High Voltage

The most exciting aspect of the recent resurgence in Manchester bands, is that unlike the early 90’s Madchester era, the recent crop are devoid of any discernable scene or style to link them together. From Egyptian Hip Hops Talking Heads vibes, to Delphic’s dance beats via I Am Blackbirds delicate folk, each act is trying to create their own bit of musically history. Arguably...

After the controversy that surrounded the video to her last single, Born Free, which basically presented the idea of brutal ginger persecution, M.I.A has become something of a hot topic. It’s no surprise then that her latest single, XXXO, has been pounced upon by well-known rapper, Jay-Z and been given a make-over.

The problem is, from listening to the original, it...

It’s always great to hear a fresh take on punk and grunge: enter Second Head. Equal parts Placebo and Death From Above 1979, here is a band that’s arrived just in time. Whilst as yet rather undeveloped, in the Courtney Love (when she was young, and Hole were good) yelping and Blood Red Shoes post-punk aggression, there’s an individual sound developing that conveniently...

It’s been a while since this correspondent has visited Oldham Street’s iconic Night and Day Café, but Manchester indie institution Friends of Mine’s takeover of the venue tonight ensured that a return was a must. Former recipients of HV’s New Noise spotlight, Crooked Rooks, are an enticing enough proposition on their own, but the booking of an intriguing...

As a self-confessed prog-rock fan, I feel I should know more about Rush, but, ‘Tom Sawyer’ and a couple of others aside, I’m basically ignorant of their music. Moreover, I know nothing of their story, of their career, or the forces that shaped them. To me, these facts, combined with a decent knowledge of other prog greats like Yes or The Floyd, make me ideally placed to...