Kölsch’s melodic album outputs bravely reject dance music’s throwaway culture. Matthew Staite talks to him about his writing process and friendship with Joris Voorn

Kanye West’s much-anticipated and flawed seventh album The Life of Pablo will delight and piss off in equal measure. But it wouldn’t be a Kanye West album if it didn’t piss off somebody

Journey into the realm of punk-influenced, no wave-inspired jazz of the Lounge Lizards.

Mystery Jets lift off new album at magic Gorilla gig

Hinds’ charming, rip-roaring garage-rock revivalism had the audience in Gorilla right in the palms of their hands

Greg Watson sampled the ‘FROOT’ of Marina’s labour as she brought her latest tour to Manchester academy.

This fish left the murky waters of Warehouse Project and dived into the lucozade filled pond of pop for a Marina and the Diamonds concert

Indie-rock band VITAMIN played a rather unique gig at COW vintage store in Manchester last week. You can’t get much edgier than that

Tai Kolade is most often in awe of ø when in the throes of his techno wizardry. Unfortunately, he finds the time to sit down with him in the groggy aftermath

Is hearing protection for the paranoid, or unfaithful to the quality of music? Is it something we should all be considering? Have a listen to Adam Rogers…

Latest Animal Collective album fails to live up to high expectations, but is dynamic and punchy nevertheless

Ball pits and old men dressed as cherubs. What more could you want from Valentine’s day?

Jacob Nicholas revisits this strange 90s gem, which fuses two of the most iconic and yet radically different underground genres: shoegaze and drum and bass.

Manchester’s own Floating Points opens portals into other dimensions

Fun, feisty and downright funky. Student band NUDE are making ripples in Manchester’s Northern Quarter

It took four years for the return of Michael Lovett’s sci-fi synthpop project NZCA Lines. He discusses JG Ballard, singing with a cold and music in 2086 with Jacob Bernard-Banton

This is how you make the leap to the bigtime: Tame Impala know how to fill an arena, and Kevin Parker knows how to wear the emperor’s clothes

15 years on from the demise of Botch, Adam Rogers explores the bands highly influential, and heavily chaotic final LP

One of Manchester’s most-loved bands from the 90’s revisit and reminisce of their time at Manchester University

Benjamin Clementine delivers an intense performance at The Lowry, but does his debut album deserve the Mercury Prize?