Pastel: The Garage, London

Having sold out the Camden Assembly last October, Manchester’s Pastel were back in the capital to play to a packed crowd at The Garage.

Image Credit: Matthew Eynon. Courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island.

At the Assembly (Barfly), their latest single, ‘Your Day’, whilst good, was jarring. Its urgency countered their more blissed-out fan favourites. To great effect, this purposeful spirit was doubled down on at the garage—the former single opened proceedings with an aggressive front-foot mindset, which they rarely deviated from.  

With the intensity levels pulsating, the latest single, ‘Dancing On A Pin, ‘S.O.H.O,’ and previously unheard tracks fired out quickly. Breath only was taken when frontman Jack Yates asked us “to fund his haircut.” It was a masterclass in substance over style, allowing little time to comprehend what was happening—dizzying, mystical genius!

As the band led the room to the precipice, the release of ‘Isaiah’ was a divine moment, but it was ‘Deeper Than Holy’ that truly ignited the crowd. The song, previously well-received at Islington Town Hall and the Camden Assembly, took on a new life on this night, transcending the stage. The crowd arms aloft and wide, bellowed for it with an unhinged willingness to prove what it meant. Powerful, soul-freeing energy was released into a psychedelic haze of smoke and red lights as the band, and fans became unified in their shared experience.  

Pastel have now crossed over. The world is theirs. Their howling guitars the warning sirens for the world, get your shit together; systemic cultural change is nigh!

Dirty Blonde: Chinnerys, Southend

Last Friday, Manchester’s Dirty Blonde opened up for 00s icons The Subways at Chinnerys in Southend as part of the Indie Cult Club.

Images courtesy of Gas & Shutter and Indie Cult Club

Former single ‘Come Over’, an opener that could set fire to any setlist, emerged from the gutter dripping in sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. Filthy basslines and snarling licks swelled with devilish temptation. 

A rock anthem with a three-act structure is hard to find, but they delivered just that on ‘Don’t Cry’. Allis McKay, delivering a rare angelic vocal, sowed the seeds of romantic betrayal and a vulnerability in the protagonist you immediately root for:

“Celebrating with a bottle of Tequila
Too busy dancing to have the chance to miss you
Oh no are you sad? Well read the signs”

McKay’s vocals were deliciously sniping and sardonic as she laid waste to the ex. The melodic euphoria coursing through the cringing bleakness of the lyric “I got a missed call from your ex” was a moment of juxtaposition to saviour. When Dirty Blond hits bigger stages, one young person from Manchester will be cowing at their parents, eating their mummy’s sausage and beans for comfort..

Then, in the closing stages, the solo fires out with Noel Gallagher’s early sense of freedom and Slash’s showmanship to give the protagonist ultimate closure.

Dirty Blonde's dramatic storytelling was enough to captivate the packed Southend crowd, but they didn't stop there. They closed their set with ‘Run’, a monstrous guitar record that blended Royal Blood's intensity with BRMC's leather-clad rebellion.

What Wolf Alice started in 2015, Dirty Blonde are destined to end with a thunderous jolt to the guitar scene!

Holy Youth Movement – The Next One

Bristol-based Holy Youth Movement, in collaboration with renowned producer Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream, Andrew Weatherall, Sabres Of Paradise), is set to make a comeback on the 25th of April via Ditto Label Services. This marks the release of their second single from the highly anticipated ‘Shock of the Future’ EP, scheduled for July.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

On ‘The Shock of the Future, ’ HYM was in a realm where dance and rock music roamed seamlessly together. Here, they’re leaning into their love of electronic music far more. The atmospheric build soundtracks a hopeful entrance into a smoke-filled room before you lose yourself in sweat and hedonism.

Frontman Tom Newman, so often an explosion of technicolour, remains in a hushed and measured groove, allowing the synths and Kooner’s production values to shine with a glitched euphoria somewhere between Bicep and Josh Wink.

The Rolling People – Before it’s Gone

Stockport outfit The Rolling People released their latest single, ‘Before It’s Gone,’ via The K’s record label LAB Records last week. It follows the intoxicating single ‘I’ll Be There’ and is the second single from their upcoming EP ‘I’ll Be There’ scheduled for release in the summer.

