New Music: Heaven Is No Feeling

            

Cate Le Bon has announced a new album. Michelangelo Dying which is out September 26 on Mexican Summer and features fellow Welsh artist John Cale on a song. The artist has shared now the lead single, “Heaven Is No Feeling,” comes with a music video directed by longtime collaborator H. Hawkline. According to video director: "There are moments in life you can't make up, that seem unfathomable, then they happen,” Hawkline said of the clip in a press statement. “Life calls you on a banana phone and tells you her oldest joke, everybody crowds around and you try to remember the words to your favorite song. If you were to ask me how we made this video, I couldn't tell you. 

New Music: Cutthroat

           

British post-punk band Shame have announced their new album, Cutthroat, set to release September 5 via Dead Oceans. Now they have shared its title track accompanied by a video directed by Ja Humby and produced by Rhory Danniells. The band has also announced an expansive EU/UK tour beginning in late September. Steen spoke on the new single in a press release. “I was reading a lot of Oscar Wilde plays where everything was about paradox. In  "Cutthroat," it’s that whole idea from Lady Windermere’s Fan, "Life's far too important to be taken seriously."

New Music: What3vr

           

With a curious blend of grunge and synth pop, Yeule the Singaporean artists drops a new video for her single "What3vr" from their forthcoming album "Evangelic Girl Is A Gun" one of the most strange, weirdo and best music video to date, a bizarre story telling that turns a pop song into a a hell of a trip, courtesy of video directo Nat Ćmie. 

New Music: Lawdy Rolla

           

Paul Weller will release a brand-new covers album in July, his second following 2004's Studio 150.  Find El Dorado features contributions from Noel Gallagher, Robert Plant, Declan O’Rourke and more, and will be released July 25 on Parlophone. The first release is a version of Lawdy Rolla, originally recorded by French jazz/soul outfit The Guerrillas in 1969

New Music: No Love

           

Matt Berninger has shared a new single "No Love" from their just-released new album "Get Sunk",  the song finds Berninger working from within a texture that is reminiscent of his work within The National. "No Love" also is one of the moments where even when things do feel a little familiar, there is still a distinction – you can hear that in the opening moments, because it begins with a sense of urgency in the form of a dusty sounding breakbeat sample, before an emergent, kind of serious sounding progression on the piano tumbles in on top of that, the video credits belongs to Chantal Anderson and Aaron Beckum introducing and restless bear. 

 

New Music: Another One Gone

           

Hotel Lux have returned with new single, "Another One Gone", marking their first new music since their 2023 debut album, Hands Across The Creek. According to band: It was written completely collaboratively, and recorded live to replicate the emotional intensity of our live shows, we thought it was the the right song to begin this chapter, finding us simultaneously at our most vulnerable, and our most confident. It’s about having lost friends, and the fear of losing others; a sort of lament for the former, and a prayer for the latter," the band explains. The video credits belongs to Max Oliver and Alex Wylie. 

New Music: Able Eyes

           

Manchester's Sea Fever released their brand new single "Able Eyes", taken from their second album "Surface Sound" out this Friday, May 30. Landing heavy, fuzzed guitar chords onto human-powered rhythms and mixing impassioned vocals with deft, sparing electronic accents, the bands links to New Order, Johnny Marr, Haven and other influential bands shimmer from behind the curtain. According to singer, guitarist and lyricist Iwan Gronow, "Able Eyes’" truly signifies Sea Fever's versatility. Although this is not one of our dance tracks, the song still has a real, intentional pulse, mixing Velvet Underground guitars with layers of synths. Lyrically the song is nostalgic, throwing back to growing up. The line: "Kicking your heels, dissecting sums" signifies life's momentum in so many ways, adapting and preparing for huge moments of change."

New Music: Build & Destroy

           

The Progressive rock legends Styx have released the official music video for their new single "Build And Destroy". A thrilling A.I. conceptual clip — directed by Jay Ziebarth. Creating and recording new music is often considered the lifeblood of any band — an ethos AOR torchbearers STYX continue to embody with the highly anticipated release of their 18th., studio album "Circling From Above" spanning 13 tracks, the album navigates the complexities of the human experience through the intersecting lenses of technology and nature. 

New Music: What If There Were No Sides At All

           

Bryan Adams releases anti-war peace song, "What If There Were No Sides At All". This is an anti-war peace song. Accordint to Adams: The locations are generic but are meant to represent conflicts in the world. The aim of this song is to provoke thought and perhaps even encourage governments to sit down and talk peace. At the moment there is only escalating division and death – a result of the billions of dollars spent by governments to fund these endless wars. So accurate with the current times we are living now.

