Back catalogue: Indie/Alternative

Review: IAMX is Chris Corner's solo project, which can be traced back to 2004, around the time his former band, Sneaker Pimps, went on hiatus. Spanning multiple genres, from burlesque-hued dark cabaret to electronic rock and unbridled dance music, there have now been eight studio albums, two remix records, two live albums and two experimental albums released under the moniker. Fault Lines² is among the finest in that oeuvre, and the most recent. Fresh for 2024, this collection of work paints a vivid picture of the artist - at times unsettling and slightly eerie, in other moments melancholic-yet-euphoric, it's dramatic, theatrical, innovative and strangely teetering on the brink of traditional and more explorative schools of sound. Probably not something you'll hear much like again this month.

Review: Billed as a "love album", the fifth full-length from IDLES offers an entirely fresh batch of soulful buzzsaw anthems, aiming to take a further look inward following on from the apolitical, primarily introspective musings that permeated 2021's criminally underrated Crawler. Working with renowned hip-hop producer Kenny Beats yet again, who shares co-production credits with Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis, REM) and the band's very own guitar wizard Mark Bowen, the collective have distilled the vital aspects of their sonic makeup, whilst eschewing any rethreads of topical malaise they've previously exorcised to its maximum potential. One spin of the grooving dance-punk lead single 'Dancer', complete with backing vocals from James Murphy and Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem, should be enough to illustrate the power of positivity brimming from these sessions, with frontman Joe Talbot's simple succinct summary of the record going as such - "Love is the fing".

Review: It's barely been 12 months since the release of Bristol five piece Idles' debut full length, and the band's swift follow up effort is a righteous affair, doing away with any stigma attached to difficult second albums. The heavy post-punkers take another step forward in having the world realise their full potential straight off the bat with album opener "Colossos" that epicly, post apocalypticly, rattles and hums in swathes of drone and rock menace. Cue a quick change up in direction and we're met with what sounds like a lairy Kasabian smashing up the pub. Beer, sweat and tears. Let's 'ave it.

Review: Despite being at the centre of one of rock's tensest social media dramas in recent history - having been called out by Fat White Family for being too middle-class for their own image - Idles are back on top, thanks to their new album 'Crawler'. Taking a chance on their own criticisms, this album is more introspective than 'Ultra Mono', revealing the band's various wrestlings with addiction and desperation. In true post-punk fashion, it's an emotive sophomore development from lead brain Joe Talbot, spanning plod-rap grungers ('Car Crash') and dark disco-rock ('When The Lights Go On'), all giving off his signature brand of hopeful nihilism, with the ultimate message that 'the show must go on'.

Review: Despite being at the centre of one of rock's tensest social media dramas in recent history - having been called out by Fat White Family for being too middle-class for their own image - Idles are back on top, thanks to their new album 'Crawler'. Taking a chance on their own criticisms, this album is more introspective than 'Ultra Mono', revealing the band's various wrestlings with addiction and desperation. In true post-punk fashion, it's an emotive sophomore development from lead brain Joe Talbot, spanning plod-rap grungers ('Car Crash') and dark disco-rock ('When The Lights Go On'), all giving off his signature brand of hopeful nihilism, with the ultimate message that 'the show must go on'.

Review: Onsen Music isn't just the title of Shoko Igarashi's second album, but rather a manifesto of sorts. The name refers to a "genre" of music the saxophonist, flautist, and vocalist has created. A strange, bouncy-yet-angular corner of the electronic music universe that feels like it's inviting you to a party thrown by Mr Soft and a flying unicorn. Sounds extend themselves, curve, wobble, warp, float, glitter, and do everything else in their power to make sure you know this is a safe listening space that's equally danceable. Ever bubbly and colourful, 'Rainy' represents the full blown nu disco end of the record's vast spectrum, while the likes of 'Ukigusa' come over far closer to Ryuichi Sakamoto's clean, crisp and cuddly pop excursions - staunchly leftfield and out there, but strangely familiar and universally likeable.

