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Manchester’s most Machiavellian outfit, The Battery Farm, is set to release their sophomore EP, Dirty Den’s March of Suffering.

Posted on 8 October 2021

If Rob Zombie dreamt up a band to feature in his horror flicks, I am pretty sure there would be a fair amount of hypothetical reminiscence to the mischievously intellectual Manchester-based outfit, The Battery Farm, who are set to release their second boundary-breaking EP Dirty Den’s March of Suffering.

The addictively dynamic release permits you to feel pretty much every emotion on the human spectrum. Given that slipping out of ennui enough to get excited by new music isn’t exactly an easy feat when our worldviews become even bleaker with every log onto social media and flick onto the news, that speaks volumes.

Beyond the sheer sonic innovation, the genius in The Battery Farm lies in their ability to appeal to the melancholically inclined with their satirically liberating tracks that make having an IQ higher than a loaf of bread fleetingly worth it.

Their exposition on the dankness of the human condition in Dirty Den’s March of Suffering cuts just as close to the bone as The Manic Street Preachers’ The Holy Bible. The parallels with the Manics don’t end there either; notably, they carry the same scathingly sharp lyrical wit as Edwards.

After an ominously distorted Westworld-style honkytonk prelude that disquietly teases the carnage that follows, the EP volleys you into the tumultuous ride with When the Whip Goes Crack which pulls pure veracious poetry out of squalor and indignity. If you thought Ken Loach’s films were hard-hitting, prepare for the bruises imparted by this juggernaut of an alt-rock release that lends from everything from post-hardcore to grunge.

I’ve Never Been to Gorton proves that The Battery Farm can do light-hearted just as well as they can lay down inflamed perception-shifting introspection. Behind the bouncy vocals is an exhibition of the modestly virtuosic talent of guitarist, Dominic Corry. While you get cheap kicks of hearing about the landscapes that you have lamented about being around, you are left mesmerised by the guitar licks that stylistically sit between Marr and Glen Branca.

The Battery Farm may have been lazily lumped into the generic punk category for their previous releases, but they come out all experimental guns blazing with Drowning in Black. The darkly psychedelic release is easily one of the most authentically experimental soundscapes conceived in Manchester in the last two decades.

Roy Keane isn’t Real is a bruiser of a scuzzed-up attack on the stupidity and conspiracy theories that have been sending everyone under recently. If any single proves their commitment to delving deep into their Machiavellian imagination, it’s this punk-rooted track grounded in their working-class charisma.

The concluding single, We’re at the Top, ends the EP on an ethereal, jarringly stunning note. It fittingly becomes the swan song of the EP that encompasses life, death and everything between with infinitely more cerebral finesse than Good Charlotte mustered in The Chronicles of Life and Death. With a similar sonic palette to Jerry & the Peacemakers and vocal reminiscence to Mike Patton’s crooning on Mr Bungle’s California album, it arrests you into reflection while conceptually imparting the disarming assurance that our mortal coil is ephemeral. Ingeniously, We’re at the Top tempts you away from spending your days fixated on the ugliness in the world with the same ‘we’re all going to die so fucking be nice’ gravitas as In Heaven by Pixies.

In their own words, here is the concept behind the Dirty Den’s March of Suffering:

“This EP is an attempt by us to celebrate the humanity behind the moment of death. It’s a celebration of the foibles and fallibility of people, a speculation on the silly and mundane things we may get caught up in in death as we do in life – trips to Gorton never made, conspiracy theories chased forever, all kinds of irrelevant nonsense. It’s an acknowledgement too of the blitzkrieg of fear that must be the moment of death, regardless of how it comes, and the ultimate loneliness that is the destiny of all of us. Regardless of circumstance, death is the most innately lonely thing of all and as such it is innately terrifying. The EP is also a futile attempt to understand how something so gigantic can be so unknowable. None of us know what it is like to die, and just as your humble working boiz are doing here, we can all only speculate.”

The EP is due for release on October 15th, 2021; it will be available to stream and purchase on all major platforms. Physical copies are available for via their website.

Tickets for the EP launch at Gulliver’s in Manchester on October 16th are available here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LIVE REVIEW: PINS + Heavy Salad + Sweethearts at the Parish, Huddersfield, 23/09/2021

Posted on 24 September 2021

Huddersfield may not be renowned as a thriving epicentre of alternative culture; it became one when some of the finest acts that the North has to offer raised the roof of the Parish in on September 23rd.