New Music: Go To Ground

           

Manchester's band Sea Fever has shared their new single "Go To Ground" taken from their forthcoming record "Surface Sound", according to bassist, Tom Chapman, also a member of New Order, names Go To Ground as the band’s “Italo-Manc disco track… an electronic funky experiment of syncopated beats and anthemic chorus”, the lyrical context reveals sensitivities to be found within the welcome sense of bombastic, wired abandon, is an upbeat, no-nonsense song about ambition and change,” says singer, guitarist and lyricist, Iwan Gronow. “People can be held back by the system, dulled down and told to stay in their place and this is our call to climb out of the box that people put us in. 

New Music: Glad

            

After 35 years of heavenly British pop, Saint Etienne have decided to call it a day. Actually they're not “breaking up,” per se, as Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs and Sarah Crackness remain great friends they're just ceasing operations. So they're going out with a bang, one last album, International, their 13th., album which will be released September 13 via Heavenly, it was co-produced by the band and Tim Powell of hitmakers Xenomania. International is also packed with guest collaborators, including Erasure‘s Vince Clarke, Haircut 100‘s Nick Heyward, Erol Alkan, Confidence Man‘s Janet Planet, and Orbital‘s Paul Hartnoll, and more. The first single from the album is this "Glad," which was co-written and co-produced by Tom Rowlands and featuring Jimi Goodwin. It’s a classic Saint Etienne banger with a soaring chorus. The band say: "We asked Tom if he had any songs in progress that might suit Saint Etienne, and he sent a backing track that he’d been working on with Jez from Doves. We fell in love with it straight away, and the topline melody and words for ‘Glad’ came easy." The video was shot by Scrub.

New Music: Rocket

           

Robbie Williams releases new punk-inspired music video featuring Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, filmed at London landmarks with flash mob dancers. Taken from his upcoming album "BRITPOP", set for release this autumn via Columbia Records. The accompanying video, directed by Charlie Lightening, sees Williams performing at various London landmarks with a flash mob, sporting punk-inspired attire. Additional scenes feature Iommi filmed in Birmingham. Speaking about the album, Williams says: "I set out to create the album that I wanted to write and release after I left Take That in 1995. It was the peak of Britpop and a golden age for British Music. I've worked with some of my heroes on this album; it's raw, there are more guitars and it’s an album that's even more upbeat and anthemic than usual. 

In Memoriam: The Legendary "Sebastião Salgado" Dies At 81

Sebastião Salgado, regarded as one of the world's greatest documentary photographers, has died at the age of 81. The Brazil-born photographer was known for his dramatic and unflinching black-and-white images of hardship, conflict and natural beauty, captured in 130 countries over 55 years.

His hard-hitting photos chronicled major global events such as the Rwanda genocide in 1994, burning oilfields at the end of the Gulf War in 1991, and the famine in the Sahel region of Africa in 1984. His lens revealed the world and its contradictions; his life, the power of transformative action. 

Some of his most striking pictures were taken in his home country, including epic photos of thousands of desperate figures working in open-cast gold mines and striking images of the indigenous people of the Amazon. Salgado's final major project, Amazônia, spotlighted the rainforest's beauty and fragility.

A lifelong advocate for the Amazon's indigenous people, Salgado documented the daily lives of a dozen of the tribes scattered throughout the rainforest - from hunting and fishing expeditions, to dances and rituals. He spent seven years on an ambitious photographic journey, exploring the remote reaches of the Amazon rainforest and documenting its inhabitants. The project culminated in an exhibition showcasing over 200 black-and-white images, offering a poignant glimpse into the region's landscapes and communities.

Born in 1944, Salgado left a career in economics to start as a photographer in 1973. He worked on international assignments for a variety of photography agencies before forming his own, Amazonas Images, with Lélia in 1994. He received the Sony World Photography Awards' Outstanding Contribution to Photography in 2024.

Other accolades included the Prince of Asturias Award and recognition as a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador. Through the Instituto Terra, Salgado and Lélia also restored his father's farm in Brazil to thriving rainforest by planting more than three million trees.

News/Albums: Saint Etienne Reveals Details Of Their Very Last Album

After 35 years recording together, Saint Etienne have announced that their 13th album, International, will be their last. Co-produced with Tim Powell (formerly of Xenomania), the album will be released on Heavenly Recordings this  September and features collaborations with Erol Alkan, Vince Clarke, Nick Heyward, Confidence Man’s Janet Planet and Paul Hartnoll of Orbital.