*banner image credit: Sharyn Bellemakers.

Where the previous single, ‘I’ll Be There,’ was a full-throttle affair, ‘Before It’s Gone’ steps back. Its sonic is more reflective, taking in all it surveys across cinematic horizons before marching confidently into battle to win at all costs.  

With a blend of explorative beauty reminiscent of Soundtrack Of Our Lives and the unifying power of 'Urban Hymns,' The Rolling People's guitars set out with a clear intent. Frontman Charlie McNichol’s ethereal “oo ah OO” cuts through the heavily loaded guitars, a unique element that signifies their side of the battle is the one to be on. Amidst the desire and angst to succeed, their purity and innocence flow, creating a captivating musical experience.

With two impressive releases in 2024, The Rolling People are not just making waves; they're shaping up to be one of the year's breakthrough bands.

Click the image below for tickets to their Manchester gig in December:

The Crooks – Wide Awake

Chestfield outfit The Crooks follow their comeback single ‘In The Meantime’ with ‘Wide Awake’. The self-released single comes ahead of their first tour since before the pandemic May. Let’s check it out.

*banner image courtesy of the band and This Feeling.

The acute Nick McCabe licks demonstrate that, this time around, The Crooks are more comfortable with creativity. There’s no rush to launch into the attack anymore. These licks fade into a furore of Ride and Chapterhouse shoegaze, allowing the psychedelic menace in the closing stages to take flight. Allowing the devil to rattle around in his cage for two-thirds makes his release devastating.

With his rock n roll power, Jacko often makes his presence felt from the beginning. His snarling but melodic intensity is a rare find. In 'Wide Awake ', he tempers it down, revealing a more aggressive version of Andy Bell. He stays in this lane, until he bursts into life alongside the blistering shoezgaze.

The vastness and cinematic arrangement is made all the more potent by the three-minute containment. The fleeting nature of all its parts elevates it to something remarkable.

Dodgy: Islington Academy, London

Last Friday, the veteran Dodgy played their 1996 album ‘Free Peace Sweet’ in full at the sold-out Islington Academy in London.

*images courtesy Stephen Fothergill.

What was their highest charting album of the time was to be their last for sixteen years (excluding ‘Real Estate,’ which frontman Nigel Clark did not feature). Despite the success of the album and singles alike, the band split in acrimonious fashion, not reforming until 2008.

What caused ructions around then has dissipated now. They easily recapture the youthful energy of ‘Trust In Time’ and ‘You’ve Gotta Look Up’. The former’s La’s jagged edges chime joyously with Clark and drummer Andry Priest’s sumptuous harmonies. Harmonies which truly take flight and soar on ‘You’ve Gotta Look Up’.

Despite the nostalgic joy that ‘Good Enough’ brings, it was, and is, former singles ‘In A Room’ and ‘If You’re Thinking of Me’ that lit up the album and this gig alike. ‘In A Room’ swayed with an ease that, rightly or wrongly, a generation of bands and media has tried to recapture. The poignancy of ‘If You’re Thinking of Me’ burrows straight to the heartstrings with its touching sentiment. Both catch fire creatively via Andy Miller’s guitar. The solo on ‘In A Room’ takes on a warped Stephen Stills number with intoxicating results. Whereas his blasts on ‘IYTOM@ tap into the majesty of Roger McGuinn's lysergic energy and Gene Clark’s jaw-dropping melancholy.

Cutting through West Coast and Laurel Canyon melodies was ‘U.K. R.I.P.’ cutting through their West Coast melodies with the hints of Transglobal Underground, trip-hop, and the Levellers’ trippier moments. Originally an anti-Britpop triumphalism rhetoric, it now takes on darker tones in a post-Brexit, post-Johnson, and post-Truss Britain.

Twenty-seven years on, Dodgy and ‘Free Peace Sweet’ still have something to say sonically and spiritually. Here’s to another twenty-seven.

The K’s – I Wonder if the World Knows

Last Friday, Earlstown band The K’s released their debut album, ‘I Wonder If The World Knows’ via LAB Records. What followed has been a titanic battle with The Libertines for the number-one album spot.

Image nad artwork courtesy of Sonic PR & Halestorm PR.

