ALBUM REVIEW – THULCANDRA: LIVE DEMISE

A live album is usually a special occasion, often marking a milestone. This is what Thulcandra initially set out to do, by releasing this live album, which has been recorded in Germany in 2011 and which features the original Thulcandra lineup, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band. This ultimately did not end up […]
Five years after reports of Covid emerged from China, the pandemic is still having an impact upon a significant number of albums being released now. The twelfth long player from White Denim, appropriately enough called ‘12’, containing twelve tracks and being released in the twelfth month, has been shaped by different working conditions. As has […]

ALBUM REVIEW – WHITE DENIM: 12

EP REVIEW – THE HOLY GRAIL: BILL CALLAHAN’S “SMOG” DEC. 10, 2001 PEEL SESSION

“So we gave them something to show them who WE were—Dale Coopers with our black coffees.” This is how Bill Callahan describes this December 10, 2001, Peel session. While I write this, I see the light sneaking in the horizon of Moss Side. It’s early, cold, and my coffee is not black because I always […]
As we head towards December, there are fewer releases this week but here we collate those that warrant a listen. OCS     Live at Permanent Records                Brigid Dawson and John Peter Dwyer, the duo known together as OCS, got together at JPD’s house in Los Angeles and started transcribing a nice list of songs. “Some new, […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 29 NOVEMBER 2024

GIG GUIDE – DECEMBER 2024

We have trawled through the gigs for this month and are pleased to offer our recommendations of shows in a variety of genres. There should be something for everyone here. December 1st 2024 Villagers – New Century Hall Villagers have been a prominent force in the indie scene for over a decade and have been […]
There is often a sense of cheap cash-in to Christmas albums, a quick fix. Throw together a few familiar cover versions and the odd original, garnish with tinsel and sleigh bells for a quota, quickie package, a good way of fulfilling contractual obligations. Thankfully, The Unthanks’ ‘In Winter’ is a far more satisfying proposition. As […]

ALBUM REVIEW – THE UNTHANKS: IN WINTER

ALBUM REVIEW – THE INNOCENCE MISSION: MIDWINTER SWIMMERS

There is a great sense of detail in The Innocence Mission’s latest album, ‘Midwinter Swimmers’. It is apparent in lyrics that have a poetic precision and colourfully capture place. The music is imbued with a fragility reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan and mingles lo-fi charm with subtle shifts to create a cinematic palette. It is a […]
Sometimes pink is the blush in your cheeks. The charming pigment that fills your lips and filters your romances. Sometimes it’s the stain of a slap full in the face. The electrifying shade of a force your skin won’t forget. On its best days, pink is all of the above. Animated and charming, electric and […]

LIVE REVIEW: THE ROYSTON CLUB – LIVERPOOL ACADEMY 19/11/24

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 22 NOVEMBER 2024

Here are the week’s stellar collection of new releases. Cistern              New Standard              From a group featuring members of N0V3L and Crack Cloud comes a 5-track display of DIY-rock anthem recorded on an 8-track tape machine. The band are defined by tight musicianship, harmonious and dissonant instrumentation, do-it-yourself recording and experimentation. The Attendant              Unit EP              Pete […]
“Just want a girl as cool as Kim Deal” The Dandy Warhols sang in 1997. Not many musicians have had such songs of adulation written about them, but then not every musician has dominated the alternative music scene like Kim Deal. It seems remarkable that this is her first solo album in a musical career […]

ALBUM REVIEW: KIM DEAL – NOBODY LOVES YOU MORE