Music - live music and CD reviews

Preview Amy Macdonald

The soulful Scot brings her individual brand of folk-pop to the Academy

When Amy Macdonald emerged in 2007, the music scene was witnessing a plethora of kooky pop vixens, in a new era for women in the business. Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, Adele, Duffy, Gabriella Cilmi…we could go on. Though the time of the soulful female performers is not over, it is…

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Preview Tom Hingley

The former Inspiral Carpets frontman and connoisseur of indie puts on a one-off acoustic show, treating fans to material old and new

At the helm of jaunty psychedelic indie band the Inspiral Carpets, Tom Hingley embodied what was great about the British music scene at the turn of the 1990s. This was of course before anyone had even thought of slapping the Britpop label on every male act that released a record.…

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Preview Live at Leeds

Monster rock and indie festival hits Leeds for your Bank Holiday

Diaries out, and mark this date in your calendars: Thursday 30^th April to Monday 3^rd May. One of the proudest moments on the Leeds music diary, Live at Leeds promises to deliver high quality performers for a super low ticket value.

With acts still to announce, the line up…

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Preview British Wildlife

A look ahead to the three day music festival celebrating all things DIY and noisy in Leeds music

British Wildlife have been fairly busy since their conception back in 2006. This Spring they’re creating yet another almighty cocktail of noise with their annual festival.

The festival will be gracing three venues and boasts over 40 live bands, who, according to promoter Adam Nodwell, “don’t quite tick all…

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Preview Ellie Goulding

Hyper-hyped electropop comes to The Cockpit

Ellie Goulding’s debut album, Lights, has already reached number one status with what seems to have been a minimum amount of exposure; not quite the hard-grind of Florence whose album took a good six months to get absolutely everywhere.

Goulding - a 23 year old from Hereford - is playing…

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Live Review Passion Pit/Ellie Goulding

Leeds Met, 4 March 2010

Goulding - a 23 year old pop singer who’s song are more KT Tunstall than Kylie - was heralded as ‘one to watch’ for 2010 way back in 2009, when the charts went retro electro and anything that didn’t sound like Kate Bush or Duran Duran just wasn’t cool, granddad.…

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Preview The Courteeners

Manchester's current biggest musical exports come to the Academy

The Courteeners are back on the road after ducking off the radar for a while, following quick and plentiful commercial attention subsequent to their 2008 debut. Knowing when to take a break from popping up regularly on T4 and concentrate on producing some fresh material spared them overkill just in…

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Preview A Tribute to Atlantic Jazz

A night of jazz in tribute to the 60s and 70s output of Atlantic Records

While Ray Charles is one of the best known names in jazz and soul, the musicians who played alongside him and were central in the musical legacy he left behind, have seldom achieved anywhere near the level of respect or reverence as their band leader.

A Tribute to Atlantic Jazz,…

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CD Review The Automatic

Tear The Signs Down (Armoured)

Quite surprisingly Tear the Signs Down is The Automatic’s third album release since their huge 2006 debut Not Accepted Anywhere.

Their second attempt This Is A Fix seems to have passed us by much like jeggings and British summertime. This time, it’s released on their own label which was set…

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Live Review Yeasayer

The Faversham, 22 February 2010

Given all the hype, you’d probably be right to assume that 2010 will be the year of Yeasayer - those New York hippies who went from other-worldly arty types on their delightful debut record, All Hour Cymbals (2007), to neatly trimmed pop minstrels who finally discovered funk on their new…

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