The Libertines’ debut album, ‘Up The Bracket’, captured the imagination of a generation twenty-two years ago. Its thoughtful rawness and poetic hit reset on a bloated Britpop and toxic nu-metal scene. 2024 is in a different galaxy to 2002, and so, for The K’s, their debut album is less about reimagining Albion and more about their survival within it.

In this environment, the pressure on bands to run to a perceived middle has often been too great, resulting in beige output. The K’s, like The Simpsons, CM Punk, and Martin Scorsese, always managed to walk the mainstream and underground tightrope simultaneously. Hinged on the partnership between singer-songwriter Jamie Boyle and lead guitarist Ryan Breslin, they take gritty anthems akin to The Jam and The Courteeners (circa St. Jude), such as ‘Hometown’. ‘Heart On My Sleeve’, and ‘Circles’ toward Blossoms, U2, and pop music.

Former single ‘Hometown’ witnesses a flawed protagonist embroiled in a downward spiral (“He’s so easily persuaded by his need to feel sedated / and the only way to get it is to empty all his wages”) set to blistering guitars. Just another indie-rock single? In truth, kind of, but, through Boyle’s vocals, the offshoots of something special lay. Straying between infectious, aggressive, and defiant, he adds another dimension to said blueprint.  

The fire of their early singles continues on ‘Heart On My Sleeve’. Imbued with desperation and enthralled by sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, Boyle lays bare troubled co-dependence with people and alcohol. His tortured soul, threatening to go under at several points, is made utterly engrossing by Breslin’s guitars. Then, on ‘Circles, ’ Breslin takes his live showmanship to the studio, and The K’s begin to shed the angst-ridden debut album skin. Breslin, so adept, finds a way to make The Courteeners and The Enemy sound like U2. Throw in Boyle’s lyrical desperation to succeed, his Madonna via Phil Spector Girl Group vocal, and The K’s life as a cinematic force has begun.

The transcendence continues the album's big set pieces. ‘Hoping Maybe’ grows with Andrew Cushin's aching beauty and a modern take on the crooning glee of ‘Coles Corner'-era Hawley. Breslin’s guitars shimmer in moonlight skies as the band steps into the mainstream with rock classism at its finest.

In the age of destructive post-punk, where vocals have been a blurred mesh of spoken word and snarling punk, The K’s emergence is a game changer. This change is cemented on the ‘Lights Go Down’. It is a big romantic musical number, the kind that dangles a carrot in the middle of the road to come into a more exciting world. From Burt Bacharach to Noel Gallagher, to Scott Walker, they’ve written a song which will play out to England’s glorious defeat in World Cups for years to come.

There's an aching amplitude flickering needles and hearts alike throughout this fine debut album. Boyle’s diary entry-style lyrics and Breslin’s soaring universality allow people to attach their meaning to their anthems. It's a different world to the one The Libertines launched into, but The Ks have given rock ‘n’ roll an emotive anchor to Arcadia once more.

The Libertines - All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade

After Hyde Park in 2014, nothing else truly mattered to the band's fans. When Pete Doherty entertained the crowd with a rendition of ‘Albion’ as security fixed the barriers, Carl Barat emerged to join him. To see them sing Babyshambles’ finest moment restored faith that they were friends once more.

Artwork courtesy of Tony Linkin.

*banner image credit: Ed Cooke

With kinship renewed, ‘Anthems of a Doomed Youth’ emerged a year later. Considering all the struggles, the band were in “bonus” territory with fans. After the tragedy of losing Amy Winehouse, fans could accept an album of some brilliance but largely mediocre songs in return for their existence.

Nine years on, Doherty’s sustained period of sobriety led to a sober writing session with Barat in the Caribbean. ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’ (EMI), their fourth studio album might be the one! Then Louis Theroux showcased a Doherty seemingly as lost now as he has ever been.

It’s the hope that kills you!  