The band has shared "Glad," the first single to be taken from the album. Co-written and produced with Tom Rowlands of the Chemical Brothers, "Glad" is a sparkling piece of uplifting pop, and incredibly catchy. The song also features Jez Williams from Doves on guitar. Talking about the track, Sarah Cracknell said: "We asked Tom if he had any songs in progress that might suit Saint Etienne and he sent a backing track that he’d been working on with Jez from Doves. We fell in love with it straight away and the top line melody and words for Glad came easy." Pete Wiggs added: “The song is about taking pleasure in everyday things like nature and the outdoors when life is otherwise getting you down.”

The group aren't splitting up as such – they still remain the best of friends – but they don’t feel like they want to go on forever and wanted to go out with a bang. International follows hot on the heels of The Night – released last November.

Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs have known each other since childhood and started the group in 1990 with their classic cover of Neil Young's Only Love Can Break Your Heart. Sarah Cracknell joined for their third single Nothing Can Stop Us and the Foxbase Alpha album in 1991. Since then they have branched out into films, books and curation, and became artists in residence at the Southbank Centre. The group simply feels it is now time to draw a line under new recordings.

About the new album International this is very different in style and approach to The Night, but both records are pure Saint Etienne. For International, the trio decided to ask friends, heroes and contemporaries to collaborate with them. That list included Confidence Man, who they discovered were St Et superfans after they played together at Kite Festival in 2022. Brand New Me feels like a rebooted 1991 gem – Nothing Can Stop Us meets Groove Is In The Heart – and features Sarah duetting with Confidence Man’s Janet Planet.

Other collaborators include Erol Alkan (on Sweet Melodies), Vince Clarke (Two Lovers), a duet with Nick Heyward (The Go Betweens) and Paul Hartnoll of Orbital (Take Me To The Pilot) as well as a brace co-written and produced with Tim Powell of Xenomania (Dancing Heart and He’s Gone). The closing track on International is a tear jerker, reflecting on where they’ve been and who they’ve become over three and a half decades – the group say goodbye to their fans, on record, for the very Last Time.

International Tracklisting

 

1. Glad

2. Dancing Heart

3. The Go Betweens

4. Sweet Melodies

5. Save It For A Rainy Day

6. Fade

7. Brand New Me

8. Take Me To The Pilot

9. Two Lovers

10. Why Are You Calling

11. He's Gone

12. The Last Time

News: Billy Joel Cancels Tour After Brain Diagnosis Condition

The US legendary singer, Billy Joel has cancelled all forthcoming tour dates after being diagnosed with a rare brain condition. The 76-year-old singer-songwriter - known for classic hits like Piano Man, Uptown Girl and We Didn't Start the Fire - is receiving "excellent care" and is "fully committed to prioritising his health", a statement said.

He has Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, which is caused by a build-up of fluid in the brain and causes problems with his hearing, vision and balance. After being told by doctors to stop performing live, he has called off 17 dates in 2025 and 2026.

Joel said: "I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding," 

A statement issued on his behalf said Joel's condition "has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance". "Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period."

The NPH is described by the NHS as an uncommon and poorly understood condition that most often affects people over the age of 60.

He had previously postponed shows in March because of a "medical condition", which was not specified at the time, "to allow him to recover from recent surgery and to undergo physical therapy".

Joel has regularly been on tour in recent years, and ended a record-breaking decade-long monthly residency at Madison Square Garden in New York last year.

New Music: All Of The Time

           

The iconic singer-songwriter Robert Forster returns with "Strawberries," his ninth solo album, inspired by a simple moment at home—a bowl of irresistible strawberries—Forster weaves together a collection of observational stories that venture beyond personal introspection. With a mix of playful, character-driven narratives and atmospheric soundscapes, Strawberries is a new direction for Forster, whose legendary career spans the Go-Betweens and nearly three decades of solo work. The new single "All Of The Time" is a rock sound tune accompanied with a video by Denny Ryan.

New Music: Got To Have Love

           

Pulp shares a new single, the disco banger "Got To Have Love" the second slice taken from their forthcoming new album "Spike Island", it's a slightly hysterical song that tries to talk about love as I see it now says Cocker, the video was directed by himself created with footage from the iconic 1977 Wigan Casino documentary directed by Tony Palmer.

New Music: Taste

           

Sophie Ellis-bextor has announced her 8th., studio album "Perimenopop" which will be released on 12th., September, and now she has shared a new single "Taste" under the collaboration of MNEK and Jon Shave the brand new single is just fun pop builded on alluring and joyous chorus.

New Music: All To You

           

A Flock Of Seagulls has shared their brand new single "All To You". Mike Score delivers one of his most powerful songs to date: a lush, emotionally charged pop anthem about selfless love and vulnerability. Taken from their sixth studio album, "All To You" which marks another standout moment in a long-awaited return to original material. It's their first album of new songs since 1995, and a reminder that Mike Score still crafts melodic, meaningful, and irresistibly catchy pop with purpose.

