|
santiago street machine |
you don’t meet bands like
santiago street machine too often; focused, funny and confidently relaxed
all at the same time; their music stands out in a city already renowned for
a creative swell of dance-based music occurring under the greying overcoat
of Manchester’s ageing six-string heritage...david edwards explains... |
|
trojan horse |
manchester has been harbouring prog ambitions
for the best part of a decade, but trojan horse are taking it to new 21st
century levels...alex lynham investigates |
|
deadbeat echoes |
david edwards investigates a band of two cities,
whose rallying cry is simply to love music as much as the people who live in
them... |
|
beecher |
rachel mann celebrates the return of beecher;
asks why it took so long and why their favourite manchester band of all time
is most probably 10cc... |
|
delphic |
delphic's rick boardman is collared at haldern
pop by incendiary mag's richard foster with questions loaded and primed by
cath aubergine... |
|
black knights |
the black knights - a legend in their own
making unravelled - but only slighty - by david edwards |
|
kirsty almeida |
kirsty almeida talks about record deals, the art
of music and waltzing... in another engaging interview with mm's david
edwards |
|
the janice graham band |
david edwards supplies the words and gu the
pictures, in this interview with one of manchester's finest new young bands
- toast, sausages and salford provide a backdrop to this exciting and truly
unique quartet's story |
|
chris eatough |
david edwards caught a glimpse of something
rather new and wonderful at islington mill this spring - find out more in
his interview with chris eatough (not the cyclist) |
|
sylence |
adam irving asks rapper sylence to unravel life
on the city's music scene and to reveal what actually are the challenges for
an aspiring urban artist |
|
amanda palmer |
from the dresden dolls to a broken foot in
manchester, dave himelfield interviews the remarkable amanda palmer |
|
team waterpolo |
another mission for tom southworth as he shares
a pool with team waterpolo, preston's brightest great alt.pop hopes since fi-lo
radio - big things beckon in 2009 |
|
twisted wheel |
tom southworth catches a glimpse of the twisted
wheel on their own, often wild, headline tour. as their debut album is
getting the finishing touches, dates with The Courteeners, The View and that
not insignificant manc outfit, oasis also beckon... |
|
juno ashes |
cath aubergine catches up with juno ashes -
pedigree lineages apart they've just won a prize and share a passion for
spicy food - yum... |
|
the star fighter pilot |
PODCAST - a
superfast blipview with manchester's leading electro pioneer - he favours
sailors attire, has a record coming out and has some crazy scripts floating
around ...listen on ... |
|
good shoes..not cobblers |
helen jones catches up with good shoes and
singer rhys at their recent manchester show - the dazzling prospects for
2007 come clean on their foot wear based issues.. |
|
sunday international |
PODCAST -
includes live tracks from the bands electric circus appearance at oldham
castle plus manchestermusic.co.uk interview - 20min /
18mb podcast for download - strange trans-continental indie from stockport
and beyond |
|
alex is on fire |
dave adair gets a/o/f to
relax during the taste of chaos tour - cups of tea and some very open
talking yield a close view of this hot outfit.. |
|
amber club |
PODCAST -
includes live session tracks plus manchestermusic.co.uk interview - 20min /
19mb podcast for download - psychedelic space rock on tap from north east
manchester's finest |
|
YSN - last interview ever.. |
three months after
unleashing the single "more" which had half the manchestermusic staff falling over themselves with superlatives,
cath aubergine caught up
with the band's flamboyant frontman pete wurlitzer in the ramshackle walk-in
cupboard that passes for a dressing room at dry bar |
|
sounds from the other city 2006 |
manchestermusic catches up with mark from dead
digital - along with the rest of the dd collective, their urban festival,
sounds from the other city 2006 builds on the innovative and magical success
of last years event....we find out more |
|
morning after girls |
"..we
want people to have experienced every emotion you can possibly feel...that
you’ve witnessed something, not that you’ve seen a band like the other one
you saw in a pub last night.." - dave adair asks more
|
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brakes |
brakes
started life as eamon hamilton’s (bsp) outlet for his rustic brand of
poetic, acoustic artistry. Now he finds his outfit has crystallised into a
trouper-group, as oppose to one of these style over substance
super-groups...exclusive interview with eamon...
