Don't Wanna Fight (live From Capitol Studio A) (3:54)
Future People (live From Capitol Studio A) (3:25)
Dunes (live From Capitol Studio A) (3:27)
Over My Head (live From Capitol Studio A) (4:00)
Review: RECOMMENDED
It was two in two for Alabama Shakes when they first unveiled this bonafide swamp rock masterpiece. Released in 2015, Sound & Color took the blueprint laid out with Boys & Girls and then kicked up into fifth gear. It's soul. It's blues. It's sweat-soaked funk. Most importantly, though, it's the kind of record that keeps giving the more you listen, sounding equally at home in the 1950s as it does the 2010s.
It's hard to really put into words the level of husky, pained, heart-on-sleeve musicality at the core of this record. Brittany Howard's voice might never again sound as utterly distraught and reflective, pained and somehow filled with hope for a brighter day. Individual readings aside, this is among the finest blues records to land this century, and ranks up there with some of the greats of the 20th, so don't sleep on this edition complete with closing tracks recorded live at the legendary Capitol Studios.
Review: American rock band Alabama Shakes - fronted by lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard - acclaimed debut long player Boys & Girls is 10 years old this year. To mark the occasion, Rough Trade Records commemorate it with a bumper two-disc deluxe edition. Rolling Stone called the original one of the best albums of 2012, and after it entered the charts at number one it went on to get Platinum certification and several GRAMMY nominations. This version features all the original tracks along with new, unreleased photos and an additional 11 live tracks from a performance on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic."
Review: In a time where the gruff-throated anti-Tory messaging of Idles, the reflective post-drugged out swagger of Viagra Boys and the pub-feed championing of The Chats remind us that punk can still be a vital voice of the people, both big and small, Amyl & The Sniffers have all but quietly been amassing the type of hype and buzz to go toe-to-toe with the lot. Capitalising on the momentum of 2021's exceptional Comfort To Me with last year's 7" "fuck you" to old, gatekeeping curmudgeons on 'U Should Not Be Doing That', the band return to producer Nick Launay (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) for their severely anticipated third LP Cartton Darkness. Recorded at the Foo Fighters' 606 Studios in Los Angeles, the one and only real-life Amyl (Ms. Amy Taylor) succinctly describes the message as - "driving headfirst into the unknown, into this looming sketch of the future that feels terrible but doesn't even exist yet. A childlike darkness. I don't want to meet the devil half-way and mourn what we have right now. The future is cartoon, the prescription is dark, but it's novelty. It's just a joke. It's fun."
Review: Given his passion for the melodramatic, it's little surprise to find Antony Hegarty pairing up with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra for his latest full-length - a live recording of what was no doubt an unforgettable concert. Interspersed with Antony's musings to the audience on sexuality and feminism (amongst other things), Cut The World sees some of his best songs given a dramatic new lease of life. With his distinctive, haunting vocals (yes, it's impossible to review one of his releases without mentioning them) to the fore, the songs veer from achingly intimate to deliciously grandiose. If you're a fan, it should be an essential purchase.
Review: Since they first broke through in 2018, Black Midi has delighted in confounding expectations, with each successive release showcasing a band in continual, high-speed evolution. Cavalcade, the London band's second full-length excursion, continues these trends, expanding on their avant-garde, experimental rock sound via a swathe of wildly imaginative tracks that variously mix, mangle and mutate elements of noise rock, jazz, sun-kissed samba-soul, lo-fi punk-funk, post-rock, neo-classical, Bert Jansch style instrumental folk and blissed-out downtempo waltzes. The results are frequently staggering, always entertaining and restlessly inventive. There's no doubt that it will end up winning more critical acclaim - and most likely a bagful of awards - at the end of 2021.
Review: The best thing since the Klaxons or Bloc Party have arrived. black midi! The student art rock band are bringing a new youthful energy and slight of malice back to the arena of post-indie inspired alternative guitar and synth music. They make this overtly known from the start with the supercharged opener that is "953", introducing an album that is said to have laid down eight of the record's nine tracks in just five days. Drums are fast and skittering, rhythms are dancey and guitars keep it Madchester jangley. "Speedway" (is that a wry Prodigy reference?) is among the album's highlights alongside the punk-funky "bmbmbm" and the short but trippy "Years Ago". With a 100 per cent backing by UK music institution Rough Trade: meet this generation's newest sensation.