New Music: Lover

           

Richard Ashcroft shares his first new song in seven years "Lover" it was co-produced it with Emre Ramazanoglu and incorporates elements of Joan Armatrading's song "Love And Affection" an Ashcroft favourite one.

New Music: Reverberotic

            

Alison Goldfrapp has shared a new single "Reverberotic" the second track of her forthcoming album "Flux" The new track is the even better than lead single "Find Xanadu", and was co-produced by Alison, Swedish songwriter Stefan Storm with additional strings by acclaimed violinist Davide Rossi.

New Music: Somebody Who Loves

           

Philippa Kinsky is honest indie pop from an up-and-coming artist with reflective lyrics and catchy toplines, now shares this catchy tune "Somebody Who Loves", which it’s about breaking love that is bound to conditions. so let’s love unconditionally, shall we? says Philippa, 

New Music: Cally

           

Manchester-based trio Doves have shared "Cally," a bonus track from the album. Goodwin had this to say about the new single in a statement: "It’s about seemingly, permanently shambling people, those who just never seem to get anywhere and they deserve so much better. A story of lovely ne’er-do-wells who always seem to grab the wrong end of a dirty stick."

New Music: A Little Bit Of Light Banter

           

The legendary Mael Brothers duo Sparks has shared their latest single "A Little Bit Of Light Banter" a week ahead before the released of their forthcoming new album "MAD!",  The song is about laying in bed with your partner and trading a little light banter with them despite the troubles of the world. The video direction belongs to Galen Johnson. 

New Music: Evangelic Girl Is A Gun

           

The Singaporean art-pop artist yeule announced Evangelic Girl Is A Gun, the follow-up to their excellent 2023 album Softscars. Today we get the album' s title track "Evangelic Girl Is A Gun" sees yeule nod to trip-hop and gothic industrial, as they sing-rap over a jumbled dance beat. They explain of the track in a press release: An angelic blade of a dance beat with dual bpm switch ups, nostalgic synth patches Kin [Leonn, producer] and I alchemised together reminiscent of early 2010s electronica. In the light of love and obsession lies the silhouette of a shadow diluted with the playful flirting of synths and drum patterns, but this time with a sexy silhouette of a shadow. Going back to experimental dark techno, but aligning it with modern inclinations of what I want to label as ‘trip club.’ Eternal light, eternal love, depth of the heart with a shallow facade. Diluting the vanta black blood that boils on rotting flesh. The video, was co-directed with Neil Krug.

New Music: Bloom Baby Bloom

           

The British band Wolf Alice have returned after a four-year hiatus with the release of their newest single, "Bloom Baby Bloom." The single came out along with the announcement of their upcoming album, The Clearing, which has been confirmed for release on August 29th. For Wolf Alice, “Bloom Baby Bloom” is a powerful ode to expansion in both life and music. The single serves as an exciting introduction to the new era that The Clearing will ring in for the band. The song is accompanied by a music video directed by Colin Solal Cardo, known for his collaborations with the likes of Charli XCX and Christine & The Queens.

New Music: Inept Apollo

           

The Brooklyn band Nation of Language have signed with Sub Pop and dropped a new single called "Inept Apollo." The single mixes their signature synthy sound with post-punk, and talks about using work to get through hard times. The new single comes with a video directed by John Mackay

New Music: Disintegrate

           

Suede just announced the released of their 10th., studio album "Antidepressants" due for this September 5, meanwhile, the band shares the first single from the album called "Disintegrate" which is a truly intense rocker tune just like Suede fans truly expected, great lyrics and remarkable sound as usual, the video shows the band playing with juxtaposed images and declarations.

News: Suede Announces Their New Album "Antidepressants"

Suede will release their 10th studio album, Antidepressants, in September. Their new album was "recorded live" with the band's long-time producer Ed Buller and frontman Brett Anderson describes it thus: "If Autofiction was our punk record, Antidepressants is our post-punk record. It's about the tensions of modern life, the paranoia, the anxiety, the neurosis. We are all striving for connection in a disconnected world. This was the feel I wanted the songs to have. The album is called Antidepressants. This is broken music for broken people."

"This is a widescreen and ambitious record", says bass player Mat Osman. "It’s a big stage record and it’s taking it up a gear". The recording sessions took place Belgium’s ICP Studios, London’s RAK, Sleeper Sounds, and RMV in Sweden. Their new single "Disintegrate" is available now.

