Supergrass – Gaz Coombes, Mick Quinn, Danny Goffey, and Rob Coombes – are one of the most important bands to emerge during the 1990s, with several million record sales, including 6 top 10 albums and 10 top 20 singles. Formed in Oxford UK in 1993, the Brit, Q, NME and Ivor Novello-winning outfit released their Mercury-nominated No.1 debut album I Should Coco in 1995. Fourth single, ‘Alright’, was a pop masterpiece and became a massive hit, catapulting the band to global success.

‘The Strange Ones: 1994-2008’ is their comprehensive best-of originally released in January 2020 and featuring all of their biggest hits packaged in a gatefold sleeve on 2LP with printed inner sleeves on 140g black vinyl. The artwork was designed by long-time collaborator of the band, Nick Bax, and art directed by the band themselves. 

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Diamond Hoo Ha Man
2. Bad Blood
3. Outside
4. Rebel In You
5. Tales Of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6)
6. St. Petersburg
Side B
7. Fin
8. Kiss Of Life
9. Brecon Beacons
10. Rush Hour Soul
11. Seen The Light
12. Grace
13. Moving
Side C
14. Mary
15. Beautiful People
16. Pumping On Your Stereo
17. In It For The Money
18. Richard III
19. Late In The Day
Side D
20. Sun Hits The Sky
21. She's So Loose
22. Mansize Rooster
23. Strange Ones
24. Lenny
25. Alright
26. Caught By The Fuzz

"Róisín Machine" is the culmination of a rich, decades long partnership between Murphy and one of her most trusted collaborators Crooked Man aka DJ Parrot. Although packed to the rafters with masterclass singles, including “Simulation”, “Jealousy”, “Incapable”, Narcissus” and “Murphy’s Law”, it is also an ingeniously and seamlessly edited listening experience, designed to be listened to in one uninterrupted sitting, from start to dazzling finish.

From the intoxicating disco-funk of “Incapable”, to the quintessential “Narcissus” which crystallised New-Disco and established a high watermark for the genre, to “Murphy’s Law”, a 70s inflected stomper, “Roisin Machine” offers up everything you could ask for on an exquisite plate. Added to the familiar tunes are five new songs, including the Dalek-funk of ‘We Got Together’ and the fantastical “Shellfish Mademoiselle”. An album that works perfectly on the home sound system but also comes alive in a basement sweatbox, it impeccably sits alongside Murphy’s stellar cannon of work released across 25 boundary pushing, trailblazing years, a career encompassing iconic music, directorial, art and fashion moments.

STAFF COMMENTS

Mine says: Róisín Murphy has always had that certain indefinable something; a self-assured demeanour that although grandiose never seems pretentious. Perky and eccentric, but always charming - someone you can look up to in an artistic way but equally just want to take out for a pint and a bit of banter. Add to her showmanship, incredible voice and pop sensibility the musical genius of long-time collaborator Richard Barratt aka Crooked Man / DJ Parrot and you end up with an irresistible mix of shimmering disco strut, pulsating synths and thumping club beats.

‘Róisín Machine’ seems like the culmination of and logical conclusion to Murphy's 25-year career - from her time as one half of Moloko through to collaborations with the likes of Boris Dlugosch, Maurice Fulton and Crooked Man - but at the same time feels new and exciting and oozes with confidence, as if Murphy is only just getting started. “I feel my story is still untold, but I'll make my own happy ending...” are the revealing opening words of the album which has been a decade in the making.

Even though every song on the record is a standalone winner that would feel at home on most dancefloors, the album also works extremely well as a whole, with one track seamlessly blending into the next. It therefore equally lends itself to an afternoon on the sofa - headphones on, choice of drink in hand and dreaming of a time when we can finally hear it blasting through the speakers of our favourite clubs. Luckily, there is a wealth of lockdown video content by Murphy herself that will keep us entertained until then!

TRACK LISTING

Simulation
Kingdom Of Ends
Something More
Shellfish Mademoiselle
Incapable
We Got Together
Murphy’s Law
Game Changer
Narcissus
Jelaousy

Run The Jewels, the lauded duo of El-P and Killer Mike, have shared the long-awaited details of their feverishly anticipated new album, Run The Jewels 4.

