ALBUM REVIEW – MAMALARKY: HEX KEY

“The worst thing you can say about a Mamalarky song is, ‘this sounds like another song of yours’.” Bassist Noor Khan sets out the band’s philosophy and it is one that they adhere to successfully on their latest album, ‘Hex Key’. Whilst it is pertinent to point out that its changes could be more extreme […]
Though he is most known for his acting, Joe Keery is also a very successful musician. Keery has been releasing music under the name Djo for several years, and his synth-led electronic sound has become well known, with his track ‘End of Beginning’ becoming widely popular in 2024. His third album, ‘The Crux’ is more […]

ALBUM REVIEW – DJO: THE CRUX

INTERVIEW – CAITY BASER

“This is just the beginning of a very long journey… and it is so beautiful.” Caity Baser radiates music, even her speech has a melody to it. She has the expressive nature of a Pixar character, one who you imagine could never be seen on screen without the company of a perfect score or their […]
The name of the opening track is spoken into the listeners ear immediately, ‘Icicle’, through a dreamy female vocal with a guitar sound that will make you think of The Cult’s ‘She Sells Sanctuary’. Then the bass picks up, turning this dreamy sound into new wave in an instant. L.A. Witch are starting off their […]

ALBUM REVIEW – L.A. WITCH: DOGGOD

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 4 APRIL 2025

Plenty of top releases clamouring for your attention this week. Get your lugholes around these. Buffet Lunch                 Perfect Hit!    Ramshackle odysseys of observational charm from Scotland/Newcastle four-piece on Upset The Rhythm. In their wonky melodicism and strange but beguiling sense of rhythm, they are a perfect fit for one of England’s most consistently oddball […]
Isn’t it wonderful now that the sun is out, and summer is getting into full swing? With the temperature rising, you’re bound to need a break from the sunlight, and getting inside a dark venue in Manchester is the perfect way to do that! Here is what is going on in Manchester this April.   […]

GIG GUIDE – APRIL 2025

LIVE REVIEW – THE DARKNESS: MANCHESTER APOLLO – 31/03/2025

Smoke machines. The neon ‘The Darkness’ logo above the stage. Stage lights that will blind you temporarily. The dramatic entrance accompanied by ‘Rock and Roll Party Cowboy’ can only send shivers and excitement into the onlookers as The Darkness show the audience how a rock n roll entrance is made. The intro to ‘Growing on […]
Love is and has never been linear. It’s a complicated obstacle course, some moments will thrill you with intense, fascinating sensations. But other times, it can drown you in its complicated, existential drawl, leeching away at you until it’s feasted on your very soul. …ok that was dramatic. Trust me when I say, love isn’t, […]

ALBUM REVIEW – GIRLPUPPY: SWEETNESS

LIVE REVIEW – SPIRITUALIZED – APOLLO 24/03/2025

Having just moved from Manchester to London in 1995, excited but terrified at the same time, embarking on an new adventure working in for an independent record label, little did I know then that one band, more than any other would come to define my time in the capital. ‘Pure Phase’ released in March 1995, […]
If you’re someone like me, you miss Boygenius. I miss Boygenius. So, when the news broke that Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers were going to feature for backing vocals on Forever is a Feeling the fourth studio album from Lucy Dacus, you hit the roof with excitement. The album cover is that of a painted […]

ALBUM REVIEW – LUCY DACUS: FOREVER IS A FEELING