Partners in life and music, Jo Spratley and Bic Hayes snuck this album out in September with such a lack of fanfare that apart from those in the know, barely anyone registered its existence. The Lead Of Saturn Is Gold…
View More MUMMY – The Lead Of Saturn Is Gold To The Wise
You’ve probably read what follows before if you’re aware of my one-time obsession with everything Vertigo “swirl” and have come across my articles and reviews of albums on that most iconic of labels. However, a half-decent tale is worth repeating!…
View More Gracious! – The Recordings 1970-1971 (3CD/DVD Edition)
Signature Brew Haggerston, London Saturday, 8th November 2025 It is a brave promoter who decides to put on yet another prog festival in this already saturated prog fest calendar, but Jordan Harris of Signature Brew is that man, and kudos…
View More Hackney Prog Fest 2025
The Horn, St Albans Wednesday, 15th October 2025 St Albans is about 25 minutes by train from my London hub of choice, the delightfully brutalist wasteland that is Euston station, so in that respect it is no harder to get…
View More The Utopia Strong / Andrew Liles
TPA’s Richard Swan and Roger Trenwith caught two different live shows from the recent Pearl Handled Revolver, ably supported by Teiger, tour. We start with Saturday’s performance at Gravesend’s Red Lion and followed by the show at the Camden Club…
View More Pearl Handled Revolver / Teiger
Stereolab, a band, an enigma, a left-field art institution, and you can dance to them. Instant Holograms On Metal Film, the band’s first album in 15 years makes it sound like they’ve never been away from your record emporium of…
View More Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film
Although I have known about this band for years and have reviewed their albums in the now worryingly distant past, I had no idea at the time that they were big Cardiacs fans, as this was before my own Cardiacs…
View More Gösta Berlings Saga – Forever Now
Earlier this week saw the release of Beyond, the debut waxing of Darkfish, or Sheila Maloney as she is known to her friends, family, and bandmates in the David Cross Band, where she adds essential keyboard textures to that collective’s…
View More Darkfish – Beyond
Special Powers sees the first album of new songs by Craig Fortnam’s chamber pop ensemble North Sea Radio Orchestra since 2016’s Dronne, and as such this is an event of some note, certainly highly anticipated by this listener. In the…
View More North Sea Radio Orchestra – Special Powers
229, Great Portland Street, London Friday 23rd May 2025 The small room at 229, The Venue, is a nicely laid out space with great sound, and even better, a mere stroll from my mainline train station. Following some decent grub…
View More O.R.k. / The Paradox Twin