Back catalogue: All genres

Review: XL boss Richard Russell's Everything Is Recorded returns with 'Porcupine Tattoo', an unexpected yet compelling collaboration with Bill Callahan and Noah Cyrus. The track, released via XL Recordings, came about during sessions at LA's infamous Chateau Marmont hotel, when Russell asked Callahan who he'd most like to write a song for. Callahan's surprising answer: Noah Cyrus. The result is a stripped-down folk tune with subtle gospel undertones, featuring Callahan's deep, pitched-down vocal layered alongside Cyrus' delicate voice. Russell's production, iminimal yet atmospheric, ihighlights the contrast between Callahan's gravelly tone and Cyrus' ethereal presence. Recorded during a rain-soaked week, the track evokes a sense of melancholy and intimacy. On Side-2 'Norm', is a tribute to comedian Norm Macdonald, featuring only Callahan. This release continues Russell's tradition of creating genre-blurring, evocative collaborations.

Review: Are NewDad your favourite contemporary Irish rock band? If the answer is no, w want to understand why. 12 months or so ago they blessed us with the woozy, late-afternoon-in-the-park-cum-6AM-walk-home jangle of Waves, a stunning EP that cemented their status as one of the few truly authentic sounding indie outfits we have right now. So good it's still on the office playlist, Safe follows that up with another spellbinder. This time there's definitely more gnash and snarl, discordance and strained noises that should sound harsh but have been so beautifully used they only make the whole thing sound more joyful to weirdos. Or at least that's opener 'Entertainer'. The title track lets no side down, keeping that whirlwind of cacophony vibe, while 'Puzzle' and 'Be Kind' double down on melodies without lightening the mood. It's perfect.

Review: Reissued to mark 50 years of Bomp! Records, this 7” revives two sweetmeats from Nikki And The Corvettes, all teased hair, leather jackets and bratty charm. ‘Honey Bop!’ leads with snotty vocals and handclap hooks, wired on girl-group gloss and Ramones-tight riffs. On the flip, ‘Shake It Up’ elevens up the fuzz and attitude, nodding to 60s garage and jukebox sleaze. Originally released by Bomp! - the label who helped connect power pop, punk and psych weirdness under one roof - this single rattles with the same no-rules spirit that defined the imprint’s heyday. The Corvettes never hung about long, but their bubblegum snarl still cuts sharp.

Review: This is a 7" gem that comes on random coloured vinyl and is a great new chance to own a classic bit of reggae form the 90s. The legendary four tacker was first dropped back in '94 by this cult German Ska band and it has plenty of attitude that encourages you to stay rude yourself. 'Stay Rude - Stay Rebel' kicks off with big horns and uptempo drums, 'Tour De France' keeps the pressure on and 'Love Song' strips things back a little more with a more laid-back and swaggering sound. 'Girl (Tango)' has a more playful and funky edge with some sumptuous sax leads.

Review: If any album comes close to the beauty of Crosby, Stills & Nash in 2025 it's this. It's difficult to imagine anyone else nailing melodic, acoustic guitar-oriented music that treads in gospel, blues and pastoral psychedelia better than this supergroup. Could Bernard Butler be on his way to another Mercury Prize nomination with this? They've got a strong case for it. The band itself is something a little different and formed by popular demand. Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub) Bernard Butler (Suede) and James Grant (Love and Money) originally got together for one occasion, at Saint Luke's in Glasgow in 2022 for Celtic Connections, but the power of them together was so great they've been talked into putting an album out. They've gone about it in quite a pragmatic way, with each member labelling which songs theirs, as opposed to all trying to write the same song at the same time. Makes sense really.

Review: German post-punks Die Haut collaborated with Nick Cave when he was towards the end of his time in the Birthday Party. Together they made a vastly stylish album of darkly atmospheric music that you can dance to and it's now being reissued, which will hopefully bring about renewed appreciation because it's up there with the very best alternative records. Everyone has Unknown Pleasures, but why don't they have this? It's absolute fire. 'Stow-A-Way' sounds like a band having the time of their life in the most reckless way possible, which will ultimately encourage more people to pick up a guitar. Meanwhile, 'The Victory' is like a cooler version of Talking Heads and ought to have you digging out a sleeveless denim jacket in no time.

