Liam Frost - Liam Frost Is The Latchkey Kid

Liam Frost's third album has been a long time coming. It's been ten years since his second record We Ain't Got No Money Honey, But We Got Rain and thirteen since his debut Show Me How The Spectres Dance. The album, and the associated Pledge Music campaign, has been in the pipeline for a while, but has now finally seen the light of day. And it's a record that lives up to the sky-high standards of those first two albums, allowing long-term devotees to both reminisce at their brilliance and to swoon at where his art has taken him now, and newcomers to his sound to fall in love at first listen and then discover his past.

Control Of The Going / The Cosmics / Hey Bulldog - Manchester Night People (Sonderfest) - 29th September 2018

The Friday night of Sonderfest saw bands spread out across venues in the Oxford Road area of Manchester. We went along to Night People for late sets from Hey Bulldog, The Cosmics and a valedictory performance from Control Of The Going.

TRACK OF THE DAY : James - Leviathan (acoustic)

James have released a second acoustic track from their recent top ten album Living In Extraordinary Times. Fan favourite Leviathan has been stripped down and reworked with backing vocals from Deborah Knox-Hewson who joined the band for a few months earlier this year.

TRACK BY TRACK : Ed Cottam - My Goddess The Land

Ed Cottam's My Goddess The Land is released today. It's the follow-up to his 2015 album The Twisting Vine that he released as The Gildings. Inspired by paintings, poetry and Ed's reading, it's an album whose central focus is the sorry state of the environment and how science and spirituality impact on it. Ed was kind enough to walk us through the album track-by-track to provide us with some more insight into the songwriting process and the subject matter.

The House Of Love - The House Of Love (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Just before The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays dominated the late 80s, a band from London were the darlings of the scene, John Peel favourites, live favourites and the Creation label's brightest hopes. Their debut album from 1988 receives the reissue treatment - a mightily impressive eighty-five tracks fill five discs in this new 30th Anniversary edition. Stuart Ralston revisits his youth and reports back.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Charlie Steel - Staying In, Going Out

Staying In, Going Out is the debut single from London singer-songwriter Charlie Steel. Having spent two years in his bedroom perfecting his craft and saving up for equipment to produce music that wasn't "naff." He's succeeded and then some on this first public offering.

TRACK OF THE DAY / INTERVIEW - Rory Wynne - D'ya Wanna Do It Again?

Rory Wynne releases D'ya Wanna Do It Again? today, a new single via Very Clever Records, just a few short months after the release of his self-titled debut album. As he prepares for a show at Neighbourhood Festival in a couple of weeks, we caught up with Rory for a frank and honest chat about the music business, playing live and to talk about the single.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Ed Cottam - The Night Has No End

Having previously released music under the pseudonym The Gildings, Ed Cottam has reverted back to his own name for the release of his new album My Goddess The Land this Friday. The Night Has No End is one of the standout tracks and we're delighted to exclusively reveal its accompanying video.

Black Honey - Manchester HMV - 23rd September 2018

Black Honey are on a whistlestop tour of UK record stores to promote their self-titled debut album released last Friday. Included on the tour was an early afternoon stripped down set at Manchester’s HMV where they performed a seven-song set before sitting down to sign everything and anything.

SKIES / Loners / Kata Rayna - Leeds The Library - 22nd September 2018

SKIES' short UK headline tour called into The Lending Room at Leeds on Saturday night with a very varied line up of bands on the bill before Alie and Jericho took to the stage and delivered a raucous upbeat thirteen song set. Support came from Loners and Kata Rayna.

Suede - Leeds Brudenell Social Club - 22nd September 2018

Suede took to the stage at the intimate legendary Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on Saturday night for two sets to help celebrate the release of their latest album The Blue Hour. We caught the first of the two sets that focused solely on material from that record and those since they went back into the studio after reforming.

TRACK OF THE DAY : James - Many Faces

To celebrate International Peace Day, James have released a video to their new single Many Faces, recorded during their Better Than That tour in May at Halifax's Victoria Theatre. The song features on their fifteenth studio album Living In Extraordinary Times that hit the top ten in August and was at the time of the performance unreleased and only being played live for the fourth time, which makes the audience reaction to it even more special.

Purple Heart Parade - Lonestar EP

Even The Stars favourites Purple Heart Parade return with a stunning four track EP on an equally stunning slab of white and purple vinyl. Stuart Ralston relishes reviewing a record on his favoured four-track EP format, and what an EP it is.

Jack Oliver Monty - Manchester Gullivers - 20th September 2018

Gullivers was the scene for Jack Oliver Monty's single launch for his debut The Garden and it saw his five-piece band take to the stage with him for the first time in a half-hour set, rich in songwriting craft, emotional intelligence and variety.

The Blinders - Columbia

Many a band have had the albatross of saviours of rock and roll hung around their neck until it choked them. The latest young band to have that accolade circling them is The Blinders as they prepare to release their debut album Columbia. Are they the real deal or the Northern equivalent of SMASH for these Brexit times?

TRACK OF THE DAY : Celestial North - The Land, The Sea, The Human Race

The Land, The Sea, The Human Race is the fourth single in six months from the mysterious Celestial North.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Emma Ruth Rundle - Light Song

Light Song is the latest track to be taken from Emma Ruth Rundle's new album On Dark Horses, her fourth solo record which was released last Friday. The single features vocals by Evan Patterson of Jaye Jayle.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Marquis Drive - Movin' On

Movin' On is the new single from Cannock six-piece Marquis Drive, a driving anthemic track that manages to blend influences from the music they grew up listening to with their own personalities stamped across both the song and the accompanying video.

