“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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
With his 2022 album, ‘Chloë and The Next 20th Century’, it appeared that Father John Misty was trying to dial down the ambiguous signals that had permeated his earlier releases. Its mixture of golden era Hollywood and cruise ship opulence signified an artist happy to embrace the mainstream, an arena for which his outstanding melodicism […]
An ultra busy week with lots of tantalising releases. Here is our summary of what’s what. Xeno & Oaklander Via Negativa (in the doorway light) Refined retro-futurist synth pop with a tension between Teutonic, utopian synthetic pop and lyrical narratives of ghosts in silos, ruined mills, and the traumas of mineral excavation. The Green Child […]
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 - FOTOCRIME: SECURITY
ALBUM REVIEW - TENDERNESS: TRUE
ALBUM REVIEW - ART SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND: LEAN IN
ALBUM REVIEW - SQUEEZE: TRIXIES
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 6 MARCH 2026
ALBUM REVIEW - AGABAS: HARD ANGER
GIG GUIDE - MARCH 2026
ALBUM REVIEW - CONVERGE: LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH
LIVE REVIEW - MOGWAI: MANCHESTER APOLLO - 27/02/2026
BOOK REVIEW: PENNY KILEY – ATYPICAL GIRL: PUNK ROCK, LIVERPOOL AND TRYING TO BE NORMAL
