Rae Morris - London Village Underground - 27th March 2013

Rae Morris

London Village Underground

27^th March 2013

Blackpool singer-songwriter Rae Morris is slowly but surely building a dedicated following and we went to see how her sound is developing at her sold-out show at the Village Underground in London.

The House Of Love: She Paints Words In Red - album review

The House Of Love - She Paints Words In Red

Cherry Red Records

Out Now

8.5/10

The House Of Love make a triumphant return as the legendary combination of Chadwick and Bickers prove time hasn't diminished their chemistry.

Suede - London Rough Trade East - 22nd March 2013

Suede

London Rough Trade East

22nd March 2013

Suede continue their triumphant return with an intimate in-store performance in East London. We were there to see whether they've still got it

David Ford - Manchester Deaf Institute - 24th March 2013

David Ford / Emily Grove / Jarrod Dickenson

Manchester Deaf Institute

24th March 2013

For this tour supporting the release of his new album Charge, David Ford has come up with a novel idea of inviting Emily Grove and Jarrod Dickenson, two American singer-songwriters, to tour with him and for them to perform as each other’s backing band.   It’s a brave move given they only arrived the previous Monday and the tour opened on the Wednesday.

David Ford - Charge - album review

David Ford 

Charge CD / Vinyl (with CD) / Download 

Released March 18^th 2013 

9.5/10 

Charge is David Ford’s fourth solo studio album.  Since leaving Easyworld in 2004, he’s remained defiantly under the mainstream radar, causing a stir with his debut single State Of The Union and its homemade video of a solo performance of the song in his home basement and having his potential breakthrough second album Songs For The Road lost commercially as label Independiente struggled to pay the bills.

Inspiral Carpets - Interview

Inspiral Carpets are currently on tour performing their debut album Life, with additional songs from their back catalogue and two new songs.  We caught up with Clint, Steve and Graham in Edinburgh on the second night of the tour for a chat about why they chose to tour Life and their plans for the future.

James versus Syco: Real Music versus Manufactured Pop in the name of Charity

Comic Relief.  Mainstream TV to raise money for those causes that our government should be funding rather than tax cuts for their Millionaires friends.  Yet this year there’s an interesting sub-plot.  The official Comic Relief song is performed, if you can use the term, by One Direction and Syco have the exclusive rights to support a worthy cause.  Yet, there’s a band from Manchester and a comedian from Bolton who are providing an alternative story.

Inspiral Carpets / Danny Mahon - Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut - 15th March 2013

Inspiral Carpets / Danny Mahon

Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut

Friday March 15th 2013

Inspiral Carpets are back on the road celebrating the re-release of their debut album Life by playing an eleven-date UK tour performing the album in full and a set of classic tracks and new songs to follow.  We caught up with them at the first night of a sold out two day run at Glasgow’s legendary King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.  

The Tapestry - Interview

"If there was ever a band to fall instantly in love with, it is Manchester quartet The Tapestry" was how John Robb described the four-piece band with two sold-out singles to their name. We met up with Liam, Katy, Dyna and Zara before their support slot with The Courteeners at Cambridge Junction to find out a little bit more about them.

David Ford - Interview

David Ford is a singer-songwriter from the South Coast, about to release his fourth solo studio album, Charge.  We met up with David on the steps of Islington Assembly Hall to find out more about the album, the financial difficulties of putting out your own records and his unique approaches to touring.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast - album review

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Specter At The Feast

CD / LP / Download

Abstract Dragon Records

7.5 / 10

Twelve years since their debut BRMC album marked them out as masters of  their own brand of feedback-laden bluesy guitar rock, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club return with their sixth album, Specter At The Feast, their first album since 2010’s Beat The Devil’s Tattoo.

Wendy And Lisa - Wendy And Lisa - album review

Wendy and Lisa – Wendy And Lisa 

Cherry Red Records

CD 

9/10

Released - 25th March 2013

Confession time, the teenager in me’s ears pricked up on seeing this album in the review list.  Released in 1987, Wendy and Lisa, along with Belinda Carlisle formed part of that less cool section of my music collection based on a mix of pop songs and good looks. 

