LIVE REVIEW: SLEAFORD MODS – MANCHESTER ACADEMY 07/02/26

“Anger is an energy” sang Public Image Limited on ‘Rise’ back in 1986, and in 2026 that sentiment still reigns supreme for Notts duo Sleaford Mods. With impassioned poetic lyrics containing a wickedly observational but humorous twist, set against a backdrop of heavy melodic electro beats, since they emerged in 2007 they’ve been putting the […]
As soon as I saw that Twin Tribes were touring in the UK again, I knew that I had to be there. It’s not every day that your favourite band is playing within an hour’s reach. I had my wallet ready as tickets were released, prepared to drain my bank account if it came to it, but […]

LIVE REVIEW – TWIN TRIBES: MANCHESTER GORILLA – 08/02/2026

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 6 FEBRUARY 2026Sil

Mandy, Indiana              Urgh      Across ten tracks, Mandy, Indiana interpolate their own unconventional language into a mantra for self-determination and resilience, creating an album that is demanding but rewarding. Ranil y Su Conjunto Tropical                 Galaxia Tropical            Music from the Peruvian Amazon that locals lovingly called “llullampeo” — imaginative, unpredictable, and fabulously unrestrained. His percussionists wove […]
It is curious how some instruments are considered to be earthy and human whereas others are thought of as mechanical. Yamila’s album, ‘Noor’, juxtaposes two instruments that fall into opposing categories. Cello is seen as being rich and emotive in contrast to the mechanical reputation of electronics. This could be partly due to the bodily […]

ALBUM REVIEW – YAMILA: NOOR

ALBUM REVIEW – JD MEATYARD: THE MISSION

The touring link between John Donaldson and Half Man Half Biscuit is one of the least likely, long lasting musical connections. It began back in the early 1990s when the recently reformed Biscuits supported the band Donaldson fronted at the time, Levellers 5, in his hometown of Darwen, Lancashire. Over the subsequent three decades, he […]
It is hard to find a more iconic metal band than Mayhem. Not only did they invent the most notorious subgenre in alternative music, but their story is so wild, and chaotic, it has made its way to Hollywood and beyond. Their music though, is just as timeless and iconic as their story. Upon listening […]

ALBUM REVIEW – MAYHEM: LITURGY OF DEATH

ALBUM REVIEW – THE MOLOTOVS: WASTED ON YOUTH

Somewhere amongst their seemingly endless touring, London-based duo the Molotovs found time to record their highly anticipated debut album, Wasted On Youth. The Molotovs are siblings Matt (guitar/vocals) and Issey (bass) and their drummer, Noah. They’ve spent their first few years as a band relentlessly busking and gigging, and their incendiary live shows built them […]
The new standalone single from Pippa Blundell is a fine example of how to capture an atmosphere. It was written in a crowded artists’ house on the Isle of Skye during Storm Floris in the midst of a three-day power cut. Consequently, it becomes about being in the moment and savouring small pleasures, such as […]

SINGLE REVIEW – PIPPA BLUNDELL: BIG BEAR

ALBUM REVIEW – CONGRATULATIONS: JOIN HANDS

It is unfortunate that congratulations share their name with one of the most irritating songs of all time, Cliff Richard’s 1968 Eurovision entry, the type of lowest common denominator earworm with which the competition used to be synonymous. Fortunately, while the Brighton-based band are defiantly pop, the ten songs that comprise their first album are […]
That funky guitar riff, the jumpy beat and the smooth vocals from Stephen Day. ‘Stay With Me’ has the vibe of Wong that’s for sure. Upbeat funk mixed with that city pop sounding backing from the brass section, a great start to Lost In The Wonder. And we even get a slick sax solo at […]

ALBUM REVIEW – CORY WONG: LOST IN THE WONDER