Like the opening half of Anthems for a Doomed Youth, The Libertines again toy with their past on former singles ‘Run Run Run’, ‘The Night of the Hunter’, and ‘Shiver’. The first two tap into the glory and odious failure alike. Pete and Carl toy with their addiction (“It’s a lifelong project of a life on the lash. / I forgotten how to care but I’ll remember for cash”) to the sound of Phil Spector and The Ramones. They evoke images of Camden’s bedraggled glory, and as they attempt to escape their inevitable final destination, “gonna live like it’s the end / I love you to death, but I must suggest / You’d better run, run, run boy”). Despite the reference points, the band are firmly in the present for once and reinvigorated them beyond recognition, showing their growth and potential for the future.

‘The Night of the Hunter’, a Pete-penned track that used the Robert Mitchum film of the same name as inspiration, holds an unnerving mirror up to their career. Their ability to use Mitchum’s big bad wolf character as a metaphor for their past catching up with them is an anxiety attack wrapped up in great poetry and a Swan Lake-esque riff. A fog consumes Doherty’s vocal innocence; free from drugs, but not from his own mind. A lost soul forever?

Through even more stark reflection, their collective trauma is laid bare on ‘Shiver’. What was it for? Why did we bother? Identity crises are not to be underestimated for men in their 40s. Many men fall to suicide, failing to find answers to these questions. The bravery, the heart, and the sheer guts for this band to exist, let alone be great again (and they are), becomes sensory overload for anyone who cared for them when they decree:

“Shiver for the Albionay”

The intertwining of their dreams of Arcadia and the Monachy’s recent changes are laced with playful preposterousness on a career-best vocal from Doherty. Hushed and ethereal, he summons images of pained stares into a mirror rueing everything and yet, knowing if it hadn’t happened, those outcomes would have been worse:

“Reasons to stay alive / not to die at 25”.

Closure? Probably Not.

They have masterfully manipulated the world they created in the 00s into the modern day. At other points, they move out of that realm completely to become topical for the first time. ‘Merry Old England’ paints a picture of post-Brexit England, greying from Empire failure and welcoming (or not) immigrants to the sound of Doherty’s solo career and Richard Hawley’s beauty. ‘Be Young’ continues this newfound form, examining global warming with blistering Dave Davies guitars and a playful Specials ‘Blank Expression’ breakdown.

Elsewhere ‘Oh Sh*t’ roars to the surface with Jamie T’s ‘Zombie’, THe Pistols, and The Ramones in its heart. Barat’s vocal, a snarling Scott Walker, oozes charisma on this tale of chancers whilst the sonic explodes boisterously but forever playfully.

Is ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’ the classic that they should have written in their twenties? No, but for the first time in two decades of near misses and regret, they’ve steered the Albion ship in its direction. With sustained sobriety and strong allegiances, the modern-day Burton and Taylor are beginning to define in terms of glory rather than defeat.

It’s the hope that makes you feel alive!

Ecko: The Elephants Head, London

Last Sunday, Ayr’s Ecko made their live debut in London at Camden’s Elephant’s Head, supporting Bless.

*image credit A Deeper Groove

To date, Ecko have built a reputation as one of the most exciting bands in the UK but, not really beyond the confines of the Shiiine On Weekender. A free gig in a pub with unexpecting punters and tourists posed pitfalls we’d not witnessed them experience. For the few Shiiine On faithful in attendance, it built a pre-gig tension. What if it was just the magic of the Shiiine On Weekender carrying them?

Step forward, the boys from Ecko!

Batting away the security guard who checked their ID with grace and humour and adorning killer casual clobber, the future of rock ‘n’ roll was here to allay all fears.

The heads of unexpecting punters in the pub craned like the Regan McNeil with increasing frequency throughout their set. The hooks, vocals, and solos were as good as we’d all remembered from their two Weekenders.

Many, if not all, fledgeling bands flock to Camden as a rite of passage. It becomes a “thing” for them, attaching the history of the mercurial road to their insignificant futures. Ecko, however, are the kid at school you always wanted to be. Cooler and smarter, they roll out of town like Johnny Strabler, leaving everyone in their wake reeling.

Camden has gained another great origin story.

Rosellas: The Star, London

Last Friday, Manchester’s Rosellas filled the intimate venue of The Star in London as part of their tour with This Feeling.

*banner image courtesy of the band.

