It's getting increasingly difficult and frustrating for those of who want to write about music. Don't get me wrong, I'm not moaning about it (well, not much anyway). It just becomes a thankless task when you have to wade your way through several hundred submissions a week, wanting to cover a large percentage of it, but having the real world to deal with and therefore barely able to scratch your arse without ruining the itch. That sounds a lot less poetic now I read it back to myself.   I'm not the biggest fan of social media, I find myself using it a lot when my anxiety lev ..read more

 Liverpool's art rock trio Eyesore & The Jinx have kept us waiting for their debut album, but the wait has been worth it. Jitterbug was in the process of early planning when that pesky pandemic hit in 2020 and - as you'll read - the unpredictability of life created further obstacles for the production of the album to occur.  The band's early singles and debut E.P were released by Merseyside taste-maker label Eggy Records, and after getting the top score on an edition of 6 Music's Roundtable feature, it seemed their profile could only go in one direction. Their debut EP The Ex ..read more

  We're back baby! Yeah, Episode 4 of The Partisan Contingent has taken a lot longer than I possibly could have imagined, but we got there in the end. You have applaud the persistance if absolutely nothing else.  Let me answer a question that most bands HATE being asked - Why the name The Partisan Contingent? Well, I just like a good syllable combination; the meter is important y'all. Also, as passionate - often fervent - fans of music, we should unite and take over the means of the production studio before there's some sort of McCarthy-esque Muso purge.  ..read more

  I'm not the biggest of drinkers; never have been never will be. Some of you who know me personally may well question that synopsis based on past behaviour, but it's actually true. I'm a frequent drinker without a doubt, but not a heavy one.  I'd like to think that it was something to do with an enlightenment of the soul, an increasing wisdom in my advancing years. In reality, it's probably more to do with how hangovers intensify the existential crisis of middle age.  THE PAIN MAN.  I also have enough bad habits for one lifetime thank you very much.  There's a dr ..read more

  Beginning their musical journey under the name CaStLeS before changing their name, North Walian's Worldcub are back with a brand new album in May. The lead single from the album is the mesmerising title track 'Back To The Beginning'. We took a listen to this enticing new single in advance of it's release on March 15th. --------------------------------------- There's no doubt about it in my mind, North Wales is a magical place. It's history is sometimes so overwhelming that it overshadows any possible semblance of thinking about the future. That's not a insult or criticism of th ..read more

                                           Nature and nuture is a debate as old as time itself, yet it still rumbles on without any sign of stopping. Is everything we do - either good or bad - a result of our upbringing or the places we live and the things we learn along the way? It's a debate for a reason, both will inevitably have their say. There's no doubt however that environment has an influence.  One of the best-selling novels of all time is Charles Dickens Tale of Two C ..read more

----------------------------------------------- FOCUS Wales have announced their latest draft of artist to join the line-up for their 2024 event. 65 new names have been added to the bill for the multi-venue event that is held around Wrexham City centre between 9th - 11th May. Amongst the new bands and artist added to the bill that instantly leap out are NNWNF favourites like  Dactyl Terra, Joyce, Dirty Freud, Tara Bandito and The Red Stains.  We went along to FOCUS Wales in 2023 and had a lovely time. Our review is HERE. The festival has also announced a very s ..read more

  There's a side to life that we should be starting to embrace more. We should be laughing at the absurdity of the nuances of existence; the sheer fact we're wandering aimlessly on a spinning rock wandering aimlessly in an infinite universe that one day will consume us all should make us a bit more willing to live in the moment. Of course, it's never THAT straight forward. The stress of everyday endeavours can consume our every waking thought and several of the subconsious ones for that matter.  Pop music can certainly help with that, and doing his bit to lighten the mood of such ..read more

FOCUS Wales have announced another 100 new bands and artists for it's 2024 edition of the showcase festival. Taking place in multiple venues around Wrexham City Centre, the event has become one of the highlights of the musical calander and this year's festival takes place from May 9 - 11th. Acts primarily come from Wales and the UK, but as the event has grown over the years, more artists have been descending on North Wales from all over the world. This year acts will be coming from as far afield as New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and Ghana.  Read more about adventures at FOCUS Wales 2023 ..read more

  Let's take a little time to consider the humble concept album. We won't take that much time though, not 41 minutes for example, which is the average length of a guitar solo on the archetypal Rock concept album track. I may have made that up. The concept album has had much to deal with since it's heyday and the digital realm has arguably been it's biggest hurdle to jump. Listening habits change, but ever since the invention of a skip button on a CD player, it's got increasingly easier to engage with the full extent of the concept. Having a huge chunk of recorded history available to s ..read more