LIVE REVIEW: DEXYS – BRIDGEWATER HALL – 8/9/23

As a child in the 1980s, Dexys Midnight Runners were everywhere, you couldn’t go to a party or event without ‘Come On Eileen’ being played at least once. Dexys seemed to dominate the pop world for while, in a whirl of cleverly crafted theatrical pop which blended northern soul with folk influenced violins. Fast forward […]
From watching them in muddy festival fields in 90s, seeing them across the UK with a network of like minded zine writers and fans on the Dirty tour in 92, to seeing their last UK tour in 2010, it’s fair to say that Sonic Youth have been the musical accompaniment for a vast part of […]

ALBUM REVIEW: SONIC YOUTH – LIVE IN BROOKLYN

INTERVIEW: CO-PILOT (JIM NOIR AND LEONORE WHEATLEY)

Manchester’s Jim Noir and Leonore Wheatley have joined forces as Co-Pilot, creating a debut album bursting with intriguing electronica. It manages to combine synth riffs with disco, funk and pop for an album which is mesmersingly enjoyable. From their studio in ‘the least gentrified area of Manchester’ they tell us about their love of disco, […]
Swans: Albert Halls: 12th August  Legendary US noise rockers make a triumphant return to Manchester in support of brilliant new album ‘The Beggar’. The NYC guitar band first formed in 1982 and were part of the explosion of experimental guitar bands from NY which included Sonic Youth, Suicide and The Bush Tetras.  Mannequin Death Squad […]

PREVIEWS: AUGUST GIGS NOT TO MISS

INTERVIEW: THE LAST DINNER PARTY

Ahead of a stellar Deaf Institute show on 28 July, Silent Radio caught up with one of the most talked about bands of 2023, London’s The Last Dinner Party. The five-piece are exceptionally unusual in that they have built their fledgling reputation based largely on their live reputation. Halfway through their second year of hype, […]
Animal Collective will release their new studio album ‘Isn’t It Now?’ on September 29th via Domino. Their structure has long been that of a playground, an open space for exercising and indulging new notions and influences, for saying “Why not?” from way up on the high beams. Maybe that means allowing Panda Bear to focus on his drumming more or […]

NEWS: ANIMAL COLLECTIVE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM

PREVIEW: BELLE AND SEBASTIAN – MANCHESTER ACADEMY 21/07/2023

The effervescent Scots band return to our city following the release of their recent couple of astounding albums, 2022’s ‘A Bit Of Previous’ and this year’s ‘Late Developers’. This hugely anticipated re-scheduled gig will undoubtedly see the band drawing on not only the recent songs but utilising their brilliant back catalogue of work from 1996’s […]
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band were part of the 60’s psych explosion emerging from California, who melded brilliant harmonies with folk rock riffs. The three albums the band recorded for Reprise Records, ‘Part One’, ‘Vol 2’ and ‘A Child’s Guide To Good And Evil’ are contained within this box set, as well as […]

ALBUM REVIEW: WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND – A DOOR INSIDE YOUR MIND, THE COMPLETE REPRISE RECORDINGS 1966-1968

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 7 JULY 2023

July begins with a hefty batch of releases. It is an especially busy week for bands with Pigeon in their name, although no sign of a Lieutenant Pigeon reissue. Anohni and the Johnsons My Back Was A Bridge To Cross For You Inspired by Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ tackling global and environmental concerns, the […]
Manchester International Festival has made a welcome return to the city, running from 29th June to 16th July, across various venues with music, theatre, art, and many free events taking place at Festival Square, the hub of the MIF. This year Festival Square is located in Aviva Studios, a new purpose built home for the festival […]

PREVIEW: MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL RETURNS