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XS Noize | Online Music Magazine
  • News
        • Jake Shears
          Gigs

          JAKE SHEARS returns with new single ‘Too Much Music’ from his upcoming album ‘Last Man Dancing’

          February 1, 2023

          Jake Shears is back today with the incredible new single ‘Too Much Music’ – the first taste of his upcoming album Last Man Dancing, which will be released on his new home of Mute on […]

          Orbital
          Gigs

          ORBITAL release new single “Are You Alive?” featuring Penelope Isles

          February 1, 2023

          Orbital have today released “Are You Alive?” Featuring Penelope Isles, the third track to be taken from the seminal electronic music duo’s forthcoming album Optical Delusion, out February 17. The new track follows the BBC6 […]

          Two Door Cinema Club
          Gigs

          TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB return to Belfast with a show at The Telegraph Building on Thursday 13th April

          February 1, 2023

          Today, Two Door Cinema Club have announced a return to Belfast with a show at The Telegraph Building on Thursday 13th April. Mixing guitar-driven hooks with a dancey, electronic polish, Northern Ireland’s Two Door Cinema […]

  • Reviews
        • Album Reviews

          Fucked Up – One Day
          Album Reviews

          ALBUM REVIEW: Fucked Up – One Day

          January 28, 2023

          Throughout their three decades of existence, Fucked Up haven’t built up a reputation for doing things on a small scale. From enormous concept albums to twelve-hour performances, it’s obvious they like to take their time. […]

          Bob Dylan
          Album Reviews

          ALBUM REVIEW: Bob Dylan – Fragments – Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996 – 1997) The Bootleg Series Vol. 17

          January 25, 2023

          Time Out of Mind upon its release in 1997 was the first album of original songs since the poorly received Under the Red Sky seven years earlier. Time Out of Mind, received impressive reviews and […]

        • Book Reviews

          Ziggy Marley - Music Is In Everything
          Book Reviews

          BOOK REVIEW: Ziggy Marley – Music Is In Everything

          January 16, 2023

          Back in 2020, Ziggy Marley teamed up with Lisa Loeb to release a catchy and infectious song that will get people of all ages to sing along called “Music Is in everything”. This song which […]

          pop rock icons
          Book Reviews

          BOOK REVIEW: Pop Rock Icons by Philippe Margotin

          December 15, 2022

          Judging by the front cover, one might expect Pop Rock Icons to be festooned with infographics. It isn’t. Instead, it’s a collection of photographs depicting “London’s Swingin’ 60s & 70s”. Rather than homogenise and cluster […]

        • Classic Albums

          ‘Pop’ at 25: Looking back at the orphan child in U2's discography 2
          Classic Albums

          ‘Pop’ at 25: Looking back at the orphan child in U2’s discography

          March 3, 2022

          In March of 1997, 25 years ago, U2 released their much anticipated ninth studio album POP; for fans and critics alike, it quickly became their most polarizing release. There is a prevailing feeling that POP […]

          CLASSIC ALBUM: Duran Duran – Duran Duran 2
          Album Reviews

          CLASSIC ALBUM: Duran Duran – Duran Duran

          June 17, 2021

          This week sees the 40th anniversary of Duran Duran’s self-titled debut album. XS Noize looks back on this momentous release from a band that would become the ‘Fab Five’ of the ‘80s. It was December […]

        • Live Reviews

          LIVE REVIEW: Dropkick Murphys – O2 City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne © Iam Burn
          Live Reviews

          LIVE REVIEW: Dropkick Murphys – O2 City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne

          January 17, 2023

          As I wandered towards the O2 City Hall, feeling the cold, January air around my face, I recalled that today was also known as Blue Monday. This is not a celebration of a classic New […]

          TRIVIUM live at Ulster Hall, Belfast
          IN FOCUS

          IN FOCUS// TRIVIUM live at Ulster Hall, Belfast

          January 10, 2023

          What a way to kick off 2023, with the return of the mighty; Trivium! As the Deadmen & Dragons Tour landed in the Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland, our photographer Marc Leach was reliving his […]

