TRACK OF THE DAY : Geneva - Fault Lines

Geneva have released their first new material since 2000's second album Weather Underground with the surprise release of the magnificent brooding dark Fault Lines countered by Andrew Montgomery's unmistakable vocals.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Ist Ist - Under Your Skin

Ist Ist today revealed Under Your Skin, the penultimate in a series of ten videos shot to accompany their independent and vinyl chart top five album Architecture. A simple shoot captures perfectly the claustrophobic cloying nature of the track.

TRACK OF THE DAY : King Hannah - Meal Deal

Meal Deal is the second track to be taken from Meal Deal's forthcoming EP Tell Me Your Mind And I'll Tell You Mine due for release on November 20. Clocking in at seven minutes and fifty second, the song takes the listener on a real musical journey with enough ideas for an album in its own right told by Hannah's rich emotive and unique vocals.

TRACK OF THE DAY : RosesAreBlue - I Am Not Your Prey

I Am Not Your Prey is the latest track from the prolific RosesAreBlue, a dramatic and unequivocal response to the type of predator who takes her submission to his will and removal of her independent spirit for granted.

The Slow Readers Club - 91 Days In Isolation

The Slow Readers Club follow up Spring's Top 10 album The Joy Of The Return with the eight track 91 Days In Isolation, written during lockdown and recorded as soon as it was possible to get back together in the studio. Featuring singles Yet Again and Two Minutes Hate, it's a much more direct yet nuanced record than its predecessor whilst maintaining the anthemic qualities that have won them so many new fans over the past few years.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Jack In Water - Beast Behind Your Eyes

Beast Behind Your Eyes is the first single to be taken from Jack In Water's forthcoming debut album due for release in early 2021, a decade after his first release. Following on from last year's Presence EP, the single continues to deal head-on with personal issues that affect him and those around him, this time focusing on members of his family who seek solace and escape in alcohol.

TRACK OF THE DAY VIDEO EXCLUSIVE : Little Sparrow - Tears

Little Sparrow returns with her new single Tears from her forthcoming as yet unannounced second album, a song with deep personal meaning from her childhood originally penned by her father. It's accompanied by a space-themed video that captures beautifully the emotion of the song.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Lanterns On The Lake - The Realist

Mercury-Prize nominated Lanterns On The Lake return on December 11th with a new five-track EP The Realist and have unveiled the title track from the collection of songs that didn't fit on Spook The Herd.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Ist Ist - Night's Arm

Ist Ist release Night's Arm, the eighth in their series of individual videos from their indie / vinyl top five album Architecture. The oldest of the tracks that made up their debut record, it's set to a stark black and white live performance video that heightens the sense of dramatic tension within the song.

atmos bloom - atmos bloom EP

atmos bloom (no capitals) are a new "indie / dreampop duo" (their words) from Manchester. With little fanfare they release their debut self-titled EP today alongside a video for lead track just another day and across four tracks they make a very impressive first impression.

Cabbage - Amanita Pantherina

Cabbage are at a crossroads as they release their second album Amanita Pantherina - third if you count the Young Dumb And Full Of Cabbage compilation that really was their debut. Are they still relevant? Can they still conjure up the headrush adrenaline that their first four EPs announced them with? Has too much of the mud of the ultimately false accusations made against them stuck? Freed from the constraints of a record deal and returning home to their Brassica Studios in Mossley to regroup and record Amanita Pantherina, it very much feels like a release from the events of the past few years.

TRACK OF THE DAY : One Little Atlas - Path Of The Sun

One Little Atlas return with new single Path Of The Sun, their first new track since 2018's single Orenda. Capturing a mix of hypnotic vocals, beats and more traditional instruments, the song feels like the soundtrack to an imaginary film full of mystery and intrigue.

King Of The Slums - Encrypted Contemporary Narratives

Hulme's King of the Slums, legends of the Manchester scene for more than three decades, return with their seventh album, the follow up to 2018's Artdog Gods. Stuart Ralston has a listen.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Slow Readers Club - Two Minutes Hate

Two Minutes Hate is the second track to be taken from The Slow Readers Club's forthcoming album 91 Days In Isolation. Taking aim at the way hatred is spread on social media and then translates into real life, the song is a very prescient observation about the way people thrive off creating chaos and division.

