https://kaimarshall.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Kai MarshallenFri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-10th-april/The IINAG team has done the heavy lifting and curated this week’s essential new tracks so you don’t have to. Check out our picks below, then head over to the playlist for the full deep dive. Iceage have announced their second single ‘Ember’ from their upcoming album ‘For Love of Grace and Hereafter’, their first LP since 2021s ‘Seek Shelter’. The track is arolling, punky tale of a turbulent relationship in nautical peril; sonically, it draws comparisons with Neutral Milk Hotel’s ‘Holland,...Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-10th-april/https://louderthanwar.com/so-long-good-friday-liverpool-festival-review/So Long, Good Friday Baltic Triangle, Liverpool 3rd April 2026 Experts in chaos Fat Dog headline a blistering line-up of talented and trail-blazing artists in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle for the first annual So Long, Good Friday festival. Kai Marshall and Elliot Davies take a look at what’s on offer. The first annual So Long, Good Friday festival takes place on 3rd April with a packed line-up of largely, but not exclusively, alternative acts from the Northwest of England. Co-organiser Craig Mcve...Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://louderthanwar.com/so-long-good-friday-liverpool-festival-review/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-dry-cleaning-y-opus-kink-girli-and-more/The IINAG team has done the heavy lifting and curated this week’s essential new tracks so you don’t have to. Check out our picks below, then head over to the playlist for the full deep dive. Harsh yet calm, London post-punk band Dry Cleaning return with Sliced by a Fingernail just two months after the release of their third album, Secret Love, via 4AD. Slightly less melodic and a shade darker, the four-minute track finds Florence Shaw’s instantly recognisable spoken-word delivery — built...Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-dry-cleaning-y-opus-kink-girli-and-more/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/ttssfu-live-at-future-yard-a-high-octane-homecoming/Off the back of a ridiculously busy trans-Atlantic schedule, Tasmin Stephens (TTSSFU) makes her final stop on the road in Birkenhead’s Future Yard, supported by Wyatt.  Having less than a week prior landed back on English soil following several appearances in Austin, Texas for SXSW, TTSSFU embarked upon a UK tour that saw her travel from north to south to Wales and back again. A gruelling tour schedule, no doubt. However, it serves as evidence of Tasmin’s hard work both on stage and in the st...Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/ttssfu-live-at-future-yard-a-high-octane-homecoming/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/americana-workhorses-wyatt-on-family-manchester-and-the-power-of-bandcamp/The ever-reliable Manchester scene has restarted its music factories, putting its artists back at the coalface once more. Acts like Westside Cowboy and Pyncher have already attracted well-deserved attention for their innovative and timely output. Among the many acts emerging from the city right now are TTSSFU and Wyatt. Wyatt are an alternative country-influenced outfit whose members draw from a deep well of musical experience. Singer and guitarist Harvey O’Toole, also a member of Pyncher, is...Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/americana-workhorses-wyatt-on-family-manchester-and-the-power-of-bandcamp/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-12-2026/The IINAG team has done the heavy lifting and curated this week’s essential new tracks so you don’t have to. Check out our picks below, then head over to the playlist for the full deep dive. Dutch outfit Real Farmer have released the second single ‘Sob Story’ from their upcoming album “Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right”. Recorded in Rotterdam, this track treats us to a bass-led groove reminiscent of Gang Of Four as a driver for singer Jeroen Klootsema’s deep and moody vocals. Jeroen’s deliver...Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-12-2026/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/the-orielles-only-you-left-review/A band that seeks to break new ground and evolve deserves a respectful nod of recognition. It can be so easy to sink into the comforting embrace of genre labels and allow the algorithm to distribute your music to sympathetic ears that it’s refreshing to be unable to put a band in a box. On Only You Left, the fifth album from Manchester trio The Orielles, the band think outside the box, redesign the box and put themselves back in it again with mixed results.  Recorded between Hamburg and the G...Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/the-orielles-only-you-left-review/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-10-2026/The IINAG team has done the heavy lifting and curated this week’s essential new tracks so you don’t have to. Check out our picks below, then head over to the playlist for the full deep dive. After an eight-year hiatus, Basement are back with two new singles and an album announcement. Their fifth album seems to follow the mellower footsteps of their more recent offerings that landed more in alternative and indie rock than their emo and pop punk beginnings. Regardless, it’s good to see the...Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-10-2026/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-10-2026/The IINAG team has done the heavy lifting and curated this week’s essential new tracks so you don’t have to. Check out our picks below, then head over to the playlist for the full deep dive. After an eight-year hiatus, Basement are back with two new singles and an album announcement. Their fifth album seems to follow the mellower footsteps of their more recent offerings that landed more in alternative and indie rock than their emo and pop punk beginnings. Regardless, it’s good to see the...Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/tracks-of-the-week-10-2026/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/midding-44-review/There is so much fantastic music being produced at the moment, with country and punk influences (just to name a few), that some gems are easy to miss. Midding, on the other hand, set themselves apart with their newest EP and establish their Psychocandy sound.  Opener “All For You” emphasises the Jesus And Mary Chain influence with the relaxed vocal delivery and fuzzy guitar solo. The bass takes us on a post-punk walk around the rhythm of the track before the band flips their sixties psychedel...Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/midding-44-review/https://louderthanwar.com/they-are-gutting-a-body-of-water-gorilla-manchester-live-review/They Are Gutting A Body Of Water | TobiTheFreak Gorilla, Manchester 11th Feb 2026 Purveyors of the Philadelphia DIY spirit, TAGABOW are the loudest and most innovative shoegaze band of the modern resurgence. Kai Marshall watches on.  Much is said about the way music brings people together. I’d go as far as to say it’s a cliché to emphasise the umbrella of inclusivity you enter as a frequent gig-goer. Indulge me for a moment, though. It’s important sometimes to take stock of your surroundings. I...Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/they-are-gutting-a-body-of-water-gorilla-manchester-live-review/https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/yellow-days-rock-and-a-hard-place-review/Rock and a Hard Place, out February 13th on Independent Co, is an album born of a soulful need to dance and sing. This is Yellow Days’ sixth LP at just 26 years of age. Such an impressive output has seen collaborations with known influences Mac DeMarco and Gorillaz. A Rock and a Hard Place is his most impressive yet; drawing on swing, jazz, soul and RnB this LP is an odyssey of the emotions that music teases out of us. Special Kind Of Woman is a crooning classic fused with old-fashioned soul....Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.indieisnotagenre.com/yellow-days-rock-and-a-hard-place-review/https://louderthanwar.com/madness-the-o2-arena-london-live-review/Madness | Squeeze The O2 Arena, London 20th December 2025 There’s a red and gold sea of silliness as the O2 arena fills with the international symbol for Madness: the iconic red Fez. Kai Marshall watches on as the legendary ska pop ensemble links up with the eternal Squeeze for a night of cockney reverie. (in March 2026 Louder Than War are putting in their first festival in 2026 – you must come! tickets and details here) The yellow spikes of the quarter-century-old Millennium dome appear on the...Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/madness-the-o2-arena-london-live-review/https://louderthanwar.com/king-princess-new-century-hall-manchester-live-review/King Princess | Susannah Joffe New Century Hall, Manchester December 7th 2025 On a rainy Manchester evening, the New Century Hall provides us with some much needed empowerment and vibrancy. Kai Marshall watches Susannah Joffe and King Princess as they erase the December grey. Mikaela Straus, aka King Princess, is no stranger to success. Going by the pronouns she/they, they have achieved chart triumphs around the world with Cheap Queen and Only Time Makes It Human, among others. They have nurtu...Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/king-princess-new-century-hall-manchester-live-review/https://louderthanwar.com/the-hives-aviva-studios-manchester-live-review/The Hives | Yard Act | Spiritual Cramp  Manchester, Aviva Studios 28th Nov 2025 Put the words “factory” and “Manchester” together, and you’re bound to get something special. At Factory International’s Aviva Studios, Kai Marshall experiences the majesty of The Hives in their full pomp and glory, with support from Yard Act and Spiritual Cramp. I want to begin by giving a huge thumbs up to the most accessible venue I’ve ever been to – Aviva Studios, Factory International. Friendly staff everywhere...Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/the-hives-aviva-studios-manchester-live-review/https://louderthanwar.com/simon-weitzman-a-love-letter-to-the-beatles-interview/Generation after generation, Beatles obsessives emerge and reinterpret their legacy. To be a part of a fandom is to be a part of a family, says director and writer Simon Weitzman. In a career that has taken him all over the world, he has been involved in a succession of Beatles-based projects, including both books and films. Here, Kai Marshall explores Simon’s TV, music and film career as well as his most recent documentary A Love Letter To The Beatles (reviewed here), with contributions from Ex...Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/simon-weitzman-a-love-letter-to-the-beatles-interview/https://louderthanwar.com/a-love-letter-to-the-beatles-film-review/A Love Letter To The Beatles (2025) Executive Directors: Simon Weitzman Executive Producers: Stewart Everett, Keith McCallum, David L Simon Out Now Not just a tribute to the Fab Four, A Love Letter To The Beatles documents the immortal Beatles fandom. Kai Marshall attends the Liverpool premiere. Beatles fans have been treated to so much in the 2020s so far. We’ve had a big budget fly-on-the-wall documentary, remastered albums and even a new Beatles single. This is largely what I would describe a...Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/a-love-letter-to-the-beatles-film-review/https://louderthanwar.com/mac-demarco-another-one-10-year-anniversary-album-review/Mac Demarco- Another One (Captured Tracks) LP | CD | CAS | DL Available from 7th November 2025 Revisiting one of his dearest teenage albums, Kai Marshall takes another listen to Mac Demarco’s Another One. Music-obsessed teenagers carry their passion over to adulthood. Sometimes these young people find themselves swept up into cultural phenomena like Beatlemania. Perhaps you were wrapped up in a 00s emo scene that the long memory of iCloud storage will never let you forget. Then there are albums...Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/mac-demarco-another-one-10-year-anniversary-album-review/https://louderthanwar.com/the-belair-lip-bombs-again-album-review/The Belair Lip Bombs- Again (Third Man Records) CD | LP | DL Out Now The Belair Lip Bombs treat us to a belated but nostalgic summer holiday on their new LP ‘Again’. Kai Marshall takes a listen. The concoction of youthful romantic passion and the use of guitars to summon 2010s nostalgia is a lethal mix for anyone in their 20s or 30s. Belair Lip Bombs’ new album is deadly in this regard – Maisie Everett captures the beauty and confusion of modern relationships through Libertines licks and nought...Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/the-belair-lip-bombs-again-album-review/https://louderthanwar.com/ghostwoman-yes-manchester-live-review/GHOSTWOMAN | Boy Wonder The Pink Room, Manchester 29th October 2025 From Tennessee to Manchester via Antwerp- Kai Marshall lays eyes on psyche rockers GHOSTWOMAN Bluegrass and other kinds of Americana in the 21st century no longer conjures up images of Louisiana swamps or truckers driving east to west in faded old caps. Bluesy, folksy, twanging guitars are more likely to be played by long-haired moustachioed prog types in your local pub. If your grandad is playing the blues in a working men’s cl...Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://louderthanwar.com/ghostwoman-yes-manchester-live-review/https://louderthanwar.com/geese-getting-killed-album-review/Geese: Getting Killed (Partisan Records)  LP | CD | DL Out now! 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0 Not short of classic rock influences, Geese release a classic album of their own with Getting Killed. Kai Marshall explores Winter’s world. Rock music in the 21st century all too often finds itself struggling to get out of the shadow of its predecessors. Geese have not found this to be an issue – their classic rock tendencies blend seamlessly with contemporary post-punk.   The Opener, Trinidad, brings a Davi...Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://louderthanwar.com/geese-getting-killed-album-review/https://louderthanwar.com/they-are-gutting-a-body-of-water-lotto-album-review/They Are Gutting A Body Of Water: LOTTO ATO Records CD|LP|DL available here Out now 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0 Delving in to the Philadelphia sludge, Kai Marshall explores TAGABOWs heart-wrenching heavy shoegaze LP LOTTO There is so much to be said for the DIY attitude that permeates the Philadelphia music scene. The city’s contribution to punk music is immeasurable- a city whose heartbeat sounds like a hardcore punk record. Out of this city emerges yet another glorious collection of music which,...Sat, 25 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://louderthanwar.com/they-are-gutting-a-body-of-water-lotto-album-review/https://louderthanwar.com/ghostwoman-welcome-to-the-civilised-world-album-review/GHOSTWOMAN: Welcome To The Civilised World (Full Time Hobby) LP | CD | DL Out now Welcome To The Civilised World drags the dusty 1960s desert sound into the modern age- a hazy, sun-cracked journey through Americana and psych. GHOSTWOMAN prove that guitar bands still have plenty of noise left to make. A title to take with a pinch of salt, GHOSTWOMAN make music that does not sound like music made by a band from the 21st century world. Their sound has echoes of the American frontier, the sort of so...Sun, 19 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://louderthanwar.com/ghostwoman-welcome-to-the-civilised-world-album-review/https://louderthanwar.com/david-byrne-who-is-the-sky-album-review/David Byrne: Who Is The Sky (Matador Records) Out now David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky? finds the art-pop visionary once again turning life’s smallest absurdities into grand philosophical theatre. It’s an album that treads the line between genius and overexposure- radiant with optimism and moments of sickening joy. David Byrne’s work since the inception of Talking Heads bas been defined by his curiosity – how did I get here? How do I work this? Say something once, why say it again? They’re songs wit...Sat, 18 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://louderthanwar.com/david-byrne-who-is-the-sky-album-review/