|
|
red mojo |
not long
after this sincere and strident Warrington quintet released the latest in a
string of demos ‘70/80’, their blues rock with a hint of funk and disco
groove wet the appetite of Scottish indie label crunch records...
|
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be your own pet |
dave adair catches up with nashville’s finest rockers, in a
cold and dark outlet of the hallowed hall of the roadhouse in manchester.
rocks most punk band right this moment insist they're ' not punk, as we’re
not really changing anything....'
|
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Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello |
from sonic youth, via the clash to new york city, eugene hutz
and gogol bordello take on 'racist marketing' with an amazing collision of
progressive art and traditional music...rachael clegg digs deeper..
|
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this aint vegas |
this ain’t vegas are probably
one of the most important and “real” bands in britain. their uncompromising
stance on song writing, performance and the music industry has earned them
equal respect from the diy underground, their friends and contemporaries The
futureheads and maximo park and indeed, the man.
|
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helen boulding |
what fools we’ve been, for overlooking helen boulding.the
ebullient and crafted sheffield songstress even shares her songs with the
main act on tonights bill - dave adair investigates a hardworking and
soul-searching, insightful performer.
|
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the fountain |
the fountain are the lean, mean all singing but no dancing
trio - the original name ‘r mutt’ was ditched due to its unintended canine
connotations and swapped for the name of a ‘sculpture’ - which also tied in
neatly with an unreleased aronofsky film.....read on brainiacs
|
|
nine black alps |
sat on a palette in a quiet corridor backstage at the
manchester academy, nine black alps’ sam forrest opens up to rachael clegg
about the band, musical ratios, his despising of indie and the new
manchester scene....
|
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goldie lookin chain |
supporting feeder in blackpool ? missing dog excrement at the
turnstiles of their favourite football club, glc tone down slightly for an
audience of thirteen year olds. not much though as the band consider world
issues, such as the process of legal claims for tripping and falling..dave
adair is on the bench.
|
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death from above 1979 |
dfa are from canada, but want to save america from itself -
as well put the world to rights in between pummelling out dirty bass lines
and thundering drum work out outs - rachael clegg finds out what makes this
bomb tick...
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stranger son of wb |
they’ve only
been around for six months and already they’ve been causing quite a fuss.
this isn’t altogether surprising as they are what some people would term a ‘supergroup’.
formed from the ashes of two of Manchester’s most respected underground
acts, The Stranger Son of WB have succeeded by continuing the ethos of their
former bands while managing to sound completely different and yet equally
dazzling..Dave Himelfield digs deeper |
|
behind green lights |
PODCAST - behind green lights are about to release their
debut single and are one of the citys most touted acts in a sea of exciting
music. listen to the band talk about their roots, future and inspiration
from dylan...listen to our exclusive audio interview
|
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the permissive society |
PODCAST - A summer interview with The Permissive Society,
who reveal their love of writing on cop cars, their boundless enthusiasm for
rock and roll. Listen on for an idea of what makes the Permissives
tick...the first of our summer audio interviews |
|
maximo park |
like so many
others, paul Smith and his maximo park cohorts spent eons waiting for one modest
bus, to transport his brand of popular music into the public consciousness -
then suddenly a monolithic shining coach capable of space travel, turned up
with their names emblazoned along the sides - a dangerously over capacity
manchester gig preludes an american tour - did we mention that they’re
the first guitar band to be signed to the electro head fuck label warp
records - dave himelfield finds paul smith currently rather psyched |
|
keith |
the name
eventually grows on you. it actually makes a bit more sense if you remember
that famous keith’s include keith richards and keith moon. rob allen
discovers that , as you get to know the band through their live shows and
scattered demo tracks, that there could be nothing less important to them
than something as trifling as a name.