        • Round Up

          XS Noize Best Albums of 2018
          Round Up

          XS Noize Best Albums of 2018

          December 22, 2018

          2018 has been an incredible year for albums. The year saw the strongest new acts in decades release their debuts, as well as a number of alternative legends returning to top form. The world of dance […]

          The Best Of October 2018 PLAYLIST + ROUND-UP
          Round Up

          The Best Of October 2018 PLAYLIST + ROUND-UP

          October 29, 2018

          Welcome to the October 2018 edition of our monthly new music playlist, which is available to listen to and watch via YouTube. If you enjoy any of the songs featured here, we encourage you to support […]

        • In Focus

          TRIVIUM live at Ulster Hall, Belfast
          IN FOCUS

          IN FOCUS// TRIVIUM live at Ulster Hall, Belfast

          January 10, 2023

          What a way to kick off 2023, with the return of the mighty; Trivium! As the Deadmen & Dragons Tour landed in the Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland, our photographer Marc Leach was reliving his […]

          IN FOCUS// L-Plate @ McHughs Bar, Belfast © Bernie McAllister
          IN FOCUS

          IN FOCUS// L-Plate @ McHughs Bar, Belfast, Northern Ireland

          December 30, 2022

          L-Plate played a fantastic debut headline show with support from Moonbot & Disorder last night at McHughs Bar, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Bernie McAllister was there to take these amazing images.           […]

  • Gigs
        • Jake Shears
          Gigs

          JAKE SHEARS returns with new single ‘Too Much Music’ from his upcoming album ‘Last Man Dancing’

          February 1, 2023

          Jake Shears is back today with the incredible new single ‘Too Much Music’ – the first taste of his upcoming album Last Man Dancing, which will be released on his new home of Mute on […]

          Orbital
          Gigs

          ORBITAL release new single “Are You Alive?” featuring Penelope Isles

          February 1, 2023

          Orbital have today released “Are You Alive?” Featuring Penelope Isles, the third track to be taken from the seminal electronic music duo’s forthcoming album Optical Delusion, out February 17. The new track follows the BBC6 […]

          Two Door Cinema Club
          Gigs

          TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB return to Belfast with a show at The Telegraph Building on Thursday 13th April

          February 1, 2023

          Today, Two Door Cinema Club have announced a return to Belfast with a show at The Telegraph Building on Thursday 13th April. Mixing guitar-driven hooks with a dancey, electronic polish, Northern Ireland’s Two Door Cinema […]

  • Interviews
        • Gena Rose Bruce
          Featured Interview

          INTERVIEW: Gena Rose Bruce on the release of her much anticipated second album – Deep Is The Way

          January 24, 2023

          Melbourne singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Gena Rose Bruce sat down with XS Noize to talk about the release of her much anticipated second album, Deep Is The Way released on Friday 27th January. For anyone unfamiliar with […]

          Kaya Stewart
          Interviews

          INTERVIEW: Kaya Stewart talks ‘If Things Go South’ – her new short film & plans for 2023

          December 19, 2022

          Kaya Stewart has had a fantastic year. Her new album, If Things Go South, continues to win over fans and critics alike, and her short film of the same name is an award-winner. With 2023 […]

          NOT A TOY
          Interviews

          INTERVIEW: NOT A TOY on new music & their highlights of 2022

          December 8, 2022

          Branson Hoog, Benji Spoliansky, Jeremy Marmor and TJ Wessel, AKA NOT A TOY, have had a particularly good year which has seen them release some great songs and delight fans on tour. With the year […]

  • Podcast
        • Billy Nomates
          Podcast

          INTERVIEW: Billy Nomates on her latest album CACTI

          January 25, 2023

          In episode #115 of The XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar catches up with Bristol-based songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Tor Maries AKA Billy Nomates to talk about her latest album CACTI. Recorded at her flat and […]

