The XS Noize Podcast

On this weeks XS Noize Music Podcast Mark Millar talks to music legend Shaun Ryder and Producer Danny Saber to discuss 21 years of Black Grape's debut album 'It's Great When You're Straight… Yeah' and loads more.

Black Grape was founded in 1993 by legendary Happy Mondays Shaun Ryder and Bez, who recruited former Rap Assasin Paul 'Kermit' Leveridge, Carl 'Pyscho' McCarthy, drummer Ged Lynch and guitarist Wags (formerly of Paris Angels). After signing to Radioactive Records, in 1995 they released their debut album It's Great When You're Straight…Yeah. The album debuted at number 1 (eventually going platinum) and spawned three, instantly recognisable Top 20 singles: 'Reverend Black Grape', 'In The Name Of The Father' and 'Kelly's Heroes'.

This weeks featured track is 'Escape The World' by singer-songwriter Michael Forsyth. For Michael Forsyth, its only ever been about the music. A prolific writer, he is already working on a follow up album to 'Stop For the World' and his new single 'Escape the World' is the first track to come from that. An anthemic and accomplished slice of indie pop mixed by celebrated LA based producer Danny Saber, 'Escape the World' is immediate in its appeal and looks set to further extend Michael's evergrowing fan base as it picks up glowing reviews and playlistings around the world. Get in touch: [email protected]

On this weeks XS Noize Music Podcast Merchandise's Carson Cox chats to Mark Millar about the bands new album 'A Corpse Wired For Sound'. Tampa art punks Merchandise will return with their 5th album A Corpse Wired For Sound. on September 23rd.

Formed nearly a decade ago, galvanized by Tampa hardcore and noise, A Corpse Wired For Sound signals a new chapter for Merchandise. Following 2014's After The End album which was a full-band effort— the band stripped back to a 3 piece. The trio travelled to Rosà, Italy for their first ever sessions in a recording studio, The nine-song nocturnal A Corpse Wired For Sound was recorded half in the studio and half at home, in Tampa as well as Cox's newly adopted bases of New York and Berlin – the culmination of a long-distance collaboration between Cox and Vassalotti.

This weeks featured band are Lions of Dissent. Lions of Dissent are a creative collective that contain songwriters, musicians, producers, filmmakers and designers – a vehicle for imagination, ideas, spontaneity and collaboration. Everything you see, hear and consume is created from within. This is an all-inclusive voyage and everyone is invited.

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On this weeks XS Noize Music Podcast Larry Love from The Alabama 3 talks to Mark Millar about the bands new album 'Blues' and 20 year anniversary. Alabama 3 are set to release brand new album on the Hostage Music label on the 28th of October 2016. 'Blues', is their thirteenth long player and was recorded and co-produced with Wizard (Chemical Brothers, Dizzee Rascal, X-Press 2, Wiley, DJ Fresh, M.I.A. / Diplo, Chase & Status) at Dean Street Studios in London this year. The new album features ten tracks, including the forthcoming new single '(I'll Never Be) Satisfied', and brings together their now trademark chain gang clarion calls, bittersweet dope laments, sleazy whiskey rhythms, wailing harmonicas and obligatory Delta slide to great effect. Too many highlights to mention, this is a essentially a straight ahead Rock 'n' Roll record that captures and embraces every human emotion and is possibly the infamous London band's most complete and finest collection of songs to date. This weeks featured track is 'Runaway' the latest single from Manchester indie band 'Affairs'. With a run of 3 singles: Blood Science, Brothers and Play, Manchester band AFFAIRS have established themselves on the UK indie music scene and now come with their debut EP Stained Gold featuring the single Runaway. With support from DJs Steve Lamacq, John Kennedy, Chris Hawkins, Tom Robinson, Janice Long, Dermot O'Leary, Alan Raw and Jim Gellatly, tracks on TV channels BBC One / Football Focus, BT Sport, BT Music, Virgin Media and SUBtv plus rave reviews on many websites & blogs including Clash Magazine and the Guardian's Little Indie Blogs, AFFAIRS have an ever-growing fanbase eager to get their hands on the Stained Gold EP. Get in touch: [email protected] Twitter: @xsnoizemusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xsnoizemusic

