New album: Truly gorgeous experimental work by London’s Trinity Laban-graduate harpist of Polish parentage, who as well as conventionally rippling the strings of instrument, creatively uses it with other effects, adds sea other nature sounds with electronica, with magical sprinkles of guest vocals, cello, woodwind and percussion
Read moreW.H. Lung: Every Inch Of Earth Pulsates
New album: The Manchester-formed synth-indie-pop five-piece return with fresh toe-tapping electro retro sounds, but also with a particularly big, live sound, achieved by relocating to Sheffield to work with producer Ross Orton (MIA, Arctic Monkeys, Working Men’s Club)
Read moreSilverbacks: Easy Being A Winner
New album: The Dublin sextet of frontman Daniel O’Kelly, brother Kilian and co return with a third album, one of mischief, eccentricity and no shortage of musical skill, witty lyrics and clever, intricate and powerful triple guitar riffing, co-produced by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox
Read moreField Music: Limits of Language
New album: After various side and solo projects, Sunderland brothers Peter and David Brewis return with their very own inventive brand of classy, clever, quirky, and funky experimental pop
Read moreBlood Incantation: Absolute Elsewhere
New album: Appearances might partly deceive, as while this almighty release by the Denver, Colorado quartet of Paul Riedl, Isaac Faulk, Morris Kolontyrsky and Jeff Barrett has a grunting death metal tag, it also traverses a wondrously inventive landscape of dynamic prog, folk, rock, krautrock and beyond with an accompanying film
Read moreThe Linda Lindas: No Obligation
New album: The engaging and likeable American Asian-Latin band of two sisters, cousin and friend return with a second album of infectious, broad appeal, ,energetic, rock, indie and punk pop, following 2022’s debut Growing Up
Read moreFaux Real: Faux Ever
New album: Oozing camp panache, and packed with some previously released singles and very entertaining videos, Franco-American brothers Virgile and Elliott Arndt’s debut LP captures their mesmeric moves and superbly fun, semi-ironic gloriously glossy synth-art-pop
Read morePaul Heaton: The Mighty Several
New album: The Housemartins and Beautiful South’s main man and renowned singer-songwriter, and famously generous pub supporter returns with his 10th solo album of tuneful, clever, warm-hearted but also gently acerbic indie pop
Read moreSeun Kuti: Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)
New album: The youngest son of the great Fela Kuti, and of eldest brother of Femi, returns with his father’s band Egypt 80, which he inherited and his fifth, and first album in six years, keeping the fabulous bright flame of afrobeat alight, and including the son of another great in the form of Bob’s son Damian Marley
Read moreGoat: Goat
New album: The mysterious masked Swedish collective return with their third LP in as many years with a heady new dose of primal prog, funk, folk and psychedelic rock sitrred in a pot of guitar pedals, flutes, drums and ritualistic-style vocals
Read morePublic Service Broadcasting: The Last Flight
New album: Inspired by the same subject as Laurie Anderson’s Amelia album earlier this year, a the experimental news archive-digging British rock group formed by J Willgoose Esq return by paying tribute to the pioneering female American aviator Amelia Earhart
Read moreThe Hard Quartet: The Hard Quartet
New album: This seasoned pro supergroup of Stephen Malkmus (Pavement and Jicks), Matt Sweeney (Chavez), Emmett Kelly and Jim White create a marvellously muscular debut collection of indie, rock, blues punk, but also beautiful Byrds-like numbers
Read morecumgirl8: the 8th cumming
New album: Provocative in name, and after a couple of great EPs, the Manhattan four-piece are now fully released in LP form, with their infectiously catchy, witty, punchy, dirty electro-cyber-punk-pop, influenced in part by The Slits and girl-punk era of the late 1970s, new wave, horror and anime, and self-described as “a scantily clad Creature from the Black Lagoon”
Read moreHayden Thorpe: Ness
New album: The former Wild Beast singer’s new LP is a beautiful, experimental release inspireed by Robert Macfarlane’s book of the same name, an ode to the Suffolk coast’s mysterious ten-mile long shingle spit at Orford Ness, the now wilderness but former Ministry of Defence weapons development site
Read moreBeing Dead: EELS
New album: As a title not to be confused with the indie band of Mark Oliver Everett, this new LP by the Austin, Texas band of Falcon Bitch & Shmoofy (fka Gumball), is a different sort of fresh sounding, catchy quirkiness - a throwback 60s garage rock and produced with the mark of quality by John Congleton
Read moreLeon Bridges: Leon
New album: Silky smooth soul-pop with a richly orchestral 70s style and country hues by the high-voiced Fort Worth Texan singer-songwriter in this summery, honey-flavoured, highly polished fourth LP
Read moreOneDa: Formula OneDa
New album: The debut LP by the Mancunian rapper and poet with a Nigerian heritage is a punchy, powerful release fuelled by female empowerment, mixing hip-hop, drum’n’bass, afro-trap, and afrobeats, heralding one of the most charismatic British hip-hop artists since Little Simz
Read moreGodspeed You! Black Emperor: No Title As of 13 February 2024, 28,340 Dead
New album: Explosive but also expressive innovation by the returning veteran Canadian post-rockers, with a title that explicitly references the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, but on a larger scale expresses an apocalyptic vision through some extraordinary, prog-rock experimental instrumentals
Read moreGeordie Greep: The New Sound
New album: The former Black Midi frontman’s debut LP is a brilliant swirl of guitar rock, jazz, prog, funk, pop and a big dash of Latin, channelling Frank Zappa, a dramatic Scott Walker delivery, Broadway musicals, cello, a punchy horn section, his distinctive voice, clever, humorous, soliloquy-style lyrics
Read moreThe Smile: Cutouts
New album: Following January’s Wall of Eyes, the trio of Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke, alongside Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, return with a second LP this year, and third overall – of intricacy and invention – with dark, moody lyrics, and musical excellence
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