Back catalogue:

Review: A brand-new five-track EP from the current darlings of the indie scene. The Leeds four-piece have had an impressive few months, having dropped their debut album 'This Could Be Texas' in April and performing across major festivals in Europe, as well as being nominated for the 2024 Mercury Prize. The new project, recorded during their sessions with BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music, includes live versions of tracks from the album, plus covers of LCD Soundsystem's 'New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down' and Billie Eilish's 'Birds Of A Feather'.

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: Echo & The Bunnymen's What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, their eighth studio album, reflects a more introspective and matured sound from the post-punk icons. Released in 1999, this album marked a departure from their earlier work's grandiose, bass-driven rock, offering a gentler, acoustic-driven atmosphere. Tracks like the title song and 'Rust' highlight Ian McCulloch's soulful vocals, with lush string arrangements and a restrained yet heartfelt delivery. The addition of horn accents on 'Get in the Car' and 'When It Blows Over' brings unexpected warmth, while 'History Chimes' closes the album on a melancholic piano note. The album showcases a thoughtful evolution of their signature sound, offering a reflective soundtrack for both longtime fans and new listeners. This album demonstrates a band comfortable in its musical maturity, resonating with the contemplative themes of aging and legacy.

Review: Another BBC Sessions edition compiles nearly two decades of live-in-studio performances from Echo & The Bunnymen, tracing the Liverpool legends' rise from wiry post-punk outsiders to accomplished songwriters. John Peel and Janice Long oversaw the sessions with eagle's eyes, as production polish from classics such as 'The Killing Moon', 'Rescue' and 'Lips Like Sugar' reveal the band's skeletal brilliance and moody immediacy. Something of a guide to the band's career arc as a whole, we hear the way paved for a more expansive, melancholic texture in the later years, despite an ever morphotic, modulable lineup. The Cult Legends reissue set offers longtime fans and newer listeners a chance to hear the Bunnymen with studio intimacy and live spontaneity; less theatrical than their stage shows, but just as haunting.

Review: 25 years have now passed since Liverpool indie mainstays Echo & The Bunnymen released their eighth studio album, a set recorded with the assistance of an impressive array of session musicians (including Fun Lovin' Criminals and members of the London Metropolitan Orchestra) following the departure of bassist Les Pattison. The band has decided to mark the occasion by serving up an expanded, two-disc edition, with the first disc extended via rare and previously unheard alternate mixes and the second boasting contemporaneous live recordings captured at London's Improv Theatre and, more surprisingly, super-club Cream in Liverpool. These extras are uniformly excellent, joining a decidedly melancholic and soulful set that was reviewed positively at the time, but for various reasons did not hit the commercial heights of some of the band's earlier albums.

Review: Originally released in 1984 and celebrating its 40th anniversary, For Ever Grounded was the debut LP from Chicago punk icons The Effigies, who according to the late, legendary Steve Albini were "a moving force during a crucial and exhilarating time, absolutely essential to the development of a healthy punk scene in Chicago." At a time where much of the American Midwest had refused to embrace change and still focused on hard rock and disco as the only music of popular note or merit, areas such as California, New York and Washington were brimming with DIY punk movements that inspired the band to lay an imprint on their own home turf. After two chaotic hardcore-leaning EPs, their first full-length saw their initial toe-dip into the more expansive realms of post-punk while the record would be their only LP to feature original founding guitarist Earl "Oil" Letiecq.

Review: Edvard Graham Lewis, the maverick musician and artist best known as bassist/singer with post-punk titans Wire, returns with an album that defies expectations and reveals new depths to his artistry. Lewis's distinctive baritone, both portentous and immediate, is the perfect foil for his enigmatic lyrics, carefully sculpted and pared back to their essence. The album is a captivating blend of experimental pop, where visceral rhythms collide with warm electronics and multiple melodic layers. Lewis's lyrics, delivered with a sardonic wit, are studded with unexpected hooks and barbs, revealing a songwriter who is both a master of language and a keen observer of human nature. The album's co-producer, Max Lorentz, brings a wealth of experience, having worked with acclaimed composer Magnus Lindberg and ABBA's Agnetha Faltskog. Lorentz's influence is evident in the album's rich sound, which blends electronic and acoustic elements, creating a sound that is both experimental and accessible. Lewis's solo work continues to push boundaries and challenge conventions, confirming his status as a true innovator in the world of music. A fine example of his enduring creativity and his commitment to exploring new sonic territories.

