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Articles
lsteinberg has written the following articles:
Tilly and the Wall - Rainbows In The Dark / Bad Education
Being one of the few people who doesn’t get misty eyed at the mention of Saddle Creek, the potential tweeness on offer here from a band in the extended family left me nonchalantly turning the stereo up to full volume...»
Liam Frost and the Slowdown Family at Manchester Night and Day Cafe, Thu 16 Feb
Tonight is a rite of passage for the 22 year-old singer songwriter, Liam Frost. Last year was ridiculously frenetic as his acoustic performances created one of the biggest buzzes around the city since Nine Black Alps donned their lumberjack shirts. Now with a record deal under his belt, the final night of his four-week residency of gigs in Manchester and London is complete. »
Bob Mould at Nottingham The Rescue Rooms, Wed 25 Jan
Through the thin walls of my house, a Motown compilation is blasting in from next door. Smokey Robinson, The Supremes... it’s a very considerate neighbour who will note the morning sun lighting up the roads and subsequently find the appropriate soundtrack. With my ears still ringing from the night before, it’s as though 45 year-old Bob Mould, through the power of buzzsaw melody, still has the power to shift something in the atmospheric ether. »
Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures
Forgive me, for I have gone about my daily business without Rogue Wave in my life. It’s daft really as Sub Pop have had them in their bosom since 2003 when mainman Josh Rogue delivered debut ‘Out Of The Shadow’. But somehow they’ve managed to sit just under the radar. But with Death Cab For Cutie busy claiming space in American teen soaps and Guided By Voices finally clocking out of existence, there’s been an aching gap in the space-time continuum of bittersweet, foreboding indie rock.»
(Review of nothing)
It’s only a band; remember it’s only a band. So why on earth does the first rumble of Tom Barman’s fragile voice cause the eyes to prickle and form great big tears of relief? Maybe it’s because those who fell so deeply into their world of hotel lounges, Beefheart toms and murderous relationships haven’t dared speak of their absence, simply because it was a loss that was just too keenly felt.»
Nada Surf - The Weight Is A Gift
There's a time for playing it cool and keeping your mouth shut. There's also a time for running down the street, feet pounding and head thumping with the sheer sense of freedom as you leave buildings, cars and people behind.»
The Martini Henry Rifles - Slash The Seats
Garage noise merchants the martini henry rifles have had to make some significant decisions over the past two years.»
Idlewild at Manchester Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Fri 23 Jan
On the surface, this would seem an immensely pretentious concept. From the lanterns to the cockeyed lamp shades, and the piano holding the glasses of red wine, the overwhelming feel of tonight is that of a louche Manhattan lounge.»
Therapy? at Manchester Academy 3 (formerly Hop & Grape), Thu 25 Nov
It’s almost ten years to the month that I first saw Therapy? live. In the heady post-grunge heights of Troublegum, there wasn’t really anything comparable to the Irish trio. Straddling commercial success with a genuine love of rock cliché, nothing kept me up ‘til the early hours, sitting with my finger on the pause/record button during such TV institutions as Raw Power, Hotel Babylon, Passengers and The Beat. Even waiting for thirty seconds of the ‘Teethgringer’ video on the Chart Show ‘Rock Chart’ was a Saturday morning well spent.»
Frank Black - Frank Black Francis
There’s something about hearing little Charles Michael Kittridge Thomson IV’s voice and acoustic guitar blasting into a tape recorder. Recorded in 1987 in an apartment in Boston, it’s as close as a fan will ever get to sitting in a sunshine lit bedroom and having an intimate time with the man who became known as indie genius, Black Francis.»
"...we're supposed to be going to America with Franz Ferdinand!"
Their debut album is out this week, but what've these cheery likely-lads from the constrastingly grim North East gotta say them themselves? DiS investigates...»
Aidan Smith at Manchester Night and Day Cafe, Sat 20 Mar
Aidan Smith is the voice of experience. Two mini-albums into his career, Smith approaches his duties with the kind of self-effacing cynicism that’s both endearing and baffling.»
The Strap-Ons at Manchester Retrobar, Fri 20 Feb
People should be gathering in here tonight with their Polaroids and Digicams, documenting another important step in the pulsing crotch of Manchester’s alternative rock scene. Instead, the Fat Cats are here, sniffing around the latest sensation in the city - Nine Black Alps.»
Winnebago Deal at Manchester Roadhouse, Thu 12 Feb
'Wyld Stallyns rule!' Well, it's not quite Bill and Ted; it's Ben and Ben and they're from Oxford, not some sleepy Californian college town.»