|
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martha wainwright |
bloody mother fucking asshole...from the very
wainwright dynasty that brought us loudon, rufus and the mcgarringles,
martha is an altogether different kettle of fish. mention of leonard cohen
and feminism and not being 21, all crop up in rachel cleggs interview
with one of 2005's rising stars |
|
performance |
Performance were
shattered; they had just recorded a live performance for BBC Radio 6. The
band had never recorded anything live on-air before. Signed to Polydor just
days before this interview, Rachael Clegg chatted to them in a noisy bar in
Manchester about their musical ideas and the pros and cons of being signed
to a major label. Electronic they may be, using the hard, cold edges
of transistors and digital processing, but here's a band who are
pleasant, co-operative and very funny indeed. |
|
lemon jelly |
Those
Lemon Jelly-makers have more jelly, only this time it’s darker, more
eclectic, and, as Fred and Nick assert, most definitely ‘not like the old
album’. 64-95 is a sensual treat, in audio and visual format. Lemon Jelly
have also produced an hour-long DVD of synchronised visuals and music. Intrigued
by Lemon Jelly’s latest phenomena Rachael Clegg interviews Fred Deakin about
the visual aspects of music and the concepts behind 64-95. |
|
a silver mount zion |
To many ASMZ not only possess
what might be a deep and meaningful name, they're also their version of the worlds best supergroup.
Committed Led Zep fans to the core, ASMZ combine sacred harp singing with a concern about
political
violence and the escalation of racist wars. Not just your straight forward
rock band by any means. Rachel Clegg witnessed the live experience and gets
a chance to dig just a little deeper. |
|
goldie lookin' chain |
From the bands
first known appearances people speculated as to whether the GLC were the
next equivalent Beastie Boys or whether they were in fact more a collective
of phonies who had more in common with the Spice Girls and cared about an
industry of money as oppose to rap. Craig Mather, Chec / Chec / Chec / Checz
it out in his Chav investigation |
|
q and not u |
World renowned for it’s
fierce anti-corporate stance and strict adherence to punk ideals Washington
DC’s Dischord records has been one of the few labels to succeed entirely on
its own terms away from the fear and despotism of the mainstream music
industry. As well as that Dischord has produced some of the most important
guitar music of the 80s and 90s. Q and Not U, one of their flagship bands
carry on that tradition. MM met up with them on their recent tour. |
|
pretty girls make graves |
So
just what do you want from your 21st century rock? Seattle
five-piece Pretty Girls Make Graves proved on their last ‘New Romance’ LP
that you could take a huge array of indie rock sounds, re-arrange them and
still come up smelling of fresh pop roses while simultaneous rocking damned
hard.............. |
|
laymar |
Laymar have been a diamond in
the rough for too long since they formed just over three years ago. After a
change in line ups and recent surge of more shows and a new found power the
band feel deserved of more attention, and its glaringly obvious the band
deserve it if you have seen them live. In an overcrowded bar ManchesterMusic
ask the band why things have taken so long and where they go from here. |
|
the forest |
welcome
to the world of the forest. shadows, canopy covered, large exterior spaces
populated by the sonic awe of post indie, post rock buzzwire musings. less
heavy rock, more like heavy industrial equipment. the forest are bringing
back the sounds of urban rebellion to its spiritual home of manchester.
read on as craig mather peels back a small part of their armour and takes
a peek inside. |
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oceansize
|
We first interviewed OCEANSIZE in April
2000 upstairs at the band on the wall. Just over a year later we met up
with the band on the eve of the launch of their debut CD on soviet union
(see bottom of this page !).
Four EPs and an album later, (inter) national
critical acclaim has been theirs. As 'Music For Nurses' is released, we
catch up with the band as they make preparations for their second album
and hit the road for their autumn tour.
|
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mike west
|
Mike West plays what he likes to call New Orleans
levee-billy music. Trying to work out when she last saw him (she realised
it was 1991 when The Man From Delmonte went out on a high, as some
London venue neither of us can recall the name of, took exception to the
coachload of Mancunians invading the stage sometime around the fourth
encore and pulled the trip-switch) - Cath Aubergine catches up and
recalls the days when his trademark lopsided hair was a fixture at any gig
worth going to in town...
