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Manchester

Americana Meets British Acoustic Indie in Champagne on the Rocks’ Sentimentally Cinematic Single, Golden Hour

Posted on 9 May 2023

UK singer-songwriter, Champagne on the Rocks, tantalised timeless Americana tones and tinged them with British acoustic indie in his latest cinematically rendered single, Golden Hour.

With choruses that made me nostalgic for Semisonic, Deep Blue Something and The Calling while simultaneously affirming that Champagne on the Rocks has what it takes to become a sonic legacy in his own right, you’re damn right we were arrested by the elevated weight of Golden Hour. When the winding Americana guitar solo hits, the stripped-back sentimental hit which will allow all of your most-cherished sun-soaked memories to manifest in your mind, the track transformed into a virtuosic triumph. Repeat attention is practically mandatory.

Golden Hour is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chxmist drops an instant electronic classic to turn up all night called Rather Be

Posted on 29 April 2023

Seducing our inner party mode with punchy electronic drum lines to start the weekend with, Chxmist does his hometown of Dublin rather proud with a rather excellent soundtrack for summer on Rather Be.

Chxmist (pronounced chemist) is a Manchester-based project formed by the exceptional electronic producer and DJ Conor Barry.

”Pitched vocals and garage grooves complete the sound forged from an ambient project birthed during the national lockdown of 2020.” ~ Chxmist

Scintillating with an assortment of delightfully crisp and saucy music to get enthusiastic about, Chxmist demonstrates so much quality in boatloads as we feel happy and free-flowing excellence to munch on for hours on end here.

Rather Be from Manchester-based electronic music producer and DJ Chxmist is a rocket-fueled mission that Elon Musk might listen to. This is a superbly lit experience which didn’t need too many vocals. Each ear shall feel thunderbolt stuff from a hearty meal of a song that shall change moods and get many dance fans excited. For good reason too.

This is addictive music which will get the body moving. Turn it up.

Listen up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Your Words: Jon Kenzie avoids the weaving observations on Two Plus Two Is Five

Posted on 22 April 2023

Sung with a calm intensity and reminding us of that soulful blues to sip on all night long, Jon Kenzie looks for the all-important truth inside a lie-filled world on the catchy new track to meditate with, Two Plus Two Is Five.

Jon Kenzie is an experienced Manchester, UK-based indie blues solo singer-songwriter and music producer who loves to fuse folk and soul into his wholehearted compositions.

”He has truly worked his way up from the grassroots, first playing on the streets and in the clubs of Manchester and then travelling Europe and the States, performing in every town that he comes to.” ~ Jon Kenzie

Taking our minds into a truly introspective soundtrack which has been made with so much poise and ingrained brilliance, Jon Kenzie sizzles our earlobes in the best possible way. This is quality stuff from an honest poet who sings with so much glorious class and love for his craft.

Two Plus Two Is Five from Manchester, UK-based indie blues solo singer-songwriter Jon Kenzie is a rather intriguing single for anyone who believes that humanity is actually going backwards. Thinking about the past and sending us a quality track to learn from, this is a must-listen single if you like things super bluesy and real.

Turn this up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Live Review: The Dirt Turned Poetry into Psychedelic Theatre in Their Launch of Agitator

Posted on 15 April 2023

Agitator by The Dirt

It takes some talent and ingenuity to bring poetry out of the insular arena and translate it into psychedelic theatre; that was exactly what the Dirt achieved during the live launch of their debut LP, Agitator. If the pen is mightier than the sword, the duo dropped an atom bomb onto the crowd who made the Dirt t-shirts in-vogue.

Following the moody post-punk sets from Bloodworm and Dim Imagery, Pray for Mojo devilled the capacity crowd with their ear-blistering staunchly 70s rock rancour; their White Walker cold guitar tones cut through the atmosphere of their massive sound that I didn’t think the Peer Hat PA was capable of.

The Dirt started their set with the palpitatingly exhilarant standout single, Ignorance is Bliss; beneath the psychonautic vortex of guitars lay a brashy caustic backbeat, visceral enough to reminiscence Nine Inch Nails, but even Trent Reznor himself couldn’t match the sharp convictive stage energy that Jack Horner arrested the room with.