Review: Iggy Pop, the avant-garde icon and punk pioneer, in his element, delivering a blistering performance at the 2023 Montreux Jazz Festival. Backed by a seven-piece band, he breathes new fire into Stooges classics like 'TV Eye' and 'I Wanna Be Your Dog', igniting the crowd with his raw energy and undeniable stage presence. The setlist spans his illustrious career, from the visceral punk anthems 'Raw Power' and 'Search and Destroy' to the infectious grooves of 'The Passenger' and 'Lust For Life'. Pop also showcases material from his recent album, 'Every Loser', with tracks like 'Modern Day Ripoff' and 'Frenzy' seamlessly integrated into the set. This recording is a testament to Pop's enduring legacy and his ability to captivate audiences with his unique blend of punk rock and avant-garde theatricality.

Review: Recorded in 1975 after the disintegration of The Stooges and eventually released, albeit in altered form, in 1977, the album saw Iggy recording his vocal contributions at weekends, on leave from the mental institution at which he was recovering from heroin addiction. With the addition of pianos, acoustic guitars and saxophones to the musical palate it's a different beast from the raw power - and Raw Power - of the Stooges, a bridge between his garage rock roots and the classier pop offerings he'd soon become known for. A fascinating document, regardless, it's well worth a listen.

Review: Ten years after their brilliant sophomore LP Smoke + Mirrors, rock-radio-ready roilers Imagine Dragons (once celebrated as, among many, the biggest band in the world) mark the occasion with a fresh vault of 14 previously unreleased demos from the sequent album's recording sessions. While the original showed off the band's dynamic range, securing them many a number-one spot, this collection offers a raw glimpse into the creative process of the LV power-pop rovers. Much less polished than official chartists might expect, we still note of the band's seemly evolution out of an already rather anachronistic early-10s EDM-plated sound, primed for radi-a and stadia alike. Many of these songs were written for the road, so it's interesting to hear, and/or imagine, what might've been if the band had followed these songs to their glossiest conclusions at the time.

Review: Imagine Dragons' sixth studio album, LOOM, makes another great step in their artistic evolution and could well be their most accomplished work to date. Produced exclusively by Imagine Dragons and their longtime collaborators Mattman and Robin, the record, which comes on limited gatefold translucent curacao vinyl, strikes a harmonious balance between the signature sound that catapulted them to fame and a newly inspired creative spirit. Across nine fresh cuts including the standout single 'Eyes Closed,' LOOM bring notes of anticipation and optimism around new beginnings. There are singalongs specials like 'Nice To Meet You' next to raw vocal deliveries on 'Take Me To The Beach' and more sentimental sounds like 'God's Don't Pray'.

Review: RECOMMENDED
The fact Imagine Dragons tangibly slowed things down in the past year or two has nothing to do with the deadly virus that single-handedly stopped life as we all knew it. The outfit had done four albums in six years, records arriving between non-stop touring schedules and each giving birth to a series of big hit singles. It's a story of runaway success, but those almost always lead to burnout.

With this in mind, Mercury: Act 1 is the band refocused, re-energised and musically reformed. Enlisting the services of super producer Rick Rubin, a guy known for switching things up in terms of an artist or band's style, he certainly lives up to those expectations here. Yes, it remains staunchly pop driven by tribal, fist pounding drums and choruses that should be sung in rainstorms, with elements of heavy rock and hip hop thrown in for good measure. But it's also their best to date thanks to the variety and ideas at work.

Review: It appears that Taylor Swift has caused somewhat of a revolution, as since the highly publicised feud with her former record label led the pop megastar to re-record and re-release her entire back catalogue, several other artists appear to be following suit by realising there lay a method ahead to reclaim their art. The latest act to take up arms against a faceless corporation (or merely be influenced by the "Taylor's Version" phenomenon) is alternative rock heroes Incubus, who after much delay, are finally ready to unveil an entirely re-recorded version of their critically acclaimed 2001 full-length Morning View. Re-dubbed Morning View XXIII, this newly revitalised version of their seminal fourth album comes on a limited blue vinyl double LP, complete with sonically sprawling renditions of some of their most essential anthems from the alt-metal bounce of 'Nice To Know You' to the anthemic serenity of 'Wish You Were Here' all the way to the aquatic funk of 'Are You In?' If you're yet to cop this early 21st century classic, make Incubus' version your only option.

