Undertone. A blog about music.
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Florence Road live at NUSU review – viral Irish rockers are stadium bound
The buzzy Wicklow rock group have only released a handful of songs, but have already received support from a staggering array of the global music industry’s big names. This set of largely unreleased songs in Newcastle mostly justified the hype, although Flo Ro’s live offering still has plenty of room for improvement.
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WITCH live at Belgrave Music Hall review – Zamrock legends still living it large
It’s been 50 years since We Intend to Cause Havoc’s heyday as arguably Zambia’s most popular rock band, but Emanyeo Chanda and co were full of zip for this gleefully grungy Leeds set. All that was needed was a little more intentional havoc.
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Six of the best new albums to listen to in May 2026
The beautiful month of May is here, and with it a host of new music to enjoy.
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Five things to know about Paris’s ‘La La Land’ jazz bar before you visit
Le Caveau de la Huchette is a must visit for your next trip to Paris. Prepare for a wild night out and some top quality live jazz.
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Nubiyan Twist live at Digital review – soul-filling neo jazz is for humans only
Tom Excell’s Leeds collective made a thoroughly convincing argument against AI in music with this evening of unadulterated phone-free joy. The funk and soul delights lit up a dance-ready crowd in Digital, but it was the surprise EDM and punk diversions that really took the breath away.
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Prince Daddy & the Hyena: Hotwire Trip Switch review – wildly entertaining pop-punk nostalgia from a vocalist reborn
On their fourth full-length album, Prince Daddy & the Hyena go back to basics with 12 pop punk would-be singles and no time for filler. Kory Gregory’s emo vocals hit new melodic heights on handily their most entertaining record yet.
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‘At the nexus of music, art and science’: Max Cooper set to wow Glasshouse with live audiovisual experience next month
Experimental DJ and visual artist Max Cooper is gearing up for a special performance at the Glasshouse on 21 May, in which he will showcase his new album Feeling Is Structure in an ambitious show specially adapted for the Sage One concert hall.
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Searows live at Leeds Irish Centre review – minimalist atmospherics from indie folk’s new leading light
Searows’ beguiling new album provided the most compelling songs for this understated performance in Leeds. At his best, his broadly coastal-themed new songs sound windswept and epic. Other times, it’s more of a wishy-washy damp squib.
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Geese live at O2 Academy review – rock superstardom, here they come
Arguably the hottest band in the world right now, New York’s Geese arrived in Yorkshire with well deserved swagger. When hitting their stride in marvellously odd blues rock showstoppers they are a force to be reckoned with, but this set failed to capitalise on the sterling new album’s subtler material.
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Psychedelic Porn Crumpets live at NUSU review – rapid-fire riffs hit like a drug
Kick-starting their umpteenth UK tour, the Crumpets are very much a well-buttered machine these days. A strong ninth album has only bolstered their set list of precision-tooled riffs and prog rock neck-breakers. NUSU’s paltry sound system simply couldn’t keep up.
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RPO/Petrenko at the Glasshouse review – high octane Shostakovich sets the heart racing
Tom Borrow’s solidly unassuming rendition of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto was a little heavy-handed, but nonetheless a worthy scene-setter for Shostakovich’s whirlwind Tenth Symphony, a timely piece about Stalin’s authoritarian regime that sounded viscerally shocking under Vasily Petrenko’s assured baton.
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Cory Wong: Lost In The Wonder review – a lacklustre collection of singles from funk’s busiest guitarist
Known for his signature guitar riffs, superhuman turnout of albums, and wider collaborative efforts, Cory Wong is well-established within the funk sphere. But with his latest release he’s perhaps gotten too comfortable, suggests Matthew Rowe.
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