Delay Trees - Doze - album review

Delay Trees - Doze

CD / DL

Soliti  

Out Now

8.5/10

Delay Trees hail from Finland and have released Daze, their follow-up to their self-titled debut album and EPs “Soft Construction” and “Before I Go Go”, this week digitally worldwide.

Caitlin Rose - Interview

Caitlin Rose is a 25 year old singer-songwriter from Nashville , Tennessee, via Dallas.  She’s just released her second album The Stand In and has completed a UK tour in support of the record.  We caught up with her before her show at The Ruby Lounge in Manchester.

The Courteeners / The Tapestry - Cambridge Junction - March 5th 2013

The Courteeners / The Tapestry

Cambridge Junction 5th March 2013

The Courteeners are a funny bunch. Very obviously Mancunian, they have a massive following in their hometown, to the extent that they can sell out the 15,000 Manchester Arena, but yet not the more modest Junction in Cambridge, even though it’s three years since they’ve been here. 

Jesca Hoop - Interview

Jesca Hoop is a Californian singer, currently based in Manchester, England.  Fresh from releasing The House That Jack Built in June 2012 and an acoustic version of her debut album Kismet in January 2013, she has recently supported I Am Kloot on their sold-out UK tour.   We caught up with her before her show at The Junction in Cambridge to find out a little bit more about her.

Caitlin Rose - Manchester Ruby Lounge - 1st March 2013

Caitlin Rose

Manchester Ruby Lounge

Friday 1st March 2013

Caitlin Rose released her second album The Stand In last week.  We caught up with her sold-out show at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge to witness how Nashville’s finest recent export has beefed up her sound and charmed a boisterous Manchester crowd.

Rae Morris - Interview

Rae Morris is a talented young singer-songwriter from Blackpool, who releases her third EP “From Above” on March 25th.  She took time out from her recent UK headline tour to talk to us.

New Band Feature - Literature Thieves

Literature Thieves are a three-piece band that recently released their debut EP “Moon Stories From The Glass Mountain” on Manchester’s innovative folk label Red Deer Club.

Section 25 - Interview With Vinny Cassidy

David Brown interviews Vinny Cassidy - founder member of Section 25. He talks about the past and the future of the band and what making the new album, released on Record Store Day meant to him.

Section 25 - Dark Light - album review

Section 25 - Dark Light (Factory Benelux) 

CD/DL 

Released 25th February 2013

9/10

Anthony H Wilson 2007 - “Those clever bastards from Blackpool” Dark Light is the first Section 25 album of new material since the death of founder member Larry Cassidy.

Paperfangs - Interview

Paperfangs who've just released a new album, Past Perfect. We spoke to them to find out more about their background and inspirations. 

I Am Kloot / Jesca Hoop - London Barbican - 19th February 2013

I Am Kloot, Jesca Hoop 

Barbican, London 

19th Feb 2013

On the back of their first top-ten album “Let It All In”, I Am Kloot have embarked on a two-week long sold-out national tour. We cast aside his aversion to seated theatre halls to catch them at their sold out show at the Barbican in London. 

Palma Violets - 180 - album review

Palma Violets '180' (Rough Trade)

LP/CD/DL

Released 25th February 2013 

It’s quite a heady accolade to be named Best Song of 2012 for any band, yet alone for a debut album for a band that’s only been in existence 16 months, yet that’s where we find Palma Violets, and now we have their debut album, 180, released on the back of no little hype of being the next saviours of indie music, and heirs to London’s alternative throne.  

Milo Greene - Interview

Milo Greene are a five-piece from California. They released their debut self-titled album on Fierce Panda in January.  We met Robbie, Marlana and Curtis before their show at Camden Barfly to find out a little bit more about them.

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - London Her Majesty's Theatre - 10th February 2013

Nick Cave 

London Her Majesty's Theatre 

Feb 10th 2013 

This gig was the first in a whirlwind tour of unusual venues around the world that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are doing to promote their forthcoming album Push The Sky Away. 

James - Interview with Larry Gott

Following the much-delayed release of their career spanning boxset The Gathering Sound, Larry Gott, guitarist with the band James, met us in a Manchester boozer to discuss the reasons for releasing the box set and the future of James and the music industry in general. 

