Guardian Music — Cockpit, LeedsGuitar bands have been a commercially threatened species lately, which may be why this year's second Radar tour has hooked together two of the noisiest in the country to launch a fightback. London's Chapel Club offer a slightly poppier ... more info

NME — John Power and Gerry Marsden also pour scorn on Tom Hicks more info

Guardian Music — There was some fear that there wouldn't be enough vegetable-related songs to make a decent list. But that was reckoning without Potato Head Blues, Asparagus Next Left, Pass the Peas and the rest...When setting this topic the thought did occur (when i... more info

Spinner.com — Filed under: Video The Manic Street Preachers have been on a bit of a roll the last few years. After arguably losing their way somewhat with the likes of the cold, sterile 'Lifeblood,' 2007's 'Send Away the Tigers' saw them reinvigorated, melodic an... more info

Guardian Music — (Columbia)Music is pretty crude stuff. We know instinctively that minor keys and major keys are shorthand for reflection and uplift. Listeners fall, again and again, quite happily, for the same old tricks. After a lifetime of listening, however, you ... more info

Scotsman.com — IAN McCULLOCH *** ORAN MOR, GLASGOW more info

ContactMusic — ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN star IAN MCCULLOCH feared the band's recent Radio City Music Hall comeback gig in New York would be a disaster - because he hadn't slept for three days... more info

NME — Ian McCulloch and co will begin the tour on December 4 more info

NME — Ian McCulloch and co to hit the road in April more info

Undercover, Australia — The Laneway Festival may have been plagued with logistic problems last year and suffered a last minute line-up when Ian McCulloch of Echo & The Bunnymen missed his flight from London but the Laneway Festival has proven to be the laid back alternative... more info