Single Review: Department M – Miscellany

Department M shoot a large portion of intriguing sounds straight to your ears as soon as ‘Miscellany’ graces your speakers. The industrial electro-synth tones partnered with a cleverly syncopated hard-hitting drum beat combine to create a sound that leaves you wanting more. The instruments initially jar, but as the track progresses it all makes sense. […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – I rarely ever mention support acts in a review, but only one man has led me to break that mould – Frank Fairfield. With a barely comprehensible Southern American accent, baggy trousers and a belt buckle which would take Alex Turner’s belt buckle efforts to town, he sits on […]

LIVE: CASS MCCOMBS – 10/01/2014

LIVE: GOGOL BORDELLO – 14/12/2013

– ACADEMY, MANCHESTER – When Pura Vida Conspiracy was released this summer, I didn’t agree with a lot of the blogosphere hype that surrounded it. Sure, the New York gypsy punk’s sixth album had maybe a handful of memorable hits, but it fell short of comparable in positive light to the likes of their previous […]
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – It’s about this time in the musical calendar that everyone starts looking to the New Year; from new bands to new records, everyone’s getting their tips in. This time last year, Brummy-based quartet Peace were one of those tipped for big things with their retro blend of indie and pop […]

LIVE: PEACE – 11/12/2013

MERCHANDISE REVIEW: MetzJumper

There’s a lot of tension in the air:  It’s hard to define, but the sense of expectation this evening has been building for some time, and no-one really knows what to expect.   Before I arrived at the Deaf Institute, I confess I was unaware of MetzJumper, and I’m only at the venue that night to […]
Live albums are an acquired taste. What you usually get is a collection of your favourite songs jumbled together and performed inferiorly to their originals. Furthermore, a live album isn’t live per say, you have to be there for it to be live, and if you’re not it’s a bit like reading a live review […]

Album Review: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Live From KCRW

LIVE: HAIM – 8/12/2013

– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – It was early 2012 when I was introduced to Haim, a three-piece family affair from Los Angeles, California. “You gotta check this out. I’ve been listening to it on repeat.” So sayeth my elder brother as he emailed me a link. The opening bars of ‘Falling’ played through my speakers […]
– NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER – So, if you weren’t into the British rock music in the early naughties, they you probably may not be familiar with the work of Jamie Lenman. Basically, Jamie was in one of my favourite bands, Reuben, a post-hardcore trio from Surrey who were super heavy and riffy but […]

LIVE: JAMIE LENMAN – 7/12/2013

LIVE: DUTCH UNCLES – 6/12/2013

– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – At the very start of this year, I was lucky enough to catch Manchester’s bravest indie popster’s Dutch Uncles dazzle a small yet packed out crowd at The Castle in Manchester, the day they released their excellent third LP Out Of Touch In The Wild.  It’s been a good few […]
– TIGER LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – Mark Morriss was the front man of Brit indie outfit The Bluetones (1993 – 2011 RIP) and most fondly remembered for making a duffle coat look well hot. Probably equally so, the band were responsible for some of the best loved songs that helped to shape one of the most […]

LIVE: MARK MORRISS – 30/11/2013