#559: Weezer, Manchester Academy

That it's been ten years since Weezer last graced Manchester is a fact not lost on tonight's crowd; the anticipation that bristles through the venue as the house lights dim is palpable. That this is only one of two shows the band are playing in the UK is a further fact not lost, with people coming from afar afield as Hamburg to see them, something which not just adds to tonight's expectations, but is also a testament to the devotion Weezer fans harbour.

This review was originally written for Musos' Guide. Click here to read in full.

#558: The Joy Formidable - Hitch

When The Joy Formidable released The Big Roar back in 2011, it was a record that lived up to its name. Huge walls of noise mixed effortlessly with pop sensibilities to make an album that was quite literally made for the arenas and festival stages it inevitably took them to. Its follow up, 2013’s Wolf’s Law, felt similar. Backed this time with a larger budget, the band’s music palette grew along with their ambitions, resulting in a record of monolithic, if not more polished, proportions.

This review was originally written for Louder Than War. Click here to read in full.

#557: Introducing...Tacocat

Subscribing to a similar brand of party pop as fellow Seattleites Chastity Belt, Tacocat harbour a sound upbeat and sugary, whilst retaining enough bite and bitterness to prevent it boiling over in to total twee territory. Making art about experiences in which gender is both foregrounded and neutralized, the band highlight the fact that ‘Women’s Issues’ are just issues, and they do so by ironically drawing very little attention to them.

This feature was originally written for Louder Than War. Click here to read in full.

#556: Introducing...Danxia

Glacial, otherworldly, woozily narcotic. All words which fittingly describe Warrington's Danxia. Though fresh-faced in the scheme of things, the band have already managed to carve out a niche for themselves, setting them apart from their contemporaries and allowing their compositional maturity to flourish.

This feature was originally written for Little Indie. Click here to read in full.

#555: Hookworms - Self-titled (Reissue)

Arguably one of the Leeds bands who held open the floodgates for the next generation to pour through, Hookworms not only laid the foundations for the city’s currently burgeoning scene, but refused to rest on their laurels once building was complete.

This review was originally written for Line of Best Fit. Click here to read in full.