This eleven song, 40 minute powerhouse is their most ferocious and focused effort to date, and sports a lineup of all-star guests including Pharrell Williams, Mavis Staples, 2 Chainz, Zack de la Rocha, Josh Homme, DJ Premier, and Greg Nice. Recorded primarily at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La Studios and the iconic Electric Lady Studios in NYC, RTJ4 represents two years of intensive writing, recording, distilling, and amplifying the most potent elements of their music.

The result is a collection of wall-to-wall bangers illuminating the group's unique ability to straddle the worlds of pointed social commentary and raw, boisterous fun.

TRACK LISTING

1. Yankee And The Brave (ep.4)
2. Ooo La La (feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier)
3. Out Of Site (feat. 2 Chainz)
4. Holy Calamafuck
5. Goonies Vs. E.T.
6. Walking In The Snow
7. JU$T (feat. Pharrell Williams & Zack De La Rocha)
8. Never Look Back
9. The Ground Below
10. Pulling The Pin (feat. Mavis Staples & Josh Homme)
11. A Few Words For The Firing Squad (radiation)

Having successfully outlasted their self-described ‘guaranteed real teenagers’ tagline when they first burst into earshot in 1994, ASH announce the release of Teenage Wildlife: 25 Years Of Ash.

- Career Spanning Best Of
- Includes brand new track Darkest Hour Of The Night
- Includes hits Girl From Mars, Shining Light and Burn Baby Burn

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Sometimes it's just the first chord of a tune you need to hear to have all the endorphins come flooding back and for me, Ash's 'Girl On Mars' is about as close as you can get to a time capsule. Add that to 'Oh Yeah' and 'Goldfinger', and you have an absolutely essential collection for fans and a great best of for those uninitiated.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. A Life Less Ordinary (#10 UK Charts)
2. Arcadia
3. Darkest Hour Of The Night
4. Kung Fu
5. Cocoon
6. You Can't Have It All

Side B
1. Girl From Mars (#11 UK Charts)
2. Wildsurf
3. Shining Light (#8 UK Charts)
4. Starcrossed
5. Goldfinger (#5 UK Charts)

Side C
1. Burn Baby Burn
2. Dare To Dream
3. Annabel
4. Machinery
5. Sometimes

Side D
1. Oh Yeah (#6 UK Charts)
2. Angel Interceptor
3. Jesus Says
4. Orpheus
5. Jack Names The Planets

Some world tours feel like a victory lap. On August 25, 2017, The Sherlocks stepped onto the NME/Radio 1 Stage at the Leeds leg of the Reading & Leeds festival and announced to a rammed tent that their debut album ‘Live For The Moment’ had, that very day, entered the UK albums chart at Number Six.

By the tail end of 2018, The Sherlocks begged to be allowed back into the studio. In stark contrast to the sessions for their debut album, recorded in late-night sessions at the cut-off, rural Rockfields in Wales, this time they opted to record at Liverpool’s Parr Street Studios with The Coral’s James Skelly at the desk for the four weeks running up to Christmas, knocking off at six o’clock Monday to Friday to head into town for snooker, beer and a debrief on the day’s work. The result was a tighter, brighter, ultra-modern alt-rock record, benefiting from Skelly’s knack for focusing a killer chorus, less indebted to indie rockers of old and smattered with stylistic swerves into new wave, ‘80s textures and all-out feedback freakouts. It’s as Killers, Cars, High Flying Birds and Two Door Cinema Club as it is Catfish. A real 21st Century guitar rock record.

“The first album was us four in a room,” Kiaran says. “We wanted to make it really raw like the Arctic Monkeys’ first album or Kings Of Leon’s. We wanted to capture the live sound and polish it up a bit. It was a straight-up rock’n’roll record, there weren’t many tricks going off. With this one we’ve taken it a step further and made it slightly smoother and put more keyboards in. Rather than having the guitars thrashing all the time we’ve tried being a bit sweeter with it. It sounds more contemporary, I can hear it on Radio 1.”