Hull’s finest alt-90s revivalists, Sweethearts, had the unenviable task of warming up a staunchly miserable crowd determined to reserve their energy for PINS. Even if you could have been forgiven for thinking that the crowd was mostly lobotomised, they persevered with their high-energy set taking every banter-fail in their enigmatically electric stride.

Their live set may have been my first introduction to their music which addictively mixes emotional vulnerability with unfalteringly performative insanity but I was gripped with every volatile second of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if half of Huddersfield heard their massive, cacophonously rhythmic drums, and the instrumental flair didn’t end there. If you can’t resist Pavement’s fuzzy hooks, you’ll find Sweethearts’ distorted hooks to be just as sharp. If you get a chance to see them live, take it.

It was my third time catching Heavy Salad live, and my god, their live performances have picked up extra instrumental grit and vocal soul since we last caught them in Manchester, shortly before the pandemic hit in 2020.

With less talent between them, their cultish wholesomeness would fall into the realms of esoteric novelty, but what Midsommar is to horror, Heavy Salad is to the airwaves. They find a way to add nuance to celestial conversation with vibration-raising mantras nestled into hooky psych-pop hits in a way that no one else could.

It was my first chance to hear some of the material from their currently-in-production sophomore album; it would appear that they have perfected the cosmic guitar-driven pop formula over lockdown. Watching them go from strength to strength following the release of their debut album, Cult Casual, in 2020 has easily been one of the gratifying feats of my PR career.

PINS may consistently get left out of the conversation when it comes to celebrating Manchester’s most iconic acts, but with their arresting, cooler than meth style and endless accolades, what more could you possibly ask for?

From the moment they stepped on the atmospherically lit stage with their post-punk-tinged danceable riffs and protestive lyrics that attack the fetid threads of our social fabric, their unshakeable demureness consumed the room. With the glamour of 60s go-go girls and their fiercely empowered poise, they are one of the few bands that can take influence from the original Riot Grrrls without allowing their sonic vision to feel like history revisited.

PINS took the often divisive girls to the front ethos to the next level with the final track on their setlist, Girls Like Us, by inviting the handful of women in the crowd up on stage to dance with them. How could I possibly refuse? With the outstretched hand of Faith, I grasped the affirmation that their motivation as an artist isn’t just to flaunt their autonomy; it is to extend it to anyone that witnesses it.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

We Can Hardly See: Manchester alt-rock act Onedaybear intertwines his soul on ‘Swim’

Posted on 18 September 2021

With a hauntingly intriguing vocal ability that is rather sensationally received to our naked ears, Onedaybear sings with such love and gusto on his latest track which brings a classic story back to life with his first solo outing on ‘Swim‘.

Onedaybear is a Manchester, UK-based indie alt-rock solo artist who was formally in other band projects. He makes a terrific blend of fascinating music for the soul, which takes you to places you thought impossible to reach before.

”The inspiration for the song came from the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. It’s a re-imagination of the tale in a modern context. “Drops on the ceiling, this night might not end.” Orpheus enters the underworld and ponders his choices.” ~ Onedaybear

With an underground style which is such a marvelous listen, we are wrapped into the underworld with a pulsating performance from a highly talented artist who seems to bend the speakers to his every whim. This is a whirlpool type of experience and packed with a supremely mysterious edge, as we are lifted into this story that feels like you are in another dimension entirely.

‘Swim‘ from the Manchester, UK-based indie rock artist Onedaybear, is a tremendous new single with so much to like from every angle. He sings with a real determination and glowing love, as the added transfixing beat takes you into a whole new world. This is a track to turn up loud and flow inside all of your excited veins, as you let an artist of this class take you for a ride into the unknown.

Hear this new single on Spotify and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The Maitlands have dropped their brooding double A-side Diving in at the Shallow End / Bobby Driscoll.

Posted on 3 September 2021

If you could imagine what it would be like to experience Desert Mountain Tribe, Oh Sees, the Fall and the Jim Jones Review simultaneously, you still wouldn’t come close to anticipating the brooding eclecticism of The Maitlands’ freshly cultivated sound in their first release of 2021.

With their double A-side, Diving in at the Shallow End / Bobby Driscoll, they’ve thrown a significant proportion of their humble indie rock swagger to the wayside to find more room for their artistic fortitude.