Just Mustard - Part Time Punks KXLU 88.9 FM Live Session

Hailing from Dundalk in County Louth Just Mustard are another band from across the water shining bright during these dark troubled times. Their debut album Wednesday, rightly so, featured in many Album of the Year lists for 2018 and it felt like the band would go from strength to strength before a global pandemic brought the quintet’s juggernaut to an unexpected halt. This limited edition release seeks to bridge the gap yet is exceptional in its own right.

Pillow Queens - In Waiting

Pillow Queens' debut has been four years in the making, anticipation built up through a series of EPs and then singles, the last five of which feature on In Waiting. It's an album of this time we live in, an introspective look at life in a modern city like Dublin from underneath the glossy veneer with stories of the shadow of religion, still visible homophobia and the difficulties of growing up and becoming an adult when the cards are stacked against you mentally and financially. It's direct, bold and uncompromising in both its sonic and verbal attitude yet refuses to allow itself to be compartmentalised into a genre - as impressive a debut in many ways as some of the lauded ones from the same streets.

Dave Fidler - Manchester Rose And Monkey - 27th September 2020

The latest in the series of outdoor shows at The Rose And Monkey in Manchester saw an intimate Sunday lunchtime show by Dave Fidler accompanied by Adrian Gautrey playing a mix of new songs as well as tracks from his two albums I'm Not Here and Songs From Aurora to an appreciative crowd.

The Blinders - Manchester Rose And Monkey - 22nd September 2020

The Blinders emerged from lockdown with a stripped back "lounge lizard" set at their second and spiritual home The Rose And Monkey on Tuesday night to a socially-distanced audience of forty lucky fans who snapped up tickets within seconds of going on sale. An hour-long song set took favourites from their debut Columbia and predominantly tracks from their 2020 album Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath and reinvented and redrew them for the intimate surroundings.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Test Card Girl - Holds Me Down

 

Holds Me Down is the debut single by Test Card Girl (aka Catherine Burgis). The song has already grabbed the attention of Tom Robinson and the evening show at XS Manchester. The song is a glorious mix of 80s-influenced synths, crystal clear crisp lead vocals with some delicious layering of backing vocals in parts and it's tinged with optimism and hope as she sings about the glorious feeling of falling in love and being immersed in it. 

Chris Helme / Hannah Ashcroft - Manchester Blackjack Brewery - 17th September 2020

Chris Helme played the latest of Jezebel Music's outdoor shows in the intimate surroundings of Blackjack Brewery's yard down by the railway arches near Manchester Victoria with support from Hannah Ashcroft. Mixing classic Seahorses tracks with a few choice covers and some excellent new material he delighted the small appreciative crowd with both music and self-deprecating humour.

TRACK OF THE DAY 2 : Ist Ist - Drowning In The Shallow End

Recommencing their series of videos and limited edition prints to accompany each of the ten tracks from their independent top five album Architecture, Ist Ist reprise with track seven from the record Drowning In The Shallow End and a video shot in the first days of lockdown relaxation.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Déjà Vega - Spitting Gas

Déjà Vega have announced the digital and physical release of their new single Spitting Gas and their biggest UK tour to date. Clocking in at just two minutes and fifteen seconds, the song captures the exhilarating live performances of the track in the times before lockdown - and is likely to feature on their second album that they were recording at the start of the year.

Doves - The Universal Want

When Doves went on an indefinite hiatus after their celebratory homecoming at Warehouse Project in Manchester in 2010 the omens for them coming back at all weren't great. Rumours abounded of a breakdown in communications, Jimi headed off to produce a solo album and Andy and Jez combined on their Black Rivers project. Whilst the internet head of steam slowly built demanding a reunion, they'd already got together behind closed doors, rekindled old flames and started work on what was to become The Universal Want. Whereas their last album Kingdom Of Rust was fraught with the sound of fractious relationships, there's a joyful undercurrent of warmth and love that runs through The Universal Want. 

