ALBUM REVIEW – HOTLINE TNT: CARTWHEEL

‘Cartwheel’ by Hotline TNT is an album of pure fuzz, existing and then dissolving back again into obscurity. To the untrained ear, this LP may sound little more than someone throwing all the instruments at a wall and expecting something to stick, when in actuality it’s a lot more nuanced than that. Each layer of […]
Over the course of 24 years, Spearmint have specialised in wonderfully crafted, melancholic songs with outstanding lyrics that tell emotional stories that deserve far more than their dedicated cult audience. Fronted by Shirley Lee, who can lay claim to a prominent place amongst the most famous male Shirleys in popular culture, coming a very distant […]

ALBUM REVIEW – SPEARMINT: THIS CANDLE IS FOR YOU

EP REVIEW – SNAIL MAIL: VALENTINE DEMOS

This could just be my best review ever. A part of me feels like I won’t ever get enjoyment like this. It’s interesting the hallucinogenic trance of ‘Snail Mail’s’ ‘Valentine Demos’. Lindsey Jordan’s vocals are quite hard to follow at moments, it’s without a doubt something that captures a listener with an eerie but spooky […]
So, “metal” is a bit of a catch-all term – which obviously is why we have “black metal”, “hair metal”, “cheese metal” etc. (although there’s just no reason why we have “nu-metal”!). In any case, it can be a bit of a pot luck to just shout up for any “metal” that comes across the […]

ALBUM REVIEW – SATAN’S FALL: DESTINATION DESTRUCTION

ALBUM REVIEW – HILARY WOODS: ACTS OF LIGHT

Hilary Woods’ Acts of Light is the third full-length release in the Irish artist’s catalogue of enveloping drones, following on from the discomforting forms that snaked through 2021’s Feral Hymns. Having already established a track record of skin-invading frequencies, Woods returns on Acts of Light with nine resonant confrontations of self. It’s an incredibly difficult […]
The premier festival for books about music, Louder Than Words, kicks off today at the Innside Hotel in Manchester. Over the course of the weekend, there will be appearances from Will Sergeant, Trevor Horn, Ian Broudie, Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), Don Powell (Slade), Nick Banks (Pulp) and Pauline Murray talking about their new books. Other […]

NEWS – LOUDER THAN WORDS FESTIVAL STARTS TODAY

PREVIEWS – PLAYING IN MANCHESTER THIS WEEK

10 / 11 / 23 The Wonder Years – The Ritz Celebrating ten years of their acclaimed album ‘The Greatest Generation’ a pop punk emo slab that inspired a whole generation of artists. Dealing with themes such as politics, grief and working class struggles, they bring their feisty celebration to The Ritz. Mock Media – […]
Another week bristling with some top-quality releases jostling for attention. Beirut   Hadsel  Their first album in 4 years, recorded on the island of Hadsel, in the north of Norway. Songs based around a church organ take Beirut back to its solitary yet self-assured roots, exploring new sounds and foreign settings. Irrespective of far-flung musical influences, […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 10 NOVEMBER 2023

ALBUM REVIEW: JOHNNY MARR – SPIRIT POWER, THE BEST OF

It’s incredible to think that Johnny Marr only released his first solo album ten years ago, after being a musician for over forty years. Having added his gloriously distinctive guitar riffs to so many bands over the years, (enough to fill another compilation album), this double album pulls together a collection of his finest solo […]
As we approach the last few months of 2023, some of us I’m sure can’t possibly imagine being served with anymore content to digest, after all we’ve been fed over the last year. Well, I’m here to say you should probably save some room in your life for the most beautiful new album from Boston […]

ALBUM REVIEW – ROSIE DARLING: LANTERNS