Saturday 30 November 2019

The Ninth Wave - Edinburgh Assai - 29th November 2019


The Ninth Wave completed a run of in-stores to promote their debut album Infancy in Edinburgh's Assai Records on Friday night. A seven song set featured six tracks from the record as well as an as-yet-unreleased track.

Tuesday 26 November 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Maitlands - Flotsam and Jetsam


Flotsam and Jetsam is the new single from the surprisingly prolific The Maitlands, another track to add to their impressive 2019 output. Clocking it at less than three minutes, the song features the charismatic vocals of their lead singer Carl Ingram over a track full of jagged guitars that refuse to stand still for more than a few seconds.

Monday 25 November 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY : Hannah Ashcroft - Landfire


Landfire is the long-awaited debut single from Hannah Ashcroft, her first new material since her 2016 EP The Quiet Kind. The song pulls on some of her experience travelling, working and busking across the UK, Europe and Australia in the intervening years.

Sunday 24 November 2019

The Twilight Sad / Man Of Moon - Manchester Ritz - 24th November 2019


On the back of the success of their album It Won/t Be Like This All The Time, The Twilight Sad have returned from a huge European tour to play three of the biggest headline gigs of their career so far. Sunday night and an early start saw them successfully move from their two sold-out gigs across the road at Gorilla to this legendary venue.

Little Strange - Manchester Castle Hotel - 23rd November 2019


Little Strange headlined a packed out Castle Hotel music room in Manchester on Saturday night. The six-piece trade in a mix of psychedelic and traditional rock and roll sounds and won over an audience with a forty-minute set that appealed to both their die-hard fans and those like us watching them for the first time with no prior knowledge of them.

Friday 22 November 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY 2 : Neon Waltz - All In Good Time


Neon Waltz return with a new single All In Good Time, recorded live with the full band at Freswick Castle in Scotland during their recent recording sessions ahead of their forthcoming UK tour and the release of a new EP early in 2020.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Cayley Thomas - Midnight Hours


Midnight Hours is the lead track from Edmonton-based Cayley Thomas's debut album How Else Can I Tell You? due for release in May 2020, a song about dark lonely nights lying awake unable to sleep delivered with a rich soulful and emotive voice that accentuates the warmth of the song.

Wednesday 20 November 2019

Fontaines D.C. - Manchester Ritz - 19th November 2019


Fontaines D.C. kicked off their sold-out UK tour at Manchester Ritz on Tuesday night, a show that sold out six months in advance on the back of their debut album Dogrel which is sure to top many of the end of year lists and had touts outside desperately scrabbling for any rare spare tickets that might appear.

Granfalloon - Interview


Granfalloon recently released their second album RGB. We caught up with Richard for a chat about the inspiration for the songs on the record, the unusual sounds used in the recording, transferring the songs from recorded form to the live environment and plans for the future.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Basia Bulat - Your Girl


Your Girl is the lead track from Basia Bulat's forthcoming album Are You In Love? due out on March 27 next year, her first album since 2016's Good Advice.

Monday 18 November 2019

The Murder Capital - Bern ISC Club - 17th November 2019


We were in the Swiss capital of Bern on a wet and freezing cold Sunday night to watch the most important band in the world right now complete their month-long hectic European tour in style.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Rews - Birdsong


Birdsong is the first new material from Rews since the departure of drummer Collette earlier this year and the release of their debut album Pyro back in 2018. It retains the high-energy of the debut with Shauna at the helm and is accompanied by a live performance video.

Sunday 17 November 2019

The Murder Capital / Horse, I'm Virus - Lausanne Le Romandie - 16th November 2019


The Murder Capital played their first ever Swiss show and their penultimate date on their mammoth UK and European tour at Lausanne's Le Romandie on Saturday. As incendiary as ever despite the toll of being constantly on the road, the band fired up an initially respectful and reticent crowd into a frenzied moshpit by the end. Support came from the intense local duo Horse I'm Virus.

Thursday 14 November 2019

SKIES / Lightscape - Manchester Jimmy's - 13th November 2019


SKIES opened their tour in support of recent single Born Yesterday in the basement of Jimmy's in Manchester on Wednesday night with an energetic twelve-song set supported by Norwich's Lightscape.