Mark Winterburn’s (Nine Black Alps, Plan B, Don Bronco, The Script) production, engineering and mastering brought a cinematic flair to the singles with symphonic motifs decorating the signature affably despondent style from their earlier releases. But honestly, I feel like I’ve just experienced the darkest post-punk glow-up imaginable.

Diving in at the Shallow End starts with desolate desert rock tones before the percussion starts speaking to you on a primal level, and discord starts to amass in the psychedelically arranged single until it breaks into a frenetic feat of dingy garage rock n’ roll.

Bobby Driscoll is a conceptual exploration of identity, loss and tragedy inspired by the story of the Disney child actor who wound up in an unmarked grave. It starts by stripping hubris away with the simple yet disarming question, ‘Do you ever feel like you’ve become a caricature of yourself?” As someone who frequently navigates the world in a dissociative state trying to uphold the image I project, it’s safe to say the compassionate narrative hit hard as it unfolded around the walls of shoegazey guitars and percussion that thrashes its way through, managing to reflect the inner turmoil that anyone with a hint of self-awareness feels.

Both singles released on September 3rd; you can check out the singles on Spotify, Amazon and iTunes via this link or connect with the Maitlands via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

If You Want Me To: Manchester producer Feizor wonders what happened on the stunning new track ‘So Many Times’

Posted on 16 August 2021

Taken off his recent strong release named ‘Year of the Bull‘, Feizor drops the sumptuous new single all about wondering if the person you love, actually feels the same spark as you do on ‘So Many Times‘.

Feizor is a sizzling chill-pop electronica project by the Manchester, England-based producer Dallo. He is a world class music artist who makes the type of household jams for the ages, that has you feeling so much better inside each part of your excited body.

”Having gained critical acclaim as a member of Black Marks with their debut album ‘All But Defeated’, The producer has struck out on his own to mix the downtempo elements of that project with the electronica he is more widely known for under his Dallo moniker.” ~ Feizor

Her delightful vocals seems to effortlessly simmer just right into your enthralled consciousness, as you peacefully float inside these beautiful lyrics – that is matched with an absolutely quality soundtrack, which has you in a captivated state of curiosity.

‘So Many Times‘ from the highly skilled chill-pop electronica and Manchester, England-based music producer Feizor, is a loving track which is a real ear-perk that makes you rather delighted inside. On a terrific beat with succulent vocals, this is a real gem of a release.

Sometimes you just need to know, so that you may feel free inside your enlightened soul.

Hear this fiery new single on Spotify and see more on the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Reckless Dancing Strangers: Minute Taker is fearlessly electric on ‘After The Rain’ (feat. Bright Light Bright Light)

Posted on 14 August 2021

With burning-bright vocals that has you seeing the right path to turn into, Minute Taker is at his groovy best on the cosmic gem that happens ‘After The Rain‘ (feat. Bright Light Bright Light).

Minute Taker is a nostalgic indie synth-pop singer-songwriter who is based in Manchester, England.

Joined by the legendary LGBTQ+ icon Rod Thomas from Bright Light Bright Light, this is an overcoming hate and prejudice gay anthem for the ages, which has your heart feeling so warm and happy after so much sadness.

”On the one hand, it’s about the ups and downs of a really tempestuous relationship: the kind that can be like ecstasy and pure magic at times and at other times, tearing each other apart. On a different level, it’s about the journey of the LGBTQ+ community over recent history, ‘fearless cosmic angels, burning bright’ in the face of prejudice, weathering whatever adversity comes our way.” ~ Minute Taker

Perfectly tones and intricately made with such blushing melodies, this is a gushingly-great single that has so much true love intertwined inside like a sweet bird making its homely nest. There is a radiant air of joy on this new track, that has you sensing that there is a welcoming air of change in the atmospheric landscape.

‘After The Rain’ (feat. Bright Light Bright Light) from the Manchester-based indie synth-pop musician Minute Taker, kindly shows us the bright light to go and warm up again after the cold weather of before. Sung with so much love and affection, this is the come outside-and-dance-freely track that we all needed to hear. After being locked inside our home cages for so long and sensing that we had lost some of that inner spark which makes us all so unique, this is the call to join hands and love openly again where you feel safe.

Life is all about being a good person and becoming the best version of yourself after all.

Hear this fine new track on Spotify and see more via the IG music channel.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Gybz strips the glamour from superficial pleasure with his dark RnB single, Sad Boy Hours.