Since then her music has alternated with film roles (Pulp Fiction, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Sherlock Holmes) plus theatre work (War Horse, The Street Of Crocodiles) and TV drama (Pramface, The Street, You Me And the Apocalypse). However she maintains a special place for singing, writing and performing music. Bronagh has recently released her 3rd album of new material called Gather Your Greatness and joins Mark Millar to talk all about it. This weeks featured track is 'Lost And Found' from Birmingham's Glenn Smyth. The track is from his forthcoming EP 'A Sense Of Freedom'. Mixed by Owen Morris (Oasis, The Verve) and produced by Dave McCabe, 'Lost And Found' is the follow up to 'Dead To The World' and 'What Have I Done To Deserve This?', which received support from the likes of BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, This Feeling and XS Noize. After a youth spent playing football for Derby County, a near career ending fractured fibula and tibia meant Glenn had time on his hands. This resulted in him picking up the guitar for the first time and his journey into music began. After a few brushes with the law as a misguided teenager, the guitar was picked up again, but this time a love of songwriting was born, specifically writing gritty songs that are somewhat lacking in today's world of beige. Two cult Birmingham bands in Escobar and Evil Alien followed which bought parallel levels of success in two very different worlds. Escobar – an up tempo rock n roll band in the mold of Oasis and The La's, and Evil Alien – soundscapes, beeps and synths influenced by the likes of Cabaret Voltaire and Depeche Mode, championed by Zane Lowe, BBC Radio 1 and Q Magazine. Get in touch: [email protected]

A little while ago, not many people outside of a small Scottish town had heard of singer songwriter Michael Forsyth. That changed when his second album 'Stop For the World' reached number one in the UK iTunes Singer Songwriter chart and began climbing the charts in America, Lithuania and Nepal with similar success, all through word of mouth. For Michael Forsyth, its only ever been about the music. A prolific writer, he is already working on a follow up album to 'Stop For the World' and his new single 'Escape the World' is the first track to come from that.

An anthemic and accomplished slice of indie pop mixed by celebrated LA based producer Danny Saber, 'Escape the World' is immediate in its appeal and looks set to further extend Michael's evergrowing fan base as it picks up glowing reviews and playlistings around the world. Mark Millar caught up with Michael for a chat.

This weeks featured band are Empathy Test. Empathy Test are back with double A-Side 'Demons / Seeing Stars', the first taste of the forthcoming debut album. Since releasing their stunning debut EP, 'Losing Touch', the enigmatic duo have impressed with their brooding cinematic electro pop sound; winning both critical acclaim and a legion of dedicated fans worldwide. Their music has seen radio support with KCRW, BBC Introducing and XFM and features with MTV, Clash Music, Earmilk and PopMatters amongst others. Isaac Howlett and Adam Relf formed Empathy Test after discovering a mutual love of eighties sci-fi soundtracks, nineties guitar bands and underground dance music. With echoes of CHVRCHES and Purity Ring, their sound has been described as Future Pop, Dark Wave and numerous other variations along similar themes.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Dodgy were originally together for seven years and in that time, released three albums totalling over a million sales worldwide and had 12 Top 40 singles, including Staying Out For The Summer, If You're Thinking Of Me and Good Enough. On 2nd September 2016 Dodgy are to release their new album 'What Are We Fighting For' on Cherry Red Records. 'What Are We Fighting For' is the fifth album from the original Dodgy line-up - Nigel Clark, Mathew Priest and Andy Miller – and the first of new material since their widely lauded comeback reunion album, 'Stand Upright In A Cool Place'. It is also the first album to feature relatively new member Stu Thoy on bass and vibes, who joined the band to help them tour the last album and has managed to hang on in there ever since, and their first for new label Cherry Red Records. Mark Millar caught up with Dodgy hitman Mathew Priest to chat all about it.

This weeks unsigned band is Guns of the Seneca. You can hear their track: Largo Parenchyma from their album Citizens of the Universe. Our own Tom Day said about Guns of the Seneca: They're epic. Not in the broad spectrum compliment sense but quite literally. Their music is layered up to the eyeballs and quite frankly, brilliant.

