Music

Document And Eyewitness – An Intimate History Of Rough Trade by Neil Taylor White Rabbit Books Published Feb 19th Buy Here A record shop, distribution business and, first and foremost, iconic label, the name Rough Trade has long been synonymous with cutting-edge new music, cementing its reputation by being right at the forefront of the punk and new wave revolution. What set them apart from the rest was that they weren’t a mere conduit for the cultural explosion…

Converge: Love Is Not Enough Epitaph Records Deathwish Records LP | CD | DL Vinyl out soon. CD and DL out now.   Love Is Not Enough heralds Converge’s long-awaited return. It’s been nine years since The Dusk In Us, their last full-blown studio LP. On one hand that feels like an eon ago. On the other, mere moments. Sean Millard feels time slipping through his fingers, as a sense of his own mortality crushes his dreams. Only…

Comet Gain: City Fallen Leaves (Tapete Records) Vinyl | CD | DL | Streaming Out Now BUY HERE   Tapete Records reissue Comet Gain’s underground indie pop classic, City Fallen Leaves. Andy Brown reviews this essential record for Louder Than War. “And these are the records/ These are the friends/ These are the monuments/ Dreams never end” City Fallen Leaves is a strong contender for Comet Gain’s finest hour, balancing – as it does – their many charms…

Helicon ft Al Lover: Arise (Fuzz Club) LP | CD | DL Out now   Glasgow underground psych-rockers Helicon team up with L.A. DJ/producer Al Lover to release an album that layers in trip-hop beats through the band’s deep psych sound. The result is one of mesmerising glory. It sets out the stall right from the off, on the album title track. The song shifts through magic-eye depth, drawing you in through a myriad of sounds, each one…

Breichiau HirPob Un BrwydrReleased 13th February/DL     Ground breaking Welsh-language post-punk rockers Breichiau Hir release a new  single to mark Welsh Language Music Day Welsh six-piece Breichiau Hir release their new single Pob Un Brwydr on 13th February on Halen Records. The release date is no accident: it coincides with Dydd Miwsig Cymru (Welsh Language Music Day). The title translates into English as Every Single Battle, and vocalist / lyricist Steffan Dafydd tells us, “The song is…

Rod Clements, Lindisfarne LindisfarneThe Exchange 1856, North Shields February 14th 2026 More than half a century after their formation, Lindisfarne are back performing old favourites in their native Tyneside habitat, and sounding better than ever. It was all a happy accident. I was in Newcastle to see Suede for the umpteenth time, and looking to see what else was on in and around the city the following night, when a listing caught my eye: Lindisfarne. In a venue…

Olivia Belli: Daimon Sony Classical Digital | CD Released 20th February No stranger to the neo-classical on his show, Adam Brady reviews Daimon, the new album from Olivia Belli, an album that takes inspiration from the Odyssey. Attributed to Homer, the Odyssey is one of the most influential – and complete – stories to have survived to the present day. Daimon, the new album from Italian pianist and composer Olivia Belli, is the latest piece of art to…

Jarboe: the John Robb interview (2026) Jarboe talks to john Robb about her new album, ‘Sightings’ which is inspired by nature and beyond and the bird call of the vireo, which sparked the whole project.For an overview of her whole career, watch this interview I did in 2020 with her…   At the heart of “Sightings” lies a story of connection with the natural world, a theme born from encounters that are mystical and evasive. The album’s central…

English GardenThe Windmill, Brixton13th February 2026 Brixton’s Windmill has unearthed some fine names down the years. English Garden are the latest band to blossom at a grassroots venue that keeps coming up roses. Steve Morgan digs in “I’m already out of puff, and I’ve just seen what’s coming next,” says a breathless Will Hegarty as his English Garden cohorts launch headlong into their fourth offering of the night. As the mayhem of 3-2-1 climaxes three minutes later, those…

AVATAR | Alien Weaponry | Witch Club Satan Manchester AcademyFebruary 15th 2026 Avatar’s February–March 2026 European and UK run, “In The Airwaves,” is less a concert and more a full-blown metal ritual. Hailed as the band’s most ambitious production to date, this tour fuses extreme music with high- concept theatre, proving Avatar remain one of modern metal’s most visually and musically compelling live acts. Louder Than War, experience a Sunday night in Manchester transformed into a whirlwind of chaos,…