Review: Incubus truly conquered the world with their third album proper, Morning View. Originally released in 2001, it came off the band's breakthrough success with Make Yourself - a knockout record which afforded them the luxury of shoring up in a palatial Malibu residence to record a follow-up befitting of their status as the smoothest Californian dudes in the nu-metal explosion. It shows the full spectrum of the band, from anthemic stadium-filling rock ('Nice To Know You') to slinky funked up jams ('Are You In?') through to dreamy chill-out ('Aqueous Transmission'). 23 years on, it sounds as fresh as ever, and it's been repressed on double vinyl to keep the sharks at bay.

Review: Indeep's 'Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life' is one of the most recognisable disco tunes of its generation, but also the title of the group's 1983 album. The New York outfit never had a tune as big as that one again but when something is such a fine mix of boogie, funk and soul as that and loved by everyone universally, does that even matter? The rest of the album which is now being reissued is packed with plenty of other more than useful dancefloor cuts with big hooks, buoyant drums and colourful synth work.

Review: There are some records you buy simply because you love the name. Or maybe that's just us? Either way, from where we're sticking stuff into the shopping cart, Index For Working Musik's second long form is one of those examples. Which Direction Goes The Beam more than lives up to the quality of the band name, and then goes and adds artwork which can only be described as 'stunning' into the mix. Angular, jerky, harsh, and artsy rock noises that run between the savage and distorted to the rousing and rollocking, the five piece should be ranking up there with the most innovative, imaginative and inimitable guitar outfits out there at the moment. Chamber-esque arrangements, strange murky mystery, and the overall feeling that we're in uncharted territories and nobody - but nobody - wants to find their way home

Review: Since forming more than ten years ago, Inhaler have exceeded all expectations and proven they're among the very best indie rock outfits touring today. They have shaken the nepo baby tag (singer Elijah Hewson is Bono's son) and earned fans' understanding that they're at the forefront of the industry on merit. They have a huge following in their hometown Dublin, where they are set to headline a 20,000 capacity show, and are filling out top venues all over the globe. With this ambitious new album, their live shows look certain to hit new heights. Single 'Your House' is a highlight as it channels the rabble-rousing atmosphere of DFA records legends LCD Soundsystem in the verses, meanwhile stunning gospel harmonies provide spine-tingling backing to Hewson's singing. It's their third album and, perhaps driven by the desire to push themselves, it shows the band run the gamut of pop whilst keeping their indie rock DNA firmly intact - a sparkling addition to the Inhaler oeuvre.

Review: The Innocence Mission's 13th studio album is a delicate masterpiece that blends poetic lyricism with sparse instrumentation, creating an ethereal, lo-fi atmosphere. Frontwoman Karen Peris's distinctive voice, imbued with emotional fragility, is the centerpiece, guiding listeners through songs of yearning, memory and subtle beauty. The band's gentle arrangementsiprimarily acoustic guitar, bass and occasional pianoiframe these contemplative tracks, evoking a sense of nostalgia and longing, reminiscent of 1970s childhood sing-alongs. Themes of memory and loss run throughout, with lyrics that evoke vivid imagery and emotional depth. In one standout moment, everyday objects serve as gateways to memories of lost loved ones, while in another, the arrival of a beloved is compared to the blooming of snowdrops and magnolias. The album's mood is often wistful, with moments of joy and hope rising amid the melancholy. With its intimate, understated production, the record invites reflection, offering a soothing antidote to the chaos of the world. Subtle shifts in mood and instrumentation keep the album fresh and immersive, ensuring its place among the band's finest work, showcasing a deepened affection for their craft and a mastery of sensory storytelling.

Review: Interpol's seventh album sees the long-standing NYC indie rock giants teaming up with the legendary production team of Flood and Alan Moulder for a trip into sadness, darkness and introspection. For devoted fans of the band, those themes should ring true and spell out another record to be cherished for those downcast days. Daniel Kessler's serpentine guitar work cuts an imposing, but ultimately graceful figure on 'Into The Night', while Samuel Fograino's propulsive drumming continues to explore meters beyond linear motorik drive and Paul Bank once more speaks from the deepest reaches of his soul.

