ALBUM REVIEW: CAT POWER – COVERS

Reviewing an album of covers feels like a good time to consider the value of cover versions. Being in a tribute act has been a lucrative line of work over the past 30 years but, from a critical perspective, covers should act as more than a verbatim take on a favourite song. At the very […]

ALBUM REVIEW: VIS-A-VIS – BEST OF VIS-A-VIS IN A CONGO STYLE

One of the joys of recent years has been the retrospective discovery of K Frimpong and His Cubano Fiestas. He was often backed by Vis-A-Vis who recorded 13 albums between 1975 and 1982. Toronto based label, We Are Busy Bodies, are now undertaking the admirable work of rereleasing their back catalogue.  In contrast to the […]

GIG GUIDE

Our gig guide is handpicked and every act has been listened to before making it onto the list.

See this month's guide
The Charlatans

LIVE: THE CHARLATANS – 06/12/2021

– The Engine Shed, Lincoln – Very few people have emerged from the last two sorry years with more goodwill than Tim Burgess. Aside from almost single-handedly reviving the long-form album format with his Twitter listening parties, he also played a hand in rescuing two of Manchester’s most sacred live music spaces, Deaf Institute and […]

INTERVIEW: JOE MATERA – AUTHOR OF BACKSTAGE PASS, THE GRIT AND THE GLAMOUR. DETAILS HIS ENCOUNTERS WITH THE LIKES OF LEMMY, GEORGE MARTIN, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE AND MORE

The life of a writer can be a fun but frustrating experience, there’s the endless waiting around at venues, hotels, record label offices, or waiting for the phone call to be answered, yet the rewards almost always make it worthwhile. For writers, meeting or talking to your favourite artists, discovering what’s behind their craft and […]
William Doyle

LIVE: WILLIAM DOYLE – 29/11/2021

– YES, Manchester – I’m looking forward to this. I’m looking forward to it a lot. William Doyle (FKA East India Youth, pseudonym fans) released one of my (and now one of The Quietus’) favourite albums of the year back in March, the superb ‘Great Spans of Muddy Time’, and I’ve been waiting to see […]

A QUICK CATCH UP WITH HUNNYBEES

Non-Ferrous Types of Metal Titles… of Quality

ALBUM REVIEW: COURTNEY BARNETT – THINGS TAKE TIME, TAKE TIME

Following ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’, an album that found itself on numerous best of 2018 lists, including most improbably Barack Obama’s, was always going to be a difficult task. With ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’, Courtney Barnett has adopted a subtler musical palette and has set to sketching smaller details alongside honest emotions […]
This Is The Kit

LIVE: THIS IS THE KIT – 11/11/2021

Comparisons are odious but given that I went to two gigs in two days I think I can be forgiven for drawing them. On Wednesday night it was Self Esteem at Gorilla and on Thursday it was This is the Kit at RNCM. Both intelligent female-led music, but that’s where the comparisons end. RNCM is […]

INTERVIEW: THE TELESCOPES

LOUDER THAN WORDS FESTIVAL RETURNS TO MANCHESTER FOR 2021

LISSIE IS ON A VOYAGE OF REDISCOVERY SHARING THE PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED SONG ‘ALL BE OKAY’

CHET FAKER GETS THE ROLLER BLADES OUT ON HIS LATEST SINGLE’S VIDEO TO MAKE PEOPLE ‘FEEL GOOD’

NICK WILSON PREVIEWS FORTHCOMING ‘NOW I’M FALLING’ ALBUM WITH LATEST SINGLE ‘YOURS TO TAKE’

Cassandra Jenkins

LIVE: CASSANDRA JENKINS – 14/11/2021

– YES, Manchester – Reader, a confession: I am very hungover. I have been in London for the weekend visiting friends and taking a trip to the Oval Space to see Tirzah and Koreless as part of the Pitchfork London festival (really very good, would go again). I’m trying to be enthusiastic about mustering the […]

THE SHADRACKS UNVEIL NEW SINGLE ‘YOU CAN’T LOSE’

HARTLEPOOL INDIE-POP TRIO MT. MISERY SHARE VIDEO FOR ‘TAKEN BY THE TIDE’

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING ANNOUNCE THEIR NEW ALBUM BRIGHT MAGIC AND SHARE NEW SINGLE/VIDEO ‘PEOPLE, LET’S DANCE’ FT. EERA

HOLLY HUMBERSTONE ANNOUNCES MANCHESTER YES HEADLINE FOR OCTOBER AND RELEASES ‘THE WALLS ARE WAY TOO THIN’

black midi

LIVE: BLACK MIDI – 08/11/2021

Is black midi performance art now? Halfway through this absolutely ferocious gig, keyboardist ‘Shank’ sneaks up behind the extraordinary saxophonist ‘Cassanova’ with a plastic pirate cutlass, and proceeds to ‘slash’ his neck. But lo! Casanova rises (through ‘the power of love’, we are told by vocalist and guitarist Geordie Greep, who is narrating the pantomime […]
Good Morning - Barnyard

ALBUM REVIEW: GOOD MORNING – BARNYARD

Good Morning is a two piece band from Melbourne, who are part of the indie rock revival movement occuring with other bands like Boy Pablo, Crumb and Yellow Days just to name a few. Their latest release ‘Barnyard’ is a laidback album, which feels as if you are listening to an intimate live session instead […]

“Psychedelic” Titles That Happen To Be Of Quality

RED RIBBON REVEALS NEWLY RELEASED ALBUM TITLE TRACK ‘PLANET X’

LONDON QUINTET SILVERTWIN RETURN WITH NEW TRACK ‘SAVIOUR’

DAS BEAT RELEASE FINAL SINGLE FROM DEBUT EP

‘PEAK BLEAK’ FOR LEEDS ART-ROCK OUTFIT MUSH WHO PURCHASE £100 EBOW TO RECORD THEIR LATEST TRACK

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