The History Of Apple Pie - Out Of View - album review

The History of Apple Pie-Out of View (Marshall Teller Records) 

DL/CD/LP 

Out 28th Jan 2013

Four singles into their career, The History Of Apple Pie release their debut album 'Out Of View' and it's a great point at which to reflect on a band that's created a buzz with their first three sold out 7" singles.

Rebekka Karijord - London Borderline - 16th January 2013

Rebekka Karijord

The Borderline, London

January 16th, 2013

Rebekka Karijord takes a break from the Norwegian winter to play her first headline gig in London, and we were there.

I Am Kloot - Let It All In - album review

I Am Kloot - Let It All In (Shepherd Moon) 

DL/CD/LP 

Out 21st Jan 2013

Let's get this out of the way before we start. The cliches have already been rolled back out for I Am Kloot's sixth studio album, not helped by their insistence on using Guy and Craig from Elbow on production duties. Previous album Sky At Night was seen by the press as their attempt to 'do an Elbow', as if drowning the album in strings onto the album was a surefire way of following their contemporaries and friends career trajectory. There's so much more to Kloot than lazy comparisons, their back catalogue more than stands up on its own and with Let Them All In, they've produced an album that should, in a world with any justice, be recognised as their defining moment to date.

Elbow - London O2 Arena - 2nd December 2012

Elbow 

The O2, London 

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

It's the final night of their tour before they go off for a well-earned year's break ahead of their next album, but there's no signs of eighteen months on the road supporting their album 'Build A Rocket Boys!' having taken their toll on Elbow tonight.

Danny Mahon - Interview

Danny Mahon, Manchester singer-songwriter, recently went out on tour with Reverend And The Makers.  Described by the Reverend as 'Danny makes music for the people. Proper northern soul. Absolute hero.' Danny took time out before the show in Birmingham to speak to us.

I Am Kloot - Preston 53 Degrees - 8th November 2012

I Am Kloot

Preston 53 Degrees

8^th November 2012

Kloot have chosen to unveil their new album Let It All In, due in January, with a series of low-key gigs, starting with last night's show at Preston's 53 Degrees.

Frazer King - Interview

Frazer King are an exciting six-piece band from Wythenshawe, Manchester. They are about to release a limited edition 300 only cassette mixtape called Idle Class Debris at Manchester's Night And Day this coming Saturday. We spoke to singer Nathan about the band, their influences, their famous producer and plans for the future.

Michele Stodart - Interview

Michele Stodart, bass player with The Magic Numbers, released her debut solo album, Wide Eyed Crossing, last week on her own label Keepsake Records. The album has a very country and blues feel to it and it features Michele on vocals, guitars, double bass, drums, banjo, xylophones and percussion with guest vocals from Conor O'Brien of Villagers on Invitation To The Blues.

Reverend And The Makers - Interview

Reverend and the Makers have had a successful year in 2012. They came back after a three year hiatus with the album @Reverend_Makers, which reached number 16 in the album charts, and, after a set of smaller shows earlier in the year and festival appearances, are about to embark on a major UK tour. We spoke to the Reverend himself, Jon McClure about this year, the tour and plans for the future.

Goy Boy McIlroy - Interview

Goy Boy McIlroy: Black Glove / The Pilgrim (Self Released) 

DL 

Out Now

Goy Boy McIlroy are a very talented blues come rock band from Darlington who put on a unique and spectacular live show. We spoke to them to find out more. 

Joe Duddell - Interview

This Saturday, 8 September, Richard Hawley performs a selection of tracks from across his career with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at the Magna Centre in Rotherham as part of the BBC Philharmonic presents series. The show will be broadcast live on BBC 6 Music from 7pm.

The set has been specially orchestrated for the event by Joe Duddell, whose previous work includes a tour with James and The Orchestra of the Swan, two performances with Elbow and the Halle Orchestra for MIF and a collaboration with Nero and the BBC Philharmonic. We spoke to Joe to find out more about the project and how it came about.

Destiny Calling : Twenty Years Living With James - book review

Destiny Calling: Twenty Years Living with James 

Author: John Ormond 

Publisher: York Books

This soon to be released book about the Manchester band James, "Twenty Years Living with James", is written through the eyes of one of the band's biggest fans and includes thoughts on the their output, gigs, various other stories about the band and more pertinently how the band affected the author's life.