Review: Germany's Die Haut are like the forefathers of a sound that's now sometimes referred to as Crank Wave - this rough n' ready rehearsal room, or dimly-lit basement sound with noisy guitars and goth singing. What's clear, though, despite more than 40 having passed by since this was first released (1983), few capture that murky, jagged aesthetic better than Die Haut. And if you were to have someone mumble-sing over your noise then who better than Nick Cave? Nick Cave was at the end of his time in Birthday Party at this time he briefly joined them, so, as a young man, his pipes are relatively higher than the bellowing baritone we know him to be today. In terms of kindred spirits, you can imagine Lias Saoudi of Fat White Family being firmly into this. This is a top-tier reissue.

Review: The National's Rome, is a 21-track live album capturing the band's June 3, 2024 performance at the stunning Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in - you guessed it - the Italian capital. Mixed by Peter Katis, the album spans over two decades of The National's career, featuring iconic tracks like 'Bloodbuzz Ohio', 'I Need My Girl' and 'Fake Empire', alongside newer material such as 'Eucalyptus' and 'Tropic Morning News'. The National, formed in 1999, are an American rock band known for their emotional depth and intricate songwriting. With Matt Berninger's baritone vocals and the instrumental prowess of brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, alongside Scott and Bryan Devendorf, the band has built a reputation for powerful live performances and critically acclaimed albums. Known for their introspective lyrics and rich, textured sound, The National continues to evolve after two decades. This live recording showcases the band's ability to transform their songs in the concert setting, offering refreshed renditions and hidden gems like 'Runaway' and 'Murder Me Rachael'. Known for their intense live shows, Rome immortalises the emotional and fiery energy The National brings to the stage.

Review: A fantastic new pressing of a band who were an important part of the grebo scene in the late 80s and early 90s. Having earned a loyal fanbase with God Fodder, which is their electronically-tinged grunge and pop-punk leaning debut album, this follow-up showed them buck the trend of the difficult second album and deliver the goods. The chart-bothering single 'Not Sleeping Around' is a banger with Stone Roses-y wah guitars, an infectious vocal melody and urgent, hard-hitting rock structure. The same year this was originally released they headlined the NME stage at Glastonbury and cemented their reputation as one of the best live bands in Britain of that time.

Review: One of the most divisive rock bands gigging today, Nickelback are easy targets and quite unfairly lampooned in the media. Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic famously came to their defence, stating that he loves them, which is a great endorsement and one we're inclined to agree with. They are a great power pop band. 'How You Remind Me' is - fact - one of the catchiest rock singles of the past 30 years and the band have endured and matured into one of the biggest rock bands of all time. This live album comes two years after the release of their chart-topping album Get Rollin'. They were touring in support of that album when they decided to professionally film and record one of the dates - their sold-out show on 1 August 2023 in Nashville. And it's a hit-laden feast: 'Photograph', 'Burn It To The Ground', 'Hero' and more. What's more: they brought out an array of guests; including: Bailey Zimmerman for 'Rockstar' and Chris Daughtry for 'Savin’ Me', making for a truly special evening.

Review: This reissue of Janitor of Lunacy recaptures Nico in a stark, spellbinding 1983 live performance at Manchester's Library Theatre during a period when she called the city home. Spread across 20 tracks on double vinyl, the album distils her haunting presence and singular voice into raw, intimate recordings that draw from four of her solo records as well as Velvet Underground classics like 'Femme Fatale' and 'All Tomorrow's Parties.' The set also includes a brooding take on Bowie's 'Heroes' which is, like the rest of the pieces, minimalist and emotionally charged. This was Nico stripped down to her essence, namely bleak, beautiful and moving.

Review: According to Venn, The Nightmares' Fire In Heaven is not only the band's followup to 2023's acclaimed debut album, Seance. It's also a record that "delves into the idea of love lost and the enormity of the universe at large... themes range from mythical siren songs to extraterrestrial life via the complexities of true love and an overarching question of your own existence." Hardly small themes, but certainly ones that resonate universally. A meditation, or perhaps more accurately main stage indie rock out, on the strange juxtaposition between the difficulties and problems that come with being a human forced to live on this giant rock, and the enormity of the unknown beyond its stratosphere. Far reaching and unarguably grand in sound, apart from moments such as the gentle piano sonata of 'Winterlude'.

Review: A fascinating glance into the prototype stages of one of the most famous albums of all time. Nirvana were far from massive stars when they came to record their second studio - they reputedly had to play a live gig to raise the petrol money to drive to Los Angeles where it was recorded - and this colection of demos and outtakes have a real air of casual brilliance about them, clearly showing little regard for success and maximum attention to artistic expression. Fans will love the scratchy cover of Velvet Underground's 'Here She Comes Now' and the never completely finished but often perforned 'Token Eastern Song', neither of which never made the album, as well as rough diamond but dynamite versions of classic like 'Polly' and 'In Bloom'.

