
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…

The Culture Minister – Ian Murray – has promised the “full commitment” of the UK government in a bid to remove the barriers around touring in the EU and UK, apparently. There’s been a lot of talk about this in recent years, with musicians hamstrung by bureaucracy and levies, while trying to earn a living.…

Post-hardcore is apparently a genre. We’re not too sure about that kind of thing, but Basement are apparently exponents of it and we like their new single, which is much more important information. They’re releasing a new LP – their first in eight years – called ‘Wired’ and pre-orders are where you expect them to…

Sofia Kourtesis is a fine musician, producer and DJ and, it is the latter that we’re looking at with the release of her DJ-Kicks mix, which you can hear in full on whatever service you’re using – we’ve linked it at the foot of this piece. She says: “This mix was about bringing together all the…

2026 is shaping up to be a hot year for R&B lovers, with a load of albums and single drops heating things up. One of the most exciting has been the releases from the UK’s very own Elmiene, who has managed to marry classic soul with modern production and jazzy flourishes. And you’re probably thinking…
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