Review: Dean Blunt is nothing short of an enigma. Whether you're reading one of his interviews of few words, listening to the records that seem to both celebrate the avant-garde and obsess over it, or watching him descend into strange, otherworldly cacophonies on stage, usually shrouded in smoke, he's never really been an easy guy to pin down. And that's exactly what he's always been going for.
It's something of a surprise, then, to learn that Black Metal 2, the long-awaited, seven years in the making sequel to his critically acclaimed Black Metal, is actually pretty straight forward. In a Dean Blunt kind of way. Opening on the compressed strings and near-spoken word of 'Vigil', the record takes us into the deep dark depths of strange, hook-fuelled guitar poetry, and we never want to find our way back.
Review: RECOMMENDED
Dean Blunt is nothing short of an enigma. Whether you're reading one of his interviews of few words, listening to the records that seem to both celebrate the avant-garde and obsess over it, or watching him descend into strange, otherworldly cacophonies on stage, usually shrouded in smoke, he's never really been an easy guy to pin down. And that's exactly what he's always been going for.
It's something of a surprise, then, to learn that Black Metal 2, the long-awaited, seven years in the making sequel to his critically acclaimed Black Metal, is actually pretty straight forward. In a Dean Blunt kind of way. Opening on the compressed strings and near-spoken word of 'Vigil', the record takes us into the deep dark depths of strange, hook-fuelled guitar poetry, and we never want to find our way back.
No Lucifer (Steve Lamacq's In New music We Trust Session BBC radio 1)
Waving Flags (Radcliffe Maconie BBC radio 2)
A Trip Out (Colin Murray BBC radio 1)
Open The Door (music Hub Session)
Everybody Must Be Saved
Ooby Dooby Doo
Save The Purple House
Charlie Potatoes
Total Confusion
Elizebeth & Susan Meet The Pelican
Review: British Sea Power's Do You Like Rock Music? is a triumphant exploration of anthemic rock soundscapes. Released in 2008, the album captures the band's distinctive blend of indie rock, post-punk, and art-rock influences. The tracks unfold with a dynamic energy, featuring soaring guitar riffs, atmospheric arrangements, and emotionally charged lyrics. Standout songs like 'Waving Flags' showcase their ability to create powerful, stadium-worthy moments, while the album as a whole exemplifies British Sea Power's penchant for crafting a cohesive sonic journey. As such this record solidified the band's reputation for delivering ambitious and compelling musical narratives, and this deluxe version contains an additional ten tracks culled from radio sessions and B-sides.
Review: Art is politics, and it should never kowtow to fears of political perception. Within limits, of course. British Sea Power's decision to drop the 'British' part in August 2021 due to "a rise in a certain kind of nationalism in this world" was at once understandable and disappointing when seen in this context, then, effectively bookending an era that began with one of the most exciting debuts of the early-21st Century, The Decline of British Sea Power. In many ways, that record was an omen for what was to come, with the band going on to achieve bigger and bigger commercial success while failing to convince some of their originality and innovation. Man of Arran marked a definite high point, a reimagined score to a 1934 movie of the same name, which originally came boxed with the record. Evocative, inspiring, epic and adventurous, suffice to say with music like this we were truly blessed.
Review: Southampton-based band Delays burned bright through their six-year tenure, sadly now shadowed by lead singer Greg Gilbert passing away in 2021. Rough Trade are winding back the clock to 2004, when they first burst onto the scene with their debut album Faded Seaside Glamour. It's an album which embodies the indie boom of that era, loaded with bombast and heartfelt songwriting which nodded to the past without being beholden to it. You might hear the epic strokes of Joshua Tree-era U2 in the likes of 'On', or the jangly pop of The Cure at their breeziest. This deluxe edition comes pressed on orange vinyl.