Veering straight into the second single from the album, Power Junkie, the Dirt maddened the Madchester sound to the nth degree; Sachiko, armed with her Rickenbacker and a pedalboard that lights up like Blackpool illuminations, drove through her guitar lines through the narrated credence of how insurmountably trodden on the masses are. More than keeping their finger on the pulse of current political scandal and sleaze, The Dirt grips the liberties taken by our disaster capitalist leaders by the throat to squeeze out the odious juice.

Towards the end of the set, the experimentalism amplified around the demands to match the dissenting nature of the Dirt and get off the fences we have got cosy on in recent years. From Cyberman-ESQUE deliverances of vocal lines to wailing psychedelic static capable of tripping switches in your mind that have gathered dust through inexposure to aural innovation, it was an unforgettable performance that exceeded all expectation.

Listen to Agitator on Bandcamp, or grab a vinyl copy from the Golden Believers Records page.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Dirt originated allegorical psychedelia in their debut LP, Agitator.

Posted on 7 April 2023

Few Manchester music fans are strangers to the disquiet deliverances of The Dirt’s wordsmith, Jack Horner, who has been storming stages with his abrasively arresting recitations of the tolls of PTSD and orations of the graffiti on the toilet walls of iconic Manchester venues.

Standing alone, Horner’s words in his solo spoken word project, Leon the Pig Farmer, carry enough metaphoric weight to leave a bruising mark on the psyche. The curveballs in his conceits open a collective of wormholes for the mind to venture down before perceptions shift around his vindicating socialist manifestic narrations. As a part of the dualistic powerhouse, the juxtaposition between his no-prisoners poetry and effect-layered guitars is enough to tear the rug from beneath you and plateau you on a new kaleidoscopic tapestry.

The Dirt’s debut LP, Agitator, starts with a true-to-form snarled spoken word piece, which prises your eyes open in Clockwork Orange style to the systematic failures of our belligerently nefarious government. Right off the bat, the strength of the dystopic imagery sends you into a spin as the psychedelic guitars, courtesy of Sachiko Wakizaka, whirl around the repression rebellion.

From definitively Madchester instrumentals to desert rock droning originations, the soundscapes psychedelically curtail the spoken word conviction just enough to make each of the eleven tracks a palatable mind-altering cocktail. It’s hard to name a favourite, each single has its allegorical merit, but being driven to tears by the existentially delicate single, What’s the Story, had to be a personal highlight before the euphoria surges through Ignorance is Bliss, which transgresses entropy into rapture.

Grab a copy of Agitator via the Golden Believer Records Bandcamp page and watch the live launch on April 14 at the Peer Hat.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Empty Page delivered us dejection-guilt with the art rock indolence in ‘Level Sedentary’

Posted on 5 March 2023

Sloth may be the seventh deadly sin in the eyes fixated on the demonisation of the human condition, but here to absolve us of our indolent transgressions is the ever-relatable Manchester outfit, The Empty Page, with their latest single, Level Sedentary. The second single from the forthcoming sophomore LP, released on March 3rd, is an art rock masterpiece for its mid-way descent into maniacal obscurity.

Breaking from the melodic destigmatisation of idle introversion, the ties that bind dejection to depression conceptually sprawl through the middle eight, pulling you into the murky depths of discord before your cognitions collide with the reminder that some of the greatest creative minds maintained a proclivity towards inertia.

The producer, Morton Kong, evidently knew just how to pull The Empty Page into their elevated experimental own with Level Sedentary. In a time when it is impossible to fully disconnect from the chaos of the external world, the ability to revel in it under the duress of a compassionately candid duo is worth more than words could ever convey.

Check out Level Sedentary on Spotify, Bandcamp & YouTube.

Follow The Empty Page on Facebook & Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

How Do You Expect Me: Angael feels the controlled walls closing in on You Found Me

Posted on 1 March 2023

After posting her first songs in the summer of 2013, Angael returns to the solo waters with a superbly devised single to play on full volume and this one is called, You Found Me.

Angael aka Rachael Ward is a Manchester, UK-based indie alternative pop solo artist who was recently in the English-Portuguese band Rilke.

”Not to be confused with being “found” romantically, YFM is about feeling watched over and controlled. Taking inspiration from Eminem and Dido’s ‘Stan’, as well as other trip hop/pop style beats from the early 00’s(cc: SugababesStronger), You Found Me will trigger an immediate sense of y2k nostalgia, that wouldn’t be too far off a sound found in the Bridget Jones soundtrack.” ~ Angael

With beautifully authentic vocals and brimming with the type of quality usually reserved for the best, Angael has dropped a much-loved song to gain courage from. This is top-tier stuff from one of the most enchanting artists on the map.