          Black Star Riders
          Podcast

          INTERVIEW: Ricky Warwick of Black Star Riders on ‘The Wrong Side of Paradise’

          January 18, 2023

          In episode #114 of The XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar catches up with Ricky Warwick of masters of anthemic rock ‘n’ roll Black Star Riders to talk about their fifth album ‘The Wrong Side of […]

          Thom Southern
          Podcast

          INTERVIEW: Thom Southern on his debut solo album PLAZA

          December 21, 2022

          In episode #113 of The XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar catches up with alternative Indie artist from Northern Ireland, Thom Southern, about his brilliant debut album PLAZA, which was released at the beginning of 2022.  […]

  • About Us
  • Contribute
HomeAuthorsBen P Scott

Articles by Ben P Scott

Xsnoize Author
Ben P Scott
Ben P Scott is a writer and DJ from Somerset, UK. In his teens, he wrote the indie fanzine Supernova from 1997 until 2000 and has been writing for various music sites since 2010, including his own Rewind/Fast Forward site. He has many favourite bands and artists including Manic Street Preachers, The Fall, Blur, David Bowie, Mansun and Oasis.
Website
ALBUM REVIEW: Shaun Ryder - Visits from Future Technology 2
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Shaun Ryder – Visits from Future Technology

August 29, 2021 Ben P Scott

The ongoing longevity enjoyed by Happy Mondays and Black Grape legend Shaun Ryder is proof that his unique talents and maverick charm have woven themselves into the fabric of British culture. In a career of […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Penfriend - Exotic Monsters
Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Penfriend – Exotic Monsters

May 27, 2021 Ben P Scott

Proudly released independently and with a good chance of breaking into the UK Top 40 comes the hugely enjoyable debut album from Penfriend. The latest alias of Bristol-based multi-instrumentalist Laura Kidd is something of a […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Paul Weller - Fat Pop Vol 1
Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Paul Weller – Fat Pop Vol 1

May 26, 2021 Ben P Scott

It’s not just the diversity of Paul Weller’s 16th solo album that gives it the feel of a Best Of collection, but the stellar form of the songwriting. Described by the British legend himself as […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade

April 30, 2021 Ben P Scott

The sound and style of Scottish indie legends Teenage Fanclub is one of comforting familiarity, and it’s very much business as usual on their 11th studio album Endless Arcade. Behind the scenes, however, there has […]

ALBUM REVIEW: The Lucid Dream - The Deep End
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: The Lucid Dream – The Deep End

April 20, 2021 Ben P Scott

With their triumphant fifth album, Carlisle based four-piece The Lucid Dream continues a fascinating journey that has come by leaps and bounds with each LP since the more typical psychedelic rock of their early years. […]

KINGS OF LEON reveal brand new video for new single 'Echoing'
Playlists

PLAYLIST: XS Noize – March 2021

March 22, 2021 Ben P Scott

The monthly XS Noize Spotify playlist brings together the essential new music of the last month featured on the website. The March 2021 edition features tracks from James, Paul Weller, Richard Ashcroft, Imelda May, Noel […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Bradford - Bright Hours
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Bradford – Bright Hours

March 2, 2021 Ben P Scott

“Like water through cracks, we creep and trickle-down”, sings Ian Hodgson on the opening track to the first Bradford album in over 30 years, very much summing up the underrated and “could’ve been” status of […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Mogwai - As The Love Continues
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Mogwai – As The Love Continues

February 18, 2021 Ben P Scott

25 years on from the release of their debut single, what could we possibly expect from another new Mogwai album? It’s become something of a cliché to state how consistent the Scottish group are, however […]

INTERVIEW: Scotland’s best-kept musical secret CHARLIE CLARK on his new single & being signed by Alan McGee 4
Interviews

INTERVIEW: Scotland’s best-kept musical secret CHARLIE CLARK on his new single & being signed by Alan McGee

