new music reviews, news & interviews
Guy Oddy |

The Ryland Caravan Festival is an annual festival put together by local musical eccentrics, Independent Country, and held in the outside amphitheatre at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) in Birmingham’s Cannon Hill Park.

Jonathan Geddes |

As Metallica have long known, Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold is a rousing choice of walk on music. Deadletter might not be playing the stadiums the metal giants ply their trade in, but strolling on to a near pitch black stage with music from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly booming out was a nicely theatrical opening.
 

Kieron Tyler
“My Ice Queen” immediately makes its case. A mid-to-low tempo chugging rhythm underpins choppy guitar, a contemplative, distant vocal and a general…
Bedouine
I watched a video online recently of a three-year-old girl being quizzed with questions about her mom (adorable). It was a Mother’s Day video set up…
Thomas H. Green
Back when One Direction alumnus Niall Horan released his second album, Heartbreak Weather, in 2020, songs such as “Nice to Meet Ya”, “Arms of a…

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Thomas H. Green
L.A.-based Welsh singer delivers a sweaty maximalist pop love-in
Erin Lewis
An undeniable talent seems determined to go over old ground on album no. 3
Joe Muggs
A brilliant new sound, and some rabble rousing, from a mercurial hip hop talent
Sebastian Scotney
A jazz supergroup on hallowed ground in Burgundy
Tom Carr
Anticipated sixth album is serene and melodic, but fresh and heavy
Guy Oddy
Robin Dallaway’s crew return to the stage after a 40-year break
Jonathan Geddes
The Manchester foursome's post-punk and garage rock remains danceable and rousing.
Tim Cumming
The Gloaming's Martin Hayes, and others join the Scottish fiddler on this stellar collaboration
Kieron Tyler
Firm candidate for one of the year’s most notable archive releases
Mark Kidel
To mark the centenary of a jazz great, we explore a soundtrack that eclipsed the film
Tim Cumming
Tenderness abounds on this intimate, reflective set
Ibi Keita
Scottish duo turn up the creepy on new album
Thomas H. Green
Guitars a-go-go with hungry performances by bands from around the world
Joe Muggs
A total deconstruction of pop-alternative dichotomies, and a 360° immersive overload
Ellie Roberts
The band flirt with a return to their past but the spark never catches fire
Kieron Tyler
Enviably consistent box set dedicated to female-sung British pop from 1962 to 1970
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His latest collaboration with Buddy Cannon comes with a rare Dylan co-write
Sebastian Scotney
A homage to Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter...
Joe Muggs
Tapping into soul, ska and rocksteady revivifies the Mersey troupers
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Long awaited return from Yorkshire rockers Marmozets is energetic with a renewed flair
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A fascinating cast of characters
Mark Kidel
The undeniable force of a musical original shows signs of wear
Thomas H. Green
A set which wittily lacerates old loves and celebrates new confidence
Kieron Tyler
Celebration of first-rate but obscure Chicago soul

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