TRACK OF THE DAY : NewDad - Blue

Galway four-piece release their fourth track since March in Blue, a song about different perspectives in a relationship and how they ultimately end in division. 

INTERVIEW - Eimie

Eimie is the new solo project from operatically trained vocalist / musician / comedian Amy Webber and she has just released her debut single Not Enough. We caught up for a chat about branching out on her own, the single and its forthcoming video and how she's found ways in lockdown to perform and remain creative.

TRACK OF THE DAY 2 : Matter Of Mind - Oblivion

Matter Of Mind return with Oblivion, their second single of the year after Poison Ivy featuring their new line-up. Their trademark sound is still very much intact, big powerful guitar riffs and drums and soaring vocals that build to a climax in the chorus. Oblivion is a very personal track that will resonate with many dealing with lead singer Jordan's anxiety. 

TRACK OF THE DAY : TV People - Nothing More

Dublin's TV People return with their third single of the year Nothing More. Accompanied by a strikingly simple yet complementary video, the song reflects on the endless struggle to survive and understand the world around you. Delivered with Paul Donohue's vocals imbuing a genuine sense of helplessness to control the uncontrollable that we're living in, it's their most reflective track to date without losing the energy and intensity of predecessors Kitchen Sinking and Time Eats Up.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Simeon Hammond Dallas - August

Simeon Hammond Dallas's new single August drops as that month draws to a close and moves into September. It's a break-up song timed to coincide with the end of the month - sharply observing that "we're all fools for love and desire" as it picks over the remains of a relationship and being misled by a narcissist and his games with a honesty and clarity before looking forwards.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Slow Readers Club - Yet Again

Yet Again is the first track to be taken from The Slow Readers Club's forthcoming album 91 Days In Isolation, an eight-track record written in isolation and recorded at their old haunt Edgar Street Studios in Bury once restrictions were eased. A powerful punchy song with a harder edge than their Top 10 album The Joy Of The Return, it finishes with a positive message amidst the doom and desperation of these extraordinary times we're living in.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Janileigh Cohen - To Be With You

Janileigh Cohen has returned with a new single To Be With You, the first officially released material since 2017's singles Sister and Same Old Road. Set to a warm evocative guitar accompanied by dancing strings, subtle brass and understated drums that give her space to weave her magic, Janileigh captures the feeling of insomnia that comes with emotional turmoil in her rich expressive vocals.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Glass Child - Letting You Go

Letting You Go is the new single from The Glass Child (aka Charlotte Eriksson)'s forthcoming album. It's an emotional track that deals with the difficulties of letting someone go when a relationship is over even though you know there's no way back and it's the right thing to do. It's delivered with a raw heartfelt vocal that feels like it is reliving every word and which, by doing so, accentuates the meaning of the words being sung.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Winter Gardens - Tapestry

Winter Gardens return with Tapestry, the lead and title track from their forthcoming debut EP on Austerity Records in September and the follow-up to last year's debut Coral Bells.

John Bramwell - Manchester Rose And Monkey - 9th August 2020

A gig! A real life gig! John Bramwell played two socially distanced shows in the garden of The Rose And Monkey in Manchester on Sunday afternoon, mixing old I Am Kloot tracks with new ones from his forthcoming album with his Full Harmonic Convergence project. As the afternoon progressed we inadvertently became the focus of the show.

The Slow Readers Club - Bury Met Livestream 2 - 7th August 2020

The Slow Readers Club’s second livestream from Bury Met brought with the inevitable announcement of the cancellation of their October tour but the reveal of a new album 91 Days In Isolation that the band have worked on over the past few months. A much-changed setlist, including an acoustic section, showed how you can do this regularly and keep it fresh.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Odd Morris - Your Four Walls

Your Four Walls is the new single from emerging hotly-tipped Dublin four-piece Odd Morris. Following on from their trio of singles - What Might Be, Lilac Leaves and Cold Water - the release of one of the standout tracks from their live shows is sure to increase the excitement around them.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Cabbage - Get Outta My Brain

Cabbage return with a new single Get Outta My Brain and the announcement of a new album Amanita Pantherina scheduled for release on September 25th.

Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death

Just over fifteen months after the Mercury Prize nominated debut Dogrel, which bagged a number of Album Of The Year awards, Fontaines D.C. return with a triumphant follow up overcoming the adversity of a turbulent, tumultuous and intense period for the band.

Silverbacks - Fad

With a series of successful singles and a growing buzz behind them, Silverbacks launch their debut album into the world. Fad is a record that manages the mean trick of taking a thrilling set of influences and blending them into an exciting sound that will be both familiar yet fresh. 

The Blinders - Live From The Bottom Floor

To celebrate the release of their second album Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath, The Blinders performed an hour long live set with an expanded five-piece line-up on Monday night that was streamed to purchasers of the album. 

TRACK OF THE DAY : Laurie Shepherd - Home

Home is the second single to be taken from Laurie Shepherd's forthcoming debut album Moon Moves The Sea that is due for release in October. It's a critical look at how the human race is treating the planet on which we live, oblivious to the long-term impacts.

TRACK OF THE DAY 2 : Ellysse Mason - I Don't Wanna Dance

Ellysse Mason today reveals the video for her latest single I Don't Wanna Dance, the follow-up to May's Something Good. The synth-heavy track is a departure from her previous work and heads, ironically given the title, straight to the dance floor. 

TRACK OF THE DAY : Turnstiles - S.O.S.

Well it really is the same old story as fifth single Same Old Stories sees Turnstiles continue on their upward trajectory with another punk rock number that leaves us with high expectations for their debut album.

Dulcimer Melody - Dark Alchemy

You won't have heard of Dulcimer Melody. We hadn't when we stumbled across a social media post hidden deep in a Facebook group about this remarkable debut album. It's been released with no fanfare, no singles, no marketing campaign yet something about the title and the mystery of the album's cover drew us in and revealed a meticulously constructed set of ten songs, taut with tension, rippled through with dramatic moments and with a voice that soars, drifts and takes the listener off on a journey through its creator's detailed mind maps.

Sisterix - Interview

They're only three singles into their life as Sisterix but Ornait and Siomha have already made their mark in their native Ireland with hard-hitting songs that pull no punches - whether it be about the oppressive nature of church-dominated society or the way women are viewed within that. With an EP due in September and a video for new single Family released today, we caught up with Ornait to find out more about the band, their inspirations and the groundswell of new female Irish talent and the challenges they're facing to break through.

Fontaines D.C. - Kilmainham Gaol - 14th July 2020

Fontaines D.C. followed in the footsteps of their brothers and close friends The Murder Capital by performing a socially distanced audience-free gig as part of the Other Voices #courage2020 series on Tuesday evening.

The Blinders - Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath

Following up an album with a such a striking audio-visual package as their debut Columbia was never going to be an easy feat for The Blinders. The imagery of Johnny Dream and the stories inextricably linked to the novel 1984 were striking, but something it would be unwise to try and replicate. What The Blinders have done with their follow-up Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath is to widen their horizons in terms of subject matter without straying too far from the subjects of the political systems around the world, societal issues and mental health. 

The Slow Readers Club - Bury The Met - 10th July 2020

The Slow Readers Club joined the growing trend of bands putting out ticketed live socially-distanced streams on Friday night with a set broadcast live via Veeps. Featuring a set heavy on their recent top ten fourth album The Joy Of The Return, they delivered a full set of fan favourites in Derby Hall at Bury Met.

Sons Of Southern Ulster - Sinners And Lost Souls

Originally hailing from Cavan, Ireland and with members now residing in the United States, Australia and Ireland, Sons of Southern Ulster return with their aptly named soul searching second album Sinners and Lost Souls.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Emily Mercer - Gallery

Describing herself as "a mix of folk, pop and soul", Emily Mercer's new single Gallery is a gorgeous piano-driven track that hides a darker side lyrically that contrasts with the warmth and openness of the music.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Ruby Joy - Hooked On Your Mind

Hooked On Your Mind is the debut single from Ruby Joy. The track tells the tale of a character who is obsessed with someone who has no interest in them and giving them firm and honest advice about how to deal with the situation.