Reason Why : Inspiral Carpets Look Back At Their Five Albums And Reveal Unreleased Track For 24 Hours Only

One of the unexpected highlights of the lockdown and the subsequent closure of pretty much everything we've come to know and love about the music scene has been the emergence of the listening party - as devised by Tim Burgess of The Charlatans. One of our favourite bands of all time, Inspiral Carpets, have embraced this more than most with a run of five events alongside Shine On Festival featuring their studio albums - Life, The Beast Inside, Revenge Of The Goldfish, Devil Hopping and Inspiral Carpets. To celebrate the final album in the quintet, the band have decided to release, for twenty-four hours only, Reason Why, an unreleased track from the sessions from the eponymous album.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Rory Wynne - Roses

Rory Wynne returns with his new single, his first of 2020, entitled Roses. Once again it's been written, recorded, produced and mixed in his own studios (entitled RR Studios) and showcases a songwriter confident in his own ability to create big shiny pop songs without losing sight of the indie scene that he came from.

BOOK REVIEW : Flowered Up - A Weekender's Tale

Forming in Camden in 1989, Flowered Up famously graced the music papers Melody Maker and NME, before releasing a record. This was no mean feat. Thirty years on, and fan Matt Mead has assembled a colourful visual history of the band in his new book, compiled with Dave Hewitson. Stuart Ralston has a read.

Bea Sanjust : The White Rock Sessions - Songs On The Home Vol 1

It's four years since Bea Sanjust charmed us with her debut album Larosa, one of those stunning albums that come from an out-of-the-blue recommendation and become one of your most listened records of the time and one you go back to regularly. Since then Bea has been at work with her band on a new set of songs and Songs On The Home Volume 1 (not about the coronavirus we hasten to add) is the first product of those sessions and has a similar impact to the first record.

The Red Stains - Interview

The Red Stains are one of the most hotly-tipped new bands around and today they release their debut single Mannequin. Ferociously independent, vocal and visually striking on stage and on toilet walls around Manchester, they've captured the attention of the likes of Tim Burgess and Kendal Calling before even releasing a single on the back of some grainy demos and live tracks. We caught up with Natalie, Sterling and Ella for a chat about their origins, the graffiti, their uncompromising attitude and the pressures of expectation being placed on their shoulders.

Life At 30 - A Look Back At Inspiral Carpets Debut Album

In April 1990 the sun was shining and Britain had just finished rioting in response to Thatcher’s hated Poll Tax.  Meanwhile in Manchester, prisoners took to the roof of Strangeways to protest at the state of the Victorian prison they were housed in and local lads Inspiral Carpets released their classic debut into the world. Stuart Ralston reflects on one of his favourite records as it reaches its 30th birthday.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Turnstiles - I.D.C.

Hailed by many of our Irish friends as a hot prospect the energetic Galway based five-piece Turnstiles return with a fourth track titled I.D.C. that matches the breathtaking previous releases of Moving Forward, Wasting Away and Tantrum.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Aligners - Sixties Hearse

Aligners' debut single Sixties Hearse is released today. The Warrington four-piece met at college studying music and have built a strong live reputation locally, but their debut single sees them stepping out into the wider world and Sixties Hearse is an impressive first offering.

Ist Ist - Architecture

In five years Ist Ist have slowly built an incredibly loyal following off the back of word-of-mouth, limited edition single and live bootleg releases and two EPs, developing a reputation for exhilarating and uncompromising live shows, first in Manchester and now further afield. On May 1st they self-release their debut album Architecture into a uncertain world - a record to immerse yourself in and let it reveal its deep intertwining yet contrasting layers of beauty and a brutal dark side as we live through these strangest of days.

Egyptian Blue - Body Of Itch EP

Body Of Itch is Egyptian Blue's second EP, the follow-up to last year's Collateral Damage and, fresh off the back of a successful tour with their mates The Murder Capital, it once again marks them out as a band with something to say and a sound and an anger coursing through their music that stands them out from the crowd across the EP's three tracks.

Venus - Wicked Things EP

With three singles under their belt in 2019, Venus release their debut EP Wicked Things featuring three brand new tracks which show them blossoming out, exploring new avenues to their sound at times whilst at others retaining their direct targeted punk anger at whoever crosses into their line of sight.

Natalie McCool - Interview

Liverpool-based singer-songwriter Natalie McCool released her latest single Closure last week taken from her forthcoming third album that's close to completion and slated for a 2021 release. We talk to her about the single, her embrace of a number of different styles in the recording of her album, disappointment at missing out on the SXSW experience this year and what other exciting projects she's currently working on.