NEWS: ANIMAL COLLECTIVE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM

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 […]
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 […]

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

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

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 […]
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 […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 7 JULY 2023

PREVIEW: MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL RETURNS

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 […]
The emotional rollercoaster ‘Chaos For The Fly’ is lead singer of huge rock band Fontaines DC, Grian Chatten’s first solo album. Chatten decided to create an album of raw, earnest songs that he wrote alone with his guitar. Certainly, this album incorporates poetic lyricism and powerful guitar to shape a masterpiece.  A moment of airy […]

ALBUM REVIEW: GRIAN CHATTEN – CHAOS FOR THE FLY

ALBUM RELEASES ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 23 JUNE 2023

While big names are clamouring for attention at Glastonbury, this week sees a range of interesting, smaller-scale releases. Cory Hanson – Western Cum A high-stepping, hard-dancing, first love/heartbreak, tonight’s-the-night, future nostalgia kind of good time with a heavier sound than previous releases. Skating Polly – Chaos Country Line Songs journey from art-punk to noise-rock to […]
Three albums into his solo career, Wand’s Cory Hanson has conjured distinct and magical flavours each time. Debut release, 2016’s ‘The Unborn Capitalist from Limbo’, dealt out an unimpeachably lush psychedelia while its follow up, ‘Pale Horse Rider’, developed a country rock tinge. With his latest release, Hanson leaps into rock territory. To these ears, […]

ALBUM REVIEW – CORY HANSON: WESTERN CUM

FEATURE: JIM – LUSH HARMONIES, FOLK, AND SUBTLE ELECTRONICA COMBINE FOR NEW ALBUM ‘LOVE MAKES MAGIC’ FROM JIM BARON, MEMBER OF MANCHESTER’S CRAZY P

Manchester’s dance innovators Crazy P, have been shaking dancefloors all across the globe for two decades, so it’s some surprise to find out that Crazy P’s Jim Baron has released an album of delicate acoustic guitar tunes, ‘Love Makes Magic’, recalling Crosby, Still, Nash and Young, and fusing a hazy summer folk sound with subtle […]
This week sees another selection of releases to excite and intrigue. Here is a precis: Youth Lagoon – Heaven is a Junkyard An understated and enticing record of mutant Americana in a world of love, drugs, storytelling and miracles, held together by Trevor Powers’ voice and an upright piano. This is the Kit – Careful […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 9 JUNE 2023