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  • ALBUM REVIEW: Kool & The Gang – Greatest Hits
  • The Damned announce special new covers album “Not Like Everybody Else” in tribute to Brian James
  • Glen Matlock on Reclaiming His Story in ‘I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol’ | XS Noize Podcast #254
  • Chet Faker Announces New Album ‘A Love For Strangers’ — Out 13th February 2026
  • Cast Unveil New Single ‘Calling Out Your Name’ Ahead of Headline Tour
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  • News
        • The Damned
          News

          The Damned announce special new covers album “Not Like Everybody Else” in tribute to Brian James

          October 27, 2025

          The Damned announce the release of “Not Like Everybody Else”, a deeply personal and celebratory covers album – dedicated to the memory of Brian James, the band’s legendary founding guitarist, who passed away on 6th […]

          Chet Faker
          News

          Chet Faker Announces New Album ‘A Love For Strangers’ — Out 13th February 2026

          October 24, 2025

          Today, critically acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter Chet Faker officially kicks off the exciting next chapter of his storied career with the announce of his new album A Love For Strangers, slated for release on February 13th 2026 on […]

          Cast
          News

          Cast Unveil New Single ‘Calling Out Your Name’ Ahead of Headline Tour

          October 24, 2025

          Cast have enjoyed the summer of a lifetime, creating unforgettable memories for the band and fans alike as they won over stadiums in the UK, Ireland and North America as guests to Oasis. That life-affirming […]

  • Reviews
        • Album Reviews

          ALBUM REVIEW: Kool & The Gang – Greatest Hits
          Album Reviews

          ALBUM REVIEW: Kool & The Gang – Greatest Hits

          October 27, 2025

          Few bands embody the joyous intersection of funk, soul, and pop quite like Kool & The Gang. With a career spanning six decades and 23 studio albums, their influence runs deep; from disco dancefloors and […]

          ALBUM REVIEW: The Lovely Eggs – Bin Juice
          Album Reviews

          ALBUM REVIEW: The Lovely Eggs – Bin Juice

          October 16, 2025

          “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 […]

        • Book Reviews

          BOOK REVIEW: Y/N - Esther Yi
          Book Reviews

          BOOK REVIEW: Y/N – Esther Yi

          October 30, 2023

          K-Pop has reached an international audience. This year, BLACKPINK made history as the first K-pop band to headline a major UK festival at Hyde Park. The media’s coverage of BTS member’s enlistment into compulsory military […]

          BOOK REVIEW: Sophomore Songs by Clarke Geddes
          Book Reviews

          BOOK REVIEW: Sophomore Songs by Clarke Geddes

          August 29, 2023

          How does one become qualified to write a fictional music novel? The author of Sophomore Songs offers some clues. Growing up reading NME, doing a stint at Clash, drumming for several bands on and off, and […]

        • Classic Albums

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

          ‘Pop’ at 26: Looking back at the orphan child in U2’s discography

          March 3, 2022

          In March of 1997, 26 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: Graham Nash Brings Timeless Harmony and Heart to the London Palladium
          Live Reviews

          LIVE REVIEW: Graham Nash Brings Timeless Harmony and Heart to the London Palladium

          October 21, 2025

          Many artists proudly boast of having special guests on their tours, but few can introduce one with the grace and humility of Graham Nash. Best known for his pivotal roles in The Hollies and Crosby, […]

          Idlewild
          Live Reviews

          LIVE REVIEW: Idlewild at KOKO: Thirty Years On, Still Fierce, Poetic, and Brilliantly Alive

          October 20, 2025

          Just three years ago, Idlewild celebrated the 20th anniversary of their most successful album, The Remote Part. Hearing that LP performed in full brought a wave of halcyon nostalgia to fans who have followed the […]

        • 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

          IN FOCUS// Punk Spirit Burns Bright as SLF, PiL & Sham 69 Rock Custom House Square © Bernie McAllister
          IN FOCUS

