
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…

When SBTRKT were around last time, they were known for their forward thinking dancefloor chuggers, designed for those kids who weren’t necessarily into dance music and a bit frightened of Techno Lads on pills, but still wanted to scuff their sneakers up on the dirty dancefloors. ‘Pharaohs’ and ‘Wildlife’ were solid gold bangers, but in…

It always feels like it’s Autumn in Noah Kahan’s heart, which is no bad thing if you’re making the kind of music that sensitive souls feel nourished and supported by. And now, after becoming a gigantic star, he’s arrived at an album where he’s surely been asking some questions of himself. See, Kahan is a…

Charli XCX is making a rock album. She’s been pretty funny about her post-Brat moves, saying that she’s okay with it being a flop etc. In a Vogue interview – always good for a quote – she declared that “the dance floor is dead”, which of course it isn’t, but toward guitars she goes and…

Don’t be fooled by the headline – we’re not saying anyone is a saddo for liking Alex G – he makes perfectly good music for perfectly nice people. However, we have noticed that a number of his fans seem to be a little depressed and have made him their spokesperson, of a fashion. I wonder…

If you’re into synthesiser music, someone coming at it with a fresh angle is always welcome – enter Manuela. A new album is due in June, and the first track reminds us of Karen Dalton, if she was produced by Eno – how about that?! The new record is called ‘Ultraviolet’ and follows some hot…
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