Thursday 28 March 2013

Rae Morris - London Village Underground - 27th March 2013

Rae Morris

London Village Underground

27th March 2013

Blackpool singer-songwriter Rae Morris is slowly but surely building a dedicated following and we went to see how her sound is developing at her sold-out show at the Village Underground in London.

Monday 25 March 2013

The House Of Love: She Paints Words In Red - album review

The House Of Love - She Paints Words In Red

Cherry Red Records

Out Now

8.5/10

The House Of Love make a triumphant return as the legendary combination of Chadwick and Bickers prove time hasn't diminished their chemistry.


Saturday 23 March 2013

Suede - London Rough Trade East - 22nd March 2013

Suede

London Rough Trade East

22nd March 2013

Suede continue their triumphant return with an intimate in-store performance in East London. We were there to see whether they've still got it

David Ford - Manchester Deaf Institute - 24th March 2013

David Ford / Emily Grove / Jarrod Dickenson

Manchester Deaf Institute

24th March 2013

For this tour supporting the release of his new album Charge, David Ford has come up with a novel idea of inviting Emily Grove and Jarrod Dickenson, two American singer-songwriters, to tour with him and for them to perform as each other’s backing band.   It’s a brave move given they only arrived the previous Monday and the tour opened on the Wednesday.


Monday 18 March 2013

David Ford - Charge - album review

David Ford 

Charge CD / Vinyl (with CD) / Download 

Released March 18th 2013 

9.5/10 

Charge is David Ford’s fourth solo studio album.  Since leaving Easyworld in 2004, he’s remained defiantly under the mainstream radar, causing a stir with his debut single State Of The Union and its homemade video of a solo performance of the song in his home basement and having his potential breakthrough second album Songs For The Road lost commercially as label Independiente struggled to pay the bills.

Inspiral Carpets - Interview

Inspiral Carpets are currently on tour performing their debut album Life, with additional songs from their back catalogue and two new songs.  We caught up with Clint, Steve and Graham in Edinburgh on the second night of the tour for a chat about why they chose to tour Life and their plans for the future.

Saturday 16 March 2013

James versus Syco: Real Music versus Manufactured Pop in the name of Charity

Comic Relief.  Mainstream TV to raise money for those causes that our government should be funding rather than tax cuts for their Millionaires friends.  Yet this year there’s an interesting sub-plot.  The official Comic Relief song is performed, if you can use the term, by One Direction and Syco have the exclusive rights to support a worthy cause.  Yet, there’s a band from Manchester and a comedian from Bolton who are providing an alternative story.


Inspiral Carpets / Danny Mahon - Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut - 15th March 2013

Inspiral Carpets / Danny Mahon

Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut

Friday March 15th 2013

Inspiral Carpets are back on the road celebrating the re-release of their debut album Life by playing an eleven-date UK tour performing the album in full and a set of classic tracks and new songs to follow.  We caught up with them at the first night of a sold out two day run at Glasgow’s legendary King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.  


Friday 15 March 2013

The Tapestry - Interview

"If there was ever a band to fall instantly in love with, it is Manchester quartet The Tapestry" was how John Robb described the four-piece band with two sold-out singles to their name. We met up with Liam, Katy, Dyna and Zara before their support slot with The Courteeners at Cambridge Junction to find out a little bit more about them.

Wednesday 13 March 2013

David Ford - Interview

David Ford is a singer-songwriter from the South Coast, about to release his fourth solo studio album, Charge.  We met up with David on the steps of Islington Assembly Hall to find out more about the album, the financial difficulties of putting out your own records and his unique approaches to touring.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast - album review

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Specter At The Feast

CD / LP / Download

Abstract Dragon Records

7.5 / 10

Twelve years since their debut BRMC album marked them out as masters of  their own brand of feedback-laden bluesy guitar rock, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club return with their sixth album, Specter At The Feast, their first album since 2010’s Beat The Devil’s Tattoo.


Wendy And Lisa - Wendy And Lisa - album review

Wendy and Lisa – Wendy And Lisa 

Cherry Red Records

CD 

9/10

Released - 25th March 2013

Confession time, the teenager in me’s ears pricked up on seeing this album in the review list.  Released in 1987, Wendy and Lisa, along with Belinda Carlisle formed part of that less cool section of my music collection based on a mix of pop songs and good looks. 


Sunday 10 March 2013

Delay Trees - Doze - album review

Delay Trees - Doze

CD / DL

Soliti  

Out Now

8.5/10

Delay Trees hail from Finland and have released Daze, their follow-up to their self-titled debut album and EPs “Soft Construction” and “Before I Go Go”, this week digitally worldwide.


Thursday 7 March 2013

Caitlin Rose - Interview

Caitlin Rose is a 25 year old singer-songwriter from Nashville , Tennessee, via Dallas.  She’s just released her second album The Stand In and has completed a UK tour in support of the record.  We caught up with her before her show at The Ruby Lounge in Manchester.


Wednesday 6 March 2013

The Courteeners / The Tapestry - Cambridge Junction - March 5th 2013

The Courteeners / The Tapestry

Cambridge Junction 5th March 2013

The Courteeners are a funny bunch. Very obviously Mancunian, they have a massive following in their hometown, to the extent that they can sell out the 15,000 Manchester Arena, but yet not the more modest Junction in Cambridge, even though it’s three years since they’ve been here. 


Tuesday 5 March 2013

Jesca Hoop - Interview

Jesca Hoop is a Californian singer, currently based in Manchester, England.  Fresh from releasing The House That Jack Built in June 2012 and an acoustic version of her debut album Kismet in January 2013, she has recently supported I Am Kloot on their sold-out UK tour.   We caught up with her before her show at The Junction in Cambridge to find out a little bit more about her.

Saturday 2 March 2013

Caitlin Rose - Manchester Ruby Lounge - 1st March 2013

Caitlin Rose

Manchester Ruby Lounge

Friday 1st March 2013

Caitlin Rose released her second album The Stand In last week.  We caught up with her sold-out show at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge to witness how Nashville’s finest recent export has beefed up her sound and charmed a boisterous Manchester crowd.