Jess Bryant - Silvern - album review

Jess Bryant: Silvern (Red Deer Club Records) 

DL/LP 

Out Now 

Jess Bryant's debut album Silvern is destined to go down as a hidden gem. Released on vinyl, limited to 300 copies and download only by the wonderful Red Deer Club Records, it's an enchanting piece of work that feels familiar in parts yet defies a firm categorisation.

The Reads - Interview

The Reads are a North-West based six piece featuring Stuart Bennett (Lead vocal, rhythm guitar), Jamie Russell (Lead guitar, harmonica, backing vocals), Marcel Delrue (Keyboards and programming), Chris Goddard (Mandolin, lapsteel, percussion, backing vocals), Clare Goddards (Bass guitar) and Matty Goddard (drums).

Savages - London Hoxton Bar And Kitchen - 7th June 2012

Savages

London Hoxton Bar And Kitchen

7th June 2012

Best New Band in the UK is a tag that's been thrown around lightly over the years, garnished on bands that aren't even the best new band in their street. So, it's with some cynicism that I headed off to Hoxton Bar And Kitchen to check out Savages.  

Modern Alarms - You Must've Known EP - review

Modern Alarms - You Must've Known EP

DL 

Available now

This debut release from Modern Alarms backs up the hype that's been building around them by people in the know in Manchester and the surrounding area.

Milagres - Interview

Milagres 

The Deaf Institute, Manchester

We spoke with New York band Milagres at the Deaf Institute in Manchester ahead of their show in the evening, discussing the history of the band, and the joys of Travelodges.

Inspiral Carpets - Norwich Waterfront - 20th May 2012

Inspiral Carpets 

Norwich Waterfront 

20^th May 2012

It’s rather fitting to review the last gig of the first phase of the Inspirals’ comeback having reviewed the opening UK night in Sheffield back in March.   Tonight’s show is rescheduled from March, when Clint’s daughter, Luna Bliss, was born three months premature in the middle of their UK tour and sadly passed away earlier this month.

Stefan Melbourne - EP review and interview

Stefan Melbourne is a singer-songwriter from Holmfirth, now resident in Manchester and has just self-released his debut EP “Before The Sun Sets”. The four-track EP stands Stefan out from many of the masses of singer-songwriters through simple, yet wholly expressive, heartfelt emotion through his voice, guitar and female backing vocals rather than attempting any studio trickery.

Littlemores - Interview

Littlemores are a five-piece band from York that are building up quite a buzz in Yorkshire, playing support slots and headline gigs in Leeds and York and recently played their debut London gig at the Dublin Castle. Louder Than War spoke to lead singer Conor Hirons. 

Why Record Store Day Doesn’t Save Independent Music Stores

There’s a bigger hype about Record Store Day today than last year, it’s a growing event in the music calendar, but like Glastonbury, it’s lost the very thing that made it special.   If you want to make independent record stores truly accessible, then having to queue at four in the morning to have even a chance of getting hold of a record by your favourite band, at an exorbitant price, isn’t a selling point for it.

David Ford - London Camden Proud Galleries - 25th March 2012

David Ford 

London Camden Proud Galleries 

25th March 2012

This London show is the biggest and last show on David Ford's short UK tour labelled as an intimate solo show that will focus on the many piano based songs that he has written and recorded during his career. It's called in some unusual venues, and tonight it's the turn of the dreadful Proud Galleries.

Keane - Bexhill On Sea De La Warr Pavilion - 9th March 2012

Keane 

Bexhill-on-Sea, De La Warr Pavilion 

Friday 9th March 2012

Guilty pleasure? You look at the hatred directed at Keane from the indie police and wonder where the venom really comes from. Before making it big, and they were huge, in 2004, Keane did the slogs round the toilet venues of the land, even in the weeks leading up to Hopes And Fears. They released their own records and sold them at gigs, they signed to and released two singles on Fierce Panda, still a bastion of good taste in indie music.

Rae Morris / Stefan Melbourne - London Slaughtered Lamb - 7th March 2012

Rae Morris / Stefan Melbourne 

London, Slaughtered Lamb 

Wednesday 7th March 2012

It's very rare that you hear a voice that stops you in your tracks.

Rae Morris first came to my attention with a performance with award-winning composer Joe Duddell backed with the Halle Orchestra, and the sold-out sign at the Slaughtered Lamb showed that others had been equally enraptured by the voice and intrigued to see her in the flesh on her first headline tour.