Review: Captured at the Hollywood Rock Festival on January 23rd 1993 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this performance has gone down in infamy as one of the Seattle grunge legends' worst yet most insightful. Rumours swirl that the chaotic nature stemmed from a myriad of factors such as Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's relationship hitting their worst low yet, whilst many have stated cocaine was used as a replacement or combatant for the frontman's severe heroin dependency at this point. It's also commonly believed that the band sought to self-sabotage their largest shows yet, playing for over 100,000 in attendance due to a cigarette brand named "Hollywood" sponsoring the festival, seemingly at odds with Nirvana's entire ethos. Whether a declarative punk statement, genuine artistic implosion, rejection of their uncomfortable success, or a cocktail timebomb of all of the above, this raw, unhinged and purposefully haggard performance is sadly emblematic of who and where the band were at this point in time. Pressed on a lush picture disc, this set eschews the majority of their biggest hits, opting rather for fan favourite deep cuts such as 'Sliver', 'Been A Son', 'On A Plain' and 'Lounge Act'.

Review: At the close of 1991, Seatlle grunge gods Nirvana were well on their way to becoming the biggest rock band in the world, but the massive show in Del Mar, California, captured here actually featured them appearing in support of Red Hot Chili Peppers, although Pearl Jam had the prvilege of opening up the show. They'd spent much of the year touring, famously making the first of their two Reading Fesival appearances half way up the bill back in August 1991, and are evidently on peak form here as they wield a setlist dominated by Nevermind album highlights including 'Come As You Are' and 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Ending on a raging rendition of 'Territorial Pissings', the trio prove not only why they managed to definite the zeitgeist of the age, but also the fact that however finely tuned and honed they were, the all-important feel of impending anarchy was never far from the surface.

Review: Billy Nomates has been on quite a journey since seeing a Sleaford Mods show in her native East Midlands persuaded her to return to making music. Her first appearance, guesting on the Sleafords' 'Mork & Mindy' single, and Geoff Barrow-produced debut album were definitely hailing from the rough and ready school of scrappy, DIY post-punk. Metalhorse, her third long player to date, is an altogether more mature affair, leaning on the influence of her live band - bass player Mandy Clarke (KT Tunstall, The Go! Team) and drummer Liam Chapman (Rozi Plain, BMX Bandits) - to delve further into blues, folk and piano-led compositions. A concept album revolving around an abandoned funfair as a metaphor for life itself - "some rides are nice to get on and some rides aren't" she says - it's a fascinating listen and not, perhaps, what you might have been expecting.

Review: Billy Nomates' third studio album is the first that the Bristol-based Invada Records-signee recorded in the studio with a band. Formerly a solo artist standing alone on stage and making albums much the same way, now she has bass player Mandy Clarke (The Go! Team) and drummer Liam Chapman (BMX Bandits) backing her. They all went to Paco Loco Studios in beautiful Andalucia, Spain to record with James Trevascus (her hit single 'No' was the first thing they did together and they have a solid working relationship since). The resulting tracks - not least 'Plans' and 'Dark Horse Friend' (featuring actual Stranglers man Hugh Cornwell) from this adventure to sunnier climes are staggeringly impressive. It seems Billy Nomates, real name Tor Maries, has made the best album of her artistic life to-date. And it's a milestone that's bound to ensure this talented artist remains part of the fabric of British popular music for years to come.

Review: In 1984, Gary Numan launched Numa Records and started a new phase in his career with the release of Berserker. This album introduced a harder-edged digital sound into his canon while maintaining the analogue textures of his earlier work. It's a testament to the fact that Numan's creative evolution never stopped and blends both personal and fictional narratives into haunting tracks like 'My Dying Machine,' 'This Is New Love' and 'Berserker.' The remastered double vinyl edition includes the original album with bonus tracks that add extra perspective to this pivotal period in his career.

Review: What you see before you ranks among the most mythologised live albums (n)ever released. Like the title suggests, it was originally recorded in 1972 at Parisian rock institution Le Bataclan, a legendary venue which would later gain notoriety after a group of armed gunmen opened fire on a crowd in 2015, killing 90 people. But that grisly recent history belies its status as one of the most respected concert halls in the French capital, and this not-quite-Velvet Underground show has contributed to that legacy. Showcasing the stop-you-dead qualities of Nico's staggering (and unique) vocal timbre, the surreal, immersive qualities of the Cale and Reed's legendary art-rock tones, this time capsule had been bootlegged and bootlegged until 2004, when it finally got an official release. Now it's back.