A Deeper Sea was a nice surprise from Everything Everything. The band released the EP specifically for the first track, “The Mariana” which the band shared “we felt inspired to write a new song dealing with male identity and depression.” The lyrics state “Someone has to be the man”. The track is simple yet profound and adds another reason to […]

There’s a trend for producers to come out from behind the mixing desk and into the spotlight. It’s gathering pace with the emergence of Thirteen Mile, the music brand of Manchester-based producer and songwriter David JL. Thirteen Mile’s debut EP, Don’t Stop Never Stop, is a collaboration with vocalist Tristan Henry, another studio man whose session vocals have appeared in […]

Cabbage are a five-piece, post-punk band from Manchester. I’d like to review the opening night of their tour on Thursday 29th June at Scala, but I don’t think my words are going to do justice as to how amazing these guys are. Fresh from performing on the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury, Cabbage are really making a name for themselves. […]

Remember when The Black Keys use to create dirty, gritty garage-rock? Their early records, particularly Thickfreakness and Magic Potion, remain their best because the music was raw, unrelenting, and full of energy. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney were just two ordinary guys who knew only two things – play it loud and hard. While The Black Keys have moved on […]

Some stories are timeless. Oedipus, Hamlet, Star Wars, Harry Potter. The underlying themes are resolutely tragic and the leading characters resolutely masculine. Louis Barabbas, whose band The Bedlam Six released their swansong album Down Down Down back in 2016, combines his love of the classics with attention to contemporary political intrigue to create an epic, 31-track, feminist-oriented, double album. How […]

Since 2015, we have asked independent artists to share their favorite memories from their time at SXSW. In just a couple of years, this project has become one of our most popular features thanks to the growing interests of bands and singers from around the world. Forty-five artists participated in this year’s edition, including False Advertising. The trio of Jen […]

Manchester is a Mecca in music. Joy Division and New Order. The Smiths, Morrissey, and Johnny Marr. Oasis. The Verve. Elbow. These are just some of the names that have come from the central England city, and all are icons if not royalty in their own ways. Now who will join them? Making a strong case for inception are Affairs. […]

If it’s better to be late to the party than not arrive at all, the opportunity to discover a band through their final album is as sweet as being in from the beginning. Conceived in grief and rum, the band has been around since 2006, starting out as a duo. An incarnation as The Black Velvet Band transformed into The […]

One of the best new bands to catch our attention this year is Manchester’s Easy Kill. They describe their music as “doom pop”, which is another way of saying lying in the sonic waters between The National’s brooding indie rock, Wild Beasts’ spiraling pop-rock, and Daughter’s haunting soundscapes. Their debut EP, Sermons, is evidence of the band’s varied and engrossing […]

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. – Robert F. Kennedy Since their formation as The TenFiveSixty nearly five years ago, Rick Hornby and Jen Bailey have been favorites of many sites and blogs. They been identified as a “band to watch” and as the next Manchester duo with the potential to “divide and conquer”. Despite the accolades, […]

Location: Manchester, UK Members: Hey Bulldog are Rob Manton (guitar, vocals); Matt Parry (bass/vocals); Ben Howarth-Lees (drums) For those who like: Reignwolf, Christopher Wild, Black Mountain Our take:  One of the biggest compliments we can give to a band is, “F*** yeah!”. That was our reaction when hearing this searing, psychedelic, blues-rock song by Hey Bulldog. “Making Friends Not Millionaires” isn’t a barn burner, but the […]

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom Members: Girl Friend are siblings Amory (vocals) and Eleanor (vocals) plus Sam (drums) and Jake (keys, guitar). For those who like: Summer Camp, BREAKFAST Our take: Over the past few months, we’ve become more familiar with Girl Friend’s music. Their indie pop has a decidedly retro flavor, in particular to ’80s synth-pop. Their latest song, “Arrive Alone […]

Elle Mary & The Bad Men‘s debut EP, Happiness, may not conjure out images or feelings of the title. On the contrary, the music is deep, dense, and brooding, creating a sense of foreboding as oppose to glee, in much the way Nick Cave has challenged us. And like the great musician, Elle Mary & TBM use a lot of […]

  Why would anyone leave the sunny and beautiful shores of Australia’s Gold Coast for England’s industrial heartland of Manchester? Nothing against Manchester, but if you’ve been to the Gold Coast you’ll know what we mean. But then again, Manchester isn’t just a sprawling urban centre, but it’s also one of Europe’s preeminent music factories. The city has spawned the likes of […]

  2015 has already had some startling and amazing music from singer-songwriters from across the globe. Another one to add to the list is Elle Mary & The Bad Men. The group from Manchester, UK create bone-chilling, haunting indie-folk. Their latest single, “Falling”, is the lead track from their upcoming EP. It echoes of Lady Lamb, especially when Aly Spaltro […]

“You Lead the Way” is the latest single from Manchester pop band Girl Friend. It’s a groovy, catchy song that ebbs with the sound of the ’80s. Think a more restrained Passion Pit. However, their ability to build mood and atmosphere through melodies and harmonies is reminiscent of Phoenix, which is evident on “Monte Carlo” and “Chemical Reaction”, which are […]

The Reveurs, a Manchester, England-based four piece, make anthemic music in the same vain as artists like Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, and Foo Fighters. Next week, on March 16, they will release their latest single, “Take A Bow”. “Take A Bow” is a great, energetic indie rocker, featuring the gritty voice of Gary Nelson, excellent guitar work from Iain Brewster, rumbling […]