ALBUM REVIEW – NAO YOSHIOKA: SELF

It’s not often that a name and description catch your eye that you can’t help but delve into and immerse yourself and that exactly what happened once I saw Nao Yoshioka. Japanese born and raised Nao Yoshioka embodies what soul is not being held back by expectations and labels. Traditional and contemporary are blended to […]
The Heavenly Bodes    Green Hills       Recorded on reel-to-reel in a friend’s living room between trips to the beach, it features a collection of lo-fi garage-psych numbers that vary in feel – sometimes twisting and erratic, sometimes sedated and meandering – but all drenched in tape hiss and left out on the pebbles to dry. Sailing […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 3 JULY 2026

GIG GUIDE – JULY 2026

After the intense heatwave of June, Manchester had some unreal scenes, with the World Cup being in full swing, and some amazing gigs hosted across the city, it is a perfect time to get out there and enjoy the City! From the return of Sounds of The City to smaller more intimate gigs, there’s something […]
After an incredible May bank holiday, where the sun was shining, maybe a bit too much, June is also looking hopeful for another great month for gigs in Manchester. Festival season is just around the corner, and with some amazing new and old artists, the second half of 2026 is kicking off with a bang! […]

GIG GUIDE – JUNE 2026

INTERVIEW: PAUL HANLEY (THE FALL / HOUSE OF ALL / OH BROTHER! PODCAST / AUTHOR ) ON THE UPCOMING FALL FUTURES AND PASTS FESTIVAL, BAND ON THE WALL 5TH TO 7TH JUNE, AND NEW ALBUM – FALL SINGLES LIVE VOL TWO 1980-83

Having been lucky enough to have witnessed The Fall live several times from the early 90’s onwards, it’s easy to see why they were, and still are, one of the most revered bands to ever emerge from Manchester. “We are The Fall, northern white crap that talks back” they famously announced on their 1979 debut […]
If you’re looking for something in your face, chaotic and experimental then ‘Extinction Burst!’ from Leeds duo Guttersnipe could be the album for you. If you like a tune or a melody however, you’ll be struggling with this 6 track clusterfuck. This is what happens when you ask AI to produce an album with the […]

ALBUM REVIEW – GUTTERSNIPE: EXTINCTION BURST!

GIG GUIDE – MAY 2026

May is always an exciting time of the year, with two bank holidays and a lot of sunshine, there is no better thing than some amazing live music, and this May, there are some very exciting events. From new and emerging artists to legendary pioneers of genres, there certainly is something for everyone this month. […]
Penny Arcade                 Double Exposure          The album harks somewhere between the restless experimentation of Syd Barrett and the uninhibited analogue innovations of Tim Presley as White Fence, doing so with great panache. Teen Suicide    Nude descending staircase headless              With artists such as Pixies, Melvins and Radiohead as touchstones, ‘Nude descending staircase headless’ is an aggressive, […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 17 APRIL 2026

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 10 APRIL 2026

My New Band Believe                My New Band Believe It is as epic and ritzy as Cameron Picton’s previous work in black midi but its sound is fleet-footed rather than scorching. The record is almost entirely acoustic, using the barest amount of reverb and electronic effects possible. Juni Habel         Evergreen In Your Mind             The album […]
Angine De Poitrine       Vol. II    Microtonal cardboard duo that has to be seen to be believed. Check out their recent KEXP performance. Vol. II stretches the boundaries of Angine de Poitrine’s sound with even bolder, more dynamic structures. Once again, three essential forces fuel the duo’s music: acid techno, disco, and rock. deary   Birding Their […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 3 APRIL 2026