop’s recent creative processes as last year she toured with Lail Arad and This Is The Kit’s Kate Stables to […]
If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s my memory; be it an important date or an aside about what you had for tea on Tuesday two weeks ago, I can generally be relied upon to recall things I’m informed about without much effort. So, you rightly ask, why was it that I nearly […]
Ask a music fan to choose a band that personified the Scottish independent scene and it is likely that there would be lots of different answers. Perhaps it would be the feedback drenched pop of The Jesus and Mary Chain or the trad rockisms of Primal Scream. Alternatively, it could be Belle and Sebastian’s literate […]
GIG GUIDE
Our gig guide is handpicked and every act has been listened to before making it onto the list.
See this month's guide
ALBUM REVIEW - TRACY BRYANT: THE WELL
INTERVIEW - THE HOOSIERS
EP REVIEW : BLEECH 9:3 - BLEECH 9:3
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 15 MAY 2026
ALBUM REVIEW - RADHIKA: CINE-POP
ALBUM REVIEW - MY PRECIOUS BUNNY: A MOMENT IN MY EYES
ALBUM REVIEW - GUTTERSNIPE: EXTINCTION BURST!
ALBUM REVIEW - PETER GABRIEL: LIVE AT WOMAD 1982
ALBUM REVIEW - BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE: REMEMBER THE HUMANS
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 8 MAY 2026
