You And Me And The Mountain

Andy - Manchester. --twitter.com/andy_d_hughes --twitter.com/birthdaycakeFB www.birthdaycakebreakfast.wordpress.com

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Listen to episode 66 of ’60 Minutes or less’, featuring Walter Schreifels (Quicksand / Gorilla Biscuits)!

Words: Andy Hughes Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ – a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – where for episode 66, it’s an honour to feature an interview with Walter Schreifels of Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Rival Schools and more! A man of many iconic moments in hardcore – according to one YouTube comment, the man who “legalised being handsome in hardcore” – Walter…

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Release Rundown - The Xcerts and Show Me The Body

Words: Ben Forrester The Xcerts – I Think I Want To Go Home Now(FLG) When Brighton via Aberdeen outfit The Xcerts set about the 10th anniversary of their third album ‘There Is Only You’ early in 2025, it seemingly re-opened a time capsule to a golden era in the band’s fruitful career. Never ones to repeat themselves, the trio’s sixth album feels like the most direct follow-up to that album. ‘i…

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Listen to episode 65 of ’60 Minutes or less’, featuring Primitive Ring!

Words: Andy Hughes Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ – a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – where for episode 65, we get fuzzy, welcoming Bert Hoover, Jon Modaff and Charles Moothart of power-trio supergroup Primitive Ring! Formed in September 2024 and featuring players from the likes of Groop, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Fuzz and GØGGS, last year saw Primitive Ring release four 7″s…

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Live Review: Aldous Harding at the Albert Hall in Manchester 8 June 2026 

Words: Andy Hughes I think we can all agree that we simply know too much about everyone and everything (ironically, whilst being so self-absorbed – because, you know, everyone knows everything about us…) There’s a wee electronic box in my pocket right now that allows me access to the world – though the reality is pretty much shifting between the same three or four apps over and over again… It’s…

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Live Review: Bearded Theory Festival 2026

Words: Andy Hughes When I was sat at home on Tuesday afternoon, the festival fear was in full effect as I watched through the window and saw sideways rain falling down (or rather not falling down), the trees bent over in mercy to the wind. I’m an expert at going to festivals where it rains all bloody day and night, so was dreading it happening at Bearded Theory. But with the forecast suggesting…

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Listen to episode 64 of ’60 Minutes or less’, featuring Downtown Boys!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ – a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – where for episode 64, we get political, welcoming vocalist Victoria Marie and guitarist Joey La Neve DeFrancesco of NYC outfit Downtown Boys! Victoria and Joey first met at union meetings while working together at a hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, brought together to write early songs about issues including…

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Release Rundown - Converge, Death Cab For Cutie and Supermilk

Converge – Hum Of Hurt(Epitaph) When Massachusetts hardcore heroes Converge sat down to write new material in between tours, they ended up letting the metaphorical floodgates open. Sat on a wealth of new material, it became apparent to the band that they had written two separate albums. It was in February of this year that we heard the first fruits of this prolific burst of writing in the form…

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Live Review: Sugar at New Century Hall in Manchester 29 May 2026

Words: Andy Hughes What a week it was for the American alternative rock set from the 90s. Last week, I interviewed Jim Ward (Sparta / At the Drive-In) and Walter Schreifels (Quicksand / Gorilla Biscuits) for episodes of ‘60 Minutes or less’ (the Jim Ward episode is now live!) and on Friday night, I was in town for a live re-appearance from Bob Mould, David Barbe and Malcolm Travis of…

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Listen to episode 63 of ’60 Minutes or less’, featuring Jim Ward of Sparta and At the Drive-In!

Words: Andy Hughes Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ – a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – where for episode 63, it’s a thrill to feature an interview with Jim Ward of Sparta and At the Drive-In! A native of El Paso, Texas, Ward co-founded cult American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In and during his tenure, released a trio of studio albums and several EPs to much acclaim, before the…

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Release Rundown - Basement and Cola

Words: Ben Forrester Basement – WIRED(Run For Cover) It’s been quite a wild ride for British emo punks Basement. Going straight to cult status on their first two albums, they took a break, came back, signed to a major label, made two more records and for the past eight years have been casually touring around arenas supporting big names, as well as holding their own in the big rooms for their…

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Album Review: Boards Of Canada - Inferno

Words: Ben Forrester On the quiet, Boards of Canada have slowly become one of the most influential electronic acts to grace the planet. Across a 40-year career, the Scottish duo have inspired generations of budding electro wiz’s, and it’s been interesting to watch younger listeners get excited at new music. ‘Inferno’ marks the pairs first album in 13 years and arrives as somewhat of a surprise,…

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Live Review: Super Furry Animals and Getdown Services at O2 Apollo Manchester 21 May 2026

Words: Ben Forrester I’d been playing gig bingo with myself pretty much all night. Even when trying to remember how to walk to the Apollo, I simply followed the bald dudes seemingly in their late 40s in old school Adidas wear. Tonight we’re getting nostalgic, as Wales premier psych pop heroes Super Furry Animals play a sold out show at the legendary Manchester venue as part of their first UK…

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Listen to episode 62 of ’60 Minutes or less’, featuring COLA!

Words: Andy Hughes Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ – a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – where for episode 62, it’s a real treat to feature an interview with Evan Cartwright and Ben Stidworthy, two thirds of Canadian post-punkers COLA. With guitarist and vocalist Tim Darcy completing the trio, COLA brings together players from Ought and U.S. Girls and they’ve got chops in abundance.…

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Live Review: Mitski at New Century Hall in Manchester 15 May 2026

Words: Andy Hughes We do love a good in-store at Birthday Cake For Breakfast, and I’ve been to my fair share of ‘out-store’ events in my time too – more intimate affairs than your usual gigs, with a band or artist playing a smaller room than they’re perhaps used to, usually put on by record stores to mark the release of a new album. Off the back of releasing new album ‘Nothing’s About to Happen…

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Live Review: PISS at YES in Manchester 7 May 2026

Words: Andy Hughes I love discovering a new band and being swept up in the hype. We’ve all been hypnotised this year by intergalactic math-rockers Angine De Poitrine, who’ve let their freak flags fly and become an international sensation in the process. It’s even more exciting to discover an artist or a band and then see them live within the very same week, sometimes days later, as has been the…

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Live Review: Crack Cloud at The White Hotel in Salford 5 May 2026

Words: Andy Hughes I realised the other day that I’m easily swayed. Having been persuaded not to buy a certain glass of wine by a sommelier (I know – imagine that), my partner backed me up to the merchant, confirming that I do in fact like a robust glass of red (is this lad in his mid-30s or what?!) It was a fantastic glass of wine, but it could’ve gone either way. Similarly (though not quite as…

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Release Rundown - American Football, Irked, Lip Critic and Weird Nightmare

Words: Ben Forrester American Football – LP4(Polyvinyl) There’s been a few reunions now that really seem to have taken on new life the second time around. It’s clear that emo Daddies American Football have had a lot of fun exploring their sound decades after their initial one-and-done debut. Having had two beautiful comeback records out within the last decade, I think a lot of American Football…

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