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  • Dea Matrona Announce Second Album ‘Hate That I Care’ and Share Electrifying Title Track
  • WATCH: The Grahams Share Video for ‘Georgette’ as Deluxe Edition of ‘The Bridge’ Is Released
  • The Charlatans Release Lyric Video for New Single ‘Appetite’ – Watch Now
  • HARD-Fi announce new album ‘Sweating Someone Else’s Fever’ and UK tour dates
  • “We’re Always Making Music for Ourselves” — The Dream Machine on ‘Fort Perch Rock’ | XS Noize Podcast #273
XS Noize | Independent Music News
  • News
        • Dea Matrona
          News

          Dea Matrona Announce Second Album ‘Hate That I Care’ and Share Electrifying Title Track

          March 5, 2026

          Irish rock powerhouse Dea Matrona return stronger and more assured, announcing their second studio album ‘Hate That I Care’ and unleashing its electrifying title track today. Recorded, produced and written entirely by the band, the […]

          The Grahams
          News

          WATCH: The Grahams Share Video for ‘Georgette’ as Deluxe Edition of ‘The Bridge’ Is Released

          March 5, 2026

          The Grahams’ acclaimed album ‘The Bridge’ is the result of the couple – Alyssa and Doug, together since childhood – taking a hyper personal approach to songwriting in which they commit their deepest personal truths […]

          The Charlatans
          News

          The Charlatans Release Lyric Video for New Single ‘Appetite’ – Watch Now

          March 5, 2026

          The Charlatans today unveil a special lyric video of their latest single ‘Appetite’. The video visually mirrors the emotional trajectory of the song, using a gradual shift in colour and light to reflect the unravelling […]

  • Reviews
        • Album Reviews

          ALBUM REVIEW: Iron and Wine - Hen’s Teeth
          Album Reviews

          ALBUM REVIEW: Iron and Wine – Hen’s Teeth

          February 23, 2026

          Iron and Wine, the moniker of singer/songwriter Samuel Beam, is releasing his much anticipated follow up to 2024’s Light Verse at the end of February. Hen’s Teeth is a slightly darker sibling to Beam’s poetic […]

          ALBUM REVIEW: Nothing - A Short History Of Decay
          Album Reviews

          ALBUM REVIEW: Nothing – A Short History Of Decay

          February 20, 2026

          Philadelphia shoegaze standard-bearers Nothing return in 2026 with A Short History Of Decay, a record that feels less like a reinvention and more like a reaffirmation of everything they’ve quietly perfected over the past decade […]

        • 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: Jack Savoretti and Katherine Jenkins Unite for War Child at London’s Emerald Theatre Credit Wiktoria Wolny
          Live Reviews

          LIVE REVIEW: Jack Savoretti and Katherine Jenkins Unite for War Child at London’s Emerald Theatre

          February 26, 2026

          In the heart of London’s Embankment, the recently opened Emerald Theatre feels part The Great Gatsby, part Emerald City — lavish, theatrical and unapologetically opulent. The room glows in rich green tones and, with its […]

          LIVE REVIEW: Of Monsters and Men Camden Roundhouse, London photos by Martin
          Live Reviews

          LIVE REVIEW: Of Monsters and Men Camden Roundhouse, London

          February 21, 2026

          Of Monsters and Men first broke through in 2010 after winning Músíktilraunir, Iceland’s annual Battle of the Bands. That early victory propelled the then-emerging collective onto the international stage, leading to a European Border Breakers […]

        • 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// Ash ignite La Scala with career-spanning London show Credit: Denise Esposito
          IN FOCUS

          IN FOCUS// Ash ignite La Scala with career-spanning London show

          February 6, 2026

          On 3 February, Ash returned to La Scala for a blistering, high-energy London show. Packed wall to wall, the venue buzzed as the trio tore through a career-spanning set, seamlessly weaving in new material from […]

          IN FOCUS// Biffy Clyro at 3Arena Dublin, Ireland Credit: Becca McCaffrey
          IN FOCUS

          IN FOCUS// Biffy Clyro at 3Arena Dublin, Ireland

          January 11, 2026

          Biffy Clyro put on a brilliant show at the 3Arena on Saturday, 10 January, delivering a set that was as heavy and intense as it was open and emotional. The sold-out Dublin crowd were treated […]