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madrugada
|
Stars in every European country except
England and a couple of others where music is probably banned, Dave
Himelfield chats to Robert Buras, guitarist of Norway’s biggest and blackest
Madrugada
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ash
|
Manchester Music caught up
with Ash members Charlotte Hatherley (Guitar and Backing Vocals) and Rick
McMurray (Drums) at their Manchester date of their ‘Meltdown’ tour. With
the band absent from the mainstream for over two years I felt a few
questions were suitable for firing at the longstanding heroes of British
punk pop.
|
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pernice brothers
|
Far from any rumours of a
split the Pernice Brothers have another record in the wings. Dave
Himelfield exclusively interviews Joe Pernice, as his American indie stars,
The Pernice Brothers, hit manchester
|
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the little explorer |
Is The Little Explorer here
to save the day - Mighty Mouse style? Who knows and frankly, we need
not abandon hope if they don’t
- Dave Himelfield speaks to the kings of the underground.. |
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human shield
|
Geraint Rees goes underground to find out who, what, is human shield
- subterranean electro that exists further below the 'scene' -
with radio 1 sessions and a personal invitation to "party like
its £19.99 - you've just got to read on... |
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jarcrew
|
Craig
Mather chats with the fractured and sometimes unpredictable
Jarcrew. Find out which bands they'd like to play with, how the follow
up album will be produced and listen to yet more off the wall leftfield
rock and roll musings.. |
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lost
prophets
|
Lost
Prophets speak to Ed Mellet about their next album and their steady and
then more recently, meteoric climb up the UK charts. As the Welsh rock
scene fuels large scale Euro-success, whats next on the LP agenda
? |
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funeral
for a friend
|
Kerrang!'s
best new band explain why cancellations and illness won't stop their
progress - their destination, firmly, our hearts and
minds - J-O investigates |
|
wrath
records |
Wrath
Records based in Leeds involve the people who have helped their
city and Manchester forge quite a special relationship over the
last few years. With gig swaps, Leeds bands based here, Manchester bands
there, we decided to ask a few questions. This is what the Yorkshire
capitals underground guru's had to say. |
|
the
bellrays
|
kate
wheeler gets on the transatlantic cable to find out what makes
the bellrays tick as they release their latest uk album on mcgees
poptones label. the californian quartet explain how motown somehow got
mangled with spirited punk rock. |
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amplifier |
chairsmissing
/ manchestermusic.co.uk graduates amplifier are firmly into the big
time. with major radio airplay, mtv rotation and major tours, at the
time of interview it was almost impossible to believe that their music
for nations debut single was yet to be released. geraint rees caught up
with them at the witchwood just to see how much blood sweat and tears it
takes to make such monumental music |
|
ten days
|
10
days are one of manchesters next gen-bands just waiting happen. from
junior campus metal to offers of scandanavian noise fests, 10days
deal up the flux of mid-eastern distorted guitars and an urban blast of
anthemic dark rock performed by gothic disaffected youth |
|
moco |
moco
are already clipping their way into the billboard top 100. there's loads
going on with the wigan warriors and we catch up with them as their new
single 'miss mantaray' hits the shops. |
|
mcclusky |
tom
kirk catches up with welsh noiseniks mcclusky. from albini
to stomach pains, from tearing up manifestos and the philosophy that all
music is 'shit', mcclusky can be as intense off stage as they are on,
despite what is most probably an extreme medical condition prevailing
during their recent summer '03 visit to the Roadhouse |
|
inspiral carpets |
after
manchestermusic made the worlds very first announcement that the
inspirals were reforming, april 2003 sees the bands return facing sold
out shows, the promise of a rarities compilation and possibly a new
album of brand new material. Rob Allen catches up with the band and
provides an exclusive insight into what has brought the carpets back
together. |
|
tRANSELEMENt |
At
one of their sessions for John Peel, the great bearded eclectic one was