And you will too. Meanwhile, Kiaran claims to already have half of album three in the bag, which is already hinting at The Sherlock’s next step towards total rock domination. “It’s quite upbeat.,” Kiaran says. “A lot of bands get to their third album and take a weird turn, thinking outside of the box. I think I know what a good melody is and we’ll try different things on each record and push ourselves a lot more but I’d never stick some weird production on to try to mask a bad song. We like big anthemic sing-alongs like The Killers would write, so that’s the direction we’re heading in, aiming for stadiums.”

Considering how accurate The Sherlocks’ aim has been so far, an elementary deduction. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A wilfully anthemic, major-key combination of soaring pop-punk and classic northern indie, this Yorshire quartet have taken the UK by storm, and this debut album shows why. Brilliantly played, and undoubtedly upbeat anthems all round.

TRACK LISTING

I Want It All
NYC (Sing It Loud)
Waiting
Magic Man
Dreams
Time To Go
Give It All Up
One Day
Now & Then
Step Inside
Under Your Sky

DMA’S are set to release the ‘MTV Unplugged Live’ album. It was recorded at Melbourne’s intimate Memo Music Hall last October, with DMA’s becoming one of the first Australian bands to play the iconic MTV Unplugged session. It’s a format steeped in history following classic sets from Nirvana, Oasis, R.E.M. and many more.

Renowned for their ragged, anthemic energy often inspired by the Britpop and Manchester scenes, ‘MTV Unplugged Live’ finds DMA’S stripping their songbook back to basics. Focusing on acoustic guitar, piano, violin and cello, these new arrangements unveil fresh new perspectives on the songs. Some now carry a folk vibe, while others hone in on the poignancy of the band’s lyrics.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It's when performed acoustically that the tactile songwriting and tender balladry of DMA's songwriting really comes into its own, and shows the stylistic similarities and melodic leanings of this Australian trio to our most beloved 90's britpop staples.

It’s been a while since the last Richard Hawley album - 4 years in fact. During that time he made a decision to break the recording / touring cycle he’d been working since he was 14 and went off to write music for films and also an acclaimed musical, "Standing At The Sky's Edge", based around a housing estate in his home town. But now he’s back, with a new album, and although there’s plenty of the swoonsome, croonsome Hawley we know and love, he’s not been afraid to push the boundaries a little.

If you’re a 6music listener, then you can’t fail to have heard the opening track, the bluesy rock’n’roll stomp of “Of My Mind” - maybe a bit of a shock to the system for long-time Hawley fans, but fear not! It’s followed my the Smithsian “Alone” and then the gorgeous “My Little Treasures” - a beautiful, heartfelt song written about drinking with two of his late father’s oldest friends. The sweeping strings and pedal steel of the title track and slow strummed ballad  “Emilina Says” wind things down beautifully.

I don’t know if the album was put together with the thought of an A-side and B-side in mind, but that’s how it comes across, with both sides opening with a big ballsy blast that slowly eases as the needle creeps inwards. The B-side opens with “Is There A Pill?”, with it’s pounding drums and big string surges that bring to mind “A Design For Life” era Manics. It’s followed by the chugging “Galley Girl” and then gently drifts into the languid “Not Lonely”. “Time Is” could be a Neil Diamond cover (he wrote some gems you know!) and is followed by my favourite track on the album “Midnight Train” - classic Hawley! And finally, the album is rounded off with the short but sweet, gentle strum of “Doors”.

“Further” is possibly the most diverse album Richard Hawley has recorded, but it flows beautifully - partly down to the wonderfully intertwined guitar playing of Hawley and long-time cohort Shez Sheridan, but also because Hawley is such a great song writer. If like me, you are unsure on first listen, stick with it - it’s worth it!

TRACK LISTING

1. Off My Mind
2. Alone
3. My Little Treasures
4. Further
5. Emilina Says
6. Is There A Pill?
7. Galley Girl
8. Not Lonely
9. Time Is
10. Midnight Train
11. Doors

“I can’t think of a more fitting way to commemorate the first anniversary of Dolores’ passing and to celebrate her life than to announce to the world the release of her final album with the band.” Eileen O’Riordan, Dolores O’Riordan’s mother.