  • 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
        • Jordan Anthony
          Interviews

          Jordan Anthony on “Lost In LA”, Finding His Voice in LA & Dream Tour Plans

          February 10, 2026

          He may only be 20, but Perth-born, LA-based artist Jordan Anthony already has more experience within the music industry than many might expect. He was writing songs and playing instruments before he hit double digits, […]

          TAVE
          Interviews

          INTERVIEW: TAVE Talks ‘Fly Away,’ Self-Discovery, and the Art of Letting Go

          November 11, 2025

          Rising artist TAVE has had an extraordinary journey — from earning a scholarship at just 13 and performing with some of music’s biggest names to now stepping into the spotlight with his deeply personal debut […]

          :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 […]

  • Podcast
        • The Dream Machine
          Podcast

          “We’re Always Making Music for Ourselves” — The Dream Machine on ‘Fort Perch Rock’ | XS Noize Podcast #273

          March 4, 2026

          In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Zak and Matty from The Dream Machine to talk about Fort Perch Rock — the band’s third studio album and a record […]

          credit Yagub Allahverdiyev
          Podcast

          Archive’s Dave Pen on ‘Glass Minds’ and evolving after 30 years | XS Noize Podcast #272

          February 24, 2026

          In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Dave Pen of Archive to talk about Glass Minds — the band’s 13th studio album and a bold new chapter in a […]

          Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on Re-Examining Howl | XS Noize Podcast #271
          Podcast

          Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on Re-Examining Howl | XS Noize Podcast #271

          February 17, 2026

          In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to revisit Howl — the band’s third album and a bold creative left turn […]

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Book Reviews

The latest Xsnoize book reviews. Get reading!

BOOK REVIEW: Y/N - Esther Yi
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Y/N – Esther Yi

October 30, 2023 Michael Barron

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 Michael Barron

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 […]

Ziggy Marley - Music Is In Everything
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Ziggy Marley – Music Is In Everything

January 16, 2023 Michael Barron

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 Michael Barron

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 […]

Sound within Sound by Kate Molleson
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Sound within Sound by Kate Molleson

September 24, 2022 Michael Barron

The number of biographies and autobiographies of artists is colossal, but what makes Sound within Sound unique is the largely unknown contributions of the ten twentieth-century artists Kate Molleson has featured. The one thing all […]

BOOK REVIEW: Radiohead: Life in a Glasshouse - John Aizlewood
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Radiohead: Life in a Glasshouse – John Aizlewood

May 18, 2022 Michael Barron

Consistency, work ethic, teamwork, innovation and the ability to evolve musically by defying trends have made Radiohead an international success story. After all, how many bands that found their footing in the early nineties still […]

BOOK REVIEW: Leonard Cohen: On A Wire - Philippe Girard 1
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Leonard Cohen: On A Wire – Philippe Girard

May 3, 2022 Michael Barron

There are several milestones including being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and winning copious awards (including a BRIT) which define the success of an artist. Leonard Cohen not only achieved these, […]

BOOK REVIEW: George Orwell’s 1984 - Adapted by Matyáš Namai 1
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: George Orwell’s 1984 – Adapted by Matyáš Namai

April 7, 2022 Michael Barron

Whilst it’s been over 70 years since George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair) died, his legacy appears to be eternal. We are barely in the first quarter of 2022, and Orwell has already been referenced copious […]

BOOK REVIEW: DJANGO, Hand on Fire - The Great Django Reinhardt by Efa & Rubio
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: DJANGO, Hand on Fire – The Great Django Reinhardt by Efa & Rubio

February 6, 2022 Michael Barron

DJANGO, Hand on Fire, kills two birds with one stone by having a separate mini-biography and a graphic novel. Other comic biographies by nbm have had biographies in between the chapters of the graphic novels, […]

BOOK REVIEW: Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavla
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavla

January 11, 2022 Michael Barron

The year is 1997, the setting is France in the small French village of Cressy-la-Valoise, and a young lady seeks out an elderly gentleman living in what she describes as a “museum-like mansion”. What does […]

BOOK REVIEW: The Beatles - Get Back 1
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Beatles – Get Back