It barely even registers that they are mostly instrumental as it just doesn't matter that there's very little vocal and they blew me away in one track. They successfully move from tranquil to blistering in a moment and their stuff is so tight if you stuck coal in it you'd get a diamond back out and I'm still trying to work out how 3 people make such an enormously complicated sound!

Get in touch: [email protected]

With over 540k Spotify streams and 190k plays worldwide, experimental-pop trio Beaty Heart are back with their follow up to 2014's Mixed Blessings, 'Till The Tomb', released July 29th . After an extensive tour through 2015 with friends Jungle and working on this album with David Wrench (FKA Twigs, Caribou) Beaty Heart have returned with a new take and direction for their music.

Support from radio has been brilliant with plays coming from Radio 1's Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Phil Taggart, 6Music's Lauren Laverne and Steve Lamacq and Radio X's John Kennedy. With new inspiration and experiences being channelled into their music, Till The Tomb takes you on a musical journey through them all. Band member Joshua Mitchell joins Mark Millar for a chat.

This weeks unsigned artist is Australian singer/songwriter/producer Amanda Merdzan. You can hear 'Bury the Rest' from Amanda's latest EP 'Commands'.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Tom Hingley is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman of Inspiral Carpets. After six successful years, Inspiral Carpets split in 1995 and Hingley started performing as a solo artist. Hingley joined a reformed Inspiral Carpets for two sell-out UK tours and again in 2006/2007. Tom Hingley's memoir Carpet Burns, My life with Inspiral Carpets charts his time with the band from 1989–2011. Mark Millar caught up with Tom to discuss his time with the band, his solo projects and whats next.

This weeks unsigned band are The Sailmakers, an English Psychedelic Rock band from Keighley, UK. The band originally formed in 2008.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Simon Wolstencroft is among the many near-mythical figures of the Manchester music scene. Si parted ways before The Patrol became the Stone Roses and he turned down The Smiths. Right place, right time, wrong choices? Timing is everything.

Spending an unlikely 11 years in The Fall and hooking up with old mate Ian Brown during his solo days, his memoir 'You Can Drum But You Can't Hide' reflects on a life driven by a passion for playing. Mark Millar caught up with Si to talk about the book.

This weeks unsigned band are Manchester psych band Purple Heart Parade. Purple Heart Parade have been around for a while now and have a great following live and on social networks. Offering up some vibes nodding to the psychedelic era of the late 60s, while pushing the extremes with modern technology and ideas, they are a band on the up and up and their skills and talent put them well above most of their peers. We at xs noise like these guys a lot and we urge you to check them out if you haven't already.

Get in touch HERE: [email protected]

Billy Bibby & The Wry Smiles formed in the North Wales and Chester, UK area in autumn of 2015. The band's first 6 months together have been incredibly busy and productive: a debut EP and over 30 gigs across the UK, from Inverness to Brighton, from Swansea to Doncaster, and many places in between. Billy Bibby joins Mark Millar to tell him all about it while also unveiling an exclusive first play of new song 'Always Something'.

This weeks featured album is the debut album by Minor Victories.

This weeks unsigned band are Swellebound: Swellebound is a post-alternative band from New York City, featuring songwriter Richey Rose (producer and guitarist for Jennie Vee). Started in a studio apartment in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in January 2016, Swellebound is highly inspired by the versatility of the guitar as an instrument and creative tool. Drawing from bands like My Bloody Valentine, Smashing Pumpkins, and the Jesus & Mary Chain, Swellebound combines a wall of guitar sounds with pop-laden hooks and melodies.

"I grew up on The Beatles and Tom Petty, and admire their simple and effective songwriting. But I'm also very interested in the emotive qualities of what a guitar and some effects can offer in the ways of creating a sonic palette. My goal is to combine the two," Rose says. Swellebound will be self-releasing their debut album, 'Your Rose' digitally this summer as well as playing their first live show ever.

Twitter: @swellebound Instagram: @richeyrose

Get in touch HERE: [email protected]