Monday 11 November 2019

The Dolly Shakes - The Dolly Shakes EP


The Dolly Shakes approach to their art is very much a DIY one. Their debut EP, recorded in the bedroom of two of the band’s flat, comes with a handwritten thank you card and a photocopied lyric booklet.

Sunday 10 November 2019

Urban Theory / TEEFF / Hurray For Tuesday - Manchester Off The Square - 9th November 2019


Urban Theory headlined one of Manchester's newest venues Off The Square on Saturday night supported by TEEFF and Hurray For Tuesday, showcasing their new line up and a new set.

Saturday 9 November 2019

John Bramwell And The Full Harmonic Convergence / Dave Fidler - Manchester Ritz - 7th November 2019


John Bramwell brought his Full Harmonic Convergence to Manchester Ritz on Thursday night for the second of two special shows to reveal tracks from his second album due next year sometime as well as old favourites from his I Am Kloot catalogue and his Leave Alone The Empty Spaces debut.

Friday 8 November 2019

Urban Theory - Interview


Urban Theory released their first single of 2019 Living The Dream But Discussing The Nightmare after a break which saw line-up changes and a refocusing of the band. After a recent successful support with Jordan Allen at Gorilla, they headline their own show at Off The Square in Manchester this Saturday (November 9). We caught up with Alex to chat about everything that's gone on and their plans after the show.

The 99 Degree - Interview


The 99 Degree have a busy weekend ahead, releasing their new mini-album EL MONSTRUO as well as playing a headline date at Retro Bar on Saturday. We caught up with guitarist Phil Turner about the songs on it, the simple yet striking video for recent single Flatline, how they got their name and their plans for 2020.

Thursday 7 November 2019

TRACK OF THE DAY : Odd Morris - Lilac Leaves


Lilac Leaves is Odd Morris's second single, the follow up to What Might Be. Like most of the bands emerging from the Dublin scene, the only common thread is geography - Lilac Leaves is a powerful slow-burner that's reflective in its subject matter.

Wednesday 6 November 2019

M-40 / INEGO / Ash Palmer / The Last Clouds - Manchester Night And Day - 6th November 2019


Wednesday night saw the launch of a new music promotion company called After All at the Night And Day with four very different sets from M-40, INEGO, Ash Palmer and The Last Clouds.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Lanterns On The Lake - Every Atom


Lanterns On The Lake return with a new single Every Atom, their first new studio material since 2015's Beings and the lead track from their fourth album Spook The Herd that is released via Bella Union in February 2020.

Saturday 2 November 2019

The Red Stains / Careering / Alex Rave And The Sceptical - Didsbury Railway Inn - 1st November 2019


Friday night saw the latest instalment of Deco Records' residency at The Railway in Didsbury that brings alternative sounds to one of Manchester's more affluent suburbs. Headlined by The Red Stains, we also caught sets by Alex Rave And The Sceptical and Careering.

Déjà Vega - Manchester Academy 3 - 1st November 2019


Déjà Vega took time out from selling out ever increasing in size venues across Manchester to support Honeyblood at Academy 3 on Friday night. A typically energetic set won over a number of new followers despite technical problems that almost curtailed the set - but across the course of half an hour, they showed just why they're one of the hottest live properties in town right now.

The Blinders - Manchester Pretty Green - 1st November 2019


The Blinders played an intimate early evening stripped down set at Pretty Green's Manchester store to a crowd of competition winners and guests - revealing some of the songs they've just finished recording as part of their second album as well as some old favourites.

Friday 1 November 2019

Hello Cosmos / LIINES / Granfalloon - Manchester Soup Kitchen - 31st October 2019


Hello Cosmos launched their Let Love Be The Island Upon Which We Stand EP with a Thursday night gig in the basement of Manchester's Soup Kitchen supported by local heroes LIINES and Granfalloon.

Lunar Sounds - Interview


Lunar Sounds returned recently with their new single Reputation, the follow-up to last year's The Void EP. We caught up with them to find out more about how they got together, their unusual live set-up, the message in their songs and their plans for the future.