Review: Interpol are marking the 20th anniversary of their acclaimed sophomore album Antics with a special edition release. Originally launched in September 2004, Antics solidified the band's influence in the post-punk revival scene with unforgettable tracks like 'Slow Hands', 'Evil' and 'C'mere'. Antics represents the band's mature sound, blending dark, atmospheric elements with Paul Banks' brooding vocals. It maintained the distinct essence of their debut, Turn On The Bright Lights, while introducing a more refined, pop-leaning structure. Antics skillfully avoids the sophomore slump by not attempting to recreate their debut's shadowy allure. Instead, it embraces a lighter, more direct sound while retaining their trademark post-punk edge. The album has a pop-leaning confidence, driven by crisp guitars and more prominent vocals from Paul Banks. The album's shift toward a collection of singles, rather than a cohesive narrative, allows each track to stand out. With Antics, Interpol offers a more accessible yet still brooding evolution, confirming their place in modern rock.

Review: INXS have gone all in and hired the best in the business to provide a brand new stereo mix of their 1985 Listen Like Thieves album, namely Giles Martin and Paul Hicks, who have been remixing and remastering the Beatles back catalogue together. Ill content to let a better sounding album be enough of a package, the Australian 80s icons add previously unreleased sessions tracks, outtakes, demos and a live recording the BBC did at the Royal Albert Hall in 1986. Of the tunes on here, 'This Time' has a U2-esque stadium-filling atmosphere that is undeniably empowering. But it's also great hearing another, more stripped back side to the new wave icons and 'Kiss The Dirt' is a great place to start with this - you can hear a work in progress and let your imagination can fill in the gaps.

Review: Not to be confused with the rather divisive 2011 album, Original Sin, on which a host of guest artists - Rob Thomas, Ben Harper, Mylene Gamer, Pat Monahan among others - take on the difficult task of stepping in for Michael Hutchence, joining the surviving members of INXS, Original Sinners is the real deal of the band at a time when they couldn't have been riding higher or been filled with more promise.

Recorded in 1984, this was the year when things really started happening for the Aussie alt-rock new wavers, scoring their first homeland number one ('Original Sin' - hence the title of this and the aforementioned outing), setting things up nicely for more than half a decade that would see them hit international superstardom with successive chart topping albums and singles. Packed with a synth-laden, emotionally charged and stadium filling sound, this is a snapshot of what everyone saw in them back then.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Records very slightly warped***


Kick, the sixth and best-selling 1987 studio album by Australian band INXS, solidified the band's place in music history with its unmistakable sound. This six x platinum-selling album features four U.S. Top 10 singles, including the chart-topping 'Need You Tonight.' Mastered by Ryan K. Smith from an EQ'd Dolby tape copy and pressed at Quality Record Pressings, this 180-gram 45 RPM double LP promises unparalleled sound quality. Pressing 'Kick' at 45 RPM across two LPs significantly enhances the album's audio fidelity. The 45 RPM format allows for wider grooves and more space for the stylus to track the record's intricate details, resulting in a richer, fuller sound. This format minimizes distortion and improves the high-frequency response, delivering clearer vocals, more defined instruments, and a dynamic range that closely replicates the original studio recordings. The result is a listening experience that reveals nuances and depth previously unheard on standard 33 1/3 RPM records.

Album highlights include 'New Sensation', with its infectious guitar riff and vibrant energy, this track is a quintessential INXS anthem that captures the band's blend of rock and dance elements. 'Never Tear Us Apart' is the albums main ballad, featuring Michael Hutchence's emotive vocals and the band's ability to craft songs with deep emotional resonance. The orchestral arrangement adds a layer of sophistication and timelessness. 'Devil Inside', driven by a pulsating bassline and Hutchence's sultry performance, this song epitomizes the band's fusion of rock and funk, creating an irresistibly dark and alluring atmosphere. The album's No. 1 hit, 'Need You Tonight,' features a memorable hook and a seductive rhythm that made it a staple of 1980s pop-rock. The album has plenty of lesser known songs to explore and enjoy as well like the vibrant and catchy 'Calling All Nations'. Produced by Chris Thomas, 'Kick' successfully fused the funk and soul influences of INXS's earlier work with mainstream rock appeal. This reissue by Analogue Productions, with its meticulous mastering and high-quality pressing, ensures that Kick can be experienced in all its glory. Whether revisiting this classic or discovering it for the first time, listeners will appreciate the enhanced audio fidelity and the timeless appeal of INXS's greatest album.