The new album will be released on CD, cassette and various vinyl editions including a store-exclusive picture disc. The deluxe CD features three bonus tracks and there’s also a limited edition ‘flip-top’ box set, which contains black vinyl, the deluxe CD and "a patch, fanzine & tote bag".

In conjunction with the new album, Suede are announcing Suede Takeover – a special concert series over four nights hosted in different venues across London’s Southbank Centre throughout September 2025. The performances will see Suede present their live show "in completely new ways". The first two dates on 13 and 14 September (at the Royal Festival Hall) will be concerts of “loved classics, hits and brand new music", while on the 17 September will see the band play the Purcell Room for an “unusual and intimate off-mic evening". The residency closes on 19 September in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, with Suede’s first-ever full orchestral headline show, in collaboration with the Paraorchestra.

Antidepressants will be released on 5 September 2025 via BMG.

 

Antidrepressants Track List Deluxe CD:  

 

1. Disintegrate

2. Dancing With The Europeans

3. Antidepressants

4. Sweet Kid

5. The Sound And The Summer

6. Somewhere Between An Atom And A Star

7. Broken Music For Broken People

8. Trance State

9. Criminal Ways

10. June Rain

11. Life Is Endless, Life Is A Moment

12. Dirty Looks

13. Sharpening Knives

14. Overload

New Music: LA Runaway

           

Taken from The Horrors sixth studio album "Night Life" released last March, now the Britons have shared their latest single "LA Runaway" one of the most vibrant and powerful tracks on the set, the video directed by Neelam Kahn Velais a psichedelic collage in black and white that collected footages taken from an airplane window, nature, scenes from shows and the final result it's too dark and too stylish, the track is melodical but at the same time they never lose their drama, sadness and melancholy so we can say the new tracks is just an emotion contrast 

The Compilation: Complete Danny Wilson

 

Complete Danny Wilson is a brand new 5CD box set that will be released in June.

This brand new box set features the Scottish band's two late 80s albums – Meet Danny Wilson from 1987, which features the hit single "Mary's Prayer", and 1989 follow-up Bebop Moptop. Unfortunately the group disbanded in the early 1990s.

Additionally, the new box set features a generous selection of B-sides, remixes and edits, with two CD's worth. A fifth disc offers a complete live show from London’s Town and Country Club.

This collection includes a booklet with new interviews from the band (who are supporting this release). Complete Danny Wilson will be issued on 6 June 2025, via Cherry Red.

Complete Danny Wilson Track List:  

 

CD 1: Meet Danny Wilson

 

1. Davy

2. Aberdeen

3. Mary's Prayer

4. Lorraine Parade

5. Nothing Ever Goes To Plan

6. Broken China

7. Steamtrains To The Milky Way

8. Spencer Tracey

9. You Remain An Angel

10. Ruby’s Golden Wedding

11. A Girl I Used To Know

12. Five Friendly Aliens

13. I Won’t Be Here When You Get Home

CD 2: Bebop Moptop

 

1. Imaginary Girl

2. The Second Summer Of Love

3. I Can’t Wait

4. If You Really Love Me (Let Me Go)

5. If Everything You Said Was True

6. Loneliness

7. I Was Wrong

8. Charlie Boy

9. Never Gonna Be The Same

10. Desert Hearts

11. Y.C. Shanty

12. Goodbye Shanty Town

13. The Ballad Of Me And Shirley Maclaine

CD 3: B-sides / Edits / Mixes

1. I Won’t Forget – B-Side Davy

2. Pleasure To Pleasure – B-Side Davy

3. Monkey’s Shiny Day – B-Side Mary’s Prayer

4. Mary’s Prairie – B-Side Mary’s Prayer

5. Kathleen (House Mix) – B-Side Davy

6. Living To Learn – B-Side Davy

7. Kooks – B-Side Mary’s Prayer

8. Get Happy – B-Side If Everything You Said Was True

9. Growing Emotional – B-Side The Second Summer Of Love

10. I’ll Be Waiting – B-Side The Second Summer Of Love

11. The Lonesome Road – B-Side If Everything You Said Was True

12. A Girl I Used To Know – Single Mix

13. If Everything You Said Was True – Radio Edit

 

CD 4: B-sides / Edits / Mixes

 

1. A Girl I Used To Know – US Remix With Guitar Solo

2. Mary’s Prayer – Paul Staveley O’Duffy Remix

3. Nothing Ever Goes To Plan – Blix Mix ‘86.

4. Aberdeen (The Way It Should Have Been) – The Strepzil Logic Twelve Inch

5. I Can’t Wait – Remix

6. If You Really Love Me (Let Me Go) – New York Mix

7. From A Boy To A Man – Sweet Danny Wilson Comp

8. Monkey’s Shiny Day – Original Demo Version

9. Steam Trains To The Milky Way – Original Demo

10. Broken China – Original Demo

11. A Fragile World – Portastudio

12. Jude – Portastudio

13. The Second Summer Of Love – The Dundee Demo

 

