After having had my heart broken by missing him at Latitude Festival in July, I was delighted to find out that Leon Bridges was taking a step further from his sold out Deaf Institute show and returning to Manchester to…
NAME: Festival No. 6 WHERE: Portmerrion, Wales WHEN: 3rd-6th September HEADLINERS:Metronomy, Belle & Sebastian, Grace Jones and special guest headliner James BACKGROUND: Festival No. 6 was born of the desire to create a festival that truly is like no other. Portmerrion’s stunning architecture and sub-tropical vegetation makes…
There was almost a chance of Manchester escaping its stereotype as it welcomed Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott to its increasingly popular Castlefield Bowl venue. The weather had been well above 25 degrees for the majority of the week and with…
There’s no doubt in my mind that there’s an ignorance towards electronic music that has surfaced in recent years. It seems impossible for a musician to even incorporate electronic elements into their records without being accused of being lazy or…
Rating: Following up 2013’s Pearl Mystic at all is one thing, but releasing an album even better just one year on is incredible: Leeds DIY-preaching psych-noise enthusiasts Hookworms have outdone themselves with The Hum. The 35 minute psych onslaught is broken…
Rating: The Club Academy in Manchester is perhaps one of the smaller venues London four-piece Wolf Alice have played since unleashing their grunge-revivalist anthems on Glastonbury’s John Peel Stage during the summer, yet it’s evident from offset that they’re genuinely humbled…
After being blown away by Horsebeach’s stunning self-titled debut LP, I was eager to talk to the band and discuss just how one of the best dream pop records of recent years was written in the endless Manchester drizzle. Ryan…
Rating: Unlike many dream pop outfits that have dropped debut albums in recent years, Horsebeach tend to not drench their sound in reverb, but rather decorate the wonderfully entwined basslines and guitar-picking with dashes of it. The vocal melodies are much more prominent than…
Rating: Opening track ‘Digsaw’ feels like it’s been here decades. In fact, it could have come from Seattle in the mid-80s. The grunge-esque riff is contrasted by a garage-tinged fuzzy guitar tone, as vocalist Kristian Bell cries “She took all…
Rating: Set in the abyss of Derbyshire countryside, Y Not Festival is widely regarded as one of the best of the smaller festivals that the country has to offer. Arriving early meant that I could pitch my tent in the Kashmir…