Review: Kick, the sixth and best-selling 1987 studio album by Australian band INXS, solidified the band's place in music history with its unmistakable sound. This six x platinum-selling album features four U.S. Top 10 singles, including the chart-topping 'Need You Tonight.' Mastered by Ryan K. Smith from an EQ'd Dolby tape copy and pressed at Quality Record Pressings, this 180-gram 45 RPM double LP promises unparalleled sound quality. Pressing 'Kick' at 45 RPM across two LPs significantly enhances the album's audio fidelity. The 45 RPM format allows for wider grooves and more space for the stylus to track the record's intricate details, resulting in a richer, fuller sound. This format minimizes distortion and improves the high-frequency response, delivering clearer vocals, more defined instruments, and a dynamic range that closely replicates the original studio recordings. The result is a listening experience that reveals nuances and depth previously unheard on standard 33 1/3 RPM records.

Album highlights include 'New Sensation', with its infectious guitar riff and vibrant energy, this track is a quintessential INXS anthem that captures the band's blend of rock and dance elements. 'Never Tear Us Apart' is the albums main ballad, featuring Michael Hutchence's emotive vocals and the band's ability to craft songs with deep emotional resonance. The orchestral arrangement adds a layer of sophistication and timelessness. 'Devil Inside', driven by a pulsating bassline and Hutchence's sultry performance, this song epitomizes the band's fusion of rock and funk, creating an irresistibly dark and alluring atmosphere. The album's No. 1 hit, 'Need You Tonight,' features a memorable hook and a seductive rhythm that made it a staple of 1980s pop-rock. The album has plenty of lesser known songs to explore and enjoy as well like the vibrant and catchy 'Calling All Nations'. Produced by Chris Thomas, 'Kick' successfully fused the funk and soul influences of INXS's earlier work with mainstream rock appeal. This reissue by Analogue Productions, with its meticulous mastering and high-quality pressing, ensures that Kick can be experienced in all its glory. Whether revisiting this classic or discovering it for the first time, listeners will appreciate the enhanced audio fidelity and the timeless appeal of INXS's greatest album.

Review: It is now five years since Nabihah Iqbal got widespread critical acclaim for her debut album Weighing Of The Heart, and finally, she is back with another. This one, Dreamer, was two years in the making and finds the London-born artist, curator, broadcaster and lecturer offering up her most reflective and raw work to date. This versatile talent has done everything from composing music for the Turner Prize to being involved in a performance as part of a major Basquiat retrospective. Here she reflects on pandemic experiences having let the ideas develop in her head before she even turned on her machines.

Review: Light Verse is the seventh studio album by the American singer and songwriter Iron & Wine. The album was announced on February seventh 2024, simultaneously with the release of the lead single 'You Never Know' which showcases Sam Ervin Beam's great songwriting and arrangement skill, with his blend of folk and pop music has been compared to greats like Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake and Neil Young. Sam has been loyal to the Sub Pop label since first being signed there over 20 years ago. This (Loser Edition) comes on transparent yellow vinyl and will hit stores in late April.

Review: If you've managed to tune out of society's collapse and the reorganisation of global orders for a second this week, it might have become apparent that Jason Isbell has swept up countless Album of the Week column inches. It's not hard to hear why, either. Finally, then, something we can all agree on - Foxes In The Snow is a breathtaking slice of Americana, folk, country and unplugged rock that's very timely really. Proof, if it were needed, of the vulnerability, thoughtfulness and feelings that can define humans if they stop shouting and shooting each other. An all-acoustic recording, Isbell played a 1940 Martin 0-17 guitar and nothing else to make this record. As so many critics have pointed out, how exposed he is throughout is why this feels like an artist unleashing their true superpowers. It's raw, it's honest and there is absolutely nowhere to hide here. For anyone. Expect few dry eyes in any house when this plays out, then.

