Thursday 29 August 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY : Karobela - No Mercy


Faversham four-piece Karobela recently released their debut single No Mercy, a song full of big riffs and a soaring confident "don't mess with me" lead vocal.

Wednesday 28 August 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY / INTERVIEW : Rory Wynne - The Next Day


RoryWynne releases his new single The Next Day this week ahead of a four-date residency at Zombie Shack in Manchester. We caught up with him for a chat about the single and the reasons behind playing so many shows in such a short time frame.

Tuesday 27 August 2019

Ist Ist - Sessions


With their debut EP release Spinning Rooms sold out on vinyl and its follow-up Everything Is Different Now close behind, Ist Ist have taken the novel approach of re-recording them in one day in the studio and combining them on this Sessions release rather than simply repress them.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Odd Morris - The Nothing New


Odd Morris released their debut single What Might Be back in March and have now just revealed a live video to their track The Nothing New through SOMA x O'Hara's sessions.

Sunday 25 August 2019

The Zangwills / Carl North And The Lonely Hearts / Luna Bay / Delights - Altrincham Goose Green Festival - 24th August 2019


Every August bank holiday there's two days of live music curated by local radio station Trafford Sound in the intimate surroundings of Altrincham's Goose Green, a collection of bars, restaurants and local businesses nestled off the town's main thoroughfare. In baking sunshine we caught up with (relatively) local acts Delights, Carl North And The Lonely Hearts, The Zangwills and Londoners Luna Bay.

Friday 23 August 2019

Blossoms / Fuzzy Sun / Inhaler - Stoke Victoria Halls - 22nd August 2019


Blossoms concluded their short run of intimate shows ahead of their Reading and Leeds Festival slots with a celebratory night at the Victoria Halls in Stoke supported by Inhaler and Fuzzy Sun. With a set covering both their self-titled debut and Cool Like You plus recent single Your Girlfriend and a David Bowie cover, they had 1,500 people bouncing for their eighty-minute set.

Thomas Haywood (The Blinders) / Afghan Sand Gang / Scuttlers / Ellysse Mason / Maddy Storm - Manchester Night People - 21st August 2019


The latest in the series of Manchester's Musicians Against Homelessness gigs took place in the intimate setting of Night People, headlined by Thomas Haywood of The Blinders playing an acoustic set and supported by a stripped-down Afghan Sand Gang, an acoustic performance by Luke and Kaiden of Scuttlers plus solo performances from songwriters Ellysse Mason and Maddy Storm.

Wednesday 21 August 2019

The Murder Capital - Manchester Fopp - 20th August 2019


The Murder Capital's promotional tour for their debut album When I Have Fears continued with an in-store at Manchester's recently reopened Fopp store. Without the protection of the traditional boundaries of a gig venue, they showed exactly why they excite and reinvigorate so many music lovers.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Elephant Trees - Idiot


Idiot is the first track from The Elephant Trees' forthcoming EP Monachopsis. An upbeat vibrant song that reflects their live shows, Idiot is the duo of Martha and Sam's most impressive release to date.

Tuesday 20 August 2019

The Murder Capital - Glasgow Monorail - 19th August 2019


After a busy weekend, playing to sell out crowds in Dublin, and promoting debut album When I Have Fears with record store shows across Ireland, The Murder Capital played a mesmerising thirty-minute set to an enthralled Glasgow audience. Stuart Ralston popped home for a few hours to witness James, Damien, Cathal, Gabriel and Diarmuid deliver an emotive, uplifting and stunning set.

Monday 19 August 2019

The Murder Capital - When I Have Fears (alternative review)


With the Irish music scene currently awash with great new bands it’s hard not to fall in love with the rapidly rising Dublin based quintet The Murder Capital and their brilliant debut album When I Have Fears. Jason Wynne takes another look at the record for us - as we couldn't agree who was going to write the review.

Sunday 18 August 2019

The Murder Capital - Dublin Button Factory - 16th August 2019


The sold-out signs were up and The Murder Capital swaggered into a hometown show of sorts for the launch of their debut album When I Have Fears and thrilled the 550 capacity Button Factory audience with a performance that will last in the memory forever and ever.

James - Doncaster Racecourse - 17th August 2019


Sometimes the best gigs can take place in the strangest surroundings.  Five o'clock in the evening, in bright sunshine, on a stage at a racecourse with a mix of die-hard fans and those out for a drunken day at the races and a huge gap and fences between band and audience weren't auspicious, but somehow James turned their Doncaster racecourse show into a triumph.

Saturday 17 August 2019

The Murder Capital - Dublin Thomas House - 16th August 2019


As part of The Murder Capital’s extensive touring schedule promoting their brilliant new album When I Have Fears one hundred lucky people were fortunate enough to witness a very special matinee performance on the launch date at the Thomas House public house in Dublin. Jason Wynne was one of them, having flown in from Manchester for the double-header of this and their sold-out Button Factory show in the evening.