Review: Goat Girl proffer their very latest album Below The Waste through their historic confidants Rough Trade. The band's latest incarnation as Lottie Pendlebury, Holly Mullineaux, and Rosy Jones hear them joined by modern indie production favourite John Spud Murphy for a darker, more slow-brooding foray into their hircine sound than ever before. Mainly recorded and produced at Hellfire Studios in the on-side shadow of the infamous Irish nightclub Hellfire, Below The Waste is an apt exploration of the group's underbelly to match, exploring an increased sense of "resolution, honesty and authenticity" in relationships, with lead singer Lottie Pendlebury letting on that this was an album on which they'd gone 'below the surface' where the most interesting parts of ourselves tend to be suppressed.
Review: After three groundbreaking albums with black midi, including 2023's Hellfire, Geordie Greep has carved out time to release his debut solo project, The New Sound. This album showcases an eclectic and vibrant approach to alternative pop, granting Greep the freedom to pursue creative impulses without restraint. He reflects on this liberation, stating that without a band to answer to, he could fully explore his artistic vision. The recording process involved over thirty session musicians across Sao Paulo and London, blending diverse influences. Greep notes the spontaneity of working with local talent in Brazil, where tracks were recorded in a matter of days. Musically, The New Sound delves into themes of urban life and human experiences, juxtaposing light-hearted melodies with darker narratives. Songs like 'Holy Holy' merge indie pop with lush Latin arrangements, while 'Motorbike' features bassist Seth 'Shank' Evans in a poignant lament. Greep's ambition is evident throughout the eleven tracks, aiming to engage listeners with intricate lyrics and unexpected turns. He hints at future live performances, aiming to capture the album's dynamic spirit in various settings.
All Roads Lead To London (feat Coby Sey & Ersatz) (2:02)
Good Girl (3:59)
I Touch (4:38)
I Feel (2:36)
Pain Is Real (3:47)
Red Eye (feat Ian Starr) (1:55)
I Noticed You (feat Kirin J Callinan) (4:19)
Sexy 2 (3:28)
Review: London-based duo Jockstrap have fully remixed their album I Love You Jennifer B from 2002. It was shortlisted for a Mercury Prize that year and was written by the band's Taylor Skye, who also had the idea for this remixed version while making different versions of the album's tracklisting. Several guests feature including Ersatz and Ian Starr and the inspiration for these new takes was texture and sound rather than the musical material itself. "It's an experiment! I'm still learning" says Syke of a wildly eclectic album that fuses club, noise, pop and indie into a thrilling contemporary record.
Review: Critics talk of 'timelessness' like it's going out of fashion, but when it comes to Irish folk the word carries more clout. Lankum, a four piece contemporary outfit born from the ever-thriving Dublin scene and a duo project, Lynched (named after the band's two founding brothers, Ian and Daragh Lych), are a perfect example of what we're talking about. Live In Dublin is a great reference point to understand this. If ever there were sounds made to be experienced IRL then it might be the noises these multi-instrumentalists evidently love to make. Simultaneously capable of transporting us to peaty moorlands of the past, while hitting nail on head as to where we are today, and presenting bold visions of how sounds might develop tomorrow, from rousing crescendos to pin-drop-quiet, this is relentlessly captivating stuff.
Review: The good news is this isn't a glitch in the matrix, there is an actual new Pulp album out on cassette in 2025. Nearly three decades on from their generation-defining album Different Class and the love for Pulp is still potent. Cocker's kept his tools sharp with various projects and collaborations - including Jav Is... - over the past few years, but that's done little to dampen the yearning from around the world for new Pulp. When they released 'Spike Island' to get the ball rolling, a special tribute was made to late former bassist Steve Mackay, who died in 2023. Two songs on the record are said to date from when Mackay was around, which makes him feel part of this incredibly special project.
Review: It might be Pulp's first new album since We Love Life in 2001, but Jarvis Cocker has kept busy in that time, not least with his impeccable Jarv Is... project. Keeping himself match fit musically has evidently played into Pulp's hands because they sound inspired, at the top of their game and bound to consolidate their reputation one of the UK's most loved bands. Recorded with producer James Ford at Studio Orbb in North East London, they laid down eleven tracks in three weeks for this album and the lead single, 'Spike Island', is an enrapturing synth-led indie pop cut that whets the palate nicely for the other ten. The album is also their first since the passing of bassist Steve Mackay, who died in 2023. It is dedicated to his memory.
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