The Bluetones / Giant Rooks / Mano McLaughlin / Razz / Liam Frost And The Latchkey Kids / FTK / Jess Kemp / Deco - Head For The Hills Festival - 15th September 2018

 

 

Day two of Head For The Hills festival in Ramsbottom saw a full program of music across the day from established national headliners like The Bluetones to local heroes like Liam Frost, Mano McLaughlin, Jess Kemp and FTK as well as up and coming bands from further afield in Deco and two German bands Razz and second stage headliners Giant Rooks. The weather held off and allowed the crowd to take in not just the music but the multiple other attractions dotted around the cricket pitch.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Maitlands - Daunting From Derker

The Maitlands' latest single Daunting From Derker is something of a departure in style from the band that changes its line up more often than there's delays on the Rochdale branch of Manchester's Metrolink which coincidentally is the setting for this new track.

The Slow Readers Club / Emily Capell / Urban Theory / LIINES - Head For The Hills Festival - 14th September 2018

It wouldn't be September without the annual pilgrimage to Ramsbottom for Head For The Hills Festival, a mix of established national bands and those on the cusp from both the North West and further beyond. Friday night was a homecoming of sorts for late stand-in headliners The Slow Readers Club, having headlined the second stage here in 2016, whilst local bands Urban Theory and LIINES showcased the festival's policy of supporting emerging talent and Emily Capell seduced a main stage crowd with her West London wit and charm.

Slowdive - Guangzhou MAO Livehouse - 13th September 2018

On 15th August, Slowdive announced a small Chinese tour taking place in mid-September. Having visited 37 countries since reforming in 2014, this is actually Slowdive’s second visit to China, after playing in Shanghai in July of that year. This gig does mark the band's first visit to Guangzhou, a huge sprawling super-metropolis of 13 million people, ranked the 7th largest city in the world by population, and the 12th largest urban area with a mere 48 million people.

Lunar Sounds - The Void EP

We have a thing for all things DIY at Even The Stars. Musically speaking of course, not the home improvement kind. It’s part of our own ethos so when a band writes to us and tells us their debut EP has been put together by them and them alone our interest is piqued. And that’s how we came to Lunar Sounds’ debut The Void EP.

Young Monarch - Interview

Young Monarch return to Ramsbottom for Head For The Hills festival this Saturday ahead of the release of a new single in October. We caught up with Rebecca for a chat about why they're not your archetypal Manchester band, their exciting plans for the rest of the year and the wide range of influences on their style.

TRACK OF THE DAY : SKIES - X

X is the latest single to be taken from SKIES' EP of the same name ahead of a short four-date tour later this month. The striking video for the single, shot by Visual Line, focuses around the song's line "I don't know what I'm doing here" as Alie and Jericho look to try and determine where they are in a forest.

FTK (Feed The Kid) - Interview

FTK is the new name of Feed The Kid. After a time out of the spotlight, they're back with a new single Strange Times and a second track Dirty Jokes, exclusively revealed here, ahead of their comeback set at Ramsbottom's Head For The Hills Festival on Saturday. We caught up with front man Curtis to find out what they've been up to and what we can expect from this new phase in the band's existence.

Janelle Monae - Manchester Academy - 10th September 2018

Back in Manchester for the first time in four years, Janelle Monae's show at Academy 1 sold out in minutes with the most diverse gig audience we think we've ever seen coming from far and wide to celebrate one of the few genuine iconic figures that still exists in music today and a champion of LGBTQIA rights and racial equality with a message that's unequivocally positive to anyone listening to be who you are, be proud of who you are and to love yourself.

Ist Ist - Live At St Philips Church

Last year Ist Ist released a guerilla recording of their sold out Gorilla show that sold out itself almost immediately. A raw warts and all audience capture was a move braver than most bands would ever dare. For their latest limited edition release, Live At St Philip’s, they’ve employed more traditional methods but with even greater impact.

Urban Theory - Interview

It's been quite a year for Urban Theory so far with sold out shows at Soup Kitchen and The Deaf Institute in Manchester. Ahead of a homecoming of sorts at Ramsbottom's Head For The Hills Festival on Friday night and their biggest headline show to date at Academy 3 in October, we spoke to Alex about their forthcoming single Mandy and what they've got up their sleeve for the rest of the year.

Mano McLaughlin - Interview

Last year we described Mano McLaughlin's set at Head For The Hills Festival with these words - "His set featured new songs from his follow-up to 2013’s Peach Got Bones and demonstrates he’s not lost any of the ability to craft beautifully observed songs that might be personal to him, but can find resonance with anyone, which for us is the greatest thing any songwriter can ever do." A year on, as he prepares to return to Ramsbottom and with the release of Then Lightning, the title track from his forthcoming album imminent, we caught up with him for a chat.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Keto - Always

Always is the first single from Keto's crowd-funded forthcoming album Blackened Pool. With an animated video that's a perfect accompaniment to the song, Always is a perfect introduction to what to expect from the album.

Trampolene / Ist Ist / Fruit Tones - Blackburn Confessional Festival - 8th September 2018

Confessional Festival takes place every year in Blackburn, where a disused church is turned into the perfect indoor festival venue by the folks behind the successful Night At The Museum events. This year's bill included the likes of Trampolene, Ist Ist and Fruit Tones.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Kula Bay - Make Up Your Mind

Kula Bay's latest single Make Up Your Mind has just had its video revealed at their hometown rugby league club Warrington Wolves' Super League game. The band's third single is out now.

The Slow Readers Club - For All Here To Observe

For All Here To Observe features six tracks from across The Slow Readers Club's three albums to date revisited in a stripped down studio environment. Like so many great bands the songs take on a completely new life with a different approach due to the songwriting craft that underpins the raw materials that make them up.