Friday 16 August 2019

James - Edinburgh Princes St Gardens - 15th August 2019


James defied a whole host of technical issues and Edinburgh's draconian decibel limitations to deliver a celebratory evening against the stunning backdrop of the castle towering above the stage in the picturesque surroundings of Princes St Gardens as part of the city's Summer Sessions.

Control Of The Going - Reflections EP


Control Of The Going today release their new EP Reflections, their first new material since their debut album I Love You But It's Going To Rain. Their new line-up captures much of what made people fall for their debut, but also demonstrates that they're a band moving forwards in developing their sound.

Tuesday 13 August 2019

Control Of The Going - Interview



Control Of The Going return on Friday with a new EP called Reflections, a series of songs recorded before front man Liam Hart relocated to Chicago last year. We talk about the songs on the EP and how the transatlantic distance between Illinois and Tameside hasn't dampened their creative spark.

Monday 12 August 2019

Average Sex / Tim Burgess / Feral Family / Leon The Pig Farmer - Manchester Castle Hotel - 12th August 2019


Average Sex brought their tour to a packed Castle Hotel on Monday night for a sweaty show of new material and tracks from their two EPs and they were joined on two songs by special guest Tim Burgess, whose Ogenesis label has put those records out. They were supported by Feral Family and two spoken word sets from Leon The Pig Farmer.

The Murder Capital - When I Have Fears


The Murder Capital's debut album is one of the most anticipated releases of the year on the back of three radio playlisted singles. They only tell a fraction of the story of an album that plunges the depths of human emotion, deals in human reaction to the most tragic of circumstances and asks the most important questions about love and life.

Sunday 11 August 2019

The Maitlands - Manchester Academy 3 - 10th August 2019


The Maitlands played their biggest headline Manchester show to date on Saturday night at Academy 3. Always entertaining, more musically composed than ever and with their unique front man Carl Ingram at the helm, their forty-minute set contained crowd incursions, sardonic wit and a growing collection of outsider tunes that stand them out from the pack.

Saturday 10 August 2019

Nev Cottee - Manchester Vinyl Revival - 10th August 2019


In support of his album River's Edge and the launch show at Band On The Wall in Manchester next Friday Nev Cottee played an intimate five-song in-store set at Vinyl Revival with just guitarist Jimmy for accompaniment.

The Blinders / Julia Bardo / Millie McLeod - Blackburn Museum - 8th August 2019


The Blinders headed to Blackburn on Thursday night for an intimate stripped-down set in the unusual setting of Blackburn Museum supported by Julia Bardo and Millie McLeod. A seventy-five minute set saw them play very different versions of songs from their debut album Columbia and a series of songs from their second album writing sessions.

Friday 9 August 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY - Heavy Salad - Battery Acid


Following a euphoric appearance at the Blackthorn Festival a couple of weeks ago, Manc psych trio Heavy Salad celebrate the launch of Battery Acid with a video and a couple of gigs in Manchester this weekend.  Stuart Ralston has a listen and watches their new video.

Thursday 8 August 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY : Berries - Silent


London-trio Berries return with a new single Silent ahead of their biggest headline show to date in November. Premiered by John Kennedy on Radio X, the single has also seen them played already on Germany's biggest station 1 Live and is the first track to be taken from a new EP scheduled for release in November.

Tuesday 6 August 2019

James - Vancouver Orpheum - 31st July 2019


James crossed back into Canada last week as part of their North American tour for a seated show at Vancouver's Orpheum Theatre which allowed them to experiment with the setlist as they have been doing across this set of dates.  Our friend Celia caught the show and reported back for us.

Sunday 4 August 2019

The Blinders / Saytr Play / Déjà Vega / Ryan Jarvis / Dantevilles / Scuttlers - Liverpool Jimmy's - 3rd August 2019


The Blinders headlined the opening Saturday in Jimmy's new Liverpool site in the sauna like conditions of the basement venue supported by an impressive list of bands who'd made the journey up the East Lancs in Saytr Play, Déjà Vega, Ryan Jarvis, Dantevilles and Scuttlers.

Saturday 3 August 2019

John Bramwell / Secluded Sea - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 2nd August 2019


John Bramwell made a welcome return to his second home Hebden Bridge Trades Club for an intimate set where he revisited I Am Kloot classics as well as songs from his Johnny Dangerously period of the early 1990s, supported by Secluded Sea.

Friday 2 August 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY : Natalie McCool - Someone Nue


Natalie McCool has released Someone Nue, her second single of the year, via Modern Sky and Warner. Whilst revealing a more electronic sound to her music, it still retains her standout voice as she comes to terms with the realisation that a relationship is coming to a natural end.