          IN FOCUS// Punk Spirit Burns Bright as SLF, PiL & Sham 69 Rock Custom House Square

          August 17, 2025

          Putting the Fast in Belfast 7 once again proved why it has become a staple of the city’s summer music calendar. A packed Custom House Square buzzed with anticipation as fans from across generations gathered […]

          IN FOCUS// Bryan Adams Brings Joy and Nostalgia to Leeds on ‘Roll With the Punches’ Tour Credit: Alina Salihbekova
          IN FOCUS

          IN FOCUS// Bryan Adams Brings Joy and Nostalgia to Leeds on ‘Roll With the Punches’ Tour

          May 20, 2025

          Legendary Canadian rocker Bryan Adams brought his unstoppable energy to Leeds on May 10th as part of his Roll With the Punches tour — and it was nothing short of a euphoric celebration of life, […]

  • Gigs
        • Hans Zimmer
          Gigs

          Hans Zimmer: The ultimate fan’s guide

          August 27, 2025

          Hans Zimmer, the genius behind Hollywood’s most unforgettable scores, is back on tour with an electrifying live experience to share with his fans. From “Inception” to “Dune”, Zimmer is preparing to transform his soundscapes into […]

          Andrea Bocelli
          Gigs

          The ultimate fans guide to seeing Andrea Bocelli in Amsterdam

          August 21, 2025

          The Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, will be at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on March 29 and 30, 2026. The show will feature a mix of operatic tracks, pop songs, and classical repertoire. Bocelli is […]

          Eros Ramazzotti
          Gigs

          Eros Ramazzotti: Dates, venues, tickets and more

          August 18, 2025

          To celebrate the 40th anniversary of his breakout single, “Una Storia Importante”, Eros Ramazzotti will be performing live on some of the grandest stages across Europe, Latin America, and North America. Ramazzotti is a world-renowned […]

  • Interviews
        • :Panic :Over
          Interviews

          INTERVIEW: :Panic :Over Are Turning Northern Irish Indie Into a Global Sound

          October 16, 2025

          Neal McClelland meets the Northern Irish band whose anthemic sound is turning heads from Belfast to Tokyo. There’s something electric about catching a band right before liftoff — that mix of confidence, humour, and disbelief […]

          Fabrizio Cammarata
          Interviews

          INTERVIEW: Fabrizio Cammarata on Solitude, Connection, and the Inner Worlds of His New Album “Insularities”

          October 10, 2025

          Sicilian singer-songwriter Fabrizio Cammarata has returned with Insularities — a quietly profound exploration of connection, isolation, transformation, and memory. The record invites listeners into a space between light and shadow, where grief and love share […]

          Asha Maclean
          Interviews

          INTERVIEW: Asha Maclean on Her Single “Yoga,” Creative Roots, and Staying True to Herself

          June 25, 2025

          Asha Maclean grew up in a deeply creative household, so it’s little surprise that she emerged as a multitalented artist in her own right. Immersed in music and dance from a young age, she first […]

  • Podcast
        • Glen Matlock
          Podcast

          Glen Matlock on Reclaiming His Story in ‘I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol’ | XS Noize Podcast #254

          October 26, 2025

          In this episode, #254 of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by a true architect of punk — Glen Matlock, the original bassist and founding spark of The Sex Pistols. Glen co-wrote ten […]

          white lies
          Podcast

          White Lies: Inside the Sonic Freedom and Creative Telepathy of “Night Light” | XS Noize Podcast #253

          October 21, 2025

          In this episode, #253 of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Charles Cave and Jack Lawrence-Brown from White Lies to discuss their electrifying seventh album Night Light. This bold, live-driven reinvention captures […]

          The Slow Readers Club
          Podcast

          The Slow Readers Club’s Aaron Starkie: Celebrating “A Decade of Cavalcade” | XS Noize Podcast #252