It follows the recent release of their new single, ‘Is It Any Wonder?’ which showed signs of a breakthrough as the sold-out crowd visibly grew in voice for their new melodic offering. In its protracted intro, the little touches of John Martyn’s masterpiece ‘Small Hours’ took the melodic tumble and soar gem to another level.

Tempering this newfound gentler sonic was an array of jaw-dropping psychedelic adventures. ‘Before the Storm’ swelled with the indie anxieties of Doves’ debut and Nick McCabe's explorative introspection before erupting into a modern-day Aphrodite’s Child.

‘Come Alive’ echoed with rock music’s mysticism. Spaced out and seeking something bigger than themselves, they sought meaning through life’s struggles with a tangible purity in the room. Drew Selby and Euan Mail’s guitars, powered by ‘A Storm in Heaven,’ drifted in the mire until a modern-day Andy Bell solo erupted with psychedelic clarity to transcend souls.

The band's growing stature, the songs, and the crowd just went on and on. Rosellas creatively looked like a collective, spiritually hedonistic gang built on togetherness. The songs, lifted to colossal in places (Switch Off), stripped to DMA’s magic in others (The Same Curse), seemingly at the will of this astonishing prospect of a band. The sold-out crowd filtered up the tight stairwell, giddy to smugness, knowing they were treated to something truly special before huge stages came the band's way.

The Utopiates: Chinnerys, Southend

Last Week, 2023’s all-conquering heroes, The Utopiates, made their debut live appearance In Southend at Chinnerys as part of the burgeoning Indie Cult Club.

*banner image courtesy of Indie Cult Club

Josh Redding made a name for himself in 2023, and his surge towards the guitar icon shows no sign of slowing down. His protracted intro to the set opener ‘Seekers’ is divine. The spiralling licks floated into view, indicating that something special was coming. The dreamlike state of ‘Seekers’ glides into carnival grooves of ‘Devolution’, which dissipates for the intense dystopia of ‘Only Human’. An opening trio that, on paper, should jar but, in their hands, is seamless.

Most bands in their position would still be riding the crest of last year's wave. The Utopiates are already one new single into the journey towards album number (due later this year). ‘Love Pill’ marked a real stride forward creatively in the studio. Live, they harnessed its love of Ibiza and Chicago to make it into a starring role in the set, which is some going when the instant classic ‘Best and Worst Days’ present. Frontman Dan Popplewell’s vocal in the closing stages of ‘Love Pill’ transcends into a hymnal state, nourishing all that stands before him.

Image courtesy of Indie Cult Club

Frontman Popplewell continues to shine with his more aggressive take on ‘Making History’. His venomous delivery of the Oasis-tinged lyrics, “One day you’ll see, yeah they’ll look at me, I’m not up here making tunes, I’m making history!” gave the Black Grape-esque anthem the swagger and bitterness it merits.

Another glimpse of album number two came via the debut airing of ‘Insomnia’. On this showing, it is shaping up to be another album of the year contender.

The Rosadocs – Stand Alone

Sheffield outfit The Rosadocs recently returned with their first release of 2024, ‘Stand Alone.’ It was recorded at Chairworks Studio (The Reytons) and mastered by Peter Maher of U2, Coldplay, and Rolling Stones fame.

*banner image courtesy of Scott Antcliffe.

Artwork courtesy of Scott Antcliffe.

The five-piece, basking in the glory of their monumental sell-out at Sheffield City Hall in 2023, are now reaping the rewards. The euphoria of that unforgettable night resonates in their soaring guitars and Maher’s masterful production. This success story, rooted in their working-class poetry, is now being showcased on a grand scale, rightfully earning them the limelight they deserve.

Despite' Stand Alone' being their most mainstream single to date, The Rosadocs have managed to maintain their musical integrity. Frontman Keelan Graney’s cadence in the verses skips with Gerry Cinnamon’s abandon before roaring with Tom Clarke’s (The Enemy) uncontrollable fire. With such vocal power comes great responsibility, and here, Graney knows when to step on and off the gas, giving this record a creative freedom few can rival.

Lyrically, the spirit of ‘We’ll Live and Down In These Town’ album is reimagined for this generation:

“When to school, college, uni just trying to learn / Went and got a degree for money you’ll never earn / Now you’re toeing the line / Losing your mind on your own“

The forging of ‘You’re Not Alone’s sonic with the gritty lyrical despair of ‘This Song Is About You’ is one of the finest juxtapositions the guitar scene has served up in some time.

