EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2019 - 4 to 1

Today we reveal our four favourite albums of 2019.

The Slow Readers Club / Jordan Allen - Manchester Ritz - 19th December 2019

The first of The Slow Readers Club's two night homecoming at Manchester's Ritz, the scene of one of their many breakthrough performances over the past few years, felt very much like an intimate show, a band stepping down from their natural habitat and delivering a show of passion and intensity that was arena-sized but still connected to their fervent fan base. Support came from Jordan Allen.

EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2019 - 8 to 5

Today we reveal more of our favourite albums of 2019 - from eight to five.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Shadow Show - Shadow Box

Shadow Box is the lead single from Shadow Show's debut album Silhouettes due for release on Valentine's Day next year. The Detroit three-piece describe themselves as "a power trio of a mysterious hue" and combine familiar sounds from underground garage scenes with something that sounds modern and of these difficult times.

Black Limousine / The Ombudsmen / Inflated Tear - Manchester Peer Hat - 18th December 2019

Wednesday night saw a very different trio of bands take over the Peer Hat basement - a rock and roll band, an instrumental trio and a one-off improvised performance by members of several underground bands coming together for one night only.

EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2019 - 12 to 9

Today we reveal more of our favourite albums of 2019 - from twelve to nine.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Purple Heart Parade - Petrichor

Purple Heart Parade have revealed Petrichor, the lead track from their Desolation Angel EP that comes out on split purple and orange vinyl in early January. The song both remains true to their past sound, but also shows them broadening their horizons, expanding their minds and those of the listeners with a sound that's more detailed and adventurous than we've heard from them before.

EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2019 - 16 to 13

Today we reveal more of our favourite albums of 2019 - from sixteen to thirteen.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Little Sparrow - Sit Down

Little Sparrow's version of James' classic track Sit Down has been recorded with Robin Dewhurst (Josh from Blossoms' father) on piano and long-term musical partner Sarah Dale on cello - and takes the Manchester standard and slows it right down and allows Little Sparrow to showcase her stunning vocals and extract maximum emotional effect from the lyrics.

EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2019 - 20 to 17

Today we reveal the first set of our favourite albums of 2019 - from twenty to seventeen

TRACK OF THE DAY : Loose Articles - Money For Booze

Money For Booze is Loose Articles' debut single taken from their Orchid Lounge EP that they launched at Aatma in Manchester on Saturday night. An ode to going out for a drink to relieve the boredom and stress of the day to day grind and struggling to find the money to do so, the four-piece capture perfectly in three minutes the life choices you make when you're living on a budget in a world where austerity is king and Boris is the leader.

Courteeners - Manchester Arena - 14th December 2019

Courteeners rounded off 2019 at Manchester Arena on Saturday night with a career-spanning set that also revealed new songs from their More Again Forever album due out next month and a cover of one of Manchester's best loved songs.

John Bramwell - Manchester The Lions Den - 13th December 2019

John Bramwell took to The Lions Den stage on Friday night for an intimate solo performance to raise funds for Musicians Against Homelessness delighting the crowd with favourites from across his career with I Am Kloot and one brand new song.

Lauren Ruth Ward / Emily Lockett / Emma Cole - Manchester Rose And Monkey - 12th December 2019

Lauren Ruth Ward made her Manchester debut on Thursday night in front of a packed Rose And Monkey crowd that hung on her every word and threatened to drown her out at times by singing along to a set of songs that have made a connection with her audience. Support came from local Emily Lockett and Emma Cole who also was part of Lauren's live band.

TRACK OF THE DAY : VLURE - Desire (Live At Axiom Art)

VLURE might only have been in existence a few months, but their Glasgow shows have built a word of mouth buzz about them that's threatening to become loud enough that you can't ignore them. They've chosen to reveal their first publicly available song and laser focused, it's an impressively bold statement of intent from a band set to take off in 2020 in the way their friends The Murder Capital, who they supported in Glasgow in May, have done this year.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Okandi - Devil I Know

You might recognise Okandi's voice and so you should. Tobias O'Kandi was front man of O. Children who produced two stunning albums - O. Children and Apnea - in the first three years of the decade we're about to leave. Then things went quiet, rumours abounded about where he'd got to including that he'd gone to prison. He's back with the story behind his disappearance from the public eye and a first track Devil I Know that anyone who loved O. Children will fall for and which should have the same impact on newcomers.

TRACK OF THE DAY : talker - Learning The Feeling

talker's latest single Learning The Feeling is a song about opening yourself up, standing up for yourself and not being afraid of who you are, what you represent and what you feel. It's the follow-up, both chronologically and lyrically, from her previous single Keep Me Safe - and a song that Celeste (talker) describes as "I've never felt so sure about a song."

Inhaler - Manchester Gorilla - 9th December 2019

Dublin's Inhaler continued their upward trajectory by playing their biggest ever Manchester show on Monday night at a sold out Gorilla. They didn't disappoint as they wowed the audience with a pulsating eleven song set that left the crowd, old and young, breathless yet calling for more.

Post Punk Strikes Back Again 3 (Bragolin / Okandi / Nerves / Ist Ist / Hotel Lux) - Porto Hard Club - 7th December 2019

The third edition of At The Rollercoaster's Post Punk Strikes Back Festival took place in Sala 2 of Porto's impressive Hard Club venue, sat close to the old town of the beautiful Portuguese city. We caught a flight over and got a hotel for less than a return train ticket to Edinburgh cost us the weekend before and spent less than twenty-four hours watching five of the six bands and soaking in as much of the culture as we could.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Smoke Fairies - Elevator

Elevator is the lead track from Smoke Fairies' forthcoming album Darkness Brings The Wonders Home, the duo's first full studio album since 2014's self-titled record.

Amy Studt / Natalie McCool / Audrey's Dance - Manchester Castle Hotel - 3rd December 2019

Amy Studt recently released Happiest Girl In The World, her first album for eleven years, an album that diarised the last decade of her life with explicit clarity around her bipolar condition, broken relationships, near-death experiences and losing and finding love. She's brought the record out on tour and called in at Manchester's Castle Hotel for an intimate and revelatory performance supported by Natalie McCool and Audrey's Dance.

SOCIALIST SUNDAY : The Blinders / Cabbage / Scuttlers / The Rhythm Method / Space Monkeys / The Pagans S.O.H. / Cold Water Swimmers - Manchester Ritz - 1st December 2019

Socialist Sunday was dreamt up, planned and delivered within just three weeks as a means of trying to encourage young people to get engaged in the political debate ahead of the December 12th election and specifically to champion the Labour Party. Headlined by The Blinders, as part of their For The Many tour with the same purpose, Manchester's Ritz played host to a thousand or so people to listen to nine hours of bands and speeches on Sunday.

The Twilight Sad - Edinburgh Usher Hall - 30th November 2019

The Twilight Sad completed their UK and European tour with their biggest ever headline show to date at Edinburgh's Usher Hall on Saturday night. a triumphant end to a year when their album It Won/t Be Like This All The Time opened new doors for them and saw them belatedly get the recognition and success that they've long deserved.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.