SINGLE: Simian Mobile Disco feat Beth Ditto – Cruel Intentions

James Ford has been responsible for shaping some of the biggest British albums of the past few years producing Florence, Klaxons and Arctic Monkeys.  And alongside former Simian bandmate and Mobile Disco partner Jas Shaw he almost caused a renaissance of mainstream dance music in 2007 with ‘Attack Delay Sustain Release’ and their Justice collaboration […]
For those of you not in the loop, Broken Bells is one of those surprising dream collaborations you could neither hope for nor expect. James Mercer of The Shins and Danger Mouse, legendary producer of The Grey Album, Gnarls Barkley etc, have teamed up to put the rest of us mere mortals in our place, […]

SINGLE: Broken Bells – The High Road

SINGLE: DJ Hell featuring Bryan Ferry – U Can Dance

The latest release from Gigolo Records “U Can Dance” brings together two kings of different castles: Hell, a world renowned DJ/Producer and one of the pioneers of the Electroclash sound to recently emerge out of Berlin, and Bryan Ferry, seventies pop star and the lead singer of “Roxy Music”. Originally, Hell set out to rework […]
– MEN ARENA, MANCHESTER – You have to hand it to Dave Gahan. He always has an ace up his sleeve – and never more so than in live performance. It’s a miracle that he still with us today after 3 brushes with death in the 1990′s and a nasty bout of gastroenteritis earlier this […]

LIVE: DEPECHE MODE – 17/12/2009

LIVE: DAYWALKERS – 15/12/2009

– GRAND CENTRAL, MANCHESTER – I’m a happy man when Tonn Piper walks into the Thirsty Scholar. I’ve wanted to see his band, Daywalkers, for years, but circumstances just keep conspiring against me. My joy is somewhat short-lived, however, as I find out they’re playing next door at Grand Central. This wouldn’t normally be a […]
OH BLIMEY, IT’S CHRISTMAS – LMRCA RAILWAY CLUB, ALTRINCHAM – I’m a firm believer that music should cover all aspects of life, it should be able to make you angry, happy, sad, serious, moody and also it should be able to make you laugh. Many people take their music way too seriously for my liking […]

LIVE: FRANK SIDEBOTTOM & HIS OH BLIMEY BIG BAND – 13/12/2009

LIVE: PLACEBO – 11/12/2009

– Manchester Central – Writing a gig review of one of the UK’s biggest selling bands is a daunting task for me, especially as I didn’t particularly enjoy the concert. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as if they represent a genre that I’m not into… at least that’s what I thought. I’ve got a […]
– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – Being named in the BBC Sounds of 2010 Longlist (actually it’s not that long, as it only contains a grand total of 15 acts) is most certainly an accolade that anyone trying to make their name in the music world would love to have bestowed upon them. Last year’s list […]

LIVE: ELLIE GOULDING – 10/12/2009

LIVE: LITTLE BOOTS – 10/12/2009

– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – Silhouetted shapes with hoodies move across the stage like a scene from a poorly lit budget horror film. It’s anything but horrifying though, it’s Little Boots and her gang. The first number is deliberately slow and is set mostly in darkness. It’s intriguing and slightly unsettling. Then, bang! The stage […]
– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – Was there ever a time when bands had sensible, meaningful names? The question torments me on my journey to watch Porcupine Tree and North Atlantic Oscillation. N.A.O. are a Scottish three-piece – although their bassist/keyboardist does his best to ensure they sound bigger. Plenty of retro noise-making, loops and atmospheric […]

LIVE: NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION – 10/12/2009