
End of year round-ups can be a pretty predictable affair, with publications counting on fandoms of massive stars boosting their signal, be it an inflated spot on the chart, or a provocatively low spot designed to agitate. Of course, some massive releases are worthy of lofty positions, but we prefer to give spots to the…

On Monday, we’ll be announcing our LPs of 2023. We figured that this will leave it late enough that no-one will surprise us with a complete masterpiece and ruin everything. We’ve tried to go for albums that are away from the grain, but honestly, it’s what we were listening to the most, so we’re not…

We are prepping ourselves to do our End Of Year lists, but it’s more of an emotional readying because they take ages to do. What doesn’t help is that everyone has started releasing Christmas songs to really give us a deadline. Thankfully, the one we’re sharing from Anastasia Coope is a little freaky gem. While…

Just the other day, everyone was sharing their Spotify Wrapped graphics and having a giggle and all that, but things were about to get tremendously serious at Spotify HQ. This week, the streaming behemoth announced that they’d be sacking 17% of their staff. That’s around 1,500 people losing their pay just before Christmas. Pretty brutal.…

Kiss are no longer real people, and will be forever young as some imaginary thing. See, they’ve announced the ‘end of its physical existence’ because now, they’ll be digital avatars. They’ve copied ABBA obviously, because pop walks so rock can run. Anyway, it all feels a bit weird and this whole scenario is like when…

Kenya Grace apparently had a viral smash, but virality is something that passes us by so we’ll just have to accept what’s been said regarding all that. What we do know, however, is that Kenya’s new single ‘Paris’ is a slice of future pop that we like a whole bunch. Writing, producing and performing her…

Michael Head and The Red Elastic Band are bringing back the jangle, with Ciao Ciao Bambino! Recorded in West Kirby with Bill Ryder-Jones (him again!), Head says: “’Ciao Ciao Bambino’ came to me one night when I was thinking about the first words I ever heard. It was a song called ‘Ciao Ciao Bambino’ that my…

Look, no-one likes to besmirch anyone’s hard work, but when a band has a stratospheric rise and a bunch of massive support gigs with next to no information on them and their rise, in 2024, people are going to get suspicious. So, just like those awful podcasts that hur-de-hur-hur and say “look man, we’re just…

Anyone who knows anything about Jimmy Sommerville knows that he’s The People’s Champ. Always on the right side of history, and just so happens to be the writer of one of the most vital and important songs in pop history – ‘Smalltown Boy’. The song has found itself in a sticky place by people acting…

After the absolutely breathtaking spectacle and culture event of the Kendrick/Drake feud, King Kenny wasn’t quite done. We knew he was planning a Super Bowl Halftime show, which honestly, isn’t likely to be half as good as his Pop Out show back in June where he invited half of Los Angeles on stage with him…

Look, if you’re the kind of bozo that turns their nose up at jazz, look away now. Jeff Parker is a serious musician who likes to play. Now, you might be thinking of overtly worthy music that is meant to challenge and stimulate and all that – and while Parker is no slouch, there is…
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