James - Multiusos de Guimaraes - 28th November 2014

James opened their short two-date tour of Portugal with a sold out show at the Multiusos de Guimaraes and a nod to the local Pinheiro festival as well as tracks from their 2014 La Petite Mort alongside back catalogue classics.

I Am Kloot - From There To Here

From There To Here is the soundtrack to the BBC TV drama of the same name, set in the aftermath of the 1996 Manchester bomb.  It features sixteen instrumental pieces as well as three complete songs from I Am Kloot’s back catalogue.

James - Porto Estació de São Bento - 27th November 2014

An ornate historic Portuguese railway station in the centre of the country's second city isn't your traditional gig venue, but James played a short six-song set to two thousand people ahead of two arena dates later this week.

The Miserable Rich - Live In Frankfurt / Covers

The Miserable Rich are back with a double album - a live album recorded in Frankfurt on their 2012 tour and an album of cover versions recorded over the past six years.  Hopefully this and their recent short tour of Germany and Austria are a precursor to them getting back in the studio and on the road.

Jesus Jones - Liquidizer Deluxe Edition

Twenty-five years on from its release, Jesus Jones' debut album Liquidizer gets a deluxe 2 cd plus dvd re-issue.  As perhaps the defining album of my first six months at University, it feels only right and proper to revisit it.

Introducing - Telepathic Evils

Take one of early 2000s agit-pop nearly-made-its Easyworld and add a singer who's been touring the UK as Buddy Holly for the past couple of years and put them together and what you get is The Telepathic Evils.  They've just revealed their first demo track Bad Behaviour and we think it's something rather special.

Introducing - Sixty Minute Man

Sixty Minute Man are a six-piece Manchester band readying their debut EP for release with the preview of a song from it called Weightlessness and they play FAC 251 in Manchester this Saturday supporting The Wilde and Cardinal.

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Glasgow Barrowlands - 23rd November 2014

Scotland's finest play their second sell out gig of the weekend in Glasgow's most celebrated venue.

James - Leeds First Direct Arena - 23rd November 2014

The last leg of James’ UK tour saw them head to Leeds First Direct Arena for a Sunday night set of hits, tracks from La Petite Mort and a seventeen year old song they’d never played live before.

The House Of Love - Live At The Lexington CD/DVD

One of THE great British bands, The House of Love return with a live document.

James - Birmingham NIA - 22nd November 2014

Saturday night in Birmingham and we’re in the soulless pit of the NIA waiting for James to transcend the appalling organization of the place, half-built facilities, stupid rules and the general feeling that this is all a terrible inconvenience to those in charge of ensuring people’s visit to their place of work. Thank God music usually always wins.

I Am Kloot - Manchester Victoria Warehouse (The Whisky Sessions) - 21st November 2014

There's a story in music legend about when Dylan went electric and completely changed his music that had made him popular.  Headlining the first night of the Whisky Sessions, I Am Kloot delivered a set that, in their own world, had exactly that impact, playing not a single song from their last, and most successful by far, Top Ten album Let It All In.

The Miserable Rich - Wiesbaden Schlachthof - 17th November 2014

The Miserable Rich continued their German/Austrian tour with a show in Wiesbaden at the Schlachthof.  Gudrun from Karlsruhe very kindly offered to review the show for us as part of her work for her own Meinzuhause blog.

The Miserable Rich - Hannover Feinkost Lampe - 16th November 2014

The Miserable Rich are one of our favourite bands and since they took a break in 2012, we've been nagging them to get back together.  We weren't the only ones it seems as they announced four dates in Germany and Austria.  Inga B very kindly offered to review the opening night at Hannover's Feinkost Lampe.

James - London Royal Albert Hall - 19th November 2014

The James La Petite Mort tour rolled into London last night with the first of two sold-out shows, the first at the Royal Albert Hall before a date at Brixton Academy on Friday.

Laurel Canyons - Now We're Rebuilding EP

Ahead of their forthcoming UK tour with The Crookes, Laurel Canyons release their new EP Now We're Rebuilding, their first since signing to Hit Or Heist.  In a time where their native Sheffield is producing a conveyor belt of bands with beautiful harmonies, Laurel Canyons take a darker, more esoteric route with this EP, but with no less success.

David Ford - Interview

We've been fans of David Ford back from his days in agit-poppers Easyworld and through ten years and four albums of his solo career.  He's back with a seven-track release called The Arrangement, recorded with a string section and he's about to tour the record.  We caught up with him for a chat.

James - Newcastle Academy - 17th November 2014

After the arenas of the weekend, James crammed a couple of thousand Geordies into the Newcastle Academy for a long sold-out show and pulled off their best gig of the tour so far.

David Ford - The Arrangement

Even The Stars favourite David Ford is back with a new record.  The seven-track download and CD The Arrangement has been recorded with a string section.

