MGMT - 02 Academy, Leeds, December 16th (LIVE REVIEW)

The Leeds O2 Academy is full to bursting, a decent feat for New England based cerebral indietronica duo MGMT, considering we’re well into the Christmas run-up. It seems eons ago that frontman Andrew Van Wyngarden and keyboardist Ben Goldwasser were helping French techno duo Justice trouser a Grammy award for sprinkling their infectious Gallic grooves over ‘Electric Feel’, as well as second album ‘Congratulations’ debuting in the top 5 on both sides of the Atlantic; but then, pop can be a fickle beast. 

The C.I.A. - S/T (ALBUM REVIEW)

The C.I.A. is yet another project on Ty Segall’s increasingly crowded calendar. In fact, ‘S/T’ will be the sixth release this year to have the Californian’s name included on the credits. Released on In the Red Records, for this recording, the super-prolific multi-instrumentalist has enlisted the services of partner Denee Segall, who’s clearly in backs to the wall survival mode on each of the double handful of short, sharp, furious tracks.

Beans On Toast 'A Bird In The Hand' (ALBUM REVIEW)

Beans on Toast shuffles into double figures with A Bird in the Hand, and on album number ten the prolific indie folk singer shows some signs of maturing; much like a fine wine, he may have developed some more sophisticated overtones, but at the end of the day he’ll still get you drunk.