Review: The debut studio album by American rock band Electric Six came as a demented party record, building on the high production value, yet still enjoyable musical approach of mainstream pop and industrial rock in the late '90s and early noughties. The Detroit band had been going since 1996 but only struck the starry heights of fame in 2001, when 'Danger! High Voltage' established their bluesy, raunchily delicious dance-funk sound. The star cut on the record, and ensuing hilarities such as 'Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother)', 'I'm The Bomb' and 'Gay Bar', proved just the right dosage of tension and irreverence.

Review: Elmiene's latest offering presents a smooth, immersive listen, blending soulful electronics with subtle, emotive melodies. Opening with the tender 'TLC,' the release quickly establishes its intimate mood, which is carried through tracks like the lush 'Light Work.' 'Crystal Tears' shifts to a more ambient space, while 'Ode To Win' builds a contemplative, understated momentum. The release really comes alive on the second side with 'Sweetness' and 'Until It's Dust,' where the production deepens into something atmospheric and hypnotic. 'Dark Out (Season of Thieves)' adds a touch of brooding intensity, and 'Anyways' closes on a contemplative note.

Review: Lora Logic, co-founder of UK punk band X-Ray Spex, was unexpectedly ousted before the recording of their 1977 debut Germ Free Adolescents. Undeterred, she formed the post-punk band Essential Logic which became known for its angular sax lines and distinctive vocals. Their 1979 debut album Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?) reached number 11 on the UK Indie chart. In 1995, she rejoined X-Ray Spex for Conscious Consumer and in 2022, Essential Logic returned with the boxset Logically Yours, followed by 2024's Rekalibrated, featuring diverse remixers. This 45th Anniversary Deluxe edition includes the original album, a bonus album of Essential Logic's 1978-1983 recordings and new sleeve notes by Lora.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Lora Logic, co-founder of UK punk band X-Ray Spex, was unexpectedly ousted before the recording of their 1977 debut Germ Free Adolescents. Undeterred, she formed the post-punk band Essential Logic which became known for its angular sax lines and distinctive vocals. Their 1979 debut album Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?) reached number 11 on the UK Indie chart. In 1995, she rejoined X-Ray Spex for Conscious Consumer and in 2022, Essential Logic returned with the boxset Logically Yours, followed by 2024's Rekalibrated, featuring diverse remixers. This 45th Anniversary Deluxe edition includes the original album, a bonus album of Essential Logic's 1978-1983 recordings and new sleeve notes by Lora.

Review: Lora Logic, co-founder of UK punk legends X-Ray Spex, was famously ousted before recording their 1977 debut, Germ Free Adolescents. Undeterred, she formed Essential Logic, a post-punk outfit celebrated for angular sax lines and distinctive vocals. Their 1979 debut, Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?), reached number 11 on the UK Indie chart and now arrives on CD to mark its anniversary. Logic reunited with X-Ray Spex for Conscious Consumer in 1995 and revived Essential Logic with 2022's Logically Yours boxset and 2024's Rekalibrated, featuring a diverse array of remixers. This Deluxe Edition includes the original album, a compilation of 1978-1983 recordings and new sleeve notes penned by Lora herself.

Review: The latest release from Everything Is Recorded delivers a striking collection that blends electronic, soul and folk influences with remarkable depth. The opening track sets a reflective tone, paired with lush instrumentation and haunting vocals. Collaborations like the one with Sampha, Laura Grove and Alabaster DePlume bring emotional weight, while tracks like 'Never Felt Better' with Florence Welch and Sampha elevate the energy. 'Porcupine Tattoo' offers a beautifully subdued moment, and other collaborations continue to weave unique soundscapes. The release is a testament to XL boss Richard Russell's ability to bring diverse voices together, crafting a deeply introspective yet dynamic listening experience.

Review: Since turning his hand to music production midway through the last decade, XL Recordings owner Richard Russell has delivered a couple of predictably hard to pigeonhole, guest-packed albums as Everything is Recorded. Russell, of course, has an admirably bulging contacts book and as deep a knowledge of British music - be it hip-hop, grime, rave, jazz, experimental electronica or otherwise - as anyone. The depth of both is naturally evident on third album Temporary, with Russell and a dizzying list of guests delivering atmospheric, sample-rich fusions of head-nodding, hip-hop leaning grooves, field recordings-heavy sample collages, woozy dream pop, sub-heavy nods to UK bass, slow-motion neo-folk, blunted trip-hop, contemporary UK jazz, hazy Americana and much more besides. That it works as a coherent and sonically adventurous album is testament to Russell's increasing skill as a producer and standalone musical artist.