Review: Jason Isbell's tenth album is the first to hear the singer-songwriter without his 400 Unit band, and marks a return to the spotlight after a ten-year break, following 2015's Something More Than Free. Recorded over five days at Electric Lady Studios in New York, Isbell contrasts to the studio totalities of his earlier records here, this time playing all the songs on a single all-mahogany 1940 Martin 0-17 acoustic guitar. Evoking warm, diurnal drives across interstate roads, and carvings on oak tree trunks forsook by old times, Isbell's lyrics are real wrenchers, balancing fantasies of an outlawed life lived on the run, with those of a humbler pedigree.

Review: Having just recently made his major acting role debut in Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon, what an opportune time to reissue the debut solo album from former Drive By Truckers lead guitarist Jason Isbell. Originally released in 2007, Sirens Of The Ditch awarded the songwriter a chance to put his own voice front and centre, with a bluesy concoction of neofolk/alt-country meets indie-pop. Working with former bandmates as well as the iconic Spooner Oldham, in an effort to capture a balance between primitive folk aesthetics and modern pop sensibilities, Isbell managed to craft a startling debut that weaves its deft narratives around saccharine compositions, while charting out an immensely successful solo career with even his latest, exceptional ninth full-length Weathervanes landing earlier this year.

Review: There's something uniquely Japanese and slightly off-kilter about the pop-making prowess of Eiko Ishibashi, a singer-songwriter, improvisational drummer, pianist and all-round experimentalist that counts Editions Mego and Oren Ambarchi's Black Truffle as labels she has released on. She returns to Drag City, an all time Chicago label famous for records by Pavement and Stereolab to more recently music from Ty Segall and the all-talented John Mulaney. Ishibashi's music here, however, sways from heavy industrial beats to future, funky and avant pop numbers like "Iron Veil". It's a record that will take some getting used to but there's no denying you will get used to it too; if you can keep up with its modernity that comes from way out leftfield.

Review: IST IST's fourth studio album, Light A Bigger Fire, follows closely on the heels of their 2023 breakthrough, Protagonists. IST IST are a post-punk band based in Manchester, United Kingdom with the group consists of Adam Houghton (vocals, guitar), Mat Peters (guitar, keyboards), Andy Keating (bass) and Joel Kay (drums). The quartet continues to evolve their sound, blending brighter tones with brooding, stentorian elements. This album features the standout single 'Lost My Shadow' and the compelling track 'The Kiss,' which features their magnetic energy. Frontman Adam Houghton's emotive vocals soar over hypnotic rhythms and swirling guitars, creating an arresting and powerful landscape. Produced by Joe Cross, known for his work with Courteeners and Hurts, Light A Bigger Fire is poised to elevate IST IST's studio output, mirroring the electrifying experience of their live shows. The band's DIY ethos and unwavering commitment to their craft are evident, from establishing their own rehearsal studios to selling out venues across Europe. With this release, IST IST solidifies their place at the forefront of the indie scene, brimming with authenticity and passion.

Review: Italia 90, named after Italy's football team in the 1990 World Cup, are a post-punk band from London. Their debut album 'Living Human Treasure', released on Brace Yourself, showcases the band's politically charged lyrics and taste for wonky rhythms, channelling the band's anarchic, no-effs-given influences such as The Fall and Gang of Four. Fans of angular guitars and ironic '80s not-stalgia will appreciate this debut, and one could easily make comparisons to Still House Plants or Gentle Stranger.

Review: On Imitation of War, songwriter and guitarist Kayla Cohen advances Itasca into rockier terrain, with a suite of smoky nocturnes and uneasy idylls surveying, with refreshing urgency, mythologies and psychologies both classical and personal. Co-produced by Robbie Cody (Wand, Behavior), these ten sturdy set-pieces represent the loosest, leanest, and most smoulderingly electric, guitar-forward recordings in Cohen's deepening catalog. Cohen explains the title as the "performance of war postures" evident at every scale of human and animal life, making war itself, or at least the thing we call war, a fundamental fact of existence. But it could just as easily apply to the revelation that, with Imitation of War, Itasca has finally come to inhabit fully the staged postures toward which former records gestured. She sounds more herself, more confidently authorial than the longing protagonist of her earlier work. This self-knowing sentiment implied in the lyrics of 'El Dorado'; no imitation, formal or emotional, of former self or imagined other, remains.