Jade's Music Blog

Sam Forrest may have fallen out of love with Manchester, but he remains enamoured with Liverpool, and he's looking forward to playing the city this month.

Take two of the world’s most popular albums – The Beatles White album and Metallica’s Black album - and mix them up. Or don’t, as swaggering Swedes The Hives decided...

THIS Thursday sees what promises to be a legendary gig at Barfly, with some of Merseyside’s best up-and-coming acts joining together to raise money for Oxfam.

Brummie darlings The Twang have had something of a whirlwind year. They’ve gone from a struggling unsigned band to one of the biggest acts of 2007, with a debut album, Glastonbury and a clutch of awards under their belts.

He may have be known as The Reverend, but Jon McClure certainly isn’t a man of the cloth. He’s a preacher – giving sermons to thousands of converts – and his message is the truth.
“My mum always told me to tell the truth,” says Jon. “It has landed me in a spot of bother, but I’m not going to be something I’m not.

This week we've got the latest offerings from Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Nine Black Alps and Ed Harcourt. Have a read and let me know what you think...

Remember the dim and distant days when record producers just sat behind mixing desks twiddling knobs and making the artists sound better?

One of the questions I get asked a lot is how artists can get press coverage for the fantastic things they're up to, so I've put together a very rough guide with a few pointers in that might help...

Today we have a fabulous piece on Liverpool's Capital of Culture year from guest columnist and cultural assassin Fabian Rothschilde. Read on, and let me know what you think...

Today we've got reviews of the new releases from Oasis, Take That and Prinzhorn Dance School. Read on and leave your views...

Three brothers from a tiny Yorkshire village have been quietly conquering the music world.

The Troubadours are a former ECHO Unsigned Band of the Week, a gang of four early 20s lads from Speke, Runcorn and Wigan, who have been gigging around town for years, until a chance encounter changed everything.

In today's review column we've got the latest from My American Heart, Amy Macdonald and Augie March. Read on and let me know your views...

Norwegian-born LIPA graduate Ragz Nordset sings enchanting, lyrical songs inspired by the natural world.

This week's unsigned treat is the lovely Kambourines, read on to find out more, and for a mini-archive of the bands who have occupied the slot over the last few weeks...

HOW do you fancy following in the footsteps of some of the biggest names in the Merseyside music scene?

In today's column we've got reviews of the new releases from The Happy Mondays, Peter Von Poehl and R.E.M.s live DVD and CD set. Read on and let me know your views...

The Aeroplanes are one of my favourite Merseyside bands, and on their recent tour to Norway, singer Chris Kearney very kindly kept a diary of their antics. Read on to find out more about burgers, upstaging Brett Anderson and a late-night search for batteries...

EUROPE’S biggest music event is on its way to Liverpool...