30 years after forming in Limerick (initially as The Cranberry Saw Us) The Cranberries release their 8th and final album ‘In The End’. With Stephen Street once again taking producer duties, the eleven-track record brings a remarkable career to a fitting and powerful closure. 

The Cranberries - Dolores O’Riordan, Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler - emerged from the pre-Brit-pop scene of the early '90s, with their trademark indie guitar sound and Dolores’ distinctive Celtic-tinged lilting vocal style – described by Melody Maker as “the voice of a saint trapped in a glass harp”. Their rise to global fame was nothing short of meteoric; best known for their now classic songs ‘Linger’, ‘Zombie’ and ‘Dreams’, the band have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.

While it is tinged with sadness following Dolores’ unexpected death on January 15th 2018, ‘In The End’ is not a valediction, it is a celebration, one that stands as a powerful testimony to the life and creative work of Dolores and her brothers in music Noel, Mike and Fergal.

The genesis of ‘In The End’ began in May 2017 while the band were on tour. By winter of 2017 Noel and Dolores had written and demoed the eleven songs which would eventually appear on the album. “Dolores was so energized by the prospect of making this record and to getting back out on the road to play the songs live” recalls Noel.

In coming to terms with her tragic passing Noel, Mike and Fergal listened to the songs and, with the support of Dolores’ family, wanted to honour their close friend, and collaborator by completing the record.

Speaking about the band’s concerns at the time Noel said “we knew this had to be one of the, if not the, best Cranberries album that we could possibly do. The worry was that we would destroy the legacy of the band by making an album that wasn’t up to standard. Once we had gone through all the demos that Dolores and I had worked on and decided that we had such a strong album we knew it would be the right thing and the best way that we could honour Dolores.”

With the songs at various stages of completion they turned to Stephen Street – who had produced four of their previous albums including ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ and ‘No Need To Argue’ - and spent 4 weeks in a London studio building the sounds around her vocals from the original demos. “It was a bitter sweet time. The joy of recording new tracks is always exciting and one of the best parts of being in a band. At the end of every day when we’d laid down our parts there was a sense of sadness, knowing that Dolores wouldn’t be in that evening to work on that day’s track” remembers Noel.

The album is a strong goodbye from the band to their fans, a fitting tribute to their bandmate and friend and, most importantly, a collection of powerful songs that can take their rightful place with The Cranberries’ previous six records.

TRACK LISTING

"All Over Now" – 4:16
"Lost" – 4:00
"Wake Me When It's Over" – 4:12
"A Place I Know" – 4:26
"Catch Me If You Can" – 4:38
"Got It" – 4:02
"Illusion" – 4:07
"Crazy Heart" – 3:25
"Summer Song" – 3:34
"The Pressure" – 3:22
"In The End" – 2:57

‘Vol 4’ is the fourth studio album by Black Sabbath. It was the first album by Black Sabbath not produced by Rodger Bain. Guitarist Tony Iommi assumed production duties.

In June 2013 Mojo declared “If booze and dope had helped fuel Sabbath’s earlier albums, ‘Vol 4’ is their cocaine.”

The artwork reflects the original release, from the cover to the printed inner sleeve.

‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ is Black Sabbath’s fifth studio album. It was produced by the band and Tom Allom and recorded at Morgan Studios in London in September 1973.

For the first time in their career the band began to receive favourable reviews in the mainstream press, with Rolling Stone calling the album “an extraordinarily gripping affair,” and “nothing less than a complete success.”

The artwork reflects the original release, from the cover to the printed inner sleeve.

TRACK LISTING

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
A National Acrobat
Fluff
Sabbra Cadabra
Killing Yourself To Live
Who Are You?
Looking For Today
Spiral Architect

‘Black Sabbath’ is the eponymous debut studio album by Black Sabbath. Released in 1970, the album reached number 8 in the UK Albums Chart and number 23 in the Billboard Charts.