naturally compelled to describe them as “weird”. DJ Magazine called
their 2001 mini-LP Sour Blast “a distinctly different
approach…(that)…will blow you away”. NME described their recent
“Pendletones” EP as “a bright blast of leftfield creativity”. An
ample case perhaps, to herald Transelement as one of today’s
most important underground bands? |
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puressence
|
a
triumphant third album, top 40 hit and sold out shows herald the return
of puressence. is this the beginning or the end ? as far as manchester
is concerned, neither- rather another chilling chapter in the book of
goth pop and a band that epitomises the citys slant on sci-fi urban
decay set against towers of glass and steel. deep ? read
on |
|
david r black
|
david
r black return from LA and then bury - their west coast rock has kids
from both the beaches and the valleys moshing eargerly - ged camera
provides an insight into one of manchesters greatest hidden acts |
|
my computer |
my
computer - with a debut single and album backed up by massive stamps of
approval by the NME, the band take to the road and speak to
manchestermusic about past lives, the joys of home recording and the
future of manc electronica |
|
tsuji giri |
tsuji
giri - no press doesn't mean no credibility. we provide further evidence
of the giris' popularity and the basic fact that they are one of the
most important and progressive acts in manchester - welcome to the world
of razor sharp sonics and blistering anthems. |
|
the obsession |
kill
the queen - stop the jubilee. anarchy and rebellion don't require a high
street sponsored royal festival or Brian May's mullet playing the
national anthem atop Buck' Palace. what we do need is more
incendiary insurrection in the form of trash basement kings, the
obsession. see how they did in our interview exam - vox pop this way. |
|
thee virus house |
anarchy
in the fcuk? - sharp dressed men with no agenda but plenty of manifesto
- thee virus break out the views on long distance volvo driving and how
they brandish their heavy gear rock and roll without injuring anyone -
well broken legs don't count do they ? |
|
roger |
who?
what ? eh ? will any of these questions be answered by roger ? music
from a car showroom - I'll have the bucket seats, joy stick stereo
and alloys - read on as roger mix their big ends with their middle eights
|
|
palo alto |
Slit
your wrists and smile - Palo Alto are a real live contradiction. Tom
Kirk talks angst, snorts caffeine and doubts The Strokes' sexuality with
Minus Money's hottest property. Staring over the precipice: Pics by
Ashtray Art. |
|
minus money |
a
collective that not only embraces art, music and performance, but also
'hopscotch' - welcome to manchester's newest and brightest collection of
homespun genius...tom kirk investigates |
|
fi-lo radio |
Tom
Kirk first heard fi-lo interrupting his studies in 1999 - in 2001 they
may be the north's greatest product so far this century - read on to
find out more.... |
|
tompaulin |
Even
though UglyMan charge us on the door we catch up with the literally,
biggest band in Manchester, Tompaulin. With an album and more than a
plaudit for each track on it, we get a glimpse into the northern town
world of Blackburns greatest export (well since the Rovers of course...) |
|
lookin |
we
catch up with the young punks in town. bouncing around like a heavy rock
tigger they've brought a taste of L.A. punk rock with plenty of pop -
just having left school doesn't stop them either. |
|
subculture |
It
may be only two issues old, but subculture has a legacy that goes back
to the early 90's. We catch up with two members of the team that somehow
manage to give us CD crammed full of dream local exclusives and a
fanzine that borders on brilliance and madness. |
|
oceansize |
on
the day of the release of their new e.p. " a very still
movement", we catch up with oceansize for some mild mannered chat,
a catch up and no hype - yes ladies and gentlemen, they are here to stay
- find out what they've been up to.... |
|
kill II this |
just
who are this band of metallers that people keep muttering about - are
they good, are they big and more importantly are they from manchester ?
all is revealed in this exclusive interview |
|
witness |
they're
back - bigger stronger and with a new approach that mixes the new with
the roots of their stunning 1999 debut album. its a witness coup this
time, as we get to grips with the band, the record and the gig. |
|
i am kloot |
those
happy campers from IAK awarded us an interview at long last and gave us
an insight into their first releases on Wall of Sound and their
impending headline tour. |
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