Graney and Joe Egan’s guitar parts lift ‘Stand Alone’ well beyond just the realm of an indie-punk Enemy number. They ooze warmth and threaten to escape to the dizzy heights of The Courteeners Heaton Park triumphs.

Rock ‘n’ roll has been watered down for too long. The Rosadocs, as a mainstream weapon, have given it a much-needed dose of realness.

Click the image below for tickets to their Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus gig this summer:

Holy Youth Movement - The Shock of the Future

Bristol-based Holy Youth Movement will release their new single, ‘The Shock of the Future’ (Ditto Label Services), on Thursday, March 28th. Produced by the Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream, Andrew Weatherall, Sabres Of Paradise), it’s the lead single from their upcoming debut EP of the same name.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

In 2023, HYM supported Primal Scream and The Dandy Warhols. Both can be heard on this wild electronic rock ‘n’ roll single. The bugged-eyed glam-rock electronic stomp of ‘Detroit’ and the dirge euphoria of ‘Every Day Should Be Holiday’ link arms with Radio 4’s ‘Party Crashers’ on this breakthrough single.

The 00s was awash with bands with dance music sympathies. The Rapture, Radio 4, White Rose Movement, Kasabian, Keith, and Sunshine Underground are among the finest. Whilst they cut through various scenes, there was a world between the single and the remix. HYM are emerging as the seamless middle ground. Guitars roll into synths and back again whilst frontman Tom Newman sways like Nick Drake fronting Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. For the first time in an age, rock ‘n’ roll’s wheel is being nudged towards invention and it’s utterly intoxicating.

 HYM will release the next single from the EP ‘The Next One’ on Thursday 25th April. On this breathtaking showing, it’s going to agonising wait to see what they do next.

The Shop Window – Blues

Maidstone outfit The Shop Window will release their latest single, ‘Blues,’ on March 29th via their imprint Jangleshop Records.

Artwork & image courtesy of the band.

The Shop Window, a band that has long been on the radar, is bidding farewell to their cult indie status by releasing their bluesy jingle-jangle ballad,' Blues.' This unique sound marks their transition from a niche indie band to one poised to captivate the masses.

Sarah’s Records' beauty effortlessly blends with Carl Mann’s Andy Bell circa ‘Vapour Trail’ vocal, and the stoned melodic joy of ’10 Story Love Songs’ is evident in their latest single,' Blues.' This bluesy shoegaze track cuts through the world's chaos with a purity that offers hope for change, making it a fitting sonic ode to avoiding conflict and restoring love.

The Maidstone outfit is on the brink of unveiling their third album, and if this single is any indication, it's shaping up to be a strong contender for record of the year.

Lissy Taylor - Life Changing

Stoke artist Lissy Taylor returned on March 15th with her latest single, ‘Life Changing’. It follows the news she is opening the main stage at this year’s Y Not’s Y Not Festival. Let’s see if it’s justified.

*banner image credit: Paul Gallagher

Last tie out on ‘Minds A Riot’, Taylor was in an explosive mood and showed no signs of settling here. The guitars howl with the pain and torment that the protagonist must overcome to alter their reality. Mercifully, her awe-inspiring lyrics temper the sonics’ ability to drag you to hell:

“You have the power to change your life / Get on it and come alive / You / You can reach paradise”

Taylor’s spirit evokes the era-defining clarion calls of ‘Definitely Maybe’ and ‘Stone Roses’. Hope is often spoken, written, and sung about, but it hasn't seemed possible for the past thirteen years. With an election looming and Taylor’s colossal power, the offshoots are again visible.

Good luck to whoever follows Taylor on the main stage at Y Not.

Spangled - Horizon's Glance

Artwork courtesy of the band.

Manchester’s Spangled are back with their new single ‘Horizon’s Glance’. Produced and Mixed by Gareth Nuttall, it follows last September’s breathtaking ‘Little Tom’ but can it stack up?