You Found Me from Manchester, UK-based indie alternative pop artist Angael is one of the more elevating tracks to play when a new door needs to open. After feeling trapped and rather unloved, this is the call to shake all fears away when the cold nights start to catch up.

When you need to fly away, it’s probably time already.

Listen up on Spotify. See more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

B!TEZ advocates uninhibited authenticity in her alt-pop hit, Be Like You

Posted on 17 February 2023

https://soundcloud.com/bitezhearts/be-like-you/s-x2BfzMy4Je3?si=5ef857d702054d8abca2db5663d4b746&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

It’s time to let the dust settle on the archaic records from New Order and The Stone Roses and lock into the viscerally fresh talent from Manchester-based artist and poet B!TEZ, who has been taking the rainy city by storm.

For her latest single, Be Like You, B!TEZ (Princess Arinola Adegbite) reinvented the 80s pop wheel with her afro-futuristic edge that is sharper than any papercut. The infectiously melodic earworm is a stellar hit based on the instrumentals alone. When the socially conscious lyrics are thrown onto the stabbing synth lines, it is impossible not to get wrapped up in the vindicating euphoria.

“The first single on Vintage Destiny is ‘Be Like You’. A self-love disco pop anthem integrating rock, and funk elements encouraging listeners to be their authentic “exceptional” selves despite living in a comparison-driven world.”

After finding influence from a broad range of artists, including Nina Simone, Mazzy Star, FKA Twigs and Bjork, the songstress carved out her niche and thrived in every arena she threw her multi-faceted talent into.

The multi-award-winning poet, filmmaker and BBC Words First artist has won Manchester Young Creative of the Year and been commissioned by Selfridges, the BBC and the University of Cambridge. In addition to performing in Manchester’s most iconic venues, including Blues Kitchen, Soup and Band on the Wall. She’s definitely one to watch.

Honestly, I’m inspired by her after just one hit on Be Like You. Eat your heart out John Cooper Clarke.

Be Like You will officially release on February 17th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Following Me: Lewis Ross-Robson is in a reinvigorated form we should surely savour on Black Again

Posted on 31 January 2023

Making his return to the music world after a much-needed hiatus to complete his studies and explore the perimeters of his sound, Lewis Ross-Robson is in extraordinary form on the rather memorable new single Black Again.

Lewis Ross-Robson is a York-born Manchester-based indie-folk singer-songwriter who has overcome those easy-to-pickup-bad habits to make music with a real message and pure purpose.

”Lewis’ take on introspective folk is a reminder of the importance of simplicity in music, seeking to retain a delicate and distinctive essence through his sound.” ~ Lewis Ross-Robson (taken from his Spotify page)

With quality overlooking at every corner as each note stirs the soul, Lewis Ross-Robson has cemented his name into our anxious hearts with a simply superb showing on his much-anticipated single Black Again.

Black Again from York-born Manchester-based indie-folk singer-songwriter Lewis Ross-Robson is a single all about trying to stay positive in a rather tempting and destructive world, He sings with truth and love. The realness attached is rather refreshing and shall float our minds away from the harsh vortex, which can take our souls away if safeguards aren’t put into place.

Knowing what you need to do is the start. Actually achieving your goals, is the brave battle where success is formulated.

Heal your heart on Spotify. See more news on his IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Joshua. orchestrated the ultimate Lynchian love song with ‘WALK BY LOVE’

Posted on 6 December 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-CwO_7iXLo

Mike Patton walked so the ethereally scintillating alt-folk artist Joshua. could ‘WALK BY LOVE’ in his latest music video.

Only an artist as iconic as he could get away with a mononym *and* allowing haunting tones to creep out of a ukulele in the production that wouldn’t be out of place in the Eraserhead soundtrack. He could never be accused of writing ‘just another love song’.

The disconcertingly cinematic single allows his sonically ephemeral vocals to drift atop the minimalist instrumentals that envelop you in their wistfully nostalgic sepia tones. In the space of just two minutes, the originator made an ever-lasting impression that definitively proves everyone’s interpretation of love is as individualistic as they are.

The official music video for WALK BY LOVE is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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