          October 18, 2025

          In this episode, #252 of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Aaron Starkie from The Slow Readers Club to celebrate A Decade of Cavalcade — marking ten years since the Manchester band’s […]

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Articles by Sandra Blemster

Xsnoize Author
Sandra Blemster
Sandra mainly writes about indie/rock bands and has written many features, album reviews and interviews for XS Noize.Favourite bands and albums is a long list but to name a few Horslips, REM, Love, The Doors, Let It Bee – Voice of the Beehive, Velvet Underground and Nico album. (Ozric Tentacles live), October Drift. Sandra likes yoga, reading a good book, watching films, Netflix and drinking wine.
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ALBUM REVIEW: Proud Mary - Songs From Catalina
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Proud Mary – Songs From Catalina

June 23, 2020 Sandra Blemster

Manchester band Proud Mary are back after a seven-year break with their new album Songs From Catalina, out 26th June. Proud Mary comprises Greg Griffin (vocals), Paul ‘Spot’ Newsome (guitars, bass, keys, drums, harmonica and […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Hightown Pirates - All of the Above
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Hightown Pirates – All of the Above

April 28, 2020 Sandra Blemster

The Hightown Pirates was formed by Simon Mason. He penned the critically acclaimed rock n roll memoir Too High Too Far Too Soon: Tales from a Dubious Past in 2013. Back in the 90s, Mason […]

ALBUM REVIEW: The Slow Readers Club - The Joy Of The Return
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: The Slow Readers Club – The Joy Of The Return

March 16, 2020 Sandra Blemster

Manchester’s The Slow Readers Club are back with a fourth album, The Joy Of The Return, out on March 20th via Modern Sky UK. It’s recorded at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool and produced by […]

INTERVIEW: From the Altar to the Mainstage - A Chat with OCTOBER DRIFT 3
Interviews

INTERVIEW: From the Altar to the Mainstage – A Chat with OCTOBER DRIFT

February 16, 2020 Sandra Blemster

October Drift don’t take shortcuts. With their own personal style of intense guitar-driven, emotionally charged music the Taunton, Somerset quartet of Kiran Roy, Chris Holmes, Alex Bispham and Daniel Young have toured around the country […]

BRIX & THE EXTRICATED release their new album 'Super Blood Wolf Moon' on 25th October
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Brix & The Extricated – Super Blood Wolf Moon

October 21, 2019 Sandra Blemster

Brix & The Extricated are back to release their third studio album Super Blood Wolf Moon on 25th October nearly a year on from their last one Breaking State, which saw them move on from […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Temples - Hot Motion
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Temples – Hot Motion

September 24, 2019 Sandra Blemster

Temples return with their third album Hot Motion on ATO Records, their first on this label. First appearing on the music scene back in 2012 with the single ‘Shelter Song’ they have brought their own […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Black Futures - Never Not Nothing
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Black Futures – Never Not Nothing

September 6, 2019 Sandra Blemster

It’s hard to believe that Black Futures is just two people with the trippy names of Space and Vibes. They released their first single in September 2017 Karma Ya Dig? a slice of industrial space-age […]

TRACK OF THE DAY: Cold Water Swimmers –  Burn Your Idols
Track Of The Day

TRACK OF THE DAY: Cold Water Swimmers – Burn Your Idols

June 21, 2019 Sandra Blemster

Hot off the heels of their previous single in March the delicious Summer Breeze, Cold Water Swimmers release their new single Burn Your Idols on June 21st 2019.  It was recorded with long-time collaborator Simon […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Richard Hawley – Further
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Richard Hawley – Further

June 3, 2019 Sandra Blemster

2019 is quite a year for Richard Hawley. As well as releasing his eighth studio album Further, a musical has been released based on his songs. Standing At the Sky’s Edge premiered at his hometown, […]

FEATURE: You Are Not Alone Festival (YANA) this Saturday March 30th, Manchester 2
Features