*banner image courtesy of Alan Wells

‘Horizon’s Glance’ bursts forth with the hallmarks of a great Western movie. Like a lone cowboy striding into an unknown town, the acoustic guitars are both weary and stern as they prepare for the fight. In the heat of the shootout, they take Kasabian’s masterpiece ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ to the edge The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster’s malevolent fire.

Their mercurial stamp pervades throughout and hits a new high when they loop the chorus, “ was eating vermicelli in the pouring rain.” This repetition, along with the tremolo pedal, brings a sense of delight and terror, conjuring images of a deranged hostage taker and euphoric glam-rock scenes alike.

Tonight, accompanied by The Avenues, Spangled headline Bridlington Spa Sessions. On this showing, it’s not to be missed!

Click the image below for ticket’s to tonight’s show:

Office for Personal Development - Doing. Is. Thinking

Click the image to buy the album.

The Office for Personal Development, resplendent in their company attire of double-breasted grey suits and green ties, have unleashed their foray into propaganda. Their debut album ‘Doing. Is. Thinking.’ is out now and captures the (mock) government department findings of the past eighteen months from their Bexhill offices.

*image credit John Cheves

During budget week, the treasury and the Chancellor offered little to no hope for public services, the working class, and the standard of life of improvement. Step forward, motivational guru Trevor Deeble. Famed for his time in Indigo Moss and the double act with Hannah-Lou, he created the finest ministerial department since DoSac lost its immigration file USB stick.

‘Born to Be’ takes gentler aspects of Alannah Myles and Pat Benatar's melodic prowess to the fun and quirks of Lemon Jelly, especially Fred Deakin’s recent solo album ‘Fred Deakin Presents The Lasters’. ‘Do It All Over Again’ leans into Deakin’s sonic furthermore, which climaxes in a joyous Kraftwerk ‘Computer Love’ era synth solo from their Head of IT Del Querns. Lyrically, this is where the former single comes alive. The protagonist, a messianic narcissist, details the monstrous thoughts darting around their deluded mind as they carry out the big shop. Both tracks sow the seeds of reintegrating fun back into an electronic scene that has been saturated by Boiler Room posers for far too long.

‘You Are In Control’ and ‘Take Me Back’ continue on this path, with Director Deeble leaning into his Neil Tennant-esque vocal. The former allowed him to glide from angelic to wry, accentuating his auteur overlord presence in the office. The sci-fi sonic is fraught with anxiety via the poptastic keys, the spirit of Hot Chip, and early 90s rave breakdowns but is never without a sense of hope. ‘Take Me Back’, Originally recorded ten years ago when Moss was a fine art student at Goldsmiths University, has a protracted landing to earth but unfurls a pop masterpiece. The heart of ‘A Bath Full of Ecstasy’ infiltrates the melodic magnificence of Wilson Phillips with the elegance of Goldfrapp strutting to the dancefloor.

A day of motivational speaking and team bonding is as promising as having a rusty spoon fish out your kidney stones. Until now! The OPD have business cliché into credible electronic hooks and substantive pop music. Late-night Magic FM has collided with 6Music to produce an underdog record-of-the-year contender.

Columbia – The Wait

Columbia returned recently with their latest single, ‘The Wait’. It was recorded at 3rd Planet Studios in their home city, Liverpool, and marks the run to their biggest headline show to date at District on the 9th of March.

Image & artwork courtesy of This Feeling.

In recent years, Columbia has carved out a reputation as an anthem maker. ‘Where Did It All Go?’ and ‘Memory Lane’ were chest-out, reaching for heaven’s moments. ‘The Wait’, however, has dropped in tempo but harnessed an intensity not yet seen.

As the protagonist continues to make the wrong choices (“I should have waited / Now I'm here alone”), anxiety levels skyrocket. When Jay Sweeney’s guitars chime, they carve out an inescapable panic attack you can’t escape.

The mid-tempo suits frontman Alex Sheppard in particular. He has the aggression of Tom Dempsey (The Kairos), the swagger of Chris Griffiths (The Real People), and the folksy rock ‘n’ roll splendour of Howie Payne (The Stands).