Posted on 31 July 2021

Alt RnB artist Gybz has released his viscerally raw single, Sad Boy Hours, which reflects on our tendency to seek superficial pleasure when we are at our lowest points.

The striking lyrical honesty paired with the suitably harsh electronica textures in the dark RnB track pulls you in deeper to the single that floors you with lines such as “Don’t take it so personal, I want it to be heartless”.

After so many artists have romanticised exactly what Gybz strips the glamour from in Sad Boy Hours, calling the Manchester-based artist revolutionary is far from hyperbolic.

Sad Boy Hours was released on July 29th; it is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fox Evades – soaring, spacious dreampop with ‘Someday’

Posted on 24 June 2021

Fox Evades is the solo project of Manchester-born singer songwriter and producer Jordan Mae. Following up the success of debut single ‘The Heart That Drowned’ and follow-up ‘Bira’, both of which garnered interest from BBC Introducing’s Hannah Fletcher, comes third single ‘Someday’.

A soaring, spacious three minutes of echoey dream-pop, reminiscent of Desperate Journalist, Belly, Slowdive, or The Cure, ‘Someday’ is deliciously gentle and atmospheric, tangibly breakable and ethereal, with a picked repeating guitar line that could have come straight from Three Imaginary Boys or Seventeen Seconds, and Mae’s haunting, delicate voice evocative of Tanya Donelly or Toni Halliday on vocal duties.

It’s truly excellent, and a beautiful, ephemeral taster for Fox Evades’ debut EP due out later this year. You can hear Someday on Spotify; follow Fox Evades on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Rachael Philip pays ode to continuity in ‘Relics in the Ice’

Posted on 18 June 2021

Manchester-based self-taught musician and composer Rachael Philip has taken a break from composing for film to release her debut album, Wax Ephemeral. The influences for the standout single, Relics in the Ice, came through the artist’s intense interest in science and spirituality. You will hear the latter laden in the minimalist, accordant progressions.

Hitting play on the dreamy instrumental landscape, complemented by birdsong, is a sure-fire way to get a potent hit of catharsis. The climbing progressions may be gentle, but Relics in the Ice is as transcendent as electroacoustic ambient neo-classic work gets.

In her own words,

“The album is a tribute to the continuous cycle of life, beauty in death, and regeneration into new forms from microcosmic to macrocosmic view, of a diverse but interconnected network of beings and organisms.”

Relics in the Ice is due for release on July 2nd. In the meantime, you can check out the composer’s other equally as mesmeric scores via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tired Of The Games: Sensational Anguilla singer Zipporah moves on from toxic waters with ‘Pull Up’

Posted on 23 May 2021

With an enticing Caribbean flavor that tastes so tantalizingly pure and supremely good, Zipporah dreams of what she intended her life to really be about on the hot new single called ‘Pull Up‘.

Zipporah is a fully focused and extremely talented London-born, Anguilla-raised and Manchester-based Dancehall and RnB indie singer-songwriter. She sweetly makes real music with a honey coated voice of wonder that deliciously lathers a welcoming wrap of goodness, for your happy soul to enjoy and never ever forget.

“It’s crazy how common emotional abuse is today, and yet how afraid we are to talk about it. While it is not as evident as physical abuse, its scars are just as traumatic. I wanted to draw attention to the feelings experienced when in an emotionally abusive relationship, particularly the feeling of being torn about ending the relationship. This song is about gaining the courage to demand better for yourself. Being able to understand that a problem exists and if it isn’t rectified, you’re not going to settle. You deserve not only happiness but peace of mind”. – Zipporah

She has a rare ability to have you kindly enthralled into her stunning vocals, as her honest storytelling has you so intrigued as this music video shows you her terrific dance moves too. You feel a freshness while listening to this emerging artist who bring the vibe on a telling story, that has you wondering if you are indeed doing what you were destined to do.

‘Pull Up‘ from the wonderfully authentic UK/Anguilla RnB/Dancehall singer-songwriter Zipporah, shows us the true story of having the inner determination and courage, to do what you know you need to. Your wings need to open up again to fly without being held back — as to be truly free and gaining wisdom and strength — you can’t be tied up by shady forces that only want to treacherously manipulate and hold you down, for their own selfish gains.

Life should be about being super happy and following your visualized dreams after all.

See this incredibly enjoyable video on YouTube and see more news and videos on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

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