Back catalogue: All genres

Review: American rock band Alabama Shakes - fronted by lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard - acclaimed debut long player Boys & Girls is 10 years old this year. To mark the occasion, Rough Trade Records commemorate it with a bumper two-disc deluxe edition. Rolling Stone called the original one of the best albums of 2012, and after it entered the charts at number one it went on to get Platinum certification and several GRAMMY nominations. This version features all the original tracks along with new, unreleased photos and an additional 11 live tracks from a performance on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic."

Review: In a time where the gruff-throated anti-Tory messaging of Idles, the reflective post-drugged out swagger of Viagra Boys and the pub-feed championing of The Chats remind us that punk can still be a vital voice of the people, both big and small, Amyl & The Sniffers have all but quietly been amassing the type of hype and buzz to go toe-to-toe with the lot. Capitalising on the momentum of 2021's exceptional Comfort To Me with last year's 7" "fuck you" to old, gatekeeping curmudgeons on 'U Should Not Be Doing That', the band return to producer Nick Launay (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) for their severely anticipated third LP Cartton Darkness. Recorded at the Foo Fighters' 606 Studios in Los Angeles, the one and only real-life Amyl (Ms. Amy Taylor) succinctly describes the message as - "driving headfirst into the unknown, into this looming sketch of the future that feels terrible but doesn't even exist yet. A childlike darkness. I don't want to meet the devil half-way and mourn what we have right now. The future is cartoon, the prescription is dark, but it's novelty. It's just a joke. It's fun."

Review: Given his passion for the melodramatic, it's little surprise to find Antony Hegarty pairing up with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra for his latest full-length - a live recording of what was no doubt an unforgettable concert. Interspersed with Antony's musings to the audience on sexuality and feminism (amongst other things), Cut The World sees some of his best songs given a dramatic new lease of life. With his distinctive, haunting vocals (yes, it's impossible to review one of his releases without mentioning them) to the fore, the songs veer from achingly intimate to deliciously grandiose. If you're a fan, it should be an essential purchase.

Review: The best thing since the Klaxons or Bloc Party have arrived. black midi! The student art rock band are bringing a new youthful energy and slight of malice back to the arena of post-indie inspired alternative guitar and synth music. They make this overtly known from the start with the supercharged opener that is "953", introducing an album that is said to have laid down eight of the record's nine tracks in just five days. Drums are fast and skittering, rhythms are dancey and guitars keep it Madchester jangley. "Speedway" (is that a wry Prodigy reference?) is among the album's highlights alongside the punk-funky "bmbmbm" and the short but trippy "Years Ago". With a 100 per cent backing by UK music institution Rough Trade: meet this generation's newest sensation.

Review: Hype Williams may now be relegated to an amusing/puzzling yet prolific chapter in the respective solo careers of its two founding members Inga Copeland and Dean Blunt, but the mystique and obliqueness that surrounded the project remains a weapon both continue to employ. Blunt's latest solo album Black Metal is perhaps his most high profile to date, seeing him pitch up on long running UK indie Rough Trade for a 13 track journey through his singular craft. If you touched on either of the albums Blunt released last year you should have an idea of what to expect, though of course there are still plenty of surprises within.

Review: RECOMMENDED
Dean Blunt is nothing short of an enigma. Whether you're reading one of his interviews of few words, listening to the records that seem to both celebrate the avant-garde and obsess over it, or watching him descend into strange, otherworldly cacophonies on stage, usually shrouded in smoke, he's never really been an easy guy to pin down. And that's exactly what he's always been going for.

It's something of a surprise, then, to learn that Black Metal 2, the long-awaited, seven years in the making sequel to his critically acclaimed Black Metal, is actually pretty straight forward. In a Dean Blunt kind of way. Opening on the compressed strings and near-spoken word of 'Vigil', the record takes us into the deep dark depths of strange, hook-fuelled guitar poetry, and we never want to find our way back.

Review: Southampton-based band Delays burned bright through their six-year tenure, sadly now shadowed by lead singer Greg Gilbert passing away in 2021. Rough Trade are winding back the clock to 2004, when they first burst onto the scene with their debut album Faded Seaside Glamour. It's an album which embodies the indie boom of that era, loaded with bombast and heartfelt songwriting which nodded to the past without being beholden to it. You might hear the epic strokes of Joshua Tree-era U2 in the likes of 'On', or the jangly pop of The Cure at their breeziest. This deluxe edition comes pressed on orange vinyl.

Review: After three groundbreaking albums with black midi, including 2023's Hellfire, Geordie Greep has carved out time to release his debut solo project, The New Sound. This album showcases an eclectic and vibrant approach to alternative pop, granting Greep the freedom to pursue creative impulses without restraint. He reflects on this liberation, stating that without a band to answer to, he could fully explore his artistic vision. The recording process involved over thirty session musicians across Sao Paulo and London, blending diverse influences. Greep notes the spontaneity of working with local talent in Brazil, where tracks were recorded in a matter of days. Musically, The New Sound delves into themes of urban life and human experiences, juxtaposing light-hearted melodies with darker narratives. Songs like 'Holy Holy' merge indie pop with lush Latin arrangements, while 'Motorbike' features bassist Seth 'Shank' Evans in a poignant lament. Greep's ambition is evident throughout the eleven tracks, aiming to engage listeners with intricate lyrics and unexpected turns. He hints at future live performances, aiming to capture the album's dynamic spirit in various settings.

Review: A posthumous release that furthers Arthur Russell's now legendary status. Recorded in Downtown New York City on December 20, 1985, it's an intimate, unedited solo live performance recorded at Phill Niblock's loft space known as Experimental Intermedia Foundation. The takes are very raw and unpolished that it makes you feel like one of the very few in attendance. 'That's the Very Reason' is a beautiful, tender experimental folk piece showing he needed very few materials in order to send listeners on a journey of transcendence. 'Too Early To Tell' is highly idiosyncratic and produces a sound not normally associated with cello. And 'Sunlit Water' has an oriental feel and provides beautiful resolve to a resplendent set.

Review: If you don't know what Nottingham duo Sleaford Mods are all about by now then where have you been? They lay down raw, ragged MIDI beats that are deceptively simply but impossibly catch, with pressing social commentary and Tory baiting lyrics over the top. This new album UK Grim - a play on UK Grime, no doubt - is even more dance floor focussed than any before it. The gritty reality of modern life and all its pitfalls are in sharp focus throughout making it another gem from this much loved duo that also somewhat redefines their sound in new ways.

Review: Considering it was only last year when Sleaford Mods dropped their prized UK Top 10 LP 'Eton Alive' it's almost jarring they should now unveil a Best Of, of sorts. It's hardly time to reflect when you're one of the most vital acts in contemporary British pop. But then the record stands up on its own merit, too, more than living up to the name by offering an insight into the ties - or rather tracks - that bind together the outfit's seven year career to date. Those familiar with the work of Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn will not be surprised to learn the contents here are visceral, heartfelt, stubborn, angry, and stood with tongue firmly in cheek. Observations from an island still riddled with inequality and led by donkeys, set to the kind of catchy but raw guitar, sequencer and drum work that can't help but take you for a ride.