Columbia are not new by any stretch of the imagination anymore. They are, sadly, largely unknown still. ‘The Wait’ will not be a ‘Last Night’ or ‘Time For Heroes’ chaotic break-out single. It does, however, have the air of a ‘Love Burns’ (BRMC) or ‘The Good Ones’ (The Kills). The kind that spits rock ‘n’ roll and oozes sex and drugs to entice big crowds.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming gig:

Rosellas – Is It Any Wonder?

Manchester’s five-piece returned on Friday with their new single, ‘Is It Any Wonder?’. Backed by the two B-sides ‘Leaving For Chicago’ and ‘For Tonight’, it's their first new material since last November’s ‘The Last Curse’.

*Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

Last time out, they moved from the devilment and Nick McCabe atmospheric work on their Somewhere In-Between EP to a straight-line indie-rock. It was a fine counterpoint to their broodier moments. On ‘Is It Any Wonder?’, they’ve stripped everything away to allow their melody to do the talking.

Their time on tour with Starsailor appears to have paid dividends. The acoustic guitars bring the 00s starlets to the fore whilst the delicacy of the piano brings Thirteen Senses purity into play. Above all, they’ve given their melodies space to breathe. In an age where technology demands instant hooks, it’s not just refreshing; it's creatively brave!

‘Is It Any Wonder?’ is backed by the b-sides ‘Leaving For Chicago’ and ‘For Tonight’. The former is a forlorn yet positive moonlit melody which embodies everything great about Noel Gallagher’s songwriting. ‘For Tonight’, completely stripped back, caresses the lo-fi magic of Alfie and the melodic purity of Cherry Ghost, and, with that, Rosellas have proven to the world they can do it all.

Sea Power: Islington Assembly, London

Last week, national treasures Sea Power rolled back the clock to 2009 to play ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’ in full at London’s Islington Assembly. Back then, it was their highest charting album (no.10) and would remain so until February 2022’s ‘Everything Was Forever’.

Click the image to buy the anniversary reissue edition.

While the element of surprise is lost from the setlist, their ability to drop jaws is not. ‘Down On The Ground’ swelled with the grandeur of the Last Night of the Proms, whilst ‘All In It Now’ kicked off like a euphoric battle cry from Game of Thrones.

Examining DYLRM without packaging up ‘Lights Out for Darker Skies’, ‘No Lucifer’, and ‘Waving Flags’ is impossible. Once ‘All In It Now’ ushers you in, the album explodes into life and life; it feels almost gladiatorial. The former creates sparks with every lick until Martin Noble’s guitars scorch the earth in the closing stages. ‘No Lucifer’, with the adopted terrace chant (from wrestling icon Big Daddy), still carries a fire and depth to match anything from the cannon of Arcade Fire, a band which Sea Power was unfairly denigrated against in the 00s. On ‘Waving Flags’, Sea Power reminds us to fight fire with fire. The 00s were awash with anti-immigration, but a grown-up approach was taken under Blair and Brown. Cameron’s wretched part adopted nasty campaign tactics and opened the door to the hard right, whose sphincter still twitches with too much ferocity in the debate. Noble’s guitars kiss greatness here, but it’s the power of the lyrics that transcend. The welcoming message to those who have held up our economy and public services amid rapid decline is a stark reminder that rock ‘n’ roll could and should fight the good fight!

‘The Great Skua’, in many ways, is the blueprint to their success post-2009 and is delivered to a stunned silence. After twenty-one years, the crashing orchestration allows a pause for thought about this remarkable band. The rise and falls conjure such mesmerising drama, only topped by the choral crescendo. This ebbs into ‘Atom’ like a gentle tide before running amok like their peers, The Maccabees and The Rifles, but with the majesty of Bowie and the carnival mayhem of Arcade Fire and Polyphonic Spree.

‘Do You Like Rock Music’, we wager, is not many of Sea Power’s fans favourite. Part of their charm has always been the wayward disruption of ‘Remember Me’ or, increasingly, the washed-out joy of a ‘Two Fingers’ or ‘Bad Bohemian’ in its wake. It is, however, an album that all fans love and the adulation in the room was tangible. It serves as a reminder that indie rock ‘n’ roll can be mainstream and not about lager. Wild but intelligent, boisterous yet elegant. This set of juxtapositions is met rapturously and tenderly. Happy birthday old friend!