FEATURE: You Are Not Alone Festival (YANA) this Saturday March 30th, Manchester

March 27, 2019 Sandra Blemster

This coming Saturday, March 30th Manchester plays host to a multi-venue event in aid of Manchester Mind (the not-for-profit based charity for Mental Health). All profits go straight back to Manchester Mind. The festival will […]

REVIEW: Cold Water Swimmers Double A-Side 'Summer Breeze' / 'I’ll Be Your Witness' - Listen Now
Track Of The Day

REVIEW: Cold Water Swimmers Double A-Side ‘Summer Breeze’ / ‘I’ll Be Your Witness’ – Listen Now

March 18, 2019 Sandra Blemster

The Cold Water Swimmers played their debut gig in May 2018 in Manchester’s Northern Quarter area which I attended. At the time I was struck by how raw and direct they came across. Fronted by […]

ALBUM REVIEW: The Brian Jonestown Massacre - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: The Brian Jonestown Massacre – The Brian Jonestown Massacre

March 10, 2019 Sandra Blemster

Ever since the 1990s, The Brian Jonestown Massacre have released an inexhaustible discography with their psychedelic 60s soaked music. They are the brainchild of Anton Newcombe and found certain notoriety in the 2004 documentary DIG! […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Ten Fé - ‘Future Perfect, Present Tense’
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Ten Fé – ‘Future Perfect, Present Tense’

March 3, 2019 Sandra Blemster

Two years on from the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Hit the Light, Ten Fe are back with their follow-up. Future Perfect, Present Tense, is due out March 8th on Some Kinda Love/PIAS […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Telekinesis - Effluxion
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Telekinesis – Effluxion

February 15, 2019 Sandra Blemster

According to the Oxford English Dictionary Effluxion means the action of flowing out. And when Michael Benjamin Lerner aka Telekinesis first heard the word he said: “I looked it up and it felt really indicative […]

TRACK OF THE DAY: Catfish and the Bottlemen - 'Longshot' - Listen Now
Track Of The Day

TRACK OF THE DAY: Catfish and the Bottlemen – ‘Longshot’ – Listen Now

January 9, 2019 Sandra Blemster

Catfish and the Bottlemen are back with their latest single Longshot. The single is released Tuesday 8th January 2019 ahead of their third album due out in the Spring. It’s been quite a ride for […]

THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT Rockarchive Exhibition now at Manchester Central Library
Features

THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT Rockarchive Exhibition now at Manchester Central Library

January 3, 2019 Sandra Blemster

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is a free exhibition running at Manchester Central Library celebrating the famous history of Manchester’s music scene. Curated by photographer Jill Furmanovsky the founder of Rockarchive.com and […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Manic Street Preachers - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, 20th Year Collector’s Edition
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Manic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (20th Anniversary Edition)

December 5, 2018 Sandra Blemster

On December 7th 2018, the Manic Street Preachers release a 20th Year Collector’s Edition of their fifth album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. The title comes from a part of a speech by […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Brix & the Extricated - Breaking State
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Brix & the Extricated – Breaking State

November 11, 2018 Sandra Blemster

Breaking State is the follow-up album to last year’s highly awaited debut album Part 2 from Brix and the Extricated, released by Grit Over Glamour. The cover art features an iconic animation designed by Rufus […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Mole - Danger Island
Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Mole – Danger Island

October 19, 2018 Sandra Blemster

Danger Island is the debut solo album from singer-songwriter MOLE. A double album of 21 tracks, that has taken more than five years to make. MOLE is the solo project of Californian-born singer, songwriter and […]

THE SLOW READERS CLUB announce 'For All Here To Observe' Acoustic EP
Album Reviews

REVIEW: The Slow Readers Club –  For All Here To Observe EP

September 19, 2018 Sandra Blemster

Manchester indie-electronic favourites The Slow Readers Club have released a new acoustic EP, For All Here To Observe, this month on  September 14th via Modern Sky. The EP features tracks spanning across their entire career including songs, […]

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