Based around the band’s live set, it was recorded in a 12 hour session in October 1969 and is regarded by many as one of the most significant albums in the development of heavy metal.

In 1989 Kerrang ranked Black Sabbath as number 31 in their 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time.

TRACK LISTING

Black Sabbath
The Wizard
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
N.I.B.
Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me
Sleeping Village
Warning

‘Paranoid’ is the second studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. Released in September 1970, it was the band’s first LP to top the UK Albums Chart.

It is often regarded as one of the most quintessential and influential albums in heavy metal history.

Contains the title track, which was their only Top 5 single.

‘Master Of Reality’ is the third studio album by Black Sabbath.

Released in July 1971, it is widely regarded as their most sonically influential work - the foundation of doom, stoner and sludge metal.

The last Black Sabbath album to be produced by Rodger Bain.

TRACK LISTING

Sweet Leaf
After Forever
Embryo
Children Of The Grave
Orchid
Lord Of This World
Solitude
Into The Void

The new album for the US artist Young Man aka Colin Caulfield with guitarist Emmett Conway, bassist Joe Bailey, drummer Dylan Andrews and synth player Jeff Graupner - produced by John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea And Cake a.o.)

Before he was even finished with the debut Young Man EP Boy, singersongwriter Colin Caulfield already knew what he wanted to do with this one, the 9-track album Vol. 1. First conceived in Caulfield’s college dorm room in 2009, Young Man is a concept project about youth -- about how that fleeting phase when you're emerging into adulthood can feel like reliving two decades of highs and lows in just a couple years. "I wanted all the things to come out in succession," Caulfield says, "because the series documents what happened to me when I was writing them. The whole project more or less portrays the trajectory of a young musician, first starting out, making mistakes, then growing up.

He's growing in leaps and bounds, turning out a more muscular, focused sound on 'Vol.1,' where songs such as "21" and "Fate" bend the dreamy atmospherics Caulfield has been exploring since his first EP into lean, pliable melodies. Vol. 1 is the first Young Man effort to feature a full band. He is supported here by guitarist Emmett Conway, bassist Joe Bailey, drummer Dylan Andrews and synth player Jeff Graupner, most of whom have been playing live with Caulfield for the past couple years on tours with Cold War Kids, Givers, Grouplove and Fanfarlo, among others. "I always envisioned this as a full band project," Caulfield says. "Experimenting with a group of musicians in a way that you can't when you’re alone is much more appealing for me, but I had to teach myself how to record the songs on my own first."

Vol 1 is also Caulfield's first project to be recorded in a studio -- Chicago's Soma Studios, where Young Man spent several weeks last year with producer John McEntire, known for his influential work with Nineties indie rock heavyweights Tortoise and The Sea And Cake, as well as production/engineering credits for Broken Social Scene and Stereolab. "I had a very good idea of what each song should sound like in my head before we went to the studio," Caulfield says. "They came out sounding different than I thought they were going to, but a lot of the album is about being happy with that. We almost called the album Damon & Division, which are the cross streets where Soma is, because the studio itself was such an important instrument on this record."

Beyond any one instrument, Caulfield says the biggest influence on Vol. 1 was his longtime attraction to progressive rock. "It’s such geeky music," he says. "But the musicianship is something I really get behind. Sometimes I find myself using the same chords and rhythmic concepts, but those influences always push me to do something new as much as I'm able - making music technical in clever ways without letting it get too selfindulgent."

Yet Caulfield also notes that the real writing of this record coincided with his beginning to develop a real taste for pop music again, for the first time since his early teens. "I got more interested in songwriting, and I learned to embrace pop music like Kelly Rowland and Nick Drake. I resented that music for so long, for some reason. I don’t think it’s negative anymore to write a good hook and have it repeat. For the longest time I wanted to make music that had parts that moved in and out, that didn’t follow standard pop conventions. I guess I finally realized it’s cool to do both." Prog pop? Yes. Finally.

TRACK LISTING

1. Heading
2. Thoughts
3. By And By
4. Do
5. Fate
6. Wasted
7. 21
8. Wandering
9. Directions