CD 5: Live @ London Town & Country Club, 1 October 1990

 

1. Never Gonna Be The Same

2. Broken China

3. Davy

4. I Was Wrong

5. Lorraine Parade

6. Steamtrains To The Milky Way

7. Charlie Boy

8. Knowing Me Knowing You

9. Imaginary Girl – Everything You Said

10. Aberdeen

11. I Can’t Wait

12. Mary’s Prayer

13. Loneliness

 

Bonus Tracks

 

14. The Second Summer Of Love – Caird Hall, Dundee, 16 September 1989

15. Don’t Know Who I Am – Live, Studio 5, Tyne Tees Television

New Music: Spirit

           

Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke are releasing Tall Tales, their debut album as a duo,. And as a reminder, they've released a video for its centerpiece and highlight single, the uplifting, "The Spirit." Directed by Jonathan Zawada—the artist billed as the duo's informal third member, having made eerie shorts for all the prior singles—the new video depicts a limber skeleton delivering sparkling souls across a digital sea.

New Music: Inland Ocean

           

Berninger is sharing his new album's opening track "Inland Ocean" Berninger co-wrote his new song with the Walkmen's Walter Martin, and it's got backup vocals from Julia Laws, otherwise known as Ronboy. The song rests on an echoing, staccato guitar riff and some saxophone that's been absolutely drenched in echo, althought musically it's not so different from what Berninger does with the National. The lyric video has been directed by Dale Doyle for Holotype and the X-Ray photography by Nick Veasey.

Rocktrospectiva: The Darker "High Violet" Turns 15

Released on 10 May 2010 in Europe and 11 May in North America, "High Violet" was the fifth studio album by the National, produced by themselves and featuring the singles "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Anyone's Ghost", "Conversation 16", & "Terrible Love". 

 

An truly interesting album, a dark affair for a banda with curious reputation for bastardly drama, even though the band never sounded triumphant but they can still be reassuring, with Berninger's lyrics acting as salves for our own neuroses. The National were afforded the opportunity to obsess over High Violet. They could've holed up and recorded an idiosyncratic, expectation-defying mess. Instead they produced an ornate, fussed-over record that sounds like no one other than themselves. Given the amount of flack they take for being a no-frills bore, simply refining their sound was arguably the braver option. 

 

Starting eith the the string-drenched closer, "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks", is too decadent for its own good but mostly, they construct gorgeous, structurally sound vignettes. There are few bands that could craft a song like "Sorrow" in which emotion acts as a character and the band turns Berninger's balladry into a well paced jog without stumbling over their own ambitions. The guitars on "Afraid of Everyone" actually sound nervous; while "England" speaks of cathedrals over properly magisterial drums. These are triumphs of form.

Berninger is still, for the most part, a socially obsessed claustrophobe. He has upper-class guilt on "Lemonworld", no "Bloodbuzz Ohio"'s magnificent chorus. It seems that he's best when he tones down the angst in favor of reflection or confusion. High Violet seems less likely to engender the personal connections of Boxer, but it's also bigger and more engaging a possibly offputting combination for a band following the footsteps of Echo and the Bunnymen, Wilco, and Arcade Fire.

High Violet  was the sound of a band taking a mandate to be a meaningful rock band seriously, and they play the part so fully that, to some, it may be off-putting. But these aren't mawkish, empty gestures; they're anxious, personal songs projected onto wide screens. Even if you don't consider yourself an upwardly mobile stiff with minor social anxiety, the National make it sound grand, confusing, and relatable.

The album received widespread critical acclaim. hailing the album as the National's "finest disc to date" and ", "the sound of a band taking a mandate to be a meaningful rock band seriously." definitely the album was carefully considered without being labored and richly detailed without being fussy"

 

High Violet Track List:  

 

1. Terrible Love 

2. Sorrow

3. Anyone's Ghost 

4. Little Faith

5. Afraid Of Everyone

6. Bloodbuzz Ohio

7. Lemonworld 

8. Runaway

9. Conversation 16

10. England 

11. Vanderlyle Crybably Geeks 

The Reissue: The Bluebells' "Sisters" Album To Be Reissue

The Scottish indie-pop band The Bluebells‘ 1984 album Sisters gets the full reissue treatment in June with expanded and remastered CD and vinyl editions available.

