Author Archives: Simon

About Simon

Simon Ashberry has been playing the best of local music on Bradford Beat for almost a quarter of a century . He was music columnist for the Telegraph & Argus for several years, covering local acts such as Embrace, Terrorvision, Tasmin Archer and New Model Army, and has played bass in several bands himself. He was previously part of Bradford-based Loom with John Rigby from Trip and Stumble and currently plays with innovative blues trio West Yorkshire Noblemen's Society.

Nearly Easter

Here’s what we played on our pre-Easter show:

Ricky Ross – Cold Easter
Brooders – Lie
The Monochrome Set – Love Goes Down The Drain
Wilson – Demons
Slow Readers Club – You Opened Up My Heart
Rusty Pops – Once In Every Lifetime
Albert Hammond Jr – Set To Attack
Park Fires – Wake Me Up
Nick JD Hodgson – Tomorrow I Love You
Parquet Courts – Wide Awake
Fatoumata Diawara – Nterini
Team Picture – (I Have A) Little Secret
Roger Davies – Brighouse On A Saturday Night
Car Seat Headrest – Bodys

You can listen again here

plus we also have a new Mixcloud page

Spring is in the air

With Easter just around the corner, here’s the full list of what we played on the latest edition of Bradford Beat:

Albert Hammond Jr – Far Away Truths
Clouded Fish – Expect
Ash – Buzzkill
Embrace – Follow You Home
Dodgy – Good Enough
Terrorvision – Fists of Fury
Goat Girl – The Man
The Breeders – All Nerve
Team Picture – A Little Secret
Vanessa Daou – Long Tunnel Of Wanting You
Tune-Yards – Heart Attack
The Donkeys – Four Letters
Wolf Alice – Formidable Cool
Calexico – Bridge To Nowhere
Stand Alone – Easier Said Than Done

You can listen again here >

Albert Hammond Jr part 2

Our latest show featured the overdue second part of our exclusive interview with Albert Hammond Jr of The Strokes.

Here’s the full list of what we played:

Ash – Buzzkill
Mansion of Snakes – Mating Season
Albert Hammond Jr – Muted Beatings
Half Man Half Biscuit – Albert Hammond Bootleg
Rusty Pops – Walking Down The Street
Goat Girl – The Man
Parquet Courts – Almost Had To Start A Fight / In and Out of Patience
Wilson – Coming Home (BCB session)
The High – Say It Now
Excel – Rock Show
BB King – Sweet Little Angel
Soccer Mommy – Cool

You can listen again here >

Break taken

There was no Bradford Beat this week because of our special International Women’s Day broadcasts.

And the previous week we were snowed off!

But do not fear – we’ll be back on Thursday 15 March with the second part of our interview with Albert Hammond Jr.

A Wilsational session

Listen again to the first part of our exclusive interview with Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr in which he talks about his new solo album Francis Trouble, inspired by his feelings about his stillborn twin.

Singer-songwriter Wilson was also a studio guest and played three live acoustic tracks for us as a taster for his forthcoming second album.

Here’s the full list of the tracks we played:

Albert Hammond Jr – Far Away Truths
The Strokes – Reptilia
Brooders – Lie
Wilson – Coming Home (BCB session)
Wilson – Demons (BCB session)
Wilson – Losing Faith (BCB session)
Jack White – All Alone In My Home
Arcade Fire – Awful Sound

You can listen again to the whole show here >

Treats in store

There are two treats in store for you tonight (Thursday 22 February) on Bradford Beat.

We have Leeds-based singer-songwriter Wilson in the studio chatting about his music and playing three live session tracks.

And there’s also the first part of our exclusive interview with Strokes guitarist Albert Hammnd Jr.

Bradford Beat in on BCB 106.6 FM from 8pm to 9pm.

Guaranteed no Valentine’s Day songs

Here’s what we played on our latest show, including a first play for local singer-songwriter Wilson:

Carseat Headrest – Nervous Young Inhumans
Ghost Dance – Spin The Wheel
The Fall – Bury parts 2 and 4
Young Cub – Avalanche
Field Music – Count It Up
The Invaders – Rock Methodology
Jack White – Connected By Love
Massive Attack – Girl I Love You
Ezra Furman – Suck The Blood From My Wound
Wilson – Let it Rain
Yo La Tengo – Shades of Blue
Alice Boman – End of Time
Jovial Crew – Johnny Lad
Lankum – What Will We Do When We Have No Money?

You can listen again here >

Temptations tribute

We paid tribute to Dennis Edwards of the Temptations on this week’s show. Here’s the full list of what we played:

The Temptations – Ball of Confusion
The Fall – Pay Your Rates
Worm – Destroy Myself
Ezra Furman – Suck The Blood From My Wound
Silver Screen Girls – Photographs
Gaz Coombes – Deep Pockets
Simon Crabtree – The Spirit of Bradford City
The Decemberists – Severed
HC McEntire – Baby’s Got The Blues
Nick Toczek – Head Came Off
Albert Hammond Jr – Muted Beatings
James Iha – Jealousy
Babybird – Snails
The Breeders – All Nerve

You can listen again here >

Fab for Feb

We kicked off February with some brand new names for this show – including Xylouris White and No Age.

Here’s the full list of what we played:

The Fall – Totally Wired
Three Good Reasons – Nowhere Man
Iggy Pop and Jarvis Cocker – Red Right Hand
Ghost Dance- Grip of Love
No Age – Soft Collar Fad
Ultimate Painting – Monday Morning, Somewhere Central
Glass Mountain – Glacial
Field Music – Count It Up
Brilliant Corners – Take The Gun
Xylouris White – Only Love
The Donkeys – Four Letters
Goat Girl – Scream

You can listen again here >

RIP MES

We paid tribute to Mark E Smith on our latest show following the very sad news of his death.

Here are the tracks we played:

The Fall – Rowche Rumble
Skeletal Family – Passing Strangers
Motorhead – Ace of Spades
Talulah Gosh – Beatnik Boy
Field Music – Count It Up
Durutti Column – Red Shoes
Jack White – Connected By Love
Pigeon Detectives – This Is An Emergency
The Cranberries – Linger
Goat Girl – Scream
Young Cub – Fragile
Car Seat Headrest – Nervous Young Inhumans
Kindness – Lonely Long Lady
The Fall – The Classical

Our listen again service got out of kilter, so if you want to hear the whole show again, you’ll have to go here first and listen from halfway through and then switch to Bradford Rocks and listen the first half of that show to hear the second half of Bradford Beat. Sorry if that’s confusing!