Opening the show was Stefan Melbourne, who's building up a reputation in Manchester where's he's based, as a songwriter whose work taps into raw emotions, drawing influences from the likes of Stephen Fretwell as well as American bluegrass.

His set features five songs, including two, How Long Is Always and Place To Hide, which are available to download free on his website, and he starts with a song he's playing for the first time. Whilst his influences are clear, his engaging personality, confessional honest lyrics and distinctive voice ensure he's not another addition to the overflowing pool of male singer-songwriters. The backing vocals, from Chloe Leavers , an excellent singer-songwriter in her own right, add shade and depth in equal measures and the guitars provide the perfect framework for the interaction of the two vocalists. He's certainly a name to keep an eye out for.

And so on to Rae. She plays keyboards on all tracks and doesn't have any other musicians on stage with her. From the minute she starts singing to the last note of the encore, the crowd are absolutely captivated.

Between songs, she's almost embarrassed at the response she's getting, thanking the crowd at every opportunity with a shy nervous giggle and you feel that she doesn't appreciate just how incredible her voice is. More than that, she is already developing a stage persona, showing a sense of humour at her own lack of in between song banter and awkwardness at plugging free downloads on her website, all of this in a broad Lancashire accent you wouldn't normally associate with such a powerful singing voice.

There's a sense of genuine shock that such a fragile looking teenager can possess such power, range and variety, everything that female singers who have sold millions of records have. In a venue that's traditionally marred by chatterers at the back, you can hear a pin drop when she's not singing. 

Coupled with the voice are a set of nine songs that work perfectly with just keyboards and which demonstrate a worldly-wiseness beyond her years. As well as internet favourites Walls, Oldest Of New and Day One, there's a couple of new songs, introduced for this tour as she's headlining for the first time and playing longer set, which show that she's still developing as a songwriter.

Where you can often categorise female solo singers and compare them to their peers, there isn't a real relevant comparison that's valid here for Rae. She's a unique, very special talent. Whilst that doesn't guarantee anything in the music business and record sales are no longer a barometer of quality, she should sell thousands and thousands of records when she gets to finally release these songs.

Don't forget her name, go and get the two free songs from her website and if you're going to the Noah And The Whale and Bombay Bicycle Club tours in April and May, make sure you go and catch her opening for them.

Inspiral Carpets - Sheffield Leadmill - 3rd March 2012

Inspiral Carpets 

Sheffield Leadmill 

March 3rd 2012

Reformations these days are ten a penny, but this was always going to be the most interesting one. Before the days of the big hits such as This Is How It Feels, Dragging Me Down and Saturn 5, Inspiral Carpets were a garage band throwing out two minute punches of organ-driven guitar-heavy songs. They had a different singer, Tom Hingley replacing Stephen Holt in 1989. The early Inspirals legacy was two EPs (Plane Crash and Trainsurfing), a legendary demo tape (Dung 4) and a pile of unreleased material. Forward to 2012, and Holt is back with the band, they're reclaiming their garage roots and, after a couple of shows in South America last year, their first UK gig is at the Sheffield Leadmill.

The Miserable Rich - Cologne Stadtgarten Studio 672 - 12th February 2012

The Miserable Rich 

Cologne Stadtgarten Studio 672 

12th February 2012

The Miserable Rich are a curious phenomenon. Having released their third album last year, they're still struggling to make a major breakthrough in the UK despite gathering a loyal but small following, whilst their contemporaries such as The Leisure Society get critical plaudits and festival and prestigious support slots. In contrast, on the Continent, they've built on momentum from their early releases to the extent they can go on a month long tour of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and, despite the double-digit minus temperatures and the fact it's Sunday evening, come close to filling venues like Studio 672 in Cologne.

Danger USB - The Story Of The Gathering Dust James box set

Danger USB...

The seemingly never-ending saga of “The Gathering Sound”, the career-spanning James box-set


Given the hype over the return of their contemporaries from the “Madchester” era, you would think a record label would be falling over themselves to sell us a career-spanning boxset from James, whose upward career trajectory and roots coincided to give them the dubious pleasure of being placed in that music press box.

It would appear not.