“It’s a shit business”, proclaimed Les McQueen of Crème Brulee fame about the music industry. It is certainly a brutal business, as many have discovered. A fair chunk of the issue is the volume of […]
The Fire Station in Sunderland has been running a season of outdoor performances called ‘Summer Parties’ throughout August. Think of it as a festival across a month instead of lots of performers in one day. […]
We are closing in on the 58th anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s death; complications from Huntington’s Disease finally sealed his fate on October 3rd, 1967. Despite the lengthy time that has passed, his fingerprints are still […]
Wet Leg’s origins go back to 2019 on the Isle of Wight, when Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, both studying at Platform One College of Music, decided to form a band. Teasdale, originally hailing from […]
Longevity in the music world isn’t something that is guaranteed. As Les McQueen of Crème Brulee fame says, “It’s a shit business”. It takes a lot of graft, luck, and talent to carve out a […]
When OK Go released their last album, Hungry Ghosts, David Cameron was UK Prime Minister, Conchita Wurst won the Eurovision Song Contest for Austria with ‘Rise Like a Phoenix’, and Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow […]
I reviewed The Lottery Winners’ previous album, Anxiety Replacement Therapy, for this lovely website in 2023. I highlighted the band’s avoidance of orthodoxy, ludicrous work ethic, ability to create earworms at will and a desire […]
Matt Berry has released albums since 1995, though there was a thirteen-year gap between the first two albums. A 30-year recording career is no mean feat, especially in modern times where fashions and trends feed […]
First, we brought you an in-depth review of their 10th studio album, L.A. Times, courtesy of yours truly. Next, the XS Noize Podcast host Mark Millar recorded a superb podcast with bassist Dougie Payne. Finally, […]
Less Than Jake have been around for over 30 years. Their brand of ska-punk has kept them popular, especially on the live circuit and at various festivals around the globe. They have a healthy back […]
Bands performing with orchestral accompaniment are nothing new. Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and Metallica are just a few of those who have blended these musical styles previously. Ferocious Dog has also done this at the […]
I first encountered They Might Be Giants in 1989. Their track ‘Ana Ng’ was featured on the compilation album Indie Top 20 Volume 7. It grabbed my attention, and before I knew it, I was buying their […]
Honest – perhaps the best way to define this Melbourne four-piece, which grew from the city’s pub-rock scene. There’s no flannel, no pretences, just good old-fashioned, down-to-earth music and attitude. In this overly antiseptic world, […]
I have always had a very keen and slightly morbid interest in the nuclear apocalypse. Growing up in the 1980s Cold War era, when Reagan, Brezhnev, and Thatcher all seemed ready to set the world on […]
Skinty Fia gave Fontaines D.C. their first Irish and UK Number 1 album in 2022 and further elevated their status as a band to sit up and take notice of. And many people did. With […]
It is 30 years since the current lineup of Travis came together in Glasgow, ready to take on the world and possibly the universe if the opportunity came their way. They have had their ups […]
As a man who once said the best hangover meal was “two dexies and a Bloody Mary”, Peter Bibby has certainly developed a reputation for being a little different. Maybe even a little quirky. He’s […]
For those who are unsure what a kleptocracy is, it is defined as a society whose leaders make themselves rich and powerful by stealing from the rest of the people. This may strike a chord […]
“It’s a bit of a ‘wilderness years’ album,” states Holly Ross, one half of Lancastrian DIY psychedelic punk outfit, The Lovely Eggs. Without a new album in four years, you would be excused for thinking […]
Our modern society seems to prefer it if everything is neatly labelled. Whilst this is great if things can be clearly defined and pigeonholed, some things aren’t easily categorized. It is the latter that Frank […]