Signed to London Records, the band – according to Will Hodgkinson, who pens sleeve notes for this re-release – “were the very essence of indie – they helped define its jangling, guitar-led sound – while maintaining an accessibility that went to the heart of their working-class roots“.

The album reached a modest No 22 at the time despite delivering four UK top 40 singles, including the beloved "Young at Heart", which peaked at No. 8(it would reach No 1 in 1993 when re-released due to its inclusion in a VW Golf advert). Despite the success, it would be the group’s only album and they disbanded a few years later.

Formats for the new reissue are a 3CD+DVD box set which offers B-sides, non-album tracks, live and extended versions, previously unreleased BBC sessions and early takes, music videos and TV performances. A 2LP vinyl edition offers the album on the first LP and highlights from the CD bonus tracks on the second.

Sisters is reissued on 27 June 2025, via London Records. The Bluebells will perform on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury Festival a day after the release date, and will tour around the UK throughout the summer and autumn.

Sisters Track List:  

CD 1: The Album, Plus Bonus Tracks

 

1. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (Alternative Version)

2. Young At Heart

3. I’m Falling

4. Will She Always Be Waiting

5. Some Sweet Day

6. Cath (Longer Version)

7. H.O.L.L.A.N.D.

8. Red Guitars

9. Syracuse University

10. Learn To Love

11. The Patriot Game

12. South Atlantic Way (Full)

13. Aim In Life

14. Forevermore (7” Version)

15. Sugar Bridge (7” Version)

16. All I Am (Is Loving You) (12” Version)

17. The Ballad Of Joe Hill

18. Forever Yours, Forever Mine (Dub Version)

19. Cath (US Remix)

 

CD 2: B-Sides And Single Mixes

 

1Forevermore

2. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (Original Album Version)

3. Cath (12” Version)

4. All I Ever Said

5. Fall From Grace

6. Sugar Bridge (Extended Version)

7. Happy Birthday (Turn Gold)

8. I'm Falling (US Edit)

9. Young At Heart (Extended Version)

10. Tender Mercy

11. Wishful Thinking (Will She Always Be Waiting)

12. Smalltown Martyr

13. All I Am (Is Loving You) (7” Version)

14. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (Original April ‘82 Version)

15. Happy Birthday (Turn Gold) (Alternate Version)

16. All I Am (Is Loving You) (Robert’s Edit)

17. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (No Strings Version)

18. Young At Heart (Club Remix)

 

CD 3:

 

1. Goodbye And Good Luck (Kid Jensen Session, 1981)

2. Happy Birthday (Kid Jensen Session, 1981)

3. Oh Dear (Kid Jensen Session, 1981)

4. You're Gonna Miss Me (Kid Jensen Session, 1981)

5. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (Kid Jensen Session, 1982)

6. Some Sweet Day (Kid Jensen Session, 1982)

7. Sugar Bridge (Kid Jensen Session, 1982)

8. Wishful Thinking (Kid Jensen Session, 1982)

9. Learn To Love (Kid Jensen Session, 1983)

10. Red Guitars (Kid Jensen Session, 1983)

11. Smalltown Martyr To Love (Kid Jensen Session, 1983)

12. Young At Heart (Kid Jensen Session, 1983)

13. Sugar Bridge (Early Version, 1982)

14. East Green (Early Version, 1981)

15. Lifeboat (Live At Camden Palace, 1985)

16. Honest John (Live At Camden Palace, 1985)

17. Forevermore (Early Version, 1981)

18. Cath (Live At Camden Palace, 1985)

19. I'm Falling (Live At Camden Palace, 1985)

20. All I Am (Is Loving You) (Live At Camden Palace, 1985)

21. Sugar Bridge (Live At Camden Palace, 1985)

22. Young At Heart (Live At Camden Palace, 1985)

 

DVD: Promotional Videos And BBC TV Appearances

 

Music Videos

 

1. Cath

2. I'm Falling

3. Young At Heart

4. Cath (Remix)

5. All I Am (Is Loving You)

 

The Old Grey Whistle Test

 

1. Forevermore

2. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool

3. Red Guitars

 

Top Of The Pops

 

1. I'm Falling

2. Young At Heart

Rocktrospectiva: The Underrated "Theodore And Friends" Turns 40

Released on May 1985 "Theodore And Friends" was the debut album from the Northern Irish rock band the Adventures, released in 1985. The album spawned four singles "Another Silent Day", "Feel The Raindrops", "Two Rivers" and the brilliant "Send My Heart". 

The Adventures were a rock band formed in Belfast in the 1980s who moved to London where they had hits in the UK Singles Chart during the 1980s.  Released back in 1985, "Theodore and Friends"was an album that proved The Adventures were one of the most underrated bands around at that time.  

