The Bright Light Social Hour Archives | XS Noize

DEPECHE MODE talk new album 'Memento Mori', new music, early influences & more with Zane Lowe

March 21, 2023

Dave Gahan and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode join Zane Lowe in-studio on Apple Music 1 to discuss ‘Memento Mori’ — their first album in six years out later this week. They tell him about […]

INCUBUS announce UK summer headline shows

March 21, 2023

Following a major sold-out UK tour last year, iconic multi-platinum Los Angeles rock band Incubus have announced a return to the UK with two headline summer shows at London’s Eventim Apollo on Friday 23rd June […]

THE JAPANESE HOUSE returns with new single ‘BOYHOOD’

March 21, 2023

The Japanese House returns with new single ‘BOYHOOD’, out now via Dirty Hit and debuted as BBC Radio 1’s ‘Hottest Record’. The Japanese House is the acclaimed project of Amber Bain, who has released music […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Secret Machines - The Moth, The Lizard and the Secret Machines

March 21, 2023

Long regarded as a ‘lost’ album, the space rock new prog titans finally release a collection of songs that they have had in the musical bank for over a decade. Secret Machines have spent the […]

ALBUM REVIEW: All Time Low - Tell Me I'm Alive

March 20, 2023

The ninth album from the pop-punk legends sees the band reach for mainstream stardom. All Time Low formed twenty years ago this year. In that time they have ridden the pop-punk wave seeing it become […]

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 […]

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 […]

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

‘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

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 REVIEW: Underworld at The Royal Albert Hall in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust

March 21, 2023

The point when normality returned following COVID-19 is debatable but it’s impossible to deny that after an unwanted three-year hiatus, much normality returned when the Teenage Cancer Trust festival was revived in 2022 and saw […]

LIVE REVIEW: F*cked Up at Lafayette, London

March 20, 2023

If someone was to bring up in conversation “Who was that band that fought the law…?” Most people would think of either The Clash or Sonny Curtis and his band The Crickets. Canadian hardcore band […]

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

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// Ville Valo at The Garage, Glasgow, Scotland

March 15, 2023

Ville Valo is one of the most well-known Finnish musicians, who gained most of his success as a frontman and songwriter of the band named HIM that disbanded in 2017. In 2023, Ville released his […]

IN FOCUS// Killing Joke at London’s Royal Albert Hall

March 13, 2023

Killing Joke headlined a sold-out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 12th 2023. Founder members Jaz Coleman, Youth, Geordie Walker, and Paul Ferguson performed the entirety of their first self-titled debut album ‘Killing […]

INCUBUS announce UK summer headline shows

March 21, 2023

OCEAN COLOUR SCENE announce headline show at Belfast’s Telegraph Building on 7th December 2023

March 21, 2023

Indie-rock legends Ocean Colour Scene have announced details of their upcoming UK & Irish December tour, which includes a show in Belfast’s Telegraph Building on 7th December 2023. Formed in Birmingham in 1989, OCS spent […]

BEN HOWARD Announces Huge UK, Irish + European Tour – His First European Run In Five Years

March 20, 2023

Ben Howard is pleased to announce a huge 26-date live run of the UK, Ireland and Europe for this year. The tour kicks off at La Riviera in Madrid on the 18th of May and […]

INTERVIEW: Indie pop-funk outfit Thumpasaurus on new single 'Lipstick Makeup'

March 20, 2023

Los Angeles-based indie pop-funk outfit Thumpasaurus recently released their latest single/music video, “Lipstick Makeup.” According to Thumpasaurus, “‘Lipstick Makeup’ is about saying f*ck it. I’m letting my freak out tonight and getting real nice with […]

DEPECHE MODE talk new album 'Memento Mori', new music, early influences & more with Zane Lowe

INCUBUS announce UK summer headline shows

THE JAPANESE HOUSE returns with new single ‘BOYHOOD’

Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Secret Machines - The Moth, The Lizard and the Secret Machines

ALBUM REVIEW: All Time Low - Tell Me I'm Alive

Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Ziggy Marley - Music Is In Everything

BOOK REVIEW: Pop Rock Icons by Philippe Margotin

Classic Albums

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

CLASSIC ALBUM: Duran Duran – Duran Duran

Live Reviews

LIVE REVIEW: Underworld at The Royal Albert Hall in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust

LIVE REVIEW: F*cked Up at Lafayette, London

Round Up

XS Noize Best Albums of 2018

The Best Of October 2018 PLAYLIST + ROUND-UP

In Focus

IN FOCUS// Ville Valo at The Garage, Glasgow, Scotland

IN FOCUS// Killing Joke at London’s Royal Albert Hall

INCUBUS announce UK summer headline shows

OCEAN COLOUR SCENE announce headline show at Belfast’s Telegraph Building on 7th December 2023

BEN HOWARD Announces Huge UK, Irish + European Tour – His First European Run In Five Years

INTERVIEW: Indie pop-funk outfit Thumpasaurus on new single 'Lipstick Makeup'

INTERVIEW: Billy Lockett talks ‘Abington Grove’, mental health & the future

INTERVIEW: Coach Party talk ahead of their headline show at Voodoo, Belfast

INTERVIEW: The Answer's Cormac Neeson on new album 'Sundowners'

INTERVIEW: Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson on new album UK GRIM

INTERVIEW: Tide Lines frontman Robert Robertson on new album ‘An Ocean Full of Islands’

VIDEO PREMIERE: Austin shoegaze risers THE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR share live version of new single 'Ouroboros'