James - Glasgow Hydro - 15th November 2014

Saturday night in Glasgow is no place for the faint-hearted and so James got (most of) their hits out for one of the biggest shows of the La Petite Mort tour.

James - Liverpool Echo Arena - 14th November 2014

As James' La Petite Mort tour reaches its first weekend, the size of venues grows as they enter arena territory starting at Liverpool's Echo Arena.  We watched them walk the tightrope between crowd pleasing hits and their desire to challenge their audience with curveballs and unusual song choices.

Hookworms - The Hum

Hookworms release their second LP The Hum just a year after their first, yet show no signs of difficult second album syndrome.

Introducing - Kelly Lee Owens

Having just released a second track entitled Arthur, the digital b-side to her first track Lucid, Kelly Lee Owens has marked herself out as one of the artists to watch in 2015 as she prepares her debut album which is being recorded with Ghost Culture.

Emma Stevens - Interview

This week Emma Stevens released her second album Waves.  We caught up with her for a chat about the making of the record.

Introducing - The Reveurs

The Reveurs have been steadily building a following over the past twelve months.  Their second official release Control is out on Monday and it's a massive step-up for them sonically. They launch it with a gig at the Ducie Bridge in Manchester this Saturday.  We're proud to exclusively reveal the single here and have a chat with front man Gary Nelson.

James - Cambridge Corn Exchange - 11th November 2014

Cambridge Corn Exchange is the setting for the first sold-out night of James' La Petite Mort tour. Armed with a full sound and lighting set up, a new album that stands up to anything they've done before, they once again demonstrated why they're the most formidable live act in the land.

James - Oxford O2 Academy - 10th November 2014

James opened their La Petite Mort tour with a sold out show at Oxford's O2 Academy - an intimate venue compared to some of the arenas on the tour, but they still thrilled with songs from their latest album as well as a mix of greatest hits and a few rarities plucked from their enormous catalogue of songs.

Blossoms - Oxford O2 Academy - 10th November 2014

The addition of one of our favourite new bands Blossoms to the James bill for the opening night of their La Petite Mort tour was a pleasant surprise.  Like every step that’s been put in their way so far, they hurdled it effortlessly with aplomb.

Introducing - City Reign

City Reign are back with their second single of the year, Disappear, and are headlining the Deaf Institute this Saturday (15th) in support of it.  We found out a little bit more about them.

Emma Stevens - Waves

It’s been twelve months since Emma Stevens released her debut album Enchanted.   She’s back with Waves, a collection that cements her position as a leading exponent of intelligent pop with a set of songs that burrow into your sub- conscience and have you tapping your feet and nodding your head and singing along.

Desert Ships - Skyliner EP

Following on from their acclaimed 2012 debut LP Doll Skin Flag, London trio Desert Ships return with a classic 4 track EP Skyliner which has been produced by none other than Ride's Mark Gardener.

James - Stirling Albert Halls - 8th November 2014

James warmed up for their two-week UK tour with an intimate 600 capacity show at Stirling Albert Halls with a set mixing classic hits, tracks from their new album La Petite Mort and a number of older tracks resurrected from their vast back catalogue.

The Heartbreaks / High Hazels / The Blueprints - Leeds Oporto - 4th November 2014

 

We made the short trip over the Pennines to catch three bands who have not forgotten the art of creating simple emotive pop music that has you tapping your feet and singing along throughout.  As The Heartbreaks played the first night of their short UK tour, they were supported by Sheffield's finest and Even The Stars favourites High Hazels and York four-piece The Blueprints.

Introducing - Two Skies

Hailed as psych revivalists by some, Two Skies release the follow-up single to their acclaimed Red EP next week just eight months later.  We had a listen to it and were mightily impressed.

Dub Sex - Manchester Sound Control - 25th October 2014

To celebrate the life and legacy of John Peel ten years after his passing, Dub Sex played Sound Control in Manchester as part of a series of nationwide events. Long-term fan Richard Wills kindly volunteered to review the show for us.

Violet Woods - Violet Woods

Cambridgeshire 4 piece Velvet Woods release their self titled debut LP today and it's an impressive first full-length record.

Coves & Caves - Spinnerets

Coves & Caves hail from Manchester and the Peak District and after four years of expanding then shrinking and experimenting, they've finally settled as a three-piece and completed their debut album Spinnerets.

Jim Noir - The Finnish Line

Written over a 3 week period in a former industrial Mancunian heartland, Finnish Line is the fourth full length album from  Mancunian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alan Roberts aka Jim Noir.

Introducing - Temple Invisible

Temple Invisible are a dark electronic band from Bucharest, Romania.  They've just streamed their second song Collide on Soundcloud ahead of an EP release called Enter_ on December 15th.