February 9, 2021 Ben P Scott

Scottish singer-songwriter Charlie Clark has just released his brand new single ‘Don’t Have A Cow, Man!’, the first taste of his upcoming album Late Night Drinking. A multi-talented songwriter, Clark and lifelong friend Willie Campbell […]

THE ANCHORESS shares video for new single 'The Art of Losing' 1
Playlists

PLAYLIST: XS Noize February 2021 – Listen Now

February 5, 2021 Ben P Scott

The monthly XS Noize Spotify playlist brings together the essential new music of the last month featured on the website. The February 2021 edition features tracks from The Coral, Hello Cosmos, Teenage Fanclub, King Gizzard and […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Paul McCartney - McCartney III
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Paul McCartney – McCartney III

December 17, 2020 Ben P Scott

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 meant that many of us had to spend a lot of time indoors. Definitely a bummer in most cases, but one of the few silver linings is that musical geniuses […]

LIVE REVIEW: Liam Gallagher - Down By The River Thames 1
Live Reviews

LIVE REVIEW: Liam Gallagher – Down By The River Thames

December 6, 2020 Ben P Scott

Since the split of Oasis over a decade ago, the debate has continued on just who made the era-defining band what it was. While Noel Gallagher’s development and experimentation as a solo artist brings a […]

REVIEW: Mansun - 'Closed For Business' 25th anniversary box set
Album Reviews

REVIEW: Mansun – ‘Closed For Business’ 25th anniversary box set

December 5, 2020 Ben P Scott

Mansun were without a doubt one of the most interesting and unusual groups to grow from the Britpop era of the mid-’90s. While the industry and the music press were desperate to comfortably pigeonhole every […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Ultravox - Vienna (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Ultravox – Vienna (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

October 12, 2020 Ben P Scott

As a John Foxx-fronted five-piece, Ultravox (formerly with an added “!” in homage to Neu!) gained much critical acclaim with their increasing synth dominated glam punk rock, but split after third album Systems Of Romance […]

ALBUM REVIEW: James Dean Bradfield - Even In Exile
Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: James Dean Bradfield – Even In Exile

August 25, 2020 Ben P Scott

The last time Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield released a solo album was in 2006. His band were at a strange and somewhat transitional point in their long career, taking a few years […]

REVIEW: Gene - The Albums (Boxset)
Album Reviews

REVIEW: Gene – The Albums (Boxset)

August 14, 2020 Ben P Scott

In hindsight, it’s easy to see why Gene stood out amongst all the other British guitar bands that emerged in the mid-’90s, but it would also be a lie to claim that they had nothing to […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Jarv Is... - Beyond The Pale
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Jarv Is… – Beyond The Pale

August 6, 2020 Ben P Scott

After the Britpop years of the 90s had peaked, it’s fair to say the disillusionment with fame and the resulting hangover had left Pulp in a creative rut. 2001’s Scott Walker-produced ‘We Love Life’ would […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Manic Street Preachers - Gold Against The Soul (Deluxe Reissue)
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Manic Street Preachers – Gold Against The Soul (Deluxe Reissue)

June 11, 2020 Ben P Scott

Following 2014’s acclaimed Futurology, the stellar, anthemic 2018 album Resistance Is Futile reaffirmed the Manics’ position as the UK’s most resilient and enduring guitar band. As well as continuing to make brilliant new music, their […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Ist Ist - Architecture
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Ist Ist – Architecture

April 30, 2020 Ben P Scott

Formed in 2014 and having gathered traction with a series of well-received EPs, the four-piece Ist Ist is a band with an unmistakably Manchester sound. Their long-awaited debut LP arrives in the form of ‘Architecture’, […]

ALBUM REVIEW: The Orb - Abolition Of The Royal Familia
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: The Orb – Abolition Of The Royal Familia

March 25, 2020 Ben P Scott

32 years after its formation, The Orb follows the genre-hopping 2018 treasure No Sounds Are Out Of Bounds with this equally cerebral new LP. Abolition Of The Royal Familia is the Alex Paterson helmed unit’s […]

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