December 1, 2021 Michael Barron

In January 1969, Michael Lindsay-Hogg and his crew filmed The Beatles whilst they recorded in Twickenham Film Studios, Apple Studios on Saville Row in the West End of London and their live performance on top […]

BOOK REVIEW: Decades: Joy Division + New Order By John Aizlewood
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Decades: Joy Division + New Order By John Aizlewood

October 31, 2021 Michael Barron

The beginning of Decades: Joy Division + New Order started 45 years ago on 4th June 1976. The venue is the Lesser Free Trade Hall, and the bands playing are the Buzzcocks and the Sex […]

BOOK REVIEW: Billie Holiday: The Graphic Novel: Women in Jazz By Ebony Gilbert and David Calcano
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Billie Holiday: The Graphic Novel: Women in Jazz By Ebony Gilbert and David Calcano

August 2, 2021 Michael Barron

In a creative foreword, Keith Knight shows a teacher educating her pupils about Billie Holiday and how her life is an opportunity to value “the contributions of blacks, Jews, women….” Her biggest hit, “Strange Fruit, […]

BOOK REVIEW: Love Me Please: The Story of Janis Joplin  By Nicolas Finet, Christopher and Degreff
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Love Me Please: The Story of Janis Joplin By Nicolas Finet, Christopher and Degreff

July 14, 2021 Michael Barron

Affectionately known as Pearl, this outsider who was bullied and abused for being different was able to rise above the cultural barriers of her hometown and period she lived in to become an international star […]

BOOK REVIEW: TOPP: Promotor Gary Topp Brought Us the World
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: TOPP: Promotor Gary Topp Brought Us the World

July 5, 2021 Michael Barron

You will have almost definitely heard of the artists that Gary Topp first brought to Canada, including The Police and The Ramones. Author David Collier who worked with Gary believes Gary’s cultural impact in opening […]

BOOK REVIEW: Gods, Gangsters & Honor: A rock ‘n’ roll odyssey by Steven Machat
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Gods, Gangsters & Honor: A rock ‘n’ roll odyssey by Steven Machat

June 8, 2021 Randall Radic

Sans any pretentiousness about his profession or any claim to being a choirboy himself, lawyer Steven Machat has written a captivating tell-all of his life in the entertainment industry, entitled Gods, Gangsters & Honor: A […]

BOOK REVIEW: Orwell - by Pierre Christin & Sébastien Verdier
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Orwell – by Pierre Christin & Sébastien Verdier

June 7, 2021 Michael Barron

With this graphic novel being divided into three parts, just like George Orwell’s most resound novel 1984; one may expect that Verdier’s effort may disproportionately focus on 1984 and Orwell’s previous offering Animal Farm; the […]

BOOK REVIEW: Wuvable Oaf: Blood & Metal By Ed Luce
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Wuvable Oaf: Blood & Metal By Ed Luce

May 21, 2021 Michael Barron

Who is Wuvable Oaf? He goes by the name of Goteblud, is extremely hairy and a wrestler. Goteblud is no ordinary wrestler; he dresses up as the devil and uncontrollably shoots blood at his opponents […]

BOOK REVIEW: Zebedee And The Valentines by Abs Bailey
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Zebedee And The Valentines by Abs Bailey

April 27, 2021 Michael Barron

The year is 1982, and the setting is a small suburban town in the South West of England. The specific town name itself was irrelevant, as was the name of the pub this four-piece punk-ish […]

BOOK REVIEW: Bob Dylan - No Direction Home (Revised illustrated edition) By Robert Shelton 1
Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Bob Dylan – No Direction Home (Revised illustrated edition) By Robert Shelton

April 9, 2021 Michael Barron

Initially proposed by the author in 1965 and finally released in 1986, an expanded edition followed in 2011 for Dylan’s 70th birthday.  An expanded hardback illustrated edition with 150 images “aimed at a younger audience” […]

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LATEST PODCASTS

  • The Dream Machine
    “We’re Always Making Music for Ourselves” — The Dream Machine on ‘Fort Perch Rock’ | XS Noize Podcast #273
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  • Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on Re-Examining Howl | XS Noize Podcast #271
    Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on Re-Examining Howl | XS Noize Podcast #271
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