 

The first single from the album "Another Silent Day" peaked at No. 71, "Feel The Raindrops" peaked at No. 58,  "Two Rivers" peaked at No. 96,  but the superb "Send My Heart" - a top quality 80's single which made it into the UK top 40 and became a hit in Italy and Germany, this helped the single to be featured on the soundtrack to the horror movie Demoni the same year. The album reached #65 in Germany, but did not chart in the UK. In the US, the album was released under the title The Adventures with a modified track listing and different cover artwork. 

During promotion for the follow-up album, member Pat Gribben stated that he wasn't fully happy with Theodore and Friends stating that "You could hear the production problems". In 1990 he commented favourably on the track "When the World Turns Upside Down" saying that unlike the other tracks it remained fresh whereas the rest of the album relied too heavily on current production and musical trends. 

 

The single "Feel The Raindrops" that was a massive radio and chart hit also in certain areas, this was a sparkling 80s guitar pop of the highest order, one of the best songs on here, which are many, will make you come back to it and leave a strong first impression, definitely the strenght on this record was the sound of the guitars whos had a nice shimmer, not over done, but enough to let the songs breathe. the album after this is good, but this album is stellar. another silent day is an awesome song and can be seen and heard on youtube. 

 

There were many great tracks on this record but unfortunately they were just another band with so much potential, but a combination of poor marketing and underexposure doomed them to relative obscurity outside, even thought "Theodore and Friends" is striking and of course "Send My Heart" was a masterpiece, the album didn't had the recognition it deserved. 

Theodore And Friends Track List: 

1. Always

2. Feel The Raindrops

3. Send My Heart

4. Two Rivers

5. Don't Tell Me

6. Another Silent Day

7. When The World Turns Upside Down

8. Love In Chains

9. Lost In Hollywood

10. These Children 

Rocktrospectiva: The Smart And Accesible "Wilson Phillips" Turns 35

Released on 8 May 1990 "Wilson Phillips" was the debut studio album by the US Band "Wilson Phillips" the album was full of smart, accessible songs, and peaked at No. 2 on Billboard 200, selling over 5 million copies in the USA and 8 millions worldwide. Five singles were released from the album, with "Hold On", "Release Me" and "You're in Love" all reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Impulsive" reached number four, and the fifth single, "The Dream Is Still Alive", peaked at number 12. The album and its singles earned the group five Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. 

Wilson Phillips seemed to have arrived out of nowhere, though it was actually the result of several years' hard work by three young, Los Angeles-based vocalists and songwriters with a distinguished Californian heritage. Chynna Phillips was the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips, formerly of The Mamas And The Papas, while the Beach Boys’ legendary Brian Wilson was the father of Carnie and Wendy Wilson.The trio's collective pedigree meant that Wilson Phillips' music inevitably attracted scrutiny. 

However, Chynna, Carnie and Wendy were determined to stand or fall on their own merits. Crucially, the trio's collective decision not to rush-release music also worked in their favor. They wrote the songs for Wilson Phillips over a three-year period, with Chynna Phillips telling the Los Angeles Times the group took that time to evolve – the more we practiced, the more we sang together, the easier it became, and we began to have our own sound.

Overseen by producer Glen Ballard and featuring an all-star musical cast including the Eagles’ Joe Walsh, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, and Little Feat keyboardist Bill Payne, Wilson Phillips was a highly consistent collection – and a timely reminder that well-crafted pop songs illuminated by sparkling harmonies and catchy melodies will never really go out of style. With almost every song sounding like a potential hit. The lyrics based in part on Chynna Phillips' own personal struggles with drugs and an abusive relationship, struck a chord with listeners worldwide, something which didn't entirely surprise Wilson Phillips. “It’s funny, because I knew when the song was being written that it was inspired by something greater than myself,” Phillips told the Los Angeles Times. “I knew that it was going to touch a lot of people, and it did. And that’s a wonderful feeling.”In the wake of “Hold On,” the Wilson Phillips album also touched music fans worldwide, yielding multi-platinum sales and a series of Grammy nominations as the record decamped inside the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 for a whole year.

The critics were mixed but highlighted the record as a pleased album that taken 'em away from their "Mamas And Papas" influence,  an engaging high-gloss album of pop-rock songs that deal mostly with the complications of young love, but the slick production and the fact the gals harmonize nicely can't mask a shallowness so profound.

 

Wilson Phillips Track List:  

1. Hold On

2. Release Me

3. Impulsive

4. Next To You (Someday I'll Be)

5. You're In Love

6. Over And Over

7. A Reason To Believe

8. Ohh You're Gold

9. Eyes Like Twins

10. The Dream Is Still Alive