
Blur announced some massive Wembley gigs and that was that, right? Wrong. They have surprised everyone by announcing a new album! It’s called The Ballad of Darren and is out July 21 via Parlophone. Their first since ‘The Magic Whip’. And there’s a new song too, called ‘The Narcissist.’ Damon Albarn: “This is an aftershock record, reflection and…

Donald Trump’s use of ‘YMCA’ (and to a lesser degree, ‘Macho Man’) by the Village People has been a curious thing. For someone who is, and represents everything virulently homophobic and a whole other bunch of phobics in the US, it’s particularly strange that he’d plump for a song that is not only very camp,…

You’ve invariably picked up a Beatle LP, seen that famous green apple, got an emorous sense of well-being, and got on with your day (unless you’re one of those terrible hipsters who think it’s fashionable to hate The Beatles – you do you, boo). Anyway, the famous split apple across two sides of a Beatle…

The late Japanese composer and Yellow Magic Orchestra founder Ryuichi Sakamoto’s management have shared the last playlist compiled by the late, great musician. Calling it ‘Ryuichi’s Last Playlist’, they wrote: “We would like to share the playlist that Ryuichi had been privately compiling to be played at his own funeral to accompany his passing. He…

We’re hearing a smidge of noirish French ’60s pop in this new one from singer-songwriter Cornelia Murr, which is very welcome and perfect for this time of year, honestly. She’ll have a new album, out in February called ‘Run to the Centre’, and to whet the whistle, you can listen to ‘Meantime’, which is a…

There was a collective feeling that, in the period that was post-girl group, that while the solo singers and artists were all well and good, we were in the mood for a new pop group of some kind. We’ve seen a huge amount of impressive R&B solo stars and soul-adjacent singers, but when you’re listening…

The lovely folks of Saint Etienne have announced details of a new LP called ‘The Night’ and there’s a new song which is borderline ambient called ‘Half Light’ to listen to – it’s genuinely one of the loveliest things you’ll hear all year. The album will land December 13th and is the 12th from the group.…

Kelly Lee Owens has been doing great things lately, and her new LP ‘Dreamstate’ is something that you should absolutely have in rotation. Mixing synthpop with house and tech, she’s collaborated with some big hitters (Daniel Avery, Chemical Brothers, Bjork to name just three) and her own work is genuinely excellent. Have you heard ‘Higher’ yet?…
THERE’S NO MONEY IN THIS GAME ANYMORE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO WRITE SOMETHING FOR THE POP CORPS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO GET IN TOUCH. HAPPY HUNTING.
POP CULTURE IS WORTH TALKING ABOUT.
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