LIVE: GRUFF RHYS – 22/11/2010

– WHITWORTH ART GALLERY, MANCHESTER – The intellectual but cool surroundings of the Whitworth Art Gallery is the ideal place to host the original talents of Gruff Rhys. Front man of Super Furry Animals, Gruff has had a long and varied career; as a testament to his versatility, SFA started life as a techno outfit […]
– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – Taking to the stage amongst an ear bleeding drone of distortion and feedback, the band storm into insanely catchy track, ‘Ode To Joy’, before their debut single ‘Fruits’ explodes into its short lived and extremely angry little life. Singer, Merrick ‘Mez’ Green puts 100% in every jolt of the body […]

LIVE: THE NEAT – 21/11/2010

LIVE: FRIGHTENED RABBIT – 21/11/2010

– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – Strawberry-flavoured shortbread? Check. Embroidered tea towels? Check. Folk-rock lyrical masters currently traversing the length and breadth of the UK? Errrm, check. Frightened Rabbit may not be the Scottish borders’ most recognised export, but judging by the Manchester leg of their current UK tour, this may be set to change. The […]
To coincide with the expanded edition of High Violet, The National release the album’s best track, ‘Terrible Love’. Though well-respected, The National have always courted boringness like an enemy they keep too close. But with ‘Terrible Love’ that enemy is thrown into a pit and buried alive, because wow, this track is extraordinary. Cleverly, the guitars […]

SINGLE REVIEW: The National – Terrible Love

LIVE: BORN RUFFIANS/YOUNG RIVAL – 20/11/2010

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – The four piece band currently on tour with Born Ruffians play a confident set. Their first few songs drive and push, but they push on in the same way and you start to feel that all the songs sound the same. They do however steal the set back with […]
– MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL, MANCHESTER – Manchester Cathedral is perhaps not the most obvious venue for a ‘rock’ concert but then again Beach House are not an obvious ‘rock’ band, if at all. It’s been quite a year for the Baltimore duo who started the year playing at the 250 capacity Islington Mill and now find […]

LIVE: BEACH HOUSE/LOWER DENS – 19/11/2010

LIVE: BATHS – 19/11/2010

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Finally, I claim a spot on the sofa in the Deaf Institute’s balcony alongside the stage. Vegans support; the singer and guitarist jump energetically about the stage, losing his hat while shouting garage rock in our faces. The drummer is out of my view but makes an impression. They’re […]
King Midas Sound makes a welcome return to Hyperdub since ‘Waiting For You’ landed in November last year, making a large dub shaped dent in our world. With the album still ringing in our ears and the live show burning into our minds (if you were lucky enough to catch it), this stands as the […]

SINGLE: King Midas Sound – Lost (with video)

SINGLE: The Wombats – Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)

The Wombats came to represent everything that was wrong with the scratchy, post-Libertines indie scene. Their lyrics were not just dull, they were obviously stupid. Will moving to New York, a city that famously never sleeps, help you defeat insomnia? And is dancing to Joy Division ironic? No it will not, and no it fucking […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Driver Drive Faster: Previously known as Polytechnics back in 2008 they reformed in the Spring of 2009 to become Driver Drive Faster. They have, to date, supported Marble Giants which they must have enjoyed as they do resemble the sound of Pavement and by no means a bad thing. […]

LIVE: JOHN & JEHN/DRIVER DRIVE FASTER – 18/11/2010