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new music reviews, news & interviews
Thomas H. Green |

Like electronica, metal is an umbrella term that contains multitudes of micro-genres. How do you fancy sludge, blackened crust or funeral doom? And that’s just scraping the surface. One of the more common ones is metalcore, a portmanteau word for the heaviest metal crashing into hardcore punk.

Jonathan Geddes |

Just over 24 hours before Idlewild stepped out at the Kelvingrove Bandstand, the much ballyhooed solar eclipse had proved a damp squib for much of Scotland, with cloudy weather obscuring any views.

Kieron Tyler
The Adverts’ debut single was released by Stiff Records in late April 1977. The top side of the “One Chord Wonders” / “Quick Step” pairing was a dry…
Katie Colombus
A lost weekend is time you can't account for: you come out of it changed, unsure quite how. Phoebe Bridgers, it seems, has been living inside one.…
Liz Thomson
Unlike in Britain, where the bar for entry is more survival than talent, “national treasure” is not a term in such wide currency in America. But…

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Joe Muggs
A subtle, potent raging against the dying of the light from a low key great
Kieron Tyler
The US singer-songwriter offsets glacial shimmer with a dive into electric-guitar freakiness
Tim Cumming
The genre-crossing musician brings a New Age sheen to his solo piano tribute
Joe Muggs
The London trio add toilet bowls and ugly crying to the hedonistic glamour
Kieron Tyler
New York band’s blend of folk rock and psychedelia grabs attention
Thomas H. Green
Northern indie four-piece offer a vim-laden snapshot of disenfranchised Britain
Sebastian Scotney
Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Laura Mvula shine
Thomas H. Green
The most epic regular record reviews in the galaxy
Ibi Keita
Garage, French House and feeling collide in latest release
Katie Colombus
A creative, inclusive, endlessly imaginative festival for families
Guy Oddy
Prolific Aussie psychedelicists marry dance and prog sounds
Mark Kidel
Fiery crowd-pleasing jazz marred by excess
Ellie Roberts
A soaring fusion of atmospheric melancholy and energetic punk
Kieron Tyler
A hymn to when driving was an end in itself
Kieron Tyler
A breathless half-hour takes in screaming, stop-start song structures and the odd hint of reflectiveness
Guy Oddy
Punk veterans get decidedly trippy
Thomas H. Green
The American singer's eighth album is rife with downtempo ruminations on love
Joe Muggs
A thrilling blast of deep rooted culture and devout belief
Katie Colombus
Two decades on from Patti Smith and the original pink sheep, the anniversary edition proved again that Latitude's real headliners are rarely at the top of the bill
Thomas H. Green
From Korean bluegrass to gigantic Ugandan xylophones, the global diversity of musical life is here
Sebastian Scotney
Tawadros plays with astonishing clarity, resolve and intent
Joe Muggs
A championing, but also perhaps a dilution, of South African innovation
Kieron Tyler
The return of a punk-era landmark of British art rock
Tom Carr
With a danceable rock feel she displays her burgeoning creativity

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