LIVE: TEMPLE SONGS / THE BELL PEPPERS – 06/07/2013

 – BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER –  In a DIY sixties garage surf fashion, The Bell Peppers don’t waist any time jumping off the high dive straight into a pool of the instrumental ‘Bell Pepper Hop’, serving as the perfect ice cold refreshment on a heated summer evening at Band On The Wall. Building surf […]
– NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER – If anyone went to or watched the Glastonbury Festival coverage of Mumford and Sons last week it is quiet clear that another genre ‘pop-folk’ is pretty big at the moment. The difference between a band that headlines a massive festival and tonight’s Twin Forks is that Twin Forks, […]

LIVE: TWIN FORKS – 02/7/2013

Single Review: John Wizards – Lusaka By Night

Having recently surfaced on the scene from out of nowhere, John Wizards – aka South African production duo John Withers and Emmanuel Nzaramba – have wangled themselves a debut release on legendary electronica label, Planet Mu. Here, in the space of just two tracks, the pair manage to pogo through a myriad of influences and […]
– ISLINGTON MILL, SALFORD – The Bummer camp crew should be proud of themselves for putting on two great events over the last week. The only problem being that they were nowhere near as well attended as they should be. First off they put on Christeene, the dirge shock tranny act whose antics have been […]

LIVE: SSION – 26/06/2013

LIVE: DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON – 24/6/2013

– THE KINGS ARMS, SALFORD – “Performance” is le mot juste tonight. To introduce the evening is the charming Rachael Dadd, with her softly-softly folk tunes delightfully embellished by foot bells, a clarinet, and an infant child strapped to her back who peeks at the crowd cute as you like. Rachael is followed onstage by […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER –  Strange openings: a postponed gig date, no support band and a low-key DJ opus by Jono Ma from far back in the darkness. But these chaps are Aussies mate so they like to do things a little differently. Which is interesting when you consider their inescapable Madchester influences, with […]

LIVE: JAGWAR MA – 20/6/2013

LIVE: BIPOLAR SUNSHINE – 21/6/2013

– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – It’s Friday and it’s the longest day of the year. The sun is shining and I’m descending into the depths of the Soup Kitchen, airless and dark, filled to the rafters by an animated hubbub of hot revellers. “Why would you want to do that?” I hear you ask. Well, we’re here for Bipolar Sunshine, a solo project fronted by a Mancunian, hailing from […]
Minus context it would be easy to assume that Wilder was released during the mid to late 80s, the natural conclusion to the decade’s luminaries The Smiths, The Jam, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash and Talking Heads. The Teardrop Explodes – a most memorable band name – explodes with ideas. It’s an endlessly meticulously crafted, varied […]

Album Review: Teardrop Explodes – Wilder (Deluxe Edition)

Album Review: Tunng – Turbines

This is a band that is producing music of a genre that is gaining a lot of success at the moment, and they are doing it to the highest quality. Ten years in and now on their fifth studio album, Tunng have created a warm, flowing journey on Turbines. Founding member Mike Lindsey has described this […]
– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER –  Maybe it’s the three day recovery from Parklife Weekender, but inside I hardly feel top for tonight’s Fresh & Onlys gig, a band who have been on my list of who to see live for quite a while now…so I have to power through. And is it me or has […]

LIVE: THE FRESH & ONLYS – 12/6/2013