Somewhere, on an obscure EP by an obscure band, there’s a song called “More Action! Less Tears!”. A woman shouts the title in an echoing room, and the band kick in, guitars slowly but stridently burning, strings creeping up behind them. It’s sad, hopeful, defiant and great. They might play it at this here gig or they [...]

It’s Unexpected Night at Chapter again. The last time the theatre space got used for one of these get-everyone-who-plays-interesting-music-in-and-around-Chapter-together-and-play-interesting-music shindigs it witnessed: a montage of breasts video projected behind an unaware riffing jam band (never/always ask Casey Raymond to do video projections); an overspill from the book launch cum aerobics class next door; live drawing next [...]

More terrific Brizzle noise attack. DJ Scotch Egg you should know as that hairy-faced loon what blasts audiences with screaming circuitboard abuse and deranged platform game beats (and sometimes actual scotch eggs). He also has a band called Devil Man, who made dub waves at last year’s Swn festival (review here). And he also has [...]

Head in the stars time. Cramming these three bands into the Louisiana may be like bottling a black hole, but more fun. Expansive, noisy space rock will fill the bits between what’s left of your brain cells and ear holes. This is a double-headed tour of the Julian Cope-dug White Hills and the equally riff-happy [...]

Some sad news this week, as Cardiff indiepop institution Little My waves goodbye with their 55th and last gig on Tuesday March 9th at 10 Feet Tall.
Little My’s Wake will see them open their own gig with a short acoustic set to placate the complaint-happy Italian restaurant next door (the band are a lot louder [...]

Double Errors. Double weekend Errors. Two chances to wig out on their dusty anologue and drums go gleaming dance thrill. They may look like escapees from a geography field trip but this Glasgow band will make you move in awesome twitches and spasms. Real heart on time. Anyway, the choice is available: Bristol with the [...]

How many goddamn cool people are here in a heaving Clwb tonight? Well, none, but then this is an evening celebratory of music that will always remain uncool; what you may call twee and I might call heartfelt or beautifully awkward. Pagan Wanderer Lu, or Andy as he’s also called, could theoretically be some sort [...]

Earlier in the afternoon, Billy Bragg was in Chapter to talk about his charity Jail Guitar Doors, and brough a couple of ex-convicts who’d benefitted from the scheme’s rehabilitation through musical education aim. They sounded like Jamie T obviously, but even these men who’d probably been locked up for bumming swans had more fire and [...]

Let’s gripe first and salute later: the wholly admirable and totally fucking great idea behind this Bethan Elfyn-curated night was to give the unlovely people of Cardiff an evening of surf guitar music, one of the finest musical styles this wretched planet has coughed up yet. In the event that third surf band couldn’t be [...]

Hey, it’s ’90s night! Shouting “All you motherfuckers better like the Coral!” is a strange way for Lawrence Arabia to start a gig, which is why he doesn’t do it. But the jaunty indie payload the bushy-faced New Zealander delivers (plus equally cute and hairy band) is disturbingly Britpop and occasionally quite good. Look out, [...]

For a line-up playing out of order comes a review written out of order. First up are headliners Lucky Delucci (playing 3rd out of 4 bands). Remember that Wall of Sound business that murderer came up with? Well imagine a wall made out of jelly, pebble-dashed with those little Malteser shaped poos [...]

Why is surf music better than almost anything else? Don’t ask me. All I know is it’s like wearing a suit made of catnip, like Leslie Nielsen popping round your house, like the buzz of the third beer in good company. Even bad twang is good twang. From Gerlan, North Wales, Y Niwl are more then [...]