Violent Femmes Celebrate 40 Years of Punk Folk
Marking four decades of folk-punk excellence with overdue vinyl reissues and extensive tour, Violent Femmes tell us how they haven’t missed a beat.
Ian Rushbury
It's all my big brother's fault. If he hadn't played me Abbey Road a thousand years ago, I'd have turned out normal. Being a bassist, writer, and music geek is huge fun though. And the hours are great. Favourite Beatle: still Paul.
How the Post-Britpop Era Influenced Saint Etienne’s New Album
Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley talks about their new LP I’ve Been Trying to Tell You, vaporwave, and how to be cool in your middle age.
Be-Bop Deluxe’s ‘Live! in the Air Age’ Gets the Expanded Treatment
Everybody loves an excellent live album, don’t they? And Be Bop Deluxe’s Live! In the Air Age is one of the best.
Level 42 Deliver a Masterclass of Aspirational 1980s Pop
Level 42 started off wanting to be Return to Forever and ended up next to Culture Club and Spandau Ballet in the top 40. How did that happen?
PJ Harvey Gives Us a Peek at Her Sketchbook With ‘White Chalk Demos’
PJ Harvey’s White Chalk Demos is open, honest, and raw. Maybe too raw. We learn that sometimes the early versions of songs only hint at what they’ll become.
Squirrel Flower Makes Self Isolation Sound Good on ‘Planet (i)’
Inspired by Portishead and head injuries, Squirrel Flower’s Ella Williams finds her voice on her second album, Planet (I).
Juliana Hatfield Swaps the Studio for a Laptop with ‘Blood’
With the recording studio out of bounds, Juliana Hatfield grabs her laptop to record album number 19, the ominous-sounding Blood.
Crowded House Prove Pop Music is Still in Good Hands With ‘Dreamers Are Waiting’
Dreamers Are Waiting sees Crowded House relaxing into their new millennium renaissance. Pop music remains safe in their hands.
50 Years Ago Todd Rundgren Wrong-Footed the World with ‘Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren’
Fifty years ago, Todd Rundgren’s 1971 LP, Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren took on the growing army of singer-songwriters who clogged the charts and won. Sadly, nobody cared.
Loud Guitars and Pop Melodies Fight for Dominance on Dinosaur Jr.’s ‘Sweep It Into Space’
On Dinosaur Jr’s Sweep It Into Space, the melodies have been dug out from underneath layers of fuzz and placed firmly at the forefront of every song.
Musicians Pay Tribute to Gang of Four on ‘The Problem of Leisure’
Post-punk pioneers Gang of Four get the tribute they deserve on The Problem of Leisure: A Celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four.
Field Music: Making Pasta Sauce As a Metaphor for Recording an Album
Field Music’s last album Making a New World concerned subjects like the Dada movement, social housing reforms, and sanitary napkins. Flat White Moon‘s subject matter is a little closer to home.